The moment Alex appeared before them, the silver-skinned humans spotted the glowing [-1000] suspended above his head.
To them, it was more than just a number—it was an unmistakable signal, their instinct was immediate and brutal.
It was something imprinted inside of them all, so it was natural to them to do it.
A neutral reputation of 0 meant indifference; anything above was respect or even fear, while a minor negative score like -100 might get you sneers and rejection.
But -1000? That was in a league of its own.
It was an unspoken rule: kill on sight.
The three silver-skinned warriors wasted no time.
The first two warriors charged at Alex without hesitation, swords glinting in the dappled light.
And the third—a woman archer—stayed back, nocking an arrow to her bow.
Fwish! Fwish!
Their movements were swift and precise, leaving Alex barely any time to react. He had faced tough opponents before, but nothing like these, in this life that is.
[Damien, Silver-Skin Warrior - Level 20]
[Sam, Silver-Skin Warrior - Level 19]
[Yor, Silver-Skin Archer - Level 16]
Alex's heart pounded in his chest as he realized the gravity of the situation.
The warriors were stronger than him, their levels and stats high enough to be a real threat.
'Damn it, this isn't good…' Alex thought, his mind racing.
This was just the beginning of Universal Descent, and already the level gaps between him and the NPCs was high, no wonder no one in his past life dared to defy them for no reason.
If he couldn't figure something out fast, he was finished.
Earth Shield!
A wall of earth materialized to his left, just in time to block Damien's incoming sword slash.
The impact was enough to send cracks across the shield, but it held, for now.
Meanwhile, Sam's sword came down from the right, forcing Alex to react quickly.
He swung his golden staff up to parry the strike, barely deflecting it in time.
Even though he managed to block both attacks, Alex knew it wouldn't last long.
His Earth Shield was already crumbling, and Sam's strength was more than he could handle in direct combat, meaning he had only one advantage left: his agility.
"Got you!" Alex muttered under his breath.
With a quick flick of his wrist, he equipped his [Horned Staff] and lunged forward, aiming for Damien's exposed neck.
He knew that if he didn't deal significant damage soon, the situation would spiral out of control.
[Critical Hit!]
-1250!
The staff pierced through Damien's armor, sinking deep into his flesh.
Blood sprayed from the wound as the warrior stumbled back, clutching at his neck.
It was a powerful blow, but not enough to finish him off.
At level 20, Damien had over 3000 HP, and Alex's single critical hit barely brought him to half health.
Damien snarled in rage, eyes burning with fury.
Before Alex could follow up, the warrior lashed out with a vicious kick.
"Argh!" Alex was thrown backward, his body slamming into a nearby tree with a loud thud.
-500!
Pain radiated through his back as he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
Fighting two silver-skinned warriors head-on was pure madness, but he didn't have a choice as they were relentless.
"ALEX!" Alice's voice rang out through the chaos, she was standing a few paces away, her eyes wide with fear.
She couldn't understand why the silver-skins had turned on them so suddenly!
Meanwhile, Yor, the archer, had been waiting for her moment.
Seeing Alex distracted, she drew back her bowstring, aiming directly at his chest, and her arrow flew through the air with deadly precision.
Fwish!
Alex hadn't seen the shot coming: he was too busy trying to fend off the warriors.
But Alice did, her instincts kicked in, and without thinking, she pulled out her own bow and fired an arrow of her own.
The two projectiles met in mid-air with a loud clang, deflecting each other harmlessly to the ground.
Yor frowned, confused, "Why are you protecting him?" she hissed, her voice now showing hostility toward the girl.
Ding!
[You have protected an enemy of the silver-skins. Your reputation has dropped to -500.]
Alice gasped as the notification appeared before her.
By standing with Alex, she had just made herself an enemy of the silver-skins too, her reputation had plummeted, and now she, too, was a target.
Yor's eyes narrowed as she switched targets, raising her bow to aim at Alice.
But Alex was faster.
"NOT TODAY!" he shouted, raising his staff toward the archer.
With a burst of energy, he launched a fireball straight at Yor.
