Heavy steps echoed as Arzael walked across the rocky path leading to an old town
After a days of aimless wandering, through ruins, forests, and the lingering shadows of hell, he finally reached the edge of civilization.
A wooden-walled village stood in the distance, with a rickety gate guarded by two men holding spears.
Kareth.
The name was faintly carved above the archway, like something meant to be forgotten.
The town was unremarkable. Straw rooftops, crumbling walls, and muddy roads.
But the air here was heavier than it should've been.
Something was rotting from within.
Arzael lowered the hood of his torn cloak and stepped forward.
"Stop right there!" barked one of the guards, a burly man with a bare chest and a face drunk on authority.
"I'm just passing through," Arzael replied calmly.
The other guard stepped closer. "Passing through? You look like a beggar. Or a bandit. Think you can enter without permission?"
Arzael extended his hand. In his palm, two rusted copper coins, the spoils taken from a demon's corpse in hell.
The first guard sneered but snatched the coins without shame. "Go in. But watch your step. This town doesn't welcome strangers."
Kareth was a living graveyard.
Cramped buildings, a gloomy market, and villagers who lowered their heads whenever a guard passed by.
These guards weren't protectors, they were rulers.
They stole openly, slapped the elderly for slow tax payments, and kicked children who got in their way.
Arzael saw it all.
Without a word.
Without a reaction.
Until the system chimed.
> [Quest Accepted: Eliminate all corrupt guards in Kareth. Total targets: 12. Reward:+1 New Skill.]
He didn't smile. Didn't speak.
But his eyes turned colder.
He moved quickly, stealing a few apples from a cart down a narrow alley. His stomach was empty.
Then, he entered a small clothing shop at the edge of the market.
"Cloak," he said flatly to the old woman behind the counter.
She looked at him with fear. "Nothing's free, boy. They'll—"
Arzael tossed a shard of red crystal from a Lesser Demon's horn.
The woman caught it, then pointed to the back rack. "Take one. Then go. Before they see you."
He put on the black cloak, long, light, and enough to hide his body.
Night fell.
A thin mist crept in. The town grew quiet, except for the disgusting laughter of guards gathered in the main street.
Six of them.
Mocking an old man lying on the ground, blood dripping from his temple.
"Talk taxes again and I'll cut out your tongue!" one of them barked.
Arzael stood in the darkness. Silent.
Then he stepped forward.
"That's enough," he said softly.
One guard turned. "Huh? Who the hell are you?"
"Your punishment."
Without warning, Arzael slammed his fist into the first guard's face.
> [-40 HP]
Bones cracked. Teeth scattered. Then died.
A second guard lunged with a spear, but Arzael dodged to the side and drove his hand into the man's gut.
The next blow shattered a helmet and the skull beneath it.
> [You have slain a Human Guard. +60 EXP]
The others panicked.
Two attacked together,
Arzael let one spear stab into his shoulder.
> (STR increased 50%)
Then sliced the other's throat with Shadow Pierce.
> [-52 HP]
[You have slain a Human Guard. +60 EXP]
He moved like a shadow.
No battle cries.
Just bodies hitting the ground.
The other survivors ran.
> [EXP: 182 / 180]
[Level Up!]
> [Stats increased: STR +3, AGI +2, VIT +3, INT +2, LUK +1]
[1 Stat Point available]
Arzael stood in the blood-stained street.
The old man was gone.
The guards' blood pooled at his feet.
He looked at his hand. A small wound still dripped.
"Too quick," he muttered.
He wasn't satisfied.
The next morning, the town was in an uproar.
Five guards found dead in the street. Their heads crushed.
People whispered about a "shadow" delivering justice.
But not everyone was afraid.
Some… started to hope.
Across town, six guards gathered. A special patrol formed, led by the Guard Captain.
"Anyone suspicious, kill them. This town is ours. Not the people's, not some shadow hero's," he growled.
Arzael watched from a rooftop above.
Remaining targets: 7 guards.
And the night come again.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the narrow alleys of Kareth. Seven fully armed guards marched in formation, led by a burly man clad in black-silver armor.
"Anyone who looks suspicious... kill them. This city belongs to us. Not the people. Not that cursed shadow," the captain growled, his voice hoarse with rage.
