100% Assassination If I Do It Openly

Equipping the cursed necklace, Damian checked his updated stats after leveling up twice.

Name: DamianLevel: 5 (5/600)Class: AssassinTalent: [Absolute Execution] (SSS-tier)Title: [Nightmare of the Demon Lambs] (Green)

Attributes:

Health: 264 → 1050 (Equipment +220, Equipment Effect +100%, Title +10%)

Mana: 90 → 100

Physical Attack: 140 → 80 (Equipment Effect -50%)

Magical Attack: 0 → 0 (Equipment Effect -50%)

Physical Defense: 55 → 70 (Equipment +5)Magical Defense: 55 → 70 (Equipment +5)

Skills:

Stealth (Lv1) Swiftstep (Lv1) Blade Dance (Lv1) Healing Self (Lv1)

Skill Points: 1

Equipment:

Weapon: Dagger (White-tier) Armor: Leather Armor (White-tier) Accessory: Cursed Necklace of the Black Demon Ram (Blue-tier)

Looking at his stats, Damian couldn't help but shake his head in amazement.

"Over 1000 health at Level 5, with 70 defense points for both physical and magical damage. That's absurd."

Even if he stood still, it would take a pack of Grey Shadow Hounds considerable effort to seriously injure him.

But then he paused, scratching his head.

"Wait a second… Aren't I supposed to be an assassin?"

Damian sighed. Ever since he'd obtained the talent Absolute Execution, his mindset had been shifting in a strange direction. So much for his dream of being a shadowy, sneaky assassin.

Still, the necklace's boost made him wonder just how strong he could become with a full set of blue-tier or even purple-tier Master-level gear.

Pushing those thoughts aside, his eyes landed on the "Skill Points: 1" notification on his character panel.

"Every five levels, you get a skill point. Spending one upgrades a skill from Level 1 to Level 2, enhancing its effects," Damian muttered.

He rubbed his chin, thinking carefully.

"Skill upgrades aren't something to take lightly," he reminded himself. "Resetting skill points requires a rare item you can only obtain during class advancements."

After weighing his options, Damian made his choice. He invested the point into Swiftstep.

"Blade Dance is already strong enough at Level 1 for now, and I haven't even touched Stealth since starting the game," he reasoned. "Healing Self only speeds up health regeneration outside of combat, so upgrading it wouldn't make much of a difference either."

With the upgrade complete, he reviewed the changes to Swiftstep:

Skill: Swiftstep (Lv2)

Out-of-combat movement speed increased by 50% (up from 30%).Combat agility bonus increased by 20% (up from 10%), improving both dodging and attack speed.

Taking a few experimental steps, Damian immediately felt the difference. His movements were significantly lighter, almost effortless.

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

...

Glancing at a Grey Shadow Hound prowling in the distance, Damian smirked.

"With these upgrades, hunting regular hounds feels like a waste of time. Maybe it's time to go after their boss."

Like the Black Demon Ram was to the Demon Lambs, the Alpha Hound was the elite monster of the Grey Shadow Hound pack.

Unlike the Black Demon Ram, though, the Alpha Hound wasn't hidden behind specific conditions. It resided in the deepest part of the Grey Ruins, guarded by dense packs of Grey Shadow Hounds.

The challenge wasn't finding it—it was surviving the journey there.

But Damian wasn't deterred. His upgraded Swiftstep made navigating the ruins much faster. Determined to make the most of his time, he avoided fights wherever possible, weaving through the ruins with ease.

...

Arriving at the heart of the ruins, Damian finally stopped as a notification appeared in front of him:

"Welcome to the Central Depths of the Grey Ruins."

This marked the Alpha Hound's territory.

"Alright, let's see what this big guy's got," Damian muttered, gripping his dagger.

As if responding to his words, a massive, blood-red hound staggered into view. The Alpha Hound was five meters long, its muscular frame covered in crimson runes that glowed faintly.

Monster: Alpha Hound (Level 8)

Health: 4000

Mana: 100

Physical Attack: 250

Magical Attack: 0

Physical Defense: 50

Magical Defense: 50

"Wait, what?!" Damian froze.

The Alpha Hound's health bar was already below a third. It was heavily wounded, its movements unsteady.

Clearly, another group of players had been fighting it and triggered its retreat.

In Divine Genesis, it was considered a serious breach of etiquette to attack a monster already engaged by another party. Damian intended to step aside and let the Alpha Hound pass.

But the beast had other plans.

With a furious roar, the Alpha Hound charged straight at him, its glowing eyes filled with rage.

"...What the hell?!" Damian cursed under his breath.

Muttering "self-defense" like a mantra, he sighed, raised his dagger, and declared, "My name is Damian."

The Alpha Hound met its end in a single, swift strike.

...

"Amelia, hurry up!"

A tall, handsome young man rushed toward the ruins' depths, a weary-looking girl struggling to keep up behind him.

"How are you still so slow, even with your body enhanced in the game?" he asked, exasperated.

The girl rolled her eyes. "You're Level 10, and I'm a Level 3 healer. How am I supposed to keep up with you?!"

"Fine, fine," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Anyway, I already knocked the Alpha Hound down to half health, so it won't have gone far. I forgot it triggers a retreat at low health."

"Once I get it to a sliver of health, you can finish it off with your staff. Killing it will give you a title—trust me, it'll be worth it."

"Got it, big brother!" Amelia quickened her pace, eager to earn the reward.

But then, she collided with her brother's back as he suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" she asked, peeking around him.

The sight before them left both siblings dumbfounded.

A wounded Alpha Hound lunged at a seemingly defenseless young man. With an air of calmness, the boy raised his dagger and struck once.

The massive beast, towering like a mountain, collapsed in an instant.

Frozen in place, the siblings stared at the scene in complete disbelief.

Who were they?

Where were they?

What were they even doing?