The Homo Goblin roared—a pink-tagged mini boss standing twice the size of a regular goblin, its bloated arms dragging on the ground, bloodied and twitching with veins. Its HP bar was halfway down, but the party before it was falling apart. Their Bagi had just been crushed into the dirt like a ragdoll, and another member's corpse still glitched slightly on the ground.
Only the Priest remained. Low HP, panicking, and out of mana.
Noir, watching silently from behind the trees, adjusted his system settings.
[Visibility] – IGN Hidden.
His name vanished from the air.
The Homo Goblin lunged toward the Priest—arm cocked back for a killing blow.
Noir moved.
He stepped into Swift Step. A faint pulse of shadow streaked his path. In an instant, he closed the distance and slashed upward with Critical Dash Slash. Six rapid hits exploded in flashes of steel across the goblin's chest. The monster staggered back, confused by the sudden assault.
The Priest blinked, stunned. "W-Who—?"
"Get cover," Noir barked without looking. His voice was low but firm.
The goblin roared and locked aggro. It slammed its fists into the ground, sending shockwaves of dirt into the air. Noir was already airborne, flipping over its shoulders. He slashed both daggers downward mid-air, landing behind the monster with a Swift Step retreat.
Crack!
The Homo Goblin spun around and landed a blow on Noir's ribs, sending him tumbling into a tree.
"Ugh—" Noir groaned, blood dripping from his mouth. He wiped it quickly and stood up, eyes locked. He tapped his belt: one HP potion, gone in seconds.
The goblin rushed in again, erratic now, hammering down punches. Noir dodged one, then another, then Shadow Cloak kicked in—his steps turned silent. He vanished from the monster's hearing and appeared behind it.
Backstab.
[Critical Hit! – 742 Damage]
The goblin screeched and dropped to one knee. Noir didn't waste a second. Critical Dash Slash had just come off cooldown.
He leapt—spinning mid-air—and rained down all six dagger strikes directly into the Homo Goblin's skull.
It shrieked one final time before crumbling into pixelated fragments.
[Mini Boss Defeated – Homo Goblin Lv2]
[EXP Gained +2.5%]
[Loot Acquired: Homo Goblin Hide x1, Goblin Totem x1, Rusted Iron Core x2, Silver x47]
The forest went silent again.
Noir stood over the body, breathing heavily. The Priest stared at him, wide-eyed and trembling.
"T-Thank you… Who are you?" he asked, voice still shaky.
Noir hesitated for a second, looking down at the priest, then let out a soft sigh. "Just someone passing through."
"You saved my ass back there," the priest laughed nervously, rubbing his temple. "That thing wiped our whole party… I thought I was done."
Noir nodded and opened his system menu. He accessed the loot window, stared at the dropped items for a second, then pressed [Transfer Loot to Nearby Party].
[Confirm?]
[Yes]
The items disappeared from his bag, redirected to the remaining party's shared inventory.
"You're giving it all back?" the Priest blinked. "You don't have to, man. That was your kill."
"I just finished it. Wasn't really mine to begin with," Noir said plainly. Then, a small smirk tugged at the edge of his mouth. "Besides, I've had enough loot for one day."
The Priest laughed, a little more at ease now. "Dude, whoever you are—you're cracked. Seriously. Thanks."
Noir turned, popped a stamina potion, and gave a casual wave over his shoulder. "Stick with your party next time. And don't let your tank die first."
And with that, he vanished into the trees—silent as a shadow, back on the path toward the hidden village.
Noir moved deeper into the Forest of Seldom, following the faded marks Ray showed him on the worn-out map. The trees grew thicker, the fog heavier. Every few minutes, he checked his surroundings, careful to avoid unnecessary encounters. The wind rustled above the canopy, and only his soft footsteps remained.
The hidden village… it had to be nearby. He could feel it.
Noir adjusted his cloak, refocused, and continued his silent journey through the unknown.
Meanwhile, the priest and the rest of his party were finally transported back to the Town of Seldom's plaza, their avatars flickering back into existence with a soft blue glow. They stood in stunned silence, still processing what happened.
"Bro… what the hell just happened," said Klint, their Level 1 Arbalest. He looked around, baffled, a potion still clutched in his hand. "We got smoked."
"No, we got saved," said Marco, the Level 2 Bagi who'd been the first to die. "I swear, that assassin came outta nowhere."
"That guy was nuts," Nina, the Level 1 Mage, said, eyes wide. "He moved like a ghost. Did you see that Backstab? I didn't even know that skill was in the game yet!"
"Who was he?" the priest finally said. His name tag read Axl – Lv3 Priest. He stood in the center, arms folded, thinking hard. "His name didn't show. I tried inspecting him. Nothing."
Klint raised a brow. "So he's hiding his IGN?"
"Has to be. Either that or he's like… a dev or something," Marco added.
"He gave us the loot. All of it," Axl said, shaking his head. "Didn't even flex or say anything."
They all went silent.
After a moment, Klint muttered, "Who the hell was that guy…"
Axl stared toward the forest, where they'd just been. A flicker of realization passed across his face—but he kept it to himself.