100% Assassination If I Do It Openly

"The longsword sold for 11,000. Better than I expected."

Seeing the credits land in his account, Damian nodded with satisfaction.

He had already equipped Grant's white-tier leather armor. Though basic, it gave him an extra 20 health and 5 points of both physical and magical defense.

With everything settled, Damian made his way to the edge of the Grey Ruins.

Unlike the Demon Lamb Fields, this area bordering the Starter City was bustling with players.

Some were forming parties, while others set up stalls to sell items, creating a lively marketplace.

This activity was directly related to the unique mechanics of the Grey Shadow Hounds.

In addition to their individual aggression, these monsters operated as a group and had a special mechanic: group aggro.

Each time a player killed a Grey Shadow Hound, the group aggro value would increase, making other hounds more likely to attack. At a certain threshold, players could even trigger a full-on pack assault.

To hunt these hounds efficiently, most players formed teams. By taking turns killing the hounds, they could distribute the group aggro and defend themselves better if attacked.

However, Damian had no intention of joining a party.

Elena's guide had mentioned a little-known exploit that would allow him to bypass the group aggro entirely. He planned to put it to use.

Thanks to the loot he had gained earlier, Damian was now relatively well-off and decided to prepare before venturing into the ruins.

Scanning the stalls, he walked toward one selling skill books.

"I'll take a Blade Dance skill book," he said.

Blade Dance was a general skill that enhanced close combat capabilities.

With this skill, a player who could handle one-on-one combat could potentially take on three opponents at once—or more.

As such, it was expensive.

"Last one left. 8,000 credits," the vendor said, glancing at Damian with a calm expression.

"8,000?" Damian sized up the vendor and then smiled. "I'll take it for 4,000."

The vendor snorted. "Cutting the price in half? Get out of here. If you can't afford it, someone else will buy it."

"You're probably right," Damian replied with a chuckle. "But can you afford to wait?"

"What?"

"Skill books aren't like other items. Listing them on the trading platform takes 24 hours to see a return," Damian explained. "If you're selling it here, that means you're in a hurry."

The vendor's expression darkened slightly, a hint of caution flashing in his eyes. "Fine. 7,000. That's my lowest."

"I can do 5,000," Damian countered.

"Ugh… 6,000! Any less, and I'd rather let it sit here."

"Deal."

Smiling, Damian transferred 6,000 credits and pocketed the Blade Dance skill book. Before leaving, he picked up another book from the table.

"Buy one, get one free? I'll take this too."

"Hey, wait—" The vendor started to protest but stopped when he saw the book Damian had grabbed.

Healing Self. Well, whatever.

Damian left the stall with an even bigger smile.

Healing Self was a general skill that restored health outside of combat. Though weaker than a healer's spells, it occupied a valuable skill slot, making it less popular among most players.

But for a solo player like Damian, it was perfect for sustaining himself between fights.

The market value of Blade Dance was 7,000 credits, and Healing Self was worth 1,000. Damian had effectively gained 2,000 credits in value.

[Skills: 4/4]

Stealth (Lv1)

Swiftstep (Lv1)

Blade Dance (Lv1): Enhances close combat proficiency, allowing players to execute weapon techniques with instinctive precision.

Healing Self (Lv1): Restores 5% of health per minute while out of combat.

Satisfied with his new abilities, Damian muttered, "With Swiftstep and Blade Dance, my close combat ability is solid. And with Healing Self, I've got decent sustainability."

It was time to test Elena's guide.

Damian strolled over to a weapons stall.

"I'll take 100 starter daggers for assassins," he said.

...

The Grey Ruins loomed ahead, an eerie, desolate area filled with decayed structures and scattered rubble.

Damian entered without hesitation, quickly spotting a lone Grey Shadow Hound.

These creatures were nearly two meters long, their short gray fur marked with crimson runes. The extent of the runes indicated their level; this particular hound was Level 4.

As Damian stepped into its detection range, the hound growled, its blood-red eyes locking onto him.

A second later, it lunged like a bolt of gray lightning, aiming straight for his head.

This was no Demon Lamb.

Damian raised his dagger. "My name is Damian."

Swiftstep activated.

Blade Dance followed immediately.

With a graceful sidestep, Damian dodged the hound's attack and twisted his body to counter, driving his dagger into its side.

"And I'm here to kill you."

The dagger pierced the hound's hide with a sickening sound.

A flash of red numbers appeared above its head. Its ferocious growl turned into a whimper as it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

You have defeated the vicious Grey Shadow Hound (Lv4). Experience +15. No special drops this time.

Damian immediately threw his dagger as far as he could.

A faint gray mist lingered briefly above the fallen weapon before dissipating into the air.

Seeing this, Damian smiled.

The trick worked.

According to Elena's guide, there was a brief window after killing a Grey Shadow Hound before the group aggro value increased. If the weapon used for the kill was discarded during this period, the system would interpret the hound's death as a mutual takedown.

The only downside was that the discarded weapon couldn't be used again—if it was, the group aggro would reapply.

That was why Damian had purchased 100 identical daggers.

At just 15 credits each, they were a bargain.

Pulling a fresh dagger from his stash, Damian approached his next target.

The hunt was on.

...

You have defeated the vicious Grey Shadow Hound (Lv3). Experience +10.

No special drops this time.

You have defeated the vicious Grey Shadow Hound (Lv5). Experience +20.

Item dropped: Grey Fang.

Level up! You are now Level 4!

Level up! You are now Level 5!

...

With a practiced motion, Damian swapped out his used dagger for a new one, grinning as he examined his stats.

"Level 5 at last."

Finally, he could equip the Cursed Necklace of the Black Demon Ram.