Chapter Three – Soul Contribution
A/N: Skills Appearing in <<-->> are skills used with "Path of Silence" (meaning he is not saying them aloud)
Rei yawned and stretched in the back of the classroom. He’d been getting run ragged with Vennec’s training in game and as usual had been using class for a little extra sleep. It was lunch break and several groups of students had formed but they all had one thing in common. They were talking about Royal Road.
“I got to lv59 and finally got some cool spells!”
“...managed to join a decent party and we are currently clearing the dungeon...
“My blacksmithing reached Beginner Level 8! Soon guilds will want me...”
Rei was kind of jealous, it seemed they were all playing the same game yet none of them were experiencing the torture that he was.
“So how is it?”
The voice startled him out of his thoughts. Sher was leaning casually on the desk next to him.
“How’s what?”
“The game idiot. I know you started playing already.”
“It’s alright I guess... I’m just in a rather painful part at the moment...”
‘That was putting it mildly!’
“Ah, I heard about the beginning four weeks of boredom from a friend. Must be tough.”
“You have no idea...”
“So have you decided on what class you will be?”
For some reason Sher seemed genuinely interested, which Rei thought was odd. She usually has no interest in games.
“I... uh... already kind of stumbled into my class.”
“Really? What is it?”
“Assassin.”
There was an awkward pause and Sher looked shocked.
“That’s unexpected. I thought you’d be a Knight or something.”
“Yeah, it just sort of happened. It’s actually a lot more impressive than I thought.”
Which was the truth. If he managed to master all the skills that Vennec was trying to bash into his head he’d be impressive indeed. When he finally managed to climb out of the pit and the class that was offered wasn’t even a hidden or unique class, Rei had seriously considered quitting right then and there.
But after a week of almost non-stop training he was becoming more and more comfortable with it.
“What class can compliment an Assassin?”
“Huh? Uh... I honestly have no idea.”
“Then you’re coming to the library with me after school.”
“What? Why?”
“To help me do research. I need to know what class I’m going to be.”
“What?”
“No arguing.”
And with that Sher turned around and left the classroom.
‘Somehow things just got more complicated...’
_________________
“She’s a demon...”
Sher hadn’t let Rei escape for hours. She’d made him explain everything! They had researched for hours on the various party combinations and strategies. After three hours Sher decided that she would be a warrior. Rei had tried to talk her out of it because it seemed like an awkward class for a girl but he hadn’t dared to utter that idea out loud.
They spent hours watching videos and reading guides on the different types of warrior. But Rei had gotten to see something interesting too. Apparently an Assassin had managed to single-handedly wipe out a fortress. Now that was unprecedented.
Rei’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head as they watched the video on the Royal Road Hall of Fame. Psychological attacks, taking out lone players and soldier NPCs... The Assassin turned the entire defense of the fortress on its head.
Some defenders left their positions, only to get slaughtered, which, in turn, made the people who stayed in their positions more vulnerable to attack. People triggered traps while chasing the Assassin leading to massive deaths... Rei couldn’t help but think it was a work of art...
Then he blinked in surprise...
‘Is that really my personality? Maybe Vennec is having a bigger influence on me than I realized...’
It was true that his way of thinking had already changed. When Sher asked him about knights it was pretty evident.
“They’re idiots... All that honor and chivalry that affects their ability to fight is rather limiting...”
Rei answered without thinking and his answer surprised him. He let out a sigh at the thought of his rapidly disappearing morals and began to head home. He had a few days before he’d have to start showing Sher around Royal Road; he’d best make use of it.
?
_________________
Knox logged into Royal Road to find Vennec waiting for him. Vennec, as usual was nothing more than a moving patch of shadows in the corner of the room but the deadly looking daggers in his hands were visible enough.
“Good. You’re back. I’ve got a job for you.”
“What is it?”
“Some bandits have moved into a pub on the east side of the city... Go kill them.”
*Tring!*
Quest: A Den of Thieves
Description: Kill all the bandits in Ol’ Oak Pub. Acquire the Bandit Leader’s sword as proof.
Requirements: Must be trained by Vennec. Must retrieve bandit leader’s sword.
Rewards: 50 Gold +110 (+10) Fame
“Sure.”
You have accepted the quest.
