chapter 166 suprise
[System Notification]
You have equipped the Soul Reaper Dagger.
Detecting accumulated souls…
Absorbing…
The moment Frost Eye grasped the dagger, a surge of dark energy erupted from the weapon. A chilling sensation crawled up his arm as the dagger pulsed violently. The souls it had stored screamed in unison, their eerie wails echoing in his mind.
[Soul Reaper Dagger has absorbed over 100 souls upon binding.]
[The weapon is evolving…]
The black metal of the dagger twisted and lengthened, the once dull edge now gleaming with a sinister glow. Symbols of unknown origin flickered to life along the blade, pulsing as if they were breathing.
[Soul Reaper Dagger has leveled up to Level 2!]
Frost Eye's eyes narrowed. "Already?!" He had expected the weapon to start at Level 1, requiring him to farm souls from scratch. Instead, it had devoured his past kills immediately.
Nathaniel, standing nearby, let out a low whistle. "Damn. That thing didn't even wait."
Brainless Girl grinned. "Well, guess that means you're even more terrifying now."
Frost Eye tightened his grip, feeling the weapon hum in response. If it had already leveled up… just how far could this dagger go?
---
[Soul Reaper Dagger – Level 2]
Type: Assassin Special Class Weapon
Bound to: Frost Eye
Upgrade Requirement: Absorb 200 more souls (0/200)
Base Stats:
Attack Power: +100
Critical Rate: +15%
Armor Penetration: +25%
Agility Bonus: +10 (from soul absorption bonus)
---
Unique Passive – Soul Devourer (Stage 2)
Each enemy kill absorbs their soul into the dagger.
For every 10 souls absorbed, gain +2 Agility permanently.
At 200 souls, unlock the next stage of the Soul Reaper Dagger.
Skill – [Soul Rend] (Upgraded)
Effect: A deadly strike that ignores 70% of the enemy's armor if attacking from behind.
Cooldown: 8 seconds
Skill – [Reaper's Mark] (Unlocked at Level 2)
Effect: Marks an enemy, causing them to take 20% extra damage from all sources for 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 30 seconds
Skill – [Soul Step] (New – Level 2 Unlock)
Effect: Instantly teleport behind the marked enemy and deal a guaranteed critical hit.
Cooldown: 20 seconds
---
Frost Eye twirled the dagger between his fingers, testing its weight. It felt lighter—faster—as if it had bonded to him completely.
"This just got interesting," he muttered, a grin forming on his lips.
Frost Eye glanced at his status screen, his excitement momentarily dampened.
[System Notification]
Due to binding the Soul Reaper Dagger, your level has been reset to Level 1.
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Well, I'm definitely more powerful than before… but I'm back to Level 1."
Nathaniel chuckled. "Trade-offs, huh? You get a broken weapon, but now even a goblin could probably one-shot you."
Brainless Girl smirked. "That's if they can catch him."
Frost Eye examined his stats carefully. His attack power had shot up drastically, and his mobility was insane, but his HP was now dangerously low. Before, he could take a few hits—now, if he made even one mistake, he'd be dead.
"I need to grind my level back up fast," he muttered. "But if I play this right, even at Level 1, I can still kill higher-level enemies."
Brainless Girl tilted her head. "So, what's the plan, Mr. Soul Reaper?"
Frost Eye's grin turned sharp. "Simple. We scam, steal, and slaughter our way back to the top."
Frost Eye smirked as he closed his status screen. "I'm heading to a dungeon."
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "Already? You just got reset to Level 1."
Brainless Girl leaned against a crate, arms crossed. "Shouldn't you at least grind some easy mobs first?"
Frost Eye shook his head. "No time for that. The faster I level up, the better. And with this weapon, I don't need to waste time on weaklings."
Nathaniel chuckled. "You're insane."
Frost Eye flashed a sharp grin. "And that's exactly why I'll survive."
Brainless Girl sighed, knowing there was no stopping him. "Fine. Just don't die before we make more money."
Frost Eye adjusted his gear, ready to leave. "Relax. I'm not just going to survive—I'm going to dominate."
With that, he turned and walked out of the warehouse, vanishing into the shadows. His path was set. It was time to reclaim his strength, one kill at a time.
Frost Eye stood at the threshold of the warehouse, his fingers brushing against the newly upgraded Soul Reaper Dagger strapped to his belt. The weight of his weapon felt different—sharper, deadlier. But before he left, there was one thing he needed to say.
He turned back to Brainless Girl and Nathaniel, his usual smug grin absent. Instead, his expression was cold, calculated. His golden eyes flickered with a dangerous edge.
"Listen up," he said, his voice firm, slicing through the dimly lit space like a blade. "Don't get greedy. Stop when you feel even a shred of doubt. We've already earned more than enough."
Brainless Girl raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "What's with the sudden lecture? You think we don't know how to handle this?"
Frost Eye's eyes narrowed. "I think you'll push it too far."
Nathaniel scoffed, crossing his arms. "Tch. You make it sound like we're idiots."
Frost Eye stepped forward, his gaze locking onto Nathaniel with an intensity that made even him falter. "I've seen smarter people than you get wiped out because they didn't know when to stop."
Brainless Girl chuckled, leaning against a crate. "Wow. That almost sounds like you care."
Frost Eye exhaled sharply. "I care about not getting caught in someone else's mess." His voice was low, almost a growl. "I've seen how this game works. You think you're untouchable, you keep pushing, and then—" He snapped his fingers. "It all crumbles."
The warehouse fell into silence for a moment. Nathaniel's smirk had faded slightly, and even Brainless Girl looked thoughtful.
She tapped her chin. "So, what? You think we should just stop scamming people?"
Frost Eye shook his head. "No, but you should know when to walk away. There's a line between being clever and being reckless."
Nathaniel sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Fine, fine. We'll play it safe."
Brainless Girl smirked. "For now."
Frost Eye shot them one last look, as if memorizing their faces, then turned toward the exit. His figure blurred into the shadows as he walked away, his voice lingering behind him like an echo.
"Good. Keep it that way."
Brainless Girl and Nathaniel exchanged glances.
Nathaniel chuckled, shaking his head. "He really thinks we're that dumb, huh?"
Brainless Girl smirked. "Maybe. But still… if even he's giving us a warning, maybe we should take it seriously."
Nathaniel sighed. "Yeah. Let's not push our luck."
For the first time in a long while, they both felt a sliver of unease.