When the plot-skips players into the game world

By this era, the existing equipment had already been mostly monopolized.

If you wanted to reliably get this kind of equipment that increased priority, you had to grave rob. In the game, this translated to card-style treasure hunting.

This was the "special channel" mentioned earlier.

From "Mrs. Mina's Fortune Telling Shop," you could obtain random "clues" through a daily fortune telling session. These clues were graded, following the classic treasure map pattern.

In the game, this meant that after reaching the destination and using the clue, you could dig up a BOSS; after defeating it, the whole party would receive a piece of bound equipment that couldn't be traded.

This BOSS was tough, usually requiring a call to the world channel for muscle. Even if you didn't draw a clue, you could also pay players who had drawn a high-level clue to join their team and share the loot.

Purple clues meant that every person was guaranteed at least one piece of light purple equipment, and it was only from purple to deep purple that there was a chance to get the priority equipment. Purple was typically the core of a set, while deep purple comprised powerful stand-alone pieces.

The "at least" meant that you were most likely to dig up light purple items.

This equipment came from ancient families that had top-level powerhouses in them. Most of these items were gifts from Celestial Marshals, Angel Envoys, or the gods themselves. Back then, because there was no convenient system for inheriting "professions," the transmission of extraordinary abilities was easily lost. After the collapse of the ancient kingdoms, this equipment could end up buried with them.

Aiwass had been very eager to follow his mentor on archaeological digs, precisely to unearth these kinds of items.

Hopefully, the "Mrs. Mina's Fortune Telling Shop" in this world would also have such clues or something similar...

Tomorrow would be Saturday—come the weekend, Aiwass would have time to browse through the "Marketplace."

The [Shadow Stalker] was also a rare item that dated back to ancient times. The reason Aiwass knew it was an ancient piece of equipment was that it could be dug up, meaning players had a chance to possess it. In contrast, modern acquisitions could not be unearthed.

For instance, two pieces of the Great Arbitrator's gear, as well as the queen's scepter and crown, came from the blessings of the Silver-Crowned Dragon.

The status of that Miss Assassin might be even higher than Aiwass had imagined. The [Shadow Stalker] was usually bestowed by the leader of Hawkeye Organization upon assassin masters who had reached the fifth energy level.

Although it might not be nice to say, Miss Assassin clearly didn't merit it yet. Sure, she reached level 39 at a young age, but that didn't guarantee her advancement would be successful. After three or four consecutive failures, it practically became impossible to advance further. Only when older and more experienced, with mystical skills becoming more adept, would the chances of advancement increase.

So, either the leader of Hawkeye had a particular faith in her talent, or she was highly favored.

But she likely wasn't blood-related to the leader... Aiwass knew his daughter. His daughter was in her thirties, and his grandchild was only a few years old, so it couldn't be lined up in any way. Moreover, if that were the case, the Hawkeye Organization probably wouldn't let Miss Assassin undertake dangerous missions.

However, this girl did seem a bit temperamental, not knowing forbearance at all—obviously the pampered type, unlike the cold-hearted and ruthless assassin trained through harsh practices. She seemed more like a proud young lady.

In such misaligned circumstances with the Path of Adaptation, yet she managed to reach the peak of the fourth energy level at such a young age, she likely entered the Path of Adaptation very young and had guidance from an elder sharing the same Path.

That's why she insisted on maxing out three levels of "Shadow Affinity." This path trait was virtually useless until it hit level three, and even during the first rank-up, it was considered good to have been chosen once, let alone multiple times. Without someone teaching her, how could she possibly make the same choice three times in a row?

Moreover, before mastering Shadow Stealth by maxing out all three times, she was essentially powerless in combat.

As an assassin that was almost seen as expendable, wasn't the cost of training her by Hawkeye Organization a bit high?

—Unless she didn't have to take on missions at a low level.

It was precisely because she lacked experience in contending with others at a low level and had failed at assassinations that she acted so impulsively, relying predominantly on level and equipment to overpower adversaries...

Hence, she was most likely somewhat related to the previous generation of assassin masters. And that master probably didn't approve of her joining the Hawkeye Organization.

That would make sense... So that Miss Assassin, despite her high level, was tasked with an array of undemanding missions in Avalon.

Just nepotism, sister.

...But that also implied that the equipment might be somewhat hot to handle. Although her superior did not receive her signal, if she kept neglecting to reach out to him, he would surely know that Miss Assassin had died, and likely been captured or even exposed.

Under such circumstances, he would surely move his base and flee. The news of her death in Avalon would also spread within the Hawkeye Organization.

Unless Aiwass managed to locate her superior first and silence him, the Assassin Master might personally make a visit.

But Miss Assassin was a nepotist with inadequate experience, hence her direct exposure—could her superior also be so easily exposed?

Aiwass didn't expect so.

Even so, he had no intention of letting go of the gains within his grasp.

He had always been quite greedy. Such exquisite items, Aiwass could either use, gift, sell, or even exchange for other benefits, but he certainly wouldn't quietly return them after backing down!