“And since you don’t have any weapons use these.”
Vennec tossed two daggers and a belt sheath at Knox who caught it easily.
Paired Steel Dagger (2)
Durability: 35/35
Attack: 8-11
A paired of dagger designed to be used with it's twin. Crafted by an adequate blacksmith and sharpened without loss of durability.
Bonuses:
+15 Str
+20 Agi
+2% Critical Hit Chance
Requirements:
- Dual Wield
- Lv20
- 75 Agi
- 25 Luk
“Sweet! Thanks!”
“Don’t die...”
“I didn’t know you cared...”
“I don’t. It would just be embarrassing for me.”
Knox sighed and headed for the surface. His trip through the city was much different than when he first arrived. Vennec had taken him around the town once already to let Knox get familiar with it and since then the NPCs had avoided him like the plague.
Apparently, Vennec was rather well known... In a rather bad way but it did give Knox some pleasure to see people running back into alleys to avoid being on the street with him.
‘Serves them right for chasing me all over the damn place.’
He had strapped his two new daggers to his waist and made sure they were in easy reach as he walked down the street. He kept his thumbs looped through his belt and his eyes moved back and forth, scanning the crowd and taking in all the different sights.
The houses for all their chipped paint and shabby outer appearance seemed to be well built and sturdy. None of the glass in the windows was broken and there were no signs of vandalism. He also saw a few grime covered statues and fountains that looked like they could be quite nice if cleaned up... It made him think that this place hadn’t always been a hellhole. Maybe it only recently became like this?
Vennec hadn’t really said anything about this place other than how dirty and annoying it was to live here... Vennec did a lot of complaining now that Knox thought about it.
‘Well I’ll have to find out what happened to this town...’
As he entered the east side of the city, he left the road and began moving through the back alleys. He activated his stealth skill as soon as he was out of sight and began making his way toward Ol’ Oak pub.
The pub looked like it had once been a barn, it was bright red and much larger than the neighboring buildings. It was two stories tall, with only a few windows and one front entrance. The front door opened quietly and thanks to Knox’s <
You have entered A Den of Thieves.
The main room was a typical dimly lit bar. Broken beer kegs and overturned tables littered the room along with several drunk bandits. A teenage girl was walking from table to table giving out beer, ale and whatever else the bandits called for.
Step 1: Observe the situation
Knox watched everything from a corner of the room and no one even noticed he was there. The poor waitress looked like she was unsure if she wanted to cry or bash beer mugs over empty bandit skulls.
“Hurry up and bring more beer over here!”
“Get me some more ale!”
He saw several of the bandits take their beers and climb unsteadily up the stairs, so he figured there would be quite a few on the second floor... probably the leader as well.
Because the bandit’s infamy was high enough, each of the bandit NPCs had a red name above their heads, which meant they would count as monsters, giving Exp and additional loot! Knox wasn’t going to let any of them get away.
Step 2: Create a plan of attack
First he would have to get the girl to safety... So he walked almost directly behind her as she went into a room behind the bar to get more beer. He grabbed her from behind and activated his skill <
Experience in Pressure Points has increased!
Knox dragged the unconscious girl deeper into the room and hid her behind a large barrel of ale. Then proceed with the next step... Block the escape routes. He had already left a razor wire across the front entrance at knee level and he did the same with the back door.
From what he had learned from Vennec the legs were the best place for such traps. Height varies too much from person to person to leave the traps at neck height. But no matter how tall or short someone might be their legs are always in the same place! Then he positioned himself alongside the door and waited.
“Hey, where’d the wench go?”
“Someone go drag her out of the back, she’s pro’lly weeping her eyes out again.”
“Damn, good service is hard to find...”
A minute later a drunken bandit stumbled into the back room...
Step 3: Execute
<
Knox’s daggers glowed with a soft purple light as he slammed them into the bandit’s back. All the practice Vennec made him do on the ‘human scarecrows’ made his daggers automatically find the spine and the heart.
- Sneak Attack!
- Critical Hit!
- Backstab Damage +200% Target unaware of your presence!
- Fatal Blow
- Stealth disabled from executing an attack.
Your mastery of Backstab has leveled up!
