Right after he finished off the Elite Unknown at Ha Long Bay, Nghĩa's body was swallowed by a vortex of violent energy. A fierce purple light erupted, engulfing the entire area, making the air suddenly feel suffocating, as if all the oxygen had been sucked out. The wind stopped blowing. Dust motes hung suspended in the air as if frozen in place. Time itself seemed to pause for a beat, and everything fell into a terrifying silence.
But just as the purple light receded, the System rang out once more—this time colder and more haunting than ever, like a verdict from the void:
Ting!
[Do you wish to break the limit and become stronger?]
In that moment, countless memories flashed through Nghĩa's mind: the days fighting alongside his sister, and especially the image of Lài falling—a tragic death he couldn't prevent. This damned world, with its brutal rules, seemed to offer no other choice but to become stronger to protect what little remained.
Nghĩa gritted his teeth, his voice filled with both determination and a sense of powerlessness:
"I AGREE."
Ting!
[System Confirmed]
[Warning: You have broken the first limit.]
[The corresponding price is being processed…]
Nghĩa froze, a chilling sensation running down his spine. His eyes twitched violently, his heart pounded until it felt like it would burst—then abruptly stopped for half a second as if constricted. Some memory… a few familiar faces suddenly blurred, then gradually vanished from his mind. He closed his eyes for a long time, trying to visualize, trying to hold on—but the void was gone forever, impossible to retrieve.
"No… what's happening… I just forgot… who was it?"
There was no answer. No response.
The System offered no explanation. It only left a message as cold as ice, terrifyingly emotionless:
[Warning]
[Each evolutionary step – a corresponding price will be taken.]
[Transaction complete.]
[Special Identity Reward: +50 to all stats.]
Nghĩa clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking. His body was now exponentially stronger, faster. His skills were sharper, like a blade honed to its absolute limit. But his mind—now had a permanent void, a painful hole he couldn't fill.
A surging power swelled in every cell, flooding every part of his body. His muscles tensed and hardened, his reflexes became astonishingly sharp, and his heartbeat was strangely stable, like a perfectly calibrated machine. Nghĩa gripped his hands, feeling the new strength flowing through him. The world before his eyes seemed to slow down, and he could now grasp every movement of an opponent.
He didn't fully understand what the system was saying, but his instincts told him: the path ahead would not be the same. His eyes gradually shifted to a deep, mysterious purple. His veins felt like they were on fire, carrying a new source of energy. And his status screen appeared, with a final cold notification, marking an irreversible change:
Status Board – Trần Đại Nghĩa
Occupation: N/A
Overall Rating: C
Title: Identified Player
Attack: 85
Defense: 75
Agility: 110
Mana: 70
Spirit: 75
Critical Attack: 75
Elemental Resistance: 60
Current Skills:
* Adaptive Injury Resistance
* Devour
* Accelerated Reflexes
Immediately after the cold notification about the price of power, another interface window popped up in Nghĩa's mind, bringing with it a new opportunity, a door of destiny:
[Occupation selection unlocked]
[Please select your occupation]
The available classes appeared before him, each name accompanied by a short, concise description:
[Warrior] – Solid strength and defense.
[Mage] – Control and ranged attacks using elemental energy.
[Archer] – Agile, precise, long-range attacks.
[Assassin] – Fast, lethal, critical strikes – delivers a kill in the blink of an eye.
The brief descriptions scrolled through his mind, but his heart had already made its choice. He didn't need flair or endurance. He needed speed, silence, and instantaneous death to protect his loved ones from monsters that were now exponentially stronger. It was the only path he could see to survive and fight in this brutal world.
After a short moment of contemplation, he took a deep breath and spoke his decision with finality:
"I choose – Assassin."
Ting!
[Occupation Confirmed: Assassin]
Immediately, an ethereal dark purple light enveloped his entire body. He felt weightless, and a cold sensation ran down his spine. It wasn't scary; instead, it was a strange clarity. New instincts awoke, his agility increased dramatically, and the sense of danger suddenly became clearer than ever, as if he could "taste" it in the air.
[This occupation is suited for speed, critical damage, and stealth ability.]
[Some unique skills will be unlocked and have the potential to evolve with levels.]
Immediately, a series of new skills appeared in his mind, along with detailed explanations:
Assassin's special starting skills:
* [Shadow Step] – Quickly teleports in the darkness (Range: 5m, Cooldown: 15s).
* [Vitality Strike] – Increases damage by 50% when attacking a weak point.
* [Stealth] – Disappears from sight for 3 seconds (Cooldown: 30s).
* [Detect Weakness] (Passive) – Displays enemy weak points within a 10m radius, increasing critical hit chance.
