While Aaron was debating whether to intervene, he was already weaving a plan in his mind. He activated Abyssal Insight, his gaze locking onto the boss's right-hand man in the Twisted Vipers.
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Name: Owain Lack
Class: D Rank – Ironblade Enforcer
Level: 20
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Health Points: 690 / 690
Mana Capacity: 40 / 40
Attack Power: 55 (Strength × 10)
Affinity: Embertrace (Weak branch of fire affinity)
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Skills
Steelrush Cleave
Heavy horizontal slash, dealing increased damage by 15%.
Heated Edge
Channels Embertrace into the blade, warming it to a dull red glow, increasing damage by 35% with a slight burn effect.
Guard Breaker Swing
Downward strike aimed to overwhelm defenses, increasing damage by 10%.
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Aaron muttered, "Not bad, but he's still just a D rank. The gap between ranks is always massive." He glanced at the other seven—each was only E rank, ranging from level 9 to 12. Their stats were so low that a single attack or two from him could end them without much effort.
He also examined the two girls. Both had blonde hair. The petite one, Alda, was more injured—her health down to just 80 points. She was a C-ranked Storm Caster. The other, Hella, was also a C-ranked Wind Mage. Apparently, they were sisters; Aaron could tell from their features and shared surname. Their ranks were high, but since both were under level 5, they couldn't defend themselves against such numbers.
Hearing one of the bastards beating Alda snarl, "Only the strong survive in this world," Aaron's mind was made up. He stepped out from behind the tree, a cold grin curling on his lips. "Well then, let's have some fucking fun."
As Aaron stepped out, daggers gleaming in his hands, he made sure his footsteps echoed through the clearing. The group spun around at the sudden sound and caught sight of Aaron behind the tree. One of them, standing a little further back, stared in shock and blurted out, "What the hell? Was someone here? We didn't hear anyone coming!"
Owain, standing at the center of the group, barked, "You idiots! I told you to search the area every time we go out hunting—how the fuck is he here?" He ran a frustrated hand over his face, fuming. "If he'd gone and ratted us out, we'd be in deep shit and forced to hide!"
One of the men near Owain protested, "We checked the area when we started. There was no one! Maybe he showed up after hearing the screams." Owain smacked the back of his head. "Doesn't matter. He's an idiot for coming out of hiding. Probably some newly awakened brat—looks young. Finish him off, then deal with the bitches."
As Owain spoke, the closest thug lunged at Aaron with his blade raised. Aaron stood his ground, a smirk playing on his lips. "I won't even need any skills for trash like you." As the attacker closed in, Aaron sidestepped effortlessly and slashed upward with his dagger, severing the man's hand at the wrist. The hand, still gripping the blade, fell to the ground with a dull thud.
The thug collapsed, screaming and clutching his bleeding stump as blood poured from his severed wrist. The others recoiled, having witnessed Aaron dodge and dismember with a single strike. Owain straightened, now fully alert and wary.
Owain barked, "Be careful! He's a high rank—stay on guard!" As he spoke, Aaron strode over to the man writhing in pain and, with a single, swift motion, sliced off his head, letting it drop to the ground. A few in the group gasped, realizing Aaron hadn't even used a skill to kill so easily.
Then Owain shouted, "Don't attack one by one! All of you, go after him together. He may be high rank, but he can't be a high level. Overwhelm him with numbers!" At his command, the other six rushed Aaron—some wielding daggers, some blades. Owain and an archer hung back, the archer loosing a volley of arrows from a distance.
As the flurry of attacks closed in, Aaron activated Phantom's Resilience. Their sluggish swings and his 65% evasion boost made the incoming strikes clear as day. He slipped through their assault with ease. Watching him dodge so effortlessly, panic crept over the group, and they began unleashing their skills in desperation.
Seeing their desperation, Aaron smirked. "This world is really unfair—for E rankers." In a flash, he darted to the right, where a dagger wielder had just completed his strike. In the blink of an eye, Aaron was upon him, slashing across his shoulder and spinning to deliver a second cut down his back. It was more than enough—the man collapsed, lifeless.
As the man collapsed, Aaron didn't hesitate. He darted toward the next closest target, moving with blinding speed. The others tried to stop him with their skills, but he was simply too fast. In moments, two more heads rolled to the ground. With half the gang already dead, the rest began to back away in panic.
The girls on the ground stared wide-eyed, shocked by how easily—and mercilessly—Aaron was slaughtering their attackers. They didn't recognize him, yet he looked about their age. Aaron took a step toward the two men still locked in close combat, but now they were stumbling backward.
One of them stammered in terror, "How...how can you be this powerful? How?" Even Owain, shaken by the slaughter of his men, finally dashed forward, forced to act now that half his gang lay dead.
