Assassins don't usually sit in boardrooms.
Yet there I was, hunched over a tavern table covered in parchment charts and half-empty mugs, while Lyra explained to me how gold had more power than daggers.
"This," she said, tapping her quill against the parchment, "is the copper-to-silver ratio across three towns. Look."
I blinked at the numbers. "They all look the same."
Lyra groaned. "No, Shade, they don't. City A is short on copper because too many blacksmiths are making daggers. Prices are inflated. Meanwhile, City B has a surplus, but silver there is rarer because no one's hunting the wolves in the northern forest."
I leaned back, rubbing my temples. "You realize I kill people for a living, right? Numbers give me a rash."
She smirked. "If you want to keep killing people and get rich while doing it, you'll need me."
The Exchange System
Here's where things got… real.
In Shadow Online, every gold coin wasn't just shiny pixels—it had a real-world value. Players could exchange currency through sanctioned brokers. One gold was currently worth around $2.50 USD.
Which meant my recent assassination payout of 1 gold was enough for, say, a greasy fast-food combo meal.
Not impressive.
But Lyra leaned forward, eyes glittering. "Now, imagine contracts that pay 50 gold. Or controlling a supply chain that pumps out 200 gold a week. That's rent money. Tuition money. Even startup capital."
"Startup," I echoed. "Like… an Assassin LLC?"
She grinned. "Why not? You provide the shadows. I provide the coins. Together, we could build something big."
For the first time, I realized Shadow Online wasn't just a game. It was an economy—and economies meant empires.
The Trade Route
Lyra decided to prove her point.
"There's a caravan leaving tonight," she explained. "NPC merchants hauling ore from Ironford to Greystone. Players can sign up to escort—or, if you're the shady type, raid."
"Guess which one I am," I muttered.
Her eyebrow arched. "You raid the caravan, you get ore. I lose my investment. Escort the caravan, we both profit."
"Escort duty?" I groaned. "That's babysitting with extra steps."
She leaned in closer, her green eyes sharp. "Shade. Do you want to be just a thug with a dagger, or the man who builds an empire?"
Damn it. She was good.
System Quest
[Trade Route: Ironford to Greystone]Escort the merchant caravan safely.
Reward: 500 XP, +5 Gold (split).
Bonus: Reputation with Merchants +10.
Failure: Caravan destroyed, reputation loss.
And so, that night, I found myself walking beside a rickety wagon piled high with ore, torchlight flickering in the dark. Lyra rode at the front, quill in hand, ledger balanced on her knees like she was taking notes on my future incompetence.
"You look thrilled," she teased.
"I kill people, Lyra. I don't babysit rocks."
"They're valuable rocks."
Halfway along the dirt road, the sound of clattering armor came from the trees. Players emerged, bandits by choice rather than class. Their guild tags marked them: BloodHounds.
"Perfect," I muttered. "I was just thinking this trip needed more stabbing."
The bandit leader grinned. "Drop the ore, and maybe we'll let you crawl away."
Lyra muttered, "I paid good money for this shipment. Don't let them touch it."
I sighed, drawing Shadowfang. The dagger pulsed, eager. "Fine. But you owe me double for hazard pay."
Combat
BloodHound Leader (Level 7 Rogue).
Bandit x3 (Level 5).
Me: Level 6 Assassin. Lyra: Level 5 Merchant (read: ledger enthusiast).
I activated Silent Footsteps, melting into the dark. While the bandits charged the caravan, I Shadow Stepped behind the leader.
[Backstab – Critical! 132 Damage.]
He staggered, spinning, eyes wide. "Assassin!"
The others rushed, but Lyra hurled another smoke vial. [Trade Trickery – Smoke Bomb!] The wagon vanished in haze.
I weaved through, daggers flashing, dropping one bandit, then poisoning another. The leader fought hard, but his HP ticked down under poison and crits.
[Fatal Strike – BloodHound Leader Defeated.]
The rest fled, cursing.
The caravan rolled safely into Greystone. NPCs cheered. Lyra smirked at me from the wagon seat.
"See?" she said. "Numbers and knives. We make a good team."
I grunted, sheathing Shadowfang. "Don't get used to it. Babysitting ore isn't my style."
But the truth? Watching the system notification ping felt good.
Rewards
[Quest Complete: Trade Route – Success!]
Reward: +500 XP, +2.5 Gold (split).
Reputation: Merchants +10.
Bonus: Lyra Relationship +10.
Shade is now Level 7 Assassin.
HP: 150. Mana: 85.
Skills: Backstab (Lv.3), Shadow Step (Lv.2), Poison Coat (Lv.2), Throwing Dagger (Lv.1), Silent Footsteps (Passive).
New Skill: Ambush (Lv.1) – Increases opening strike damage when initiating combat from stealth.
Weapon Resonance: 24/100.
Bonds Deepen
Later, in Greystone's inn, we shared a quiet moment. Lyra was at her ledger again, scribbling profits. I watched the candlelight flicker over her features.
"You really see this game as business," I said.
She glanced up. "And you see it as blood."
"Maybe," I admitted. "But you're not wrong. Daggers might win fights—but coins win wars."
A smile tugged at her lips. "Careful, Shade. That almost sounded like respect."
The system chimed:
[Lyra Relationship: 50/100 – Trusted Ally.]
And for once, I didn't roll my eyes at the pop-up.