Knox caught the bandit's body and lowered it gently to the ground. He took the time to search the corpse but only took a ring and the bandits boots before moving on. After scooping up his loot he slipped quietly into the bar. There were only three bandits who seemed conscious and he moved from one to the next. He was only visible for a brief time after each attack but his heart was beating rapidly from nervousness...
All it would take is one glance and this would get messy.
<
- Sneak Attack!!
- Critical Hit!
- Backstab Damage +250% Target unaware of your presence!
- Fatal Blow
- Stealth disabled from executing an attack.
You have leveled up!
Level Up: Dagger Mastery [5]
Increases Attack Power with daggers (+35% ATK)
Increases Attack Speed with daggers (+21% ATK SPD)
Agility Increased by 5
Luck Increased by 5
Critical Hit Chance with Daggers Increased by 2%
Critical Damage with Daggers Increased by 8%
New Skill: Rupture
Rupture (Lv. 1 0%) – Rupture your enemy’s recent wounds with a dual pommel strike to the body.
Causes target to receive 15% of all the damage taken from a blade in the past 20 seconds.
If target is Bleeding, damage increased by 1.5x
If target is not Bleeding, inflicts Bleed
If target is Bleeding, causes severe Bleeding
If target is Bleeding severely, no effect
Requires two weapons to be equipped
Mana Cost: 450
‘Damn that’s almost all the mana I have... even after all the leveling I’ve done.’
When every last bandit on the first floor was dead, Knox sighed with relief. He took a moment to distribute his stat points and then proceeded to set up traps along the stairs.
<
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
<
<
Trap Mastery has leveled up! [2]
Traps are 15% harder to notice.
Traps do 25% more damage and an additional 25% if not noticed.
This time, Knox set up three traps all at varying heights. This way, if a bandit saw one of their buddies hit a trap and tried to dodge, he’d hit one of the other traps. In truth it was more to raise his proficiency than anything else.
“Wire Trap” was the only trap Knox was currently able to create at his level, without massive time to prep and so he had decided to try and level it up. The traps would at least slow them down if they tried to run away.
The second floor was three large open rooms, with a small room at the top of the stairs that was used as a bathroom. The floor of the first room was littered with sleeping bandits. Knox decided to ignore them for the time being and check on the other rooms.
He knew he’d have to take care of these guys eventually but for now he wanted a better idea of what he was dealing with. He did a lot of damage but his class wasn’t designed for huge brawls. Surprise and speed were his primary weapons after all.
Over the last two months in game Vennec had made him kill dozens of opponents... Sometimes Knox was able to get them alone, which was the best possible outcome for him. Other times the situation quickly devolved into what his father would call a “Cluster f***.” A loud gurgle as his target died or a leg spasm that knocks over a chair and Knox would soon find himself fighting for his life.
After a lot of ‘error and trial’ Knox had come to realize simply knowing all the pieces beforehand could save a lot of trouble later. He also noticed that whenever he thoroughly investigated before he began his attacks he gained a new stat called “Insight”. He wasn’t a hundred percent sure what it was for but it seemed the game was rewarding him for planning ahead.
The second room had four men who looked slightly better equipped than the others. Their swords looked newer and their armors were well made leather...
‘That armor is mine! With that I might be able to survive some of Vennec’s beatings.’
The bandits were completely unaware of the killing intent that was suddenly directed toward them and the armor they were so proud of...
The bandits were sitting at a table playing cards but their behavior seemed subdued. They kept shooting nervous glances toward the closed door that led to the last room.
‘This will be tricky... I can probably take out these four but not all at once...’
Knox tilted his head back to think and a huge smile spread across his face at what he saw. Then he crept back into the first room and began the brutal work of slaughtering sleeping bandits.
_________________
“Jerry, whatcha thinks got da boss in such a fury?”
“Prolly them rumors about some master assassin in these parts.”
“Ya, we headed dis way cause we heard it was easy pickins and before we get here some assassin starts making a name for himself offing thieves and bandits...whadda he think he’s better dan us?”
“Hmph... He prolly ain’t nothin’ special anyhow.”
“True, scared little rabbits just spreadin’ crazy rumors.”
Jerry turned his head toward the lantern and frowned... He could have sworn he saw something out of the corner of his eye but there was nothing there. With a shake of his head he turned back to his cards... and the lantern went out.
