The first thing I did after crawling out of the sewers—dripping in rat guts, reeking of mildew, and grinning like I'd just eaten Thanksgiving dinner alone—was check my new dagger.
[Shadowfang, Dagger of Whispers (Rare – evolving)]
Damage: 22–28.
Trait: Poison effects +10%.
Whisper Resonance: 0/100. (Whispers grow louder with each kill.)
It pulsed faintly in my palm, like it had a heartbeat. Creepy, sure. But it also felt… right.
Which is why I wasn't too thrilled when I walked back into town and found my face glaring at me from a new poster.
Wanted: Shade – Assassin. Reward: 20 Silver. Kill on sight.
"From chicken dinner to twenty silver in less than a week," I muttered. "That's career growth."
Players muttered as I passed. Some spat. Others pointed. A group of wide-eyed newbies whispered like I was a campfire story come to life.
"Is that him?""Yeah. Killed IronWill. Killed the Rat King. Dude's insane.""I heard he eats rats IRL."
I sighed. Fame was exhausting.
System Message
[Hidden Quest Triggered: The Black Ledger – Stage Two]A messenger waits for you in the shadows. Accept, and step deeper into the assassin's path.
Sure enough, a hooded NPC leaned against an alley wall like a medieval drug dealer. His nameplate read only: Whispered Broker – ???
"You've made quite the splash," the Broker rasped, voice like gravel soaked in smoke. "Rats. Warriors. Now, something more… delicate."
I raised an eyebrow. "If this is an MLM pitch, I'm out."
A parchment unfurled before me:
[Assassination Contract: Guard Captain Rourke]Description: Corrupt officer exploiting townsfolk. Eliminate him quietly.Conditions: No alarms. No civilian deaths.Reward: 500 XP, 1 Gold, Hidden Reputation bonus.
Quest Analysis
Target: Guard Captain Rourke – Level 6 Elite NPC.
Complication: Surrounded by patrols, high detection radius.
Failure: If spotted, bounty increases + guards will kill on sight.
Success: First "true" assassination → unlocks Assassin's Guild reputation.
I grinned. "Finally, a job that doesn't involve rodents."
Recon: The Escape Plan
Instead of charging in like an idiot, I circled the barracks, scouting every angle. Guard patrols? Check. Windows? All shuttered except one—Captain Rourke's office, second floor.
I tested the geometry with a rock toss. The window overlooked a cramped back alley, barely visible from the street. Even better, there was no regular guard patrol there.
That alley would be my exit. But second-story windows had a nasty relationship with gravity.
Which is why I spent the next twenty minutes hauling armfuls of hay bales from a nearby stable, stacking them directly under the window. NPC stablehands grumbled, but my Bluff Skill covered me.
"Captain ordered cleanup," I lied. "Said he doesn't want rats nesting."
[Bluff Check Passed.]
When the hay was in place, I dusted off my hands. Perfect assassin's safety net. If things went bad—and they always went bad—I'd have my fall covered.
Step One: Disguise
Newbie players walked past wearing mismatched armor. Inspiration struck.
A quick Throwing Dagger at a passing guard-in-training (Level 1 NPC). The blade hit, non-lethal, knocking him out cold.
[Non-lethal Takedown Successful.]Guard Uniform acquired.
I dragged him into the shadows, swapped gear, and strolled toward the barracks whistling like I owned the place.
Step Two: Entry
The guards at the door squinted. "Haven't seen you before."
My new Disguise Skill (Lv.1) auto-triggered.
[Bluff Check Passed – Charisma 9 vs. Guard Insight 6.]
"New recruit," I said confidently. "Captain wants the rat problem report."
They grunted and stepped aside.
Inside, torchlight flickered over stone walls. Tables stacked with confiscated loot and "evidence." My dagger hand twitched. So many tempting shinies. Focus.
Step Three: The Hit
Captain Rourke sat at his desk, a hulking NPC with a mustache that screamed "dirty cop." He muttered while flipping coins into a chest.
Target locked.
I Shadow Stepped behind him, dagger raised.
[Backstab – Critical Hit! 118 Damage.]
Blood sprayed. His HP chunked to half. He roared, staggering to his feet.
"Assassin!"
Alarm bells glowed faintly at the edge of my HUD. Timer: 30 seconds before guards rushed in.
"Quiet job, huh?" I hissed, lunging again.
[Poison Coat applied. Backstab – 92 Damage.]
Rourke's HP ticked down. 60 → 30 → 10.
One final strike. My dagger pulsed, a whisper crawling into my ear: feed me more.
[Fatal Strike – Guard Captain Rourke has been defeated.]
He slumped, chest clattering with coins.
System Rewards
Quest Complete: Assassination Contract – Guard Captain Rourke.
Reward: +500 XP, +1 Gold.
Reputation: Assassin's Guild +20.
Hidden Reward: Contract Ledger (Item – rare).
Shade has leveled up!
Level 6 Assassin.
HP: 135. Mana: 78.
Skills: Shadow Step (Lv.2), Backstab (Lv.3), Poison Coat (Lv.2), Throwing Dagger (Lv.1), Dagger Mastery (Lv.3).
New Passive: Silent Footsteps (reduces noise radius by 20%).
Weapon Resonance: 18/100.
Step Four: Escape
The alarm counter hit zero. Guards thundered through the hall. My disguise flickered, failing.
But I was already moving. I dashed to the shuttered window, smashed it open, and dove out.
The hay bales I'd stacked earlier broke my fall in a soft whump. Dust puffed into the alley, but no damage taken.
[Fall Damage Negated.]
Perfect execution. Literally.
Shouts echoed behind me as guards poured into the office, staring dumbly at the broken window and the empty room.
I rolled out of the hay, slipped into the shadows, and melted into the alleys.
Later, hidden in the sewers (my home away from hygiene), I pulled out the new item:
[Black Contract Ledger (Rare – Key Item)]Description: A bloodstained book recording secret contracts. Linking it unlocks access to Assassin's Guild quests.
A new system notification chimed:
[Assassin's Guild Unlocked.]
Players with sufficient notoriety and successful contracts may now join the Guild.
Guild contracts scale in danger and reward.
Factional reputation impacts the World
I leaned back, grinning.