As midnight settled over Blightforg, Aaron walked to the western edge of the city. The narrow streets twisted between broken-down huts, which were a luxury for some. Many people didn't even have a roof over their heads. Those unlucky souls ate and slept outside in the filthy streets, just trying to survive another day.
After a while, Aaron reached the slums. He stood in front of a small, broken shack with a half-open roof and dirty water running along the entrance. The stench was terrible, but somehow, it still felt like home. The memories weren't good, but this was where everything started. It was the same feeling he got when looking at his parents' picture—the thing that kept him going.
Aaron pressed his hand to his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'll get revenge for you too." Then he started walking toward Fourteenth Alley, where the boss's hideout was. All he knew was that two years ago, a C-ranker came here to hide from the Estrium enforcers after getting caught killing a newly awakened. At that time, he was only level 25.
Since then, he couldn't leave the slums, so Aaron figured he hadn't leveled up much. Aaron wasn't too worried; his stats were so high now that he could match a level 50—if the opponent was C-ranked, since they only gained one attribute point per level.
Fights and killings happened all the time in the slums because there was no law here. If an awakened used his skills elsewhere in the city, the Estrium enforcers would arrest him. But here, lives didn't matter much. If Aaron killed the boss, he could claim the bounty from the Estrium Council hall.
When he reached the inn, he saw it was the only building in the alley made of wood, and it looked better than the others. Two bulky men stood at the entrance. As Aaron got close, one of them blocked his way and said in a rough voice, "Hey, kid, beat it. The inn is closed."
Aaron looked down and smirked. "Got any coffee? I could use a cup before I spill some blood." When he didn't leave, one of the men grabbed Aaron by the shirt and snapped, "Brat, this isn't a place for you! If you don't want to die, then fuck off!" He tried to shove Aaron away, but Aaron didn't move an inch.
Seeing Aaron stand firm after being pushed, the man lost his temper and threw a punch at him. As the fist came close, Aaron grinned, pulled his daggers from his inventory, and slashed upward. In an instant, the man's hand was severed, falling to the ground before it could even touch Aaron.
As the severed hand hit the ground, the man screamed in pain. The other man was frozen against the wall, trembling with fear. He hadn't even seen Aaron move. In a shaky voice, he stammered, "W...Who are you?"
Aaron smiled and said, "Do you know what's worse than death? Not knowing who killed you, or how." Then, Aaron activated Shadow Stealth and vanished from their sight. Before the shocked man could look around, the screaming man's head was cut off and landed right in front of him.
His eyes widened as he realized death was coming. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes, he saw his own headless body, his vision suddenly upside down. Aaron had cut his head off so quickly that his mind was still aware for a moment after the blade struck.
Hearing the screams, two more men burst out of the inn, kicking the door open. They shouted, wanting to know what had happened, but when they saw blood everywhere and the headless bodies of their guards, their faces turned pale.
In the next instant, chaos began. Aaron had only one minute left before his stealth wore off, so he moved quickly. With his dagger, he cut down the two men who had just come out, each slash quick and deadly. As he rushed inside, he saw eight more enemies near the gate, weapons ready in their hands.
When the others saw their men fall, everyone attacked the door. But Aaron was already past it—he was too fast. Their attacks only smashed the entrance. The innkeeper, standing behind the counter, cast a spell and fired a flaming arrow toward the doorway.
Aaron wasn't at the entrance but close by. When the arrow landed, the entrance exploded with a boom, hitting everyone nearby—including Aaron. The innkeeper had cast the spell in desperation since he couldn't see the enemy. Now, all the men were injured. Aaron, with his health above two thousand, only got a few scratches.
Aaron used Abyssal Insight on the innkeeper and saw he was a level 22 D-rank Flame Archer with high mana. Aaron made him his first target. He moved behind the innkeeper without a sound and whispered, "That was a cool attack."
In the next second, he used Shadow Veil and stabbed him in the back. The man's health was low since he put most points into mana. His eyes went dead, and he collapsed onto the counter.
