Furthermore, one of the Ranger advancement branches was linked to the Thief final advancement path to become a [Ruler of the Night].
Each person could only use a single title at a time, and as Marvin had no other choice he naturally equipped [Newborn Ranger].
…
After submitting the recommendation letter to the Ranger Guild, Marvin also received a novice Ranger badge. In general, novice Rangers had three badges they could choose from. They were the wild wolf badge, the noble hawk¹ badge and the sika deer badge.
[Wild Wolf Badge]: Taming +5
[Noble Hawk Badge]: Long range vision +3
[Sika Deer]: Hide +9
The three badges each increased a skill effect, and between these three skills, the knowledgeable Marvin made his choice very quickly.
Ranger’s [Hide] was very strong in the wilderness. If the [Hide] skill was 100 or higher, its effects would be almost like a 2nd rank Assassin’s [Strong Stealth]. Even if [Taming] and [Long Distance Vision] were useful, they weren’t as useful as [Hide].
[Hide] was as important to rangers as [Stealth] was to thieves.
When he successfully became a Ranger, his HP increased by 11 points, he received a free attribute point, and he started with 96 skill points. His character window also changed:
[Adventurer Class: Level 1 Ranger (0/50)]
He spent his free attribute point on dexterity without hesitation. A Ranger’s main attributes were dexterity and intelligence. Dexterity made them more agile and skillful while intelligence let them cast spells. Dexterity was more important than intelligence in Marvin’s advancement path.
Attribute points were very valuable. Besides the one available at level 1, he could only get 1 every 2 levels. His 96 skill points were also spent quickly. Soon, his skill tab looked like this:
Hide – 41(+9)
Stealth – 20
Inspect – 35
Rangers could use daggers and bows. This was the inherent class ability.
Thus, Marvin’s stats window was as follows:
Name: Marvin
Race: Human/?
Attributes:
Strength – 11
Dexterity – 17
Constitution – 9
Intelligence – 14
Wisdom – 14
Charisma – 13(+1)
Class: Noble Rank 3 (150/200)
Adventurer Class: Level 1 Ranger (0/50)
Title: Newborn Ranger
Health Points: 37/37
Exp: 40 (Noble) [Unused]
SP (Skill Points): 0
AP (Ability Points): 0
Class Skills:
– Noble (Baron):
Dignity – 25
Management – 31
Perception – 16
Diplomacy – 19
Accounting – 28
Horsemanship – 30
– Ranger:
Hide – 41(+9)
Stealth – 20
Inspect – 35
Equipment:
Badge (Sika Deer)
…
“I finally have a combat class!” After leaving the Ranger Guild, Marvin excitedly felt strength flowing through his body.
He felt full of energy. He had successfully forged a “recommendation letter,” which let him see a glimmer of hope. His past knowledge was indeed still helpful. Among all the classes, only the Ranger was able to get his class from a senior Ranger’s recommendation letter. There was no opportunity for the other classes to take such a shortcut. Marvin, by observing that homeless man’s actions, guessed that he was a former high-level Ranger. He then used a bottle of golden rum to buy him off. He wasn’t the one who had found this strategy; it was the personal experience of his ranger friend from his previous life.
That guy was also a god level player. While the average player struggled with their 2nd rank advancement quest, he had shockingly already reached the third rank, [Forest Guard]. Marvin also learned from him that there was such a loophole in the base Ranger class. The recommendation could be forged as long as he got a hold of the badge of a higher leveled Ranger.
The Ranger Guild only paid attention to the recommendation letter and didn’t check with the actual people, giving Marvin the chance to take the shortcut.
Successfully getting the Ranger class meant that his past knowledge could be put to good use. Although he wasn’t familiar with River Shore City, he still found several ways of making money and increasing his strength after casually searching through his memories. Obviously, if he was in his former starting town, [Jewel Bay], located further Northeast, he would feel even more at home.
He still had 30 silvers in his pocket, but the rest of his wealth was quickly spent after he bought a Common Curved Dagger² from a blacksmith in the business district.
The common curved dagger’s stats were quite lacking, only giving 2 – 5 Attack. It was barely enough to protect one’s life… and killing monsters would require some effort.
Marvin urgently needed to increase his strength, and obviously, there was still the money issue. He also did not forget his own mission. Anna was still waiting for him at the Fierce Horse Inn. This half-elf butler had been following him since his childhood. She took an important place in his heart.
If need be, he would use his life to protect her.
After the two entered River Shore City, Marvin had lost their funds. Anna went to do manual labor every day at his rude uncle’s place in exchange for a miserable amount. If not for Anna, Marvin might have already been targeted by one of those local gangs who wished to steal his money, before finally dying in a gutter.
It could be said that Anna had always been taking care of Marvin.
It was time to make some changes.
Taking advantage of the fact that River Shore City’s gates weren’t closed, Marvin, with his curved dagger on his belt, quickly left the city.
…
In Feinan Continent the wilderness was quite a dangerous place. Apart from the roads between cities, a deadly monster could appear anywhere. In theory, a terrifying beast could even appear on a road that was regularly cleaned up. To Marvin, who was an insignificant Level 1 Ranger, an ogre, or even a young goblin was enough to deal with him.