Owain shouted, "No time for panic! I'll take him—just cover me!" As he advanced, he activated Heated Edge and slashed at Aaron in a wide horizontal arc. Aaron casually deflected the blow, redirecting its path. He scoffed, "You're all more pathetic than beasts. Even they use instinct when they fight—but you idiots attack blindly."
Aaron slashed at him, but Owain managed to block it with his sword—barely. The force sent him stumbling back a few steps, his hand trembling from the impact. He stared at Aaron and muttered, "What's your Strength? At least ten... Are you an A-rank awakened?"
Aaron smirked. "Maybe I am A-rank. Maybe I'm something more. Doesn't matter. You're all going to die here." Just as he finished, another thug rushed in, dagger aimed at Aaron's side. Without missing a beat, Aaron sidestepped, sliced the man's hand, and grabbed him by the hair.
Aaron sneered, "You think I'm like you?" He stared at the man screaming in his grip, then drove his dagger into the thug's heart and let the body drop. The three remaining men recoiled in terror. The archer stammered, "You're a monster... How can you kill like it's nothing? You don't even flinch!"
Aaron shrugged. "I'm a monster to scum like you." He advanced on Owain, his eyes cold. "Not only am I taking you down today—I'll be paying your boss a visit too." With two swift slashes, he crippled both of Owain's hands. Owain howled in pain, his health dropping by half in an instant. Now, his hands hung uselessly at his sides.
As Owain collapsed, paralyzed by the pain, Aaron walked toward the archer. He didn't even let the man react—a single slash and his head was sent flying, lifeless before he hit the ground. The last thug panicked and tried to run, but Aaron threw his dagger, the blade piercing the man's leg and sending him crashing onto the cold forest floor.
Aaron approached him slowly. The thug, voice quivering with fear, pleaded, "P-Please, don't kill me! I didn't want this, but if I hadn't joined Twisted Viper, they would've killed me." Aaron asked, "So you'd do anything to survive?"
"Yes, I will! Please, just spare me!"
Without hesitation, Aaron yanked his dagger from the man's leg, earning a scream of pain. "There are two things you have to do if you want to live," he said coldly.
The thug's eyes flickered with hope. "Yes... Yes, anything!" Aaron said, opening the index finger of his hand, "First, tell me where your boss is hiding in the slums."
He hesitated, glancing nervously at Owain's nearly bloodied body, then said, "Fourteenth Alley, in the basement of the local inn." Aaron smirked. "So, the bastard really is hiding like a rat."
Aaron's smirk grew as he curled his index finger and raised his middle finger. "The second thing you need to do to survive—defeat me."
The thug's eyes went wide with terror. He barely managed to say, "You're a mons—" before Aaron's blade flashed, slashing his neck and sending him to the ground, lifeless.
Then Aaron turned around to where Owain had collapsed, unconscious from the pain. He walked over and finished him without hesitation, driving his dagger through the man's skull. Quietly, Aaron muttered, "I don't have time to waste on these scums. I'll make sure to end them all today."
Next, he turned towards the girls, still a few meters away, and called out, "Girls, are you okay?" He pointed towards Alda and added, "She looks bad. Do you have any healing potions?" Hearing Aaron mention her, Hella snapped out of her shock, finally realizing what had just happened.
In a trembling voice, she replied, "No, we had some, but they took all our belongings." Aaron walked over to the thug who had been beating them and searched him, finding two magic staffs strapped to his belt and, in a pouch, four low-grade healing potions.
He went back to the girls and handed them everything, saying, "Take the potions and rest for a bit." Then he turned to a thug's corpse, murmuring quietly, "Well, time for the bonus from today's hunt." One by one, he searched the bodies, collecting anything useful from the group.
He found a total of twenty-eight gold coins and five silver coins, most of them taken from Owain. There were also two low healing potions, a small storage pouch, and a common-ranked sword, all from Owain. The rest only had simple weapons, which he left behind.
After a few minutes, the girls started to recover. Aaron leaned against a tree, waiting for them. It was already dark, and he knew that beasts became even more active at night, so he decided to stay put. The girls approached Aaron, both speaking at once, "T-thank you for saving us." Their voices trembled, fear lingering after witnessing Aaron massacre the thugs so easily.
Aaron noticed them shaking and said, "You don't need to be afraid. I only did it because I've had a bad history with those bastards, and they've killed many newly awakened before. I simply gave them what they deserved." Hella replied, "No... no, we're not scared because you killed them. We're just not used to it. If you hadn't been here, we wouldn't be alive right now."
Aaron smiled softly and said, "No need for thanks." He gently patted the petite girl on the head, then turned toward the city. "We have to hurry—it's already too late." In his past life, nearly forty years old and on rescue missions, Aaron often comforted children this way. Now, out of habit, he did the same here, thinking of them as kids. But for Alda, being patted by a boy her own age made her blush.
