WOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHH!!
Time seemed to slow down to a halt as Crow's mind flowed like a gentle river.
His arms outstretched to his sides, his eyes closed, and his face up to sky.
It looked as if he were accepting death with all those angry players rushing at him.
Yet his mind was calm.
Memories of his life before coming into this game ran through his mind.
'Dreams, dreams, dreams, dreams.'
The word repeated in his mind as he pondered the true meaning of it.
'What is my Dream?'
He thought back to his life before entering the game, the state of his half-dead body, his near death experiences since arriving in this world.
'What have I experience more so than anything else...
A smirk arose on his face.
'Nightmares,' the boy's obsidian's eyes opened gazing at the colorful orbs above, 'If the Source is truly limited by one's creativity then why must Dreams only be pleasant.'
With that thought confirmed in his mind a draining feel overcame him and an intangible gust swept through the Grasslands.
All the players who were previously approaching with ready weapons and a steady pace began to panic as they started scratching at themselves.
"Get it off!"
"What are these?!"
Crow smiled at this as he swiftly rushed forward.
SWOOOSH!
CHUNK!
He stabbed his dagger through an enemy's eye before taking his weapon and making use of it on the other players, allowing the reliable black boxes to feed on them before making his way to the others.
Steadily he felt his power rise, even with how checking his status he felt each life he took the next was even easier to take.
However, after dispatching 8 players the boy quickly ran to a female Human player and whacked her in the neck, knocking her unconscious and pulling her along as he ran from the group.
Leaving the players to scramble and scream in terror.
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At the gate of the Beginner village 2 guards were on high alert.
As they saw the shadow of a figure approach through the nighttime grasslands, both raised their weapons, "Who goes there?"
A young boy covered in blood with his head hung slow limped along as he supported an unconscious girl on his side, "Please sir, we tried to take the bounty. We need to rest."
The guards eyes widened, "One criminal is so dangerous?"
They cast a subtle glance at each before speaking, "Show your identification!"
The boy, otherwise known as Crow, inwardly creased his brows at this, yet remained silent, causing the guards to speak once more, "Show your identification this instant, all who left the gate today should have received one."
Crow inwardly smiled at this, 'Sometimes silence was the best tool.'
He kept his head low and spoke in a pitiful tone, "Sir, me and my team left yesterday, we camped out near the rabbits and never expected him to be so domineering. Please, I just want to get my party member to the infirmary safely.
The guards paused and glanced at unconscious girl before giving other glances.
The guards closed their eyes and exhaled as they put down their weapons, 'Maybe we are being a big tight over one nobody, but it's our ass on the line.'
The guard pushed away his thoughts, "Fine, but stay out trouble."
"Yessir, Crow quickly nodded while keeping his head hidden from the illumination of the midnight torches as he pulled his "teammate" inside past the guards.
Crow found an inconspicuous alleyway and slit the girl's throat, leaving the cleanup to his little black boxes.
He then peaked his head out to make the sure the coast was clear, by this time the sky was near pitch dark if not for the torches that sparsely lit the streets and the multicolored orbs that hung overhead.
The boy made his way back Raz's shack, though it was risky to sleep in a town where he was so wanted it was even more so to sleep in the wilderness where both players and high level monsters were trying to kill him.
As he took out his key and unlocked the door he lumbered in exhaustedly, ready to slump into his bed.
As he shuffled his foot past the counter a hammer of flames alit, illuminating the room and causing the Crow jumping back and nearly yelping in fright.
Raz gazed at the boy, the shadows from the flame casting a mysterious about him, "Come with me, kiddo."
Crow pondered and looked over at the door before slumping his shoulders and following behind, 'I've seen him stop enough robbers to know I wouldn't even be able to take a step out if he wanted to kill me...'
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The 2 sat in the smithing room that was now fully illuminated by the torches all around.
Raz wasted no time, "So ye killed the Blessed?"
Crow's eyes widened before he lowered his head and slowly nodded.
The cat was out of the bag so Crow saw no reason to lie, with how intelligent NPC's are and with how fast news spread it'd be more surprising if Raz didn't know, yet the boy's expectation were surprised.
"Bah! Good, hate seein em' swagger round like they own the place, looks like ye' finally got more heart, eh?"
