The City of Garbandt.

One of the oldest settlements in Aetheria. The occupied land spans dozens of kilometers, eclipsing most kingdoms and lands in sheer size. The region is lawless, controlled by gangs and criminals throughout the centuries. It's considered one of the largest hubs for illegal goods, slaves, prostitution, and other types of contraband.

But as chaotic Garbrandt was, it had rules.

"You fucking bastard! Who do you think you are?! Wait unti-ngh!"

A sharp knife dug itself into the shouting man's gut, eliciting a scream out of him as the weapon was cruelly twisted into his internal organs. The attacker had his hood up, but the victim knew they weren't part of their territory.

"Nobody's going to know anything, because you'll. Be. Dead." Every word was punctuated with a knife to a vital point, and the corpse fell to the ground without much of a struggle. The symbol of a purple lightning bolt was emblazoned on both the front and back of his hood.

You have slain Human (Level 13)

"Ah...I never get tired of this." The knife-wielding man said with a smile on his face. He ruffled through the corpse for anything of value and took his paltry coin pouch. Dismembering the dead man's hand and placing it in a pouch, Oliver gave the corpse one last kick. He shuffled off into the darkness, leaving it in the middle of the street.

Oliver Wood was an average-looking male. It was hard to say whether he was attractive or ugly with rounder features and short-cut hair. Everything about him seemed to scream mediocre. But everyone in the Twilight Bandits knew full well just what he was capable of. After seeing a familiar landmark, he imperceptibly relaxed as he knew he was in his gang's territory.

Many gave the hooded man a small nod of acknowledgment. Others hurried to get out of the way, trying not to attract any attention to themselves. Oliver ignored them all. He needed to collect his reward.

Entering one of the many dilapidated buildings in their territory, the non-descript man saw an older figure cooking food quietly on a magic-powered stove. Without turning his back, the chef spoke. His voice was both gravelly and ancient.

"You got it done?"

"Yeah. Here's the proof."

He dropped the sack which carried human remains. Oliver unfolded it and showed a human hand; bloodied and dirty.

"Good. Your reward's by the door."

The unnamed elder took a glance before returning his attention to the food. He picked up his reward and confirmed the goods before muttering a short goodbye.

'Highland Cannabis. I don't know where he gets it from, but damn if it isn't the best I've ever had.'

Oliver was quite pleased to see a decent amount of contraband in his bag. The drug had been baked into a few edible pastries, a common theme that only served to make the dealer's house a frequent place to visit. With a few cautionary glances around his surroundings, he made his way to the bar before popping one into his mouth.

He chewed it slowly, knowing that it would take some time before it could kick in.

"I could grab some booze. Might as well splurge while I'm at it."

Humming to himself, the assassin twirled the knife in his hands, playing with it as he walked to the outskirts of their territory. Knowing that there was little chance of being ambushed as long as he remained in the neutral zones. But he's been around for too long to completely trust in that.

Oliver passed by several homeless people. Eyes roamed his body, searching for any sign of weakness. He subtly hid his knife and made sure to seem as though he wasn't paying attention.

Just like that, they shuffled towards him without much subtlety. He fought down his urge to grin, turning into an alleyway where nobody would interfere. The four men followed suit.

You have slain Human (level 4)

You have slain Human (level 7)

You have slain Elf (level 9)

You have slain Human (level 5)

Only one returned. With the blood splatters camouflaging his already dark and tattered hood, the only thing that hinted at the scuffle from the alley was the tiny splatter of red liquid smeared on his lower chin. A small, but a genuine smile crossed his face once again. The combined high from the adrenaline rush and the cannabis worked together to provide him with a very relaxed and giddy mood.

Humming to himself, he whipped the machete and cascaded all the blood onto the floor before unsheathing it under his robe. There were no more interruptions after that.

Oliver reached his location with daylight to spare. His mood had significantly improved thanks to the Highland Cannabis, which lived up to its name. Crossing in, he made sure to inspect his surroundings for any rival gang members in the area but didn't spot anybody of note. It was simply a precaution at this point, knowing that harsh penalties would be incurred if the rival gangs were to make a ruckus in the neutral zone. The store had some tables for others to drink, but he decided not to lounge around for too long. As a proud member, he had the symbol of the Twilight Bandits emblazoned on the front of his hood. It was an insignia that gave him protection.

The weapon-wielder asked the barkeep for three bottles of cheap ale, placing down a dozen bronze pieces and getting what he asked for. Without much thought he used the corner of a nearby table to bust it open, taking a sip of the room-temperature beverage.

"Hey honeybuns, what's your name?"

