I pulled my VR device from my travel bag and adjusted my bed, getting comfortable for a few hours of gameplay.

It had been a while since I last played this game, I thought to myself.

Once I was settled, I logged into my account.

However, since I was entering the American server this time, I needed to create a brand-new character from scratch.

As usual, I started with a default model and customized it to my liking.

I went with a mid-height male avatar with a lean build, black hair tied into a samurai bun, and striking purple eyes, just like mine when my cursed eyes activate.

Satisfied with the look, I moved on to the next step.

A window popped up in front of me: "Enter your in-game name."

Hmm… What name should I use? I wanted something cooler this time since I’d been stuck with "Leirsa" on the Asian server.

Something that represents vanishing into the shadows and striking its prey...

Ghost? Specter? No… Oh, I got it… Phantom.

But wait, that might get confused with the Phantom class.

I needed something more distinct.

Phantomlord.

Yeah, that sounded good, I thought.

I entered the name, and luckily, it was available.

Another window appeared: "Choose your class."

Without hesitation, I picked Assassin… the perfect base for unlocking the unique Reaper Class later on.

After about ten minutes of character customization, I was finally ready to begin.

Upon entering the American Server in Arcadia Online, I spawned in a beginner town:

Town Name: Silverbane

Like every new player, I received a starter kit:

Rusted Dagger

Beginner Garb

10 HP & MP Potions

100 Silver Coins

Not exactly the best, but at least it was something. I didn’t even have enough money to buy a decent weapon.

Luckily, I remembered a trick one of my old guildmates used.

Take the Rusted Dagger to a blacksmith for restoration.

Without wasting any time, I headed straight for the beginner town’s blacksmith and handed him the dagger.

Restoration Cost: 50 Silver

I confirmed the transaction, and my Rusted Dagger transformed into an Iron Dagger.

Checking the weapon’s stats, I realized I had just saved a fortune.

An Iron Dagger normally costs 1,000 silver (1 gold) in the beginner town’s weapon shop.

Restoring the old one had only cost me 50 silver, meaning I saved 950 silver right off the bat.

Looking at the updated stats, the difference was massive:

Attack Power: 5 → 50 (10x increase)

Durability: 10 → 100 (10x increase)

Not bad at all.

Next, I stopped by the weapon shop and spent 25 silver to buy 50 throwing daggers.

With some money left, I headed to the Town Inn to grab an affordable food buff, a hot coffee and cookies for 20 silver.

Buff Effects:

Stamina Regeneration +2

Mana Regeneration +2

Health Regeneration +2

EXP Rate +25% (Effective for levels below 40)

Buff Duration: 4 hours

Even though it was just a game, I could smell and taste the coffee and cookies.

This is going to be fun.

With only five silver coins left, my character was practically broke.

Time to grind some EXP and currency.

I pulled up my map, scanning for a beginner-friendly grinding spot.

I needed a location filled with low-HP monsters that would fall instantly to my throwing daggers.

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Luckily, I found the perfect spot, Harpy’s Peak.

It was a level 15 area inhabited by Windlings, lesser harpies at level 5.

They were fast but fragile, making them the ideal target.

Even better, they dropped Windling’s Feathers, which sold for 1 silver each.

The area's boss was a Harpy (level 15), which had a decent chance of dropping Harpy’s Feathers, worth a whopping 100 silver each.

Before setting off, I noticed my movement speed was slow.

To fix that, I poured all my beginner stat points into Agility.

That’s more like it.

With my speed enhanced, I sprinted toward Harpy’s Peak.

Thanks to my food buff, I could run for quite a while before needing to recover stamina.

When I arrived, Windlings were flying around the area.

It was lunchtime, meaning most players were offline, perfect timing.

To maximize my farming efficiency, I gathered all the Windlings’ aggro and cleared them out one by one.

They were agile, but to me, they moved like they were frozen in place.

After using almost all of my 50 throwing daggers, I finally reached the boss area.

Current Level: 5.

Checking my status points, I dumped all of them into Agility once again.

