Chapter 42
The cost of teleportation is related to distance, and this price is quite reasonable given that the corresponding real distance from Makur Star to Blue Star isn’t far, as both are within the same region of the Milky Way.
A burst of light enveloped Ye Bai, and after a brief sensation of weightlessness, the scene before him shifted, and he found himself in the inner city of another main city.
Tut City presented a completely different landscape compared to Melo City.
The entire city was dominated by hues of red, purple, and black. The architectural style favored massive blocks of stone and whole trees, intricately carved with various totems, exuding a sense of mystery and depth.
It was clear that this was the main city of a faction specializing in the power of chaos.
The path of the Chaos School involved tapping into the latent powers within one’s own bloodline. The unique class, Chaos Warrior, could only be advanced here—capable of both dealing damage and taking hits, making it highly practical. Spellcasting classes could also be chosen, but here, spells were derived not from knowledge but from prayers and bloodline transformation, referred to as "异能" (yì néng, meaning "extraordinary abilities").
As a Whisperer with a magical bloodline, Ye Bai was essentially on the same path.
Like Melo City, the inner city of Tut City was devoid of players. It was already dusk, and Ye Bai didn’t linger in the inner city. He hurried to the outer district before the gates closed.
Compared to the well-lit inner city, the outer district was undoubtedly much darker, with only a few main roads illuminated by sparse streetlights.
Most players had already ventured into the wilderness to hunt monsters. Ye Bai, holding a windproof lantern he had casually purchased earlier, stepped into the gradually darkening alleys of the outer city.
In a bustling main city with a large population, the security in the outer district was far worse than in the inner city, and crime thrived in these shadowy corners.
NPCs weren’t merely quest-givers; players who wandered aimlessly in the alleys at night could easily find themselves in trouble.
As Ye Bai turned a corner, a shadow suddenly lunged at him without warning.
【Slow Spell】
The shadow’s originally swift movements slowed down, and Ye Bai pressed a gleaming white silver sword against its neck.
‘-2’
The blade grazed the shadow’s skin, and a low damage notification floated up.
This was the deceptive nature of Ye Bai’s equipment; under normal circumstances, no one would expect a person clad in leather armor wielding a sword to be a mage, especially not NPCs.
Ye Bai brought the lantern closer to the shadow, illuminating the face of a boy around fifteen or sixteen years old.
Under the lingering effects of the Slow Spell, the boy struggled to rise from the ground, realizing he had encountered someone formidable. He quickly pleaded, “My lord, I was wrong! Please spare me!”
Ye Bai withdrew his sword, instantly earning the boy’s gratitude.
“Thank you, my lord! Thank you!”
【You have gained 5 reputation points in Tut City’s ‘Black Street’】
This was a test that players would inevitably encounter on their first night entering the Black Street of each main city. The tester’s level ranged from 10 to 15, with an additional speed boost. If a player was killed during the encounter or failed to subdue the attacker with absolute strength, they would not unlock Black Street reputation and would continue to be harassed.
Only by capturing the attacker, as Ye Bai did, could one prove their strength to step into the Black Street.
Choosing to kill the attacker would also yield a negative reputation of 5 in the Black Street, ensuring that no one would dare to harass her again. However, some quests related to the Black Street would become unavailable.
Ye Bai took a step to leave, knowing the magical effect would wear off in a few seconds.
Halfway through, she suddenly remembered something and stopped:
“I’m looking for this symbol. Have you seen it anywhere?”
Ye Bai drew a triangular symbol in the dirt, with the outline of an eye inside.
……
“My lord, it’s right here.” The boy nodded eagerly at Ye Bai, as if granted a reprieve.
【You have gained 1 point in ‘Intimidation’ proficiency】
Seeing the unexpectedly unlocked ‘Intimidation’ ability, Ye Bai raised an eyebrow. This was a hidden life skill; as proficiency increased, it could yield unexpected benefits. Other skills in the same category included ‘Deception’ and ‘Theft,’ all of which could significantly reduce reputation if failed, and there was even a chance of being imprisoned in an NPC town.
The house before her looked no different from the other darkened residences. Ye Bai approached and felt the symbol on the side of the doorknob.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Ye Bai knocked rhythmically three times.
After a moment, a deep voice came from within, “Who’s there?”
“I’m a lost traveler.”
“What do you want?”
“To embrace the darkness.”
The wooden door creaked open, revealing a pitch-black room. Ye Bai stepped inside confidently, and the door closed behind her.
In complete darkness, the deep voice said, “Let me see the darkness you wish to embrace…”
【Choose your target for hunting?】
Without hesitation, Ye Bai selected the option with the broadest scope—【Blooded Ones】.
At the same moment, the figure in the darkness mused, “Hmm… I see.”
“How interesting, it points to others, but also to yourself.”
“Before you step into the darkness, remember that the line between hunter and prey is not always clear, especially when the scent of blood is so strong on you.”
“Are you truly ready?”
【Do you wish to join the faction ‘Assassin’s Guild’?】
【Equipping faction appearance: You will encounter attacks from hostile factions; attacking your chosen targets increases damage by (kill count)% with no upper limit; killing your selected targets increases drop rates by (50 + kill count)%; if killed by your chosen targets, drop rates increase by (50 + kill count)%, and you will lose double experience upon death, clearing any extra damage effects.】
This was the very purpose of Ye Bai’s visit. She was already well aware of the faction dynamics and decisively chose yes.
In the next moment, a prompt sounded again.
【You have activated faction mode; you have joined the ‘Assassin’s Guild’】
【Current faction reputation: 0, Current reputation level: Gray Robed Assassin】
【Hostile factions: All non-‘Assassin’s Guild’ factions】
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Chapter 29
After joining the Assassin’s Guild, Ye Bai received a faction item, the 【Assassin’s Gray Robe】.
This item occupies the ‘clothing slot’ and does not take up an equipment slot. However, once equipped, it signifies her faction identity, allowing her to utilize the faction’s special effects while also attracting attacks from hostile factions.
The Assassin’s Guild can be likened to the villainous killer organizations in martial arts dramas, universally reviled.
The most ruthless aspect is that if members of other organizations kill each other, the aggressor will immediately lose faction reputation. The Assassin’s Guild, however, operates differently; as long as they kill their targets, it doesn’t matter what faction the target belongs to—even if it’s someone from their own faction, they are treated equally.
In short, it embodies a standard chaotic neutral alignment. The faction’s characteristics make it a favorite among PK players; as long as one is confident they won’t be backstabbed, the rewards from hunting targets can be substantial.
Since there is no red name system in this world, normally, fighting in the wilderness goes unchecked. Even in the outer districts of towns and cities, fighting only slightly lowers territorial favorability. However, if a fight damages NPC property or occurs in the inner city where nobles reside, the guards maintaining order will swiftly intervene.
When players die in PK, aside from items with the ‘death drop’ characteristic, the drop rate for other items is less than 1%. Killing itself does not yield extra rewards.
After joining the Assassin faction, killing and looting became possible.
In truth, if it weren’t for the kidnapping incident, Ye Bai wouldn’t have considered joining the Assassin faction.
Once a faction is chosen, it cannot be changed unless one deletes their character and starts anew. The Assassin faction is a universally hostile orphan faction. Not changing faction attire is one thing, but once donned, it becomes a moving reputation score in the eyes of other factions.
Joining a conventional faction allows one to enjoy its advantages and gain benefits in friendly factions. Even notorious evil factions have their share of allies, unlike the Assassin’s Guild, which can turn on its own in a heartbeat.
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