From that moment on, Nghĩa was no longer an ordinary player. He had chosen to walk the path of one who moves in the shadows—an Identified Assassin.
"Death will arrive in silence, and he will be the one to bring it."
Ting!
[You have received a special gift box for an Identified Player.]
Assassin B+ Gear Set, including:
* 'Night Phantom' Cloak
* +10 Spirit
* +25 Agility
* +20% Stealth duration
* +20% Shadow Elemental Resistance
* Passive Skill: "Cloak of Night" – When HP drops below 30%, the player is automatically covered by a faint mist for 3 seconds, greatly increasing dodge ability and reducing the chance of being detected. (CD: 180s)
* 'Drifting Shadow' Twin Daggers
* +60 Attack
* +15% Critical Damage
* +25% Attack Speed
* +10% Armor Penetration when striking a weak point
* Skill: Lingering Shadow – After teleporting with Shadow Step, the damage of the next attack is increased by 50%.
* 'Dark Shadow' Armor
* +60 Defense
* +15 Agility
* +15% Dodge Rate
* Passive Skill: Concealment – If stationary in the darkness for 3 seconds, the chance of being detected is reduced.
* 'Cloud Shadow' Boots
* +60 Agility
* +25% Movement Speed
* +20% Stealth Effect Enhancement
* Passive: Reduces footsteps and ground-shaking effects while moving.
* 'Mind Shadow' Ring
* +25% Critical Hit Chance
* +30 Mana
* +15% Cooldown Reduction
* Passive: If 3 consecutive critical hits are landed, the 4th attack deals an additional 30% true damage.
Equipment Set Effects:
* 2 Items: +20% Attack Speed
* 3 Items: +20% Critical Damage
* 4 Items: Killing Aura of Shadows – After defeating a target, damage is increased by 20% for the next five seconds.
* 5 Items: Death's Shadow – After exiting Stealth: for the first 3 seconds, damage is increased by 30%.
All items were neatly packaged in a glowing purple gift box that appeared right in front of him. When he touched it, the entire set was instantly synchronized with his personal inventory.
[Good luck on your path of survival.]
Nghĩa's eyes were calm and deep. He didn't know how many more prices he would have to pay, but one thing was certain—the path of an Identified Player… had truly begun.
Status Board – Trần Đại Nghĩa
Level: 10
Occupation: Assassin
Title: Identified Player
Overall Rating: C
Growth Potential: Unlimited
Current Skills:
* Adaptive Injury Resistance
* Devour (Absorbs mana stones) – Restores HP/MP based on the Unknown's level, and randomly increases a small amount of stats.
* Accelerated Reflexes – Increases processing and reaction speed in combat.
* Shadow Step – Quickly teleports 5m in the darkness (CD: 15s).
* Vitality Strike – +50% damage if a weak point is hit.
* Short-Term Stealth – Disappears for 3 seconds (CD: 30s).
* Detect Weakness (Passive) – Displays enemy weak points within 10m.
* [Passive] Survival Focus – Increases survival rate when HP is below 20%.
Active Assassin B+ Gear Set Effects:
* 2 Items: +20% Attack Speed
* 3 Items: +20% Critical Damage
* 4 Items: "Killing Aura of Shadows" – After defeating a target, damage is increased by 20% for 5s.
* 5 Items: "Death's Shadow" – After using Stealth: for the first 3s after appearing, +30% damage.
Status Board – Ái Hoa
Level: 7
Occupation: Support
Title: Lightkeeper
Overall Rating: Rank S
Skills:
* Healing Wave
* Type: Active
* Creates a wide-spreading wave of healing energy from Ái Hoa's position, restoring 8% HP every 3 seconds for 9 seconds to all allies within a 10m radius.
* Effect: Can stack with other healing effects.
* Range: Multi-target
* Cooldown: 5 minutes
* Cost: 60 Mana
* Psychic Bind
* Type: Mental Control
* Temporarily breaks the target's consciousness, causing the enemy to be mentally frozen for 2.5 seconds—unable to attack, move, or use skills.
* Note: When used on a Boss, the effect is shortened to 1 second.
* Cooldown: 150s
* Cost: 90 Mana
* Mana Restore
* Type: Active
* Restores 120-220 mana to one allied target.
* Note: Mana restored scales with Spirit stat.
* Cooldown: 1 minute
* Cost: 30 Mana
* Soul Sentry
* Type: Passive
* Passively protects the party.
* When standing within an 8m radius of an ally, Ái Hoa helps to reduce the ally's chance of being critically hit by 10% and slightly increases their mental resistance.
* Note: No mana cost.
* Effect: Remains active as long as she is standing.