The moment the Klix came into view, six players blocked Noir's path.
They had surrounded the monster, claiming it without a word of thanks.
Noir stood a few meters away. Silent. Still.
He scanned their formation.
Healer at the rear.
Two archers left and right.
A Bagi frontliner, close support Pagan.
Swordsman—probably the leader—centered.
They were decent. Probably veterans of the starting zones. Average level: 2. Higher than most. Lower than him.
One of the archers chuckled, "What now, lone wolf? Gonna cry over your little Klix?"
"Should've brought friends, loser," the Bagi grunted.
The leader stepped forward. "Walk away before this gets embarrassing."
Noir didn't respond. His eyes were already calculating.
"Not talkative, huh?" the Pagan sneered. "Then die quiet."
Noir took one step back.
Then vanished.
—Backstab!—
He reappeared behind the healer. One dagger to the spine, the other across the throat.
[CRITICAL HIT – 250% Weapon Damage]
[Player Kill Registered – No EXP Gained]
[Red Name: You are now marked. 1/3 Redemption Kills Required.]
"WHAT THE—!" the Bagi turned too late.
The ground cracked where his hammer landed. Noir had already rolled to the side, carving a line across the tank's ribs.
The Pagan started casting.
"Cover me!" he shouted.
Noir was already there—
A blade plunged into the caster's gut, another into the chest.
The spell died with a grunt.
[Player Kill Registered – No EXP Gained]
"Fuck—he's fast!" one archer yelled, loosing an arrow.
Another followed a split second after. One grazed Noir's arm—
[–22 HP]
—another embedded into his left shoulder.
[–28 HP]
He hissed under his breath, but didn't stop.
He flicked a dagger mid-sprint—
It struck the first archer's neck. The man dropped with a gargle.
The second archer turned to run.
—Swift Step!—
Noir blurred forward and drove both blades deep into the spine.
Four down.
The Bagi roared. "I'll smash your bones, freak!"
Noir ducked a wide arc, spun, and dashed past. Let him overcommit.
"Stop moving!" the tank screamed.
Then—
—Backstab!—
Noir blinked behind the Bagi and slit his throat. The big man crashed to his knees.
[Player Kill Registered – No EXP Gained]
Only the swordsman was left.
He stood trembling, weapon raised. "I-I didn't even hit you…"
Noir walked toward him.
"You don't have to—" the man began.
Noir didn't slow.
"You win, okay? I surrender—!"
No answer.
Steel met flesh.
[Player Kill Registered – No EXP Gained]
[Red Name: 2/3 Redemption Kills Remaining]
[System Notice: Red Name Status – You need 1 more Red Name kill to revert to Neutral.]
Six corpses. No fanfare.
The Klix still stood nearby, unbothered. Watching.
Noir cleaned his blades, breathing steadily.
He didn't look back. He didn't speak.
Until he glanced at the monster and muttered:
"Back to business."
Without delay, Noir dashed toward the Klix. The monster screeched, sensing danger too late.
It leapt at him with jagged limbs, but Noir weaved through the air like a ghost.
—Swift Step!—
—Backstab!—
He cut through the Klix with ruthless precision, each strike timed perfectly between cooldowns.
Even with its tough hide, the monster couldn't keep up. Noir circled, ducked, and danced under every counterattack like he'd fought it before.
The final blow severed its head clean off.
[System Notice: You have killed a Klix!]
[Reward: EXP Multiplier (7 Days)]
[You have successfully defeated a Klix]
[Loot: Silver Coins +190 | Klix Tendon x1 | Crystallized Bone x2 | Rare Material: Klix Eye x1]
[System Notice: You have leveled up to Level 3!]
[+5 Stat Points Awarded]
[Current Level: 3 – Assassin Class]
Noir's eyes locked on the system prompt. He felt it again—that quiet, creeping thrill. Level 3. Three days in. The same feat had taken most players a week, even in parties.
He didn't smile. But the way he gripped his daggers, the calm in his posture—it all said the same thing:
Progress.
He opened his stat window, but didn't assign the new points yet. Not here. Not now.
He turned his back to the corpse and vanished into the woods—one red name kill away from redemption.
He sheathed his blades and closed his inventory. "I'm done hunting Klix for now. Time to focus on the quest."
He pulled out the crumpled, blurry map Ray gave him back in Seldom. Squinting at it, he traced his location and noticed the faint marker indicating the hidden village. He was close. Maybe a few more kilometers.
"I'm super close already," Noir muttered. "I can feel it."
He ventured deeper into the woods, each step taking him further from the familiar chaos of players and system events, and deeper into something older. The rain started lightly—then built into a steady, cold pour.
Eventually, he reached it.
A damp, quiet village nestled within the trees. Moss crawled up the wooden walls, and crooked lamp posts lined the narrow dirt paths. Rain trickled down rooftops as mist clung to the air.
Noir walked through the village gates and approached the nearest NPC.
"Do you know anything about a poison dagger? Venom Core? Venom Sap?"
The old woman looked at him blankly. "No one here deals with that kind of thing. You're in the wrong place."
He frowned. "Tch."
Disappointed, he walked through the small alleys until he spotted a small pub. The sign read Bole's Mug & Flame. He stepped inside, dripping with rain.
Upraised had a unique feature. Unlike other VRMMORPGs, players in Upraised could feel, taste, smell, and even get hungry inside the game. It mimicked real-life senses. And after all that walking and fighting, Noir was starving.
A waitress came over with messy silver hair.
"What'll it be?"
"Something hot."
Soon, a steaming bowl of beef stew and a dark drink were placed in front of him. The aroma hit instantly—herbs, pepper, slow-cooked meat. He took a bite and blinked in surprise.
"…This tastes real."
The broth warmed his chest. The meat melted on his tongue. Then he sipped the drink—bitter, earthy, slightly smoky.
He hadn't expected it to be this good. He almost forgot he was in a game.
As he ate, he leaned over and asked in a quiet tone, "Hey. I'm looking for someone. A retired assassin. Something about crafting poison daggers. Know anything?"
The waitress hesitated, glancing around before replying, voice hushed.
"Don't tell anyone I said this. But there's a guy. No one talks to him. Keeps to himself. They say he used to be an assassin. Lives at the edge of the village."
Noir stayed silent, eyes fixed on her.
"You'll know the place when you see it. Real old. Looks abandoned. Just knock twice… and say 'Oblo.'"
"…Oblo?"
She nodded. "That's the password."
Noir finished his food, dropped a few silver coins on the table, and stood without a word. The warmth of the pub faded behind him as he stepped back out into the rain.
Time to find that house.