Emrin simply sat on the wooden chair and admired the carnage as the blood started to dry on him. So many bodies, all possible because of this little thing in his palm. The edge of the blade remained scarily sharp, despite the use it’d just seen. “Xua Yu… What do you know, you bastard?”
There were four new discoveries he’d made through this fight. When he killed the two praying Ravens at once, the duration of stealth had extended and not resetted. It was the only thing that gave him a chance to face the burly one next. And when he shoved the man into the fire and watched him burn, the stealth effect activated again. He checked the item details once again.
Name : Phantom Dagger Description: A dagger used in the training of Elreen's assassins. Special Conditions: Untradeable Rating: Normal (Growth) Durability: 100/100 Level: 1 (1.2% Experience to next rarity level) Attack Power: 12-14
Passive effects:
When you kill a creature with this weapon, gain 5 seconds of "Stealth."
It seemed that the system only required the creature to have been damaged once by the dagger to consider it “killed” by it. Was there a damage threshold to it? He’d have to experiment further.
Emrin stood and sheathed the weapon. The third insight he’d gotten was that everything on his person, whether he was holding or wearing it, had turned invisible, including the weapon itself. That could really prove problematic if it ever left his hands. Finally, the thing that made him tremble from excitement… This was true stealth. Not broken whenever he landed a hit. It didn’t last long and he could still be hit during it, but the effect was insane regardless. “I don’t get how Kosmos would allow for this to exist,” Emrin mumbled to himself. For some reason, the mere existence of it filled him with a weird sense of dread. Just what other items were out there that people had discovered?
Veelander came back with a hefty pouch in hand and interrupted his thoughts. “Sorry, I forgot which plank it was hidden under.”
“No worries,” Emrin said and held out his palm. “Let’s see it.”
The bard almost winced as he handed it over. Emrin opened it up only to find gold shining back at him. Jackpot. Close to a hundred and fifty total, if not more. With Xua Yu and Lana giving him hundreds of gold on request, the excitement was lessened. But still, there were definitely uses to all of it. He dug through the pouch and tossed Veelander one of the coins. The man first snatched it out of the air instinctively, then gave Emrin a puzzled look.
“I’m buying your services,” Emrin smiled. “Figured it’d do you good to work for some coin rather than steal it.”
Veelander froze, then nodded solemnly. “I understand.” He looked around, blushing a little before getting down on his knees.
“I– What– No!” Emrin hurriedly pulled him up by the armpits. “That’s not what I meant you idiot!”
“Oh, I thought–” Veelander rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I swing both ways, so…”
“I just meant odd jobs.” Emrin squeezed the bridge of his nose. “That’s all I wanted.”
“I can do that, for sure!” Veelander spun on the bed and righted himself up with his lyre in hand. “Can play you a tune too.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Emrin said. Wasn’t this guy scared half to death just a few minutes ago? And when did he change his pants? “For now, just bring me a wet towel.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Veelander nodded and came back with a rag moments later. “Here you go.”
Emrin cringed at the sight of the grime on it, but still… Dirt beat blood. He wiped it off his face and managed to get a proper look at Veelander, which made him double back. “Ain’t you easy on the eye?” Emrin asked with some irritation. He’d tried to make his own avatar prettier this time around, but he couldn’t come close to what Kosmos had come up with in the bard’s case. Just out of spite… “Do a handstand.”
“Aye, sir.” Veelander set his lyre aside and looked around awkwardly for a few moments, before pressing his palms against the ground and pushing up with his legs. He wobbled in place for less than a second before losing balance, smacking against the wood with his face.
“Pft,” Emrin stifled a laugh. “That was horrendous. If you can’t do it, just say so.”
“Hey, I’ve done way worse things for way less money.” Veelander got back up. “Speaking of, shouldn’t we get going before any of the other Ravens get here? It wouldn’t end up well for either of us.”
