Raven's boots hit the ground hard as he sprinted toward the alleyway, his mind racing as fast as his feet.
Behind him, the thugs had finally recovered.
"Get him!" one of them roared, the sound of heavy boots pounding against the cobblestone as they gave chase.
Garrett, still half-blind, snarled, "Don't let him escape!"
Raven ignored the shouting, focusing instead on his surroundings. The alley was narrow and dimly lit, filled with broken crates, discarded trash, and uneven walls. It was the perfect terrain for someone like him.
Three seconds left before they fully closed the gap.
Time to disappear.
Activating [Stealth]
As he dashed into the alley, Raven flicked his fingers, activating [Stealth] (LVL 1).
A faint ripple of dark energy shimmered over his body. For a moment, his outline blurred, his colors fading to match the dim alley walls.
[Stealth Activated – Duration: 5 Seconds]
Effect:
Visibility reduced in low-light areas.
Noise production -10%.
Detection Chance: Medium (Can still be spotted if enemies look closely).
The world seemed to muffle slightly, as if a thin veil had fallen over reality. His footsteps lightened, his breathing slowed, and his movements became more precise.
The Chase Begins
Two of the thugs burst into the alley a second later.
One of them, a heavyset brute with a scar over his nose, pointed down the path.
"I saw him go this way!"
The other, leaner but quick, narrowed his eyes.
"Where is he?" he muttered, scanning the alley.
Raven held his breath. He had ducked behind a stack of broken barrels, his body pressed low against the damp wall. His Stealth wasn't perfect—if they looked too hard, they might still spot him.
The heavyset thug growled in frustration, storming past Raven's hiding spot. His boots crushed discarded paper and broken glass, but he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings.
The lean thug, however, paused.
His gaze swept over the alley, his eyes lingering on the very spot where Raven was crouched.
For a second, it felt like time froze.
Raven's heartbeat remained steady. He didn't move. He didn't breathe.
Detection Check…
The thug squinted.
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his rusted dagger.
Then—
"Damn it, he's fast! Keep going!"
The thug turned away, dashing forward to follow his comrade.
Raven exhaled silently.
[Stealth Duration: 3 Seconds Remaining]
Moving While Stealthed
He didn't wait. The moment the thugs moved ahead, Raven carefully shifted his position, keeping to the shadows.
He hugged the alley walls, his footsteps light and deliberate. He knew that even the tiniest noise could blow his cover.
A third thug rushed into the alley behind them.
"Did you find him?"
"No, but he went this way. Spread out!"
Raven smirked internally. They were going the wrong way.
With 2 seconds of Stealth left, he angled his body toward an escape route—
A low-hanging wooden awning, perfect for climbing.
He tensed his legs, ready to move the moment Stealth ended.
Raven had seconds before his Stealth wore off. He needed to leave the alley—fast.
The thugs were searching, their footsteps pounding against the cobblestone. They were spreading out, checking every shadow, every crate, every possible hiding spot.
If he stayed here, they'd find him.
His crimson eyes flickered toward his only escape route—a low-hanging wooden awning attached to the side of an old tavern. The wooden support beams looked sturdy enough to hold his weight.
The Climb – Every Move Counts
Raven shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet, positioning himself for a quick, controlled climb.
Just as his Stealth timer hit 1 second, he sprang upward, gripping the awning's wooden frame.
His boots barely made a sound as they pushed off the wall, allowing him to swing his body upward.
[Stealth Ended]
His camouflage faded, but by then, he was already above their line of sight.
He hauled himself onto the awning, his movements precise, practiced. He had scaled buildings before—his past life's instincts kicking in.
---
Below – The Thugs' Perspective
The three thugs stopped, looking around.
The scarred thug growled. "He was here just a second ago."
The lean thug scanned the alley again, his frustration clear. "Where the hell did he go?!"
The third thug kicked a crate over. "Damn it, he's gotta be hiding somewhere."
One of them even looked up—but only for a moment.
The morning sky, the wooden beams, the tangled clotheslines above—nothing seemed out of place.
They never thought to check the awning.
---
Moving Across the Rooftops
Raven stayed still, pressing his body flat against the wooden beam. He waited until they moved further down the alley, their curses growing fainter.
Only then did he push forward.
The roof of the tavern was just above him.
He reached for a nearby gutter pipe, gripping it firmly as he hoisted himself onto the rooftop. His movements were controlled, deliberate—silent.
The moment he reached the top, he dropped into a low crouch, scanning his surroundings.
The city stretched out before him, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. Below, the thugs were still scrambling in confusion.
He had won.
Analyzing the Situation
Raven allowed himself a small smirk.
"First fight, first escape… not bad."
But he wasn't safe yet.
The thugs would remember this. Garrett, especially, would want revenge.
For now, though?
He had disappeared.
And that was all that mattered.
Raven crouched low, keeping to the shadows cast by chimneys and slanted rooftops. The early morning light painted the town in pale gold, but that wasn't the problem anymore.
Down below, the town was alive. Players flooded the streets, their voices mixing with the chatter of NPC merchants and quest-givers. Some were forming parties, others bartering for gear, and a few were already dueling in the open training grounds.
It was perfect cover.
