Night Ranger Volume 1 Chapter 5

Level 3 Class-er!

A bit troublesome!

However, to Ma Wen, it is only a bit troublesome. Now that only 1 person is left behind, the pressure on him is already very low.

Using machete, gang member, Agility and Strength are not low, probably is a [Gang Killer] then. This special Tier 1 Class is a variant of Warrior but is more offensive-based and common Physique.

Ma Wen very quickly scans the stats window. After killing 4 Akron Gang members just now, he gained 59 Killing EXP while Level 2 Ranger requires 50 EXP!

After swiftly allocating 50 Killing EXP onto Ranger, a warm feeling courses through his body and immediately becomes a Level 2 Ranger!

With the increase in Level, his HP increases by 13, making it a total of 50 HP. At the same time, there is 24 newly gained Class Skill points and no free stat points. Free stat point is a valuable resource that is only gained once per 2 Class Levels

24 Class Skill points, he allocates 4 onto Stealth and the rest are temporarily reserved.

Gang Killer comes ferociously with a strong chop!

He wants to chop Ma Wen into two parts!

Ma Wen is indifferent and calm. With a simple dodge, he circles to the back of a large tree.

Bang!

Killer chops again with a turn of his hand! Ma Wen jumps backwards and that chop slashs on the tree, the bark shatters and saw dust flies around!

“Die!”

Killer roars with a fierce look. He suddenly exerts force and pulls out the machete. No one expected that at this time, Ma Wen suddenly charges forwards into his arms!

Killer is taken by surprise and is knocked off balance by Ma Wen. He takes a few steps back and almost drops the machete in his hand!

Now is the time!

Even in high speed movement, he still can swiftly make various kinds of combat-related judgements. This is a kind of combat instinct.

A cold light flashes, the machete slashes horizontally and chops towards Killer’s waist!

The next second, a sharp pain surges from Ma Wen’s right hand. Killer is laughing grimly while grabbing Ma Wen’s wrist with both hands.

“Did you think you can hurt me?”

Ma Wen is not talking. He disregards the pain and also disregards the frequently flashing battle log:

[Normal attack fails, right wrist is caught, in the midst of resist check……]

[Strength suppressed, cannot break free!]

Just when Killer is having his tail up, Ma Wen’s left hand appears near Killer’s neck like the most callous venomous snake.

His left hand is holding a dagger. This is the barely usable thing among the loot left behind by that Thief.

“Ah!”

A forlorn shriek cut through the night sky while Ma Wen slits his throat without hesitation!

Killer loosens his both hands and falls on the ground with immense shock.

Fresh blood flows and not long after, the squirming Gang Killer died.

Ma Wen rubs his painful wrist and says in his mind that this Killer’s Strength is probably above 16. It is a pity that his combat experience is too weak.

Dying on the hands of a once Ruler of Dark Night is not an injustice after all.

He slightly searches, the Gang Killer is pretty wealthy with a total of 29 silver coins and some random stuff but their values are not high.

It is a pity that Ma Wen did not find any related information on why they are trying to kill him from these Akron Gang members’ corpses.

Why is a gang trying to make life difficult for a down-and-out noble with nothing to his name?

This is illogical.

It is common knowledge that killing noble is a very serious offence. As long as it is exposed, Akron Gang will definitely face its demise. Even if Ma Wen is just a down-and-out noble who lost his territory.

And killing him has nothing to be gained. The risks and rewards are not proportionate, this is too weird.

After hastily dealing with these 5 corpses, Ma Wen really does not have any mood to catch crabs anymore. He intends to return to Hirst City and figure out who to trying to kill him.

Right at this time, he suddenly notices that in the quest window, that soul-bound quest has underwent some changes.

In the quest description, the below words are added on:

[……The attempt on your life near Pine Nut River sandbank made you realize everything is not right at all. Someone is trying to kill you. This is most probably related to those Gnolls that bizarrely appeared in your territory. Hirst City is filled with all kinds of people but no matter who the mastermind is, as long as he still wants to achieve his goals, there will be a day when the truth comes to light.]

At the same time, this main quest has another sub-quest [The Mastermind], the gist of it is to let Ma Wen find out the mastermind behind all these.

The reward for this sub-quest is not bad, 100 General EXP. Since Ma Wen definitely has to find out the truth anyways, this 100 General EXP is practically a give-away.

……

On the way back to the city, he carefully chooses a secluded and safe path to avoid the rest of the Akron Gang members that may exist.

He checks the battle log while walking. This is a good habit to look at the battle again, calculate the gains and losses and sum up any problems.

