Noir crouched at the forest's edge, twin daggers drawn, breath fogging in the cold air. The trees loomed like silent sentinels, and somewhere beyond them, death waited.
He opened his panel.
[LEVEL 3]
Skills:
• Critical Dash Slash
• Swift Step
• Backstab
• Shadow Feint
Potions:
• HP x50
• Stamina x35
Quest: The Retired Fang
Objective: Retrieve the Scroll of Venari from a Night Howler
Status: In Progress
He activated the XP bonus.
[XP Multiplier Active — x2 EXP | Duration: 6 Days, 23 Hours]
A pulse of energy surged through his limbs. His fingers twitched.
"Let's dance."
He moved like a ghost through the underbrush, avoiding mobs, tracking claw marks and blood trails. The forest was alive with tension—every rustle a threat, every shadow a trap.
The clearing was silent. Bones littered the ground like warnings. Noir stepped forward, daggers gleaming, breath steady but heart pounding.
From the shadows, the Night Howler emerged — fur bristling, eyes burning crimson.
Night Howler
[Lv. 4 | Maroon Name | Elite Predator]
It didn't charge immediately. It stalked. Studied him.
Noir crouched, activating his combat HUD. Cooldowns ticking. Potions ready. Every second mattered.
Then — the Howler roared and lunged.
[Swift Step]
Noir vanished sideways, dodging the beast's claws by a hair. He pivoted mid-dash, using the momentum to launch into a [Backstab].
He blinked behind the Howler, blade aimed for the kidney — but the beast twisted unnaturally fast, intercepting him with a shoulder slam.
HP -18%
Noir rolled, recovered, and triggered [Shadow Feint].
A clone burst forward, identical in stance and motion — and then it copied Noir's last skill.
[Backstab — Clone Echo]
The clone blinked behind the Howler and struck — not as deep, but precise. 50% damage of the original hit.
The beast reeled, confused by the double assault.
Noir used the distraction to flank wide.
[Critical Dash Slash]
He surged in — six slashes in rapid succession, carving deep into the Howler's flank.
Blood sprayed. The beast shrieked — but it wasn't done.
The Howler retaliated with a spinning claw combo — Noir blocked the first with crossed daggers, but the second tore through his guard.
HP -22%
He staggered, popped a stamina potion, and retreated behind a fallen log.
Cooldowns:
Swift Step: 3s
Backstab: 5s
Shadow Feint: 7s
Critical Dash Slash: 12s
The Howler leapt over the log — Noir baited it with a feint, then triggered [Swift Step] again, vaulting onto a tree branch.
From above, he dropped down, daggers aimed for the spine.
[Backstab] — critical hit!
The beast roared, bucking violently. Noir was thrown, landing hard.
HP -15%
The Howler circled, limping but furious. Noir's cooldowns were ticking down. He had one shot.
He triggered [Shadow Feint] — but this time, he used the clone as bait and cover.
The clone charged. The Howler lunged.
Noir used [Swift Step] to dash behind the clone, then [Backstab] again — this time to the neck.
The beast reeled.
[Critical Dash Slash] — off cooldown.
Noir dashed in, blades spinning like a storm — six slashes, each perfectly timed, each carving deeper.
[Shadow Feint — Clone Echo: Critical Dash Slash]
The clone followed up, mimicking the same dash pattern — six ghostly slashes that dealt half the damage, but enough to tip the scale.
The Howler collapsed, twitching, blood pooling beneath it.
Noir stood over it, panting, blades dripping.
[EXP Gained!]
[LEVEL UP — Level 4]
No drop.
He checked the ground. Nothing.
"Of course."
*****
The next few hours were a gauntlet of blood and breathless motion. Noir hunted like a machine — but even machines wear down.
He fought one Night Howler at a time. Never more. He couldn't afford to.
Each encounter was a chess match played at knife-speed. Every skill mattered. Every cooldown was a lifeline.
He'd open with [Swift Step], baiting the Howler's charge. Then [Backstab] to the ribs. If the beast turned too fast, he'd trigger [Shadow Feint] — and the clone would echo his last move, striking from behind with 50% of the original damage.
It wasn't just a distraction anymore. It was a second blade.
[Critical Dash Slash] became his finisher — six slashes in a blink, often paired with a clone echo for a devastating 1.5x burst.
But the Howlers adapted. They learned. They started feinting, baiting his clone, even dodging his openers.
Noir adjusted. He began chaining Shadow Feint after his dash, letting the clone echo the full combo while he repositioned for a second strike.