Aaron didn't stop. He quickly moved to the others, who were already hurt from the Flame Arrow. It only took one strike from Aaron to finish each of them. Thanks to his stealth, they couldn't even fight back—only scream as their cries echoed through the hall.
Down in the basement, Reurig heard the chaos above. He snapped at his gang, "What are you waiting for, bastards? Go out there and see which fucker wants to die tonight!"
Aaron was already done upstairs and had reached the basement, where the rest of the gang and their boss waited. Still cloaked in stealth, he spoke in a cold, amused voice, "You don't need to search for anyone. I've come here myself—let's have some fun."
As he finished speaking, the door opened. The two guards near the gate swung their weapons, hoping to catch him, but they saw nothing. Suddenly, sharp pain shot through their chests. When they looked down, they saw a hole right where their hearts should be.
A moment later, they dropped to the floor. Reurig shouted, "No one move! Stay where you are and be ready—whoever he is, he's using stealth!" Everyone stood guard, weapons raised. As an assassin himself, Reurig knew only C-rankers and above could use true stealth, but this enemy's level was so high that even he couldn't sense his presence.
Aaron had about five seconds left on his stealth, so he wanted to cut down their numbers fast. There were still fourteen thugs, including the boss. Moving quickly, he used Abyssal Insight to find any mages, since their area attacks would be a pain in the ass. He spotted three mages in the group.
Using his speed and sharp attacks, Aaron killed the three mages first. Everyone in the hall gasped. Reurig thought, This fucker is smart. He took out the mages first. How did he even know who they were? Did someone leak information?
As the three mages fell lifeless, Aaron's stealth wore off, and he appeared. Everyone stared in shock—this ruthless killer was just a kid, probably newly awakened. Fear filled the room. Someone so young and strong had to be a high ranker; they can only guess.
Reurig narrowed his eyes at Aaron. He couldn't believe a kid who had just awakened could do all this. But from the way Aaron moved and attacked, Reurig saw he wasn't a rookie. His skills and instincts were sharp—like someone with decades of training, yet this kid wasn't even twenty.
Reurig said, "Who are you and what do you want?" Aaron smiled and replied, "Didn't you just tell them to find me? So I thought I'd come here myself, One-Eyed Willy." Hearing this, Reurig's eyes turned red, and he radiated bloodlust at Aaron.
Aaron stood there, unfazed by the bloodlust, and said, "Yo, chill. Your face looks like an ass after three days of diarrhea." Then he used Abyssal Insight to check Reurig's stats.
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Name: Reurig Willy
Class: C Rank – Daggerveil Assassin
Level: 41
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Health Points: 2150 / 1650
Mana Capacity: 150 / 150
Attack Power: 165 (Strength × 10)
Affinity: Duskmist (Weak branch of shadow affinity)
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Skills
Veilstep Flicker
Quick, low-distance dash that blends with surrounding shadows, dealing increased damage by 45%.
Twinfang Ambush
Rapid dual-dagger strike aimed at vital points, increasing damage by 35% with a slight stun effect.
Mistveil Shroud
Releases a thin layer of dusky mist around the user, reducing presence by 20%.
Crippling Cut
Precise slash aimed at tendons or muscles, dealing increased damage by 65%.
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Both Aaron and Reurig were shocked. Reurig was used to his bloodlust scaring anyone with lower stats, but this boy—he couldn't be more than level 20—stood there without flinching. He must be at least A-rank. Sweat started to form on Reurig's forehead. Why the fuck did that bastard Owain mess with someone like this?
Aaron was surprised to see Reurig was level 41. Reurig couldn't leave the slums, or he'd be caught by the Estrium enforcers, so how did he go from level 25 to 41? He must have used level crystals—items that hold the soul of a beast. If you crush one, you get 60% of the level progression for what you kill by yourself. That must be why Reurig had been stealing money from the slums.
Aaron also knew this wouldn't be an easy fight. Their stats were close, and Reurig still had his men. If they all attacked at once, Aaron could be in trouble. With over forty seconds of stealth left, Aaron thought he'd need to stall for time.
Reurig picked up his daggers from the table and said, "You're strong, but you made a mistake coming here alone. You already used your stealth—now, kid, what will you do?"
