Cipher watched from his hiding spot as the E-ranks began flipping over crates and shelves, searching for him.
The D-rank stood at the entrance, arms crossed, overseeing the operation.
He wondered what to do now. It wouldn't be long before he was found.
No - he needed to act now. If he waited for them to find him, he'd have zero advantage. Right now, while no one had seen him yet, he needed to take someone down.
But he couldn't take down many. The moment he struck, the others would notice instantly.
Which one should he target first?
He paused. No matter who he chose, wouldn't the outcome be the same? Four against one was…
Wait.
He suddenly realized something.
The D-rank. His Mana Sense was picking up a massive mana signature from that man. But mana didn't define rank by itself - stamina, strength, and agility mattered too. Unless... one was a mage.
A mage's class would automatically distribute points heavily into Intelligence every level. Even if this person happened to be classless and manually put all their points into Intelligence, there was no way they could have high stats in other areas too. Not at Level 20-something.
He clutched his dagger nervously. He was ninety-nine percent sure this person was a mage.
He needed to take him out first.
If he attacked one of the E-ranks instead, he wouldn't be close enough to the mage afterward. He'd be completely obliterated by D-rank spells before he could close the distance. But if he took out the mage first, he should be able to hold his own against the other E-ranks for some time - at least long enough to find a chance to escape.
He steeled his nerves and made his move.
Cipher activated Assassinate.
Energy surged through his legs as he burst forward. The man wasn't even able to react - confirming his guess that the man was a mage.
Cipher plunged his dagger through the mage's neck and dropped him to the ground with a heavy thud.
[You have slain D-rank Human (Level 15)]
[+4,000 EXP]
[+40 Cheat Points]
[You have leveled up!]
At that same moment, a blaring voice echoed through the corridors - a PA system crackling to life.
"HERETICS HAVE DEFILED THE SACRED SANCTUARY OF OUR RADIANT GODDESS! ALL FAITHFUL SERVANTS, PURGE THE DARKNESS! LET THEIR BLOOD CLEANSE THESE HOLY HALLS!"
"Looks like the Association is finally here," Cipher thought.
He turned to face the other four E-ranks, still crouched over the mage's corpse.
He raised his dagger and stabbed into the body a few more times.
Blood splashed across his face and robes.
Then he looked up at them with a predatory expression.
"Kill the heretic!" one of the men shouted, and they charged at him.
Cipher rolled to the side, then jumped back to create distance. He held his dagger before him and observed the incoming attackers.
He'd tried to intimidate them by showing such a brutal scene, but these cultists were so brainwashed they didn't even register their comrade's death.
He wondered what kind of entity this so-called Goddess of Light really was.
…
Cipher steadied his dagger as the four E-ranks closed in.
He could hear chaos erupting outside - screams, explosions, the clash of steel. The Association was here. The cultists were engaged. He just needed to survive long enough.
He still had two charges left. Twenty-five mana each. Fifty total.
Although the opponents were aware of his presence now, meaning he couldn't guarantee crits, it didn't matter. As long as he hit a vital area like the neck, it should be a sure kill. He needed to save those charges for when he had a clean opening.
The first cultist lunged.
Cipher sidestepped, slashing with his dagger.
The blade bit shallow, drawing a little blood but nothing fatal.
He twisted away as another cultist swung at him from the side.
Too slow.
The sword caught his shoulder.
[Status: Bleeding]
He cursed. Despite surviving ten years in the apocalypse, his actual combat skills weren't great. He'd survived through immortality, not skill. Now, without the Glitch Class to reset death, every mistake mattered.
He backed up, breathing hard. The cultists pressed forward. One feinted left while another struck right. Cipher barely dodged, the blade grazing his ribs.
Another notification flickered.
[HP: 450/500]
[Status: Bleeding (Losing 1% HP per second)]
Although he was already used to pain, having died multiple times, he wasn't used to the status effects. Before, his Glitch Class would have handled this, but now…
He parried a strike - poorly due to his bleeding - and the impact nearly knocked the dagger off his grip. His arms were shaking. How long had they been fighting? A minute? Two? It felt like hours.
Outside, another explosion shook the walls.
The cultists didn't even flinch. Their eyes were empty, fanatical. They moved like puppets.
Cipher ducked under a horizontal slash and rolled forward. One of the cultists grabbed his wrist.
He twisted, brought his knee up into the man's gut. The grip loosened. He wrenched free.
But another cultist was already swinging.
The blade cut across his back.
The cut was shallow, but it still did significant damage.
[HP: 350/500]
He was losing. Badly.
Then he saw it.
One of the cultists overextended on a thrust. His neck exposed for just a heartbeat.
Cipher didn't think. He activated Assassinate.
The burst of energy. Five meters closed in an instant. His dagger punched through the cultist's throat before the man could even register movement.
[You have slain E-rank Human (Level 11)]
[+3,000 EXP]
[+20 Cheat Points]
[You have leveled up!]
Cipher staggered back, breathing hard. Three thousand EXP? That was almost as much as the D-rank mage. Was the system broken? Giving random amounts?
No. There had to be a pattern. Was it because this one was stronger? No - "stronger" was subjective. The mage could be more dangerous in the right circumstances. Then what? Was it because the fight lasted longer?
A blade whistled past his face.
He jerked back, the edge grazing his cheek. Blood trickled down.
He cleared his mind.
Focus. Survive now. Analyze later.
He still had one more Assassinate. Twenty-five mana left. He needed the perfect opening.
At least the level-up had cleared his fatigue and bleeding.
HP and mana weren't restored, but the status effects were gone. That was something.
The remaining three circled him like wolves.
Cipher kept moving, kept his guard up. Waited.
One of them got impatient. Rushed in recklessly.
There.
Cipher activated Assassinate one more time.
The cultist's eyes widened as the dagger found his neck.
[You have slain E-rank Human (Level 9)]
[+4,000 EXP]
[+20 Cheat Points]
[You have leveled up!]
Cipher pushed the body away and made distance. Two left now.
He looked at them, chest heaving. How did they have so much stamina? He was burning through his even after the level-up refresh.
Suddenly, he felt his body tense.
His vision began blurring. Voices rang in his head - distorted, overlapping, like static cutting through his thoughts. He looked at the cultists charging toward him. Their forms twisted and warped. He couldn't make out the distance anymore. Couldn't tell how far they were. Their movements seemed to lag and skip.
His legs gave out.
His body hit the ground hard as the cultists closed in.
[Status: Mana Exhaustion, Mana Hypersensitivity]