100% Assassination If I Do It Openly

Congratulations! You have successfully defeated the ferocious Alpha Hound (Level 8). Experience +80.

Item dropped: Alpha Hound Dagger.

Achievement unlocked: [Hound Slayer].

*[Hound Slayer] (Green-tier Title): Increases physical and magical attack by 5%. Boosts physical and magical defense against canine-type beasts by 10%.

Damian took a deep breath as the notifications popped up in front of him.

The [Hound Slayer] title was useful, but compared to [Nightmare of the Demon Lambs], it wasn't as versatile. He could see himself equipping it in specific situations against canine-type monsters for the defense boost, but for general use, his current title was better.

Next, his attention shifted to the dagger he had looted:

Alpha Hound Dagger

Description: Forged from the Alpha Hound's sharpest fang, this dagger can easily slice through flesh and bone.

Level: 5

Quality: Superior (Green-tier)

Durability: 100

Attributes: +40 Attack

"Not bad, but not great either," Damian muttered.

It was a decent weapon, but being Green-tier meant it lacked any special effects or abilities. A Blue-tier dagger would've provided a significant power boost, but this was what he got.

Unfortunately, he wasn't sure how long he'd even get to keep it.

His gaze turned to the pair approaching him from the direction of the Alpha Hound's spawn point. A young man and woman, clearly the ones who had been fighting the Alpha Hound earlier.

It was easy to guess what had happened: they had been chasing the Alpha Hound when it triggered its retreat mechanic, only for it to run straight into Damian and force an attack. Damian had no choice but to defend himself.

Taking in the situation, Damian shrugged and spoke first. "You saw what happened. It was self-defense."

"Yes, I saw it," the young man replied with a nod.

Damian glanced at the man's longsword and the Level 10 marker floating above his head. His composure faltered for a moment.

Damn, a Level 10 warrior?

That was the maximum level for the Starter Zone. If this guy leveled up once more, he'd be forced to leave the zone.

Damian didn't want to make enemies with someone that powerful, not if he could avoid it.

"So, what now?" Damian sighed. "I can't give you back the experience, but the dagger dropped. If you want it..."

"No, no, we're not here to take it from you," the young man interrupted quickly. "You killed it, so the loot is yours. The dagger's meant for assassins anyway."

Damian blinked in surprise.

The dagger could easily fetch 10,000 credits on the market. He wouldn't have been surprised if they had at least asked for a share of the profit. This guy was just… letting it go?

"Well, uh… thanks, I guess?"

"Actually," the young man said with a smile, "would you be interested in teaming up?"

"Teaming up?" Damian frowned.

With his gear and level, the young man shouldn't need to team up with anyone to hunt monsters like the Alpha Hound.

"It's not about the Alpha Hound," the man explained, clearly sensing Damian's confusion. "I'm talking about the Black Rock Serpent, one of the three bosses in the Starter Zone."

"My name is Lucas, and this is my cousin, Amelia," he continued. "I've been in the game for months, and I've stayed at Level 10 to help her out."

Lucas gave Damian a thumbs-up. "I saw you take down the Alpha Hound. You're strong. With your skills, the three of us could definitely take down the Black Rock Serpent."

Damian's eyes narrowed in thought.

The Black Rock Serpent was no ordinary elite monster like the Black Demon Ram or the Alpha Hound. It was a full-fledged boss with tens of thousands of health and several powerful abilities.

Taking down a boss in the Starter Zone usually required a party of at least ten players, all Level 5 or higher, working together in perfect coordination.

Theoretically, Damian could kill it in one strike with his talent, but there was no guarantee he'd get the chance to attack before the serpent wiped him out.

For a first attempt, it might be safer to team up.

"I'll need to see your strength first," Damian said seriously.

"Not a problem!" Lucas replied confidently, pointing at his gear. "This armor and ring? Both Blue-tier."

Before Damian could react, Lucas raised his longsword with a grin.

"This? Purple-tier. Master-grade."

Damian's jaw dropped.

A single piece of Blue-tier equipment was a massive advantage for a beginner. Lucas had two. And that purple-tier weapon? That was worth hundreds of thousands of credits.

"Alright, fair enough," Damian muttered, thoroughly convinced.

"Wait, there's more," Amelia interjected, pulling out a staff, a robe, and a bracelet from her inventory.

"All Blue-tier," she said nonchalantly.

Damian stared at the siblings, speechless.

What kind of rich family are you two from?!

Blue-tier items were worth tens of thousands of credits each, and Lucas's sword could easily fetch a million. Damian suddenly felt very under-equipped.

"Alright," he said with a resigned sigh. "When and how are we doing this?"

"Tomorrow morning at 10," Lucas said after checking the time. "It's the weekend, so we'll have time."

"Sounds good."

"As for loot and experience distribution..." Lucas paused, then looked Damian in the eye. "To be honest, I've already fought all three Starter Zone bosses. I'm only doing this to help my cousin."

"Boss experience is huge, and I'd like her to get 70% of it. You can take 30%."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "And you?"

"I'm not taking any," Lucas replied. "I'm at the edge of leveling up. If I gain any experience, I'll leave the Starter Zone and won't be able to help her anymore."

"Fair enough," Damian agreed.

Even 30% of the boss's experience—usually in the thousands—would net him a few hundred. For a first attempt, that was plenty.

"As for the loot..." Lucas continued, "we're all different classes, so distribution shouldn't be an issue. Anything dropped that no one can use will be sold and split evenly. If someone wants an item, they can buy it from the pool and deduct their share."

The terms were fair, and Damian nodded in agreement.

With everything settled, the siblings said their goodbyes, planning to spend the rest of the day leveling Amelia to 5 so she could equip her Blue-tier gear.

As they left, Damian began sorting through his own spoils.

The Alpha Hound Dagger was staying in his inventory for now. As for the materials dropped by the Grey Shadow Hounds—Grey Fangs and Alpha Hound Fur—they fetched a higher price than Demon Lamb Horns.

After selling them, his balance had surpassed 6,000 credits.

Logging out, Damian smiled.

It was about time to pick up Elena from school.