《Blade of Tyranny》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Highspeed rail R1218 traveling from Ningdong to Yinhai will be arriving at the station in five minutes. Disembarking passengers, please prepare.¡± The sweet voice of the train attendant echoed in the coach.


    1


    ¡°Finally.¡± Nie Fan stretched lazily, picking up his luggage as he prepared to leave the train.


    2


    This was the first time he left Ningdong.


    He was eighteen, standing one point seven five meters tall and had average looks. That being said, his face has pronounced outlines and curves, a straight nose, appropriately thick lips, and thick jet-black hair. There was a hint of health in his handsomeness, with his form upright and his movement nimble, which in turn gave the impression that he was decisive, experienced and capable, which was rather mismatched compared to his age.


    5


    ¡°Young man, are you in the army?¡± The old man wearing a gray shirt with short sleeves sitting beside him was grinning at him.


    1


    ¡°I was, sir, but no longer. I left after two years of service.¡± Nie Fan smiled calmly.


    1


    ¡°No wonder. I myself served with the twenty-seventh brigade of the air force, but I¡¯m too old now.¡± The old man looked like he was having a nostalgic moment.


    Nie Fan understood him¡ªpeople tend to reminisce about the past when they become older, but he did not have the time to hear the old man¡¯s story at the moment.


    Swinging his backpack over his shoulder, he said, ¡°This is my stop, sir.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Very well, young man. Safe journeys.¡±


    Nie Fan picked up a thick notebook of several hundred pages and a worn cover. He felt a pang of misery when he looked at it¡ªhis mother had given it to him before he came to Yinhai, saying that it was the only thing his father had left him. It was a very thick notebook, and with the tiny handwriting of at least several million words meant that he could not finish reading it, and was only able to carry it around.


    The train stopped steadily then. Nie Fan pulled his luggage along, left the coach and looked around at his surroundings. This was the first time he was in Yinhai, and as he moved along the wide train station, he found not a single piece of litter on the crystalline marble floor. Nie Fan himself had lived in a small isolated city, and was therefore not quite used to being in such a modern metropolis.


    Nonetheless, he should settle down here before anything else.


    Rows of billboards stood in the train station adverting a VR game called [Blade of Tyranny], which would begin public testing in three days. As Nie Fan moved along, he decided would describe the billboards for the game as blanketing heaven and earth.


    This was an age where physical needs were met in excess, and VR games were one of the main pastimes for the people. After all, entering the game was no different from entering a different realm, soothing the tension in real life in search of a different existence. In fact, coverage of VR games had reached 89% according to Federation statistics, not to mention that the annual in-game purchases of the countless gamers had also arrived at a shocking threshold.


    Before this, Nie Fan had played several VR games but was not especially gifted with it. All he could be was an ordinary gamer, and soon he gave up altogether for various reasons.


    As he followed the crowd towards the entrance of the station, several big screens in the stations were broadcasting news of various major studios recruiting gamers. The studios in Yinhai which were ranked in the top fifty were even offering high pay for professional gamers of considerable skill as they prepared to join the Blade of Tyranny. The poaching of talent between studios was also escalating, with the price tag on top professional gamers doubling or tripling.


    Nie Fan often kept an eye on the news, which nowadays mostly focuses on the many gamers of online VR games. Professional gamers are treated no differently from star celebrities, and they also earn stunning incomes through annual tournament prizes, sponsorships, and endorsements. Nie Fan¡¯s own father was a famous professional as well, ranking third in China and had been wildly popular for a time. Be that as it may, his father retired when Nie Fan was only twelve, even piling up a huge debt and leaving his family impoverished. Three years later, he died in a car accident. Both Nie Fan and his mother were hence left in great agony.


    1


    Since then, it was as if Nie Fan suddenly sprouted and matured, and he began to support the household, dropping out of school early on to make a living.


    2


    Did he not wish that he could hide beneath his parents¡¯ wings like other teenagers?


    That being said, he had learned to assume responsibilities.


    As he delved in his thoughts, he had unwittingly reached the entrance when a clear shout interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°Hey. You¡¯re Nie Fan, right?¡±


    Turning towards the voice, Nie Fan¡¯s eyes brightened.


    A girl who was around eighteen was approaching him. She stood at an average height of around one point six meters, but her figure was nimble and she exuded a graceful charm with the backdrop of her yellow short skirt. Her jet-black hair hung like a waterfall down to her waist, with perfect pink complexion on her oval face. Beneath her bushy eyebrows were a pair of crystalline eyes, her lively gaze hardly hiding her cheekiness which she deliberately concealed.


    ¡°I am. And you would be¡­?¡± Nie Fan was left stunned and only spoke after a moment as he wondered why the beautiful girl would know him.


    1


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡± She looked at him rebukingly, her slightly pursed lips sparkling and translucent like jelly. Suddenly, her gaze shifted, her face showing an indistinct smugness before her eyes narrowed in a smile.


    That smile was like a ray of sun in winter that gifted warmth.


    As Nie Fan listened to her and watched her expression, a long-forgotten memory surfaced in his mind because that outline of her face was vaguely familiar.


    ¡°You¡¯re Lin Xinyan?¡± He suddenly exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°You finally remember.¡± She smiled at him.


    ¡°Is Uncle Lin not here?¡± Nie Fan asked doubtfully¡ªhe had assumed that Uncle Lin would be meeting him here.


    ¡°My dad¡¯s is outstation for work. Let¡¯s go, he told me that you¡¯ll be staying with us for a while.¡± Lin Xinyan smiled mysteriously, as if saying that ¡®You brat, you¡¯re finally in my domain. Watch as I avenge myself for what happened in our childhood days!¡¯


    4


    Hence, Nie Fan pulled his luggage along as he kept up being Lin Xinyan, caught in an unreal sensation as he looked at the sweet, fair, and graceful figure before him.


    His memories of her only reached the time when they were six or seven. Their parents were longtime acquaintances and their families often came together, although Nie Fan himself was at odds with her and often fought. Eventually, their families saw each other less when Nie Fan¡¯s family moved to Ningdong, although Uncle Lin would come visit during various festivals. Still, Nie Fan did not expect that the naughty little girl who would scratch others with her nails had grown to be such a beauty. There certainly was no telling how many boys she had charmed in her school, as evidenced by the number of passersby who were sliding glances at their direction.


    Nie Fan could not help but sigh that time flies.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be inconvenient if Uncle Lin is out?¡± He asked hesitantly as he hurried to catch up with her.


    ¡°And where would you go other than my home?¡± Lin Xinyan rolled her eyes at him.


    Since when did this brat become so polite? He certainly wasn¡¯t that tender when he snatched her toys off her as children.


    4


    ¡°Sorry for troubling you and Uncle, then. I¡¯ll rent a place as soon as can¡­ right after I find a job,¡± Nie Fan said, reluctant to rely on others.


    ¡°Are you going to find work here instead of studying? What job would you look for?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, taken aback.


    She remembered that he was the same age as she was and should still be in school. When she heard from her father that he was coming, she assumed that he was transferring schools.


    ¡°There are many jobs I could take: customer service, security guard or even bodyguard.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    2


    ¡°AI robotics has become common in Yinhai long ago¡ªyou¡¯re never going to get a job in customer service or as a security guard. And bodyguard? Forget it.¡± Lin Xinyan smiled as she studied his 1.75m frame. His loose jacket made him looked especially skinny and definitely not the look of robustness¡ªhe was definitely not going to win in a fight with that frame.


    ¡°Those are jobs in my resume. I¡¯m confident I wouldn¡¯t fare badly.¡± Nie Fan explained with a grin, aware of what she was thinking from her eyes alone. He was in fact working as a bodyguard for a rich businessman in his last job, and the employer had been quite pleased with him. However, Nie Fan determinedly resigned when he found out that his employer had connections to **.


    8


    Lin Xinyan looked at him in shock. She then remembered that his father had mentioned that Nie Fan had dropped out of school to work a few years ago¡ªhe must have had it hard over the years, and realized that she was being quite insensitive with her own excellent living conditions.


    Nie Fan had definitely changed a lot. Lin Xinyan had initially intended to give him a good teasing when he arrived, but she gradually put away that thought.


    1


    Blushing, she said apologetically, ¡°Sorry¡­ for what I said.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Nie Fan smiled calmly; he knew she meant nothing bad.


    Then, sensing her change in attitude lifted his brow slightly then¡ªhe did not need the pity of others, but he also knew that he would not even afford a week¡¯s rent in a modern city like Yinhai with those miserable seven hundred dollars in his wallet. Therefore, he could only stay at Lin Xinyan¡¯s home for the time being, and he would remember Uncle Lin¡¯s kindness in taking him in. He was confident that he would find a job eventually, and when he did, he would be able to gain a footing here to repay that kindness.


    As the two talked, they left the station and Lin Xinyan made a beeline to a red Lamborghini and opened the door. ¡°Get in.¡±


    ¡°Yours?¡± Nie Fan asked in shock. The car had perfect curves, a vivid color, and appeared breathtakingly wild.


    Which made it really suitable for Lin Xinyan.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nimbly turned on the ignition.


    1


    After a moment of silence, Nie Fan opened the other door and got into the passenger seat.


    The engine purred as the red Lamborghini sped off.


    ¡°Nie Fan, are you interested in becoming a professional gamer?¡± Lin Xinyan suddenly asked while driving after having just remembered it. ¡°My cousin¡¯s studio is recruiting, you could try.¡±


    ¡°Professional gamer? I might not make the cut.¡± Nie Fan shook his head, believing that he did not have the gift for it.


    ¡°No one is a pro on day one. Try it, or you might not have the chance ever again three days late when the servers for the Blade of Tyranny begins service,¡± she urged him excitedly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take much skill if you work as a crafting gamer either, and the pay is good. You would earn a basic income at first, and if you improve there would be additional bonuses.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I could give it a go.¡± Nie Fan agreed after some thought, finding it awkward to refuse when he saw how excited Lin Xinwei was. She was being kind after all, and being an amateur was better than being unemployed. Moreover, he had heard that he could play at night while keeping his day job, which meant he could take two jobs at once.


    It was not a bad choice, given that he wouldn¡¯t want to keep staying at Lin Xinyan¡¯s home.


    ¡°Fantastic. My cousin actually needs more gamers urgently, I¡¯ll give him a call right now.¡± Lin Xinyan cheerfully dialed a number when he agreed. ¡°Back in the day, Uncle Nie was a pro who ranked third¡ªI believe you can make it too, Nie Fan.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully.¡±


    Nie Fan¡¯s thoughts drifted into the distance as he watched the sights outside that dashed past.


    He never imagined that he would take the same path as his fathers.


    He wanted to know what his father felt when he ranked third, and what actually happened that led to his dejecting exit.


    2


    ***


    Headquarters of the Tempest Wings Studio, sixteenth floor of Xuangong Tower, Yinhai.


    Being herself familiar with the place, Lin Xinyan led Nie Fan into an office, and introduced him to a young man sitting behind the desk.


    ¡°Cousin, he¡¯s Nie Fan, the one I told you about. What do you think?¡±


    The young man was Lin Quan, Lin Xinyan¡¯s cousin and the owner of Tempest Wings Studios, a company once ranked in China¡¯s top twenty. Despite having already become a legend at the professional scene, Lin Quan looked just around twenty-six, his height not too apparent since he was sitting. He did resemble Lin Xinyan a little in his facial features, although his expression was somber and mature with his formal attire.


    1


    Lin Quan studied Nie Fan with his sharp eyes and nodded. ¡°I heard about you from my uncle, Nie Fan. Just arrived at Yinhai?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nie Fan nodded with composure.


    ¡°Although Xinyan brought you here, I have to learn some details about you before you join Tempest Wings. I¡¯ll be asking you some questions, so just answer as is.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    Lin Quan had put some formless pressure on him, but he was not nervous after having started working for years.


    ¡°Have you played VR games before?¡±


    Nie Fan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What are some of the titles you played?¡± Lin Quan pressed.


    ¡°Foreworld, Legend of Enzex, Faith¡­¡±


    ¡°What level did you reach?¡±


    ¡°Fifty-seven, fifty-one, one-two-one.¡±


    ¡°Too low.¡± Lin Quan shook his head¡ªsuch levels were certainly not professional, and might not even qualify as middling. ¡°Have you tried support classes?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Nie Fan shook his head honestly, thinking that this is a failure.


    As he thought, Lin Quan shook his head and leaned into his chair. ¡°It seems that you haven¡¯t played many VR games, and it remains to be seen if you could reach the level of professional gamers. We wouldn¡¯t simply recruit someone like you under normal circumstances.¡±


    Nin Fan nodded, indicating that he understood Lin Quan¡ªit was indeed as he put it: the studio was an organization set up to make profits, why hire him if he could not make a profit for them?


    Meanwhile, Lin Xinyan became nervous after listening to what Lin Quan said. Now that she knew Nie Fan¡¯s circumstances and being eager to help him out of kindness, she quickly poured her cousin a cup of tea and sweet-talked him. ¡°Cousin, you should take him in. Uncle Nie had doted on me back then, and he was once the third in China¡¯s professional scene. Trust me, his son would not lose out.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡± Lin Quan threw her a feeble look and smiled. ¡°By the way, I wasn¡¯t finished¡ªand I did say under normal circumstances. How about this, Nie Fan? It¡¯s impossible for you to join the studio with your current ability, but your talent still remains to be seen. I¡¯ll arrange for you to be a fringe member, and you just have to complete monthly quests set by the studio. We won¡¯t be limiting your freedom¡ªyou can do anything you like with your time out of the quests, while you would be accepted into our inner circle if your level and skill is found to be up to standards. That being said, you have to leave if you can¡¯t complete said quests. Your salary would be two thousand per month, and you would be receiving bonuses for every quarter of the year: a few hundred on the low, dozen thousands on the high.¡±


    2


    Nie Fan had already given up, and was naturally surprised that Lin Quan would keep him¡ªit must have been because he was trying to save face for Lin Xinyuan.


    That being said, having a job offering two thousand dollars for income was already very good.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he told Lin Quan.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Fringe members are nonessential anyway, and in the end it¡¯s you yourself who determines whether you stay.¡±


    It was a little hurtful to hear something like ¡®nonessential¡¯, but such was reality: Nie Fan must prove himself or he would be belittled.


    Lin Quan then tap Lin Xinyan on the nose and told her, ¡°You brat. Blade of Tyranny is starting so I¡¯ll be busy for some time. I¡¯ll be very happy as long as you don¡¯t make a scene.


    ¡°Got it, cousin.¡± Lin Xinyan grinned and made a silly face at Nie Fan.


    1


    ¡°Okay. Now leave us alone for a bit, I still have something to tell Nie Fan.¡± Lin Quan gave Lin Xinyan a pat on the head.


    Lin Xinyan glanced curiously at Lin Quan and then at Nie Fan, curious what Lin Quan wanted to talk about.


    However, she nodded after hesitating for a bit. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading out.¡±


    She turned and left the room, closing the door gently behind he

 Chapter 2

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°I heard Uncle Nie had passed away.¡±


    Lin Quan had a sip of tea. He was aware of Nie Fan¡¯s family matters, and he certainly would know such a major incident in the professional scene.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nie Fan nodded, already knowing what Lin Quan would say next.


    ¡°It saddened me to hear it,¡± Lin Quan said. He stayed silent for a moment, before adding with a solemn expression, ¡°But there is something I must tell you first.¡±


    ¡°Please do, Mister Lin.¡±


    ¡°You must be aware that Xinyan¡¯s father¡ªwho is my second uncle had managed to put together some success in Yinhai over the years, and is considered a person of prestige in the city. As for Xinyan, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to enroll in a university with her results and secure a bright future, although she is a little young. I know what I¡¯m saying would hurt your self-esteem, but I must say it.¡±


    Lin Quan¡¯s subtext meaning was certainly obvious, but Nie Fan spoke out, stopping him just as he was about to continue.


    ¡°I get your meaning, Mister Lin. I¡¯m no more than a poor village boy who came to Yinhai trying to make a living. Uncle Lin only offered to help me for my father¡¯s sake and I could not be more grateful, which is why you could be at ease, Mister Lin¡ªI wouldn¡¯t have presumptuous thoughts about Miss Lin given my lowly identity.¡±


    2


    Moreover, he was only close to Lin Xinyan when they were children. As time and distance set them apart, he did not feel anything special about her when he saw her again after so long, save for finding her a little breathtaking. Be that as it may, it did hurt his esteem to be warned in such fashion, not to mention that he was rather eager to get ahead despite his poor background, and would rather not be belittled like this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to hurt you, so please don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡± Lin Quan could tell that Nie Fan had an unyielding air to him¡ªthe youth spoke with a demeanor that was neither prideful nor sycophantic despite his humble roots, which earned him a few points of admiration from Lin Quan. ¡°I believe you could make it with your ability, but it¡¯s just that Xinyan wouldn¡¯t make a good match for you.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, Mister Lin. Even so, I would admit that I have no outstanding talent, and I am not out to seek fame and glory. That being said, I would not starve as long as I have limbs.¡± Nie Fan could tell that Lin Quan¡¯s words were compassion for the weak, and he did not need that.


