A few minutes later…
Riley finally came out of the eastern gate, walking through the novice village with a smirk stretched across his face.
The sun was still high in the sky, casting streaks of light through the sparse clouds, but nothing felt brighter than the glee simmering in his chest.
Each step he took was lighter than the last, and he couldn't help but feel excited at how much he had been progressing since he entered the game.
He raised his hand, eyes gleaming as he stared down at the ring wrapped around his finger and the sleek black bracelet on his wrist. A low chuckle slipped past his lips.
"Not bad at all…"
After Burus had practically begged him to name any price for "compensation," Riley had known exactly what to ask for.
He hadn't even hesitated. That glinting ring—whose glow betrayed it as no ordinary accessory—and the thin, matte bracelet that gave off a faint pulse… they were the two most valuable-looking items the farmer had on him. And Riley had claimed both without shame.
The poor man had tried to haggle, tried to offer some coins or a piece of gear instead, but all it had taken was a step forward from Riley, and Burus folded like wet paper.
The man had even slipped the ring onto Riley's finger himself, hands trembling the entire time.
It felt good.
It felt damn good.
The game had barely begun, and yet here he was—two Rare-grade equipment pieces richer, and several steps ahead of the average newbie. And more than that, he'd proven something crucial.
That power spoke louder than any charm or lie ever could.
As someone who was a failure in his past life, achieving all of these so early filled him with a strange thrill.
He flicked his finger upward, calling open his status with a mental command. The familiar hum filled his ears as the glowing blue panels opened up in front of his eyes.
[Player ID: A Random]
[Level: 3(10/300)]
[Profession: Assassin]
[Class: Apprentice Assassin]
[Talent: Gluttony (SSS)]
[H/P: 126
[M/P: 154
[Magic Damage: 15.4
[Physical Damage: 16.4
[Magic Resistance: 15.4
[Physical Resistance: 9
[Attributes: Strength: 16.4; Agility: 27.7; Vitality: 12.6; Mana: 15.4; Endurance: 9]
[Skills]
—Stealth(level 2)
[Rank: F]
[Description: Temporarily boosts Agility by 50% for 15 seconds and masks the user's presence. Deals 20 points of damage to target + 100% of user's mana to target. Cost: 15 Magic Points. Cool-down: 3 seconds.]
—Spike Shot (Level 1)
[Rank: E]
[Conjure a thin metallic brown spike and shoot it. Deals 50 points of damage to opponents. Cost: 5 Magic Points. Cool-down: 2 seconds]
[Attribute Points Available: 4]
[Skill Points Available: 2]
[Equipment: Basic Cloth Shirt, Basic Leather Pants, Basic Daggers(Common), Storage Ring(Rare), Whispering Bracelet(Rare)]
Riley's eyes hovered at the bottom of the panel, where the new equipment sat.
He tapped on each one, letting their descriptions float into view.
[Storage Ring (Rare)]
[Description: Can store up to 100 Items. Limit: Rare Grade. Current Capacity: 20/100]
[Whispering Bracelet (Rare)]
[Completely blends the user's presence with the surroundings for 30 seconds. Cool-down: 1 minute.]
Riley whistled under his breath.
"Damn… Jackpot."
There were six equipment or treasure grades in Apocalypse, in the order common, uncommon, rare, epic, legendary, and lastly, divine.
However, the only person who managed to gain a divine equipment in his past life was Terry, the strongest hero of humanity.
But he knew better than to compare himself to Terry, and was still glad to get this far so early in the game.
The storage ring was a huge win on its own. Most low-level players couldn't even afford basic-grade items in the early game.
A hundred items? And up to Rare grade? That was insane.
And the bracelet?
He couldn't stop grinning as he imagined the possibilities.
Stealth was already his bread and butter as an Assassin, but this item practically broke the limits.
A full thirty seconds of total concealment—on top of his Stealth skill—meant he could become a literal ghost on the battlefield.
Combine that with his raw stats and Gluttony's ever-growing power…
Riley's eyes darkened with anticipation.
He hadn't even used any of his skill or attribute points yet. The real growth hadn't even begun.
As for the items in the storage ring, they weren't anything too fancy—at least to him.
But Riley knew value when he saw it.
Tucked neatly in the ring were mostly potions—both mana and health, all of them uncommon grade.
The rest of the slots held a smattering of basic loot items, likely rewards from Burus's earlier scuffles with the Spiked Rats.
There were a pair of crude but functional Spiked Rat Gauntlets and two curved Rat Fang Knives—both common-ranked, but decent enough for a player just starting out.
Riley hadn't given Burus the chance to reclaim a single one of them.
The guy was too intimidated to ask for anything back. And Riley? He had no intention of playing fair when the game clearly didn't reward that kind of behavior.
Now, with an entire stash of resources at his disposal, Riley already knew what he was going to do.
He walked slowly toward the center of the village, blending into the trickle of players moving between NPC shops, quest boards, and training fields.
He arrived at a large, flat stone courtyard where beginner players often gathered to party up or trade scraps they'd earned.
There were benches circling the plaza, but Riley ignored those.
Instead, he found a dry patch of ground near a shallow fountain and plopped down cross-legged on the dirt.
With a swipe of his fingers and a focused thought, he opened his storage ring.
Instantly, items began to shimmer into existence, materializing on the ground in front of him one by one.
First, the potions.
Five yellow vials, glowing with a soft mana-infused light, formed a neat line across the dirt. Then three emerald-green potions followed, smaller but no less eye-catching.
Finally, the loot.
The Rat Fang Knives hit the ground with a clink, their jagged edges glinting faintly in the sunlight.
The Spiked Rat Gauntlets dropped next, a crude yet intimidating pair of gloves covered in short brown spikes made from hardened fur and bone.
It didn't take long for people to notice.
The dull hum of conversation in the courtyard faltered as more eyes turned toward him.
A few players near the fountain leaned closer, whispering to each other.
"Hey… is that a mana potion?"
"No way, already? He must've bought that."
"Nah, look at how many he has. How come he has so much…? There's no way anyone would spend that much on just potions."
Riley caught the whispers easily, and his lips twitched into a satisfied grin. Then, without standing, he raised his voice and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Get your healing and mana potions here! Uncommon-grade, cheap prices! Quality gear for early players!"