Zane's eyes lit up as he realized both of his skills had simultaneously triggered a mutation upgrade. Eager with anticipation, he opened his skill panel.
[Stealth]
Type: Skill
Rank: Tier 1 - LV3 (0/300)
Effect 1: Enter stealth mode using superior concealment techniques, rendering yourself invisible for 16 seconds. Movement speed +16%. Attacking or being attacked will break stealth.
Effect 2: First strike after breaking stealth deals +100% damage (Mutation Effect).
Mana Cost: 40
Cooldown: 40 seconds
[Steal]
Type: Skill
Rank: Tier 1 - LV6 (0/600)
Effect: Attempt to steal a random item from the target with a 12% success rate. Cannot steal bound items.
Mana Cost: 20
Cooldown: 20 seconds
"12% steal chance!"
Zane. Based on previous skill upgrades, LV6 should have only given him a 6% success rate. The mutation must have given it a boost.
"Perfect. Time for a field test."
He took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with mischief. After grinding skills for over half an hour, it was time to put them to the test.
Of course, normal monsters didn't interest him. If he was going out, he had to test his skills on elite monsters or even a boss.
Leaving the area where he had been farming "Bouncy Rabbits," Zane headed toward the vast wilderness outside the town.
"Holy crap, 'Bunny Beater' is finally moving on?"
"Haha, look at that! He's still level 0?"
"This is hilarious. I told you grinding Bouncy Rabbits was pointless!"
As soon as he stepped out, nearby players burst into laughter.
"That nickname…" Zane was speechless.
Apparently, some nosy players had noticed his grinding and even given him an absurd title in the chat.
"You clueless fools. Soon, you'll see just how OP I am. Hmph!"
Ignoring their jeers, he kept a low profile and left.
As he moved away from Maple Town, the monsters he encountered gradually increased in level—1, 2, 3…
He avoided unnecessary fights, using stealth whenever necessary. Now at LV4, his stealth skill had surpassed its tier limit, making him practically undetectable to these low-level creatures.
Twenty minutes later…
[You have entered Maple Woodland. Proceed with caution.]
Zane stepped into a new leveling zone. The map indicated that the monsters here were around level 5.
"This Shadow Panther boss belongs to the Domination Guild! Any idiot who dares interfere will get wrecked!"
"We found it first! Who do you think you are?"
"We've got numbers, you got a problem with that?"
As soon as he entered, he heard a heated argument nearby.
Bright flashes of skills flickered ahead.
"Something's going down."
Zane's eyes gleamed as he sneaked closer.
In a clearing, a group of players with the prefix "Domination" in their names had surrounded a ten-man party of solo players.
Within moments, the solo players were either dead or retreating. Only the Domination Guild members remained.
"What a bunch of idiots. Do they even know their place?"
Under the command of a sleazy-looking player named "Domination·Silver Spear," the guild turned its focus to a large, black panther.
From his hidden position, Zane inspected the beast.
[Mutated Shadow Panther - LV5]
Type: Black Iron-tier Boss
HP: 18,455/30,000
ATK: 200
Skills: Shadow Ambush, Predator's Pounce, Frenzied Bite, Double Strike
Description: A mutation within the Shadow Panther species. More vicious than its ordinary counterparts.
"A level 5 mini-boss with a ridiculous health pool and 200 attack power? One hit would obliterate me…"
"Luckily, these guys are doing the hard work for me."
Zane crouched behind a tree, blending into the foliage.
In many games, chance-based skills often had a higher success rate when the target was weakened. His Steal skill was no exception.
If these players could push the boss to critical HP, his success rate would spike.
As for possible retaliation if he got caught?
Who cares? He played games for the thrill, not to play it safe.
The fight dragged on. Domination Guild's members were strong, with 27 players, all at least level 3, and some even at level 4.
Their teamwork was solid. Warriors and shield-bearers cycled tanking duties, maintaining aggro. Rogues and swordsmen struck when openings appeared. Archers and mages provided ranged support, while clerics kept the frontliners alive.
Damage numbers popped up over the Shadow Panther's head:
-1
-1
-12
-14
MISS!
Though their attacks weren't dealing massive damage, they were gradually whittling down the boss's health.
Time ticked by.
"Not bad, they're useful after all. Time for me to step in."
Zane noticed the boss had reached critical HP.
Rubbing his hands together, he prepared to act.
His stealth lasted 16 seconds, and his Steal skill had only a 10-second cooldown (reduced by 50%).
That meant he could attempt two steals in one go.
But he had to be careful. If he activated stealth too soon, he'd waste precious seconds getting close.
Luckily, the Domination players were too focused on the boss to notice someone sneaking up on them.
"Stealth!"
Activating his skill, Zane boldly dashed through their flank.
The Shadow Panther twitched, sensing something off, but the ongoing attacks kept it occupied.
He slipped behind the beast.
Steal!
Failure.
"…Seriously?"
He stepped back, unfazed. A 12% success rate was still low, especially against a boss with a level and rank advantage.
"No worries, I've got one more shot."
The boss was down to 3% HP. The guild still needed time to finish it off.
Since stealing wasn't an attack, his stealth remained intact.
Ten seconds passed.
Zane moved in again. With a classic, well-practiced motion, he reached out—
Steal!
[Steal Successful! Skill Proficiency +20]
[You have obtained hidden equipment: 'Shadow Blade'!]