“Other Ravens?” Emrin felt a chill. His hit points had just reached ten again. There was no way he was ready to take on more. “Shit, why didn’t you tell me there’s others beforehand?”
Veelander shrugged. “I don’t know! I just thought the guy that took out ten armed bandits in one sitting would know that sort of thing.”
“Ugh,” Emrin barred the door with his back and pointed up. “Go get me that map from upstairs, then we’re out of here. And be careful with it!”
Veelander nodded and rushed up, nearly slipping on the bloody floor. Erin kept sneaking glances outside the faded glass of a window, and thankfully nobody new showed.
"Got it!" Veelander came running back, rolled up, giant map in hand. Not exactly conspicuous, but it'd do.
"Off we go then," Emrin opened the door and the night's cold air greeted him. He paused, trying to remember what path they'd taken.
"This way," Veelander took the lead down one of the alleys. "Six left goes the Raven, two right go its eyes. Then straight ahead the path lies." He recited the words like a verse.
"The Ravens before took a lot of unnecessary turns too," Emrin said, catching up to the hard. "It makes no sense. Wouldn't they end up where they started?"
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Veelander glanced over his shoulder, then quickly ducked over a low balcony he was about to hit. "You're new to Shantalar, aren't you? Felial himself built this city for his followers, folding the streets and buildings in on themselves. They say it's really ten to twenty times the size it seems to be outside the walls, but nobody knows for sure. Different, seemingly nonsensical paths that lead to different parts of the city are found on the daily. I heard someone discovered the Moorie estate too, recently. Damned bastards got rich looting the place."
"A God building a maze city for his followers, huh?" Emrin mumbled. Danira took hundreds of years to complete and was outfitted with dozens of temples before being dedicated to Aoran, God of the Sun. And that made sense after all. Mortals seek to appease their deities, not the other way around.
The two of them reached one of the main roads, lit up by torches along the walls. Veelander made to exit the alley but Emrin pulled him back and pinned him against the wall, pressing the dagger to his neck. “Give me that map.”
“H-Here you go.” Veelander handed it over and pushed his chin up to get away from the blade.
“I still don’t trust you.” Emrin said as he took it in his hands. The paper felt dry and fragile in his fingertips.
“Understandable.” Veelander nodded, then winced as the dagger cut into him a little. “I’ll cause you no trouble, I promise. A-As long as you give me gold, I won’t complain.”
Emrin paused for a moment and leaned in, staring right into Veelander’s eyes with as much hate as he could muster. Imagining Shill standing there instead did the trick. “If you stab me in the back, I’ll do the same.” He held the map up before placing it in his inventory, and observed as Veelander watched it disappear into windblown mist. “And my strikes hurt, much, much more than yours. I’m sure you’d agree.”
“You’re blessed by the stars!” Veelander widened his eyes and gulped. “There’s no point in trying to kill you, I get it.”
“Good. You’re smart.” Emrin backed off and sheathed the dagger. “And since you’re smart, you’ll know not to reveal that fact to anyone else, right?”
“Yes, boss.” Veelander huffed, adjusting his clothes. “Can we go now? I think you could do with some unwinding.”
Emrin raised an eyebrow. He’d tried so hard to be threatening and not being able to tell if it had the intended effect annoyed him. “Weren’t you scared for your life just a moment ago?”
Veelander simply raised his shoulders. “I call that a Wednesday.”
“Whatever,” Emrin grumbled. He fumbled through the pouch and tossed the bard another gold coin. “Find me someone from the Hunter’s guild and buy me five hogs. Alive and tied up. Also, write down all that you know about the Ravens. I’ll go through it later.”
“You’re not coming with me?” Veelander leaned back and pulled open a pocket so that the gold coin landed inside. A show off too, it seemed.
“I’ll meet you at the central square at dusk tomorrow, next to the largest bonfire.” Emrin wore his hood before stepping out into the torchlight. “I expect that information ready.”
“Got it,” Veelander said behind him.