“Wha... Gaakh!”
“Roy?!”
*Spurt!*
“Eric? Vauhn?!”
*Thump*
“I’m her... Kuuhk!”
“Guys?! WHAT THE HELL? GUYS?!”
Jerry was in such a panic that it took him a few seconds to realize the burning sensation that seemed to be spreading from his back... It felt like someone was burning his insides... Then he felt his legs giving out and he fell to the floor. The last thing he heard as his consciousness faded was a door being slammed open and a voice roaring something...
_________________
“WHAT THE f*** IS ALL THIS RACK...”
The giant man who had smashed open the door halted mid-yell as the light from his room flickered over the crimson pool on the floor. Without another word he spun around and ran back into his room. He didn’t stop moving until his hand closed around the grip of the huge sword lying against the wall.
_________________
Knox waited patiently for the Bandit Boss to come back. Thirty minutes... Forty-five minutes... An hour... He didn’t twitch or shift his weight after settling in. A few weeks ago he would have rushed through that door like an idiot and he probably would’ve received massive damage for his trouble. Maybe even death.
‘No need to risk it. He’ll come to me.’
*Grin*
Forty minutes and several leg cramps later a lantern began to illuminate the room. The bandit leader slowly entered the room, making sure to keep his back toward the wall. As the lantern drove away the darkness the four corpses, sprawled on the floor, were cast in harsh relief.
Knox watched the bandit leader circle the entire room with his back against the wall. The bandit would periodically swing his sword in front of him like he was fishing and Knox found it really hard not to chuckle. When the bandit finally made it to the doorway he quickly peeked inside and then swung his sword in front of him. Then he took a hesitant step toward the center of the room, swinging his huge sword in big arcs as he went.
Knox waited until the bandit got to the middle of the room. The table and chairs were overturned like he’d been checking to see if anyone was hiding under them. Then Knox made his move.
He dropped off the ceiling beam and aimed his daggers at either side of the man’s neck but it didn’t go as he planned. Something must have given away his presence because at the last moment the man twitched to the side and Knox’s daggers dug into the bandit’s shoulders instead.
“AARRRGH!!!”
The bandit howled and then an elbow slammed into Knox’s stomach with the force of a hammer.
“Gaaah!”
His feet weren’t on the ground so Knox had no way to mitigate the damage of the blow and went flying into the wall.
‘What ridiculous strength... That was just an elbow and it took a quarter of my health! If that guy hits me with his weapon I’m dead...’
Knox pushed himself off the floor and rushed toward his target. He ducked under the swing of the brute’s sword and could feel the wind ruffling his hair...
‘Shit this is scary!’
Luckily for Knox the bandit’s ability to swing the sword were seriously reduced thanks to the pain in his ruined shoulder. Knox closed the distance and began hacking and slicing at a furious pace. The bandit tried to defend himself but with his huge sword and one arm useless, he was taking plenty of cuts.
Then a system window appeared in the corner of Knox’s eye and he blinked in surprise.
Rupture Counter
10 Cuts Executed
‘What? Guess I’ll give it a try...’
He didn’t really like the idea of testing something out for the first time in a real fight but his stamina was running out.
<
The hilts of Knox’s daggers began to glow with a red light and he quickly flipped them in his hands. Then he slammed those hilts into the bandit’s chest... And then it began raining blood.
- Target’s wounds have ruptured!
- Target was inflicted with Bleed Status. All regeneration will be negated. Stamina & Health will rapidly decrease.
With a scream the bandit leader fell to his knees panting for breath, his whole body convulsing. Knox didn’t waste the opportunity and slashed the bandit’s throat before jumping away. He’d experienced some of the ridiculous feats people could achieve with their death throes and wasn’t about to take any chances. The bandit’s body began to turn gray, starting from the various cuts and spreading outward...
*Tring!*
You have killed the bounty head Benjamin Barlow.
- Reputation with the Church of Tyr has increased!
- Reputation with the Nine Valkyries has increased!
- Fame +300
If you present Barlow’s greatsword to any branch of the Church of Tyr you will receive a 500 gold reward!
You have leveled up!
Knox thought that was the end of it but then a golden light appeared above him! He shielded his eyes and tried to squint at the glowing figure that was floating down through the ceiling.