A younger girl, who couldn't be more than fifteen, was standing by a meter away from where he was sitting. She ignored him, simply staring off into space. With blonde hair and fair skin, she was almost elf-like in terms of beauty. It was quite rare to see a specimen like her roaming around freely without being affiliated with a gang. Women on their lonesome had a markedly high rate of being kidnapped, taken, and murdered by the locals, a fact that Oliver had seen for himself on several occasions. Her defining trait was her round, orb-like eyes with a unique pattern. Her pupils were concentric circles, that seemed to change shape and color as she moved. It was hypnotizing and enhanced her allure.

Oliver was by no means a celibate man. The contract killer had his fair share of women as he made his way up the ranks. Whether by sheer lust or under the influence of the cannabis, he confidently and aggressively approached her after she remained silent.

"Come on, don't be like that." He snaked his hand around her waist, going slowly but was met with a firm grasp on his wrist. Oliver knew he could break her fragile little wrist like a twig. It held no power, despite her eerie appearance. The girl finally acknowledged his presence and gave him a sidelong stare.

A bag containing a few bottles of wine clinked onto the tavern table, and she picked it up without a word and left. Her mission to ignore the high-ranking gang member had succeeded, and he stayed still momentarily after she left the building.

Oliver turned to the older barkeep and backhanded him. The elderly man crashed into the back of the store, reeling from the impact. "You asshole. Couldn't you see I was busy? Tsk."

He shook his head and took an even larger swig of his alcohol. None of the tavern residents even dared to look his way, trying to make themselves small as he slinked through the exit and followed the blonde girl. It didn't take long for him to spot her. It had only been a few minutes, but she took many twists and turns and before he knew it he was in unfamiliar territory. Oliver was certain that it wasn't a trap, and neither was she headed towards any of the major gangs' buildings which proudly displayed flags to signify where their territory began.

Oliver's crooked smile began to resurface once more.

'Sometimes I forget I'm not on Earth anymore. I can get what I want, WHENEVER I want."

Waiting until she was in a sufficiently isolated spot, he made his move. The blonde girl moved into an alley and the killer twirled his dagger in between his fingers. He didn't think he needed to use his machete when he wanted to keep her as nice and lively as possible.

As soon as he turned the corner, a knife plunged itself into his eye. Oliver screamed. An explosion of pain erupted on the right side of his face as his vision became a mixture of red and black. With his lone eye, he could see that the girl had a rusty kitchen knife clutched in her hand. Despite his END and STR, it could only do so much to protect a body part that isn't strengthened by his stats. He clutched it and fell to one knee, going into momentary shock.

His breathing became slow and deliberate as if the simple act was taking his all. As Oliver slowly pieced himself together, a burning sensation erupted from his stomach, growing darker and darker until his body trembled in pure apocalyptic rage.

Berserker Mode activated. 10% increase to STR and END. All attacks will have a small chance to trigger the life steal effect.

Despite the transformation before her, the girl didn't seem to budge. She stayed deathly still, waiting on his next move with the knife raised to her chest. Whether it was sheer stupidity or bravado, there was no sign of fear in her eyes.

Oliver raised his machete and dagger in a dual-wielding fashion. With various thoughts of seeing the female's mutilated body lying before him. A deadly whirlwind of blades approached the girl, giving her little chance of escaping the narrow alleyway. She ducked his first blow and took a step back to avoid the subsequent dagger strike. With grace and minimal effort, she avoided the entirety of his attacks. With the Berserker Mode preventing him from realizing what was occurring, the girl was able to get to his back and leave him with shallow cuts across his body. Her attacks were quick and sharp, designed to deal with only small scratches without putting herself in harm's way.

The difference in their physical specs was like a chasm. Every strike that missed cut into the ground or broke a chunk of the wall. It was clear that the machete was enchanted without even observing the item. But despite all his advantages, the enigmatic teenager seemed to look bored as she weaved around every strike. She was content to pepper him with minor injuries using the cheap-looking kitchen knife. It only served to infuriate the triggered berserker, whose eye socket was bleeding profusely. As the damage accumulated, his attacks became faster and stronger.

25% of health lost. 20% increase to STR and END. All attacks will have a slightly increased chance to trigger the life steal effect.

Even with rage encompassing every inch of his body, he knew that his current strategy wasn't holding up. Oliver noticed that despite her facing the open end of the alleyway, she refused to run. The blonde girl was standing her ground and had the knife at her side.

"You...Who are you? From the Rothschilds? I should've known. You fucking bastards have probably been gunning at me for some time now. I'll enjoy fucking your lifeless corpse."