Aaron smirked and replied, "Why would that be a mistake? I don't need anyone else to handle some small street thugs like you. You pick on people from the slums and those just starting out—I'm not as pathetic as you." He grinned. "I came here to get what you owe me for two years of making my life hell in the slums."
Reurig's eyes widened as he thought, How the fuck did a rat from the slums awaken a class this strong? I can't let him go—the gang that I built over two years is almost gone, only ten left. If he gets away today, who knows how much stronger he'll get in the future.
He looked at the others, who were still shocked, and shouted, "All of you, attack at the same time! I'll join in too. Make sure to dodge—he's strong!" Hearing their boss admit Aaron was powerful made everyone hesitate. Aaron activated Phantom's Resilience and took a defensive stance.
Reurig shouted, "Now!" and jumped at Aaron, using Twinfang Ambush. One dagger aimed for Aaron's shoulder joint, the other for his right elbow. Aaron raised an eyebrow and said, "You're smart for a petty thug—you want to cripple my hand first."
He dodged one strike and redirected the other with his daggers. But as Reurig attacked, the others rushed Aaron as well. He had to defend against their boss first because of his high attack power, but he couldn't block all the others at once.
When Aaron redirected one of Reurig's daggers, he sent it straight into an incoming thug's throat. It worked—the dagger pierced deep. Aaron backed up, dodging more attacks. He sidestepped a few, but two strikes still hit him, one on the back and one on the shoulder.
The rest were just low-ranked crooks, so they didn't take much of Aaron's health points. He glanced at Reurig, who pulled his dagger from his gang member's throat. With narrowed eyes, Reurig shouted, "Everyone, use your strongest skills on him at the same time! We'll kill this motherfucker today!"
As soon as Reurig spoke, everyone took their stance and began using their skills. Aaron moved right away, leaving them no time to finish. He rushed toward the closest enemy, but suddenly felt an attack from his right—Reurig was coming at him, fast. Now, all of them had their attacks aimed at Aaron, and he was in a tough spot.
Reurig used Crippling Cut, going straight for Aaron's arm tendons. Aaron blocked the nearest thug's attack with his left dagger, then raised the other to block Reurig's strike. He managed to block one, but Reurig's other dagger hit his right hand.
Aaron groaned, but didn't have time to waste. He shoved Reurig back, then stabbed the nearest enemy with the same hand. Grabbing the body, he threw it toward the other attackers. The ones he couldn't block with the body, he dodged.
Reurig sneered and said, "You called us small street thugs? I'll make you regret that." The last attack hadn't taken much of Aaron's health—he still had nearly 1600 left. But he knew if things kept going like this, he'd be in real trouble. He had just a few seconds before his stealth would activate again—he only needed to defend for one more round.
Aaron took a defensive stance again. This time, the gang members attacked first. As the first one reached him, Aaron dodged and severed his hand in one move. The man screamed, and Aaron shoved him forward to block another attack.
Then Aaron turned toward Reurig, but he wasn't there—he had used Mistveil Shroud to hide himself. While blocking an attack, Aaron sensed Reurig behind a second attacker. He spotted a cloak and smiled. First, he dodged and killed the first enemy. When the second one attacked, Aaron blocked with his dagger and, at the same time, stabbed his other dagger behind him, hitting Reurig in the face.
The moment Reurig's skill wore off, he glared in anger, thinking, How did he know I was hiding behind him? His eyes burned with rage at his missed chance. Aaron smirked and muttered quietly, "That's why I hate cloaks."
As the stealth timer ended, Aaron said, "Do you want to see real stealth?" He activated Shadow Stealth and vanished in an instant, startling everyone. As his presence disappeared, Reurig was shocked too. How the hell can he use stealth again so quickly? It's only been about a minute, he thought.
Reurig shook his head, knowing there was no time to wonder. He ordered, "Be on guard and stay close to me!" As everyone gathered around him, mana began to fill the area. Reurig had spread his mana to try and catch Aaron in stealth.
