Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

The changes to Kieran's skills weren't so drastic that they resulted in an insane damage increase or an excessive cooldown reduction. However, Kieran felt they were worth the Skill Point expenditure.

Out of all the changes, though, Kieran was most pleased with the improvements to Savage Break.

It was a skill that surpassed 250% of the user's Attack Power!

This was a game-breaking number considering that most players possessed skills that dealt 120 to 150% of their Attack Power. The advantage of a Unique Player Package was genuinely insane.

'I'm eager to learn how these skills fare when used together. The synergy between these is pretty high, so I'll likely be satisfied with the outcome,' Kieran thought.

Although he wished to test out said skills right this second, he couldn't. His depleted Stamina wouldn't allow him to do so.

As a result, Kieran sat against a tree. However, to avoid boredom, Kieran opened Zenith Online's official forums to see if any meaningful posts appeared.

After scrolling through the forum for a few minutes, he saw a post that widened his eyes. 'How could this be? Wasn't this one of the main sources of complaints in the past?'

Kieran's attention fell on a post that gave insight into the effects of attributes on the likelihood of obtaining a particular class. Such information shouldn't be revealed for another week at the earliest.

It had only been three and a half natural hours since Zenith Online's launch. Meaning that while seven hours passed inside Zenith Online, half that time passed in reality.

Kieran grew curious about the creator of this post and brought up their profile. 'Nightingale? I definitely don't know a player by this name because I'm continuing to draw a blank.'

Even after pondering the name Nightingale for a few minutes, he failed to arrive at an answer. 'Setting aside their unknown identity, the remarkable detail of their insight is alarming. Only two explanations could explain something like this...'

"Either they're like me... or they're an information miner that staked out the Class Halls and noted the details without concerning themselves with leveling."

An information miner was a player who only studied patterns of information to arrive at a well-thought conclusion. These conclusions generally sell for an immense amount of money.

However, obtaining this information required the user to study hundreds of players and compile the similarities. Such a feat should take longer than a few hours.

'Are there any other abnormalities?' Kieran wondered.

Although he didn't start during the launch in the past, he backtracked mounds of information before diving into Zenith Online, so he was familiar with most old issues.

After scrubbing through the forum for more than 15 minutes, Kieran found Nightingale's post to be the only anomaly.

'That's a relief. Too many anomalies could affect me more than I'd like."

Information gathering wasn't the only thing that happened during those 15 minutes. Kieran's Stamina was also refilled, so his body was replete with energy and ready to advance.

Due to the drop in the Dire Wolves' EXP and the fact players would soon flood this area after moving from the Lv.2-4 area, Kieran decided to move deeper inside the Fanged Forest.

Thus, he traveled through the Fanged Forest with his greatsword resting over his shoulder. Less than 5 minutes after deciding to change locations, Kieran slowed down as his ears twitched.

He picked up subtle signs of battle in the distance.

The metallic clangs of metal grinding against another hard surface echoed faintly throughout the surroundings. 'Someone managed to escape my senses although I've been alert this entire time? That's impossible….'

It didn't take long for Kieran to arrive at another assumption. 'What if they didn't slip my senses but arrived here far before I did? After all, I did spend some time acclimating to my body. But that would mean this person didn't do the same. That's some reckless confidence….'

Kieran's assumptions piqued his interest, so he moved toward the sounds of battle until he stumbled across a shocking sight.

Surrounded by twelve wolves with burgundy fur coats, a tall individual with a slender frame yet faintly muscular arms held two daggers in their grasp. This individual continued to dodge these wolves' simultaneous advance, avoiding damage by a hair's breadth.

Although this individual hid their class and identity, their attire and the fact they wielded two daggers indicated they chose the Thief Class.

'Those movements are only possible because of the AGI boost of his class. But why does this all seem so familiar? Do I know this person?' Kieran wondered.

He got this gnawing feeling while watching this Thief kite and fight against twelve wolves.

Because of this feeling, Kieran watched the Thief's movements intently, scrutinizing their every action and appearance. Half of their face was covered by an ash-gray scarf that blended in with their dark gray hair.

However, two piercing silver eyes shone through the gap between his long hair and scarf arranged to resemble a mask.

'Spectre-like movements. A half-covered face. Trained actions. This... isn't this?'

Kieran's gaze narrowed while realization hit. 'That is undoubtedly a young Altair. I know that last-minute and suicidal evasion style anywhere. So this is where you started.'

Altair and Kieran's relationship was too complicated to describe as a friendship. It was more fitting to describe it as an intense rivalry where they used every clash to refine their skills further.

The scenes that flowed through Kieran's mind made him understand why Altair was listed as his only rival. Altair was cemented in Kieran's mind as the best fighting or rather sparring partner.

However, Kieran didn't expect Gena Village to be Altair's starting point.

The original year-long gap made it so they didn't meet until Altair far surpassed Lv.150. By then, empires were the main focus of Zenith Online.

Kieran clenched his fist as competitiveness blazed in his eyes. Despite being intrigued by Altair's presence, Kieran chose to stay beside the tree and watch Altair gradually pick off the wolves one by one.