As soon as I stepped into the boss zone, the Harpy instantly lunged at me.

Too slow, I thought.

Thanks to my boosted Agility, I effortlessly dodged it.

Your back is wide open.

I jumped over the Harpy and stabbed its back, causing it to shriek in pain as a chunk of its HP was shaved off.

In retaliation, the Harpy unleashed Feather Wind, a unique attack that generates powerful gusts of wind, dealing continuous damage to anyone within the affected area.

I immediately dashed behind a large rock, waiting for the skill to subside.

Once it ended, the Harpy was left exhausted, gliding weakly.

A skill demerit? Perfect, I thought.

Seizing the opportunity, I sprinted toward it and slashed its neck using my Critical Slash, a critical hit.

Its HP dropped into the red zone.

Sensing danger, it began entering its frenzy state.

But I didn’t give it the chance.

I leaped above it and hurled my remaining five throwing daggers, nailing both wings to the ground.

Before it could struggle free, I lunged forward, aimed at its neck again, finally beheading the harpy.

The Harpy’s body shattered, leaving behind a few Harpy’s Feathers.

Now, it was time to unlock the portal, return to town, sell my loot, and restock my consumables.

I repeated the process multiple times until I finally reached level 25.

Along the way, I unlocked the following skills:

Level 25 – Backstab

Level 20 – Poison Dagger

Level 15 – Paralyzing Dagger

Level 10 – Dash

Level 5 – Critical Slash

Level 1 – Throwing Dagger

Level 1 – Dagger Stab/Slash

Checking my inventory, I now had five gold and over 300 silver coins.

Not bad for a fresh start.

Taking another look at the weapon shop, I realized I could finally afford a better weapon.

My Iron Dagger had served me well, but its durability was nearly zero.

Repairing it would be a waste of my hard earned money, especially now that I could upgrade to something stronger.

I decided to buy the Azure Dagger, a weapon boasting 100 attack points and a special effect that doubles poison damage.

Quite the upgrade.

The price? three gold coins.

A heavy hit to my wallet, but well worth it.

Next, I caught a glimpse of myself in the weapon shop’s mirror.

I looked like a peasant.

Still clad in my beginner garb, I figured it was time for an upgrade.

I purchased a full leather armor set, from head to toe… for two gold.

Equipping it, I felt a lot more like an actual Assassin… but now I was broke again.

With only 300+ silver left, I made my final purchases:

Half a dozen smoke bombs 240 silver.

Now, I was down to just over 60 silver but considering this was only my first hour of gameplay, I’d made solid progress.

Next Goal, Level 40.

At level 40, I could unlock one of the Assassin's advanced classes, Shinobi.

However, there was a major problem.

The Assassin class struggles as a solo player.

I could easily die to homing skills and AOE attacks, making monster grinding a serious risk.

Then, it hit me.

Assassins aren’t meant to hunt monsters.

They’re meant to hunt players.

There was one place where I could fight players without getting out-leveled or out-geared, a low-level labyrinth with a level restriction.

Forsaken Catacombs – A Level 1-40 Labyrinth.

Most players wouldn’t risk bringing rare weapons into a low-level labyrinth since there was a chance of losing gear upon defeat.

It was the perfect place to farm weaker players for loot.

Without hesitation, I purchased an entry ticket to the Forsaken Catacombs for fifty silver.

With what little money I had left, I headed straight for the labyrinth.

The dungeon was filled with undead monsters Skeletons, Ghouls, Zombies, and even a Vampire.

The spawn point was random, meaning I could start anywhere inside the labyrinth.

I just hoped I wouldn’t spawn in the Vampire’s domain.

Without a Holy Magic user like a Healer class or a Paladin, dealing with Vampires was an absolute nightmare.

As I looked around, I realized I was in an empty chamber covered in scattered skulls.

In front of me stood an open coffin and an empty throne.

Well… this isn’t good.

I should have brought a hammer and a stake, I thought.

Before I could react, a petite female vampire materialized in front of me.