It was a technique he learned from an enforcer after killing him. It's called Mana Sense. Unlike skills, which come from the system, techniques like this are learned through training. The system gives you new skills at certain levels, and that's how ranks are decided in Estrium. You can't just buy skills—you get them as you level up, and sometimes your old skills get upgraded too.
But techniques are self-made and perfected by training. Mana Sense is a common technique used by enforcers to find hidden people. They spread their mana and look for any disturbance—if someone touches the mana, they'll be found.
Aaron also sensed mana surrounding them. He wondered, Is this Reurig's skill? I didn't see it in his status. Or does it belong to someone else? Now, Reurig stood in the middle, surrounded by six of his men. Aaron started moving toward his first target, but suddenly, Reurig shouted, "Attack on my left!" The three men on the left attacked where Aaron was, forcing him to pull back immediately.
Aaron muttered, "What the fuck, he saw me even in stealth?" Reurig laughed, "You brat, you're still too young. This is a technique I learned—it works perfectly on bastards like you." Aaron frowned, realizing he didn't know about these techniques, and they didn't show up in status.
He started thinking. After a few seconds, he circled around and changed his position for the next attack. He activated Predator of the Weak and went for Reurig's back. Before moving, Aaron guessed that if Reurig was using the technique, he might not be able to attack himself and could only direct his men.
Aaron wanted to test his theory. He could take hits from the others since they wouldn't do too much damage, but if he landed a solid hit, it could change everything. As he entered the mana sense area, Reurig shouted, "Toward my back!" Three men attacked Aaron's location, landing their hits on him.
Aaron groaned, but he didn't stop his attack. Reurig could still sense him with Mana Sense; something felt off. Reurig shouted, "Fuck!" and tried to turn, but two daggers plunged into his back. It was a heavy blow—more than half his health was gone. He screamed in pain and staggered forward.
But Aaron didn't stop. He pulled out his daggers and activated Shadow Veil, attacking the same spot again. Reurig screamed in pain. That was enough—his health dropped below 100, and he collapsed to the floor.
The others stood frozen, shocked by what happened. As soon as Reurig was hit, Mana Sense faded, and now they could spot Aaron. They saw their boss collapse, faces twisted with horror. The one standing by the door tried to run, but Aaron didn't give him a chance. He threw his dagger, piercing the man's neck. Aaron didn't want to waste any more time—in the next few seconds, he killed all the rest as well.
After finishing everyone, Aaron moved toward Reurig, who was still breathing but couldn't move, blood leaking from his mouth. In a hoarse voice, Reurig begged, "Plea...se don't kill me. I...I can give you all the money you want..." Before he could finish, Aaron drove his dagger into Reurig's heart, ending his life. "I really hate your face. After you die, your stuff is my bonus," Aaron said.
When it was finally over, Aaron let out a sigh of relief. He looked up, feeling a strange calm—not from himself, but from somewhere deep inside. Placing his hand on his chest, he spoke softly to the previous Aaron, "You can rest easy now. Your revenge is done." He stood there in silence for a minute.
He swept his gaze across the blood-soaked hall and grinned. "Time for a little bonus." Aaron rifled through the fallen, saving Reurig for dessert. The weapons were junk, not worth a second look. His haul: forty-three gold coins, six silver, and three low healing potions.
Next, he walked over to Reurig, rubbing his hands together. First, he took Reurig's daggers—they were just like his own and went straight into his inventory. Then he grabbed the storage pouch, thinking there'd be a huge haul inside. After all, level crystals for a level thirty beast cost 3,000 gold coins in Estrium.
But when he opened the pouch, he found only 2,890 gold coins. Aaron stood up and kicked Reurig's body. "Bastard already spent it all on crystals," he grumbled. He was annoyed—he expected more—but it was still a lot. He also found 5 low healing potions and grabbed Reurig's awakened badge, hoping he could claim a bounty. After storing everything, Aaron cleaned up the upper hall and started walking back to the inn where he was staying.
It was still midnight. Aaron yawned and said, "Well, now that's finished and I've got money, I should go to the slave market tomorrow and complete my system mission early."