Elyno crouched by the remains of a small fire, twirling his dagger between his fingers. The flames had died hours ago, but the cold edge of the blade felt comforting against his palm.
He closed his eyes, exhaling.
I chose Assassin for a reason. If I'm going to survive… I have to master this.
He stood, settling into a low stance. Slowly at first, then faster, he began to move—slashing, feinting, spinning, imagining invisible enemies all around him.
The blade whispered through the air. His heartbeat steadied.
Then, just as he was raising the dagger for another strike, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[Message from ???]
You may need this.
His panel flickered.
[250,000 Yang received.]
Elyno stared at the number.
Two hundred fifty thousand.
He nearly dropped the dagger.
"Holy—"
His voice cracked. He had never even dreamed of holding that much.
His first thought was a simple one: The armor.
With that kind of money, he could finally buy the Reinforced Plate that had tempted him since the first day.
But before he could open the store, another message appeared.
Spend it wisely. Buy the Dead Man's Cloak, the Night Twin Daggers, and the Shadow Skill.
His mouth went dry.
"But… the armor…" he whispered.
No reply came.
He swallowed, hands shaking, and opened the store.
Dead Man's Cloak
Agility +2 Strength +2 Mana +3
Note: Grants 30% fire resistance.
His heart thumped. That was… actually impressive.
Next, he checked the daggers.
Night Twin Daggers
Agility +3 Strength +3 Intelligence +4
Enhances Shadow Skill effectiveness by 50%.
And finally, the skill itself:
Shadow Skill – Level 1
Become invisible for 10 seconds. Strikes from stealth deal +50% critical damage. Invisibility ends upon attacking.
Elyno closed his eyes.
The armor can wait.
He purchased all three items.
When he opened his eyes again, the heavy cloak draped over his shoulders like liquid night. The twin daggers rested in his palms, perfectly balanced, their edges gleaming with faint violet runes.
Almost all his Yang was gone.
He exhaled shakily, then sank to one knee.
For the next hour, he trained. He slipped into Shadow Veil again and again, testing how the daggers moved in his hands. He practiced slashing from stealth, imagining how it would feel to strike a living target.
When his strength finally gave out, he curled beside Tengri and closed his eyes.
Sleep claimed him almost instantly.
A twig cracked.
Elyno's eyes snapped open.
Without thinking, he activated Shadow Veil.
The world faded into shifting gray.
Through the haze, he saw her.
Liora.
She stood in the clearing, hair tousled, armor spattered with old blood. She raised a hand to her ear, speaking in a calm, tired voice.
"…Yes. I heard the reports. One of the Sins was sighted here. No, it's not confirmed. And—"
She paused, glancing at her panel.
"What? Two hundred thousand Yang? Thank you, Sett."
Elyno felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
Sett…?
Liora looked around, unaware of the invisible observer crouched only ten steps away.
Then, with a single graceful motion, she turned and began walking deeper into the forest.
Elyno hesitated.
Then he followed.
They moved for nearly half an hour, weaving between ancient oaks and tangled roots.
Finally, Liora stopped at the edge of a clearing.
In the center, a swirling red portal flickered.
Liora drew her sword. Without a word, she stepped through.
Elyno's heart pounded. Tengri whined softly beside him.
He knelt, brushing the wolf's ears.
"…Stay here," he whispered. "Please."
Tengri lowered his head.
Elyno turned, took a steadying breath, and walked into the portal.
The world bent.
He emerged into chaos.
A vast stone hall stretched in every direction, crawling with movement.
Liora was a blur of steel and motion—cutting down goblins by the dozen, her blade a streak of cold light.
But no matter how many fell, more came. Fifty. Sixty. A tide of shrieking green bodies.
And behind them…
A hulking figure in cracked white armor. Its swollen form heaved with every breath, milky eyes fixed on Liora.
Sloth.
Or something that looked like it.
Liora fought like a goddess. But even she was slowing, her steps losing their edge.
Elyno swallowed. His heart thudded so hard it hurt.
She's going to die.
Then the creature shifted. Its gauntlet rose—aimed for her unprotected side.
Before he could think, before he could doubt, Elyno slipped into Shadow Veil.
Ten seconds.
He ran.
The world blurred past him.
He vaulted over fallen goblins, boots silent on the stone.
Eight seconds.
The monster's arm drew back.
Six seconds.
He leapt.
Four seconds.
He raised both daggers.
Two seconds.
He struck.
The blades sank deep into the creature's neck.
A roar tore from its throat, but the sound was cut short as its massive form shuddered.
Elyno ripped the daggers free and fell back, gasping.
A final chime echoed.
[Sin of Sloth Fragment defeated.]
3,000 Yang received.
2,500 EXP received.
Shadow Skill progress: Level 1 – 24%
LEVEL UP! (Level 7)
LEVEL UP! (Level 8)
LEVEL UP! (Level 9)
16 Stat Points acquired.
Reward: Sin Compass.
The body dissolved into black mist.
Liora turned, her eyes wide.
"…You—"
He tried to speak, but his throat had gone dry.
Liora looked at the empty space where the monster had stood, then back at him.
Her voice was quiet.
"That… was only a projection," she said. "If the real Sloth is a hundred times stronger…"
Elyno swallowed hard.
I don't even want to imagine it.
Liora stepped closer.
"…Are you all right?"
"I… I think so."
He looked around. The goblin corpses had vanished.
Together, they stepped through the portal.
The forest night was cold and still.
A new panel flickered in the corner of his vision.
[Viewers: 3,000]
His breath caught.
But an instant later, the panel glitched, flickered red—and reset to one.
Liora watched it with mild amusement.
"…I suppose I owe you an introduction," she said. "I'm Liora, Chief Hunter of the Sett Clan. My viewers… are rather annoyed I couldn't finish it myself."
She paused, her gaze flicking to his daggers.
"…But you did well."
He opened his mouth—only to be interrupted by a chorus of voices.
At least thirty figures emerged from the trees, armored and armed.
"Lady Liora!" one called. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head.
"I'm fine. Let's go."
The Sett hunters surrounded her, guiding her away.
Elyno watched them disappear into the dark.
When silence returned, he opened his stat panel.
Sixteen points to distribute.
His hand trembled over the buttons.
Then, a message appeared.
[Message from ???]
Put some into Intelligence. You'll need it.
He exhaled shakily, nodding.
7 points into Intelligence.
9 points into Agility.
New Stats:
Strength: 6
Agility: 24
Mana: 4
Intelligence: 12
He closed the panel, feeling both stronger and somehow more fragile.
I think I'm done with this forest, he thought.
He turned toward the distant lights of the city.
But before he could take a step, he saw him.
Jager.
The older man lay sprawled in the grass, a pool of dark blood soaking into the earth.
Elyno ran to his side.
"Jager—? Hey—can you hear me?"
He fumbled in his inventory, pulling out a water flask.
"Please—"
But Jager didn't move.
A cold chime sounded.
A red panel.
[NEW QUEST – VENGEANCE]
Hunt down Sergi of the Sett Clan. Kill him.
Elyno's chest tightened.
"…Sergi? He's…he's human…"
His hands curled into fists.
You want me to kill a man?
A final line appeared beneath the quest.
Reward: Swift Step Skill and Swift Step Boots.
Elyno closed his eyes.
What have I gotten myself into?
I'm Era. I write two chapters every day. If you're enjoying this story, please consider following and supporting. Thank you for reading.