Leo looked up at Majesty, surprised by her low, cautious tone.
She suppressed the urge to look away and continued: "Brother, I noticed it the moment we arrived. That Rogue, Sika... she's not simple. Her movement is too rhythmic, her footwork too precise. Only an Assassin Mentor should have that kind of grace. And I have this feeling... like she knows us. Or rather, she knows me."
"Majesty, has your gift grown stronger?"
"Yes. On my seventh birthday, it changed. I can perceive my surroundings clearly now; my sense for danger has become razor-sharp."
Her seventh birthday... the day our parents were taken. Leo realized that her subconscious need for safety must have evolved her gift into a specialized survival radar. His heart ached with guilt. He reached out, pulling her into a sudden, protective embrace.
Majesty froze, her face flushing a deep crimson as she stiffened with awkwardness. Leo quickly released her, clearing his throat and tapping his shield.
"It's okay now. I've become a Paladin—a specialist in protection. I'll be your shield from now on. I won't let anything hurt you again."
Touched by the sentiment, Majesty offered a shy smile and a nod. "Let's go, Brother. Let's buy supplies, test our new powers, and fulfill our promise."
Leo focused. It was time for a "stat check." He mentally summoned his character panel:
> Name: Leo
> Class: Paladin
> Level: 1
> Strength: 48 (25) | Dexterity: 42 (20)
> Vitality: 50 (25) | Energy: 25 (15)
> Life: 130 (55) | Stamina: 114 (89) | Mana: 30 (15)
> (Base stats for Level 1 Paladin in parentheses) >
> Attack: 1H Melee: 3-21 / Throwing: 16-36 (Str bonus included)
> Defense: 209 (Dex bonus included)
> Skill Points: 0
>
His attributes were explosive, dwarfing a standard Level 1 character. He checked his skill tree; it was identical to the game. However, a glance at the bottom of his panel made his blood run cold. His resistances were highlighted in ominous red text:
> Fire/Cold/Lightning/Poison Resistance: -40
>
Resistance penalties? That only happened on Nightmare Difficulty. "Majesty, share your panel with me. I need to confirm something."
Majesty complied. Her stats showed high Energy (49) and Mana (67), but the same -40 Resistance penalty.
"I knew the gear they gave us was too good to be true," Leo muttered. "This isn't a fresh start; this is a Nightmare-level opening. If I remember correctly, the monsters in the Blood Moor on Nightmare are around Level 36."
"Brother, my Strength and Vitality are low, but my Spiritual Power is massive," Majesty noted. "I think I'll focus on that."
"Good. Trap Assassins and Shadow Training. High damage, great crowd control, and you can summon tanks. It's the safest, most efficient—and, frankly, the most 'wretched'—build there is. Just hide behind me and set your traps."
Majesty looked at him curiously. "Brother, how do you know so much about Assassin skills?"
Leo stiffened. He had overshared. "Uh... let's just say I have a gift for knowledge. Things you wouldn't believe."
They spent the morning burning through their gold.
60 Light Healing Potions, 30 Mana Potions, 10 Stamina Potions, 5 Town Portal Scrolls, and 10 Identify Scrolls cost them 5,150 Gold. Another 4,800 went toward four bundles of Short Spears and four bundles of Javelins.
By noon, they were down to their last 49.5 Gold. After a quick meal at the tavern, they stepped out into the Blood Moor.
The air was thick with the scent of copper and decay. The Moor was a desolate wasteland of rotting soil and stunted shrubs. It felt like walking through a bog, the mud clinging to their boots like hungry hands.
After an hour of cautious trekking—Leo moving with the stealth of an Assassin despite his heavy plate—they heard a familiar cry: "Rakanishu!"
Leo crouched, peering through a gap in the bushes. A single Fallon (沉沦魔)—a small, red-skinned demon with a topknot, horns, and a rusted scimitar—was idling nearby.
Leo's App chimed:
[Ding! Fallen detected. Level 36. Extremely Dangerous. Recommendation: Avoid.]
He ignored the warning. He needed to know if they could handle this. He placed his bundled tent on the ground as an obstacle and whispered to Majesty.
"I'll lure it. Stay back. I'll soften it with javelins. Don't attack until I tell you, or the coward might run."
Leo stood ten meters away. "Hey! Over here, you little sh*t!"
The Fallen hissed and charged. Leo's first short spear thudded into its chest, but it barely flinched. He threw three more; two hit, but one veered off as if deflected by an invisible force.
Seeing the low damage, the Fallen grew bold. It lunged, but tripped over the discarded tent. Leo rained spears down on it while it struggled to navigate the obstacle.
When it finally cleared the tent and closed the gap, Leo barked: "Now! Kill it!"
A javelin from the flank caught the Fallen off guard. Panicking, it tried to flee, but its low intelligence led it right back into the tent. It stumbled and fell. Leo and Majesty didn't give it a second chance, turning the demon into a literal pincushion of javelins.
With a final shriek, the Fallen exploded into a pile of 120 Gold.
A massive surge of energy flooded their bodies. Because they were Level 1 killing a Level 36 mob, the experience gain was astronomical. A pillar of white light engulfed them both.
Level 2.
Leo felt the "shackles" on his body loosen further. If I reach the level cap, will I become an immortal being of pure energy like an Angel?
[Ding! Level Up detected. Large Stash unlocked. Inventory expanded by 40 slots.]
Leo grinned. His inventory now had "pages." No more worrying about carrying capacity.
•
And that's the first five chapters of this book. on a note, this is but a fan translation! I do not own any character here, so if anyone unhappy with this, feel free to DM me.
I will update 3 chapter per day, and if you think that's lacking, you can found advanced 5 chapter on my Patreon here—↓
patreon.com/EBBYRITH.
—feel free to visit it!↑