Noir's boots crunched against damp soil and fallen leaves as he moved deeper into the Forest of Seldom, the fading light slipping through the canopy above. The map from Ray was folded neatly in his pouch, marked with barely legible ink and guesswork, but he could tell—he was close. Somewhere in the shadows ahead, the hidden village awaited.
But everything shifted with the sudden system broadcast that rang across the sky like thunder:
[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT - Game Master Sage]
"Attention players! Klix creatures have now spawned throughout the Seldom Region. Rarity chance: 10%. Defeat one, and earn a 7-day EXP multiplier. Caution: These creatures are extremely aggressive and difficult to kill. Their name is visible, but not their form.
Top hunters will be ranked and announced on the Leaderboard. Good luck."
[Additional Notice]
"Reminder: Outside the safe zones of Seldom, Player Killing (PK) is allowed. Red-named players cannot return to town. Dying with a red name will result in being jailed in the Seldom Prison outside the respawn zone. To clear a red name, defeat 3 other red-named players."
Noir stopped in his tracks. "Klix… 10% spawn rate, huh?" he muttered, eyes narrowing.
His mind raced—not just about the reward, but the opportunity. An EXP multiplier could rocket him to the upper ranks. He'd been playing for just a few days, and already he was beyond what most could manage in a week. He had no idea what a Klix looked like, but if it had a name tag, that was enough.
He opened his settings and flipped his name visibility to OFF again. If he was going to compete in a world like this, secrecy was survival.
He tightened the grip on his Asura's Twin Daggers and vanished into the woods like smoke.
[The Search]
For the next hour, Noir scoured the forest. He moved silently between trees, scaled roots the size of wagons, and scanned every clearing he could find. He crossed paths with other players—some in pairs, some in groups of five—all hunting, all desperate.
But no one had seen a Klix.
"Ten percent my ass," Noir muttered, checking the map again, fingers trailing along the blurred path.
His Shadow Cloak passive kept his steps quiet. Occasionally, he would hear distant shouts—fights breaking out, maybe even PvP skirmishes. He stayed out of sight, patient, focused. He wasn't going to waste his potions or time unless it was worth it.
And finally… movement.
A rustling in the bushes caught his attention.
He dashed up a tree trunk silently, using the passive benefit of Shadow Cloak, his steps completely muffled. His eyes scanned the undergrowth until—there. Something moving unnaturally.
The name floated above its shifting, hunched body:
[Klix - Lv3]
It had no clear form—just a blur of moving limbs, almost insectoid, but changing shape like smoke. A swirling mist surrounded it, pulsing in waves. Its eyes—six of them—burned like embers.
"Time to work," Noir whispered.
[Fight Sequence: The First Klix]
He dropped silently behind the creature, activating Backstab.
He blinked from his position, reappearing behind the Klix with a flash of steel.
[CRITICAL HIT - 250% Weapon Damage]
The blade sank into its shoulder—but the creature hissed, turned, and slashed with a limb that looked like a jagged claw. Noir twisted, evading mid-air. He rolled backward and immediately activated Swift Step, charging around to flank.
He slashed once. Twice. Then a third—each hit connecting, but not enough. The creature screeched and leapt into the air, crashing down with force that cracked the ground beneath.
"Shit—" Noir rolled to the side, clipped by the shockwave. His HP dropped by 18%.
"Let's try this."
He charged again and activated Critical Dash Slash. His body blurred as he surged forward—
1, 2, 3—slashes across its midsection.
4, 5—slicing up its back.
And the final 6th blow carved into the Klix's mask-like face.
[Three Critical Hits Landed - x2.5 Damage]
The creature shrieked and burst into violet mist.
[KLIX DEFEATED - EXP MULTIPLIER +7 Days Earned]
Noir panted, crouched, blood smeared on his cloak.
A golden glow enveloped him.
[EXP GAINED: 54%]
[Current EXP: 97% to Level 3]
"Damn…" he said, catching his breath. "That's more like it."
He looked down at the pulsing crystal on the ground—Klix Core.
He tucked it into his pouch and glanced at the forest's horizon. There would be more. He needed to stay ahead.
[Second Encounter – Trouble Finds Him]
He continued hunting. Thirty minutes turned into an hour. He found nothing. His eyes were tired. His shoulders tense.
Then—he spotted it.
[Klix - Lv3] just ahead in a clearing, crouched low near a pile of rocks.
Noir crouched low, slid his daggers into his palms, and was just about to move when—
"Yo."
A voice cut through the woods behind him.
Noir turned slowly. Six players stepped out of the trees, all with cocky grins and armor that didn't match their skill. One Bagi, two Archers, a Priest, a Pagan, and another Assassin. All roughly Level 2.
Their leader, a guy with the IGN [R4GEMAN], stepped forward with a smug grin.
"Oops. That's not your Klix, stupid. It's ours now."
Noir's expression didn't change. "What?"
"You heard me," R4GEMAN said, laughing with his team. "You gonna cry about it? We were here first now. Back off."
"I found it first."
"So you're willing to get rekt by all of us? For one monster?" The Pagan cracked his knuckles. "You look alone, squishy."
The Priest snorted. "Might as well just log out. Save yourself the embarrassment."
Noir stepped forward just a little, tilting his head. "…You sure you want to do this?"
The clearing went quiet.
The Klix still hadn't noticed them yet. But the air was getting heavy.