Power of the Saint Realm!

William had never been certain he could defeat a Time-Type Professional. With a Forbidden Arts Master beside his opponent who could seal his equipment, the difficulty had gone straight from beginner mode to Hell.

But.

What did the Prince fear least?

Assassins. They were a rare breed of Professional!

And why were Assassins so rare?

Their damage was high, but they couldn't take a hit. Once caught, they were dead. More importantly, there were too few ways to train as one. That was the main reason there were so few of them.

As the know-it-alls on Bihu would put it:

"I'm in the United States, just got off a plane. Ivy League graduate, senior executive at Ubisoft, million-dollar annual salary. Based on what I've studied and learned, there's a reason Assassin NPCs are so rare in virtual online games.

"Realistically, they have low HP and weak defenses. Unless they have the stats, equipment, and Skills of an Assassin's Creed protagonist, only an NPC with water on the brain would pick that class.

"Besides, virtual online games still have to make sense. Assassins hide in the shadows. How could they train out in the open?

"Ahem. Given the circles I move in, saying too much might hurt some friends' interests. Can't say more. Going anonymous."

In short, most ordinary NPC beginners had no way to become Assassins. They generally chose to become Warriors or Mages instead.

Especially in ordinary Small Towns and cities—even if NPCs wanted to learn, where would they go?

If the official Professionals caught them, they'd certainly demand answers. "What the hell are you planning? A rebellion? An assassination of some noble lord? Why else would you want to become an Assassin?

"Come on, cough up the location of your organization."

A flood of such thoughts ran