NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 21: chapter 21 opening and stats
Raven exhaled, his fingers tracing the smooth surface of the Trickster's Mask.
Everything had changed in an instant.
Level 3. A Rare Chest. An item that could let him slip past the system's watchful eye.
This wasn't luck. This wasn't a reward.
This was a test.
The Watcher had given him the tools—but now, it was up to him to use them.
He glanced at his status.
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[Raven]
Level: 3
EXP: 0 / 50,000
Stats Available: 6
Abilities: [Stealth (Lv. 3)], [Backstab (Lv. 3)], [Poison Dart (Lv. 12]
Equipment: Shadow's Edge, Trickster's Mask
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His level had jumped, but the gap had also widened. 50,000 EXP to reach Level 4.
The grind only got harder from here.
He had to be careful. If other players found out about his level, they'd swarm him. If the gods took notice, they might try to interfere.
He needed to move fast.
His first priority? The Rare Chest.
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Opening the Rare Chest
Stepping away from the ruins, Raven found a secluded spot beneath a crumbling archway. The area was still empty—most players were probably stuck grinding low-level mobs near the starter zones.
He summoned the chest from his inventory.
A sleek, dark-blue box materialized before him, faintly pulsing with a silver glow. Rare Chests weren't something new players had access to—most wouldn't even see one until they reached Level 10.
Which meant the loot inside…
He opened it.
A golden light flared for a moment before the system notifications appeared.
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[Rare Chest Opened]
[Basic Alchemy Potion design (Uncommon) – Restores 50 HP over 10 seconds. Can be used in combat.
1x [Skill Scroll] (Unidentified)
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Raven stared at the potion for a moment before clicking his tongue.
It wasn't much.
Basic Alchemy Potions were rare this early in the game, but they were still low-tier healing items. A useful tool, but something that would change his fate. as player are not lvl 3 he had plenty time to make profit from it because this potion can be useful in dungeon so many guilds Will pay lot to obtain this small item.
His real focus was the Skill Scroll.
He selected it.
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[Unidentified Skill Scroll]
Would you like to reveal the skill?
[YES] [NO]
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Without hesitation, he tapped [YES].
The scroll burned with golden light before dissolving.
A new skill appeared in his status.
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[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED!]
Shadow Cloak (Lv. 1) – For 10 seconds, you become one with the darkness, erasing your presence from detection-based abilities. Cannot be used in direct combat. Cooldown: 60 seconds.
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Raven's grip tightened slightly.
This was… good. Really good.
Most Stealth-based players relied purely on their class skills to avoid detection, but Shadow Cloak was a hard counter to anything that could reveal hidden targets.
If someone tried to expose him—he could vanish completely.
His power had just taken a small but crucial step forward.
But it wasn't enough.
Level 3 wasn't enough.
His next move was clear.
Raven's Updated Status & Skills
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[Raven]
Level: 3
EXP: 0 / 50,000
Stats Available: 6
Abilities:
Stealth (Lv. 3) – (0/600 EXP)
Backstab (Lv. 3) – (0/600 EXP)
Poison Dart (Lv. 2) – (0/300 EXP)
Shadow Cloak (Lv. 1) – (0/100 EXP)
Equipment:
Weapon: Shadow's Edge (Starter Dagger)
Relic: Trickster's Mask
Design: basic alchemy design
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Updated Skill Details
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[Stealth (Lv. 3)]
Type: Active
Effect: Allows the user to blend into shadows, making them undetectable to normal vision. Movement in Stealth mode is 30% faster than base speed.
Duration: 15 seconds
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Detection Resistance: Moderate (Can avoid low-tier detection abilities but high-level players and NPCs may still sense movement.)
Upgrade Progress: (0/600 EXP)
Lv. 1 → Lv. 3 Improvements:
Duration increased from 10s → 15s
Cooldown reduced from 30s → 20s
Movement speed bonus increased from 10% → 30%
Detection resistance improved
Stealth is Raven's core survival skill. At Level 3, it's already above what most players have at this stage, giving him better mobility and a longer window to act before being revealed.
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[Backstab (Lv. 3)]
Type: Attack Skill
Effect: A precise strike to an enemy's weak point from behind. Deals 250% weapon damage when attacking from Stealth.
Bonus Effect: If the target is unaware, the attack has a 50% chance to cause Bleed (deals minor damage over time for 5 seconds).
Upgrade Progress: (0/600 EXP)
Lv. 1 → Lv. 3 Improvements:
Damage increased from 200% → 250%
Bleed chance increased from 30% → 50%
Attack speed improved slightly
Backstab is Raven's main burst damage ability. At Level 3, it's strong enough to instantly kill lower-level enemies if he strikes from Stealth. The Bleed effect adds extra damage, making it even deadlier in drawn-out fights.
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[Poison Dart (Lv. 2)]
Type: Ranged Attack
Effect: Fires a poisoned dart at an enemy, dealing minor initial damage and applying Poison (Lv. 2) for 10 seconds.
Poison Effect: Deals 3% of target's HP as damage per second.
Range: 15 meters
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Upgrade Progress: (0/300 EXP)
Lv. 1 → Lv. 2 Improvements:
Poison damage increased from 2% → 3% HP per second
Range increased from 10m → 15m
Cooldown reduced from 15s → 10s
Poison Dart is Raven's only ranged attack, giving him an option to weaken enemies before engaging. Since Poison damage scales off HP, it's extremely effective against high-health targets.
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[Shadow Cloak (Lv. 1)]
Type: Special Stealth
Effect: For 10 seconds, Raven becomes one with the darkness, erasing his presence from all detection-based abilities. Cannot be used in direct combat.
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Upgrade Progress: (0/100 EXP)
Shadow Cloak is a game-changer in stealth-based combat. While normal Stealth can be countered, this ability completely removes him from detection. It's best used when escaping or avoiding high-tier enemies that could see through basic Stealth.
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Overall Assessment
At Level 3, Raven's build is shaping into a strong assassin playstyle:
High burst damage (Backstab Lv. 3)
Enhanced mobility and stealth (Stealth Lv. 3, Shadow Cloak Lv. 1)
Poison-based damage-over-time (Poison Dart Lv. 2)
With Shadow Cloak and Trickster's Mask, he has an edge over most players by avoiding system tracking.