Above, on the roof of an old house, a black-cloaked figure watched them silently.
Remaining targets: 7 guards.
Arzael wasn't in a hurry. Time was his ally.
He studied their formation, their steps, the position of their weapons.
He dropped into another alley. Quiet. Then used Gatewalk, not to the Underworld, but to reposition himself ahead of the group.
Its cooldown was one hour, but Arzael knew: he only needed one precise move.
He picked up a sharp piece of metal from a broken wall and hurled it at another building. The clanging noise echoed, causing two guards to break formation and investigate.
The first mistake.
Arzael emerged from the shadows. Shadow Pierce sank into the neck of one guard. Blood sprayed in silence, no scream came.
The second guard turned, but a knee smashed into his face. Arzael grabbed the man's head and slammed it against the wall until his skull cracked.
> [You have slain City Guard. +9 EXP]
[You have slain City Guard. +10 EXP]
Damn it. Why so little?
Arzael thought to himself.
> EXP: 21 / 200
Four guards remained. They heard the commotion and formed a circle, weapons drawn.
Their captain stepped forward.
"Show yourself! Coward!"
They didn't know, Arzael was already above them.
He dropped a homemade smoke grenade, crafted from ingredients stolen from a herbal shop, fuel, soot, and sulfur.
Smoke spread fast. Panic broke out.
A scream. Then three guards collapsed, their throats slashed.
The fourth tried to fight back, but Arzael blocked with his arm, letting the blade pierce his flesh. His face showed no pain.
With blood flowing from the wound, Pain Conversion activated.
One punch shattered the guard's helmet like a shell.
> [You have slain City Guard. +10 EXP]
[You have slain City Guard. +11 EXP]
[You have slain City Guard. +9 EXP]
> EXP: 51 / 200
"You're no human," said the captain, voice now lower.
"And you're no protector of the people," Arzael replied flatly.
The captain struck first, his blow fierce and furious.
But Arzael moved like a shadow.
The fight was swift and brutal.
Steel clashed with curse.
Arzael feinted, stalled, then struck between the gaps of the captain's armor with Shadow Pierce.
The captain staggered. Arzael didn't hesitate.
He leapt, drove two fingers into the man's eyes, and tore open his throat.
The large body collapsed.
> [You have slain Guard Captain. +20 EXP]
> [Quest Complete: Eliminate the Corrupt]
[+New Skill Unlocked: Blood Reaving]
Civilians began to gather.
They saw the bodies of the corrupt guards strewn across the street.
There were no tears. No fear.
They smiled.
"Finally..."
An old man approached, trembling.
"We... we don't know who you are, but... thank you. They've oppressed us for years."
Arzael simply nodded.
"What territory is this city in?" he asked curtly.
The man looked puzzled. "This is part of the Eterna Kingdom. You didn't know?"
Arzael stared into the distance, thinking:
Yeah... I really didn't.
Back in the Alzareth Empire, I wasn't even allowed to touch a book.
The old man continued, as if revealing a long-hidden truth:
"This continent is called Illumina. There are three main nations:
Alzareth Empire, a ruthless empire that only accepts humans. They despise all other races.
Eterna Kingdom, where we are now. Still ruled by humans, but they allow all races to coexist.
Valiant Alliance, led by elves. They reject discrimination and uphold unity."
Arzael committed it all to memory.
This world was far larger than he imagined.
And if he wanted to survive, or take revenge, he had to know everything.
[Status – Level 10]
Name: Arzael
Race: ???
Level: 10
EXP: 71 / 200
HP: 790 / 790
MP: 520 / 520
STR: 37
AGI: 32
VIT: 41
INT: 28
LUK: 8
Available Stat Points: 1
Active Skills:
Shadow Pierce (Lv. 1)
Gatewalk (Lv. 1)
Blood Reaving (Lv. 1): A strike that absorbs enemy blood, healing a portion of HP. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Passive Skills:
Cursed Blood
Pain Conversion (Lv. 1)
Arzael stood on the rooftop, gazing at a city that now felt just a little lighter.
The shadows still clung to him, but tonight...
...Kareth no longer belonged to the corrupt.