The Rogue

Ink took a step forward, ready to leave the safety of Isowil City behind.

But then he paused, a thought surfaced in his mind.

His level was too low, he doesn't care about hiding it when he's in the city, but outside, this could be a fatal flaw.

Not being able to see through him would make potential enemies think twice before taking action. The unknown was a powerful deterrent.

But if they saw his real level?

Anyone would assume he was easy prey.

He also needed a map for the wild territory.

There were many shops in Isowil City.

Blacksmiths, weapon shops, jewelry shops, armor shops, potion shops…

But the most important of them all was the Empire's Exchange.

The exchange was officially opened by the Empire and is spread across large, medium and small cities across the country.

In the exchange, you can freely buy and sell equipment, materials and all other items.

That is, you can sell items directly to the exchange, or you can consign them to the exchange.

In addition to buying and selling equipment, various tasks can be handed over in the exchange.

And right now, that was Ink's destination.

His goal: The Veiled Necklace.

It wasn't a perfect item. It didn't completely hide his level—only those more than ten levels higher than him would be able to see through it.

But for now, it was the best he could afford.

It cost 400 gold coins. Ink had 500.

Just enough.

This was Ink's first time at the Exchange. He had only read about it in books.

Hundreds of stone pillars, each half a person's height, stood in neat rows. Embedded in the top of each pillar was a magic crystal, radiating a soft glow.

These magic crystals acted as the interface for the Exchange.

It was said that the Exchange was the greatest achievement of divine alchemy.

Ink placed his hand on one of the crystals.

[Start Identity Authentication…]

[Success. Citizen of the Divine Light Empire: Ink Ashborne.]

[Access Granted.]

A menu appeared before his eyes.

He quickly scanned the items for sale.

Weapons, armor materials, everything.

But none of them are cheap.

Ink only had a total of 500 gold coins, and he couldn't afford even the cheapest Bronze-grade weapon.

As for those more expensive silver-grade, with one look at them, they have nothing to do with him.

After Ink wrote down the value of some low level materials, he began to check the tasks.

The monster levels in the suburbs of Isowil City are concentrated between levels 10 and 20, which is a low-level area.

There are not many related tasks, most of which are tasks of collecting materials.

[Green Sprout Grass – 50 gold coins per bundle.]

[Black Wolf Skins – 20 gold coins each.]

[...]

Alchemists, pharmacists, blacksmiths, and other life professions relied on materials like these.

"Well, this mission is interesting."

[Guide to the Level 14 Duskridge Marsh Dungeon and obtain the crystal core of the dungeon boss, the Lizard King.]

[Note: This item will only drop from the dungeon boss on Nightmare difficulty or higher.]

[Reward: 100,000 gold coins.]

Ink had no plan to go there yet, It was a level 14 dungeon and the minimum level to enter was level 10, his current level is not high enough.

The difficult of the dungeon can be divided into normal, nightmare, and hell.

It is obvious that this task is difficult given the price they offer.

Ink didn't know how difficult the nightmare level was.

According to the description in the book, the nightmare level is at least several times more difficult than the normal level.

Without a strong team, it is basically impossible to attack it.

As for the hell level difficulty, it is not something that ordinary awakeners can challenge.

In Hell difficulty, once you entered the dungeon, you could not leave until you either cleared it or died.

He purchased The Veiled Necklace for 400 gold coins, and a map for 50 gold coins.

…

Leaving the city, you will enter the wild monster area, where the weakest monster is level 10.

Compared to the monsters of the novice mission, the monsters here are much stronger.

Similarly you can gain experience by killing monsters here, and you can also harvest various materials.

if you're lucky, some monsters may even drop weapons and equipment.

These things can be used by yourself or sold for money.

Ink didn't wander aimlessly.

Thanks to the map, he already had a destination in mind.

A Kobold Tribe was marked in the southern area, near a rocky outcrop.

Kobolds were small, reptilian humanoids, standing at around four feet tall, often wielding crude weapons and relying on numbers to overwhelm their enemies.

They weren't the smartest, but they were vicious in groups.

As he moved cautiously through the wilderness, he soon spotted a Kobold patrol.

The creature had rust-colored scales, a thin body covered in rough leather armor, and a crude spear in its hands.

[Kobold Scout – Level 10]

Ink's lips curled into a smirk.

He raised his left hand, summoning a swirling coil of black energy—

The dark tendril shot forward, striking the Kobold in the chest.

Its body convulsed as necrotic energy spread through its veins.

A second later, it collapsed.

[Kill Level 10 Kobold Scout. Experience +150.]

[Character Status]

[Level:] 8 (9%)

[Vitality:] +5 → 135

[Strength:] +5 → 65

[Agility:] +5 → 65

[Constitution:] +5 → 65

[Skills:]

Dusk Crescent Slash (Level 1): A sweeping sword slash that releases a crescent-shaped dark energy wave that travels forward, cutting through enemies.

Death Coil (Level 1): Unleashes a twisting coil of necrotic energy that travels in a straight line, dealing shadow damage to enemies.

[Passives:]

Wraithguard (Level 1): Reduces all physical and magic damage taken by 15%.

Revenant's Stamina (Level 1): Reduces stamina consumption by 70%.

As usual no changes yet in the skills and passives.

he continued toward the Kobold tribe.

As he neared the location, he spotted another patrol—this time, three Kobolds.

They were standing near a stream, their reptilian eyes scanning the surroundings.

Ink was about to strike—

But then he paused**.**

Something was off.

Two of them looked… dizzy?

Their eyes flickered in confusion, their movements sluggish.

And then—

A shadow flickered behind the third one.

A figure appeared out of nowhere, materializing from thin air.

A dagger flashed.

SPLURT!

The third Kobold dropped instantly, its throat slit cleanly.

The other two barely had time to react before the figure moved—

One precise slash to the spine, another quick stab to the heart.

The Kobolds crumpled, dead before they even knew what happened.

Ink's eyes narrowed.

The figure straightened, stepping into the moonlight.

A girl.

She had long, jet-black hair that cascaded down her back, framing a sharp yet elegant face.

Her eyes were a deep violet, flickering with intelligence.

She was dressed in tight black leather armor, emphasizing her lithe and flexible frame.

Twin daggers rested in her hands, still dripping with Kobold blood.

Her posture was calm, composed, like she had done this a hundred times before.

Ink couldn't check her status, but he knew she was a rogue.

A rogue profession…

She glanced at him, her eyes cool and assessing.

Then—

She smirked.

"Did I steal your prey?"

Her voice was smooth, carrying a hint of amusement.