"I'm Raven, and this is my little brother, Crow," the newbie introduced himself.

  "Here's the 300 gold," Raven added, opening a trade window with me.

  "It's fine. I never said you had to pay me," I replied.

  "What do you mean?" Crow asked, confused.

  "I just want to help you guys out since I'm here for the same thing," I explained.

  "Oh, okay," Crow nodded.

  The Abandoned Mountain is a special dungeon, no monsters, just the boss.

  "So, what’s the plan?" Raven asked.

  "When I say ‘To me,’ you both run towards me," I instructed.

  "Got it," Crow replied.

  "And take these," I handed each of them three smoke bombs.

  I was originally going to use them in the labyrinth in case a high-level player showed up,

  but after the vampire incident, I never got the chance, I thought to myself.

  "What are we supposed to do with these?" Raven asked.

  "When I say ‘Throw,’ you toss them," I said simply.

  "That’s it?" Crow asked.

  "That’s it," I confirmed.

  "Alright, we can do that," Raven agreed as we entered the boss area.

  The main goal was getting Tengu's item drop, Tengu’s Black Feather.

  It is a guaranteed drop but could only be obtained once per player and sold for a thousand gold.

  The Tengu stood before us, covered in black feathers, its appearance a blend of human, monkey, and bird, just like the legends described.

  "I’ve fought it a few times, but it still looks cool," I thought to myself.

  "You two, keep your distance," I instructed.

  "And if you see hundreds of feathers swirling, run", I continued.

  "Got it," they both replied.

  The moment I heard their confirmation, I charged at the Tengu to grab its aggro.

  I closed in and immediately cast Backstab, then used my Kusarigama to ensnare one of its talons with Chain Bind, forcefully slamming it to the ground.

  Thanks to the 15 levels I gained from the labyrinth, I had just enough strength to execute Chain Slam, a default skill for Kusarigama users.

  I retracted the chain and followed up with a horizontal slash before the Tengu could regain its footing.

  A notification appeared, Poison and Paralysis inflicted.

  My Assassin’s Poison Dagger and Paralyzing Dagger effects must have transferred to my sickle.

  The Tengu shrieked, causing Raven and Crow to instinctively retreat as it cast Feather Storm… a deadly AOE attack.

  I threw my chain toward a tree branch and swung myself out of range.

  Raven and Crow made it out safely.

  Now, the Tengu brandished its Feather Sword, a sign that the real fight was beginning.

  As soon as the Feather Storm subsided, it lunged at me with incredible speed.

  I quickly shifted my Kusarigama into Scythe Form to block the Tengu’s attacks.

  The Tengu unleashed a relentless flurry of slashes.

  Though slower than my grandfather’s swordsmanship, it still managed to land two hits.

  I checked my HP, down to 80% in just two hits.

  "I still need more practice with the scythe," I thought grimly.

  Then, the Tengu’s feathers glowed crimson, a clear sign it was about to use Cyclone Slash.

  "To me!" I shouted.

  Raven and Crow sprinted toward me as fast as they could.

  I activated Walking Mirage, leaving an illusion of myself in place, then kicked off the illusion to create distance.

  The Tengu unleashed its Cyclone Slash, instantly shredding my illusion.

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  Fortunately, I had kicked the mirage far enough, that Raven and Crow weren’t caught in the attack.

  As the skill ended, I dashed back into range and activated Backstab again.

  This time, wielding my scythe, I unleashed multiple Sonic Slashes, a level 40 Assassin skill that triples damage and critical hit chance.

  The Tengu had no time to react.

  All four slashes landed.

  My MP was nearly depleted, but it was enough.

  The Tengu’s body disintegrated into light.

  "That was so cool!" Crow exclaimed.

  "How can I get a weapon like that?" Raven asked, clearly impressed.

  "Did you guys get the Tengu’s Feather?" I asked.

  "Yeah!" they both answered excitedly.

  "Just hand it over to the advancement quest giver, and you’re all set," I said.

  "Thanks a lot!" Raven grinned.

  "So, what exactly are we supposed to do with these smoke bombs?" Crow asked, still holding three of them.

  I glanced at him and calmly explained, "The player offering 'help' earlier is probably waiting just outside the boss area, planning to ambush us."

  "Why?" Crow asked innocently.

  "To steal our items," Raven answered before I could.

  "That's kinda messed up," Crow muttered.

  "So these smoke bombs… they're for us to escape safely?" Crow asked.

  "Exactly," I nodded.

  I could feel their unease as they kept glancing toward the exit.

  "They may be higher level than us, but because they underestimate us, we can catch them off guard," I reassured them.

  Raven took a deep breath.

  "What do we do after we throw the smoke bombs?", he asked.