Still, the cost was steep.
His stamina bar dipped constantly. His HP flirted with danger. He burned through potions like air.
By Hour 2 — he hit Level 5.
By Hour 4 — Level 6.
By Hour 5 — Still no scroll.
The eleventh kill nearly broke him.
The Howler had been faster. Smarter. It clipped his leg mid-dash, pinned him against a tree, and nearly tore his throat out.
He survived by triggering Shadow Feint mid-grapple — the clone mimicked Backstab, stabbing the beast in the spine just long enough for Noir to roll free and finish it with a desperate Critical Dash Slash.
He collapsed afterward, chest heaving, daggers slick with black blood.
His arm throbbed. His vision blurred. His potion count was down to single digits.
The XP multiplier kept the grind worth it — barely. But mentally, he was fried.
"This isn't worth dying over," he muttered.
He dragged himself beneath the roots of a massive tree. Hidden. Quiet. Safe enough.
He opened the system menu and tapped [Log Out].
[Error: You cannot log out while flagged as a Red Name.]
[To revert to Neutral status, you must eliminate one Red-Named Player.]
Noir's eyes narrowed.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
It was from earlier.
Now he was stuck.
"Perfect. Just perfect."
*****
The forest thinned near the western edge of the zone, where the trees gave way to open grass and the air hung heavy with the scent of scorched earth. The sun was dipping low, casting long shadows across the field.
Noir stepped out from the treeline, his boots silent on the moss. His red name tag pulsed faintly above his head — a mark of blood, a warning to others.
Ahead, a lone mage stood among the corpses of Syph. His robes shimmered with enchantments, and a floating staff hovered at his side, humming with residual mana. He was focused, methodical, and unaware.
Noir's voice cut through the stillness.
"Hey bully."
The mage turned, blinking. Confusion flickered across his face — then recognition.
"You're red-tagged," he said, eyes narrowing. "You serious right now?"
Noir's expression didn't change. His grip on his daggers tightened.
"I just need to kill you to go neutral."
The mage's stance shifted. His staff snapped into his hand.
"Then come try."
Noir moved.
He vanished in a blur of motion — Swift Step — and reappeared behind the mage in a heartbeat. His blade struck deep, a clean Backstab, slicing through cloth and flesh.
The mage gasped, staggered forward — but didn't fall.
"Not bad," he growled, spinning on his heel. "But I'm not some AFK farmer."
A pulse of energy exploded from his body — Arcane Pulse — and Noir was thrown back, skidding across the grass.
Pain flared in his ribs. He rolled, came up low, breathing hard.
The mage was already casting again.
Chains of blue light lashed out — Mana Bind — but Noir ducked, rolled beneath them, and popped a stamina potion mid-motion.
A spear of fire screamed toward him — Flame Lance — and he triggered Shadow Feint just in time.
The clone took his place, absorbing the hit in a burst of flame.
But the clone didn't just vanish.
It shimmered, blinked behind the mage, and struck — a mirrored Backstab, not as strong, but enough to stagger him again.
The mage cursed, stumbling.
"You're not the only one with tricks."
He raised his staff high. A shimmering barrier wrapped around him — Mirror Ward — pulsing with arcane energy.
Noir narrowed his eyes.
"Let's see if it holds."
He dashed in, feinting left, then right. The mage tracked him, staff glowing.
Three bolts of mana fired in a spread — Arcane Barrage.
Noir dodged the first, deflected the second with a dagger, and took the third to the ribs.
He winced — but didn't stop.
He was already moving.
Critical Dash Slash.
He surged forward, blades flashing like lightning.
One. Two. Three.
The barrier cracked.
Four. Five.
It shattered.
Six.
Blood sprayed.
The mage reeled, eyes wide — but it wasn't over.
The clone moved.
Shadow Feint — Clone Echo: Critical Dash Slash.
Six more ghostly slashes from the opposite side.
Twelve strikes in total.
The mage tried to cast — something, anything — but his hands were already fading.
"No—!"
Too late.
His body shattered into light, dissolving into the wind.
Silence returned.
A few items clinked to the ground — herbs, two stamina potions, and a silver ring with no stats.
Noir stood still, blades dripping, breath steady.
The red glow above his name flickered — then vanished.
[Red Tag Cleared. You are now Neutral.]
[You may now log out safely.]
He looked up at the darkening sky.
"Finally."
He opened his menu and tapped [Log Out].
This time, it worked.
