Ezreal reached the outskirts of town as the artificial sun dipped low, bathing the stone streets in warm amber light.
The place had changed. Dramatically infact.
Where once there had been pockets of activity, now the town buzzed with coorrdinated chaos. Players filled the roads in numbers that hadn't been there before, armor more refined, weapons sharper, movements more confident. Groups clustered around quest boards, their voices overlapping as party leaders barked orders and roles.
It seems players are also improving, he thought to himself. He sighed to himself, seems like he'll need to leave this starting town soon, if this many players were here. It was going to be extremely hard to find a place to farm in peace. He began walking towards the adventurers' guild to hand in his quest.
"Tank's full—need DPS!"
"Anyone level ten plus? Boar runs!"
"Split loot, even EXP!"
Ezreal slowed, taking it all in.
System windows hovered everywhere, party invites flashing briefly before he dismissed them, gear comparisons popping up between players, trade requests flowing back and forth. NPCs moved through it all seamlessly, stepping aside when needed, reacting naturally to raised voices and hurried footsteps.
Eden didn't feel like a game anymore.
It felt like an actual medieval city. He had to admit he did kinda like it.
Below it, smaller text appeared.
His eyes lingered on that last line, before he immediately dismissed it. Efficiency isnt growth he thought to himself. He wasn't interested on carrying others, parties levelled faster early, yes. But that led to dependency and he hated being dependent on anyone.
Ezreal moved through the crowd, slipping between players with practiced ease, until another system marker pulsed into view.
The building stood apart from the rest of the town, taller and narrower, its dark stone etched with faint blade like patterns, he recognized them. They were similar to the one on the class change building, specifically under the assassin banner.
Inside, the air felt weird. like it was focused. He was certain he as being observed but from where he didn't know. Perhaps the entire area. He smiled.
Two figures waited beneath opposing banners, each bearing the symbol of an assassin but stylized differently. One sharp and fluid, the other stark and final.
Ezreal approached the first.
The man standing beneath the banner was relaxed, almost casual. He rolled his shoulders as Ezreal came closer, daggers flashing briefly in his hands before disappearing again.
"Didn't think anyone was interested in this class." He said leisurely. Pulling out a canister and taking a swig of a deep brown liquid.
"What's your name ambitious brat?"
Ezreal remained silent. But he was sure. If he even so much as tried raising his blade against this man, he was sure he would be shredded into pieces.
"Keeping quiet, huh? At least you're smart. Assassins never reveal their identities." He said taking a deep swig.
"Well, this specialization is called Nightblade. Masters of critical strikes and relentless pressure. You'll dance through combat, chaining kills, cutting enemies down before they can react." He said his eyes drifting towards the ceiling.
A translucent window unfolded in front of Ezreal, not text-heavy, but visual.
He saw an image of a blurred figure weaving through enemies, striking multiple targets in rapid succession.
Previewed Abilities:
Chain Step: Consecutive kills reset Shadow Step's cooldown.
Blood Momentum (Passive): Each successful kill increases attack speed and movement speed temporarily.
Afterimage Slash: A rapid multi-hit strike that leaves delayed damage behind.
Veil of Motion: Brief invisibility after a kill.
"Nightblades don't wait," he said. "We build momentum. Every kill feeds the next. Alone or surrounded it doesn't matter, as long as you keep moving." He said a blade appearing in his hand as he began twirling it.
He tilted his head slightly.
"But if you stall? You burn out fast."
Ezreal nodded, absorbing every detail. A wide smile appeared on his face. This, this was simply perfect. In his eyes, this was absolutely broken by every metric, how did the devs think this was balanced.
"I choose Nightblade." He said with confidence.
The nightblade npc raised an eyebrow.
"You're aren't going to check the other specialization?" He asked
"I dont need to." He replied.
The nightblade npc remained silent for a while his eyes locked with Ezreal's as f searching for something. A small snicker came from him.
"Finally someone who understands the truth."
Something shifted—not heavier, but faster. His perception sharpened. The world felt more responsive, as if Eden had adjusted its expectations of him.
Chain Step: Killing an enemy resets Shadow Step's cooldown.
Blood Momentum (Passive): Each kill grants stacking bonuses to speed and attack speed.
Afterimage Slash: A high-speed multi-hit attack leaving delayed damage.
Veil of Motion: Grants brief invisibility after a successful kill.
Flow State: Reduces mana costs while chaining abilities.
"Listen kid, i like you. And i have a request with some really good benefits ready if you succed."
Ezreal raised an eyebrow, nodding in understanding.
"But you're too weak. Go get stronger and come back here, then we can discuss."
Ezreal nodded in understanding. It seems he had triggered some sort of unique text. Just in time the system rang.
Ezreal blinked.
"Level one hundred…?"
Until now, Eden had rewarded momentum fast levels, frequent rewards, constant progress. This was the wall. The place where players either stagnated… or differentiated themselves.
He understood. This was the games way of slowing players down. It seemed he needed to find a work around.
He followed the forest path again—but this time, he didn't stop. He pushed deeper, past familiar hunting grounds, past areas already claimed by groups.
Ezreal didn't slow.
The forest grew darker, denser. The air thickened. Sounds faded.
He smiled faintly.