Because of the guards patrolling every day around the major cities, their surroundings were somewhat safe.
However, Marvin didn’t go out for leveling; he went out to earn money.
Outside River Shore City, there was a large river known as Pine Cone River. Pine Cone River splits 65 kilometers downstream. The branch river is known as White River. Marvin’s territory was the White River Valley, located at the White Lake.
Pine Cone River stretched for more than sixteen hundred kilometers, becoming very wide and gentle, forming large sandy areas.
Gordon Plateau’s loess upstream washed down the river, leading to the formation of silt and making this territory extremely fertile.
Occasionally, small crabs known as [Blue Glow Crabs] came out of Pine Cone River. The blue glow crab was top grade delicacy. For wizards, this kind of crab meat could increase their mental power to a certain degree. Therefore, in River Shore City’s market this kind of crab would be extraordinarily expensive. If Marvin remembered correctly, a single blue glow crab would sell for more than 20 silvers.
Therefore, he left the town in the middle of the night in order to catch crabs.
Naturally, the blue glow crab’s high value led to Pine Cone River being filled with a lot of people trying to catch crabs. However, they weren’t very efficient at it. They had no choice but to rely on luck and blindly look for them. Even if they searched for a whole day they wouldn’t necessarily find one. These guys were way too small. During the day, they would be really easy to overlook, not to mention at night.
Consequently, there were almost no signs of humans near the Pine Cone River at night.
This suited Marvin’s wishes well. He knew a technique for catching blue glow crabs that only worked at night. As no one w
ould bother him, this was the best.
Soon, he arrived at the location.
But at that time he suddenly heard footsteps behind him!
“Someone is following me?”
Marvin’s heart sank. He had actually made such a dreadful mistake.
He was no longer that almighty Ruler of the Night and his Wisdom was at a mediocre 14 points, barely above the average person. Along with his 16 Perception, he only reached the level of having sharp eyes and nothing more.
Becoming a ranger had made him somewhat careless. He surprisingly hadn’t checked whether there was anyone tailing him.
A single shadow quietly appeared while making fun of him. He wasn’t tall and in his hands was a small dagger.
It was a Thief!
[Inspect (35) skill has been used…]
[Wisdom Check…]
[Inspect Successful]
The Thief’s main information immediately appeared before Marvin’s eyes:
Level 5 Commoner / Level 3 Thief – Hp 42
“Lord Noble, leaving the city alone isn’t a good habit.” The thief burst into laughter and said, “Although you carry a knife, do you really think that it can protect you? For a useless noble, you should be honored to die by the hand of the Acheron Gang.”
At that time, a few shadows rushed in from somewhere close to the main road.
Marvin gritted his teeth. ‘Damn it, backup?’
‘The Acheron Gang? I haven’t offended them. Why are they trying to kill me?’
But it was clearly not the best time to think. He suddenly burst into a sprint, his target being the grove beside the river shore.
_____________
1 - T/N: Noble hawk being the translation of the latin name of the northern goshawk.
2 - T/N: To be more exact, it would be a curved single-edged knife something like a kukri. Curved dagger in short.
Chapter 4: Night of Slaughter
Chapter 4: Night of Slaughter
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
The Thief was watching him, a blank expression on his face. He wasn’t expecting that penniless noble to be able to stay levelheaded and make the right move in that kind of situation.
Pine Cone River’s banks were vast. Marvin was sure that he could avoid the Acheron gangsters’ pursuit if it was on the beach. Only the sparse trees of the grove would give him a chance.
“Was it a fluke?” the Thief mumbled, not feeling anxious at all. He greeted the arriving gangsters and quickly gave chase.
He didn’t believe that they could fail to deal with a noble that didn’t even have a combat class. Especially since the grove terrain wasn’t that complex, he wouldn’t be able to escape.
When Marvin stepped in the grove, taking advantage of the darkness, he quickly moved toward a lush and tall tree.
‘Not even being quiet. Seems like they are quite confident.’
Marvin leaned against the tree behind him, paying attention to the approaching Thief who was casually holding his dagger. He inwardly sneered. He still had the advantage.
After seeing these Acheron Gang members, Marvin was shocked and doubtful, but never lost his calm. That would be a joke. As a former Ruler of the Night, his battle experience was extremely rich. These pieces of trash were barely good enough to be considered adventurers. Although the Thief’s strength was higher than Marvin’s own value, sometimes experience was much more important.
Especially in difficult terrain!
After Marvin got his Ranger class, he was very careful when equipping his Ranger badge, keeping it hidden from sight. Therefore, those gangsters shouldn’t be able to react. Marvin had already gotten an adventurer class, just like them.
This was a huge advantage.
‘Want to kill me? Then don’t blame me.’
He silently took his dagger from his belt, showing a hint of killing intent. Since they wanted to take care of him, they should be ready to be killed in exchange.
Indeed, he had given up on fleeing the moment those Acheron gangsters appeared. He only wanted to know the truth behind this attack.
None of them would escape this place alive.
