Chapter 4: A Night To Kill
The lead Thief stared into the darkness with a blank expression. He hadn’t expected the seemingly helpless noble to keep his composure and bolt toward the grove with such decisive speed.
The Pineflow River’s sandy banks stretched wide and open, but Xander knew the sparse woodland offered his best chance to turn the hunt around. Open ground favored pursuers; the trees and shadows favored him.
"Was that a fluke?" the Thief muttered, unconcerned. He waved to the arriving gang members and gave chase without haste.
He refused to believe they could fail against a noble lacking any combat class. The grove wasn’t dense enough for a real escape.
As Xander slipped deeper into the trees, he moved toward a tall pine with thick foliage, using the night’s cover.
’They’re not even trying to stay quiet. Overconfident fools.’
He pressed his back against the trunk, listening to the approaching footsteps of the dagger-wielding Thief. A cold sneer formed inwardly. The advantage was still his.
The sudden appearance of the Bleakhollow Gang members had shocked him, but Xander never lost his calm. As a former Ruler of the Dusk, his battle-hardened instincts ran deep. These street thugs barely qualified as adventurers. Though the lead Thief held a level advantage, experience often outweighed raw stats — especially in tricky terrain.
After acquiring the Ranger class, Xander had kept the Sika Deer Badge concealed. The gang had no idea he now possessed an adventurer class. That surprise was his greatest edge.
’Want to kill me? Prepare to die instead.’
He drew the curved dagger silently from his belt, a flicker of killing intent rising. If they sought his life, he would claim theirs without mercy.
His blood stirred with familiar excitement. It had been a long time since he felt this focused — the last time was probably during his Godhood quest, evading ten half-gods in relentless pursuit.
---
The grove was small, limiting his maneuvering room. Xander needed to eliminate the Thief first before the others closed in. He suspected this man was the only proper Thief in the group and thus the biggest threat. High Wisdom and Perception made Thieves excellent at spotting hidden targets.
Killing him would leave the rest vulnerable.
Xander pressed closer to the pine, becoming one with the shadows.
[Hide activated!]
The Ranger skill proved potent. Blending with the tree’s texture and the night, his form nearly vanished. The Thief approached carelessly. Xander gripped the curved dagger tighter and held his breath.
His 41 Hide points plus 9 from the Sika Deer Badge triggered the additional effect [Night Blessing]: +5% Hide potency during nighttime. Small percentages like this often decided life-or-death moments.
As a veteran player-killer, Xander knew every class intimately. He had pushed Hide precisely for this edge.
The Thief’s Perception proved even weaker than expected — likely gained through years of street work rather than talent.
Just as the man passed his position, a shout echoed from the grove’s edge.
"Jack! Where the hell are you? And where’s that noble brat?"
Jack turned impatiently. "I’m right here! The young lord is close — he can’t escape!"
Xander waited for the last word, then ghosted forward like a shadow. His left hand clamped over Jack’s mouth while the right drew the curved dagger in a clean arc across the throat.
Blood sprayed. The Thief thrashed wildly.
Xander held firm, face emotionless, until the struggles weakened.
[Basic Attack Successful!]
[Critical Hit! Basic Attack upgraded to Critical Attack]
[Target eliminated! 18 Battle Exp received]
The Thief’s body went limp. Xander shook his head slightly. "Still too slow."
His current body and class limited power output. He had manually executed the Phantom Assassin signature combo — Shadow Steps into Cutthroat. Without skill bonuses, damage was lower, but the critical strike finished the level 3 foe. Low-rank classes had no critical resistance.
He quickly looted the body: a small purse with only 5 silvers and some basic trap components. Useful enough.
Xander dragged the corpse into deeper underbrush and found another tree to hide behind. A thick black cloud drifted across the moon, deepening the darkness. Tonight would run red.
---
Four remaining gang members burst into the grove with torches, turning the sparse woodland bright. Torchlight would weaken Hide significantly. Worse, they would soon discover the poorly concealed body.
"Damn that Jack," one growled. "Letting the noble reach the trees. Now he’s gone quiet on us."
"Maybe the kid’s fast and he’s still chasing."
"We don’t have time to waste. Boss’s orders are clear — the noble from Redoak Vale must die tonight!"
Xander stayed low, listening to their footsteps. Without advanced hearing skills, his Perception was average, but the thugs made no effort to move quietly. He identified four: two tall men, one heavyset, and one with a lighter step.
They argued while advancing. Xander’s lips curved when they made the predictable decision — splitting up. Overconfidence in handling a "helpless" noble.
One searched nearby while the others headed in separate directions. Xander used every shadow and blind spot, drawing on years of experience evading superior foes in caves and jungles. These amateurs left plenty of openings.
The nearest searcher lingered in the area. Opportunity came in under thirty seconds.
Shadow Steps. Cutthroat.
[Basic Attack Successful!]
[Critical Hit! Basic Attack upgraded to Critical Attack]
[Target eliminated! 11 Battle Exp received]
A level 1 Thug — common street muscle strong in alleys but weak in the wild. His purse held 12 silvers. Better.
The scent of blood began to spread. Xander repeated the pattern twice more, claiming another 26 silvers and 30 Battle Exp total.
The final kill proved trickier — the man’s height prevented a perfect mouth clamp. A short shriek escaped before the Cutthroat ended him.
The last gangster came running, torch in hand.
No time to hide.
"We underestimated you," the tall man said, staring at the corpse at Xander’s feet. Shock flickered across his face, quickly replaced by a sinister grin. Torchlight gleamed on his machete. "But tonight, you still die."
Xander calmly triggered Inspect.
[Inspect (35) cast...]
[Wisdom Check...]
[Inspect Failed! Unable to gain additional information.]
Failure meant the man was at least a level 3 adventurer.
The tall brute licked his lips and charged, machete raised high, ready to hack Xander apart.
