Chapter 204: New Assassin Skills

Luke stared at the list of skill options that had unlocked when his class hit level 35. Every single one had “Assassin” in the name.

It’s just like I suspected. Being a Demonic Assassin means I get skills from two different styles. If I go more for the non-stealthy assassin approach, killing head-on with a combat style closer to a mercenary, that’s actually the demonic side of the class, something more savage and beast-like. Technically, this class isn’t about stealth, it’s about killing. But if I play it stealthy, more like a traditional assassin, the system gives me skills that fit that kind of approach.

He thought back to when he’d gained the Force Infusion skill. It had come right after he began to understand how stamina really worked. One of his strategies for dealing with the Beast Lord was to replicate that process, learn through use, push the system to respond. For now, he pushed that thought aside and focused on the current options.

[Assassin’s Silence (Ultra-Rare)]: The assassin creates a transparent, invisible dome around themselves that nullifies all internal sound. Footsteps, weapons, movement. Everything becomes utterly silent. Perfect for undetected execution. Duration: a few seconds.

He didn’t need to guess where that came from. The past few days, moving silently through the camps, watching from the shadows, learning the routes and behavior of the stone soldiers, his stealth instincts had sharpened. That side of the class had finally responded. And now he had a skill that could be a game changer. The statues didn’t scream. They didn’t talk. So at first glance, it might not seem useful… but a silence field like this? That had serious potential.

Would it work if I triggered it right as one of them tried to blow the horn?

He weighed the possibilities. Stealth was the key to reaching the boss. Whether the mission had been designed with that in mind, or whether it was just a series of lucky breaks, didn’t matter. What mattered was that this skill might be the edge he needed.

But how long does the dome actually last? And how far does it extend?

Critical information. And more importantly: how much mana does it cost?

A skill that strong probably didn’t come cheap. And then there was the wording: “a few seconds.” His Wraith Form skill, which burned through mana faster than anything else he had, never mentioned a time limit. As long as he had fuel, it ran. Like a car engine. But this one explicitly referenced time. That wasn’t by accident. Nothing in the system ever was.

Does that mean I can just recast it once it ends? Or is there some sort of cooldown like with Spectral Barrier?

He remembered how that worked. No matter how much mana Charlie had, once the barrier shattered, it took a long time before she could activate it again.

Would Assassin’s Silence work the same way?

With a sigh, he moved to the next skill on the list.

[Greedy Assassin’s Mark (Ultra-Rare)]: Your [Assassin’s Mark] evolves. Now, you may mark up to three targets simultaneously. Your senses will fixate on them. No matter where they run, if they remain within your domain, you will find them. No prey escapes hungry eyes. The mark remains until removed, expired, or replaced.

An upgrade!

His current [Assassin’s Mark] could only tag a single target, but even that had helped more than once. Expanding it to three opened up all kinds of tactical flexibility. He could mark the key threats in each camp. Focus his approach. Control the battlefield before it even started. Luke bookmarked that one as a top contender alongside Assassin’s Silence, then scrolled to the next option.

[Assassin’s Tracking (Rare)]: The assassin does not wait in the shadows. He hunts with lethal intent. Allows the tracking of individuals through minimal traces, interpreting subtle movement patterns and environmental distortions. Grants sensitivity to mana fluctuations, enabling detection of targets even while hidden. Effects are amplified when the enemy enters your perception field.

Mana fluctuations?

Luke’s eyes locked on the screen, his focus sharpening. Ever since his near clash with the Midnight Warden in the ant colony, he’d been trying to understand mana on a deeper level. Not just feel it, understand it. But he couldn’t, not yet. He lacked knowledge. He needed something, anything, that could push him closer to insight.

Most of his current skills felt like microwave dinners: pre-packaged, easy to use, effective, but hollow. What he wanted was the recipe. The how. He didn’t just want results. He wanted control. And for that, he needed more raw contact with mana. Real, visceral experience. He scrolled to the next skill.

[Assassin’s Eyes (Rare)]: The assassin gains perfect mental recall of any visual scene. Faces, maps, symbols, patterns. Everything is recorded with photographic precision. Ideal for deciphering routes, remembering targets, or planning ambushes with exact timing.

Technical. Not magical.

It clashed with the learning curve he was chasing. Sure, all system skills were magical in origin, but this felt like something different. Like the knowledge to wield a blade, which was magically downloaded into his mind, but still more intellectual than elemental. Less fireball, more training.

Luke categorized this as a hybrid: part arcane, part technique granted by the class itself. Still, it wasn’t what he needed. Useful? Definitely. Possibly even more than Greedy Assassin’s Mark depending on how it was used. But not what he wanted. He dismissed it.

[Assassin’s Breath (Rare)]: With a subtle gesture, the assassin can extinguish torches and small flames within his perception radius, as if snuffing them out from afar. Ideal for plunging areas into darkness and disorienting enemies during nighttime assaults.

Like Batman, he thought.

His inner child would’ve picked that one instantly. Luke exhaled and returned to the list, now narrowed down to three contenders:

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[Assassin’s Silence], built for pure execution.

[Greedy Assassin’s Mark], espionage, intel gathering, hunting, and yes, assassination.

[Assassin’s Tracking], which, he realized, covered much of what the Greedy Mark offered, but with a broader application.

With Tracking, he could pinpoint targets, infiltrate camps with full awareness, and hunt anything that moved. A perfect assassin’s tool. And yet… none of them matched the potential of Assassin’s Silence. Even with the mana cost unknown, the utility was immense. A guaranteed kill in the right moment. Silent. Clean. Final. But Luke clenched his jaw.

Because logically, the right choice wasn’t the most exciting one. Assassin’s Tracking was the path toward what he truly wanted, to understand mana. And through that, eventually, the key to defeating the Beast Lord.

“Damn it.”

He selected the skill and dismissed the system window.

[You have acquired Class Skill: Assassin’s Tracking]

The screen faded, and with it, Assassin’s Silence disappeared from his interface. The weight of the choice hit immediately. He could feel the disappointment gnawing inside, the sense of watching something precious slip away. But he made the call. And he would make it count. Luke let out a sigh.

This investment better pay off… or I just made a colossal mistake.

“Artemis,” he called out.

“Yes, Luke? Is this the moment you finally admit I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you?” she replied.

“What? No. What kind of ridiculous, wait, where did that even come from?” He paused, then shook his head. Arguing with her was a fast track to losing his mind.

“Just answer me this. Do you know how to make an arrow from scratch?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Then I’m going to need you to teach me. And I’ll need more training with the bow. If I’m going to take down the Beast Lord, I need every edge I can get… or we’re all screwed.”

“When are we not screwed?” she said flatly.