I focused all my attention on the group of four men ahead. My female body stayed crouched behind a cluster of bushes, still and alert, while my male body perched in the branches of a nearby tree, watching the scene from a wider, more strategic angle. The most update n0vels are published on noᴠelfire.net

Both gripped a dagger tightly, fingers curled around the handle as if it was part of their instinct. Although the plan was to end things quickly and quietly — before they even noticed us — I’d learned over time that the unexpected often shows up in situations like this. Being prepared wasn’t just smart, it was survival.

With everything set, I cast one last look at Oliver. Our eyes met for a moment, and we silently nodded — a brief gesture, but full of understanding. Then he shifted his gaze toward where Alice and Ethan were positioned.

Ethan stayed alert, standing firm beside her, playing the role of a human shield. Out of all of us, he was definitely the toughest and strongest — the perfect choice to protect her if things got out of hand.

Anyway, it only took one look from Oliver for Alice, who had been quiet and watchful until then, to finally spring into action. In a quick, precise motion, she extended both hands forward, pointing straight at the group.

Moments later, her lips started moving — so quietly that even with my sharp hearing, I could barely catch the sound. But that didn’t matter. I knew exactly what she was doing... and what was coming next.

Right after Alice whispered the words, a thick, white mist — the same kind that surrounded the woods — began to form in the palm of her outstretched hand. It slipped out from her fingers like it had a mind of its own, winding across the ground in smooth, flowing movements.

In seconds, the creeping fog was advancing toward the four men, wrapping the air around them in a cold, damp silence until it finally reached them, as if choosing its prey.

The mist started to rise around them almost imperceptibly, crawling along the ground like silent fingers. First it wrapped their ankles, then slowly crept up their legs, arms, until it formed a thick, opaque cloak that surrounded them completely.

Despite the strange, ghostly presence, the targets showed no sign of alarm — they kept talking among themselves, only watching what they could see, wary of conventional threats but totally unaware of the silent danger already surrounding them.

This was a new ability Alice had just acquired, fresh in her list of powers. At first glance, its function seemed simple: to create a dense magical fog that clouded the enemies’ vision, making them vulnerable to confusion. The mist not only drastically reduced their accuracy but also made target detection almost impossible.

As the user’s control over the skill grew, the fog could evolve, even causing temporary total blindness to opponents — or so the official description said. In practice, though, we hadn’t tested it in real combat yet, so its true effectiveness was still a mystery.

Honestly, that didn’t matter much at the moment. All we needed was one careless moment from the other side — a tiny, barely noticeable opening — and Alice’s skill seemed like exactly what could create it.

Anyway, I didn’t waste time. I began to prepare, fully focused. I cast one last look at Oliver — he already had an arrow nocked on his bow, eyes locked, alert, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

By my side, silently, I activated my abilities: first, [Silent Steps], so no noise would give away my position; then, [Basic Heightened Senses]

, sharpening every sensation around me; next, [Detect Presence], to identify any hidden movement in the darkness.

And finally, but not least, [Precise Strike], getting my body and mind ready to deliver the perfect attack. In seconds, information that had been invisible flooded my mind, painting a clear picture of the environment and everything that could happen.

[Basic Heightened Senses], combined with [Detect Presence], elevated my perception to a whole new level. It was like the environment itself was conspiring with me, whispering secrets and info in my ears every moment.

Every distant sound, every faint shadow, came alive before my sharpened senses, turning the ordinary into a vibrant mosaic of details invisible to common eyes.

I could hear muffled footsteps reverberating across the ground, echoing with an almost hypnotic rhythm. I felt slight changes in air pressure around me, as if something invisible was moving cautiously, leaving subtle traces in the environment.

Plus, I noticed slight shifts in temperature — an imperceptible dance of energy — as if every living thing nearby gave off a unique signature, a frequency my keen, sensitive perception could easily pick up.

The rustling of dry leaves, mixed with the faint creak of an old structure, made a subtle symphony filling the air. The gentle wind, combined with the slow, deep breathing of someone close, became part of a vast flow of sensory information my mind absorbed and decoded almost instantly.

I couldn’t see directly, but shapes, movements, even intentions seemed to sketch themselves before me like invisible lines, drawn by an unseen hand, revealing a hidden world unfolding in layers beyond ordinary sight.

This combo of skills didn’t just amplify my senses — it sharpened them with almost supernatural precision. It was like shedding the narrow, fragmented vision of an ordinary human to, for a brief moment, assume the perception of something far beyond.

Something that lives in the cracks of reality, where imperceptible details come alive, revealing textures, sounds, and smells that had completely escaped me before. It was like seeing the world through a translucent veil, where every tiny fragment became meaningful and pulsing.

At the same time, the dagger held firmly in both my bodies’ hands took on an intense metallic red hue, standing out clearly against the deep green of the surrounding bushes. A subtle, hypnotic glow pulsed from the blade, almost like it had its own energy, noticeable only to those truly paying attention. Still, it wasn’t a risk — our targets were totally unaware, lost in their own world, not suspecting what was about to happen.