Her eyes took a small glance at something behind him, and he believed it was his chance to take down his mysterious opponent. Using his longer machete, he aimed for her lithe, frail legs. She avoided it easily, but Oliver expected it and twisted his body to deliver a spinning attack with his dagger after she jumped in the air. He was certain that regardless of her skill, it would be impossible to maneuver in the middle of the air to dodge his strike.

Oliver was surprised to feel a sharp pain as she had placed the tip of her knife where his arm would've been, opening up a large gash from wrist to elbow as she used his momentum against him.

"Mother-!"

His eyes were wide. He was certain that she wouldn't be able to dodge that situation. But not only was she able to twist her body to avoid the blindingly fast attack boosted by his Berserker Mode, but the girl also managed to predict the trajectory of his arm so she could cut him to death.

He ruffled through his pockets, eyes never leaving the girl who was content to stay still as she stared at him menacingly. Her concentric pupils seemed to pulsate, but he didn't know if he was just seeing things. She didn't look much worse for wear. After finding a distinctly hard item in his pocket, he took it out.

"Observe!"

A magical item that allowed him to see the status of other people. It was in the shape of an orb with a distinct blue circle within It was high in demand, a necessity that he had the luxury of getting as a reward. Oliver didn't think he'd need to use it so soon. By confirming his target, and making direct eye contact as he activated the item, a beam of light reached the girl within an instant. Oliver noted how she seemed to flinch and try to move her torso before it could activate, but it was far too fast.

Human (Level 13)

Name: Eli

HP: 150/150

MP: 170/170

Oliver couldn't believe what he was seeing. A mundane human girl was capable of bringing a trained killer to this state without a single mark on her body? It was preposterous. He refuted the evidence he saw. He was sure that the observation item was wrong, or the girl had some sort of artifacts that protected her from any sort of observation items to hide her true status. Sensing danger, he deactivated his Berserker Mode and looked for a way to retreat. Unlike the times when he faced stronger and more dangerous opponents, he felt an eerie silence. There were no words exchanged. Her attacks seemed to be calculated to be as efficient as possible, with no emotion whatsoever behind them. Oliver shivered at seeing the complete and utter lack of soul in expression.

Leaping higher up, he scrambled atop the low-rise buildings and darted off, giving one last look at the monster who seemed to know his every move.

Eli watched him go. After he was out of her view, she walked deeper into the alley and collected the bag of wine she had dropped off to the side. Without a word, she continued back to her original destination. The blood of Oliver Wood remained on her blade.

"Olly, you really fucked up this time." A man said, kicking the partially blind killer as he hunched over in pain. "There are literally only three rules in our gang. And one of them,"

Oliver's bandaged eye was seeped with blood. His face was bruised and his armor had been dented in several places. He trembled in fear, looking up to see a boot looming over his head.

"Is to never, never fuck around in the neutral zone. This isn't from me. This is straight from the boss. As an enforcer, we can't be lenient. Even with our own."

The steel-toe boot put an immense amount of pressure on his head and he struggled. Oliver still had the energy to fight. The cooldown on his Berserker Mode was over and he could've attacked anytime he wanted. But he didn't. The idea of standing up to the Chief Enforcer was the worst possible idea. Oliver had witnessed first-hand just how cruel the man could be. The beating he was receiving was gentle compared to what he had seen from his superior.

A rugged, powerful hand grabbed the back of his head and brought it up. Strands of his hair ripped from his scalp as the man's dirtied hand reached in and grabbed his tooth. Despite his first instinct to try and fight back, Oliver fought every urge knowing that any more would end up even worse for himself.

"Pleath, ple-AGHHHH!" His front tooth was violently ripped out. Oliver collapsed to the floor as a crying mess. His body hurt all over. He couldn't remember the last time he had been brutalized to this point. After enjoying his increased status as one of the Twilight Bandits' enforcers, his life had improved substantially. This event had permanently burned the idea that he will forever be an insignificant figure.

A face in the crowd. An existence that nobody would remember.

"Get yourself cleaned up. You're demoted for a few months and on probationary. Don't let this happen again, y'hear?"

The Chief Enforcer didn't wait for a response, leaving the berserker on the floor to clean up his own mess. His footsteps gradually became fainter and fainter, and Oliver picked himself up and tried hard not to vomit upon swallowing some of his saliva and blood.

'KILLKILLKILLKILLKILL' Murder was at the forefront of his mind. Oliver blamed the girl for all his misfortune. Eli, the human girl that lived in the neutral zone. He fantasized about committing several unspeakable crimes against her, digging his hands into the dirt as his breathing turned ragged.

"Fucking bitch. I don't care what I have to do. I'll rip her guts out through her throat." Oliver muttered to himself, picking up his items and moving through the dark city of Garbandt.