Crow eye's widened, before his expression softened and he nodded before slowly opening his mouth to speak, "But... I killed a Knight Trainee?"
Raz looked at him and shrugged his shoulders, "Bah, accidents happen, the locals know what happened. Ain't the only to be terrorized by the Blessed, a shame the one time someone fights back, it's led to this."
Crow nodded his head as a silence overtook the room all accept for the crackling of the torches.
"Boy." Raz finally spoke grabbing Crow's attention from the dancing flames, "Yes?"
The old dwarf gave a warm smile, "You know you can't stay here."
Crow felt as if a heavy weight pressed down onto this chest as he lowered his head as lips pouted, slowly nodding "I-I know."
Raz slowly patted Crow's shoulder, "Now, now, it's not cause I don't want ye here, but it'd be doin ye a disservice."
Crow raised his eyes and raised an eyebrow at him.
Raz's eyes slightly creased and he smiled, "You're special boy. There may not be alot you're tellin' me, I know you're not Blessed but I know for certain you're not like the rest of us."
Crow could only open his mouth to ask, "How-" before he was cut off.
"This old timer's been around for a long time boy, and I know someone special when I see em."
He gave a coy smile, "Especially when a lad randomly appears in my guest bedroom sound asleep, along the same time that the Blessed began to appear."
Crow eye's widened in shock, 'So that means I literally appeared out of nowhere, and instead of kicking me out he gave me a job and a place to stay...'
The boy felt his heart heat up and a smile arose on his face as he kept his eyes low.
The old dwarf stood up, yet was still head height with his apprentice across from him who also stood up.
"Come with me." the old dwarf said as they both walked into Raz's personal bedroom.
It was a simple layout similar to the one Crow stayed in, yet in the corner was a treasure chest gilded with reflective gold and oakwood that smelled of the forest.
Raz walked up and opened the chest after placing his fiery hand on it, and reached in what seemed to be an infinitely dark pit.
Finally, he stopped rummaging through yet kept his hand in as he turned to face Crow, "These past days, I been secretly watchin' ye. Your craftin's been gettin better it's still not enough for the long road ahead of ya."
Crow inwardly gulped, 'Is one of the best blacksmiths around really giving me a weapon?'
Raz smiled at the boy, the torches reflecting off his weary eyes, "I seen ya craftin' sword's as instructed but I also noticed ya quite keen on dagger's, and while I never made as much, I figured I'd give ya this here."
With that, Raz pulled out his hand to reveal 2 long iron daggers that were roughly 2ft (0.6m) and had a double sides sharp edge.
The old dward smiled as he handed them to Crow who began inspecting them.
[Raz's Custom Daggers]
[Skills:]
[Sharper than Sharp: Ignore Armor 10%]
Crow's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull as he slowly looked up at his instructor but before he could even question or politely reject, Raz placed his hand on the young boy's shoulder, "Consider it ye' Graduation gift."
To this Crow simply smiled and nodded.
After securing his new blades in his premium feeling leathery sheaths at his side Raz handed him a parchment paper, "Also, take this."
Crow received and unraveled what looked to be a map.
The boy looked up in confusion, "This'll take ye' to the next city. Gotta good friend there. She runs a shop too. She'll take care of ye, pretty sure gotta pupil your age too." He said with a suggestive wink, to which Crow chuckled and rolled his eyes.
The 2 walked to the front and only about 2 hours had passed and the light had yet to encroach back onto the land, the town still being encroached by the ever-present shadows.
Crow stood facing the door as Raz called to his back, "It'll be about a 2day journey, ye be careful now."
The boy nodded, yet couldn't fight back the urge to ask, "Thank you so much, but... why?"
Raz gave a warm toothy smile, "Times are changin' lad, I got noone to call my own, but in a way I see you as my own kin after these short days, and I can feel it... you've gotten stronger."
Crow's eyes inwardly widened as Raz continued, "Dunno how, but they say only the Blessed can grow, and I dunno what ye are exactly, but I'm willin to take a bet on ya."
The boy barely opened his mouth to respond when he was pulled in for a tight hug that nearly crushed alll his bones, "Ye be safe now."
Crow barely let out a nod as he waddled through the door, adorned in a fresh black cloak from Raz, and bag of spare clothes and nonperishable food, and then dipped into the darkness.
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