The first thing I noticed when I logged back into Shadow Online wasn't the cobblestone streets or the bustling market stalls or even the air so crisp it could probably cure asthma.
It was my face.
Plastered across the town's main square bulletin board, a sketch of me looked like an artist had combined "guy who hasn't slept in three days" with "suspect in a raccoon-related crime spree." Below it, in glowing red letters:
Wanted: Shade – Assassin. Reward: 10 Silver.
Ten silver. That was, in real-world terms, about… two slices of greasy New York pizza. My literal head was worth dinner.
"Wow," I muttered. "Didn't even get upgraded to a combo meal."
Nearby, a cluster of newbie players gathered, pointing at the poster.
"That's the guy who killed IronWill99 yesterday," one whispered. "Level three scrub with a rusty dagger. How the hell did he win?"
"Cheese strat," another grunted. "Poison abuse. Exploit."
They were wrong, of course. I'd won by being petty, desperate, and lucky—the three horsemen of early-game victory.
A loud bell rang across the square. System notification flickered in the corner of my vision:
[Bounty System Unlocked]
Players may place contracts on other players.
Contract rewards scale with player notoriety.
Assassins may accept or counter-bounties.
Warning: High notoriety reduces NPC friendliness and increases encounter rate with hostile forces.
Translation: congratulations, Shade, you're now Public Enemy Number Two. (Number One was IronWill, but he was rich enough to bribe half the server.)
I can't just help but look at my level
Shade (me): Level 3 AssassinSkills: Shadow Step (Lv.1), Backstab (Lv.2), Poison Coat (Lv.1), Dagger Mastery (Lv.2).Weapon: Rusted Shadowfang (Uncommon – evolving).
Average town newbies: Level 1–2, mostly Fighters, Mages, Archers fumbling with rats.
IronWill99: Level 6 Warrior. Respawning somewhere, definitely fuming.
I slunk toward the potion shop, hood up. Shadow Step flickered me between groups of gossiping players like a socially awkward ninja.
The shopkeeper, an old NPC with a beard so long it probably had its own ecosystem, squinted at me. "You're that assassin everyone's talking about."
Great. Even NPCs read the forums now.
"Just here for poison vials," I said, dropping copper on the counter.
He slid the vials over with a grunt. "Be careful. Half the town wants your hide."
Half the town? That felt generous. It was probably three-quarters by now.
Ambush: Bounty Hunters (a.k.a. Level 2 Idiots)
I barely stepped out of the shop before an arrow whizzed past my hood and thunked into the wall.
"Gotcha!" A voice crowed. Three players in mismatched starter gear stood grinning like hyenas. Over their heads:
RangerDude17 – Level 2 Archer
Stab4Fun – Level 2 Rogue
HolySmiter – Level 2 Cleric
The holy trinity of "we just watched a YouTube strategy guide."
RangerDude pointed at me. "Ten silver for your corpse, Shade. Hand over your dagger and maybe we don't teabag you after."
"Wow," I said. "Threatening AND sportsmanship violations in one sentence. Truly, you honor the warrior's code."
Shadow Step activated. One flicker of motion later, I was behind RangerDude, dagger kissing his ribs.
[Backstab – Critical Hit! 52 Damage]RangerDude17 has been defeated.
The poor guy didn't even scream before respawning at the fountain, dignity left behind.
HolySmiter yelped and raised his staff. "Smite the—"
[Poison Coat applied]One slash, and his health bar drained faster than a college student's bank account after rent day.
HolySmiter has been defeated.
Stab4Fun looked at me, then at his two unconscious friends. "You know what? Ten silver's not worth it. Good luck, bro."
He bolted down an alley.
Smartest decision he'd ever make.
System Message
Notoriety Increased: +5.Current Status: Wanted – Minor Threat.
Rewards for defeating Shade now: 15 Silver.
I sighed. "At this rate I'll be worth a family dinner buffet by next week."
Still, each kill wasn't just XP—it was building something. Reputation. Infamy. Whatever word meant "people cross the street when they see you."
New Mechanic: Notoriety
Each player kill = notoriety increase.
Higher notoriety = more bounty hunters + higher contract rewards.
NPC guards begin to take notice (and sometimes join the hunt).
Hidden: certain secret quests trigger only for high-notoriety assassins.
I ducked into the alleys, heading toward the sewers. Safer there. Well, safer if your definition included giant rats with mange.
But as I descended into the darkness, a new quest notification popped.
[Secret Quest Triggered: The Black Ledger]Description: "The shadows notice your growing infamy. Survive three consecutive bounty attempts and a messenger will find you."Reward: Unknown.
My lips curled into a grin. Now we were talking.
Back in the square, another poster shimmered into existence beside the first. This one wasn't a sketch.
It was a perfect likeness of me, hood, smirk, and all. And under it, scrawled in flaming letters:
Wanted: Shade – Assassin. Reward: 15 Silver. Kill on sight.
I looked at it, chuckled, and whispered to myself, "Guess I'm leveling up in infamy faster than XP."