    1


    ¡°You are just like your father.¡± Lin Quan smiled calmly. Nie Fan¡¯s father had been a famously difficult person too. His nature where he would rather be broken than bent commanded respect, but the man himself would beg to differ. ¡°Uncle Lin once told your father that he would let Xinyan marry you, but it was just a joke.¡±


    2


    ¡°Mister Lin, you must be joking. It¡¯s just two old men having a laugh¡ªwith my father¡¯s passing, I would not take it seriously.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    2


    ¡°Still, I believe Uncle Lin would remember that and he might still hope that you could be with Xinyan, although I hope you¡¯d understand that the elders wouldn¡¯t agree even if Uncle Lin does. He would not be making the decisions.¡±


    4


    Nie Fan frowned then, suspicious why Lin Quan would talk so much about something completely unrelated to him. ¡°That would never happen, and there¡¯s no need to keep talking about it. Can I leave if there¡¯s nothing else, Mister Lin?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it. Let¡¯s set aside private affairs and talk business then¡ªhere¡¯s a VR headgear, it¡¯s company standard equipment. Now run along to human resource to sign your contract. That is all.¡±


    Lin Quan walked to a corner of the office, took out a blue headset and handed it to Nie Fan and waved him off.


    For some reason, it was a grade B headset that internal employees would use.


    ¡°Thank you. Then, I shall be going.¡± Nie Fan accepted the headgear and left the office.


    Watching his back as he left, Lin Quan sighed emotionally, doubting Uncle Lin if he had the right person.


    ***


    Lin Xinyan approached Nie Fan the moment he left the office. ¡°What did my cousin tell you?¡± She asked interestedly.


    ¡°He gave me this headgear, told me to head to HR and sign my contract.¡± Nie Fan said, brandishing the headgear in his hand.


    ¡°He¡¯s being nice to you¡ªthat¡¯s a B-grade headgear for internal employees.¡± Lin Xinyan smiled as she looked at the headgear.


    Nie Fan felt a little troubled at her words then, since it was puzzling that Lin Quan would treat him so well given how he despised him and wanted him to stay away from Xinyan. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of you.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Who do you think I am? Remember to treat me to dinner when you get your pay.¡± Lin Xinyan lifted her chin proudly, her two dimples showing as she smiled. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you to HR.¡±


    Two hours later, Nie Fan¡¯s various work arrangements were decided. He gained a general understanding about Blade of Tyranny after Tempest Wings gave him some information¡ªhe would be allowed stay online for a maximum of ten hours per day and he could arrange his own schedule, not to mention that being online keeps him in deep sleep and he would be using his brain waves to play the game. Furthermore, he would have thirty-six hours of contingency time each month, permitting him to handle various emergencies. As for the actual game content, everyone did not know much except for the map information that the official portals published.


    Even if he did not consider himself gifted in VR games, Nie Fan had decided that he would do his best so that others would not look down on him whatever happens.


    Later, Lin Xinyan brought him to her home and arranged a room for him.


    It was a three-floor mansion, and Nie Fan¡¯s room was on the second floor opposite Xinyan¡¯s. The house itself was considered luxurious, and a place which Nie Fan would never imagine he was staying before this.


    After putting away his luggage, he was left speechless as he looked at the two-meter wide bed.


    Could one person use such a huge bed? Moreover, he was not used to the soft mattress¡ªhe was basically sleeping on a twenty-centimeter wide bench in the past, and was not allowed dropped off it. His father called it training, but where could he find a bench now?


    1


    He would just have to adapt.


    ¡°The kitchen is downstairs. Go out and buy ingredients if you would rather cook, I¡¯m calling delivery. Also, I would be at school in the morning, and at the gym other times for dancing, yoga, and taekwondo. Don¡¯t find me if there¡¯s nothing important, but call me on the phone if there is.¡±


    Lin Xinyan explained simply, basically saying that she did not have much free time.


    ¡°Okay. I think I¡¯ll cook¡ªwhere¡¯s the food market?¡±


    ¡°Turn right after you leave the neighborhood, and you¡¯ll reach it in two hundred meters.¡±


    ¡°Alright. You go do your thing.¡± Nie Fan nodded¡ªit seemed that rich kids had it hard too.


    On another note, he would save more money if he cooked on his own. He certainly would not order delivery so that the money he had on hand would last until next month.


    1


    As such, Lin Xinyan left to go about her business while Nie Fan headed to the food market to get some ingredients. It also turned out that the kitchen had not been used for quite some time and he had to use an hour to clean it all up, before simply cooking a bowl of noodles for dinner.


    He then returned to his room and took his shirt off for his daily mandatory training. His muscles were sturdy, each strand ever distinct over his inverted-triangle figure. The outline of his firm pectoral muscles and eight neatly arranged abdominal muscles were pronounced, and yet he did not give others such a fearsome impression. With his clothes on, others could hardly imagine such a slim form would be hiding such an astonishing force¡­


    1


    There certainly would be no telling what Lin Xinyan would think if she saw him shirtless.


    2


    Nie Fan hence started off his training with basic things like push-ups and deep squats, along with several tai chi moves. Fortunately, his room was wide enough and he did not feel squeezed when moving around.


    Still, he thought that it was a shame that there wasn¡¯t a sandbag.


    At a young age, Nie Fan had trained in free wrestling with Coach Tang. With his father teaching him some homegrown techniques in between, what he learned was quite jumbled although the outcome was obvious: his body was strong, and he could handle five to six adults at a time in a fight.


    After training for three hours, he went to take a bath¡ªit was very convenient washing up in the mansion since each room here had its own bathroom. After that, he took a glance at the time and realized that it was already 10 pm when he heard movement outside and the sound of the opposite door opening. It must be Lin Xinyan returning, but Nie Fan pretended that he was asleep instead of going out to greet her, sparing the awkwardness of running into each other at night.


    Leaning on the bedside and looking out of the window, he thought that the distant street lights were like little stars that flickered against the endless night sky. He felt melancholy then when he wondered how his mother was or whether his father knew what happened here on the other side, and took out the notebook his father left him, gently touching its cover.


    He turned to the front half of the notebook, which had over a hundred pages written with weird data that he could not understand.


    Nie Fan could not help being puzzled. Could it be some mathematic or physics formula? Although he had dropped out since early middle school, Nie Fan could understand enough by looking closer that the data had nothing to do with mathematics, although some parts look like it had to do with gaming. Remembering that his father was a professional gamer in life, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised that some game data was jotted down here¡­ perhaps those were notes that his father made when playing.


    1


    Those things would not help be helpful to Nie Fan, but as he turned to the other half, he found that it was his father¡¯s diary¡ªrecords he had kept before he died! He felt his eyes become watery as various memories during his childhood surged like a tidal wave. His father had been a quiet person, but he knew many things and taught Nie Fan much, and though they did not speak much he felt closeness and happiness when he was with him. He had started teaching Nie Fan a few things about VR games when he was ten, but he abruptly moved to Ningdong, left in a dejected mood and no longer playing, until a few years later where he met his demise in an accident. Nie Fan had always found that he could not let go of his father¡¯s passing.


    1


    He did not know what happened back then that forced his father to move from Yinhai to his old home in Ningdong, and his mother would keep quiet if he asked. Be that as it may, Nie Fan did not press her so that she would not be caught up in her sadness, although now he wondered if he could find some clues in his father¡¯s diary.


    The first dozen pages were his father¡¯s struggles as an unranked minor gamer climbing up to the leaderboards of the professional scene, working alongside his partner ¡®Bloodfeather¡¯ and founding Demon God Studios. At the time, they were ranked third and sixth, with Demon God studios also reaching the top five in the country, indisputably standing on the pinnacle at the time.


    Bloodfeather? Demon God Studios?


    Why didn¡¯t he hear about that from his mother? Why did his father eventually leave Demon God Studios? That being said, he had heard of the studio itself as it developed rapidly over the last few years, assimilating five to six studios. They now stood alongside Dark Dragon Studios as the two giants of the VR gaming scene, while Bloodfeather was universally acknowledged as the top gamer on the professional leaderboards.


    Nie Fan connected the dots then, realizing that his father perhaps had faced some desperate predicament.


    As he continued reading on, his father had described something where gamers from across the globe were invited by the Tian Xia Group to participate in the development and closed testing of a game called Blade of Tyranny, which had been sensation news at the time. Game development and coding were his father¡¯s strengths¡ªhe had coded much data, and following careful research as well as minor adjustments by the development team from Tian Xia, his work was used.


    1


    Hold on.


    Blade of Tyranny! It¡¯s that VR game which would soon be entering its public testing phase!


    1


    With the others who had been involved in the development and beta testing had become older or retired, Nie Fan did not expect that that game his father had a hand in making would soon be released to public servers.


    He could not stop himself from feeling a strong pride. It turned out that he such an amazing father!


    Still, which aspect was his father in charge of developing at the time? Moreover, his family would not have become so miserably poor given his father¡¯s ability¡ªeven if he would fail, he could certainly try again with ease. So why would his father appear so disheartened after leaving Demon God Studios? That was certainly a difficult mystery.


    As Nie Fan continued turning the pages, he found that the story ended halfway through because around fifty to sixty pages had been torn off. He wouldn¡¯t know what happened later even if really wanted to, and there was no telling if his mother knew where those torn pages were. But when he remembered that unhappy look on his father¡¯s face when he died, Nie Fan knew that he had many unfulfilled dreams.


    Nonetheless, the game called Blade of Tyranny was something his father left behind, and Nie Fan suddenly felt infinitely driven¡ªhe absolutely could not disappoint his father¡¯s soul in heaven.


    He hence started to look through the diary carefully, but he could not be sure whether the data at the front half he can¡¯t quite understand had anything to do with Blade of Tyranny. His mathematics was bad, and when coupled with the fact that he dropped out of school since early middle school, his brain felt like it would blow up as he stared at the sequence of numbers, much less allow him to arrange them.


    On the last page, Nie Fan caught what was a group of numbers: 28, 22, 218, 1, 92, 12¡­


    4


    The numbers were written messily, and it was obvious that his father was not calm when he wrote those numbers.


    Those numbers. What do they mean?


    Was it a telegraph code? Didn¡¯t feel like it.


    Could it be that they mean something special?


    There must be a reason his father left this behind. Given that the notebook was the most important heirloom from his father, those numbers just might be the code to something very important.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan could not arrive at any answer despite racking his brains.


    Well, whatever. He would put it aside for the moment¡ªhe just might find the answers in the future.


    1


    While he was left in distress, a loud clanging could be heard from the direction of Lin Xinyan¡¯s room, with something seemingly crashing down. The mansion was soundproof enough that normal objects falling would not echo so loud, and uncertain that Lin Xinyan is alright, Nie Fan had stood up before he could think and dashed towards her room.


    He knocked on her room¡¯s door heavily and shouted, ¡°Lin Xinyan! Are you alright?¡±


    It was after a while that a meek call for help amidst groans of pain could be heard from within.


    Something had happened! Ignoring all else, Nie Fan took a few steps back and launched his body forward, crashing through the door with a door and ran inside.


    1

 Chapter 3

    2


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Once inside, Nie Fan found that Lin Xinyan¡¯s room was full of dolls from cartoons beneath the bright yellow lights. Each were exquisite and adorable, but also unique and eccentric¡ªjust like Lin Xinyan¡¯s own personality: mischievous, cheeky and a hint of boldness.


    The bathroom was at a corner of the room, separated by frosted glass.


    Lin Xinyan was groaning inside.


    ¡°Are you alright, Lin Xinyan?¡± Nie Fan hesitated for a moment before knocking on the bathroom door.


    ¡°I fell. I couldn¡¯t feel anything in my legs¡ªI can¡¯t get up!¡± She sounded tearful, as it was natural for anyone who lost sensation of their legs to be terrified.


    2


    Nie Fan gave the door a shove, but realized that it was locked from the inside.


    ¡°Could you put on a towel and open the door?¡± He asked anxiously. Uncle Lin had been kind to him, and he was therefore obliged to take care of Lin Xinyan. After all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to face Uncle Lin if anything happened to her.


    1


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t¡­¡± Lin Xinyan sobbed, attempting to stand up. She could not help but panic because she still couldn¡¯t feel her legs.


    6


    Meanwhile, since saving her was most important and the emergency of the situation took precedence, Nie Fan firmly pushed with a low cry, and the lock of the bathroom broke apart with a clang.


    Prone on the floor, Lin Xinyan was left blank for a moment as she watched Nie Fan entered, not expecting him to do that. Crying out in her surprise, she quickly covered herself with her hands.


    Nie Fan looked around to find that the bathroom was itself a mess. Lin Xinyan was leaning on the bathtub, her beautifully lined neck and collarbone exposed as she covered her chest with her white willowy hand, although she was hardly shielding her virtue. Her flawless smooth skin was like white jade, whereas her face was faintly scarlet in embarrassment. Most of her dripping wet hair was behind her back, adding to her devilish charm.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan did not have the time to enjoy the view. He handily pulled down a towel from a hanger and covered her.


    1


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± he asked, crouching.


    Even as she tugged at the towel so that it sheltered her body, Lin Xinyan was utterly confused. Nie Fan was ever so close, and all she had between him and herself was just a towel¡ªher skin hence reddened unusually as her chest heaved from her nervousness. Still, that was when she felt a sharp pain in her waist and she could not stop herself from groaning in pain, her brows tightening into a knot. ¡°I slipped when I tried to stand up and couldn¡¯t feel the lower half of my body. Am I paralyzed, Nie Fan?¡±


    1


    Even as she uttered those words, Lin Xinyan¡¯s face went pale white and her tears were streaming.


    ¡°Where did you fall?¡± Nie Fan patiently asked. ¡°Did you have medical checkups on your feet before?¡±


    ¡°I hit my knee in the bathtub just now¡­ There was nothing when I checked in the hospital, but I couldn¡¯t summon any strength in my leg when I tried to stand just now and simply dropped down,¡± she replied in fear and helplessness.


    Getting the gist of it, Nie Fan reached out with his right hand and calmed her. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Despite having a towel, most of Lin Xinyan¡¯s thighs were still revealed¡ªlong, tight, and slick white, it had a crystalline luster that leaves the heart throbbing.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Lin Xinyan¡¯s cheeks went full red as Nie Fan reached out towards her. The fact that just one towel separated them left her feeling very naked under his gaze, and her heart was at once an indescribable wreck of nervousness, panic, and embarrassment.


    The sight of her blushing, her damp wet hair hanging before her chest, the ripples of her starry eyes and alluring exposure would leave anyone¡¯s heart racing. Nie Fan had to admit then that she was much more beautiful than any lady he had ever encountered before.


    ¡°Relax!¡± Nie Fan growled as he cleared away all extra thoughts, and put his right hand on her inner thigh to feel for a beating in her pulse.


    1


    Lin Xinyan stiffly refrained from speaking when she saw his serious look. He appeared as calm and composed as an experienced doctor right then, which in turn slowly calmed her even if the bizarre sensation on her feet left her heart palpitating quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing too serious. All you need is to take it easy for one month or two¡ªtry not to take too many baths from now on, or don¡¯t soaking in the bathtub for too long if you have too,¡± Nie Fan told her then.


    It was just a minor ailment caused by excessive hygiene.


    2


    ¡°You know medicine?¡± Lin Xinyan asked in surprise. Nie Fan did not resemble a doctor of western medicine, but his methods were not quite the same as Chinese medicine either. Most doctors trained in Chinese medicine tend to read the pulse on the wrist, and she never heard of someone who could read the pulse on a thigh.


    ¡°I know just a little. Here, let me help you up¡ªit¡¯s bad if you keep lying down on the floor.¡± Nie Fan told her, unwilling to say much about his methodology.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Xinyan calmed down when she heard that it was nothing serious, also realizing then that it was a rather awkward situation. With just a towel covering her and her limbs hanging out, it would fall off if she was caught off guard for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll move you to your bed.¡±


    Lin Xinyan felt her body become light just as she tried to reply¡ªshe was picked up in one swift stroke: she did not expect him to be so strong, not to mention that his broad chest gave her a sense of security.


    1


    For his part, Nie Fan could feel a faint sweetness sneaked into his nostrils, and he could not help but look down at her. The towel was only shielding some of her more important parts, and on its fringes were her round and slim shoulders. The distinct curves and outlines that protruded from beneath the towel were elegant, while her soft snow-white long legs were perfect and natural, although one wouldn¡¯t bear to look at the dark bruise on the knee. That being said, as his right hand carried her by her buttocks, he could not help but be surprised that the brat was quite perky.


    2


    Still, the thought was gone as soon as it came. Nie Fan gradually calmed when he remembered what Lin Quan told him during the day.


    1


    Nie Fan, Nie Fan. Why would you come up with such unrealistic thoughts? He laughed at himself inwardly as he put Lin Xinyan on her bed.


    Once on it, Lin Xinyan quickly pulled the blanket over her. She had felt his hand touching the bare skin of her bottom, the rough texture of his skin in turn making her itch a little.


    Could he have seen something?


    Her cheeks became hot as she remembered the scene just a moment ago, because that was the very first time that she had such intimate contact with a man. As such, her heart could not help but stir.


    Nie Fan did not appear as despicable as he was when he was a child then.


