MMORPG: REBORN MARK ADVENTURE IN ONLINE GAME

Mark's Rebirth – The Shadows of Viles Town

Raven's vision blurred as the teleportation completed. A moment later, his feet hit solid ground, and the world around him stabilized.

He stood in the heart of Viles Town, a district nestled deep within Blue Whale City. The air was thick with the stench of damp wood, smoke, and something rotten—likely a mix of spoiled ale and unwashed bodies. The cobbled streets were cracked, uneven, and littered with scraps of parchment and dried bloodstains.

The buildings leaned dangerously, as if they might collapse at any moment. Most of them were taverns, black-market shops, or hideouts for mercenaries and cutthroats. Dim lanterns flickered weakly, casting long, jagged shadows that seemed to whisper secrets of past crimes.

This was no place for the weak.

A system notification flashed before him.

[Welcome to Viles Town – A lawless district where only the cunning survive.]

[Main Questline Begins: Survive and Rise]

[New Player Protection: 72 Hours Remaining]

Raven's eyes flickered with amusement.

Three days. That's how long the system would prevent hostile NPCs from outright attacking him. But protection didn't mean immunity. If he provoked the wrong people, no system would save him.

A loud thud pulled him from his thoughts.

A burly NPC stepped forward, blocking his path. His face was scarred, his nose slightly crooked, and a malicious grin curled his lips.

Above his head, a nameplate glowed faintly.

[Thug Leader – Garrett (LVL 3)]

Behind him, several other thugs lingered in the shadows, watching. Their ragged leather armor and dull iron weapons marked them as low-level enforcers, but that didn't mean they were harmless.

Garrett cracked his knuckles. "Well, well… Fresh meat just dropped in." His eyes glinted as he sized Raven up. "Haven't seen you around before. What's your name, newbie?"

Raven didn't answer. Instead, his gaze flicked to the edges of the street, noting the possible escape routes.

This was the classic "Welcome Tax" scam—new players often got shaken down for their starting gold. A typical trap, but one Raven knew well.

His fingers instinctively brushed the hilts of his daggers. He had two choices:

1. Pay up and avoid conflict—for now.

2. Show them why choosing him as a target was a mistake.

Raven smirked.

These idiots had no idea who they were messing with.

Mark's Rebirth – The Test Begins

Raven stood still, his crimson eyes scanning the thugs surrounding him. The grimy streets of Viles Town were eerily silent, save for the occasional clink of metal and the low murmurs of onlookers.

A few steps away, other new players lingered near the entrance of the town, their expressions a mix of relief and curiosity. They had already paid their "Welcome Tax", securing their passage. Now, they were waiting to see what Raven would do.

Would he pay up, like they did?

Or would he resist, and suffer the consequences?

The lead thug, Garrett (LVL 3), crossed his arms, grinning. "I'll be nice—five silver, and you can go. Otherwise…" He gestured around, his cronies shifting, readying their weapons.

A trap.

But Raven wasn't some clueless new player.

Ignoring Garrett, he opened his status window with a flick of his fingers. A faint blue screen materialized in front of him.

---

[Status Window]

Name: Raven

Class: Assassin (Base Class)

Level: 1

Health: 100/100

Mana: 50/50

Stamina: 120/120

Primary Stats:

Strength: 5

Agility: 10

Dexterity: 9

Intelligence: 5

Endurance: 6

Luck: 4

---

[Skills]

[Stealth] (Level 1) – Proficiency: 0/100

Effect: Temporarily reduces visibility when crouched.

Current Duration: 5 seconds.

Noise Reduction: 10%.

Detection Chance: Medium (Easily spotted by experienced players and alert NPCs).

Upgrade Requirement: Increase proficiency through use, performing silent eliminations, or acquiring a Stealth Skill Manual.

[Backstab] (Level 1) – Proficiency: 0/100

Effect: Deals 150% bonus damage when attacking from behind.

Critical Hit Chance: +5% when attacking unaware enemies.

