Slumping next to a tree, Kaden heaved and panted with his hand on his chest. He had only just now managed to lose the two city guards who were hell-bent on chasing him to the end of the world. Last time he used a bandit camp but this time he only managed to lose the two guards through sheer luck. What the hell was happening? Why was he being chased once again?!

As Kaden caught his breath, his mind raced to make sense of the situation. He understood being chased out of Willowbrook. He was a Dark Legion affiliated player and hence was not allowed in the city. But why the hell was he chased out of Light Wind city? He knew for a fact that Dark Legion players were allowed inside. His mark made him a Dark Legion player so he chose this city and was set to enter it and do the quests inside. Everything made perfect sense except for the fact that he was chased out once again!

Did this mean he wasn't 'friendly' to the Dark Legion also? So he wasn't liked by either of the factions?

Kaden shook his head at this frightening thought. How could something like this be possible? Just what the heck was this damned title?! But then he frowned as he thought about another possibility. Perhaps there was a third faction in the game? Was he missing something? Hmmm. He knitted his brows, contemplating this theory. As he pondered the possibility of a third faction in the game, he couldn't recall any specific information or hints regarding such a faction. As far as he knew, there were only two factions, and players by default belonged to one of these two.

Nevertheless, Kaden couldn't ignore the evidence before him. Something was amiss. Perhaps there were hidden factions or secret allegiances within the game world that he had yet to uncover? If he was hated by both sides, then that had to be the reason! But right now the reason did not matter. If he was indeed hated by both sides, then he was completely screwed!

Kaden slapped his face with both his palms. "Let's not go there just yet." Though everything was going against him, there was still some silver lining even in this ridiculous situation. The more troublesome his title was, the higher the chances of his class being overpowered!

This better be the case. Kaden gave a rueful smile. However, whether it was overpowered or not, the question still remained. What was he supposed to do now? If he couldn't enter both sides, then… neutral cities it was!

Hmmm… Kaden closed his eyes and took a deep breath, contemplating his various options. He could think of two right off the bat. One was the small city in the kingdom where the monk temple was located. That was one of the neutral places in the game where both factions were allowed. However, the city itself was really small. Even the newbie village was bigger than that. Also, that place had been combed through from top to bottom in his previous life several times by several players, hoping there would be something amazing hidden there.

Unfortunately, nothing like that existed. It was simply a neutral place in the middle of a high-level zone meant for players to rest and recuperate. There was even one in every kingdom. With a sigh, Kaden chucked that place out of his mind. As for the second option, it was the complete opposite of the monastery. It was the place where anything and everything went. A place so chaotic that if he entered, he wouldn't stay alive even for 5 seconds. The dark underbelly of the Kingdom's capital!

It was a lawless place where survival was a constant struggle. However, it also possibly had a solution for his problems. There was a particular item from the underbelly that Kaden remembered from his previous life. A mask.

In his last life, this mask was rather famous. It was an item that was a must-have for all PVP players. In 'Apocalypse Online' PVP was very much encouraged. There were several PVP quests that were very rewarding, both money-wise and experience points-wise. But at the same time players who had other players' blood on their hands were also penalized severely. With each round of killing, they were punished with longer timeouts during which they were labeled as criminals and couldn't enter the city just like he couldn't.

Naturally, this was an extremely troublesome situation as it affected gameplay a lot. Everyone cursed and complained about this nerf and PVP even became something only idiots pursued. However, that was until one player discovered a shop located in the underbelly where they freely sold a unique mask, called the 'Hero's Disguise'. With this mask, no matter how red one's name was, they were able to enter and exit every city happily without any problem.

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As long as they did not enter the key places of the city where the kingdom officials resided and were guarded heavily by the higher-level kingdom guards, they could do whatever they wanted. At least Kaden would finally be able to unlock his mana skill tree this way, thereby finally giving him some real combat skills. It was weird that his summoning skill 'Obsidian Oath' did not naturally unlock this skill tree but then again everything about that skill, and the accompanying quest and title were abnormal. Perhaps after getting his hands on this mask, he would finally be able to get a better idea about everything.

