MMORPG: REBORN MARK ADVENTURE IN ONLINE GAME

A Costly Mistake – The Weight of Failure

Alex burst into the auction house, barely stopping himself from crashing into a passing player. He shoved his way through the crowd, his pulse hammering in his ears. His entire body was drenched in sweat, a mix of exhaustion and sheer panic.

Liam had given him fifteen minutes to sell the Rare Skill Book and bring back the gold. That was his one chance. If he failed—

No.

He shook his head furiously. Failure wasn't an option.

With shaky hands, he pulled up the auction interface and quickly navigated to the listing screen.

[List Item for Sale]

The Rare Skill Book gleamed in his inventory. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus.

"Alright… just set the price, make a quick profit, and buy the furnace."

His fingers flew over the keyboard, his breath ragged.

Starting Bid: 5 Gold

Buyout Price: 7 Gold

He exhaled, his chest tightening as he reached for the Confirm button.

His hands were slick with sweat.

His fingers trembled.

A single misstep. A single tap—

Wait.

His stomach dropped the moment he pressed the button.

[Item Listed: Rare Skill Book]

Starting Bid: 1 Gold

Buyout Price: 2 Gold

…What?

Alex's heart stopped.

"No, no, no… this isn't right!"

His eyes darted back to the numbers. He was sure—SURE—he had set the buyout at 7 gold. But in his panic, his rushing, his shaking fingers…

He had made a mistake.

A fatal mistake.

He'd just thrown away one of the rarest skill books in the game for nothing.

His breathing turned shallow. A cold sweat ran down his back.

"Cancel! Cancel! Cancel!"

His fingers smashed the screen as he tried to undo it.

[Error: Auctioned items cannot be canceled once listed.]

His vision blurred. His stomach churned.

This can't be happening.

Then—

Ding!

A chilling sound.

A notification flashed across his screen.

[Your item has been purchased.]

His breath caught in his throat.

Someone had already bought it.

For 2 gold.

A Rare Skill Book that could have sold for 10, maybe even 20 gold—gone in an instant.

His legs trembled. His hands hung limply at his sides.

"No…" His voice was barely a whisper.

It felt like the world was crashing down on him.

He had nothing now.

No way to buy the Silver Alchemy Furnace.

No way to fix his mistake.

No way to explain this to Sophie.

Sophie.

A shiver ran down his spine.

How was he supposed to face her?

She was already furious about the furnace. Now, he had lost the skill book for practically nothing.

He could already hear her mocking laugh, already feel her cold disdain.

His body felt heavy. It was getting hard to breathe.

The auction house suddenly felt too small, the voices of players chattering around him like a distant hum. His ears were ringing. His throat was dry.

His knees nearly gave out.

He had failed.

And now, he had to walk back to Liam.

To Sophie.

To his humiliation.

The auction house was a storm of noise—players shouting bids, arguing over prices, and scrambling to grab whatever they could before the market shifted. The death of Garrett was stirring up the underworld, but no one had realized it yet.

Raven, however, had no intention of wasting this golden opportunity.

He leaned against a pillar, casually scrolling through the auction listings, watching the chaos unfold. Prices were fluctuating wildly, healing herbs were absurdly cheap, and guilds were moving in packs, desperate to secure anything valuable before the economy settled.

Then—

Something strange appeared.

[Rare Skill Book – ???]

Starting Bid: 1 Gold

Buyout Price: 2 Gold

Raven's eyes narrowed.

…2 gold?

A Rare Skill Book listed for only 2 gold? That was beyond suspicious. No one—absolutely no one—would willingly sell a skill book at that price unless they were a newbie who didn't understand its value or they had made a mistake.

His smirk widened.

Someone screwed up.

His finger moved without hesitation.

[Confirm Purchase]

Ding!

[You have purchased: Rare Skill Book – Phantom Strike]

Raven's breath slowed as he quickly opened his inventory, his fingers swiping across the screen to check the skill's details.

[Phantom Strike]

Type: Movement & Attack Skill

Effect: Instantly phase forward a short distance, striking an enemy while avoiding counterattacks.

Cooldown: 8 seconds.

Minimum Requirements: agility 10

His heart skipped a beat.

This skill…

He remembered it clearly from his previous life. It was a prized treasure among high-level melee players, a skill that let assassins, warriors, and even rangers unleash devastating attacks while dodging counterattacks.

Back then, even in stable market conditions, Phantom Strike had sold for at least 20 gold. And now?

With the town on the verge of chaos, its value would only skyrocket.

He exhaled, his lips curling into a smirk.

A mistake for them… a fortune for me.

He could sell it for a massive profit. But the more he thought about it, the more his grip tightened around the book.

No.

This was a skill worth keeping.

Raven had no plans of playing passively in this life. If he wanted to be stronger—truly untouchable—he needed every advantage possible.

His fingers clenched around the skill book as he made his decision.

He was keeping it.

But there was one last thing to take care of.

His bid on the Silver Alchemy Furnace.

Earlier, he had placed a bid of 4 gold, hoping to secure the valuable crafting item. But now?

Alchemy could wait.

With a quick motion, he canceled his bid on the furnace.

The system confirmed the cancellation, and his 4 gold coins were instantly refunded.

Now, he had a powerful skill in his hands and enough gold to maneuver through the chaos ahead.

Raven's smirk deepened.

Across the auction house, Alex stood frozen, eyes wide, face pale as death. He had just realized what he had done.

He had given away a 20-gold skill book for nothing.

Raven let out a low chuckle, shaking his head.

"A fool's mistake… but I won't complain."

Sliding the Phantom Strike skill book into his inventory, he turned on his heel and walked away.

The real game was only beginning.

A Step Toward Power

Raven didn't hesitate.

The moment Phantom Strike landed in his inventory, he tapped on it.

[Would you like to learn Phantom Strike?]

→ Yes | No

He pressed Yes without a second thought.

A surge of energy coursed through his body. It was brief but sharp—like a jolt running through his muscles, rewiring his instincts. His vision flickered for a split second, and then—

Ding!

[You have learned Phantom Strike!]

He clenched his fist, feeling the newfound power settle into him.

A skill like this wasn't just an attack. It was a lifeline. A tool that could let him evade, assassinate, or even turn the tide in a fight before his enemies even knew what hit them.

And best of all? No one else had it yet.

He moved to a quieter corner of the auction house and opened his skill menu.

[Phantom Strike – Level 1]

Effect: Instantly phase forward a short distance, striking an enemy while avoiding counterattacks.

Range: 2 meters

Damage Bonus: +10%

Cooldown: 8 seconds

Proficiency: 0/500

500 proficiency to level it up…

It wasn't going to be easy, but Raven wasn't worried. He'd get that experience soon enough.

He flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders.

"Let's see how this feels."

Glancing around, he made sure no one was watching before activating the skill.

Phantom Strike!

For a split second, his body flickered, as if reality itself struggled to hold onto him. Then—whoosh!

He phased forward, his movement so fluid and sudden that it felt like he had teleported. His body reappeared exactly two meters away, his hand instinctively lashing out as if striking an enemy.

He exhaled, a slow grin spreading across his face.

It was even better than he remembered.

This was his now.

No one could take it away.

Sliding his hands into his pockets, Raven walked toward the exit of the auction house. The world outside was still unaware of what was coming.

But soon?

Viles Town would be in flames.