BOOOOOM!
The Central Supply Drop slammed into the pavement of the ruined city square, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. The golden beacon shot a beam of light into the red sky, acting as a dinner bell for every killer in the zone.
[Supply Drop Has Landed!]
[Current Survivors: 64/100]
Thirty seconds later, the first wave of Players arrived.
A group of five, wielding makeshift spears and shields, burst from an alleyway. Another trio of mages took position on a crumbling balcony.
They all froze.
Someone was already there.
Asher was sitting on top of the metal crate, legs crossed, casually checking his fingernails. The [Sewer King's Fang] spun idly in his right hand.
"A kid?" one of the spearmen laughed, relaxing his grip. "Look at his gear. No armor. Just a hoodie."
"Hey, kid!" a Mage shouted from the balcony. "Step away from the box and we might let you log out with your limbs attached!"
Asher stopped spinning the dagger. He looked up, his purple eyes glowing faintly in the dust.
"I'm waiting," Asher said softly.
"Waiting for what?"
"For more of you to gather." Asher hopped off the crate. "Killing you one by one is inefficient. I prefer AoE (Area of Effect) farming."
The spearman's face twisted in rage. "Arrogant brat! Get him!"
The five melee fighters charged.
[Combat Mode Initiated]
"Nova, music," Asher whispered.
Asher didn't retreat. He stepped into the charge.
[Agility: 51]
The first spear thrust at his chest. Asher simply tilted his head. The tip missed his throat by a millimeter.
SLASH!
Asher's green dagger drew a line across the attacker's thigh.
[Effect Triggered: Poison]
[Passive Triggered: Toxin Splash]
A burst of green liquid exploded from the wound, spraying the two men behind him.
"ARGH! My eyes! It burns!"
"He's using poison! Back up!"
They tried to retreat, but the Sewer King's Toxin wasn't just painful; it was a paralytic. Their movements slowed to a crawl.
Asher moved like smoke.
Shadow Step.
He vanished from the front line and reappeared directly behind the Mages on the balcony.
"Top priority: Eliminate the supports," Asher stated.
THWACK. THWACK. THWACK.
Three swift strikes to the base of the skull. The Mages collapsed before they could even chant a spell.
[Kill Count: 4]
[Kill Count: 5]
[Kill Count: 6]
Asher leaped from the balcony, landing back on the Supply Crate.
The remaining melee fighters were writhing on the ground, their health bars ticking down from the poison.
[Global Stream Chat]
Analyst_01: Wait... did you see his speed? That's not normal for Level 3.
GamerGirl99: He just 1v8'd them without taking a hit!
JaxFanboy: Cheater! He's hacking!
Asher ignored the dying players. He looked at the perimeter. More players were watching from the shadows, terrified by the display.
"Anyone else?" Asher called out, his voice calm but amplified by the silence. "The box is right here."
No one moved.
"Fine. Loot time."
Asher turned and kicked the latch of the crate.
HISSS...
The hydraulic locks disengaged. The lid popped open.
Inside, resting on black velvet, was a single item. It wasn't a weapon.
It was a mask.
[Item: Mask of the Faceless]
[Rank: S (Growth Type)]
[Effect 1: Conceals Player Identity/Level from 'Identify' skills.]
[Effect 2: Fear Aura (Low) - Weak enemies will hesitate to attack.]
"A utility item?" Nova sighed. "Boring. I wanted a bazooka."
Asher picked up the mask. It was sleek, white, and featureless, like a porcelain doll with no mouth.
"This is better than a bazooka," Asher said, equipping it. "In a game where information is power, anonymity is the ultimate defense."
The mask fused to his face. To the outside world, his name tag [Asher] blurred and changed to [???].
Suddenly, the ground rumbled.
Heavy, rhythmic footsteps approached from the main street. The players hiding in the shadows scrambled away in terror.
"Move! It's the Silverwings!"
A phalanx of ten armored players marched into the square. They formed a shield wall. Behind them walked a tall man with a heavy broadsword—Jax's lieutenant, Brutus.
Brutus looked at the bodies on the ground, then up at Asher (now wearing the white mask).
"You're the rat causing trouble," Brutus grunted. "Boss Jax wants that crate. Hand it over, and I'll make your death quick."
Asher tilted his head, the blank mask staring down at the armored squad.
"Tell Jax," Asher's voice came out distorted, metallic and cold, "That if he wants my loot, he can come get it himself."
Brutus scoffed. "Shield Wall! Crush him!"
The ten armored tanks raised their shields and charged, locking together to form an impenetrable metal bulldozer.
Asher didn't move. He reached into his inventory.
"Nova," he said. "Remember that [Monster Core] we got from the Sewer King?"
"Yeah? It's volatile! If you hit it, it goes boom!"
"Exactly."
Asher tossed the glowing green core into the air.
As it fell, he wound up his arm.
[Skill: Dagger Throw (E)]
[Target: The Core]
He threw his dagger.
The blade hit the core mid-air, right above the Shield Wall.
KABOOOOM!
A massive explosion of green fire and poison gas engulfed the Silverwing squad.