The Omniversal Merchant-Chapter 203: Fading into the Shadows

Yao Ziyan glanced at the snake venom on her arm and frowned in disgust.

"Ugh, that's disgusting."

Her gaze shifted back to the Black Cloud Serpent, a sharp killing intent flashing in her eyes.

—

A dozen breaths later...

The serpent lay motionless on the ground, its body limp like a snapped rope. Most of its dark scales had fallen off, leaving it in a miserable state.

After a final twitch, it stopped moving altogether.

Black Cloud Serpent—dead.

Yao Ziyan tossed away the wooden stick and walked over to the stream. Kneeling down, she rinsed the remaining venom from her arm.

At the same time, system notifications rang in her ears—

"You have slain the Black Cloud Serpent. +200 experience points."

"Experience points maxed out. Level up: Level 1!"

...

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

"Experience points maxed out. Level up: Level 4!"

"Time-limited mission completed. Claim your reward."

A surge of energy coursed through her body.

"Level 4? This feels about the same as Mortal Awakening level 4," she muttered, testing her newfound strength.

Then—

"Huh? What's that?"

From the corner of her eye, she spotted a faint purple glow.

It was hidden within a crack between two stones, almost unnoticeable.

Curious, Yao Ziyan walked over and found a small purple flower.

It looked nearly identical to the White Orchid she had consumed earlier—only the color was different.

Without hesitation, she plucked it.

Another system prompt echoed—

"You have obtained a Purple Orchid. White Orchid has the potential to evolve into a Purple Orchid, a celestial-grade elixir. Upon consumption, permanently increases toxin resistance."

Yao Ziyan's eyes widened in surprise.

"That's... kind of insane."

But she didn't overthink it.

She popped the Purple Orchid into her mouth.

A special energy spread through her body before fading into silence.

She felt no immediate difference, but she knew—if she encountered poisons again, this resistance would be invaluable.

After a moment, Yao Ziyan turned her attention to the flashing mission icon and selected [Claim Reward].

In an instant, a radiant golden scroll materialized in front of her.

The moment she opened it—

BOOM!

A dazzling golden light exploded outward.

"Whoa! A Golden Legend drop?!"

For a second, Yao Ziyan just... stared.

"What the hell?"

She rubbed her forehead as if trying to shake off the absurdity of the situation.

Thankfully, the light soon faded, and a new message appeared—

[Skill Acquired: Weakened Presence]

→ Greatly reduces one's presence, making it harder to be noticed.

Short and simple.

Her skills tab now listed the new ability.

Yao Ziyan blinked in surprise.

"A skill that reduces my presence?"

For an assassin, this was priceless.

She had once lived as a killer, where remaining unseen was the key to survival.

With this skill, she would be even more dangerous in the shadows.

Yet—

"But now... I don't really have much use for this ability."

A soft smile touched her lips.

In Origin Mall, life was peaceful. There was no need for assassinations, no need for constant vigilance.

She let out a small sigh and turned her attention back to the Black Cloud Serpent's corpse.

Even if she didn't know what use it had yet, leaving behind a monster filled with toxins felt like a waste.

With a thought, she stored the serpent's body in her inventory.

—

Meanwhile, as Yao Ziyan completed her mission, other players had begun to find their own task tokens...