Emrin nodded and turned around, making for Tsoya’s house. He was starting to get used to Shantalar, and all its smoke, darkness and secrets. This time around he was fairly confident he could find Tsoya’s place without following the walls and wasting time. As he walked, he wondered if he was right to trust the bard. The logical side of him said no, but his instincts thought him an honest guy. And that bode very ill. His instincts had shown they were not to be trusted. In this case though, there was little to lose. Worst case scenario, Veelander brought a few more vengeful Ravens right to him. He could worry about that later though.
As the fishy stench of Tsoya’s home reached him from nearly two blocks away, Emrin had only a single thought circling his head. It was time for the next linked quest. He was about to climb in through the window when he heard yelling coming from inside. Peeking through the muddy glass, he saw a muscular figure towering above Tsoya.
“Give technique! I kill many Raven!” The man screamed. He tilted his body to the side and let three bodies splash onto the water. What the hell was going on?
“Why bodies…? Out! Out now! No technique, nothing!” Tsoya yelled back. “Everyone’s eyes on you, no proper assassin. Ever!”
“Gragh!” The man raised his hands and Emrin prepared to rush in. He couldn’t afford anything happening to Tsoya. “I become best assassin in world. Then everybody yell Grongk!” Instead, the man turned around and stormed off.
Emrin ducked to the side as the door swang open beside him. Under the moonlight, he could see the man’s light green skin and his ragged, tribal wear. An orc this far from the mountains?
“Stupid fish!” The orc slammed the door behind him with strength that nearly tore it off its hinges. Then without even turning to look at Emrin, he walked away.
“Tsoya?” Emrin slowly opened the door after the man had gone. “Are you ok?”
“Mmm? Yes, fine, fine. Just annoying student wannabe…” Tsoya waved her hand around.
Emrin couldn’t help but feel curious. “You clearly don’t want to teach him. Why?”
“Bah, too much blood on him. Too many kills in not the proper way for techniques.” She looked at him for a few moments, then a wide smile crept up on her face. “But you… Dagger.” She extended out a webbed hand.
Emrin handed it over and watched as Tsoya’s beady eyes inspected it from hilt to tip. Part of him feared that she’d take it from him for good, that it was only a quest item. It wouldn’t be an absurd assumption judging by its power. He breathed a soft sigh of relief when she handed it back to him.
“Good job. Very talented recruit indeed…”
[Tsoya’s Hidden Technique(1) has been completed! Affinity with Tsoya has increased.]
“Thank you.” Emrin puffed out his chest a little. “It was actually tough this time around.” He remembered Tsoya calling him a braggart last time, so he thought he’d downplay his skills a little. Perhaps she’d give him an easier quest because of it.
“Tough, yes, but you good with many people your level. Easily disposable.” Tsoya scratched her chin. “But against someone much stronger than you? What then?”
Quest : Tsoya’s Hidden Technique(2) Description: Tsoya is prepared to share her technique with you, provided you can complete this final task. Seek out an opponent much stronger than yourself and rise to the occasion to take his life. Difficulty : S+
Quest Clear Conditions :
Kill a player at least 30 levels higher than you alone.
Linked Quest :
Tsoya’s Hidden Technique (2)
Quest time limit :
7 days
Rewards :
???
“Shit!” Emrin felt like punching a wall. “Are you kidding me? There’s no way that’s possible!” He went through all that trouble just to be given an impossible task at the end.
“Hmmm… For good assassin, possible.” Tsoya knit her brows together. “Perhaps technique not for you? Fine if you weak…”
“I’m not weak!” Emrin snapped back, only to see her smiling. She’d figured him out already, huh? “Fine,” he said, forcing himself to calm down. “I’ll finish your stupid quest. You better have that reward ready.”
“Always ready…” Tsoya’s eyes reflected the moonlight behind his back, and her long thin tongue ran up and down sharp teeth. “Good luck, student.”