Assassin at Range: The Sniper’s Lethal Power

After being reborn, Tristan knew one thing for sure: living meant output.

The bosses he's facing now don't have the means to counter Stealth, but that doesn't mean future bosses won't. To take a step back, even if the native bosses are a joke, there's still the gods to consider. In front of those terrifying entities, even a momentary lapse can be fatal!

He's not the heavily armored warrior from his previous life who could just tank the damage. If a god got a hold of him, he'd probably be snatched away on sight.

The appearance of Rain of Corruption gave Tristan more options in battle.

If the enemy isn't strong, he can just use Rain of Corruption and Shadow Dagger together to wipe them out as fast as possible. But if the opponent is tough, he can hide and cast Rain of Corruption, making the encounter far safer.

Moreover, Rain of Corruption has another hidden advantage: it has no projectile.

This means enemies can't track his position by the skill's trajectory. This is something Shadow Dagger can't achieve. As his level increases, enemies will be able to spot Tristan's location by tracing the path of his thrown daggers. Plus, since Shadow Dagger breaks Stealth, it gives the enemy a chance to counterattack. But now, that's no longer an issue.

Getting this skill book was well worth all the effort he put into taking down Gold Hook Jack—it was absolutely worth the price.

Clapping his hands, Tristan immediately learned Rain of Corruption.

"Once there's no one around, I'll use skill points to upgrade it."

"Taking down Gold Hook Jack gave me evolution points—eight in total. That's enough to continue evolving Shadow Stealth."

"I can still improve!"

Tristan was quite satisfied with himself.

Now that the task was complete, he could leave. Edith wouldn't just hand him tasks.

But Tristan had another matter to attend to.

He wanted to buy a shop in Davi City.

The funding wasn't a big problem. The thirty gold he received from Drake could serve as a stepping stone to meet with the city's commercial supervisor. After that, the rest of the money wouldn't be too hard to come by—selling just two pieces of equipment would cover it. This approach worked in every major city.

But there was a simpler way, so why not take it?

The breakthrough point lay with Edith.

Don't forget, she also had another identity—she was the daughter of Davi City's lord.

Although they hadn't interacted much before, after Tristan took down Gold Hook Jack, he had gained Edith's recognition.

In game terms, this meant his reputation with her had increased, unlocking more options.

When Tristan didn't leave, Edith asked, "Is there something else you need?"

After a moment of thought, Edith, surprised, asked, "Do you want to take over the Wild Arena? With all due respect, even though you've taken down Gold Hook Jack, it's not that simple."

Tristan waved his hand. "I'm not interested in the arena. I actually have another business proposition I'd like to discuss with Miss Edith."

Edith raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Very few dared to do business with her.

She asked, "Do you want to kill someone?"

She quickly dismissed the idea.

"It doesn't seem like it, considering your strength—you could handle that yourself."

"So, the business partner you're looking for isn't just Edith, but the daughter of the city lord as well?"

Tristan gave a thumbs up. "Smart."

Edith continued her deduction. "You, as an outsider, came all the way to Davi City. The first thing you'd need is a place to stay, so you need property in the city. If you go to the commercial supervisor, Angre, not only will you likely be extorted, but you'll also have to wait months for approval. You certainly wouldn't want that."

Her reasoning peeled back Tristan's intentions entirely.

Tristan wasn't surprised.

Edith, being a high-level NPC, had exceptional intelligence—likely even smarter than most players.

Since Edith had figured out his plans, Tristan didn't hide anything. He nodded and admitted, "I need to buy a shop."

Edith's eyes gleamed with a hint of satisfaction. She had finally figured out something about him.

Buying a shop was a simple task for her—just a matter of passing on a message. But Edith wouldn't do it for free.

She and Tristan weren't yet close enough for that.

Tristan knew this, so he took out the Wolf King Horn from his inventory. "The Wild Arena was destroyed by a giant wolf that suddenly appeared."

"If someone were to appear holding this item and claim they took down Gold Hook Jack, do you think it would make it easier to rebuild the arena?"

"Even further, if that person were your secret agent, Edith, wouldn't that help you gain more control over the black market?"

"Perhaps even all of Davi City?"

As mentioned earlier, the Wild Arena was destroyed, but a new one would soon be built.

The black market, along with the city, needed a place for people to vent their violence. Edith was the mastermind behind the whole affair, so how could she let someone else take the credit?

She had assumed that Tristan, being an outsider, wouldn't want to stay and manage the arena, so she never considered him as a competitor. But if she were to take over herself, there would be resistance.

After all, her influence was already strong, and if she added the arena to it, other heads of the black market would start worrying.

Edith had been considering how to get involved and maximize her own profit. Now, Tristan had laid the solution right in front of her.

She stared at him with sharp eyes, as if trying to see through him.

Tristan remained calm.

This?

He'd already faced Damien Arrow head-on—he wasn't going to be intimidated by Edith's aura.

Edith recognized this and retracted her intimidating gaze. She smiled, "It's a pleasure to cooperate."

She was a smart woman who knew how to make the most out of any situation.

Exchanging a shop for control over the black market was certainly a good deal.

A piece of parchment appeared in Edith's hands.

This was the deed, and as long as it was registered with the Davi City commercial department, Tristan would officially own the shop.

Tristan handed her the Wolf King Horn.

"Ding, you have lost the Wolf King Horn."

"Ding, you have gained the Davi City Shop Deed."

Edith took the horn, played with it for a moment, then tucked it away. Without saying much more, she used Stealth and gestured for Tristan to leave.

Tristan wasn't upset. He put the deed away and left the room.

Once the shop was in his hands, he could go back to leveling up.

As it stood, both he and Ivan were level 10.

He suspected Ivan was also undergoing his class advancement, and if Ivan had an SSS-level talent, his advancement quest might be a difficult one—possibly even a hidden-tier quest.

Now wasn't the time to relax.

Back in Davi City, Tristan noticed the hurried pace of the NPCs on the street.

There were also guards patrolling.

Although the battle with Gold Hook Jack took place in the depths of the black market, the sounds of cannons in the later stages must have reached the surface.

Davi City was probably in chaos.

As Tristan walked, he saw a familiar face.

It was Instructor Horreo.

Horreo saw him too, signaling for his subordinates to stay back. He approached Tristan and said meaningfully, "Did you see Edith?"

Tristan nodded and thought for a moment before taking out the deed and showing it to Horreo. "I did a little favor for Edith, and she gave me this."

Horreo's eyes nearly popped out, his face filled with disbelief. "You took down Gold Hook Jack?"

Tristan quickly shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. It was a mysterious person who controlled a giant wolf. If you don't believe me, ask Edith."