If things continue like this, the combat prowess will definitely rise.

However the surprising thing is he found these records in the battle log:

[You repeatedly used a standard technical action in battle and is more than 98% similar to Phantom Assassin Class Skill Cutthroat. You can spend 500 Killing EXP to turn it into your personal exclusive Skill.]

[You repeatedly used a standard technical action in battle and is more than 98% similar to Phantom Assassin Class Skill Shadow Coupé. You can spend 2000 Killing EXP to turn it into your personal exclusive Skill.]

[Because you repeatedly used a technical action from other Class in battle, one of your personal Specialty will form towards this direction. Personal Specialty forming progress: 9/100]

……

“Using Skills of other Class can actually turn it into one’s personal exclusive Skill?”

Ma Wen slightly startles. He has never heard of this before.

However, he realizes quickly that it is probably not that simple. The battle log clearly states that it must be repeated usage of a “standard” technical action, similarity must exceed a certain degree at the same time before it can be transformed into his personal exclusive Skill through using Killing EXP. Personal exclusive Skill cannot be raised through using Skill points and can only slowly raise its Skill Level through continuously training.

Ma Wen also notices it seems that the higher the similarity of the repeatedly used standard technical action is with the original Skill, the lesser the required Killing EXP is. Cutthroat and Shadow Coupé are signature Skills of Phantom Assassin but the amount of Killing EXP spent are completely different.

“500 Killing EXP……”

To be frank, Ma Wen is slightly tempted but also slightly bitter. Killing EXP is very difficult to obtain and is one of the highest level of EXP. If Killing EXP is spent on these, it will slow down his leveling speed without a doubt.

However, it has not reached the stage where this problem must be solved yet because the unallocated Killing EXP he has is only a mere 39 which is still very far from 500.

What catches his attention more is that personal Specialty, during his previous life, he had never heard of repeated usage of other Class Skill can form any Specialty.

It is common knowledge that personal Specialty is classified into 3 types, innate, acquired through training and acquired through talent awakening. This body of Ma Wen is pretty useless. There is no innate personal Specialty and can only acquire through training. For example, this personal Specialty that is forming now is most probably this type.

As for the last type, acquired through talent awakening is pretty rare. Ma Wen never hopes for this, although his race clearly states “Human/?”, this means he possesses other race’s bloodline, just that it is very faint.

No matter what, being able to form Specialty is naturally a good thing. Specialty is something good that can provide help to adventurers other than stats and Skills.

The time is already very late, Hirst City implements a semi-curfew. Although the city gates close later, after 12am, no one is allowed to walk on the streets. The gates are closed, if he wants to enter, he must use some extreme measures.

When Ma Wen was the Ruler of Dark Night in the past, it was a piece of cake to enter the city by flipping over the walls using Wall Walking Specialty and some special magic equipment. As for now, he can only look for some loophole.

He knows that for cities like Hirst City, there is no very strong monster forces in the surroundings, the walls will normally have some places that are dilapidated. After searching carefully along the walls, he finds a suitable gap. He is slim and small and can manage to squeeze through.

After entering the city, he must be careful of the patrolling soldiers. These fellows are not to be trifled with. Being sent out by the mayor to patrol in the middle of the night already filled them with resentment. If he were to be caught, the results are unimaginable. As for resisting, please, these guards are at least Tier 2 Class-ers, the leading security officer on duty may even be Tier 3, way more than what the newly Class changed Ma Wen can handle.

Avoiding the main road, walking like fish in water in the small alley, he successfully dodged the patrolling guards and the unknown dangers in the city. However, when he circled to the back door of Strong Horse Hotel, he discovers a sneaky figure.

“Someone is on the lookout?” Ma Wen is struck with a thought. This is not commonly seen. The boss of Strong Horse Hotel supposedly have a frightening background and nobody dares to mess around in her turf.

He circles to the front door unmoved and indeed discovers 2 hidden sentries. Just that these sentries are really too unprofessional. Although they are all Thief Class and knows some simple hiding techniques, it is filled with loopholes in Ma Wen’s eyes.

He repeatedly checks and finally confirms there are a total of 3 Thief keeping their eyes on Strong Horse Hotel. 2 at the front door and 1 at the back door.

The common thing about them is the blood dripping dagger on their sleeves. Although the artwork is not to be praised for, at least it managed to be consistent.

Ma Wen have seen this logo, just an hour ago.

Akron Gang.

“Damn it, trying to kill me and also have ideas on Sister Anna?”

Ma Wen is flaring up. Holding the machete, activating Stealth, he slowly closes in on that Thief keeping a lookout at the back door.

Chapter end