    ¡°Anyway, the spot you knocked doesn¡¯t look serious¡ªa little ointment should do the trick. Where¡¯s the first aid box in the house?¡±


    3


    ¡°The cabinet beside the living room.¡± Lin Xinyan said, lowering her head since she was afraid to look at him at the moment.


    Nie Fan quickly brought the first aid box and took out a bottle, rubbed it hot on his hands and told her, ¡°It would hurt a little. Try to bear with it.¡±


    Lin Xinyan grimaced, her eyes showing a hint of fear. Nonetheless, she gritted her teeth and nodded, looking ready to just go for it.


    Nie Fan looked at her with a smile and gently rubbed the ointment on her knee bruise, and then massaging it patiently. The skin his palm was touching was delicate and smooth as if he were touching the finest silk. His heart skipped a beat then despite his extraordinary composure, and he quickly lowered his eyes and stopped thinking too much in his embarrassment.


    On the other hand, Lin Xinyan was blushing again as she felt his hands rubbing her knee incessantly. Nie Fan¡¯s technique appeared professional and his massage hit the spot, and the pain was also bearable. She hence did her best to bite her lower lip so that she did not make a sound, but the occasional groan she let out left herself blushing even harder.


    As she sneaked a look up at Nie Fan to find that he was not really reacting and concentrating on his work, she discreetly breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Alright, rub it twice again tomorrow and it would be more or less done.¡± Nie Fan rubbed his hands, and then brought a rather worn bag from his own room.


    1


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, staring at the bag which appeared heavy despite being not too large.


    ¡°Needles.¡±


    Nie Fan smiled and opened the bag, and Lin Xinyan discovered in shock that it was full of uncountable golden needles of different sizes, with some having bizarre shapes.


    ¡°You¡¯re not sticking them into me, are you?¡± She asked, looking weirded out¡ªshe had seen those things and tv, but the thought of having your body covered in needles was still quite horrifying.


    2


    ¡°You could choose not to, but while your condition might not be matter much since you¡¯re young, it would eventually become a problem as time goes on and not even syringes would help then.¡±


    1


    ¡°Is it really that serious?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, pulling a long face.


    Nie Fan responded with a shrug and a calm smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be bothered with the needle if it was someone else.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t¡ªyou usually wouldn¡¯t feel a thing. So? Dare to try?¡± He looked at her mischievously.


    Trying to look brave, Lin Xinyan nodded after hesitating for a moment. ¡°Nie Fan, how did you come to learn such a weird thing?¡± She then asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s passed down in my family. Uncle Lin should know that my father is quite learned in the Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor, even asking my father to teach him. It¡¯s just that Uncle Lin only learned the bare minimum. Anyway, the Scripture is divided into three parts: the first is Chinese medicine, the second is acupuncture while the third is Dao Yin¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Dao Yin?¡±


    1


    ¡°It¡¯s an ancient qi art used to strengthen the body, although it an art that¡¯s almost lost.¡± Nie Fan grinned, drawing out three gold needles from the bag as he spoke and taking off the wax covers before masterfully poking them into Lin Xinyan¡¯s feet and kneecap.


    She had been ready to scream in pain when she saw him pierce her leg with the needles, only to realize then that it really did not hurt at all. All she felt was a numbness, as if her hair was being pulled.


    ¡°What do you feel?¡± Nie Fan asked, looking at her with a smile.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. It¡¯s just a little numb and a little cold¡­ hold on¡­ I think I feel something in my leg! It¡¯s like a little worm that keeps wiggling up¡­ I can feel my leg now!¡± Lin Xinyan exclaimed in wonder and disbelief that three tiny needles could work so miraculously.


    Later, as Nie Fan pulled out the three golden needles. ¡°These three needles could only ease your condition for a while. But to cure it completely¡­¡± He said, trailing off as he eyed her.


    ¡°What should I do to cure it completely?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, rather interested in acupuncture now.


    ¡°The root of your condition is at your pelvis. Your veins aren¡¯t flowing smoothly¡ªthere¡¯s cold air accumulating in that spot.¡±


    ¡°Pelvis?¡± Lin Xinyan repeated, taken aback. She had been sparkling a moment, but now quickly shook her head. ¡°No way.¡±


    Needling the pelvic would mean letting Nie Fan see everything, and that would not do. After all, it was an accident when he caught a glimpse just now, not to mention that she had never been so close to a man, which was a far cry from taking off her pants to let him put some needles into her.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan smiled, having sterilized his golden needles with a special method and put them away. ¡°I¡¯m simply mentioning it,¡± he told her as he got to his feet. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a problem tonight, so rest up and it should ease tomorrow. Try to be active with you your legs, but don¡¯t exercise too strenuously such as through dance or taekwondo.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Xinyan replied distractedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m off, then.¡± Nie Fan said as he headed for the door.


    ¡°Nie Fan¡­¡± Lin Xinyan suddenly called out to him just as he was about to leave.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked, turning around.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Xinyan said gratefully¡ªif not for him, she wouldn¡¯t have known how to handle this emergency.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, and I¡¯m just doing what I should. I wouldn¡¯t have the faintest idea if Uncle Lin offered me a place to stay anyway. You should sleep since you¡¯re better now too. See you.¡± Nie Fan smiled lightly and closed the door behind him.


    After watching him leave, Lin Xinyan lay under her blanket and flexed her feet: they felt much better although there was still a little curious sensation.


    That being said, she was really scared out of her wits just now, and finally understood why her father admired Uncle Nie so much when she was still a child.


    Now, she could not help but wonder what kind of a person Nie Fan actually was too¡ªso many mysteries seemed to surround him.


    2


    And then there was that moment when he pressed the needles into her: he had been so frighteningly calm, and she simply could not detect a single flutter of emotion in his eyes.

 Chapter 4

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan could not calm his thoughts at once when he returned to his room, feeling an unbearable parching at the pit of his stomach.


    Xue Yu, a good friend of his had collected many videos from a certain island nation, and under his influence, Nie Fan had more or less sampled it. Be that as it may, the impact on his sight was nothing comparable to today, when he saw the body of a beautiful young girl in reality. Lin Xinyan¡¯s fantastic figure was no different from God¡¯s finest work, and the very sight of it was now irremovable despite being just a few glimpses¡ªeven the faint sweetness from her body swirled around his nose, and the smooth touch of her skin still lingered on his palm.


    1


    When he returns, his friends back at Ningdong would definitely envy him if he got himself a girlfriend like that. Still, Nie Fan could not help wanting to slap himself when he remembered what Lin Quan told him earlier that day.


    ¡®Nie Fan, Nie Fan. You need to wake up¡ªcould you even reach her? Uncle Lin¡¯s family fortune must at least be hundreds of millions, and Lin Xinyan is his only daughter. What are you in comparison? No more than a nameless impoverished brat shouldering heavy debts.¡¯


    3


    It was pretty much like a toad wanting to devour a swan.


    Collecting his delusional thoughts, Nie Fan decided to continue studying the notebook his father had left him. His mother had repeatedly reminded him to take care of it when she gave it to him, and there must be some important information his father wanted to give him in the notebook.


    That was especially true for the numbers that stood out like a sore thumb!


    What did those seventeen numbers of no sequence mean?


    Suddenly, Nie Fan felt a moment of inspiration in his head. Could they be referring to page numbers of the notebook itself?


    He quickly flipped to page 28 at the very thought, and he could only do so by counting each page since there were no page numbers. Still, he found nothing when he reached it¡ªthere was nothing other than a chunk of text and data!


    Nevertheless, Nie Fan remembered that his father was often obsessed with details, and he could well have left some clues. Hence, gritting his teeth, he looked through the clumps of data as well, but still couldn¡¯t find anything unusual aside from a letter ¡®h¡¯ at the corner of the page which had nothing to do with the other data.


    He realized sharply then that the letter could have a further meaning. The second number on the last page was 22, and he promptly flipped to that page, searching through it and finding the letter ¡®t¡¯, which was also unrelated to the rest of the data on the page.


    He was on to something! It might be a clue his father had left!


    Finding the two letters had actually taken him two whole hours¡ªit was extremely difficult to find two letters in chunks of data after all! However, Nie Fan continued searching despite feeling exhausted, driven by his curiosity.


    Eventually, he found one letter after another, obtaining eight of them through the course of the night. It was already morning then: Lin Xinyan had left for school while he hastily made himself breakfast and finished it, before continuing his search.


    Time flew, and it was the evening when he finally found all seventeen letters. As he connected them together, he found that it was actually a website.


    That discovery certainly left Nie Fan thrilled, and he promptly took out his VR headgear which could be used as a computer, and keyed in the seventeen characters of the website.


    [System: Logging in to website¡­]


    [System: This website is private and encrypted. Please enter your ID.]


    ID? Mine or dad¡¯s? Nie Fan was taken aback when he saw the system notification. He couldn¡¯t remember his father¡¯s ID number which consisted of 26 letters and numbers¡ªin fact, most people would have a hard time remembering that.


    2


    Still, he decided he did not care and keyed in his own ID number.


    [System: password accepted, iris verification accepted, nervous system connection successful¡­]


    1


    Nie Fan did not expect that he would find such a website that his father designed specially for himself, laden with so many heavy encryption sequences. But even as he thought about that, a recorded voice started playing from the website.


    It was his father¡¯s voice.


    Unable to help himself, his eyes welled with tears at the voice he hadn¡¯t hear for a long time.


    ¡°Son, I must have been long gone by the time you found this place. I hope that your mother and you could live in peace after I die, but I also know that it would be hoping too much because they would never spare you both. You must assume that you and your mother¡¯s daily conversations are being monitored, and that is why you must never mention this website to anyone else. Hurry off and find Uncle Lin if you have found this place¡ªhe will protect you.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, I am still unable to tell you the whole truth, but you may use what is on this website to help Uncle Lin destroy Demon God Studios if Blade of Tyranny has begun service. When that day comes, your mother would tell you the whole truth.¡±


    Demon God Studios? That was the studio that his father had co-founded out of nothing before, and was eventually forced out due to some unknown reasons¡­ but to think that his will was to destroy what he once built!


    ¡°Father, I promise you that I would help you fulfill your wish.¡± There was cool killing intent in Nie Fan¡¯s eyes.


    That being said, it was a serious matter considering that his father¡¯s claims that Nie Fan and his mother¡¯s daily conversations were being monitored.


    It was only after some time that his palpitations calmed and he began to browse through the website¡¯s content. The website itself was designed with meticulous detail and was as rich in content as the official portals of major VR games, hosting thousands of essays about Blade of Tyranny, with some titled, ¡°Rising as divine druid¡¯, ¡®Ultimate medals for flame knights¡¯, ¡®Strategy for legendary quest: Battle of the Magic Capital¡¯, ¡®120 exploitable landscape bugs¡¯, ¡®hidden trap sequences¡¯, ¡®quick emblem clearing for wild tribes¡¯¡­


    1


    In other words, his father had recorded all his experiences and all the system bugs he encountered in the closed testing phase for Blade of Tyranny. Having been a part of its content development, he had discreetly put in hidden sequences, backdoors, and even evaded the checks of the mainframe, recording everything with text and images.


    It was a genius idea! Nie Fan himself was awestruck by the content of the essays: it was a battle of wits and courage that pits the human mind against AI, a bold ultimate move that made a fool of manmade intelligence. Before the public testing phase, each VR game tend to be processed over dozens of times with AI before it was being marketed, and yet the programs his father designed had easily evaded such scanning¡ªto be precise, he had kept certain bugs that was considered permissible in the main content to himself while reporting other bugs that could be found. Moreover, aside from the data related to Blade of Tyranny, he had also recorded his understanding and experiences as a professional gamer, on how one could become a skillful player and the like.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan could not finish reading through all the content at the website. After all, his father did compile it with untold blood and sweat. Nie Fan also noticed that his father left a quote at the corner of the website:


    [Blade of Tyranny is a revolution in VR gaming that would change the world. And you, my son, shall be the leader of that revolution.]


    2


    Nie Fan¡¯s heart would surge whenever he read that quote. He must absorb all the content here because it would be very troublesome if he read it after joining the game, and he certainly must not let down his father¡¯s hopes! What he left here seemed to have opened a brand-new world in Nie Fan¡¯s mind too, allowing him to slowly understand what it meant to be a professional gamer.


    Hence, in the time before the servers for Blood of Tyranny became open to public, Nie Fan spent all his time at that website aside from meals. Like a sponge, he absorbed everything in it as hard as he could.


    Furthermore, the VR headgear had the capacity to keep the cerebral cortex in deep sleep and would not affect normal sleeping at night. It was basically equal to doubling one¡¯s lifespan, and was the reason why VR games became a global trend¡ªwith his headgear on, Nie Fan had completely forgotten the time.


    Still, although he had done all he could to learn everything on the website, he did not have much time and therefore had to leave the content beyond Level 30 for some other time.


    On the third day, Lin Xinyan had bought herself a headgear. She also wanted to play Blade of Tyranny, and she told Nie Fan that her crew in her class each had their own headgears, and were prepared to formed their own guild after joining the game.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan appeared distracted when he was speaking to her. With Blade of Tyranny starting service soon, he was both nervous apprehensive.


    ¡°I¡¯m off to my room, Nie Fan. Remember to message me after you enter the game.¡±


    ¡°Run along then. I have to start leveling up when the game starts¡ªit would be too embarrassing if your cousin had to chase me out of the studio for being underleveled.¡± Nie Fan replied and glanced at the time, rushing back to his room and putting on his headgear when he found that there were ten minutes left.


    Even as time ticked away, Nie Fan felt himself becoming even more nervous. Be that as it may, he had decided on taking the Druid class¡ªit was the class his father used most frequently in closed testing, and the class which he wrote the most content about.


    3


    But as he delved in his thoughts, a blinding white light shone before his eyes as if he had crossed into a dimensional portal. As that light slowly dimmed, a palm-sized fairy danced in front of him as he found himself in an altar, surrounded by various dazzling wildflowers and butterflies.


    It was as if he had arrived in a divine domain.


    The fairy was a beautiful young girl with delicate skin and exquisite features¡ªeven the hairs on her brows were distinctly visible.


    ¡®It feels so real. So, this is Blade of Tyranny!¡¯


    This was much more realistic than any VR game Nie Fan had played before, and he could not help but be in awe. No wonder his father told him that it would be a revolution for VR games: such stunning VR technology!


    ¡°Greetings! I¡¯m Nola, your tutorial fairy. I shall be guiding you in Blade of Tyranny¡ªplease select the city and continent of your destination.¡±


    Citizens on earth could only choose between the continents of Osland and Okado.


    2


    ¡°Osland continent, Carlos City, Kelfield Town, Tajit Village,¡± Nie Fan replied without hesitation. Heading to the Kelfield Town in Carlos City of the Osland continent was a condition that his studio had set, although he was free to choose which village he would spawn.


    ¡°You will now spawn in the Tajit Village, Kelfield Town, Carlos City. After an inspection, your basic attributes are as follows: Agility 9, Strength 9, Spirit 10. Your body composition especially strong and does not require additional compensation. Please select your class and talent.¡±


    Gamers who had exceedingly low physical attributes could obtain additional compensating attributes, but Nie Fan did not need that at all¡ªthe inspection had determined that his Agility, Strength, and Spirit were quite good, and did not need any help.


    2


    ¡°Druid!¡± Nie Fan appeared quick and decisive since he knew what he wanted.


    ¡°You have two talents to pick: One major, one minor.¡±


    The Druid class had many talents: Elemental, Plant-type, Summoning, and Morphing to name a few. They could also pick two talents, with the major talent having a 10% effect buff for skills of that aspect and minor talent having a 5% buff.


    1


    ¡°Major: Plant-type, minor: Morphing.¡± Nie Fan said then. Most Druid players would pick Elemental or Summoning as their major talents, and there were basically none who would pick Plant-type as their major since it was rather underwhelming. On the other hand, it was normal to pick Morphing as a minor talent, although that was also something Nie Fan had thought of early on.


    2


    ¡°Please name your character.¡±


    ¡°Dark Night.¡± Nie Fan simply chose his ID.

 Chapter 5

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Highspeed rail R1218 traveling from Ningdong to Yinhai will be arriving at the station in five minutes. Disembarking passengers, please prepare.¡± The sweet voice of the train attendant echoed in the coach.


    1


    ¡°Finally.¡± Nie Fan stretched lazily, picking up his luggage as he prepared to leave the train.


    2


    This was the first time he left Ningdong.


    He was eighteen, standing one point seven five meters tall and had average looks. That being said, his face has pronounced outlines and curves, a straight nose, appropriately thick lips, and thick jet-black hair. There was a hint of health in his handsomeness, with his form upright and his movement nimble, which in turn gave the impression that he was decisive, experienced and capable, which was rather mismatched compared to his age.


    5


    ¡°Young man, are you in the army?¡± The old man wearing a gray shirt with short sleeves sitting beside him was grinning at him.


    1


    ¡°I was, sir, but no longer. I left after two years of service.¡± Nie Fan smiled calmly.


    1


    ¡°No wonder. I myself served with the twenty-seventh brigade of the air force, but I¡¯m too old now.¡± The old man looked like he was having a nostalgic moment.


    Nie Fan understood him¡ªpeople tend to reminisce about the past when they become older, but he did not have the time to hear the old man¡¯s story at the moment.


