100% Assassination If I Do It Openly

"This one will do," Damian said decisively, picking up a skill book from the pile.

The skill he chose was a general one: Swiftstep.

This skill allowed players to increase their movement speed and enhance their agility for quick dodges within a short range. It was useful for both travel and combat, offering versatility that appealed to Damian's needs.

Most importantly, it was affordable, priced at only 800 credits—well within his budget.

"You're going with this?" The vendor, a man with round, frog-like glasses, gave Damian a curious look. "Look, brother, I can understand other classes picking this, but you're an assassin!"

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Here's the thing. For just 400 more credits, you could get the assassin-exclusive skill Shadow Step. Not only does it include everything Swiftstep offers, but it also grants stealth enhancement while moving." The vendor held up another skill book. "If you pick Swiftstep, you're getting ripped off!"

"No, I'll stick with Swiftstep," Damian said firmly.

He had already seen Shadow Step. It was indeed powerful, and he could afford its 1,200-credit price tag. However, the stealth enhancement made it utterly useless for him.

If he were hidden, his talent would be wasted entirely.

"Alright, your call," the vendor sighed.

In Divine Genesis, there was no separate in-game currency; all transactions were conducted using real-world money. The game's official trading system ensured secure transfers, with funds automatically deducted and deposited.

Once the 800 credits landed in his account, the vendor handed over the Swiftstep skill book, though he didn't seem particularly satisfied with the sale. Still trying his luck, he reached for a small jade stone from the side of the stall.

"Hey, brother, how about a Cloaking Jade?" he said smoothly. "There's been a guy in the Starter City lately who's been robbing newbies of their gear. A lot of players have fallen victim to him."

"If you use this jade, it'll hide the specifics of your equipment from others. You won't have to worry about being targeted so easily."

Damian's interest was piqued.

He didn't have much gear yet, but he did have the cursed necklace in his inventory. Once he hit Lv5 and equipped it, it might indeed attract unwanted attention—blue-tier gear was rare in the Starter Zone.

"How much?"

"Just 1,000 credits!" the vendor said, raising one finger.

Damian patted the dagger on his waist with a faint smile. "Do you think this dagger is worth spending 1,000 credits to hide?"

"Uh, well…" The vendor hesitated, laughing awkwardly. "But what if you get better gear later? It's good to plan ahead, you know."

"I'll take your blessing, then," Damian said, turning to leave. "If I do get something valuable, I'll think about it."

"Hey, wait! Take another look—" The vendor sighed as Damian walked away.

His disappointment didn't last long, though. A few moments later, his sharp eyes caught sight of a muscular young man, who began trailing Damian from a distance.

The man's steps were steady and deliberate, his focus unmistakable.

The vendor's brow furrowed slightly. Damian had been marked.

Still, he chose to stay silent.

A Level 6 warrior hunting a Level 3 assassin…

There was no contest there.

...

Damian glanced at his updated skill panel as he made his way toward the Grey Ruins.

Skills:

Stealth (Lv1)

Swiftstep (Lv1): Increases movement speed by 30% while out of combat. Grants a 10% agility boost during combat, allowing for faster dodges and attacks.

"New skill unlocked!" Damian smiled to himself, pleased with his choice.

The agility boost from Swiftstep would allow him to evade the initial attacks of the Grey Shadow Hounds and create opportunities to counter.

And with his talent, all it would take was one strike to finish them off.

The plan seemed foolproof.

As he approached the outskirts of the city, the number of people around him began to dwindle. The once-busy streets gave way to quieter paths, lined with tall grass and scattered debris.

Damian paused, his brows furrowing. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.

He turned, scanning the area, but saw nothing suspicious.

Still, trusting his instincts, he activated Swiftstep and quickened his pace.

A few dozen meters behind him, the muscular man trailing him rose from a bench on the roadside. He carried a long sword on his back, his eyes narrowing as he watched Damian pick up speed.

The man's name was Grant Tanner, a Level 6 warrior who had entered Divine Genesis a month earlier.

During the talent draw phase, Grant had been lucky enough to obtain a rare A-tier talent: Golden Eye.

This talent allowed him to partially see through other players' equipment.

If the gear was equipped, Grant could view its full details—quality, attributes, and effects. If it was in the inventory, he could still determine its quality, which was more than enough to give him an edge.

In Divine Genesis, a player's inventory was like a separate dimension, inaccessible to others. Grant's talent bypassed this barrier, giving him the ability to identify valuable items.

Using this ability, Grant had turned into a predator. He roamed the streets of the Starter City, targeting players with high-quality gear and robbing them for profit.

So far, he had successfully ambushed four players, and stories of his exploits had begun to spread.

Earlier, while observing the city's players, Grant had noticed Damian.

Though he couldn't discern the exact item in Damian's inventory, he knew it was blue-tier gear.

Blue-tier!

Such a rare item among newbies could easily sell for over 100,000 credits.

The four items Grant had stolen before were all green-tier at best, and their combined value didn't even approach the worth of a single blue-tier piece.

Realizing the stakes, Grant's greed boiled over.

And when he saw that Damian was only a Level 3 assassin, his decision was immediate.

Everyone knew assassins were strongest in stealth.

But here, Damian was right out in the open.

With a three-level difference, there was no way Grant could lose.

"Run all you want," Grant thought, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Once I've marked my prey, there's no escape."

Drawing the longsword from his back, Grant stomped the ground hard. A burst of wind swirled around him as his body launched forward.

Warrior skill: Charge!

...

Damian felt the gust of wind behind him before he heard the sound of rapid footsteps. Turning his head, he saw the muscular warrior closing the distance fast, sword in hand.

Sweat instantly broke out on Damian's forehead.

What the hell was going on?!

Heart racing, Damian pushed Swiftstep to its limit, his feet flying as he tried to escape.

The quiet street erupted into a tense chase—he ran, and Grant pursued.