Silence Effect: No noise when attacking unaware NPCs or monsters below Level 5.

Upgrade Requirement: Land successful backstabs or acquire a Backstab Mastery Scroll.

[Dagger Mastery] (Level 1)

Effect: Increases dagger attack speed and precision.

Bonus Effect: +1% damage to all dagger-type attacks.

Upgrade Requirement: Requires Dagger Mastery Book to advance.

[Mastery] – ??? (Locked)

Effect: Unknown.

Unlock Requirement: Special conditions must be met.

---

[Equipment]

Starter Daggers (Basic, +1 Agility)

Light Leather Armor (Basic, +1 Dexterity)

---

Raven smirked. His stats were weak, but that was expected for a Level 1. What mattered was how he used them.

His Agility and Dexterity were higher than average, which meant one thing—these thugs wouldn't even see him coming.

The onlookers whispered amongst themselves.

"He's checking his stats?"

"Guess he's debating if he can win."

"He should just pay. We did."

Garrett's grin widened. "I don't have all day, kid." He took a step forward.

Raven closed his status window and slowly lifted his gaze.

His fingers tightened around the hilts of his daggers.

Time to make an example out of them.

The moment Raven closed his status window, he took a slow, measured breath. The thugs tightened their circle, their confidence unshaken. To them, he was just another fresh player—trapped, outnumbered, and with nowhere to run.

Garrett cracked his knuckles. "Last chance, newbie. Pay up or—"

Too late.

Raven moved first.

Raven stood in the center of the encirclement, his mind racing. His crimson eyes flickered between the five thugs blocking his escape. They were bigger, stronger, and outnumbered him. Fighting them head-on? Suicide.

But that didn't mean he was helpless.

He exhaled slowly, his hands lowering slightly—not to surrender, but to prepare.

Garrett, the Level 3 thug leader, misread the motion as hesitation. He smirked, taking a step forward.

"Finally getting smart? Just pay up, and maybe we won't rough you up too bad."

His voice was cocky, confident. He had done this routine dozens of times before. Newbies always panicked, hesitated, begged, or worse—tried to fight and got humiliated.

But Raven wasn't a normal newbie.

Instead of responding, Raven suddenly dropped into a crouch.

The Split-Second Miscalculation

The reaction was instant. The thugs instinctively tensed, expecting an attack. Their muscles twitched, their grips on their weapons tightened—

That was their mistake.

They were ready to react to an attack, not a trick.

And tricks were what Raven excelled at.

The Execution

His fingers scraped against the rough cobblestone, scooping up a handful of loose dirt, dust, and small gravel. The alley was filled with debris—the perfect weapon for an opening move.

Without hesitation, he flicked his wrist upward.

The cloud of dirt and gravel shot toward Garrett's face like a miniature sandstorm.

"Argh! What the—?!"

The thug leader's voice cut off in a strangled yell as his head snapped back. The gritty debris invaded his eyes, grinding against his skin, causing a sharp, burning pain.

He stumbled backward, his hands instinctively flying to his face, trying to rub the dirt out of his stinging eyes. For the first time, his dominance wavered.

The Moment of Hesitation

The surrounding thugs froze, their eyes widening. They had expected a brawl, not a dirty trick.

For half a second, they didn't react.

That half-second was all Raven needed.

Even the watching players murmured in surprise.

"Wait, can we do that?"

"Is dirt even a usable weapon?"

"Damn, that's actually smart."

A few even chuckled.

One of the thugs recovered first, taking half a step forward. His mouth opened, about to shout—

But Raven was already moving.

He pushed off the ground, his muscles coiled like a spring.

A burst of speed.

His boots barely made a sound as he exploded into a sprint toward the nearest alleyway.

The Aftermath

Garrett was still cursing, rubbing his eyes, staggering slightly.

The other thugs finally snapped out of their confusion.

"Shit! He's running!"

"Get him!"

But they were too slow.

Raven's distraction had done its job. He had five seconds before they fully recovered.

And five seconds was all he needed.