    Swinging his backpack over his shoulder, he said, ¡°This is my stop, sir.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Very well, young man. Safe journeys.¡±


    Nie Fan picked up a thick notebook of several hundred pages and a worn cover. He felt a pang of misery when he looked at it¡ªhis mother had given it to him before he came to Yinhai, saying that it was the only thing his father had left him. It was a very thick notebook, and with the tiny handwriting of at least several million words meant that he could not finish reading it, and was only able to carry it around.


    The train stopped steadily then. Nie Fan pulled his luggage along, left the coach and looked around at his surroundings. This was the first time he was in Yinhai, and as he moved along the wide train station, he found not a single piece of litter on the crystalline marble floor. Nie Fan himself had lived in a small isolated city, and was therefore not quite used to being in such a modern metropolis.


    Nonetheless, he should settle down here before anything else.


    Rows of billboards stood in the train station adverting a VR game called [Blade of Tyranny], which would begin public testing in three days. As Nie Fan moved along, he decided would describe the billboards for the game as blanketing heaven and earth.


    This was an age where physical needs were met in excess, and VR games were one of the main pastimes for the people. After all, entering the game was no different from entering a different realm, soothing the tension in real life in search of a different existence. In fact, coverage of VR games had reached 89% according to Federation statistics, not to mention that the annual in-game purchases of the countless gamers had also arrived at a shocking threshold.


    Before this, Nie Fan had played several VR games but was not especially gifted with it. All he could be was an ordinary gamer, and soon he gave up altogether for various reasons.


    As he followed the crowd towards the entrance of the station, several big screens in the stations were broadcasting news of various major studios recruiting gamers. The studios in Yinhai which were ranked in the top fifty were even offering high pay for professional gamers of considerable skill as they prepared to join the Blade of Tyranny. The poaching of talent between studios was also escalating, with the price tag on top professional gamers doubling or tripling.


    Nie Fan often kept an eye on the news, which nowadays mostly focuses on the many gamers of online VR games. Professional gamers are treated no differently from star celebrities, and they also earn stunning incomes through annual tournament prizes, sponsorships, and endorsements. Nie Fan¡¯s own father was a famous professional as well, ranking third in China and had been wildly popular for a time. Be that as it may, his father retired when Nie Fan was only twelve, even piling up a huge debt and leaving his family impoverished. Three years later, he died in a car accident. Both Nie Fan and his mother were hence left in great agony.


    1


    Since then, it was as if Nie Fan suddenly sprouted and matured, and he began to support the household, dropping out of school early on to make a living.


    2


    Did he not wish that he could hide beneath his parents¡¯ wings like other teenagers?


    That being said, he had learned to assume responsibilities.


    As he delved in his thoughts, he had unwittingly reached the entrance when a clear shout interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°Hey. You¡¯re Nie Fan, right?¡±


    Turning towards the voice, Nie Fan¡¯s eyes brightened.


    A girl who was around eighteen was approaching him. She stood at an average height of around one point six meters, but her figure was nimble and she exuded a graceful charm with the backdrop of her yellow short skirt. Her jet-black hair hung like a waterfall down to her waist, with perfect pink complexion on her oval face. Beneath her bushy eyebrows were a pair of crystalline eyes, her lively gaze hardly hiding her cheekiness which she deliberately concealed.


    ¡°I am. And you would be¡­?¡± Nie Fan was left stunned and only spoke after a moment as he wondered why the beautiful girl would know him.


    1


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡± She looked at him rebukingly, her slightly pursed lips sparkling and translucent like jelly. Suddenly, her gaze shifted, her face showing an indistinct smugness before her eyes narrowed in a smile.


    That smile was like a ray of sun in winter that gifted warmth.


    As Nie Fan listened to her and watched her expression, a long-forgotten memory surfaced in his mind because that outline of her face was vaguely familiar.


    ¡°You¡¯re Lin Xinyan?¡± He suddenly exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°You finally remember.¡± She smiled at him.


    ¡°Is Uncle Lin not here?¡± Nie Fan asked doubtfully¡ªhe had assumed that Uncle Lin would be meeting him here.


    ¡°My dad¡¯s is outstation for work. Let¡¯s go, he told me that you¡¯ll be staying with us for a while.¡± Lin Xinyan smiled mysteriously, as if saying that ¡®You brat, you¡¯re finally in my domain. Watch as I avenge myself for what happened in our childhood days!¡¯


    4


    Hence, Nie Fan pulled his luggage along as he kept up being Lin Xinyan, caught in an unreal sensation as he looked at the sweet, fair, and graceful figure before him.


    His memories of her only reached the time when they were six or seven. Their parents were longtime acquaintances and their families often came together, although Nie Fan himself was at odds with her and often fought. Eventually, their families saw each other less when Nie Fan¡¯s family moved to Ningdong, although Uncle Lin would come visit during various festivals. Still, Nie Fan did not expect that the naughty little girl who would scratch others with her nails had grown to be such a beauty. There certainly was no telling how many boys she had charmed in her school, as evidenced by the number of passersby who were sliding glances at their direction.


    Nie Fan could not help but sigh that time flies.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be inconvenient if Uncle Lin is out?¡± He asked hesitantly as he hurried to catch up with her.


    ¡°And where would you go other than my home?¡± Lin Xinyan rolled her eyes at him.


    Since when did this brat become so polite? He certainly wasn¡¯t that tender when he snatched her toys off her as children.


    4


    ¡°Sorry for troubling you and Uncle, then. I¡¯ll rent a place as soon as can¡­ right after I find a job,¡± Nie Fan said, reluctant to rely on others.


    ¡°Are you going to find work here instead of studying? What job would you look for?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, taken aback.


    She remembered that he was the same age as she was and should still be in school. When she heard from her father that he was coming, she assumed that he was transferring schools.


    ¡°There are many jobs I could take: customer service, security guard or even bodyguard.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    2


    ¡°AI robotics has become common in Yinhai long ago¡ªyou¡¯re never going to get a job in customer service or as a security guard. And bodyguard? Forget it.¡± Lin Xinyan smiled as she studied his 1.75m frame. His loose jacket made him looked especially skinny and definitely not the look of robustness¡ªhe was definitely not going to win in a fight with that frame.


    ¡°Those are jobs in my resume. I¡¯m confident I wouldn¡¯t fare badly.¡± Nie Fan explained with a grin, aware of what she was thinking from her eyes alone. He was in fact working as a bodyguard for a rich businessman in his last job, and the employer had been quite pleased with him. However, Nie Fan determinedly resigned when he found out that his employer had connections to **.


    8


    Lin Xinyan looked at him in shock. She then remembered that his father had mentioned that Nie Fan had dropped out of school to work a few years ago¡ªhe must have had it hard over the years, and realized that she was being quite insensitive with her own excellent living conditions.


    Nie Fan had definitely changed a lot. Lin Xinyan had initially intended to give him a good teasing when he arrived, but she gradually put away that thought.


    1


    Blushing, she said apologetically, ¡°Sorry¡­ for what I said.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Nie Fan smiled calmly; he knew she meant nothing bad.


    Then, sensing her change in attitude lifted his brow slightly then¡ªhe did not need the pity of others, but he also knew that he would not even afford a week¡¯s rent in a modern city like Yinhai with those miserable seven hundred dollars in his wallet. Therefore, he could only stay at Lin Xinyan¡¯s home for the time being, and he would remember Uncle Lin¡¯s kindness in taking him in. He was confident that he would find a job eventually, and when he did, he would be able to gain a footing here to repay that kindness.


    As the two talked, they left the station and Lin Xinyan made a beeline to a red Lamborghini and opened the door. ¡°Get in.¡±


    ¡°Yours?¡± Nie Fan asked in shock. The car had perfect curves, a vivid color, and appeared breathtakingly wild.


    Which made it really suitable for Lin Xinyan.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nimbly turned on the ignition.


    1


    After a moment of silence, Nie Fan opened the other door and got into the passenger seat.


    The engine purred as the red Lamborghini sped off.


    ¡°Nie Fan, are you interested in becoming a professional gamer?¡± Lin Xinyan suddenly asked while driving after having just remembered it. ¡°My cousin¡¯s studio is recruiting, you could try.¡±


    ¡°Professional gamer? I might not make the cut.¡± Nie Fan shook his head, believing that he did not have the gift for it.


    ¡°No one is a pro on day one. Try it, or you might not have the chance ever again three days late when the servers for the Blade of Tyranny begins service,¡± she urged him excitedly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take much skill if you work as a crafting gamer either, and the pay is good. You would earn a basic income at first, and if you improve there would be additional bonuses.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I could give it a go.¡± Nie Fan agreed after some thought, finding it awkward to refuse when he saw how excited Lin Xinwei was. She was being kind after all, and being an amateur was better than being unemployed. Moreover, he had heard that he could play at night while keeping his day job, which meant he could take two jobs at once.


    It was not a bad choice, given that he wouldn¡¯t want to keep staying at Lin Xinyan¡¯s home.


    ¡°Fantastic. My cousin actually needs more gamers urgently, I¡¯ll give him a call right now.¡± Lin Xinyan cheerfully dialed a number when he agreed. ¡°Back in the day, Uncle Nie was a pro who ranked third¡ªI believe you can make it too, Nie Fan.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully.¡±


    Nie Fan¡¯s thoughts drifted into the distance as he watched the sights outside that dashed past.


    He never imagined that he would take the same path as his fathers.


    He wanted to know what his father felt when he ranked third, and what actually happened that led to his dejecting exit.


    2


    ***


    Headquarters of the Tempest Wings Studio, sixteenth floor of Xuangong Tower, Yinhai.


    Being herself familiar with the place, Lin Xinyan led Nie Fan into an office, and introduced him to a young man sitting behind the desk.


    ¡°Cousin, he¡¯s Nie Fan, the one I told you about. What do you think?¡±


    The young man was Lin Quan, Lin Xinyan¡¯s cousin and the owner of Tempest Wings Studios, a company once ranked in China¡¯s top twenty. Despite having already become a legend at the professional scene, Lin Quan looked just around twenty-six, his height not too apparent since he was sitting. He did resemble Lin Xinyan a little in his facial features, although his expression was somber and mature with his formal attire.


    1


    Lin Quan studied Nie Fan with his sharp eyes and nodded. ¡°I heard about you from my uncle, Nie Fan. Just arrived at Yinhai?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nie Fan nodded with composure.


    ¡°Although Xinyan brought you here, I have to learn some details about you before you join Tempest Wings. I¡¯ll be asking you some questions, so just answer as is.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    Lin Quan had put some formless pressure on him, but he was not nervous after having started working for years.


    ¡°Have you played VR games before?¡±


    Nie Fan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What are some of the titles you played?¡± Lin Quan pressed.


    ¡°Foreworld, Legend of Enzex, Faith¡­¡±


    ¡°What level did you reach?¡±


    ¡°Fifty-seven, fifty-one, one-two-one.¡±


    ¡°Too low.¡± Lin Quan shook his head¡ªsuch levels were certainly not professional, and might not even qualify as middling. ¡°Have you tried support classes?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Nie Fan shook his head honestly, thinking that this is a failure.


    As he thought, Lin Quan shook his head and leaned into his chair. ¡°It seems that you haven¡¯t played many VR games, and it remains to be seen if you could reach the level of professional gamers. We wouldn¡¯t simply recruit someone like you under normal circumstances.¡±


    Nin Fan nodded, indicating that he understood Lin Quan¡ªit was indeed as he put it: the studio was an organization set up to make profits, why hire him if he could not make a profit for them?


    Meanwhile, Lin Xinyan became nervous after listening to what Lin Quan said. Now that she knew Nie Fan¡¯s circumstances and being eager to help him out of kindness, she quickly poured her cousin a cup of tea and sweet-talked him. ¡°Cousin, you should take him in. Uncle Nie had doted on me back then, and he was once the third in China¡¯s professional scene. Trust me, his son would not lose out.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡± Lin Quan threw her a feeble look and smiled. ¡°By the way, I wasn¡¯t finished¡ªand I did say under normal circumstances. How about this, Nie Fan? It¡¯s impossible for you to join the studio with your current ability, but your talent still remains to be seen. I¡¯ll arrange for you to be a fringe member, and you just have to complete monthly quests set by the studio. We won¡¯t be limiting your freedom¡ªyou can do anything you like with your time out of the quests, while you would be accepted into our inner circle if your level and skill is found to be up to standards. That being said, you have to leave if you can¡¯t complete said quests. Your salary would be two thousand per month, and you would be receiving bonuses for every quarter of the year: a few hundred on the low, dozen thousands on the high.¡±


    2


    Nie Fan had already given up, and was naturally surprised that Lin Quan would keep him¡ªit must have been because he was trying to save face for Lin Xinyuan.


    That being said, having a job offering two thousand dollars for income was already very good.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he told Lin Quan.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Fringe members are nonessential anyway, and in the end it¡¯s you yourself who determines whether you stay.¡±


    It was a little hurtful to hear something like ¡®nonessential¡¯, but such was reality: Nie Fan must prove himself or he would be belittled.


    Lin Quan then tap Lin Xinyan on the nose and told her, ¡°You brat. Blade of Tyranny is starting so I¡¯ll be busy for some time. I¡¯ll be very happy as long as you don¡¯t make a scene.


    ¡°Got it, cousin.¡± Lin Xinyan grinned and made a silly face at Nie Fan.


    1


    ¡°Okay. Now leave us alone for a bit, I still have something to tell Nie Fan.¡± Lin Quan gave Lin Xinyan a pat on the head.


    Lin Xinyan glanced curiously at Lin Quan and then at Nie Fan, curious what Lin Quan wanted to talk about.


    However, she nodded after hesitating for a bit. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading out.¡±


    She turned and left the room, closing the door gently behind her.


    Please make sure the synopsis is in Inkstone and paste the notes below after the content in chapter 1/38/39/59/60.


    From 15 Feb 2020, Coins spent on books that aren¡¯t selected will be refunded within 30 days. However, Fast Passes will not be refunded.


    The selected book will have a mark on the corner of the book cover in 30 From 15 Feb 2020, Coins spent on books that aren¡¯t selected will be refunded within 30 days. However, Fast Passes will not be refunded.


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    Thank you for your understanding.


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°I heard Uncle Nie had passed away.¡±


    Lin Quan had a sip of tea. He was aware of Nie Fan¡¯s family matters, and he certainly would know such a major incident in the professional scene.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nie Fan nodded, already knowing what Lin Quan would say next.


    ¡°It saddened me to hear it,¡± Lin Quan said. He stayed silent for a moment, before adding with a solemn expression, ¡°But there is something I must tell you first.¡±


    ¡°Please do, Mister Lin.¡±


    ¡°You must be aware that Xinyan¡¯s father¡ªwho is my second uncle had managed to put together some success in Yinhai over the years, and is considered a person of prestige in the city. As for Xinyan, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to enroll in a university with her results and secure a bright future, although she is a little young. I know what I¡¯m saying would hurt your self-esteem, but I must say it.¡±


    Lin Quan¡¯s subtext meaning was certainly obvious, but Nie Fan spoke out, stopping him just as he was about to continue.


    ¡°I get your meaning, Mister Lin. I¡¯m no more than a poor village boy who came to Yinhai trying to make a living. Uncle Lin only offered to help me for my father¡¯s sake and I could not be more grateful, which is why you could be at ease, Mister Lin¡ªI wouldn¡¯t have presumptuous thoughts about Miss Lin given my lowly identity.¡±


    2


    Moreover, he was only close to Lin Xinyan when they were children. As time and distance set them apart, he did not feel anything special about her when he saw her again after so long, save for finding her a little breathtaking. Be that as it may, it did hurt his esteem to be warned in such fashion, not to mention that he was rather eager to get ahead despite his poor background, and would rather not be belittled like this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to hurt you, so please don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡± Lin Quan could tell that Nie Fan had an unyielding air to him¡ªthe youth spoke with a demeanor that was neither prideful nor sycophantic despite his humble roots, which earned him a few points of admiration from Lin Quan. ¡°I believe you could make it with your ability, but it¡¯s just that Xinyan wouldn¡¯t make a good match for you.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, Mister Lin. Even so, I would admit that I have no outstanding talent, and I am not out to seek fame and glory. That being said, I would not starve as long as I have limbs.¡± Nie Fan could tell that Lin Quan¡¯s words were compassion for the weak, and he did not need that.


    1


    ¡°You are just like your father.¡± Lin Quan smiled calmly. Nie Fan¡¯s father had been a famously difficult person too. His nature where he would rather be broken than bent commanded respect, but the man himself would beg to differ. ¡°Uncle Lin once told your father that he would let Xinyan marry you, but it was just a joke.¡±


    2


    ¡°Mister Lin, you must be joking. It¡¯s just two old men having a laugh¡ªwith my father¡¯s passing, I would not take it seriously.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    2


    ¡°Still, I believe Uncle Lin would remember that and he might still hope that you could be with Xinyan, although I hope you¡¯d understand that the elders wouldn¡¯t agree even if Uncle Lin does. He would not be making the decisions.¡±


    4


    Nie Fan frowned then, suspicious why Lin Quan would talk so much about something completely unrelated to him. ¡°That would never happen, and there¡¯s no need to keep talking about it. Can I leave if there¡¯s nothing else, Mister Lin?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it. Let¡¯s set aside private affairs and talk business then¡ªhere¡¯s a VR headgear, it¡¯s company standard equipment. Now run along to human resource to sign your contract. That is all.¡±


    Lin Quan walked to a corner of the office, took out a blue headset and handed it to Nie Fan and waved him off.


