Assassin at Range: The Sniper’s Lethal Power

When most people enter a room like this, their first instinct would be to assume that the person in the chair is Edith. But that's not the case.

The person sitting in the chair is simply one of Edith's subordinates. Edith herself is hidden under the shadow of the oil lamp, using Stealth to observe everyone who enters the room.

When Edith sees Tristan speaking directly in her direction, she's taken aback. This foreigner seems to know quite a bit about her. Or maybe it's just a coincidence?

Edith decides to observe for a while longer. Although she's the assassin profession mentor, she's no mindless robot—she's capable of independent thought and will respond to players based on their behavior.

Tristan, already prepared, speaks again: "Edith, I bring a letter from Instructor Horreo. Aren't you curious to see what Uncle Lei wrote? After all, you're the city lord's daughter."

With a swift motion, the person sitting in the chair suddenly has a gleaming dagger lodged in their head, and their body slumps to the ground. The figure twitches a few times before going completely still.

Tristan remains unfazed.

Edith is known for killing without hesitation—whether it's her subordinate sitting in the chair or even her own father, the lord of Davi City, who was eventually killed by her. She's ruthless, no doubt about it.

"You know a lot," a voice comes from under the lamp's shadow. A figure cloaked in shadow begins to emerge, but only their eyes are visible, staring at Tristan with a cold, calculating gaze.

Tristan smiles slightly and responds, "There's no such thing as a completely secret message. Only the dead can keep secrets, right?"

Edith nods in agreement and claps her hands. Two ghostly servants, their faces pale as death, materialize from the shadows. They proceed to devour the body on the floor, then bow and vanish.

These two ghostly figures are part of Edith's second profession—Necromancer. They were crafted by her own hands.

Unlike players in ExoGenesis, native NPCs can master multiple professions. Of course, players can eventually do so too, but it requires a lot of effort.

Edith, seeing that Tristan isn't surprised by her display, grows more intrigued. She can't quite figure him out. But now isn't the time to dwell on that. She extends her hand. "Where's the letter?"

Tristan hands over the letter. Edith quickly skims through it, her gaze softening a little.

Before speaking, she sniffs the air and seems slightly surprised. "The scent of shadows…"

Tristan immediately activates his Shadow Stealth and then deactivates it.

Edith's eyes flash with a trace of regret. "I've used every means available to search for the power of shadows. To think I'd find it in you. Foreign traveler, what do you want?"

At this point, Tristan lets out a quiet sigh of relief. It seems he's passed Edith's test.

Outwitting an NPC—who would believe it?

Most regular players would probably just walk in and take the career advancement quest right away, no questions asked. But Tristan has been in ExoGenesis for ten years and knows better than to take things at face value in this game.

If he wants to get far in ExoGenesis, he needs to be prepared from the very start.

Steeling himself, Tristan says, "I want to proceed with my career advancement."

Edith immediately adopts a more business-like expression. "I have a few choices for you. Which one do you want?"

A system prompt pops up:

Difficulty 1: Kill 20 Rampaging Centaurs.

Reward: Normal-grade Weapon x1, Attribute Growth +1, Agility Growth +2 Difficulty 2: Kill 100 Rampaging Centaurs within 30 minutes.

Reward: Black Iron Grade Weapon x1, Black Iron Grade Armor x1, Attribute Growth +2, Agility Growth +4 Difficulty 3: Kill the Centaur Chieftain solo.

Reward: Silver Grade Weapon x1, Attribute Growth +3, Agility Growth +6 Special Difficulty: Assassinate the Wild Arena Boss and escape unharmed.

Reward: Gold Grade Custom Skill Book x1, Attribute Growth +5, Agility Growth +10

At level 10, when players complete their first career advancement, they'll get different bonuses depending on the difficulty they choose.

Before level 10, players can only expect +1 to secondary attributes and +2 to main attributes when they level up. But after career advancement, extra attributes will be added based on the difficulty of their chosen tasks.

For example, completing Difficulty 1 will grant +2 secondary attributes and +4 Agility.

Most players will only be able to access Difficulty 3, but Tristan triggers the hidden difficulty, not just because he's a Shadow Assassin, but because he passed Edith's test.

Tristan responds coolly, "I prefer high difficulty. I'll take down Gold Hook Jack."

Gold Hook Jack, the boss of the Wild Arena, was once a pirate who lost a hand in battle. He replaced it with a metal hook, earning him the nickname. The special task is related to Edith's grudge with him—a personal vendetta in some sense.

"Please note, once you accept the special difficulty task, you cannot abandon it. Do you confirm your choice?"

"Yes."

"Ding! You have accepted the Special Difficulty Career Advancement Quest. Please complete it as soon as possible to break through your level limit."

At this, Edith shifts to a more approving expression. "I knew the heir of the Shadow power wouldn't disappoint me. Now, I'll wait for your good news."

She then gestures as if to show him out.

"Ding! Quest updated."

"The letter from Horreo has now been merged with your advancement quest."

Tristan had expected this. After Edith read the letter, she crumpled it into dust and didn't mention anything further—clearly, she wasn't planning to give him much of a reward.

Fortunately, Tristan anticipated this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have received a Gold Grade skill book for the special difficulty.

By combining the two quests into one, the reward was enhanced, but so was the difficulty.

Gold Hook Jack, as the arena's boss, not only commands a legion of henchmen but is also formidable himself. If Tristan recalls correctly, he's a level 20 Gold Grade BOSS.

Looking at Edith's profile, Tristan notices her details:

Edith, Assassin Mentor, Level: ???

No surprise there. As a career mentor recognized by ExoGenesis, Edith is a force to be reckoned with. If she hadn't let him off so easily, he'd have been sent to the respawn point the moment he entered her room.

Tristan, not in a hurry to leave, asks, "Where can I learn Dual Wielding?"

Edith replies, "There's a Weapon Master in the tavern. You can find him there."

After a brief pause, Edith hands him a seal. "Take this to him, and he'll teach you for free."

This is the benefit of gaining recognition!

Normally, learning Dual Wielding would cost fifty silver coins, but now he's saving money.

Tristan takes the seal and heads downstairs, where he finds the so-called Weapon Master. However, this unkempt, foot-picking beggar in the corner doesn't quite match his mental image of a Weapon Master.