Thinking of this made his blood boil. He hadn’t had that kind of feeling for a while. The last time he was that excited was probably during the completion of his God Title quest. He had to fight the 10 half-gods chasing him.
…
The grove was actually quite small, so Marvin didn’t have a lot of space he could use.
He had to get rid of this one before the rest arrived. Marvin was convinced that this guy not using stealth was the only thief among the group of gangsters chasing him, and that he was also the greatest threat to him. A Thief’s wisdom and perception were both quite high, making it easy to find his hiding spot.
As long as this thief was killed, Marvin would have plenty of ways to handle the others.
Considering all this, he curled a little closer to the pine tree.
[Hide cast!]
The signature Ranger skill was naturally amazing. With the help of the surroundings, it was like Marvin’s body fused with the pine tree. The thief was quickly coming toward him, unaware. Marvin tightened his grip on his curved dagger and held his breath.
41 points in [Hide] + 9 points from the sika deer badge was just enough to trigger the [Hide] skill’s additional effect, [Night Blessing].
[Night Blessing]: +5% effect when using [Hide] during the night.
These 5% effects were often underestimated. A lot of times, even just a 1% increase would be enough to alter the course of a close battle.
Marvin, as a former PK expert, was not only a matchless Thief, but also knew the other classes like the back of his hand. Therefore he immediately got 50 points in [Hide] for that additional effect.
(T/N: PK – Player Kill)
But he wasn’t expecting it to come in handy so soon.
The Thief’s perception seemed to be even lower than Marvin’s expectations. He probably became a Thief thanks to many years of helping the gang manage the streets and training. It was by no means because of talent.
Just as he carelessly walked past Marvin, a shout could be heard from the entrance of the grove.
“Jack! Where the fuck are you? And where is that noble?
Jack turned around impatiently and shouted at the entrance, “I, your father, am here! That young noble is nearby and he can’t escape!”
Marvin waited silently for him to finish his sentence and then sneaked behind him like a ghost. He immediately put his left hand over the Thief’s mouth and the curved dagger in his right hand smoothly drew a red line across the Thief’s throat.
In an instant, blood flew everywhere while the Thief began to struggle.
However, Marvin was still covering the Thief’s mouth, his face without a hint of emotion. The dying Thief struggled fruitlessly, randomly trying to injure Marvin.
[Basic Attack Successful!]
[Critical Hit! Basic Attack upgraded to Critical Attack]
[Target eliminated! 18 Battle Exp received]
Ignoring the battle reports popping up, Marvin could feel the Thief’s body gradually weakening. The guy was already dead.
“I’m way too slow.” Marvin was shaking his head, unhappy.
Limited by his body and his class, he could not output much power. The technical moves he just used were the [Phantom Assassin] trademark combo [Shadow Steps] + [Cutthroat]. If completed correctly, the combo would result in extremely high damage. It was well-suited for quickly getting rid of an enemy.
Even though Marvin wasn’t a Thief, he could still rely on his memories and his instincts to use these two technical moves, though he felt quite unhappy about his execution. He used the moves manually so they weren’t skills and they didn’t have that high of an attack bonus, but his opponent wasn’t particularly strong either.
The Thief was level 2 with 42 HP. If not for the critical hit, Marvin would have struggled to get rid of him. However, rank 1
classes don’t have any resistances toward criticals. When they are hit by a critical, they would definitely die.
This careless Thief was obviously a bad example for low level Thieves. He probably thought that Marvin was powerless and didn’t expect that the target had suddenly turned into an expert assassin.
Marvin quickly searched the robber’s body and found a purse and some trap materials.
“Ah… Poor ghost…” There were only 5 silvers in the purse.
Contrary to his expectations, the materials were somewhat useful. Taking advantage of the fact that the others had not found them yet, Marvin hid the Thief’s body and then looked for a big tree to go back into hiding.
He raised his head and saw a black cloud floating in front of the moon; it would be hard to see anything.
Tonight was bound to be a night of slaughter.
…
There were 4 gangsters left, holding torches while rushing into the grove. Under the light of the fire, the originally sparse trees suddenly became bright.
Under the torchlight, Marvin’s Hide would certainly see its effect reduced. Even worse, they would discover the corpse of the Thief pretty soon as he hadn’t had time to take care the body properly. He had merely covered it a little.
After that they would be more vigilant, knowing that Marvin wasn’t completely powerless. That would cause Marvin’s probability of success to drop precipitously.
“Damnit, that damn Jack, he let the young noble escape to the grove,” one of the gangsters cursed in annoyance with his rough voice. “And now he’s ignoring us, what the fuck is that guy playing at?”
“Maybe the young noble is running fast and he is still chasing after him.”
“But he didn’t leave us many marks so trying to find them like this would be a huge waste of time. We have to make sure that boss’s order is carried out tonight. That young noble known as Marvin must die!”
With the flames showing the approach of the gangsters, Marvin leaned to the side, calmly listening to the enemies’ footsteps. He didn’t have a hearing skill so his perception in this aspect was somewhat weak. But these people were as carefree as the little Thief. They didn’t reduce the sound they made when walking, so he could still determine their approach from the sound of their footsteps.
Night Ranger - Full Series - 735 Chapters Page 4