Hovering over the body of Barlow was a tall woman in golden armor. White wings seemed to have sprouted from various sections of the armor and they flapped lazily in the air. She was carrying a huge spear in one hand and Knox could see a shield strapped to her back. A silver light floated up from Barlow’s body and the Golden Women reached out and grabbed the ghost of Barlow by the neck.
- Thank you warrior. We, the Valkyrie accept all suitable donations, such as this man’s soul. -
- He will be only a minor addition to Einherjar... However, I have a feeling that you will be sending many more our way, no? -
- In that case I’ll grant you this... -
She made a sweeping gesture with her hand and a white light floated toward Knox and seemed to seep into his body.
New Skill: Blessing of the Valkyrie
Blessing of the Valkyrie (Lv ??) - ????
“What the...”
In a flash of golden light both Barlow’s spirit and the Valkyrie were gone. As the light vanished, Barlow’s body broke apart leaving only the huge greatsword behind.
“Wow... That’s got to suck... Dude gets killed then gets conscripted to an army. Well, better him than me!”
_________________
As Knox made his way out of the building he made sure to retrieve his traps for later use. By removing his own traps he gained a new skill.
New Skill: Disable Traps
Disable Traps (Lv. 1 0%) – Allows you to identify and disable traps based on your level in ‘Disable Traps’. This skill is affected by Luck and Insight stats. Successfully disabling traps grants additional stats depending on the ‘Difficulty’.
Insight rises by 1 point (Ins +1)
Luck rises by 1 point (Luk +1)
When he got to the first floor, the teenage girl he’d knocked out and a young man were sitting at one of the tables. They looked strikingly similar, light brown hair, almost gold, sharp features and eyes so dark in color they almost looked black.
“Ah, Mr. Assassin! Done already?”
The young man spoke jovially with a wave of the hand to indicate the empty seat at the table. As Knox approached, the guy’s smile didn’t diminish at all but the girl scooted her chair back as far as she could. Knox really didn’t blame her. He probably looked horrible. He was covered in blood from various bandits and the black outfit that Vennec had given him already looked like something out of a scream movie...
“Vennec sent me over, I’m Darrak. Said you might need some help but looks like that wasn’t the case at all! Although you did miss one...”
Darrak jerked his thumb over his shoulder indicating a bound and gagged figure by the door.
“Huh... So I did. Damn! Vennec’s gonna ride my case if he hears about this...”
Knox eyed Darrak for a moment before asking...
“So, you’re an assassin too?”
“Me? No way! I’m a thief! A thief!”
“I see. Think you can keep that bandit over there a secret then?”
“What’s in it for me?”
Darrak shot back with a big grin. Knox grinned in reply and began pulling out some of the better leather armor from his inventory. After some haggling they decided on one pair of leather boots and a well made leather jerkin.
“Pleasure doing business with ya. I suppose I should give you this back...”
Darrak tossed Knox’s small pouch of gold onto the table. Knox whistled. He didn’t think he was susceptible to that sort of thing anymore...
‘This guy’s pickpocket level must be ridiculously high...’
“Sorry... It’s a habit. Gotta keep my skills up... Oh! I’ve got a message for you, too.”
Darrak dug in his pockets for a while before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. Knox took it and began to read.
Good job getting rid of those bandits. I’ve got something I need to take care of so I’ll be gone for awhile. I suggest you keep training. Go to the Charcoal Mine to the east of Cara. Make that brat Darrak take you. He’s rather useful and with him along you’ll be able to get a lot more loot. Now then for the conditions of this training...
* 1.) No Stealth
2.) No Backstab
3.) Clear the mine within 3 weeks or I’ll triple your training!
4.) If you cheat I’ll fucking kill you! Think I won’t find out? I’M A WORLD CLASS ASSASSIN YOU PUNK! Capeesh?
Have a nice trip!
When he finished reading the letter Knox just groaned and banged his head on the table.
‘One day I’m going to kill that cocky bastard... I would rather him kill me than triple my training though...’
...To be continued.
____________________________
Author's notes: Comments/Critiques & Opinions Appreciated! If you see a mistake please point it out to me!
Special Thanks to: Kaine for Proofreading!