It was like, finally, the opportunity we’d been waiting for was happening right in front of us. The air was thick with this quiet tension, almost something you could feel, as our eyes stayed locked on what was about to go down. Then, out of nowhere, a voice broke the silence — soft, but carrying this subtle worry, like a warning that just wouldn’t be ignored.

“Hey... is it just me, or did the fog get thicker all of a sudden?” the voice echoed, laced with curiosity and a little bit of unease, cutting through the stillness around us.

Another voice replied, more casual and even a bit amused: “Huh? I don’t notice any difference. Are you sure you’re not just imagining things?”

I watched the exchange carefully, following every gesture and expression. Then, the man who seemed to be the leader finally spoke. His eyes narrowed slowly as he scanned the area with a careful, almost suspicious look. His voice came low and cautious, carrying a hint of contained worry: “No... I think he’s right. Looks like the fog just got thicker all of a sudden”

Honestly, it was only a matter of time before they noticed they were under attack. So I decided to act before the doubt fully faded away. While there was still uncertainty among them, I moved — fast, silent, lethal. No communication, no warning, no sound. I just moved.

My steps were almost imperceptible, making no echo, as if I touched the ground without really stepping on it. My presence, at that moment, was almost nonexistent — like I was a shadow at the edge of reality. And to top it off, Alice’s ability amplified my stealth to surreal levels.

I became something beyond hidden, something unnoticed even in plain light. At that moment, the way others perceived me was probably no different than how you perceive the wind: you know it’s there, but you can’t see it or touch it — only feel its effects too late.

Within seconds, I silently got close to one of the group members. Looking closely, I identified two tanks and two archers — no sign of anyone with a class like Alice’s. That actually worked in our favor.

According to Oliver, archers are skilled at tracking targets and setting ambushes, but they fall short when it comes to detection. On the other hand, my class, assassin, specializes exactly in that: going unnoticed and identifying hidden presences.

Anyway, using the slight agility advantage my female body offered over the male, I was already behind my first target before he even noticed me. With the dagger firm in hand, I didn’t hesitate.

In one precise, silent move, I covered his mouth with my palm and, a moment later, let the sharp blade slide across his neck. The cut was clean. His body twitched slightly, like he was resisting instinctively, before giving in completely, becoming a dead weight in my arms. I gently set him down without making a sound.

You killed [Human / Archer – lvl 16] – Bonus experience for killing a member of an intelligent species. Experience shared with the rest of your group. 800 XP gained.

There was no scream, no alarm, no call for help. So the three remaining men were still completely unaware of what had happened. Alice’s ability was still active, masking the effects for anyone not targeted — and to us, everything seemed perfectly normal.

We could see reasonably clearly, at least within the limits imposed by the thick fog surrounding the woods. Cautiously, trying not to draw attention, I slowly crouched down and laid the lifeless body on the ground. Every move was calculated, silent. My goal was clear: remain invisible to the other three, at least for a few more seconds.

At the same time, the other archer suddenly lifted his head, as if something had caught his attention. His eyes scanned the surroundings restlessly, analyzing every shadow, every subtle movement between the trees. For a few tense seconds, silence settled. Then, in a low, hesitant voice, he broke the moment: “...Hey, did you guys hear that? A muffled sound... like something was dragging?”

The moment I heard his words, my body froze. As if guided by instinct, I slowly turned my gaze toward the voice. The archer stayed alert, his eyes sweeping every corner of the environment with quiet precision, as if searching for something — or someone. For a brief moment, our eyes met.

He saw me, and I saw he saw me. His eyes narrowed, suspicious, weighing me with a mix of confusion and restrained tension. That brief eye contact seemed to last forever, though it ended in just a few seconds. Then something changed. His eyes widened in clear surprise — or maybe recognition.

His mouth started to move, like he was going to say something... But he didn’t have time. Suddenly, an arrow cut through the air and pierced his skull with brutal precision. His body faltered for a moment, as if still trying to understand what happened, before dropping lifeless.

I watched the scene for a few seconds before moving toward the last two. To be honest, I didn’t have to think much about what had happened — the arrow lodged in the ground was a clear, almost loud sign that Oliver was just covering us. That was the kind of help I expected from him.

Still, despite assuming the last two were just archers trying to slow us down, there was something about the silence or the way they were positioned that made me think the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

Of course, the noise and movement didn’t go unnoticed by the last two men. They started exchanging looks, showing growing discomfort, like something about the situation was finally waking their suspicion.

As I silently approached, trying to keep every step covered by the tension of the moment, a new voice echoed — coming from the warrior standing beside the leader: “Hey... I’m pretty sure I just heard something fall”

Their attention was now divided, senses sharpened, and the alert mood was taking over the place.