Raven smirked. He moved swiftly, leaping across a narrow gap between buildings. As he reached the edge of the rooftop, he spotted a merchant's awning below—thin fabric, but it would break his fall just enough.
No hesitation. He jumped.
The awning flexed under his weight before snapping back, softening his landing. He rolled forward, blending seamlessly into the bustling wave of players passing through the marketplace.
Then—
Ding!
A faint chime echoed in his ears, followed by a familiar notification window.
---
[System Message]
You have completed the Unique Quest: "A Silent Exit"!
Rewards:
+1 Agility
500 EXP
Title: Shadowborn (Increases movement speed by 2% in urban environments)
---
Raven barely reacted. Of course it was a unique quest. He had read about it in his past life.
A player had bragged about it on the forums, claiming he had "accidentally" triggered a hidden event in the starting town after escaping a group of NPC thugs.
It had been a hot topic for a while—a one-time-only quest, available only to the first player who successfully evaded pursuit using the town's environment. No retries, no second chances. If he had been caught or taken too long, the quest would have been lost forever.
The thread had been filled with theories—some players believed it required perfect stealth, others thought it was tied to an agility stat check. Nobody had figured out the exact trigger.
But Raven knew.
It wasn't just about escaping—it was about using the world itself. Climbing, hiding, moving through the town's structures in a way normal players wouldn't. It was a test of instinct and adaptability.
And unlike that clueless forum poster, he had done it on purpose.
He dismissed the window and kept moving. The thugs wouldn't find him here. They were still searching the alleys, unaware that their target had already slipped into the ever-growing sea of players.
He was gone.
For now.
Raven moved smoothly through the crowd, his expression unreadable. He had expected the quest reward, but what he really cared about was what came next.
Because now? The starting town had changed.
---
The Players' Reaction
At first, nobody noticed anything unusual. Players were busy accepting their first quests, forming parties, and exploring the town.
Then the shouting started.
"What the hell?! The thugs took all my money!"
"Wait, they used to rob only 5 copper, right? Why are they taking 10 now?!"
"They took everything! I just spawned in, man!"
A ripple of confusion and frustration spread through the marketplace. New players, freshly spawned into the game, were supposed to receive exactly 10 copper as their starting money—just enough for basic supplies.
But now? The thugs in the alleyways were robbing all of it.
Some players tried to fight back.
Bad idea.
A level 1 player, armed with nothing but beginner gear, stood no chance against armed thugs. The system didn't let them kill players outright in town, but the NPCs had no problem beating them down and leaving them with nothing.
More and more frustrated shouts filled the air.
"Yo, who pissed off the thugs?!"
"They weren't this aggressive in the beta…"
"Some idiot probably triggered an event."
Raven smirked but said nothing.
He knew exactly what had happened. His escape had changed the town's balance.
---
The Thugs' Anger
Back in the alleys, the three thugs were fuming.
The scarred thug slammed his fist against a wooden crate. "He made a fool out of us!"
The lean thug spat on the ground. "Bastard vanished like a damn ghost. Garrett's gonna be pissed."
The third thug, the one who had kicked over a crate earlier, grinned darkly. "So what? We couldn't get him, but we can make the rest of these clueless idiots pay."
The scarred thug's anger cooled into something more calculating.
"You're right," he muttered. "If we can't have our revenge, we'll make sure every poor bastard who steps into this town suffers."
And so, their robbery amount doubled.
5 copper became 10.
A minor inconvenience for later players, but for those just starting? It was a disaster.
With no money, they couldn't buy potions, food, or even cheap weapons. Every player who got robbed would have to grind mobs outside town with nothing but their default gear.
The thugs were petty, cruel, and vengeful.
And Raven?
He had no reason to care.
Let them struggle.
This was only the beginning.
Raven continued moving through the crowded streets, blending in effortlessly. The thugs were furious, the players were frustrated, but he had already moved past all that.
What he hadn't expected, though—was just how big of a deal his escape was becoming.
---
The Forums React
Somewhere, in the real world, a player had been watching from the rooftops when Raven made his daring escape. They hadn't been strong enough to intervene, but they had recorded it.
And now? The clip was spreading fast.
---
[Forum Post: "Did anyone else see this?? First player to escape the thugs!"]
> OP: Bro, I was just passing through the alley when I saw some dude run straight into the thugs. Thought he was done for, but NOPE—he climbed a wall and disappeared.
They were searching everywhere, and he was literally right above them. They didn't even think to look up!
And now? The thugs are robbing EVERYONE for ALL their money.
WHO IS THIS GUY???
---
Within minutes, the post exploded with replies.
[Top Comments]
[Blazing riders]: "LOL, no way. You're saying he just got lucky and the NPCs didn't spot him?"
[PhantomStrike]: "I mean… hiding on a roof isn't exactly skill. Sounds like he barely made it."
[MidnightPath]: "Classic newbie luck. Bet if he tried again, he'd get caught instantly."
[ShadowBale]: "Lucky bastard triggered a unique quest by accident. Meanwhile, I'm out here getting beaten up for 10 copper."
[BLAZEKing]: "Y'all acting like he's some pro when he probably just spammed jump and got away by chance."
All are third rate guilds which are in viles town second rate and first guild had branches not complete guild.superate guild will not care about kingdom, city and town players as they will focus on occupying empire .