*****
The world dissolved into light.
Noir's body faded, pixel by pixel, until there was nothing left but silence.
Then — a hiss.
The pod opened with a soft exhale of air. Cool, sterile light spilled into the room.
Lukas blinked up at the ceiling, eyes adjusting to the real world. Sweat clung to his skin, cold now. His breath was shallow, like he'd just run a marathon.
He reached for the bottle of water beside the pod and drank half of it in one go. The taste was flat, but grounding.
His phone buzzed.
He wiped his neck, grabbed the device, and opened Messenger.
[Group Chat: Kupalords]
Karl: Bro did you see that GM announcement??
JP: The Syph spawn thing? 10% rate and 7-day EXP boost??
Migs: Yeah but they're aggressive af. You get caught solo, you're done.
Erik: And PK is enabled outside safe zones now. Red-names can't even go back to town 💀
Karl: Wasteland prison if you die red-tagged. That's brutal.
JP: Kinda hype though. Risk = reward.
Migs: I bet Lukas is already out there hunting them solo lol
Karl: I didn't even noticed him in game
Erik: Lukas, you alive? Or are you already in Wasteland?
Lukas: No lol, just finished farming.
Karl: Bro you better not be farming Syphs alone
Lukas: I cant defeat it alone bro, they are super fast
JP: no cap thooo
Migs: I saw a post on the forum that someone soloed a 6 man party tf
Erik: FR!!?
Lukas closed his phone and smile faintly
They didn't know. Not about the Night Howlers. Not about the red tag. Not even about Noir.
And that was exactly how he wanted it.
He set the phone down beside the bed and stared at the ceiling, the fan above spinning in slow, lazy circles.
"I'll find that scroll tomorrow."
His eyes closed.
*****
—Morning...
The hum of the ceiling fan was the first thing he heard. Then the faint sound of traffic outside — jeepneys, horns, the city waking up.
Lukas lay still, letting the weight of sleep fade. His body felt fine, but his mind was foggy — like his brain hadn't fully logged out.
The phantom ache of digital combat lingered in his limbs.
Eventually, he sat up, checked the time, and muttered, "Shit. Work."
He dressed quickly, combed his hair with two fingers, slung his bag over his shoulder, and stepped out into the heat of the morning.
The city moved around him — a blur of motion and noise. Jeepneys rumbled past, horns blaring. Vendors shouted over one another, the scent of fried food and exhaust thick in the air. Lukas walked with his head down, earbuds in, the world reduced to a muted hum.
His thumb scrolled lazily through his feed.
Then he saw it.
[Playtoon Co. – Global Tag]
UPRAISED | Event Recap | Union of Fury
• Most Klix Kills
• Best Loot Drops
• Rare Titles Earned
Top 3 Klix Hunters — Forest of Seldom Event
🥇 Fake (4 kills)
🥈 Polo (3 kills)
🥉 Noir (2 kills)
He stopped walking.
The crowd flowed around him like water around a stone.
His thumb hovered over the screen, frozen.
"…What?"
The post had exploded — over hundred thousand reacts, thousands of shares, a flood of comments.
He tapped the thread.
KaniMan: tf Noir? Never heard of him before
LunaDraws: Fake still slaps tho!
CrucifixionX: TWO KILLS SOLO?! CAPP!
DudongOP: This guy Fake man, 4 Syph kills?
Hexie: Nahhhhh
Knightbringer: that Noir guy was not in the leaderboard
Leechlord: Bro came outta nowhere and made Top 3… insane.
ModerateOP: At least he ain't Fake lmao
Pulse: Why u hating Fake tho?
Lukas stared at the screen.
There it was. His name — Noir — etched into the official event post. Top 3.
He hadn't even tried for it. No party. No guild. No strategy beyond survival. He just wanted the scroll.
But now… people were talking. Watching. Wondering.
And none of them knew who he really was.
He slipped the phone into his pocket and crossed the street, the noise of the city returning like a wave.
Still invisible — but not for long.
The day passed in a blur.
He clocked in. The same old job. The same tired greetings. The same fluorescent lights humming overhead.
Eight hours of scanning barcodes, answering questions, and pretending to smile.
When it was over, he bought a drink from the nearest store and waited for the next jeep home, the bottle sweating in his hand.
You could see it in his face—he was itching to get back. Back to the grind. Back to the game.
"Alright," he muttered under his breath, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Let's get that scroll."
The world was waiting.
But just as he stepped onto the jeep, his phone buzzed. One notification. One name.