    For some reason, it was a grade B headset that internal employees would use.


    ¡°Thank you. Then, I shall be going.¡± Nie Fan accepted the headgear and left the office.


    Watching his back as he left, Lin Quan sighed emotionally, doubting Uncle Lin if he had the right person.


    ***


    Lin Xinyan approached Nie Fan the moment he left the office. ¡°What did my cousin tell you?¡± She asked interestedly.


    ¡°He gave me this headgear, told me to head to HR and sign my contract.¡± Nie Fan said, brandishing the headgear in his hand.


    ¡°He¡¯s being nice to you¡ªthat¡¯s a B-grade headgear for internal employees.¡± Lin Xinyan smiled as she looked at the headgear.


    Nie Fan felt a little troubled at her words then, since it was puzzling that Lin Quan would treat him so well given how he despised him and wanted him to stay away from Xinyan. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of you.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Who do you think I am? Remember to treat me to dinner when you get your pay.¡± Lin Xinyan lifted her chin proudly, her two dimples showing as she smiled. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you to HR.¡±


    Two hours later, Nie Fan¡¯s various work arrangements were decided. He gained a general understanding about Blade of Tyranny after Tempest Wings gave him some information¡ªhe would be allowed stay online for a maximum of ten hours per day and he could arrange his own schedule, not to mention that being online keeps him in deep sleep and he would be using his brain waves to play the game. Furthermore, he would have thirty-six hours of contingency time each month, permitting him to handle various emergencies. As for the actual game content, everyone did not know much except for the map information that the official portals published.


    Even if he did not consider himself gifted in VR games, Nie Fan had decided that he would do his best so that others would not look down on him whatever happens.


    Later, Lin Xinyan brought him to her home and arranged a room for him.


    It was a three-floor mansion, and Nie Fan¡¯s room was on the second floor opposite Xinyan¡¯s. The house itself was considered luxurious, and a place which Nie Fan would never imagine he was staying before this.


    After putting away his luggage, he was left speechless as he looked at the two-meter wide bed.


    Could one person use such a huge bed? Moreover, he was not used to the soft mattress¡ªhe was basically sleeping on a twenty-centimeter wide bench in the past, and was not allowed dropped off it. His father called it training, but where could he find a bench now?


    1


    He would just have to adapt.


    ¡°The kitchen is downstairs. Go out and buy ingredients if you would rather cook, I¡¯m calling delivery. Also, I would be at school in the morning, and at the gym other times for dancing, yoga, and taekwondo. Don¡¯t find me if there¡¯s nothing important, but call me on the phone if there is.¡±


    Lin Xinyan explained simply, basically saying that she did not have much free time.


    ¡°Okay. I think I¡¯ll cook¡ªwhere¡¯s the food market?¡±


    ¡°Turn right after you leave the neighborhood, and you¡¯ll reach it in two hundred meters.¡±


    ¡°Alright. You go do your thing.¡± Nie Fan nodded¡ªit seemed that rich kids had it hard too.


    On another note, he would save more money if he cooked on his own. He certainly would not order delivery so that the money he had on hand would last until next month.


    1


    As such, Lin Xinyan left to go about her business while Nie Fan headed to the food market to get some ingredients. It also turned out that the kitchen had not been used for quite some time and he had to use an hour to clean it all up, before simply cooking a bowl of noodles for dinner.


    He then returned to his room and took his shirt off for his daily mandatory training. His muscles were sturdy, each strand ever distinct over his inverted-triangle figure. The outline of his firm pectoral muscles and eight neatly arranged abdominal muscles were pronounced, and yet he did not give others such a fearsome impression. With his clothes on, others could hardly imagine such a slim form would be hiding such an astonishing force¡­


    1


    There certainly would be no telling what Lin Xinyan would think if she saw him shirtless.


    2


    Nie Fan hence started off his training with basic things like push-ups and deep squats, along with several tai chi moves. Fortunately, his room was wide enough and he did not feel squeezed when moving around.


    Still, he thought that it was a shame that there wasn¡¯t a sandbag.


    At a young age, Nie Fan had trained in free wrestling with Coach Tang. With his father teaching him some homegrown techniques in between, what he learned was quite jumbled although the outcome was obvious: his body was strong, and he could handle five to six adults at a time in a fight.


    After training for three hours, he went to take a bath¡ªit was very convenient washing up in the mansion since each room here had its own bathroom. After that, he took a glance at the time and realized that it was already 10 pm when he heard movement outside and the sound of the opposite door opening. It must be Lin Xinyan returning, but Nie Fan pretended that he was asleep instead of going out to greet her, sparing the awkwardness of running into each other at night.


    Leaning on the bedside and looking out of the window, he thought that the distant street lights were like little stars that flickered against the endless night sky. He felt melancholy then when he wondered how his mother was or whether his father knew what happened here on the other side, and took out the notebook his father left him, gently touching its cover.


    He turned to the front half of the notebook, which had over a hundred pages written with weird data that he could not understand.


    Nie Fan could not help being puzzled. Could it be some mathematic or physics formula? Although he had dropped out since early middle school, Nie Fan could understand enough by looking closer that the data had nothing to do with mathematics, although some parts look like it had to do with gaming. Remembering that his father was a professional gamer in life, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised that some game data was jotted down here¡­ perhaps those were notes that his father made when playing.


    1


    Those things would not help be helpful to Nie Fan, but as he turned to the other half, he found that it was his father¡¯s diary¡ªrecords he had kept before he died! He felt his eyes become watery as various memories during his childhood surged like a tidal wave. His father had been a quiet person, but he knew many things and taught Nie Fan much, and though they did not speak much he felt closeness and happiness when he was with him. He had started teaching Nie Fan a few things about VR games when he was ten, but he abruptly moved to Ningdong, left in a dejected mood and no longer playing, until a few years later where he met his demise in an accident. Nie Fan had always found that he could not let go of his father¡¯s passing.


    1


    He did not know what happened back then that forced his father to move from Yinhai to his old home in Ningdong, and his mother would keep quiet if he asked. Be that as it may, Nie Fan did not press her so that she would not be caught up in her sadness, although now he wondered if he could find some clues in his father¡¯s diary.


    The first dozen pages were his father¡¯s struggles as an unranked minor gamer climbing up to the leaderboards of the professional scene, working alongside his partner ¡®Bloodfeather¡¯ and founding Demon God Studios. At the time, they were ranked third and sixth, with Demon God studios also reaching the top five in the country, indisputably standing on the pinnacle at the time.


    Bloodfeather? Demon God Studios?


    Why didn¡¯t he hear about that from his mother? Why did his father eventually leave Demon God Studios? That being said, he had heard of the studio itself as it developed rapidly over the last few years, assimilating five to six studios. They now stood alongside Dark Dragon Studios as the two giants of the VR gaming scene, while Bloodfeather was universally acknowledged as the top gamer on the professional leaderboards.


    Nie Fan connected the dots then, realizing that his father perhaps had faced some desperate predicament.


    As he continued reading on, his father had described something where gamers from across the globe were invited by the Tian Xia Group to participate in the development and closed testing of a game called Blade of Tyranny, which had been sensation news at the time. Game development and coding were his father¡¯s strengths¡ªhe had coded much data, and following careful research as well as minor adjustments by the development team from Tian Xia, his work was used.


    1


    Hold on.


    Blade of Tyranny! It¡¯s that VR game which would soon be entering its public testing phase!


    1


    With the others who had been involved in the development and beta testing had become older or retired, Nie Fan did not expect that that game his father had a hand in making would soon be released to public servers.


    He could not stop himself from feeling a strong pride. It turned out that he such an amazing father!


    Still, which aspect was his father in charge of developing at the time? Moreover, his family would not have become so miserably poor given his father¡¯s ability¡ªeven if he would fail, he could certainly try again with ease. So why would his father appear so disheartened after leaving Demon God Studios? That was certainly a difficult mystery.


    As Nie Fan continued turning the pages, he found that the story ended halfway through because around fifty to sixty pages had been torn off. He wouldn¡¯t know what happened later even if really wanted to, and there was no telling if his mother knew where those torn pages were. But when he remembered that unhappy look on his father¡¯s face when he died, Nie Fan knew that he had many unfulfilled dreams.


    Nonetheless, the game called Blade of Tyranny was something his father left behind, and Nie Fan suddenly felt infinitely driven¡ªhe absolutely could not disappoint his father¡¯s soul in heaven.


    He hence started to look through the diary carefully, but he could not be sure whether the data at the front half he can¡¯t quite understand had anything to do with Blade of Tyranny. His mathematics was bad, and when coupled with the fact that he dropped out of school since early middle school, his brain felt like it would blow up as he stared at the sequence of numbers, much less allow him to arrange them.


    On the last page, Nie Fan caught what was a group of numbers: 28, 22, 218, 1, 92, 12¡­


    4


    The numbers were written messily, and it was obvious that his father was not calm when he wrote those numbers.


    Those numbers. What do they mean?


    Was it a telegraph code? Didn¡¯t feel like it.


    Could it be that they mean something special?


    There must be a reason his father left this behind. Given that the notebook was the most important heirloom from his father, those numbers just might be the code to something very important.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan could not arrive at any answer despite racking his brains.


    Well, whatever. He would put it aside for the moment¡ªhe just might find the answers in the future.


    1


    While he was left in distress, a loud clanging could be heard from the direction of Lin Xinyan¡¯s room, with something seemingly crashing down. The mansion was soundproof enough that normal objects falling would not echo so loud, and uncertain that Lin Xinyan is alright, Nie Fan had stood up before he could think and dashed towards her room.


    He knocked on her room¡¯s door heavily and shouted, ¡°Lin Xinyan! Are you alright?¡±


    It was after a while that a meek call for help amidst groans of pain could be heard from within.


    Something had happened! Ignoring all else, Nie Fan took a few steps back and launched his body forward, crashing through the door with a door and ran inside.


    1


    2


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Once inside, Nie Fan found that Lin Xinyan¡¯s room was full of dolls from cartoons beneath the bright yellow lights. Each were exquisite and adorable, but also unique and eccentric¡ªjust like Lin Xinyan¡¯s own personality: mischievous, cheeky and a hint of boldness.


    The bathroom was at a corner of the room, separated by frosted glass.


    Lin Xinyan was groaning inside.


    ¡°Are you alright, Lin Xinyan?¡± Nie Fan hesitated for a moment before knocking on the bathroom door.


    ¡°I fell. I couldn¡¯t feel anything in my legs¡ªI can¡¯t get up!¡± She sounded tearful, as it was natural for anyone who lost sensation of their legs to be terrified.


    2


    Nie Fan gave the door a shove, but realized that it was locked from the inside.


    ¡°Could you put on a towel and open the door?¡± He asked anxiously. Uncle Lin had been kind to him, and he was therefore obliged to take care of Lin Xinyan. After all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to face Uncle Lin if anything happened to her.


    1


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t¡­¡± Lin Xinyan sobbed, attempting to stand up. She could not help but panic because she still couldn¡¯t feel her legs.


    6


    Meanwhile, since saving her was most important and the emergency of the situation took precedence, Nie Fan firmly pushed with a low cry, and the lock of the bathroom broke apart with a clang.


    Prone on the floor, Lin Xinyan was left blank for a moment as she watched Nie Fan entered, not expecting him to do that. Crying out in her surprise, she quickly covered herself with her hands.


    Nie Fan looked around to find that the bathroom was itself a mess. Lin Xinyan was leaning on the bathtub, her beautifully lined neck and collarbone exposed as she covered her chest with her white willowy hand, although she was hardly shielding her virtue. Her flawless smooth skin was like white jade, whereas her face was faintly scarlet in embarrassment. Most of her dripping wet hair was behind her back, adding to her devilish charm.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan did not have the time to enjoy the view. He handily pulled down a towel from a hanger and covered her.


    1


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± he asked, crouching.


    Even as she tugged at the towel so that it sheltered her body, Lin Xinyan was utterly confused. Nie Fan was ever so close, and all she had between him and herself was just a towel¡ªher skin hence reddened unusually as her chest heaved from her nervousness. Still, that was when she felt a sharp pain in her waist and she could not stop herself from groaning in pain, her brows tightening into a knot. ¡°I slipped when I tried to stand up and couldn¡¯t feel the lower half of my body. Am I paralyzed, Nie Fan?¡±


    1


    Even as she uttered those words, Lin Xinyan¡¯s face went pale white and her tears were streaming.


    ¡°Where did you fall?¡± Nie Fan patiently asked. ¡°Did you have medical checkups on your feet before?¡±


    ¡°I hit my knee in the bathtub just now¡­ There was nothing when I checked in the hospital, but I couldn¡¯t summon any strength in my leg when I tried to stand just now and simply dropped down,¡± she replied in fear and helplessness.


    Getting the gist of it, Nie Fan reached out with his right hand and calmed her. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Despite having a towel, most of Lin Xinyan¡¯s thighs were still revealed¡ªlong, tight, and slick white, it had a crystalline luster that leaves the heart throbbing.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Lin Xinyan¡¯s cheeks went full red as Nie Fan reached out towards her. The fact that just one towel separated them left her feeling very naked under his gaze, and her heart was at once an indescribable wreck of nervousness, panic, and embarrassment.


    The sight of her blushing, her damp wet hair hanging before her chest, the ripples of her starry eyes and alluring exposure would leave anyone¡¯s heart racing. Nie Fan had to admit then that she was much more beautiful than any lady he had ever encountered before.


    ¡°Relax!¡± Nie Fan growled as he cleared away all extra thoughts, and put his right hand on her inner thigh to feel for a beating in her pulse.


    1


    Lin Xinyan stiffly refrained from speaking when she saw his serious look. He appeared as calm and composed as an experienced doctor right then, which in turn slowly calmed her even if the bizarre sensation on her feet left her heart palpitating quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing too serious. All you need is to take it easy for one month or two¡ªtry not to take too many baths from now on, or don¡¯t soaking in the bathtub for too long if you have too,¡± Nie Fan told her then.


    It was just a minor ailment caused by excessive hygiene.


    2


    ¡°You know medicine?¡± Lin Xinyan asked in surprise. Nie Fan did not resemble a doctor of western medicine, but his methods were not quite the same as Chinese medicine either. Most doctors trained in Chinese medicine tend to read the pulse on the wrist, and she never heard of someone who could read the pulse on a thigh.


    ¡°I know just a little. Here, let me help you up¡ªit¡¯s bad if you keep lying down on the floor.¡± Nie Fan told her, unwilling to say much about his methodology.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Xinyan calmed down when she heard that it was nothing serious, also realizing then that it was a rather awkward situation. With just a towel covering her and her limbs hanging out, it would fall off if she was caught off guard for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll move you to your bed.¡±


    Lin Xinyan felt her body become light just as she tried to reply¡ªshe was picked up in one swift stroke: she did not expect him to be so strong, not to mention that his broad chest gave her a sense of security.


    1


    For his part, Nie Fan could feel a faint sweetness sneaked into his nostrils, and he could not help but look down at her. The towel was only shielding some of her more important parts, and on its fringes were her round and slim shoulders. The distinct curves and outlines that protruded from beneath the towel were elegant, while her soft snow-white long legs were perfect and natural, although one wouldn¡¯t bear to look at the dark bruise on the knee. That being said, as his right hand carried her by her buttocks, he could not help but be surprised that the brat was quite perky.


    2


    Still, the thought was gone as soon as it came. Nie Fan gradually calmed when he remembered what Lin Quan told him during the day.


    1


    Nie Fan, Nie Fan. Why would you come up with such unrealistic thoughts? He laughed at himself inwardly as he put Lin Xinyan on her bed.


    Once on it, Lin Xinyan quickly pulled the blanket over her. She had felt his hand touching the bare skin of her bottom, the rough texture of his skin in turn making her itch a little.


    Could he have seen something?


    Her cheeks became hot as she remembered the scene just a moment ago, because that was the very first time that she had such intimate contact with a man. As such, her heart could not help but stir.


    Nie Fan did not appear as despicable as he was when he was a child then.


    ¡°Anyway, the spot you knocked doesn¡¯t look serious¡ªa little ointment should do the trick. Where¡¯s the first aid box in the house?¡±


    3


    ¡°The cabinet beside the living room.¡± Lin Xinyan said, lowering her head since she was afraid to look at him at the moment.


    Nie Fan quickly brought the first aid box and took out a bottle, rubbed it hot on his hands and told her, ¡°It would hurt a little. Try to bear with it.¡±


    Lin Xinyan grimaced, her eyes showing a hint of fear. Nonetheless, she gritted her teeth and nodded, looking ready to just go for it.


    Nie Fan looked at her with a smile and gently rubbed the ointment on her knee bruise, and then massaging it patiently. The skin his palm was touching was delicate and smooth as if he were touching the finest silk. His heart skipped a beat then despite his extraordinary composure, and he quickly lowered his eyes and stopped thinking too much in his embarrassment.