BOOM!
The fireball hit its mark, striking Yor square in the face.
[Critical Hit! Receiving 200% damage and 'burn' effect.]
-2860!
Yor screamed as flames engulfed her body, her form writhing in agony as the fire consumed her.
Within seconds, the archer collapsed to the ground, dead.
"YOR!" Damien and Sam shouted in unison, their voices filled with fury.
With their comrade fallen, their attacks became even more aggressive, they swung their swords with reckless force, forcing Alex onto the defensive.
Alex gritted his teeth, struggling to keep up.
He dodged one swing, barely managing to sidestep the other.
His advanced agility and strength were the only things keeping him alive, but he was running out of stamina.
"I'm getting tired of this," Alex muttered, his patience was wearing thin.
Spotting an opening, Alex lunged forward, driving his [Horned Staff] into Damien's neck for the second time.
Squelch!
-1250!
The blow was deep, but this time, something unexpected happened.
Crack!
[Your 'Horned Staff' broke!]
[Next time, don't use it as a melee weapon, idiot.]
Alex cursed under his breath. "Old habits die hard…"
Damien stumbled back, blood pouring from his neck.
He was still alive, but barely hanging on, Sam, however, showed no signs of stopping.
"DIE, HUMAN!" Sam bellowed, swinging his sword in a wide arc.
"Earth Shield!" Alex conjured another barrier, but this time, it shattered instantly under the force of Sam's strike.
With a final burst of energy, Alex raised his hand and unleashed [Fire Storm].
Fwoosh!
A swirling vortex of flames erupted around the two warriors, engulfing them in a blazing inferno.
The flames roared like a living beast, consuming everything in their path.
Damien's screams were drowned out by the roar of the firestorm as it tore through his remaining health.
-610!
Sam staggered backward, his armor scorched and smoking.
The firestorm had weakened him, but it wasn't enough to kill him.
Still, Alex now had the upper hand.
With a few more quick spells, Alex overwhelmed Sam, launching fireballs and rocks at him in quick succession.
Sam, already weakened, had no choice but to fall back, and eventually, his defenses crumbled, Alex's final attack bringing him to his knees.
Sam collapsed, his body lifeless.
Panting heavily, Alex wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing around to ensure no more enemies remained.
He made his way over to Alice, who had been watching the entire battle in stunned silence, she was shaken but unharmed.
"You alright?" Alex asked.
"Y-Yeah… but now what?" Alice asked, still processing everything that had just happened. "We're criminals to them now… What are we supposed to do?"
Alex sighed and reached into his inventory, pulling out a second [Monkey Mask], one he had extracted earlier. "We adapt."
He handed the mask to Alice, who took it hesitantly.
"Put this on," Alex said, slipping his own mask over his face.
Alice nodded, sliding the mask over her face.
Together, they made their way through the forest, heading back toward the novice village, their faces concealed.
They stepped into the [Demonized Farmlands], then left them just as quickly as there was no use for them anymore.
Alice was currently level 8, meaning two levels under the required one to participate in her class trial, but until then she should be fine with Alex.
Both players, wearing their monkey masks, entered the village, and as expected the NPCs didn't attack them.
The minimum reputation you can have is -1000, but surely after killing three more, Alex would have surely gone to -3000 if that was possible.
"What's your goal, and why were you hunted by them?" Alice asked, confused.
"Hm… I may or may not have done something bad, who knows," he smiled, "We survived though, didn't we?"
"Barely!"
They reached the square of the village, now with players who looked at bit stronger than they were yesterday, most having lost the gray beginner clothes and wearing some kind of armor.
"Well, time to set up shop again!" he had acquired many items, and money was essential, so he was ready.
"Set up shop…?" Alice's eyes widened as she saw the boy take out all the items he wouldn't need from his backpack, "Wait a damn minute, did you sell rat helmets, potions and a backpack to a middle-aged man before?"
"Yeah," Alex smiled, knowing perfectly that Alice figured it out.
"Holy shit, this might actually be fate!" she beamed.