Free Web NovelChapter 5: Midnight Reckoning
A level 3 adventurer. That posed some trouble. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
But with only one opponent remaining, Xander felt no real pressure. The machete-wielding brute likely followed the Swordsman path — a Fighter subclass emphasizing raw attack power at the cost of middling Constitution.
A quick glance at his battle log showed 59 Battle Exp gained from the five kills. He needed only 50 to reach Ranger level 2. Without hesitation, Xander allocated the points. A warm surge spread through his body as he advanced.
Adventurer Class: Level 2 Ranger (9/100)
His Health Points rose by 13, reaching 50 total. He gained 24 Skill Points but no new free attribute point — those came only every two class levels. He invested 4 points into Stealth for better mobility, holding the rest for future needs.
The Gang Swordsman charged with a heavy overhead cleave, aiming to split Xander in two.
Xander stood calmly, then took a single measured sidestep behind a thick pine. The machete whistled past and bit deep into the trunk with a loud crack, sending bark flying.
"Die already!" the brute roared, yanking his weapon free with a vicious twist.
Xander exploded forward, slamming his shoulder into the man’s chest. The collision staggered the Swordsman, forcing him back several steps and loosening his grip on the machete.
’Now!’
Even in motion, Xander’s instincts calculated perfectly. His curved dagger flashed toward the exposed waist in a deadly arc.
Sharp pain exploded in his right wrist. The Swordsman had seized it with both hands, grinning evilly.
"Thought you could cut me, you little shit?"
Xander stayed silent, ignoring the flashing battle reports of failed resistance and strength suppression. His left hand that was holding the secondary dagger looted from the first Thief, lashed out like a striking viper toward the man’s throat.
A guttural scream tore through the grove. The Swordsman’s grip slackened as he collapsed, convulsing. Blood soaked the ground. Soon, the twitching stopped.
Xander rubbed his bruised wrist. "At least 16 Strength. Pity his experience was so poor. Dying to a former Ruler of the Dusk is no small honor."
A thorough search yielded 29 silvers — his richest haul yet, along with miscellaneous junk of little value. No clues explained why the Bleakhollow Gang wanted him dead.
It made no sense. Assassinating a minor noble was a grave offense. If exposed, the entire gang risked annihilation. The risks far outweighed any gain from a landless, penniless target like him. Something deeper was at play, likely tied to the gnoll invasion of Redoak Vale.
Xander quickly concealed the five bodies. Crab hunting no longer appealed. He needed answers back in Tanchapel.
His soulbound quest updated with new text:
[The ambush along the Pineflow banks has revealed a larger threat. Someone wants you eliminated, and this is almost certainly connected to the gnolls that seized your lands. Tanchapel is a nest of intrigue. The mastermind will reveal themselves eventually if they continue their pursuit.]
A new side quest appeared: [Unmask the Mastermind]. Reward: 100 General Exp.
---
Xander wanted the truth regardless—the experience was a welcome bonus.
He circled wide to avoid main roads, choosing quiet paths to evade potential reinforcements. Reviewing the battle log was an old habit that sharpened future performance.
One entry caught him off guard:
[Repeated execution of standard technical moves with high affinity to Phantom Assassin skills [Cutthroat] (98%) and [Shadow Steps] (95%) allows conversion into personal skills. Cost: 500 Battle Exp for Cutthroat, 1000 for Shadow Steps.]
[Affinity with foreign class techniques has increased. Specialty Progress: 9/100]
Xander paused, surprised. He hadn’t known manual repetition of another class’s moves could crystallize into personal skills. The requirements were strict: consistent "standard" execution, high affinity, and a steep Battle Exp cost. Personal skills couldn’t use Skill Points — they leveled only through repeated use.
The higher the affinity to the original skill, the lower the conversion cost. Cutthroat and Shadow Steps were Phantom Assassin signatures, explaining the disparity in price.
"Five hundred Battle Exp..." Tempting, yet painful. Battle Exp was premium currency. Spending it here would slow his leveling. With only 39 remaining, it was far from feasible anyway.
The emerging Specialty intrigued him more. Personal specialties came in three types: Innate, Training-Acquired, and Talent-Awakening. His weak body ruled out Innate. Training-Acquired seemed likely. Talent-Awakening was rare, though his "Human/?" race hinted at faint foreign bloodline potential.
Any Specialty was a boon, offering unique edges beyond attributes and skills.
Midnight had fallen. Tanchapel enforced a partial curfew. Gates stayed open late, but streets emptied after midnight. Slipping back inside required care.
As a legendary player, Xander once scaled walls effortlessly with Wall Climb and magic tools. Now, he searched for worn sections in the outer defenses. After careful scouting, he found a narrow gap and squeezed through thanks to his slight build.
Inside, he avoided patrols. City guards were at least rank 2, their leaders rank 3 — far beyond a fresh level 2 Ranger. Provoking them meant disaster. Sticking to dark alleys, he navigated like a shadow, evading both guards and unknown threats.
Approaching the Oxhollow Inn’s back entrance, a furtive silhouette caught his eye. Someone watching.
’Lookouts?’ Unusual. The inn’s owner reportedly had powerful backing that deterred trouble. freewebnσvel.cøm
Xander circled to the front. Two more hidden sentries. All three were Thieves using crude concealment — obvious flaws to his trained eye.
Each bore a bloody dagger emblem on their cuffs. The mark was unmistakable, even if the embroidery was crude.
Bleakhollow Gang.
Xander’s blood burned. Not content with attacking him, they were targeting Elyra too.
He gripped his curved dagger tightly and activated Stealth, gliding silently toward the lone watcher at the back door.
