(Back to Red's perspective)

.....

Just as I expected, I saw all the players in the world cradling around the obelisk and reading the damned quest. They cannot let this opportunity slide since the reward would give them one billion gold coins for beheading the king and another billion gold coins for kidnapping each family member.

I knew that the game developers would reward them with the gold, not from me. The rules said that all NPCs had the right to request any quest with a corresponding reward. It did not matter how much or how little the rewards would be given to the players as long as it was indicated in the mission. It did not show here if the NPC were the ones to pay someone with their money or not.

I did not return home with Match for now, since the players had already swarmed the citadel. She knew that I would return to the inn later this evening, so I had all the time in this world to proceed with my goal.

The players armed themselves with high-class weapons and armour, which could defend and deflect most of the physical and magical attacks thrown in their direction. I also sensed their arcane releasing from their bodies as they chanted various spells that I did not know.

The soldiers from the castle guarded the ingress and fired their ballistas, cannons, arrows, and magical spheres outside their base. Each of the attacks brought terror to the villagers standing nearby. Those roars coming from the blast created chaos from its surroundings. The players who died became minuscule particles and eventually disappeared without a trace. However, the bystanders from this world died as soon as they came into contact with the blitz.

This scene proved I was a character in this game, and the players were only here for their entertainment. Our lives did not matter to them, but their lives inside the game did.

I gritted my teeth and felt the metallic liquid oozing from my wounds and inside my throat. My dry lips became dampened with the blood mixing with my saliva. The crimson blood soon dripped from my mouth and wet my feet. I also sensed my hands clenching in despair and anger as I saw the battle in front of me.

That warm feeling jolted me awake.

Before proceeding to my scheme, my system announced something that seemed important for me to slip aside. An azure-looking box popped in front of me and showed the words written inside.

[Welcome to Code, Player _ _ _ _ _]

[Have you read the terms and conditions of the game?]

A flash nearly blinded my eyes as the documents it had mentioned ran straight inside my head. All the information pierced through my face like a dashing arrow reaching through my orbs. A searing pain etched on my skull as I memorised what was inside the prominent rules.

Two words appeared at my fore. On my right was a yes button with a blue hue, and on my left was the no button painted with red. I clicked the blue button and proceeded. The screen took my answer and summoned another window.

[Your name is Red Rose. Would you like to change your name?] The automated voice inside my head asked.

The two buttons yet again materialised before me. I shook my head and chose the no button, since my name was the only thing I had in this world to remember my deceased parents.

[Choose a class]

"A class?" I asked.

According to my system, Code had various categories or classes that a player could choose from: a warrior, mage, paladin, knight, archer, assassin, and more. However, the window disappeared before I could pick anything and the word "assassin" appeared in front of me.

[Welcome to Code, Red Rose.]

The machine-like voice announced. I gawked ahead and noticed a glittering treasure box lying on the floor. An arrow above told me that the container was for me.

I titled my head and looked at what was inside.

My hands fiddled the lock and raised the lid open. My eyes greeted the a chest. The box contained all the basic equipment presented to newbies in the game that my system told me.

I slid the treasure open and peered through the inside. A dagger, a transparent and stout armour plate meant to defend me from slight slashes, and a pair of gloves and boots, which hastens my pace, welcomed my eyes.

"How can I even fit all of these inside my pockets?" I asked myself a question

The system heard my calls and introduced the [Astral Space]. It was a skill that allowed players to store their items inside a celestial container that only the users can activate.

All the excess baggage with me went inside the bag, including the red and blue potions packed into meals from before. My Penitent's Blade equipped itself in my hands and notified me of a quick-equip set-up.

The automated voice explained the storage used by players that allowed them to summon their weapons whenever they wished. There were four boxes in front of me, with the dagger on the top and three spaces in each direction: South, West, and East.

I saw my system placed the flasks on the right side of my quick inventory. The reason was so I can effortlessly call them out if I need to consume the potions.

I also noticed two new skills that I learned because of my class. As an assassin, I could manipulate my status window and change my appearance for an amount of time. The skill had a name called [Trickster].

My system called it [Shadow Step]. It allowed me to travel at insane speed through the shadows surrounding me. I did not teleport myself to one place after the other but moved at a haste pace through darkened areas.

_________________________________________

I dashed straight to the entrance and found the ingress. I used my hands and pushed the block apart from the stones. Despite my fragile body, my hands could move the rocks and eventually led a passage ahead.

The stench coming from the tunnel was overwhelming even for me, but I continued striding forward and clipped my fingers to block my nose. There was no light coming inside the passage except for the moonlight from outside.

But something cut off the radiance.

My eyes spared a peek behind and discerned the pushed doors nudging back from where it had belonged. Like automatic doors of the dwarven kingdom, the hidden track shut itself before me, enclosing me inside. With the gates trapping me inside, I saw nothing but utter darkness.

I paid the event no mind and resumed my pace. Thanks to my abilities as an assassin, I could see anything despite the blackness. However, shades of green and grey rather than vibrant hues became visible through my eyes. I looked at the side and read the words saying "Night Vision Level One". According to my system, that night vision permitted me to see through the murk tunnel.

Everywhere I looked, I noticed three pathways that I could tread. The purpose of these multiple roads was to confuse any intruders who found this place. As luck would have it, my system allowed me to look through the maze with a rectangular screen showing on the upper side of my view. It was the map of the underground canal and the citadel close by.

[The royalties made this tunnel for escape, Master Red.] My system confessed and showed a window with the exact phrase it said.

I marched ahead and finally reached a door leading through the other side. But my gut stopped me from entering the gate. Before I could open the door, my system warned me that there were dozens of people inside. The automated voice also told me that the princess and the queen were in the adjacent area.

I stood by for a couple of minutes before sneaking myself inside. With my current profound abilities, I used [Shadow Step] and travelled across the walls, waiting for the dozen figures marching in our way.

My system sensed and told me that the group heading in our direction were the player, elite knights, and the king.

The player opened the doors and addressed the queen and princess with respect. The two ladies widened their eyes as soon as they saw the crowned head and embraced him. A stream of tears flowed from their faces afterwards.

But that moment was cut short after hearing blaring noise outside.

The general walked towards them and disrupted their intimate meeting. All of them nodded their heads and followed the lead of the player.

I used my scan to see his status and noticed that he was a low-level adventurer that had barely entered the game. He had no interesting abilities and items compared to the players I saw from before.

However, there was something bugging me. Despite his underwhelming figure, the man had confidence in him as he sliced and diced the players ambushing them.

As I had suspected. The entire world wanted to claim the bounty on the king's head.

I glided my way outside and saw the carriage in the forest. The coachman perched himself on his seat, waiting for the royalties to arrive. He was also a non-playable character that had no intentions of doing something without listening to the instructions inside his head.

He was like me from before, brainwashed and a puppet.

"