Theta-9 | Camp Blackthorn | Nightfall
The fire crackled with a strange hue, burning blue in places where it licked at the synthetic logs. James sat cross-legged, back pressed to one of the sandbag barriers, arms wrapped around his knees.
Around him, the camp moved in quiet shadows. Survivors mended gear, counted rations, or simply stared into the flames like they could burn memories away. Some had made their first kills today. Others hadn't returned at all. Names were not spoken. Death had become an ambient presence.
Across the fire, Mercer tossed a bone into the coals. "Still seeing it, huh?"
James didn't answer right away. He stared at his hand. The system interface flickered across his vision in ghostly transparency.
[Skill Equipped: Ghost Veil (Uncommon)]
> Effect: Grants 3 seconds of true invisibility. 60 sec cooldown.
Useful. But also terrifying. When it activated, he couldn't hear his own breathing. Couldn't feel his heartbeat. It was like he stopped existing.
"I'm not used to silence that deep," James muttered.
Mercer grunted. "You will be. Or you'll die."
A girl near the water barrel glanced over. Her name was Aria—short, wiry, and quiet. She was rumored to have killed two Rotwolves solo. No one knew where she came from. She chewed a piece of dried meat and added without looking up, "You get used to a lot out here. Things that should scare you just... stop."
Another voice joined in. "That's when you're most in danger. When you stop being scared."
The speaker was Rai, a tall kid with a limp and a jagged scar across his temple. He limped with purpose though, and unlike most, he carried a functioning sidearm—half-loaded and jealously guarded.
"Fear keeps you alive," he said. "Losing it makes you cocky."
James nodded faintly. "I'm still scared."
Aria smiled for the first time. "Then you'll probably make it."
---
System Notification
[Milestone Reached: First Confirmed Kill + Tier Upgrade]
[Skill Draw Bonus Granted]
[Eligible for Bonus Unlock: Tier-One Assassin Branch Subskill]
Initializing Randomized Skill Draw...
James stiffened as the screen brightened. Three rotating icons spun in a ring. One by one, they slowed.
LOCKED... LOCKED... UNLOCKED.
[Skill Acquired: Shadow Dagger (Uncommon)]
> Summon a spectral dagger made of void energy. Deals piercing damage, scales with Perception. Lasts 30 seconds or until thrown. Cooldown: 90 seconds.
His palm grew cold.
And then—it appeared.
A black blade flickered into being in his hand, semi-translucent, humming with unstable energy. It wasn't solid steel. It was shadow pulled into form, thin as a whisper, and twice as sharp.
Mercer raised an eyebrow. "Nice. That's one they don't hand out often."
James turned it in his hand, testing the weight. It felt like holding smoke that wanted to kill.
Aria leaned forward, interested. "Let me see the system note again. I heard Shadow Dagger reacts differently if used with stealth bursts."
James pulled the screen back up and held it out. The campfire reflected in the interface like ghostlight.
Rai grunted. "Assassin builds get all the cool toys. I stabbed a Spineback in the eye and my reward was a throwing spoon that vibrates."
Someone laughed from the back. A lanky kid named Dell who always wore goggles, even at night. "Better than my skill: Unzipper. I can disarm traps 5% faster. You know how many traps I've seen so far? Zero."
"Five percent? That's insultingly useless," Mercer said, deadpan.
"It's practically an apology," Aria added.
Even James managed a smile.
---
Theta-9 | Field Training Zone 3 | Midnight
Captain Lin didn't waste time with congratulations.
The Tier One candidates were ordered to a different section of the forest, just beyond the safe zone. There, automated drones floated in the air, projecting holograms and recording performance metrics. The test? Engage a series of moving dummies, Rift-beast simulations, and trap zones under time constraints.
"Welcome to live calibration," Lin said. "Let's see which of you actually earned your tier."
The group now numbered nine. They waited in a jagged line beside the training field, exchanging nervous looks.
Dell bounced on his toes. "Think there'll be points for style?"
Aria elbowed him. "Points for not dying."
Mercer stood still, eyes scanning the forest. James watched him, trying to copy that calm.
Then his name was called.
He stepped into the clearing. The trees surrounded the test field like an arena crowd.
[Combat Simulation Initialized]
[Objective: Eliminate all targets within 90 seconds]
James rolled his shoulders.
He activated Ghost Veil.
The world vanished.
Three seconds of pure silence. No breath. No wind. Just motion.
He reappeared behind the first dummy, Shadow Dagger already in hand. One stab. The phantom blade passed through armor like paper.
Target down.
He ducked a simulated beast swipe. Rolled. Threw the dagger—the shadow blade zipped through the air and skewered the next target with a hiss of dark vapor.
[2 Targets Eliminated]
[Bonus Objective Available: No Damage Run]
He dashed forward, sliding under a blade trap. Another dummy swung a club; he dodged left and drove his rusted knife into its chest.
Three.
The last target emerged from the treeline—a Rift Beast hologram, double size, armored.
James sprinted. No Ghost Veil left. No dagger.
He vaulted over the creature's charge and stabbed down with both hands, screaming.
[CRITICAL STRIKE - SPINAL WEAK POINT HIT]
The creature evaporated in pixels.
[All Targets Eliminated | Time: 88.2 seconds]
[Bonus Objective Achieved]
---
Captain Lin nodded once as he exited. "You're not useless. Keep it that way."
Dell gave a loud whistle. "Damn, Shadow Boy! That was clean."
Aria just looked at James and said, "Next drop, you're with me."
Rai clapped him on the shoulder. "Just don't start getting cocky. The forest loves a cocky corpse."
Mercer didn't say anything. Just nodded.
James didn't smile.
But something in him stood taller.
And for the first time since the program began, he believed he might actually survive