  "Run. Use the gate to return to town," I instructed as I started drinking MP potions to replenish my mana.

  "And you?" Crow asked hesitantly.

  "Wait for me at the town inn," I said.

  Though still doubtful, both of them walked beside me as we stepped out of the boss area.

  As expected, Dark Ice and his crew were already there, waiting.

  "Wow, you guys actually beat the Tengu.

  Now hand over the Tengu’s Black Feather, and we’ll let you go," Dark Ice sneered.

  Twelve DarkMoon guild members stood in front of me, their average level at least 60.

  I sighed, then suddenly dashed forward, and activated my Backstab skill.

  Dark Ice barely had time to react as my blade struck his back, inflicting Poison and Paralysis.

  Jumping into the air, I shouted, "Throw!"

  Raven and Crow hurled their smoke bombs, engulfing the area in thick smoke, cutting off visibility.

  The enemy assumed I had jumped into the trees, giving Raven and Crow the perfect chance to escape.

  Especially with Dark Ice panicking, yelling for his healer to remove his debuffs.

  As the smoke cleared, they were all still looking up.

  But I was never in the trees.

  I was standing right in front of them.

  Their eyes widened in shock.

  "You really have a death wish, don’t you?" Dark Ice growled.

  I smirked. "Not really. I just noticed you guys have some nice gear.

  If I’m lucky, one of your rare items might drop."

  "As if you can beat us! You're outnum…" One of the members didn't get to finish his sentence.

  A blood spear shot straight through his chest.

  "Outnumbered?" I finished his words for him.

  Panic spread among them as they realized five of their members were already skewered by my blood spears.

  They turned back to me as they realized they're already caught by my blood chains, only to meet my gaze.

  A crimson glow radiated from my blood-red eyes as I flashed a smile, revealing my sharp white fangs.

  Before any of them could react, hundreds of blood spears rained down, impaling every last one of them.

  Forbidden Skill: Blood Paradise.

  Good thing I bought those six smoke bombs, without them, Raven and Crow might have been traumatized if they had stayed and watched from the sidelines.

  The smoke bombs gave me just enough time to finish chanting after activating my new skill, No Longer Human.

  As the BlackMoon members’ bodies disappeared, I gathered the dropped items.

  It was quite a haul.

  Hopefully, they learned their lesson.

  I waited a few minutes for my Vampiric Skill to wear off before heading back to town.

  On the way, I sold most of the loot I got from the BlackMoon members.

  When I arrived at the Town’s Inn, Raven and Crow looked surprised to see me walk through the door.

  I casually made my way to their table and ordered some food.

  “We thought they got you,” Crow admitted.

  “We already handed the Tengu’s Feather to the advancement quest giver,” Raven added.

  “Great,” I replied.

  “I turned mine in too, so let’s celebrate… starting today, we’re officially Shinobi.”

  Raven grinned, but then his expression turned curious.

  “So… what happened to the BlackMoon guild?”

  I smirked. “I just taught them a lesson.”

  Then, I opened a trade window and handed Raven a White Titanium Set, including a Shinobi's primary weapon.

  His eyes widened. “This set is worth at least 1,000 gold! I can’t accept this, you’ve already done so much for us.”

  “Just take it,” I said.

  “Consider it a ‘donation’ from the BlackMoon Guild, an apology, if you will”, I added.

  Then, I turned to Crow and handed him a Black Titanium Set.

  The Black and White Titanium sets were ideal for beginners, as they didn’t drop upon death.

  While slightly weaker than other sets, they were great for learning the game.

  Both Raven and Crow accepted the gear, looking thrilled as they equipped it.

  Seeing them like that made me smile, it reminded me of my own guild.

  “Phantomlord, can we just call you ‘Big Brother’?” Crow asked.

  “Of course,” I replied with a chuckle.

  After eating, I spent a few hours teaching them survival tips and combat strategies for stronger opponents.

  Eventually, they logged off, bidding me farewell.

  The whole interaction lifted my spirits.

  I found myself smiling.

  I guess I’ll save getting the Reaper Class for another day.

  By the time I logged off, it was already 11 PM.

  Still hungry, I checked the kitchen and found a meal waiting for me, omelet rice wrapped in cellophane.

  A small note was stuck to it: “Reheat before eating, Riel.”

  I warmed it up in the microwave while preparing a cup of hot chocolate.

  As expected, it tasted great.

  I wonder if Alex made this.

  Whoever it was, I was grateful.

  In-game food could never truly satisfy hunger.

  Ten minutes later, I had finished both the omelet rice and my hot chocolate.

  Before heading to bed, I sorted through my luggage, picking out an outfit for my tour with Dia tomorrow.

  After a few minutes of searching, I finally settled on something suitable.