Chapter 73: Babysitting a NPC
"To think I'll be directly teleported to Blackroot City... This quest isn't as simple as I thought."
Malik sighed as he retrieved the last item from his inventory, activating his Appraisal skill with a flick of thought.
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[Item: Corrosive Dagger] [Silver Rank]
Attack: 170 - 200
Effect: Attack +20%
Additional Effect: 20% chance to poison enemies, draining 1% HP per second for 10 seconds.
Description: Sneak an attack on the enemy. Even if it misses, the corrosion in the dagger will still weaken their attack power.
Requirement: Assassin
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"This is good stuff, but unfortunately, it requires the Assassin class."
Malik sighed again, glancing down at the two items in his grip—a dark, jagged dagger in his left hand and a faintly glowing orb nestled in his right.
"What? Wait a second..." His eyes narrowed, flickering with realization. "My class isn't exactly normal, is it? I should be able to wield this dagger. But first—let's see what happens when I enhance it."
The glint in his eyes sharpened as he pressed the orb against the dagger's spine.
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A prompt appeared midair. Without hesitation, Malik nodded and confirmed.
Light burst forth from the blade, swallowing it in a brilliance that lit up the dim dungeon room. After several seconds, the light dimmed—and Malik caught the dagger mid-air by its hilt with practiced ease.
"The blade's edge looks deadlier... and that green hue's even dimmer now. Let's see what you've become."
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[Item: Corrosive Dagger] [Dark Gold Rank]
Attack: 300 - 350
Effect: Attack +50%
Additional Effect: 70% chance to poison enemies, draining 1% HP per second for 10 seconds.
Description: Sneak an attack on the enemy. Even if it misses, the corrosion in the dagger will still weaken their attack power.
Requirement: Assassin
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"I knew it!"
Malik chuckled, excitement bubbling up in his chest. On impulse, he gave the dagger a quick swing through the air—and his silhouette vanished instantly.
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[Blackroot City – Outskirts, Abandoned Ruins]
A grim scene unfolded under the setting sun. A group of rogue players—faces twisted with dark glee—circled a lone young woman whose torn clothes fluttered in the breeze like a flag of helplessness.
One step to the left—and a sword slashed out.
Clang!
The blade was blocked by a shield. The woman gasped, recoiling.
"What the hell, Pulse88? Why'd you block me?!" the Swordsman snapped, glaring at the smiling Shieldbearer.
Pulse88 licked his lips, grinning like a jackal. "How could I hurt a beauty like this? I wanna have some fun with her first."
The young lady's eyes filled with dread as she stumbled back, breath shaky. Four more players slowly tightened their encirclement.
"Pulse88, don't be stupid! Let's just loot this NPC and get outta here," one growled.
"Ember Sword's right! The system won't let you do that!" another snapped, clearly on edge.
The young lady's eyes lit up with hope—an opening. She turned to flee. But Pulse88 was faster. He bashed her to the ground with his shield, her body crumpling with a gasp. She barely had 25% HP left.
Pulse88 dismissed his shield and stepped forward, hovering over her crumpled form. "We're Red Players now, Dax... System restrictions mean nothing to us."
He cackled—and crouched down, hands already reaching to pull at his belt.
Suddenly—a flash of white light.
A dagger buried itself deep in the back of Pulse88's head.
His body froze—then shattered into countless glowing particles, dropping four items as it disintegrated.
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SQP: 2,400,000 / 3,000,000
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"What the—?!"
Malik blinked, frozen in mid-movement. He glanced around, trying to process what just happened.
Four red-name players. A battered NPC girl. A dagger that had just ended a life without effort.
He had swung the dagger in excitement—only for the system to teleport him without warning, and that very swing had instantly killed someone.
No time for questions. The other four Red Players pounced like wolves.
Malik moved.
One flash—three bodies dropped instantly. Their items hit the ground with hollow clangs.
Only one remained—Ember Sword.
He staggered back, blood trickling down his lip, his defensive skill barely holding.
"A Tier 1 expert… You dare act so arrogantly in Blackroot City?" His voice trembled with rage and disbelief. "This debt will be repaid."
He tore open a teleportation scroll and vanished in a blink—his HP clinging to a fragile 30%.
The dust settled.
Though those Red Players weren't low-level, they were still Tier 0s—mere moths dancing too close to a blazing flame.
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<<+500,000>>
<<+500,000 × 2>>
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SQP: 900,000 / 4,000,000
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"To think I'd level up just by hunting red players."
Malik's lips curved into a smirk as he strolled over and collected the dropped loot.
Red Players—scum who killed other players—faced severe penalties when slain. Their gear? Practically spilled out like treasure chests waiting to be claimed.
"Tch... Nothing worth celebrating. Just Bronze gear and scraps. Tier 0 noobs..." he muttered, shoving them into his storage space.
That was when he noticed her.
The young woman.
Huddled against a cracked wall, arms wrapped tightly around herself, body trembling like a leaf in the wind. She stared at Malik as if expecting the blade next.
"...She's not a player," Malik said aloud.
He pulled a healing potion from his inventory and approached, crouching gently.
"Here," he offered.
She accepted the potion with shaking hands, uncapped it, and drank. Her HP ticked up—only 10%.
The empty bottle slipped from her fingers as she stared up at him... waiting. Hoping.
Malik's brow twitched.
He sighed.
"Take," he said, pulling out every healing potion he had.
The NPC's eyes widened like stars, and without hesitation, she gulped them down one after the other, until only empty bottles clinked at her feet.
'To think I'd end up babysitting an NPC... in Blackroot of all places.'