After quickly logging out and attending to his human needs, Kaden let out a weary sigh and rose to his feet. The weight of his preparations weighed heavily on his mind. "How troublesome," he mumbled, scratching his head as he started walking. Once again, he found himself at a familiar crossroads, patiently waiting for a carriage ride back to Willowbrook. Despite the sense of wasted time, he understood the necessity. Most players in the game were still concentrated in the cities near the newbie zones, and it was precisely these players he needed to encounter.

As he wandered for another hour, Kaden finally spotted a carriage bound for Willowbrook. Shortly after arriving at the outskirts of the city, he paused, his gaze fixed on the bustling activity near the city gates. A few more players had arrived, but he knew he must keep his distance and refrain from entering. His purpose here was entirely different. Concealing his face beneath the hood of his dire wolf cloak, Kaden surveyed the area, patiently waiting for a group of players to emerge. Minutes passed until finally, a group of five unsuspecting players headed his way.

Without hesitation, Kaden leaped in front of the group, causing them to come to a sudden stop. Their hands instinctively reached for their weapons, but it was already too late.

"What the... Who the hell is this?!"

"Ahhhhhh!"

Two players fell victim to a menacing black dog with horns, while another was consumed by a pitch-black ball of fire. The remaining two met the same fate as Kaden swiftly swung his dagger, striking them down. Moments later, all five players lay defeated at his feet. A satisfied smile crept across Kaden's face as he swiftly looted their fallen bodies, collecting their belongings. While not all items dropped when a player died, the loot this time was undeniably valuable.

Among the spoils were two health potions, three mana potions, a gleaming crossbow, a ring, one silver coin, and five copper coins. Content with his spoils, Kaden dismissed his summoned creatures and retreated into the shadows of the forest, hiding and lurking. As he watched the corpses disappear, Kaden's status turned red, and his kill count increased. He was now ready for the next group.

Indeed, Kaden planned to repeat this process for the next few hours. Engaging in PVP was a thrilling way to pass the time, especially when he held such overwhelming power. But there was more to it than that—Kaden had a genuine need for these resources, particularly health potions. "Health potions... the key to survival in the underbelly."

In the treacherous underbelly, one could be attacked at any moment, without reason or warning. Basic survival items like health potions were crucial. Additionally, potions such as Stealth and Agility would prove invaluable. Furthermore, having his status marked with a dark blood-red aura would serve as a deterrent to potential attackers. While Kaden had never ventured into the underbelly himself, he had heard from other players that it was advisable to amass a significant number of kills—around fifty or so—before entering. This would instill a blood aura or killing aura that made the deviants in the underbelly wary, preventing them from seeking fights unless personally provoked.

Patiently, hidden among the trees, Kaden awaited the arrival of the next group of players. After a while, another group emerged from the city gates, oblivious to the danger lurking nearby. Excitement gleamed in Kaden's eyes as he prepared for his next ambush. As the group approached, he swiftly emerged from the shadows, his dire wolf cloak billowing behind him. He unleashed his summoned creatures and engaged in battle once again.

"What's that? We're under attack!"

"Motherfucker!"

Just like before, the battle was short-lived, but it didn't mean these players were pushovers. On the contrary, every player leaving the city at this stage was a strong expert in their own right. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in the city on the second day itself. However, they were still adjusting to the game, while Kaden had already accumulated months of experience. He reacted with good speed, leaving them no chance to mount a defense.

Thanks to his surplus stat points and being five levels higher than anyone leaving the city, the outcome was completely one-sided. As the defeated players lay on the ground, Kaden moved swiftly to plunder their inventories. The loot was absolutely delicious as several of these players had only just now received some potions and congratulatory items from their respective class halls after picking a primary class.

Kaden was in fact counting on this. They had walked out of the city with their bags full when he jumped on them and took out a handful of their inventory. His only disappointment was the fact that these kills did not give him any experience points. Nevertheless, he was becoming richer by the minute. Happy with the bounty, he continued to move around the outskirts of the city and slaughtered and pilfered everyone he could find.

But just like all good things, this also did not last long. How could the players not notice the scoundrel who was robbing them in broad daylight?