The forest was never silent. Even in the early morning haze, its breath whispered through rustling leaves and shifting shadows. Alaric moved through it like a phantom, his steps muffled by the underbrush. Birds scattered above him, startled by something unseen. Something lethal.
Him.
Since leaving the battlefield, he had wandered deeper into the outer regions of the forest. Here, the trees grew older, thicker, their bark marked with claw scores and fungal decay. The air was heavier. Damp. Predators were close.
And that was exactly what he wanted.
[Status]
Class: Apprentice Assassin (Level 3)
Strength: 9Agility: 14Perception: 11Endurance: 7Intelligence: 15Mana Control: 5Stealth: 11
Skills:• Shadow Cloak (Beginner)• Silent Stride (Passive)• Lethal Precision (New)
He needed to level up. Fast.
His current abilities granted him an edge over common foes, but barely. He had learned the hard way that power in this world was measured not just by brute force—but by control, silence, and the ability to strike before being seen.
This forest would be his training ground.
...
It didn't take long to find prey.
A few meters ahead, a pack of forest hounds prowled between fallen logs and rotting foliage. They were lean, muscular beasts with bristled fur and oversized jaws. Two circled a rotting carcass while a third stood guard, sniffing the air.
Alaric crouched behind a moss-covered boulder. His fingers gripped the hilt of his Shadowfang Blade.
Three enemies. One with heightened senses. A frontal assault was suicide.
But he wasn't a warrior.
He was an assassin.
[Skill Activated: Shadow Cloak]
The shadows wrapped around him like an old friend. His presence faded into the ambient hum of the forest. Quiet. Still.
He crept closer.
Step by step, breath by breath, he closed the distance. The third hound's ears twitched, but Alaric was already in motion.
His blade flashed—silent, swift.
One cut across the throat. The beast gurgled and dropped before it could howl. The others turned, too late. Alaric vanished behind a tree trunk as they lunged at the empty space where their brother had fallen.
They sniffed the air. Growled. Confused.
Alaric waited.
Then struck again.
Another fell. The final one lunged, snapping its blood-soaked jaws—only to meet the sharpened edge of Lethal Precision.
Three corpses lay still. Blood soaked the mossy ground.
[+150 EXP][Level Up! Apprentice Assassin – Level 4][Stat Points +3 | Skill Point +1]
He exhaled, wiping his blade on the thick fur of one of the beasts. His hands were steady. His breathing calm.
Killing no longer shook him.
....
He retreated to a small grove, hidden beneath hanging roots and thick vines. There, he pulled up the system interface.
[Status]
Class: Apprentice Assassin (Level 4)
Strength: 9 → 10Agility: 14 → 15Perception: 11 → 12Endurance: 7Intelligence: 15Mana Control: 5Stealth: 11 → 12
Skill Points: 1
He funneled his new stat points into the essentials—agility, stealth, and perception. An assassin needed to see before being seen, move before being heard, and strike before being noticed.
As for the skill point…
A new option appeared.
[Skill Available: Mark of Death (Passive) – Tag a target with a silent mark. Increases damage dealt to the marked enemy by 20%. Cooldown: 60 seconds.]
Useful. Very useful.
He confirmed the skill.
[Skill Acquired: Mark of Death (Passive)]
It wasn't just about growing stronger. It was about refining the way he killed.
....
For the rest of the day, Alaric turned the forest into his personal battleground.
He tracked a horned boar through dense brush, lured it with a tossed stone, and slipped his blade beneath its thick neck before it could charge.
He spotted a vine snake coiled among hanging branches, noted the subtle flick of its tongue, and dropped onto it from above, burying his dagger into its skull.
Every kill was clean. Efficient. He didn't waste movements. He didn't miss.
[+90 EXP][+120 EXP][+80 EXP]
The notifications came steadily.
At one point, he stumbled upon a goblin scouting party—four green-skinned scavengers with jagged knives and poor formation. He could've avoided them. But he didn't.
He marked the leader with Mark of Death. Shadow Cloaked behind the rear goblin and ended it silently. Then another. And another.
The leader never even screamed.
[+220 EXP][Level Up! Apprentice Assassin – Level 5][Stat Points +3 | Skill Point +1]
....
By dusk, his clothes were dirtied with dried blood and leaves. He sat beside a fallen log, chewing on a piece of smoked jerky looted from the goblins. It was awful. But edible.
[Status]
Class: Apprentice Assassin (Level 5)Strength: 10Agility: 15 → 16Perception: 12 → 13Endurance: 7 → 8Intelligence: 15Mana Control: 5Stealth: 12 → 13
Skills:• Shadow Cloak (Beginner)• Silent Stride (Passive)• Lethal Precision• Mark of Death (Passive)
Skill Points: 1
He smiled faintly. The growth was steady. Tangible. With every kill, he felt faster. Sharper. More… lethal.
Others in this world only saw ranks—Low-rank Assassin, Mid-rank Assassin, High-rank Assassin. But the system showed him the truth.
Fifty levels per tier.
He was now Level 5 of 50 in