Chapter 17: Assassination Thief [1]

“Ever thought about becoming a thief?”

That was the first thing the Phantom Thief said to me after I stepped out of the boss room.

I’d expected a lot of things.

An ambush, maybe. Some sort of trick to snatch the relics I just got.

But a job offer?

That caught me off guard.

I blinked at him, stunned, and found him grinning—wide, eager, like a man who’d just spotted the deal of a lifetime.

He wasn’t joking.

’He’s serious.’

“Why are you asking me that?” I asked cautiously.

He leaned in slightly, voice low but electric with excitement. “Because you’re perfect. I’ve never seen anyone like you. No weapons, no spells, no backup. You walked into that death pit, talked to the Grave King, and walked out with treasures. That’s not bravery. That’s talent. Cunning. You’re a natural.”

A chill ran down my spine as a system message flickered into view.

> [Hidden Profession Available: You can now become a Master Thief.]

“…A master thief?” I muttered under my breath.

The words felt foreign but… strangely fitting.

I remembered them from the original game—those elusive hidden professions that only unlocked under very specific conditions. Like Mage evolving into Archmage, or Swordsman advancing to Swordmaster.

But honestly?

I wasn’t interested.

At least, not if it meant becoming a thief.

’Isn’t this just dumping a trash-tier job on me?’

I narrowed my eyes at Doran—pahntom thief, as he was known in the original.

Hidden professions were a gamble in this game. Sometimes they unlocked game-breaking potential. Other times… you’d end up soft-locked into misery.

I still remember it.

The worst moment in my playthrough.

The moment that message popped up after an excruciatingly difficult side quest:

[Hidden Profession: Trap Master acquired!]

[You can no longer wield weapons except for daggers.]

[You can only deal damage through traps.]

I remember staring at the screen, stunned.

No swords. No bows. No magic.

Just traps.

I’d practically doomed my character to a slow, painful crawl through the game.

No combat prowess. No glory.

Just sneaking around, laying traps, and praying the enemy stepped on one before they saw me.

It was a lesson burned into my memory.

A hidden profession wasn’t always a blessing.

Sometimes, it was just a polished curse.

So when Doran started dangling that “thief” job in front of me like bait, I kept my expression neutral, but inside, alarms were blaring.

’I’m not falling for that again.’

So when Doran made that offer, all hopeful and sly, I didn’t answer right away.

I stared at him, and for a moment, neither of us said a word.

He must’ve taken my silence for hesitation, because his grin widened.

“I can teach you tricks the Empire doesn’t even know exist,” he said, spreading his arms like he was offering the world. “Not everyone gets a chance to become a Shadow Thief.”

> [A hidden profession is being offered: Master Thief]

> [Warning: Once accepted, cannot be reversed.]

> [Details: Unknown]

There it was. The prompt.

And with it, the familiar ache of memory.

A similar message had once led me into the trapper nightmare.

Still, something was different this time.

A true unknown.

My hand twitched.

’This could be huge… or a disaster.’

“No. I don’t want to.”

I said it as clearly as I could.

No hesitation. No polite deferral.

Just rejection.

Doran’s smile froze.

For a split second, his whole posture shifted—only slightly, but enough to make me notice. The gleam in his eye dulled. The cheer in his grin became… sharp.

Predatory.

But to his credit, he recovered fast.

Too fast.

“Hah,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck like I’d just told a joke he didn’t quite get. “That’s fair. Not everyone has the guts to walk this path.”

I kept my guard up.

His left hand hadn’t moved from behind his back the entire time.

I’d seen what kind of dagger he used in the original game. Slim, poisoned, fast enough to slip between ribs before you even noticed you were bleeding. It was his signature move—charm them, then gut them.

He was dangerous.

And I just refused him.

So yeah, I was on edge.

The system prompt faded away like mist in the morning sun.

> [Hidden Profession: Declined]

> [Master Thief path locked.]

There it was.

Final.

Irreversible.

I let out a slow breath and stared into the forested path ahead.

I didn’t need to be a thief.

I already had my path.

Doran stepped in closer, just enough to test the space between us.

“You sure?” he asked, voice lower now—measured, almost coaxing. “You’ve got something rare, Julies. Raw, dangerous potential. That kind doesn’t come twice.”

“I already said I don’t want to,” I replied firmly.

His grin didn’t falter, but I could see it shifting—less playful, more calculating.

“Think about it,” he pressed. “I’ll train you myself. Personally.”

Tempting.

For a second, I hesitated.

But the answer remained the same.

“No.”

With that, I turned away and started walking toward the exit, my footsteps echoing softly against the worn stone of the corridor. As I moved, I shot a glance back over my shoulder.

I half-expected him to come at me.

Doran was a thief, after all. Infamous. Dangerous. The kind of man who didn’t take rejection lightly.

If he lunged, I was ready to counter—at least I hoped I was.

But nothing came.

Just silence.

Then, his voice rang out behind me.

“Wait. Hear this out. I think this time… you’ll want to say yes.”

I paused.

Reluctantly, I turned around to face him.

He was standing in the same spot, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

“How about this,” he said slowly, watching me like a merchant laying down a hidden trump card. “Ever heard of an Assassination Thief?”

My eyebrows lifted involuntarily.

’An Assassination Thief?’

That wasn’t in the original game.

Not a standard class. Not even one of the known hidden professions.

New.

Unknown.

Possibly… exclusive.

My instincts stirred.

“Assassination Thief?” I repeated, cautiously.

He nodded. “It’s not for the faint-hearted. But someone like you? You might just be the first and only one capable of handling it.”

> [Hidden Profession Available: Assassination Thief]

> [A fusion of two extreme paths: lethal precision and complete stealth.]

> [Warning: Once accepted, cannot be undone.]

> [Details: Unavailable.]

A cold breeze seemed to brush past the back of my neck. My pulse quickened.

It was tempting. Very tempting.

Unlike the “Master Thief” path from earlier, this one felt… different.

Dangerous, yes. But powerful.

Still…

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Were you an assassin before becoming a thief?”

Doran smirked, almost proud. “Yeah. I was.”

“When I was younger, I killed people for money. Bounties, contracts, you name it. I worked for nobles, mercenaries, even the Empire at one point. And then… I got bored.”

“Bored?” I echoed, incredulous.

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “Killing gets dull after a while. Same routine, same blood, same faces begging for mercy. So I became a thief instead.”

He chuckled as if it were the most natural transition in the world.

“It let me live without killing. Most of the time, anyway. I only draw blood now if my life’s really in danger.”

Doran’s tone dipped slightly, more serious now. “I was actually planning to teach you assassination techniques first—before introducing you to the art of thievery. But since you turned me down…” He gave me a sideways glance. “I figured, why not teach you both at once?”

He stepped forward, eyes gleaming with that same dangerous charm. “So? How about now? Still not interested? It’s tempting, right?”

I paused.

’It is interesting…’

I hadn’t known this side of him.

In the game, Doran was only ever mentioned as a legendary thief—a shadow that stole from kings and vanished into myths. He only showed up a few times during optional side quests, and never stuck around long. Not once was it mentioned that he started as an assassin.

That small revelation changed everything.

The image I had of him—a flashy, smooth-talking rogue—now had sharper edges. Deadlier ones.

This wasn’t just a thief offering me a new path.

It was a former killer offering me his legacy.

And that was something… much more dangerous.

I met his gaze.

And for the first time, I wasn’t sure what my answer should be.

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