Hella pouted and said in a quiet voice, "I want a pat too." Then they started following Aaron. It took nearly two hours to reach the city, during which they introduced themselves. Once inside, the girls said, "We are both daughters of Estrium enforcers. If you ever need help in the future, just ask us—we'll be sure to help you."
After that, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. As they walked, Hella nudged Alda and teased, "You blushed there, didn't you?" Still red-faced, Alda waved her hands in embarrassment. "No... I didn't! It's just that no one has ever patted me on the head except for Dad." Hella nudged her again and grinned, "Then why are you still blushing? And admit it, he's got a handsome face." Alda's cheeks turned even redder. She pushed Hella and said, "Stop! I'm not blushing!"
Elsewhere, Aaron made his way to Estrium to submit proof of his mission's completion. He received 36 gold coins for the hearts and horns of five Razorboars. Afterward, he stopped by Old Latem's shop and sold their pelts for another 10 gold coins.
Now, his total assets were over 86 gold coins. It was still not enough, but if he leveled up quickly and accepted higher-ranked quests, he'd be able to complete the system's mission before time ran out.
After selling his loot, Aaron had dinner but didn't return to his room. Instead, he wandered into another shop in the eastern district, where he discovered that this world also had something like coffee. Aaron never cared for smoking or alcohol, but he'd always liked coffee in his previous life.
Since he'd done well hunting today, he treated himself, sitting down to sip the coffee slowly. It was more bitter than he preferred, but the taste was familiar enough.
While he sat there, Aaron planned how to deal with the Twisted Vipers. Today, he intended to end those rats' lives. He muttered to himself, "I should add my attribute points first. After coffee, I'll go deal with them." Then he opened his status panel, smiling as he thought, I've already put five points into strength, and I still have thirty unassigned points left.
After some thought, he put 10 points into the constitution and 5 into each of the other attributes. Instantly, he felt that familiar rush, but this time it was more intense. Thankfully, in this world, people were used to seeing others assign points, so it didn't attract any attention. Aaron smirked and checked his new stats.
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Name: Aaron White
Class: SSS Rank – Abyssal Phantom
Level: 13 (Progression: 42%)
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Attributes
Strength: 21
Stamina: 10.50
Constitution: 20
Agility: 11
S.E: 15
Unassigned Points: 0
State: Stable
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Health Points: 2000 / 2000 (Constitution × 100)
S.E Capacity: 150 / 150 (S.E × 10) (Regenerates 1 per minute)
Attack Power: 210 (Strength × 10)
Affinities: Darkness, Shadow
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Skills
Abyssal Insight (Passive), Shadow Resource (Passive), Phantom's Resilience (Passive), Predator of the Weak (Active), Shadow Stealth (Active), Shadow Veil (Active)
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M.P. (Mission Points): 0
Mission #1: New Beginning
Form your own mercenary team and recruit at least one member.
Duration: 8 days
Reward: 2 MP and a random piece of equipment
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After checking his stats, he smirked and muttered, "This is just the beginning." He finished his coffee and paid the five gold coins—it was expensive, but he needed it. Tonight was going to be hell for someone.
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It was midnight. In the slums, a man in his thirties, dressed in assassin-style clothes, with a lean build and a patch over one eye, sat behind a table. This was Reurig, the boss of the Twisted Vipers. Around him, fifteen thugs stood trembling.
One of the thugs spoke up in a shaky voice, "Boss, Owain and his team haven't come back yet." Reurig glared at him, his single eye filled with bloodlust. "What do you mean they haven't come back?" Another thug explained, "B-Boss, we searched for them, but apparently they still haven't returned to the city after leaving to hunt a newly awakened."
Reurig repeated coldly, "What do you mean they haven't come back?" The thug shivered and tried to steady his voice. "Yesterday, Taul and his party disappeared too, and I think today maybe—" Before he could finish, a dagger flew straight into his head, and he dropped to the ground, dead.
Everyone in the room gasped at the sudden death. Reurig shouted, "Who the fuck is messing with me? I told you idiots to always be careful—never leave any evidence when hunting the newly awakened! But you bastards are as dumb as they come!"
Reurig spoke in a cold tone, "Find out who's behind this. We've lost eleven men, and two of them were D-ranks. If I don't get an answer by tomorrow, you'll all end up on the floor too." Everyone stared at the lifeless body, their bodies trembling as they nodded.
As they were about to start searching for answers, sudden screams erupted outside, as if a war had broken out. Everyone froze at the chaos. Reurig barked, "What are you waiting for, bastards? Go out and see which fucker wants to die tonight!"
As he spoke, a slow, cold voice came from the doorway: "You don't have to search for anyone. I've come here myself—now let's have some fun."