Chapter 8: A Duel in the Shadows – The Rogue’s Trial

Liam took a slow breath, his grip tightening around Midnight Fang as the air around him grew unnaturally still. The hidden trial was unlike any dungeon or PvP fight he had encountered in his past life. This wasn't about raw power or brute force, it was about skill.

In front of him, five shadowy figures materialized, their bodies flickering like distorted silhouettes against the dimly lit training ground. Each wielded a pair of curved daggers, their eyes glowing with an eerie, purple light.

[Trial of the Forgotten Assassin – Initiated]

[Objective: Defeat the Five Shadow Apprentices]

[Failure Condition: Death]

Liam's lips curled. Failure Condition: Death.

He had no intention of failing.

The moment the system registered the start of the trial, the five figures moved as one, vanishing into the darkness.

Liam immediately rolled forward, avoiding the first dagger aimed at his back. A second strike came from the left, he barely had time to sidestep before countering with a quick slash of his own.

[Miss!]

His blade cut through air. The shadows were fast, too fast for normal reflexes to keep up.

But Liam wasn't normal.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, forcing himself to ignore the distractions. He wasn't fighting humans, he was fighting shadows. These weren't enemies that relied on strength or numbers. They relied on deception, misdirection, and confusion.

And Liam had mastered all of those things in his past life.

When he opened his eyes again, he focused on the faint distortions in the air around him. The way the flickering torches caused subtle breaks in the shadows.

There.

The moment the next figure lunged, Liam moved first, dodging the strike before twisting his body and driving Midnight Fang straight into its core.

[Critical Hit!]

[-1,500 HP]

The shadow let out a distorted hiss before disintegrating into smoke.

One down. Four to go.

The remaining assassins hesitated. They had expected an easy kill, now they knew he was a real threat.

Liam smirked. "What's wrong? Not as fun when your prey fights back?"

The shadows hissed before attacking again, this time in perfect sync.

Liam didn't retreat.

He dashed into their formation, weaving through their attacks, using their own movement patterns against them. A dagger sliced past his arm, a shallow cut, but nothing fatal. He ignored the pain, rolling low before driving his blade upward.

[Phantom Strike Activated – Bonus Critical Applied!]

[-1,800 HP]

The second shadow collapsed into darkness.

Another one lunged. Liam sidestepped, using the dead assassin's dissolving body as cover before flicking his wrist and sending Midnight Fang flying.

The dagger spun through the air, piercing the third shadow straight through the skull.

[Instant Kill!]

The last two hesitated. Liam exhaled, feeling the familiar thrill of battle settle into his bones. He had always loved this feeling. The moment when the fight shifted in his favor.

The final two assassins tried to retreat.

Liam didn't let them.

He vanished into the shadows, moving faster than they could track, and reappeared behind them.

[Backstab Activated – Bonus Damage Applied!]

[-1,900 HP]

The fourth shadow fell.

The last assassin turned to flee.

Liam simply whispered, "Too slow."

[Shadow Rend Activated – AoE Damage Applied!]

[-2,000 HP]

The last enemy shattered into dust.

Silence.

Then—

[Trial Complete!]

[You have defeated the Five Shadow Apprentices!]

[Reward Unlocked: Advanced Rogue Skill Tree]

[Skill Unlocked: Shadowstep]

A rush of power surged through Liam as his body adapted to the new ability. He immediately pulled up the skill description.

[Shadowstep – Unique Skill]

Effect: Instantly teleport up to 10 meters in any direction, ignoring obstacles. Can be used in combat to evade or ambush enemies.

Cooldown: 10 seconds

Liam whistled. This was broken.

With Shadowstep, he could evade fatal attacks, reposition instantly in PvP, and launch unexpected ambushes. This was a top-tier rogue movement skill, one that shouldn't have been available until much later in the game.

He flexed his fingers, feeling the enhanced agility coursing through his character. He was already ahead of every Rogue in Eternal Dominion, and the game had only just started.

Master Kael – A Warning from the Past

Liam turned as Master Kael - the ancient Rogue mentor, stepped forward. The NPC's face remained expressionless, but his eyes held an unsettling intensity.

"You learn quickly," Kael said, his voice low. "But be warned… true power always comes with a price."

Liam narrowed his eyes. In his past life, this line had never triggered.

Something was different.

But before he could question it, Kael vanished, and the environment around Liam shifted back to the real world.

He stood alone in the ruins of the shrine. The trial was over, but the unease in his gut remained.

Something about Kael's words… felt like a warning.

Meanwhile, Velantir's Growing Chaos

While Liam was unlocking his advanced skills, the streets of Velantir were in chaos.

The bounty on Revenant had spread through every major guild and mercenary group in the city. Vanguard had offered 50 gold for his head, an absurd amount this early in the game.

Players whispered in the alleys, guilds held emergency meetings, and bounty hunters sharpened their blades.

Some laughed.

"He's just one guy. No way he lasts long."

Others were more cautious.

"You think Ethan lost to a normal player?"

One thing was certain, Revenant was officially the most wanted player in Eternal Dominion.

And every hunter in the city was coming for him.

Liam's Next Move – Becoming a Ghost

Liam watched from a distance as groups of players gathered near Velantir's gates, preparing to hunt him down.

A slow, dangerous grin spread across his face.

"They want to hunt me? Fine."

"Let's see who's the real predator here."

Instead of running, Liam stepped back into the shadows.

The hunter… had just become the hunted.