    On the other hand, Lin Xinyan was blushing again as she felt his hands rubbing her knee incessantly. Nie Fan¡¯s technique appeared professional and his massage hit the spot, and the pain was also bearable. She hence did her best to bite her lower lip so that she did not make a sound, but the occasional groan she let out left herself blushing even harder.


    As she sneaked a look up at Nie Fan to find that he was not really reacting and concentrating on his work, she discreetly breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Alright, rub it twice again tomorrow and it would be more or less done.¡± Nie Fan rubbed his hands, and then brought a rather worn bag from his own room.


    1


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, staring at the bag which appeared heavy despite being not too large.


    ¡°Needles.¡±


    Nie Fan smiled and opened the bag, and Lin Xinyan discovered in shock that it was full of uncountable golden needles of different sizes, with some having bizarre shapes.


    ¡°You¡¯re not sticking them into me, are you?¡± She asked, looking weirded out¡ªshe had seen those things and tv, but the thought of having your body covered in needles was still quite horrifying.


    2


    ¡°You could choose not to, but while your condition might not be matter much since you¡¯re young, it would eventually become a problem as time goes on and not even syringes would help then.¡±


    1


    ¡°Is it really that serious?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, pulling a long face.


    Nie Fan responded with a shrug and a calm smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be bothered with the needle if it was someone else.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t¡ªyou usually wouldn¡¯t feel a thing. So? Dare to try?¡± He looked at her mischievously.


    Trying to look brave, Lin Xinyan nodded after hesitating for a moment. ¡°Nie Fan, how did you come to learn such a weird thing?¡± She then asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s passed down in my family. Uncle Lin should know that my father is quite learned in the Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor, even asking my father to teach him. It¡¯s just that Uncle Lin only learned the bare minimum. Anyway, the Scripture is divided into three parts: the first is Chinese medicine, the second is acupuncture while the third is Dao Yin¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Dao Yin?¡±


    1


    ¡°It¡¯s an ancient qi art used to strengthen the body, although it an art that¡¯s almost lost.¡± Nie Fan grinned, drawing out three gold needles from the bag as he spoke and taking off the wax covers before masterfully poking them into Lin Xinyan¡¯s feet and kneecap.


    She had been ready to scream in pain when she saw him pierce her leg with the needles, only to realize then that it really did not hurt at all. All she felt was a numbness, as if her hair was being pulled.


    ¡°What do you feel?¡± Nie Fan asked, looking at her with a smile.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. It¡¯s just a little numb and a little cold¡­ hold on¡­ I think I feel something in my leg! It¡¯s like a little worm that keeps wiggling up¡­ I can feel my leg now!¡± Lin Xinyan exclaimed in wonder and disbelief that three tiny needles could work so miraculously.


    Later, as Nie Fan pulled out the three golden needles. ¡°These three needles could only ease your condition for a while. But to cure it completely¡­¡± He said, trailing off as he eyed her.


    ¡°What should I do to cure it completely?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, rather interested in acupuncture now.


    ¡°The root of your condition is at your pelvis. Your veins aren¡¯t flowing smoothly¡ªthere¡¯s cold air accumulating in that spot.¡±


    ¡°Pelvis?¡± Lin Xinyan repeated, taken aback. She had been sparkling a moment, but now quickly shook her head. ¡°No way.¡±


    Needling the pelvic would mean letting Nie Fan see everything, and that would not do. After all, it was an accident when he caught a glimpse just now, not to mention that she had never been so close to a man, which was a far cry from taking off her pants to let him put some needles into her.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan smiled, having sterilized his golden needles with a special method and put them away. ¡°I¡¯m simply mentioning it,¡± he told her as he got to his feet. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a problem tonight, so rest up and it should ease tomorrow. Try to be active with you your legs, but don¡¯t exercise too strenuously such as through dance or taekwondo.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Xinyan replied distractedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m off, then.¡± Nie Fan said as he headed for the door.


    ¡°Nie Fan¡­¡± Lin Xinyan suddenly called out to him just as he was about to leave.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked, turning around.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Xinyan said gratefully¡ªif not for him, she wouldn¡¯t have known how to handle this emergency.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, and I¡¯m just doing what I should. I wouldn¡¯t have the faintest idea if Uncle Lin offered me a place to stay anyway. You should sleep since you¡¯re better now too. See you.¡± Nie Fan smiled lightly and closed the door behind him.


    After watching him leave, Lin Xinyan lay under her blanket and flexed her feet: they felt much better although there was still a little curious sensation.


    That being said, she was really scared out of her wits just now, and finally understood why her father admired Uncle Nie so much when she was still a child.


    Now, she could not help but wonder what kind of a person Nie Fan actually was too¡ªso many mysteries seemed to surround him.


    2


    And then there was that moment when he pressed the needles into her: he had been so frighteningly calm, and she simply could not detect a single flutter of emotion in his eyes.


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan could not calm his thoughts at once when he returned to his room, feeling an unbearable parching at the pit of his stomach.


    Xue Yu, a good friend of his had collected many videos from a certain island nation, and under his influence, Nie Fan had more or less sampled it. Be that as it may, the impact on his sight was nothing comparable to today, when he saw the body of a beautiful young girl in reality. Lin Xinyan¡¯s fantastic figure was no different from God¡¯s finest work, and the very sight of it was now irremovable despite being just a few glimpses¡ªeven the faint sweetness from her body swirled around his nose, and the smooth touch of her skin still lingered on his palm.


    1


    When he returns, his friends back at Ningdong would definitely envy him if he got himself a girlfriend like that. Still, Nie Fan could not help wanting to slap himself when he remembered what Lin Quan told him earlier that day.


    ¡®Nie Fan, Nie Fan. You need to wake up¡ªcould you even reach her? Uncle Lin¡¯s family fortune must at least be hundreds of millions, and Lin Xinyan is his only daughter. What are you in comparison? No more than a nameless impoverished brat shouldering heavy debts.¡¯


    3


    It was pretty much like a toad wanting to devour a swan.


    Collecting his delusional thoughts, Nie Fan decided to continue studying the notebook his father had left him. His mother had repeatedly reminded him to take care of it when she gave it to him, and there must be some important information his father wanted to give him in the notebook.


    That was especially true for the numbers that stood out like a sore thumb!


    What did those seventeen numbers of no sequence mean?


    Suddenly, Nie Fan felt a moment of inspiration in his head. Could they be referring to page numbers of the notebook itself?


    He quickly flipped to page 28 at the very thought, and he could only do so by counting each page since there were no page numbers. Still, he found nothing when he reached it¡ªthere was nothing other than a chunk of text and data!


    Nevertheless, Nie Fan remembered that his father was often obsessed with details, and he could well have left some clues. Hence, gritting his teeth, he looked through the clumps of data as well, but still couldn¡¯t find anything unusual aside from a letter ¡®h¡¯ at the corner of the page which had nothing to do with the other data.


    He realized sharply then that the letter could have a further meaning. The second number on the last page was 22, and he promptly flipped to that page, searching through it and finding the letter ¡®t¡¯, which was also unrelated to the rest of the data on the page.


    He was on to something! It might be a clue his father had left!


    Finding the two letters had actually taken him two whole hours¡ªit was extremely difficult to find two letters in chunks of data after all! However, Nie Fan continued searching despite feeling exhausted, driven by his curiosity.


    Eventually, he found one letter after another, obtaining eight of them through the course of the night. It was already morning then: Lin Xinyan had left for school while he hastily made himself breakfast and finished it, before continuing his search.


    Time flew, and it was the evening when he finally found all seventeen letters. As he connected them together, he found that it was actually a website.


    That discovery certainly left Nie Fan thrilled, and he promptly took out his VR headgear which could be used as a computer, and keyed in the seventeen characters of the website.


    [System: Logging in to website¡­]


    [System: This website is private and encrypted. Please enter your ID.]


    ID? Mine or dad¡¯s? Nie Fan was taken aback when he saw the system notification. He couldn¡¯t remember his father¡¯s ID number which consisted of 26 letters and numbers¡ªin fact, most people would have a hard time remembering that.


    2


    Still, he decided he did not care and keyed in his own ID number.


    [System: password accepted, iris verification accepted, nervous system connection successful¡­]


    1


    Nie Fan did not expect that he would find such a website that his father designed specially for himself, laden with so many heavy encryption sequences. But even as he thought about that, a recorded voice started playing from the website.


    It was his father¡¯s voice.


    Unable to help himself, his eyes welled with tears at the voice he hadn¡¯t hear for a long time.


    ¡°Son, I must have been long gone by the time you found this place. I hope that your mother and you could live in peace after I die, but I also know that it would be hoping too much because they would never spare you both. You must assume that you and your mother¡¯s daily conversations are being monitored, and that is why you must never mention this website to anyone else. Hurry off and find Uncle Lin if you have found this place¡ªhe will protect you.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, I am still unable to tell you the whole truth, but you may use what is on this website to help Uncle Lin destroy Demon God Studios if Blade of Tyranny has begun service. When that day comes, your mother would tell you the whole truth.¡±


    Demon God Studios? That was the studio that his father had co-founded out of nothing before, and was eventually forced out due to some unknown reasons¡­ but to think that his will was to destroy what he once built!


    ¡°Father, I promise you that I would help you fulfill your wish.¡± There was cool killing intent in Nie Fan¡¯s eyes.


    That being said, it was a serious matter considering that his father¡¯s claims that Nie Fan and his mother¡¯s daily conversations were being monitored.


    It was only after some time that his palpitations calmed and he began to browse through the website¡¯s content. The website itself was designed with meticulous detail and was as rich in content as the official portals of major VR games, hosting thousands of essays about Blade of Tyranny, with some titled, ¡°Rising as divine druid¡¯, ¡®Ultimate medals for flame knights¡¯, ¡®Strategy for legendary quest: Battle of the Magic Capital¡¯, ¡®120 exploitable landscape bugs¡¯, ¡®hidden trap sequences¡¯, ¡®quick emblem clearing for wild tribes¡¯¡­


    1


    In other words, his father had recorded all his experiences and all the system bugs he encountered in the closed testing phase for Blade of Tyranny. Having been a part of its content development, he had discreetly put in hidden sequences, backdoors, and even evaded the checks of the mainframe, recording everything with text and images.


    It was a genius idea! Nie Fan himself was awestruck by the content of the essays: it was a battle of wits and courage that pits the human mind against AI, a bold ultimate move that made a fool of manmade intelligence. Before the public testing phase, each VR game tend to be processed over dozens of times with AI before it was being marketed, and yet the programs his father designed had easily evaded such scanning¡ªto be precise, he had kept certain bugs that was considered permissible in the main content to himself while reporting other bugs that could be found. Moreover, aside from the data related to Blade of Tyranny, he had also recorded his understanding and experiences as a professional gamer, on how one could become a skillful player and the like.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan could not finish reading through all the content at the website. After all, his father did compile it with untold blood and sweat. Nie Fan also noticed that his father left a quote at the corner of the website:


    [Blade of Tyranny is a revolution in VR gaming that would change the world. And you, my son, shall be the leader of that revolution.]


    2


    Nie Fan¡¯s heart would surge whenever he read that quote. He must absorb all the content here because it would be very troublesome if he read it after joining the game, and he certainly must not let down his father¡¯s hopes! What he left here seemed to have opened a brand-new world in Nie Fan¡¯s mind too, allowing him to slowly understand what it meant to be a professional gamer.


    Hence, in the time before the servers for Blood of Tyranny became open to public, Nie Fan spent all his time at that website aside from meals. Like a sponge, he absorbed everything in it as hard as he could.


    Furthermore, the VR headgear had the capacity to keep the cerebral cortex in deep sleep and would not affect normal sleeping at night. It was basically equal to doubling one¡¯s lifespan, and was the reason why VR games became a global trend¡ªwith his headgear on, Nie Fan had completely forgotten the time.


    Still, although he had done all he could to learn everything on the website, he did not have much time and therefore had to leave the content beyond Level 30 for some other time.


    On the third day, Lin Xinyan had bought herself a headgear. She also wanted to play Blade of Tyranny, and she told Nie Fan that her crew in her class each had their own headgears, and were prepared to formed their own guild after joining the game.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan appeared distracted when he was speaking to her. With Blade of Tyranny starting service soon, he was both nervous apprehensive.


    ¡°I¡¯m off to my room, Nie Fan. Remember to message me after you enter the game.¡±


    ¡°Run along then. I have to start leveling up when the game starts¡ªit would be too embarrassing if your cousin had to chase me out of the studio for being underleveled.¡± Nie Fan replied and glanced at the time, rushing back to his room and putting on his headgear when he found that there were ten minutes left.


    Even as time ticked away, Nie Fan felt himself becoming even more nervous. Be that as it may, he had decided on taking the Druid class¡ªit was the class his father used most frequently in closed testing, and the class which he wrote the most content about.


    3


    But as he delved in his thoughts, a blinding white light shone before his eyes as if he had crossed into a dimensional portal. As that light slowly dimmed, a palm-sized fairy danced in front of him as he found himself in an altar, surrounded by various dazzling wildflowers and butterflies.


    It was as if he had arrived in a divine domain.


    The fairy was a beautiful young girl with delicate skin and exquisite features¡ªeven the hairs on her brows were distinctly visible.


    ¡®It feels so real. So, this is Blade of Tyranny!¡¯


    This was much more realistic than any VR game Nie Fan had played before, and he could not help but be in awe. No wonder his father told him that it would be a revolution for VR games: such stunning VR technology!


    ¡°Greetings! I¡¯m Nola, your tutorial fairy. I shall be guiding you in Blade of Tyranny¡ªplease select the city and continent of your destination.¡±


    Citizens on earth could only choose between the continents of Osland and Okado.


    2


    ¡°Osland continent, Carlos City, Kelfield Town, Tajit Village,¡± Nie Fan replied without hesitation. Heading to the Kelfield Town in Carlos City of the Osland continent was a condition that his studio had set, although he was free to choose which village he would spawn.


    ¡°You will now spawn in the Tajit Village, Kelfield Town, Carlos City. After an inspection, your basic attributes are as follows: Agility 9, Strength 9, Spirit 10. Your body composition especially strong and does not require additional compensation. Please select your class and talent.¡±


    Gamers who had exceedingly low physical attributes could obtain additional compensating attributes, but Nie Fan did not need that at all¡ªthe inspection had determined that his Agility, Strength, and Spirit were quite good, and did not need any help.


    2


    ¡°Druid!¡± Nie Fan appeared quick and decisive since he knew what he wanted.


    ¡°You have two talents to pick: One major, one minor.¡±


    The Druid class had many talents: Elemental, Plant-type, Summoning, and Morphing to name a few. They could also pick two talents, with the major talent having a 10% effect buff for skills of that aspect and minor talent having a 5% buff.


    1


    ¡°Major: Plant-type, minor: Morphing.¡± Nie Fan said then. Most Druid players would pick Elemental or Summoning as their major talents, and there were basically none who would pick Plant-type as their major since it was rather underwhelming. On the other hand, it was normal to pick Morphing as a minor talent, although that was also something Nie Fan had thought of early on.


    2


    ¡°Please name your character.¡±


    ¡°Dark Night.¡± Nie Fan simply chose his ID.


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Nola the tutorial fairy asked, smiling.


    ¡°None. Enter game,¡± Nie Fan replied, knowing that the questions Nola could answer were only superficial, and he did not have to waste time here.


    ¡°Very good. Welcome to the world of magic.¡±


    [System: Game initializing¡­]


    With a white flash, Nie Fan appeared in a run-down village. There were only five to six low old houses and two to three dozen NPCs dressed in a variety of strange clothing¡ªno other player had yet to appear on the small path laden with gravel at the center of the village. At the moment, most of them would probably still be considering the class and talent that suits them or asking the tutorial fairies for information, and there would be rarely any who would come in so quickly like Nie Fan.


    The sights around were as genuine as it was in reality. Nie Fan could not help but draw in a deep breath and open his senses to the world around.


    Be that as it may, time was of the essence. He still had things to do before the players entered by droves, and he quickly turned on his attribute panel to check his talent and attributes. He hence breathed a sigh of relief after taking a look at his major talent panel¡ªjust as his father had told him, picking Plant-type as his major talent would earn him a talent status: Crossing Thorns!


    [Crossing Thorns: Druids could travel through certain areas unaffected, such as forest, thorn bushes, swamps, rockpiles, and lush vegetation areas. Also grants immunity to Swamp and Spiderwebs, and a 30% chance for immunity from bind-attribute spells.]


    1


    ¡®That is what I wanted!¡¯ Nie Fan thought excitedly as he headed to the center of Tajit Village.


    There would be a shabby library there that was built from wood, but it was the tallest building in Tajit Village. Aside from the main area beneath, there was a mezzanine upstairs under the roof that was grown full of moss.


    Inside the library, Nie Fan noticed a very old man dressed in worn mage robes, a tall sharp hat, and was wearing a jet-black redwood staff.


    He was Solamu, the librarian here.


    ¡°Greetings, revered elder.¡± Nie Fan bowed in salutation, putting his right hand before his chest.


