Soren Von Virel's estate loomed on the far edge of Darnwich City, nestled between old merchant roads and the border of the wildwood. Tall, iron-barred walls surrounded the manor, its stone towers gleaming under moonlight like jagged fangs.
Zayne crouched on the roof of a nearby granary, cloak wrapped tight, hood drawn low. The assassin class came with no official training, no guild tutor, no mentor but somehow… his instincts guided him. His heart beat slower, breath lighter, movements precise. Like he'd always been meant to slip through shadows.
[Skill Unlocked: Shadow Step I]
[Skill Unlocked: Dagger Mastery II]
The guards rotated every fifteen minutes. Zayne observed, waited, then moved.
With one silent leap, he crossed the alley. His boots landed on the outer wall with a whisper of cloth, and he scaled it with the grace of a cat. Once over, it took him less than two minutes to neutralize a patrolling guard with a swift strike to the neck.
No kill. Not unless he had to.
He wasn't a butcher. He wasn't a monster.
But Soren Von Virel? Everything Zayne had uncovered over the past two days from whispered rumors in taverns to the hushed sobs of a maid he bribed for intel had painted a picture of a man who deserved what was coming. Land seizures, child labor, extortion, bribery and assault.
This wasn't murder, this was removal.
He found the target asleep in a room lined with books and wine bottles. Fat and Snoring while draped in silk with greed.
Zayne didn't hesitate.
A single flash of steel, and it was done. Quick and clean.
No grand speeches and no second thoughts.
Just silence.
Zayne was long gone by dawn.
He sat now at a secluded garden behind the abandoned church where he'd been told to meet. Lord Velan Drosin was already waiting, cloaked and smug as ever, leaning on a cane he didn't need.
"It's done," Zayne said flatly.
"Excellent," Velan replied. He handed over a satchel that's heavy. "Your reward. As promised here's one million gald."
Zayne opened it, his hands trembling slightly. The coins glinted like golden suns.
Velan gave him a pleasant nod. "You'll be happy to know this little job will not be officially reported to the Guild. As far as they're concerned, Lord Soren passed in his sleep. The maids found him with a burst heart. So tragic."
Zayne blinked. "You're… not reporting me?"
"Why would I?" Velan said smoothly. "You served your purpose, and I am a man of discretion."
But as Velan vanished into the alley fog, Zayne's stomach turned.
If Velan had reported the job? An F-Rank Assassin, murdering a noble outside the guild's oversight?
The Guild would've executed him without trial.
This world wasn't just harsh, it was rigged.
Zayne knew then that he couldn't trust anyone with his life. Not nobles, not adventurers, and most definitely not even the Guild.
He pulled up his system screen, heart hammering.
[Quest Complete: Noble Execution]
+50 Upgrade Points
He immediately distributed them:
+10 Strength +10 Vitality +20 Endurance +10 Agility
The Cain family cottage smelled like stew again when he returned. His mother, Elara, greeted him with a tired smile as she stirred the pot. "You've been out a lot these days."
"Helping someone move crates," Zayne lied, digging into his pocket and dropping a coin pouch on the table. He'd removed most of it and only left 50,000 gald inside.
Elara blinked at it. "Zayne, what…?"
"Found work, it's a good one. Helped a merchant track down a thief and got paid extra. Thought we could use it to fix the roof."
Elara's eyes welled, and she didn't question it. "We can do more than fix the roof, Zayne. We can leave this shack. I know a place near the town square with two bedrooms and windows that close."
He nodded, hiding the rest of the satchels in his pack.
Later that night, she returned from a walk, beaming. "I spoke with the clerk, and I bought the house."
Zayne smiled. "That's great, Mom."
"Oh, and I signed your name too. You'll be enrolled in the local academy next week."
His smile faltered.
"Wait. What?"
Elara tilted her head. "You're bright, Zayne. It's time you got an education. That's what you wanted, right?"
Zayne stared at her in frozen horror. Right. School. He'd completely forgotten.
Magic. Assassination. Political death traps.
And now… homework?
He groaned. "I just killed a noble…"
"What was that?" Elara asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing," Zayne muttered, already picturing himself stuck in a uniform.