From the eighth century, onward, the term assassin has come to mean the agent of an organized, clandestine, secret effort to eliminate enemies. The study of this effort is complex and takes many turns. In modern times, the assassin lives on as agent of the nation state who employs the same methods to eliminate enemies. As before, the individual assassin must be well-trained in many skills which include proficiency in languages, fighting arts, self-discipline, patience, and ingenuity. Often, the modern assassin will have the complete support of his nation state in carrying out the mission, but never an admission of ownership or attribution. An assassin, by his very nature, must be self-motivated, fearless, organized, cunning, and ruthless. The Nation States hunt for such an individual when met with success also embraces the fear of what this type of individual can do to his patron. Therein lays the story of the ultimate assassin.