    ¡°Greetings, young man.¡± Solamu smiled faintly. ¡°You are the first one to arrive. Every youth of Tajit Village may select two skill tomes to cultivate their basic skills. As the first one to arrive, you may choose one minor skill tome as a reward.¡±


    The library sold scores of skills tomes, but most of them were expensive. Nonetheless, each player was allowed to choose two for free when they start playing, and there were many skills to choose from, allowing them to match their skills as they would prefer.


    Being the first to arrive, Nie Fan would additionally obtain a minor skill tome worth at least hundreds of bronze coins!


    ¡°Thank you, revered elder.¡± Nie Fan smiled and headed deep into the library. It was rather dark inside and there were around six bookshelves around him, each neatly arranged with various skill tomes for basic abilities of various class, including Mini Fireball, Sword Strike, and Snowball.


    Nie Fan himself chose a basic skill from the corner of the third bookshelf: Black Oil!


    Most players would never choose an almost cheating skill like Black Oil since it basically had no offensive effects. All it did was summon a pile of oil into the opponent¡¯s hand, and apart from grossing out the target while also slowing their movement, it did not appear to be of much use.


    3


    Still, the black oil summoned came from the plant saps, which was just enough to be categorized as Plant-type magic.


    Then, after walking a few laps around the bookshelves, he took the tome for Mini Fireball. He could learn elemental magic even if his main talent was not elemental albeit to weaker effects.


    Aside from those two tomes, he had also taken the skill tome of Harvest for gathering herbs.


    2


    After choosing those three skill tomes, Nie Fan left the library. There were more players on the streets now, and they were looking around or talking to NPCs, trying their hand on newcomer quests. Still, it was clear that they were left disappointed¡ªthey could never clear those quests without learning beginner skills.


    When some of the players saw Nie Fan step out of the library, they paused for a moment before making a dash inside as well. Be that as it may, it would take some time until they could choose their favorite skill tomes from the many tomes offered.


    Meanwhile, with a swift move of his hands, Nie Fan¡¯s three skill tomes turned into three streaks of white light, and his skill bar was added with three skills.


    There were around three dozen of newcomer quests that can be accepted after a player¡¯s first skill learning. That being said, most players would accept those quests as the game intended, but Nie Fan wouldn¡¯t¡ªthose burdensome quests take too much time and were a lot less rewarding.


    Be that as it may, players would not have the coins to purchase potions without doing newcomer missions, and was therefore likely to run into danger when leaving the village. Moreover, they would drop a level below if they die, and would be forced to stay offline for five hours, making it a major headache for players.


    However, Nie Fan had already thought about the solutions for all those problems.


    After learning his skill, Nie Fan dashed wildly out of the village. He would rather level up before others did than to level up with a large group, which in turn would slow his progress as being in a group meant competing for kills.


    Beyond the village was a red plain that went as far as the eye could see. It was as if it had been dyed in blood, giving an impression of a bleak and tragic vastness.


    [System: You have discovered the Blood Shade Plains]


    It was said that this place was an ancient battlefield where millions of armies had fallen.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan did not pause for a moment and started towards the depths of the Blood Shade Plains, although his voice channel rang while he was still sprinting. It was Lin Xinyan, player ID Woody¡ªthey had added each other on a chat tool before entering the game, and the chat could be used in-game, displaying every friend playing in his friend-list.


    ¡°Nie Fan, where are you now?¡±


    ¡°Tajit Village.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m at Moxxi, which is just nearby. Come over, Nie Fan, it would take at most half-an-hour¡ªwe¡¯ll group up to level up, and my classmates have also invited a few professional gamers.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Nie Fan refused. He had already made his plans and definitely would not waste his time going to Moxxi.


    ¡°Nie Fan, it¡¯s better if you come since leveling alone is definitely slower than leveling in a group, not to mention it¡¯s dangerous and you could easily die.¡± Lin Xinyan persuaded him. She believed that he would have a hard time training alone, and it would be a problem if he couldn¡¯t keep his place in her cousin¡¯s studio.


    But in spite of whatever she had said, he refused her goodwill once again, and kept to his original plan and ventured deep into the Blood Shade Plains


    ***


    Meanwhile, the group of twelve players were ready in Moxxi Village, one of the twelve villages in the Blood Shade Plains.


    ¡°That braindead Nie Fan!¡± Lin Xinyan stamped her feet and grumbled to herself¡ªNie Fan insisted on leveling up in Tajit whatever she might say, and she certainly could not kidnap him here. ¡°I gave you my heart, and you gave it away the very next moment! I don¡¯t care anymore! Just don¡¯t regret it later!¡±


    4


    Ever since that night when he helped her with acupuncture, she couldn¡¯t help recalling the vaguely intimate scenes then which left her heart throbbing. Still, it was an unexpected emergency, and Nie Fan himself was forced to do that.


    ¡°Xinyan, is your friend coming?¡± A Holy Knight player asked. His ID was ¡®Tracer¡¯, and he stood around one point eight meters¡ªmaking him a little taller than Nie Fan. He also had a handsome face and was the type girls would prefer, although he did feel a hint of danger from the look on Lin Xinyan¡¯s face, and began inwardly projecting the relationship between Lin Xinyan and that friend of hers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started. He¡¯s not coming.¡± Lin Xinyan said dully.


    ¡°What a pity. Well, there¡¯s no helping it if he can¡¯t come. It would certainly have been quicker if he trained with us¡ªour formation would definitely reach top ten in Kelfield.¡± Tracer said proudly as he rejoiced inwardly. It seems that Lin Xinyan¡¯s friend would rather play solo, and with himself rather not having an unwanted person tagging along, he would have more time with Lin Xinyan.


    1


    ¡°There¡¯s not much time. Let¡¯s hurry up and go.¡± Lin Xinyan said with a bored tone.


    Hence, the twelve-person party left for the Blood Shade Plains as well after they had completed their preparations.


    ***


    Nie Fan had been running around the Blood Shade Plains for a dozen minutes. He decided that he was at his destination after checking his coordinates and the landscape around him: the grass was knee-high here, and while most players would have their movement slowed by 30% and above, he was slowed by just 10% thanks to Plant-type, his main talent!


    As he looked towards the distance, he found many humongous spiders crawling around the plains, each of them standing at the frightening height of a human!


    Giant Spider, Level 3, HP 120!


    The Giant Spiders were a difficult monster for players in their early levels. Though they moved slowly, they had the Spiderweb skill that could catch hold of their opponent and keep them immobile, allowing them to approach their target and attack with their toxic fangs and inject a poisoned state. They were also highly resistant to physical attacks and have high HP, although their only weakness were fire spells. Nonetheless, since Spiderweb was still a bane of mages, players below Level 5 would never try to challenge them alone.


    And yet, Nie Fan was certainly prepared since he had picked these monsters to level up with. After all, his talent was immunity towards Spiderweb!


    He headed towards one particular Giant Spider and stopped around ten yards away. Noticing him, the Giant Spider squawked and lunged towards Nie Fan¡¯s position.


    Nie Fan held his position and started to chant his spell.


    Black Oil, six seconds!


    1


    When he finished chanting, a pile of black goo appeared over the Giant Spider¡¯s head and splashed down on it, the thick liquid wetting it all over.


    The Giant Spider promptly slowed. The dark oil over its body left its movement extremely sluggish, and it reacted by launching its Spiderweb skill at Nie Fan¡­ albeit with no effect.


    Nie Fan took a few steps back and started to chant another spell: Mini Fireball!


    A scorching ball of flame appeared out of thin air in front of Nie Fan and arched through the air and shot towards the Giant Spider, smashing it with a bang and causing 2 points of damage.


    With a difference of three levels between Nie Fan and the Giant Spider, the damage on the monster was pathetically low.


    Still, in the instant that the Mini Fireball struck, the Giant Spider¡¯s entire body was set ablaze with a whooshing sound, trapping it in the fire¡ªit was the effect of the black oil being ignited by the Mini Fireball.


    1


    [-32]


    [-36]


    [-37¡­]


    One frighteningly high damage value after another popped up over the head of the Giant Spider. Amidst its shrill cries, the creature¡¯s HP kept dropping by the notches and it soon dropped to the ground altogether.


    Glancing at his EXP bar, Nie Fan saw that his experience points had bloated up to 82% after the Giant Spider croaked.


    1


    So fast! He could not help but think in shock.


    It was unimaginable for a Level 0 player to kill a Level 3 monster with just two skills after all.


    The Tajit Library had thousands of different skill tomes, each having different effects: some leaned heavily towards attack, others on defense or control, but many were created with complementing effects. Seizing the convenience of closed testing, Nie Fan¡¯s father had tested countless combinations of skills, eventually discovering that the match between Black Oil and Mini Fireball was most devastating in damage, and basically peerless before Level 30.


    Nie Fan tried it once to extraordinary effect!


    He then searched around the Giant Spider¡¯s body and found a pair of broken boots he could wear at Level 3 which also adds +2 Defense.

 Chapter 6

    2


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Black Oil!


    Mini Fireball!


    Nie Fan continuously unleashed his two skills, and the ring signaling that he had leveled up rang soon enough.


    He had reached Level 3 after killing two Giant Spiders, as well as obtaining a Level 3 White-grade item.


    The speed of his leveling up was simply delightful¡ªhe stayed as the same place and leveled up while one Giant Spider dropped after another. He had gained considerably apart from leveling up too: a pile of spider fangs could be sold for up to 16 bronze coins, and he had also managed to pick up 27 bronze coins.


    Moreover, his damage values with Black Oil and Mini Fireball became much higher, and he could kill the monsters even quicker.


    Another dozen minutes later, Nie Fan realized that he was already Level 5 when he checked his stats, while his Black Oil and Mini Fireball skills had also increased in effect and by two levels. It was a stunning rate of leveling up, and not even being in a large group of skillful players would help leveling that quickly.


    Still, it was no longer profitable to stay here and keep farming the Giant Spiders. Packing up, Nie Fan returned to purchase some potion since it would be difficult in the wild without it¡ªit would be a serious waste of time if he had to sit and slowly recover his spent MP and HP on every turn.


    He hence sprinted away, returning inside Tajit village after dashing wildly for around eight minutes. There were now thousands of players in the village now, creating a bustling atmosphere as the crowd moved here and there. There were many new players coming in as well, but the best of them were merely Level 3 while most were still Level 0. Nie Fan, now Level 5, abruptly became a god amongst men.


    ¡°That guy¡¯s leveled up so quickly, reaching Level 5 almost right after the servers are opened¡­¡±


    Some players were quietly discussing away behind Nie Fan.


    Still, Nie Fan ignored the players¡¯ weird looks as he sped towards the apothecary, selling all the spider fangs he had to the NPC and earning 16 bronze coins, and proceeding to buy two stacks of Lesser Mana Spring Water and Bread.


    [Lesser Mana Spring Water: Restores 50 MP over 10 seconds.]


    [Lesser Bread: Restores 50 HP over 10 seconds]


    2


    Both stockpiles of items were cheap: a stack of twenty Mana Spring Water costs seven bronze coins, while the Bread only costs six bronze coins.


    Stuffing both items into his back and checking it, Nie Fan found that he still had thirty bronze coins. After some thought, he went off to the grocery shop to buy a few interesting objects which included six Ground Stakes, a 20-yard Gravity Javelin, six piles of Minor Sparkling Dust¡ªspending every last of his coins.


    [Ground Stake: Special item. An item favored by bandits to set traps with (Nie Fan could use it although he was a Druid). Causes damage to monsters that steps on it, 10% chance to cripple target, effective against monsters below Level 30 only.]


    [20-yard Gravity Javelin: Each tube consists of ten javelins. Causes a low amount of long-range damage, a good item for early stages. 3% chance to repel target, effective against monsters below Level 30 only.]


    [Minor Sparkling Dust: Special item. Throw it to cause a flashing effect when the dust hits the ground, 10% chance to blind target, effective against monsters below Level 30 only.]


    While the effects of those beginner-level items were barely acceptable, there were times when they could be surprisingly effective!


    ***


    When Nie Fan was buying items by the bulk, several players approached him. A Level 3 warrior named Warsong was leading them, while the others with him were Level 2.


    ¡°Hey, bro. Want to form a party? There¡¯s fifteen of us in our group and our technique is alright¡ªwe are planning to head to the Grey Plains Swamp straightaway after we reached Level 15.¡± Warsong asked cautiously. When Nie Fan returned to the village, he had noticed that Nie Fan had powered up to Level 5 in the short time that the game had started, and knew right away that he was a good player.


    Nie Fan eyed Warsong once and said flatly, ¡°Sorry, not interested.¡±


    Ignoring Warsong from then on, he left the grocery store.


    ¡°What a cocky fellow. Here we are offering to chat him up¡­ Who does he think he is!?¡± Beside Warsong, another warrior named Warhammer started complaining. Their guild had some reputation in the professional scene, and there were many who wanted badly to join them but were declined¡ªand then there was Nie Fan whom they had broken tradition for just to invite him to play with them, only to have him refuse their offer.


    Nonetheless, Warsong appeared to have no comment regarding what Warhammer said, instead smiling quietly as he watched Nie Fan leave. ¡°He¡¯s playing around Kelfield¡­ We¡¯ll definitely meet again.¡±


    1


    For his part, Nie Fan was no professional since he just started working as a professional gamer provisionally, and therefore did not know those professional players at all. He was completely unaware of who that Warsong person was, and his invite did not ruffle him at all. Nie Fan was simply focused on carrying out his level-up plans, or he would suffer untold loss when the other players finished scouting the other maps!


    After leaving Tajit Village once again, Nie Fan hurried towards the eastern end of the Blood Shade Plains.


    He carefully made his way past the territories of various beasts, including the Level 3 Giant Spider domain, Level 6 Venom Spider domain, the Level 7 Lesser Goblins¡¯ domain and the Level 9 Green Goblins¡¯ domain as he ventured ever deeper.


    At the moment, most of the other players are only brave enough to play nearby the villages, and there were virtually none who would venture so deep inside the Blood Shade Plains.


    Nonetheless, moving through such places left Nie Fan sweating too. He would not have an easy time if any of the monsters here targeted him, with monsters such as the Level 9 Green Goblins being perfectly capable of insta-killing him!


    He frowned slightly as he glanced at his map location¡ªhe should be near his objective, but he could not find a thing. Could it be that the coordinates his father recorded had been changed?


    Maybe the mainframe had adjusted the map!


    Still, unwilling to give up, Nie Fan searched the vicinity for another dozen minutes when he looked up towards the distance.


    That¡¯s it! He thought in delight, a few hundred yards away, that spot overgrown with thorn bushes!


    As he dashed towards the thorny thicket, several Green Goblins noticed him and screeched, brandishing their axes as they charged towards him, prepared to encircle him.


    Nie Fan ignored them and kept sprinting at the direction of the thorn bush, but the Green Goblins were closing in on him too.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan ran headlong into the thorn bushes just when the Green Goblins were just three yards away from him.


    The thicket appeared unable to harm Nie Fan at all, with the thorns stopping short from breaking his skin as though was a barrier over it. He could move freely even around even at the densest spot, although his movement would slow just a little.


    That being said, the thorny zone was as wide as a hundred yards!


    The Green Goblins were left fuming and stamping their feet outside. They tried to rush inside the thorny thicket, but damage values would start popping up over their heads once they entered and their movements extremely slow. Helpless, they therefore chose to leave that area.


    Black Oil!


    A splash of dark grease wetted one of the Green Goblins from head to toe, with a Mini Fireball soon streaking through the air and hitting that creature with a bang. A blaze instantly ensued, leaving the Green Goblin screaming shrilly.


    Damage points amounting above fifty started to pop up above the Green Goblin¡¯s head as well¡ªit certainly could not withstand such a violent assault when its HP was just around 300, and it dropped to the ground in no time at all.


    With the crisp jingle of the system notifications, Nie Fan checked his level to find that he had improved to Level 6!


    That was so quick!


    After killing two Green Goblins, Nie Fan fumbled around their corpses to find a Level 9 Warrior White-grade armor.


    In spite of it being merely White-grade, he sorely lacked equipment, not to mention that it could sell for up to twenty coins.


    Afterward, Nie Fan started to head deeper into the thorn thicket. There should be a treasure chest around here! Even so, he found nothing despite having combed every inch of that location, although he did obtain two herbs and silver grass that be used as ingredients for Lesser Haste Potions, which could be sold for some money.


    Minutes later, Nie Fan finally found the treasure chest hidden deep within the thorn bushes. The box was entirely grey and half-covered in mud, and basically hardly noticed unless a player was looking for it.


    Nie Fan was beside himself with excitement since beginner maps hardly ever show locations of treasure chests. Crouching in front of the chest, he realized that it wasn¡¯t locked! Still, being uncertain what was within, he reached inside with his hand and felt around, touching something with sharp edges and spikes.


    His heart skipped a beat¡ªit seemed to be an item, and he therefore scooped it out of the chest.


    [Spike Spaulders (Druid): White-Bronze grade, Level 9 required, Defense 12-18, Plant-type magic damage +3, Durability 23/23]


    1


    Item grades were divided according to materials to Bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with Bronze itself being separated into another three different tiers: Copper, Cyan Bronze, and Dark Enchanted Bronze, the latter of which has the finest equipment up to Level 60.


    Equipment were actually quite rare at the markets and mostly White-grade. Bronze items were hardly ever found, which was why each could be sold for a fine price despite having rubbish attributes.


