Return as a God-level Assassin

Riven might not fear the Great Empire of Ross in this life, but there was no reason to make unnecessary enemies either.

After all, when it came to grinding levels and farming loot, selling gear and skill books to the officials was the fastest way to cash in.

Building a long-term partnership was far more profitable than a quick kill for some extra lifespan.

Besides, who knew how much lifespan this woman actually had?

If he struck her down and only got a couple of days' worth, wouldn't that be a massive loss?

So, Riven simply nodded without saying much.

After ensuring that Sylvia was integrated into Marcus' team, he turned around and went back to leveling.

A quick glance at his EXP bar showed he was just one-third away from reaching Level 10.

"If nothing unexpected happens, I'll hit Level 10 in less than half an hour and finally extract my abilities into the real world!"

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

After being dismissed from Marcus' party, Lyra logged out for a brief moment.

Thanks to Marcus, she had nearly 200 days of tradable lifespan saved up. She figured it was time to cash in.

After all, at the current exchange rate, one day of lifespan could be sold for $15,000—a truly tempting offer.

However, as soon as she re-entered the real world, she habitually opened her Whatsapp group and was immediately met with a shocking and unsettling announcement.

"Oh my god, Shadow killed Elias?!"

"And he did it three times?!"

Lyra was dumbfounded.

Having partied with Marcus for some time, she knew that the lifespan system in Eclipse of Eternity was real.

Once a player's lifespan hit zero, they would die in the real world.

Which meant…

If Elias had been killed three times, even if he had started with a solid 100 years of untradeable lifespan, he would now be down to just 12 years!

"But why would Shadow kill Elias?"

Lyra couldn't understand it.

Initially, she would have stood firmly on Elias' side without hesitation.

But now…

She felt conflicted.

After all, she believed she still had a chance to get closer to Shadow.

"Shadow was the first player to ever slay a Gold-tier boss."

"And according to the chat, he managed to kill Elias three times while fending off dozens of attackers…"

"His power is terrifying."

But then, another thought crept into her mind—one that filled her with an unexpected sense of bitterness.

"Elias just entered the game… and he's already surrounded by so many girls?"

A strange feeling of jealousy surfaced.

"A party? Without me?"

While she still had lingering admiration for Elias, her feelings were clearly shifting.

Should she support Elias?

Or should she side with Shadow?

Being booted from Marcus' party and now hearing about Elias' repeated deaths, Lyra's mood soured.

"Forget it, I'll just sell the lifespan first."

Originally, Lyra had planned to contact her classmate Wei, since he had successfully sold lifespan face-to-face with Jan Industries at the 1:15,000 exchange rate.

But then she saw a message in Elias' Whatsapp fan group from an admin calling for help.

"Elias desperately needs support!"

"If you're in Riverbay City, please find him and sell him your tradable lifespan!"

"The exchange rate is 1:10,000! Ladies, this is your chance to make money and help our beloved Elias!"

Lyra's eyes locked onto the message, and her emotions stirred.

"Elias is in Riverbay City?"

"I can't just stand by and watch his lifespan run out…"

Gritting her teeth, Lyra made her decision.

Even if she had to sell at a loss, she was going to help Elias!

Meanwhile… Riven's assassination plan draws near

Back in Firefly Town, Riven was grinding monsters in a high-level area, tirelessly pushing for Level 10.

Every starter town in the game was an island surrounded by an endless sea.

The town center sat at the island's core, and as one moved closer to the coastline, the monsters grew stronger.

With his speed and damage output, Riven made his way to the shoreline, where Level 10 creatures lurked.

There were…

Tidecallers, aquatic monsters that launched water-element spells. Burrowers, stealthy creatures that tunneled underground. Crimson Carapace Beasts, massive crustaceans armored in blood-red shells.

None of these creatures could withstand even a single one of Riven's attacks.

They fell one by one, feeding him EXP, evolution points, and lifespan.

Though he hadn't encountered a boss yet, his epic-tier skill, Greedy Hand, had already helped him accumulate a sizable amount of evolution points.

At last, after half an hour of relentless grinding, Riven's stats panel showed 13 evolution points.

He immediately opened his skill menu.

His target?

"Backstab Enhancement."

[You have spent 13 evolution points. Remaining points: 0.]

[Skill Upgraded: Backstab Enhancement (Platinum → Emerald).

Passive Effect: Backstab damage increased from 40% → 50%.]**

Since the beginning, the backstab bonus had evolved from 10% to 50%, making it increasingly devastating.

Then, with a single Shadow Slash, Riven decimated two Crimson Carapace Beasts—and at that moment, a system notification appeared.

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 10!]

+2 to all base attributes+5 free attribute points. Class Advancement Unlocked!

First player in Riverbay City to reach Level 10! +7 Fame. First player in the Great Empire of Ross to reach Level 10! +14 Fame. First player in the world to reach Level 10! +21 Fame

(Once seven players reach Level 10 in Riverbay City, the teleportation gate to the Land of the Abandoned Gods will activate!)

World's First Level 10 Player!

Even though Riven had spent three hours exploring the ancient temple, he still managed to be the first to hit Level 10 globally.

His solo-farming efficiency was simply beyond reach.

After all, even Marcus' elite party needed at least half a minute to kill a single mob—and their EXP was split among members.

No one could possibly match Riven's leveling speed.

At best, the second-highest player in the world was only Level 8!

"Just like my past life."

"Back then, the first Level 10 player was a billionaire."

A smirk formed beneath Riven's dark veil.

Right now, most players were still struggling to survive—many were dying repeatedly and facing constant team wipes.

Even top-tier teams were barely making progress.

So when Riven triggered a global announcement, the entire world erupted into yet another wave of chaos.