From a bystander's point of view, Altair's movements might seem like they wasted a lot of energy by moving frequently, but that wasn't the case. Thieves were the undisputed fastest Basic Class in the game.

If equipped with daggers or other small-bladed weapons, they were truly a force to be reckoned with while in constant action.

It didn't take long for the floor to be littered with loot as Altair killed the last wolf and sheathed his daggers behind his back. While confidently picking up his loot, he gazed directly at Kieran.

"Yo," Kieran casually waved his hand.

"I saw you when you came here. What's your angle? Why did you appear but not attempt to kill-steal me?" Altair asked. He flicked a coin and snatched it out of the air before storing it inside his inventory.

"Kill-steal? Hah! I have no reason to use petty methods like that. If I want EXP, I'll go out and obtain it."

Kill-stealing had become a prevalent tactic employed by deplorable players who chased the fleeting glory of being ahead of the pack.

However, players who obtained an advantage through underhanded means would always end up overshadowed by elite players in the end.

Altair fell silent after listening to Kieran's confident answer. His eyes narrowed as he noticed Kieran's armor and weapon weren't normal. No ordinary player could obtain it because it required special conditions.

"Nifty movements you've got there. You're pretty fast. What's your name?" Kieran asked as if he wasn't already aware.

"Altair, and you?"

"Aatrox," Kieran answered.

"That armor and weapon—you obtained the Unique Player Package for a Warrior, didn't you?" Altair asked while subtly crossing his arms.

"Perhaps," Kieran dully responded. "I suppose you obtained the one for a Thief.

"Perhaps," Altair answered in an identical tone.

Both their eyes narrowed as the urge to battle brewed within them. Altair could tell from Kieran's gaze that they were kindred spirits who thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of battle.

"You seem unusually confident. What's up with the smug smile?" Altair sneered.

"It's my expression, no? I can wield it as I please," Kieran snickered in return.

Altair's hand gradually slipped towards his daggers while Kieran's grasp around his greatsword tightened.

The forest grew silent, but that changed in the next moment.

Whoosh!

Kieran and Altair were seemingly of one mind because they performed identical dashing patterns.

Clang!

Peng! Peng! Peng!

The two engaged in numerous exchanges, causing a smile to creep into Altair's gaze. "You're not bad for a bulky Warrior."

"Unfortunately for you, I can't say the same. All you have is speed, but your attacks are as light as a feather! Hahaha!"

Altair's gaze narrowed as he suddenly accelerated.

Kieran leaned back and shifted his weight as Altair's dagger narrowly swept past his nose and a few strands of hair. However, Kieran used this momentum to turn his backflip into an upward kick.

Thud!

Just before the kick landed, Altair placed his hand beside his ribcage and caught it.

The two grew absorbed in combat, ignoring the two notifications that surfaced before them.

"You've become even faster, but that won't work on me. It doesn't matter if your character is faster than mine!" Kieran laughed uproariously, continuing to gauge the upper limits of Altair's skill and alter his actions accordingly.

Sparring against Altair excited Kieran far more than any fight against Dire Wolves could accomplish. The skill, accuracy, timing, and precision level in each of their exchanges sated Kieran's thirst for a more thrilling battle.

"You're fast…." Altair commented and scanned over Kieran with a smug smile. "For a Warrior."

However, the thoughts in Altair's mind were entirely different.

'This guy is abnormal! My attacks reach his body faster, but it's like they're drawn to his counterattack at the last possible second! How is that possible? I can't win like this....'

Only after Altair exhausted the remainder of his Stamina did they stop. The surprising part, however, was that neither one of their Health Bars was depleted.

"That was… fun," Altair said.

"Indeed it was," Kieran agreed.

Altair considered something for a moment before voicing it. "Are you interested in leveling together? I don't know how you did it... but I felt like I couldn't win against you."

"Unfortunately, I'll have to decline. I'm on a schedule, and my quest is restrictive. Maybe another time," Kieran said. "Also, that's naturally because you can't."

He then took a few steps past Altair but was stopped.

"Is that a challenge? How about you add me as a friend then?"

Kieran naturally agreed because Altair was one of the few people on his Friends List.

〈System: Lv.5 Thief, Altair has sent you a friend request. Do you wish to accept? [ Y | N ]〉

'Lv.5? What a leveling fanatic,' Kieran inwardly thought. He accepted the request, which led to Altair's surprise.

"Lv.3? You could have been higher if you didn't waste time watching me fight."

"That might be true," Kieran nodded. "But, I'll inevitably level up. How often do I get to have such a fun match?"

"You're weird," Altair blinked but didn't say anything else. He didn't understand why, but he liked Kieran's confidence. It was backed by undoubted skill.

The two parted ways shortly after, with Kieran heading deeper into the Fanged Forest.

Less than 10 minutes later, he came across a new type of wolf.

「Lv.7 Feral Wolf (Normal)

Beast Type

Health: 500/500 (100%) 」