    And this was the first Copper-grade item Nie Fan obtained.


    On the other hand, that treasure chest also had a 30% chance to drop a skill tome for Lycanthropy, and Nie Fan was as such a little disappointed that it wasn¡¯t. Nonetheless, it was fine to have gained a Copper-grade item that also came with a buff for Plant-type magic damage which he majored in.


    1


    Nie Fan put the Spike Spaulders into his bag¡ªhe could wear it when he reached Level 9.


    As he started to head for the edge of the thorn thicket, he looked to the east and caught sight of a powerful Venom Spider. Its head was several inches taller than Nie Fan and was so ugly it was puke-worthy. Its plump abdomen, up to six times the size of its front half was overgrown with thin hairs, as such making it resemble a bloated cotton ball.


    1


    That fellow was one of the rare Level 10 elite creatures in the area, and usually it would take a party of at least ten Level 10 players to kill it.


    [Az¡¯Shara the Venomous, Elite, Level 10, HP 620]


    2


    Nie Fan¡¯s heartbeats quickened at the sight of the Venom Spider, anxiously thinking whether he could take that big fellow at Level 6.


    Still, the question was whether his Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo could break its defenses!


    Groaning for a second, he soon decided that the data his father left definitely wouldn¡¯t be wrong, and whatever the case might be, there was no reason for him to retreat since he was here!


    Anything could wait after he lured Az¡¯Shara to the thorn thicket!


    Chanting a curse, Nie Fan released a vicious Mini Fireball at Az¡¯Shara from afar, detonating it over its back with a bang as sparks flared everywhere.

 Chapter 7

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Highspeed rail R1218 traveling from Ningdong to Yinhai will be arriving at the station in five minutes. Disembarking passengers, please prepare.¡± The sweet voice of the train attendant echoed in the coach.


    1


    ¡°Finally.¡± Nie Fan stretched lazily, picking up his luggage as he prepared to leave the train.


    2


    This was the first time he left Ningdong.


    He was eighteen, standing one point seven five meters tall and had average looks. That being said, his face has pronounced outlines and curves, a straight nose, appropriately thick lips, and thick jet-black hair. There was a hint of health in his handsomeness, with his form upright and his movement nimble, which in turn gave the impression that he was decisive, experienced and capable, which was rather mismatched compared to his age.


    5


    ¡°Young man, are you in the army?¡± The old man wearing a gray shirt with short sleeves sitting beside him was grinning at him.


    1


    ¡°I was, sir, but no longer. I left after two years of service.¡± Nie Fan smiled calmly.


    1


    ¡°No wonder. I myself served with the twenty-seventh brigade of the air force, but I¡¯m too old now.¡± The old man looked like he was having a nostalgic moment.


    Nie Fan understood him¡ªpeople tend to reminisce about the past when they become older, but he did not have the time to hear the old man¡¯s story at the moment.


    Swinging his backpack over his shoulder, he said, ¡°This is my stop, sir.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Very well, young man. Safe journeys.¡±


    Nie Fan picked up a thick notebook of several hundred pages and a worn cover. He felt a pang of misery when he looked at it¡ªhis mother had given it to him before he came to Yinhai, saying that it was the only thing his father had left him. It was a very thick notebook, and with the tiny handwriting of at least several million words meant that he could not finish reading it, and was only able to carry it around.


    The train stopped steadily then. Nie Fan pulled his luggage along, left the coach and looked around at his surroundings. This was the first time he was in Yinhai, and as he moved along the wide train station, he found not a single piece of litter on the crystalline marble floor. Nie Fan himself had lived in a small isolated city, and was therefore not quite used to being in such a modern metropolis.


    Nonetheless, he should settle down here before anything else.


    Rows of billboards stood in the train station adverting a VR game called [Blade of Tyranny], which would begin public testing in three days. As Nie Fan moved along, he decided would describe the billboards for the game as blanketing heaven and earth.


    This was an age where physical needs were met in excess, and VR games were one of the main pastimes for the people. After all, entering the game was no different from entering a different realm, soothing the tension in real life in search of a different existence. In fact, coverage of VR games had reached 89% according to Federation statistics, not to mention that the annual in-game purchases of the countless gamers had also arrived at a shocking threshold.


    Before this, Nie Fan had played several VR games but was not especially gifted with it. All he could be was an ordinary gamer, and soon he gave up altogether for various reasons.


    As he followed the crowd towards the entrance of the station, several big screens in the stations were broadcasting news of various major studios recruiting gamers. The studios in Yinhai which were ranked in the top fifty were even offering high pay for professional gamers of considerable skill as they prepared to join the Blade of Tyranny. The poaching of talent between studios was also escalating, with the price tag on top professional gamers doubling or tripling.


    Nie Fan often kept an eye on the news, which nowadays mostly focuses on the many gamers of online VR games. Professional gamers are treated no differently from star celebrities, and they also earn stunning incomes through annual tournament prizes, sponsorships, and endorsements. Nie Fan¡¯s own father was a famous professional as well, ranking third in China and had been wildly popular for a time. Be that as it may, his father retired when Nie Fan was only twelve, even piling up a huge debt and leaving his family impoverished. Three years later, he died in a car accident. Both Nie Fan and his mother were hence left in great agony.


    1


    Since then, it was as if Nie Fan suddenly sprouted and matured, and he began to support the household, dropping out of school early on to make a living.


    2


    Did he not wish that he could hide beneath his parents¡¯ wings like other teenagers?


    That being said, he had learned to assume responsibilities.


    As he delved in his thoughts, he had unwittingly reached the entrance when a clear shout interrupted his thoughts.


    ¡°Hey. You¡¯re Nie Fan, right?¡±


    Turning towards the voice, Nie Fan¡¯s eyes brightened.


    A girl who was around eighteen was approaching him. She stood at an average height of around one point six meters, but her figure was nimble and she exuded a graceful charm with the backdrop of her yellow short skirt. Her jet-black hair hung like a waterfall down to her waist, with perfect pink complexion on her oval face. Beneath her bushy eyebrows were a pair of crystalline eyes, her lively gaze hardly hiding her cheekiness which she deliberately concealed.


    ¡°I am. And you would be¡­?¡± Nie Fan was left stunned and only spoke after a moment as he wondered why the beautiful girl would know him.


    1


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡± She looked at him rebukingly, her slightly pursed lips sparkling and translucent like jelly. Suddenly, her gaze shifted, her face showing an indistinct smugness before her eyes narrowed in a smile.


    That smile was like a ray of sun in winter that gifted warmth.


    As Nie Fan listened to her and watched her expression, a long-forgotten memory surfaced in his mind because that outline of her face was vaguely familiar.


    ¡°You¡¯re Lin Xinyan?¡± He suddenly exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°You finally remember.¡± She smiled at him.


    ¡°Is Uncle Lin not here?¡± Nie Fan asked doubtfully¡ªhe had assumed that Uncle Lin would be meeting him here.


    ¡°My dad¡¯s is outstation for work. Let¡¯s go, he told me that you¡¯ll be staying with us for a while.¡± Lin Xinyan smiled mysteriously, as if saying that ¡®You brat, you¡¯re finally in my domain. Watch as I avenge myself for what happened in our childhood days!¡¯


    4


    Hence, Nie Fan pulled his luggage along as he kept up being Lin Xinyan, caught in an unreal sensation as he looked at the sweet, fair, and graceful figure before him.


    His memories of her only reached the time when they were six or seven. Their parents were longtime acquaintances and their families often came together, although Nie Fan himself was at odds with her and often fought. Eventually, their families saw each other less when Nie Fan¡¯s family moved to Ningdong, although Uncle Lin would come visit during various festivals. Still, Nie Fan did not expect that the naughty little girl who would scratch others with her nails had grown to be such a beauty. There certainly was no telling how many boys she had charmed in her school, as evidenced by the number of passersby who were sliding glances at their direction.


    Nie Fan could not help but sigh that time flies.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be inconvenient if Uncle Lin is out?¡± He asked hesitantly as he hurried to catch up with her.


    ¡°And where would you go other than my home?¡± Lin Xinyan rolled her eyes at him.


    Since when did this brat become so polite? He certainly wasn¡¯t that tender when he snatched her toys off her as children.


    4


    ¡°Sorry for troubling you and Uncle, then. I¡¯ll rent a place as soon as can¡­ right after I find a job,¡± Nie Fan said, reluctant to rely on others.


    ¡°Are you going to find work here instead of studying? What job would you look for?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, taken aback.


    She remembered that he was the same age as she was and should still be in school. When she heard from her father that he was coming, she assumed that he was transferring schools.


    ¡°There are many jobs I could take: customer service, security guard or even bodyguard.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    2


    ¡°AI robotics has become common in Yinhai long ago¡ªyou¡¯re never going to get a job in customer service or as a security guard. And bodyguard? Forget it.¡± Lin Xinyan smiled as she studied his 1.75m frame. His loose jacket made him looked especially skinny and definitely not the look of robustness¡ªhe was definitely not going to win in a fight with that frame.


    ¡°Those are jobs in my resume. I¡¯m confident I wouldn¡¯t fare badly.¡± Nie Fan explained with a grin, aware of what she was thinking from her eyes alone. He was in fact working as a bodyguard for a rich businessman in his last job, and the employer had been quite pleased with him. However, Nie Fan determinedly resigned when he found out that his employer had connections to **.


    8


    Lin Xinyan looked at him in shock. She then remembered that his father had mentioned that Nie Fan had dropped out of school to work a few years ago¡ªhe must have had it hard over the years, and realized that she was being quite insensitive with her own excellent living conditions.


    Nie Fan had definitely changed a lot. Lin Xinyan had initially intended to give him a good teasing when he arrived, but she gradually put away that thought.


    1


    Blushing, she said apologetically, ¡°Sorry¡­ for what I said.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Nie Fan smiled calmly; he knew she meant nothing bad.


    Then, sensing her change in attitude lifted his brow slightly then¡ªhe did not need the pity of others, but he also knew that he would not even afford a week¡¯s rent in a modern city like Yinhai with those miserable seven hundred dollars in his wallet. Therefore, he could only stay at Lin Xinyan¡¯s home for the time being, and he would remember Uncle Lin¡¯s kindness in taking him in. He was confident that he would find a job eventually, and when he did, he would be able to gain a footing here to repay that kindness.


    As the two talked, they left the station and Lin Xinyan made a beeline to a red Lamborghini and opened the door. ¡°Get in.¡±


    ¡°Yours?¡± Nie Fan asked in shock. The car had perfect curves, a vivid color, and appeared breathtakingly wild.


    Which made it really suitable for Lin Xinyan.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nimbly turned on the ignition.


    1


    After a moment of silence, Nie Fan opened the other door and got into the passenger seat.


    The engine purred as the red Lamborghini sped off.


    ¡°Nie Fan, are you interested in becoming a professional gamer?¡± Lin Xinyan suddenly asked while driving after having just remembered it. ¡°My cousin¡¯s studio is recruiting, you could try.¡±


    ¡°Professional gamer? I might not make the cut.¡± Nie Fan shook his head, believing that he did not have the gift for it.


    ¡°No one is a pro on day one. Try it, or you might not have the chance ever again three days late when the servers for the Blade of Tyranny begins service,¡± she urged him excitedly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take much skill if you work as a crafting gamer either, and the pay is good. You would earn a basic income at first, and if you improve there would be additional bonuses.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I could give it a go.¡± Nie Fan agreed after some thought, finding it awkward to refuse when he saw how excited Lin Xinwei was. She was being kind after all, and being an amateur was better than being unemployed. Moreover, he had heard that he could play at night while keeping his day job, which meant he could take two jobs at once.


    It was not a bad choice, given that he wouldn¡¯t want to keep staying at Lin Xinyan¡¯s home.


    ¡°Fantastic. My cousin actually needs more gamers urgently, I¡¯ll give him a call right now.¡± Lin Xinyan cheerfully dialed a number when he agreed. ¡°Back in the day, Uncle Nie was a pro who ranked third¡ªI believe you can make it too, Nie Fan.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully.¡±


    Nie Fan¡¯s thoughts drifted into the distance as he watched the sights outside that dashed past.


    He never imagined that he would take the same path as his fathers.


    He wanted to know what his father felt when he ranked third, and what actually happened that led to his dejecting exit.


    2


    ***


    Headquarters of the Tempest Wings Studio, sixteenth floor of Xuangong Tower, Yinhai.


    Being herself familiar with the place, Lin Xinyan led Nie Fan into an office, and introduced him to a young man sitting behind the desk.


    ¡°Cousin, he¡¯s Nie Fan, the one I told you about. What do you think?¡±


    The young man was Lin Quan, Lin Xinyan¡¯s cousin and the owner of Tempest Wings Studios, a company once ranked in China¡¯s top twenty. Despite having already become a legend at the professional scene, Lin Quan looked just around twenty-six, his height not too apparent since he was sitting. He did resemble Lin Xinyan a little in his facial features, although his expression was somber and mature with his formal attire.


    1


    Lin Quan studied Nie Fan with his sharp eyes and nodded. ¡°I heard about you from my uncle, Nie Fan. Just arrived at Yinhai?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nie Fan nodded with composure.


    ¡°Although Xinyan brought you here, I have to learn some details about you before you join Tempest Wings. I¡¯ll be asking you some questions, so just answer as is.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    Lin Quan had put some formless pressure on him, but he was not nervous after having started working for years.


    ¡°Have you played VR games before?¡±


    Nie Fan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What are some of the titles you played?¡± Lin Quan pressed.


    ¡°Foreworld, Legend of Enzex, Faith¡­¡±


    ¡°What level did you reach?¡±


    ¡°Fifty-seven, fifty-one, one-two-one.¡±


    ¡°Too low.¡± Lin Quan shook his head¡ªsuch levels were certainly not professional, and might not even qualify as middling. ¡°Have you tried support classes?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Nie Fan shook his head honestly, thinking that this is a failure.


    As he thought, Lin Quan shook his head and leaned into his chair. ¡°It seems that you haven¡¯t played many VR games, and it remains to be seen if you could reach the level of professional gamers. We wouldn¡¯t simply recruit someone like you under normal circumstances.¡±


    Nin Fan nodded, indicating that he understood Lin Quan¡ªit was indeed as he put it: the studio was an organization set up to make profits, why hire him if he could not make a profit for them?


    Meanwhile, Lin Xinyan became nervous after listening to what Lin Quan said. Now that she knew Nie Fan¡¯s circumstances and being eager to help him out of kindness, she quickly poured her cousin a cup of tea and sweet-talked him. ¡°Cousin, you should take him in. Uncle Nie had doted on me back then, and he was once the third in China¡¯s professional scene. Trust me, his son would not lose out.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡± Lin Quan threw her a feeble look and smiled. ¡°By the way, I wasn¡¯t finished¡ªand I did say under normal circumstances. How about this, Nie Fan? It¡¯s impossible for you to join the studio with your current ability, but your talent still remains to be seen. I¡¯ll arrange for you to be a fringe member, and you just have to complete monthly quests set by the studio. We won¡¯t be limiting your freedom¡ªyou can do anything you like with your time out of the quests, while you would be accepted into our inner circle if your level and skill is found to be up to standards. That being said, you have to leave if you can¡¯t complete said quests. Your salary would be two thousand per month, and you would be receiving bonuses for every quarter of the year: a few hundred on the low, dozen thousands on the high.¡±


    2


    Nie Fan had already given up, and was naturally surprised that Lin Quan would keep him¡ªit must have been because he was trying to save face for Lin Xinyuan.


    That being said, having a job offering two thousand dollars for income was already very good.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he told Lin Quan.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Fringe members are nonessential anyway, and in the end it¡¯s you yourself who determines whether you stay.¡±


    It was a little hurtful to hear something like ¡®nonessential¡¯, but such was reality: Nie Fan must prove himself or he would be belittled.


    Lin Quan then tap Lin Xinyan on the nose and told her, ¡°You brat. Blade of Tyranny is starting so I¡¯ll be busy for some time. I¡¯ll be very happy as long as you don¡¯t make a scene.


    ¡°Got it, cousin.¡± Lin Xinyan grinned and made a silly face at Nie Fan.


    1


    ¡°Okay. Now leave us alone for a bit, I still have something to tell Nie Fan.¡± Lin Quan gave Lin Xinyan a pat on the head.


    Lin Xinyan glanced curiously at Lin Quan and then at Nie Fan, curious what Lin Quan wanted to talk about.


    However, she nodded after hesitating for a bit. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m heading out.¡±


    She turned and left the room, closing the door gently behind her.


    Please make sure the synopsis is in Inkstone and paste the notes below after the content in chapter 1/38/39/59/60.


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    The selected book will have a mark on the corner of the book cover in 30 From 15 Feb 2020, Coins spent on books that aren¡¯t selected will be refunded within 30 days. However, Fast Passes will not be refunded.


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    Thank you for your understanding.


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°I heard Uncle Nie had passed away.¡±


    Lin Quan had a sip of tea. He was aware of Nie Fan¡¯s family matters, and he certainly would know such a major incident in the professional scene.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nie Fan nodded, already knowing what Lin Quan would say next.


    ¡°It saddened me to hear it,¡± Lin Quan said. He stayed silent for a moment, before adding with a solemn expression, ¡°But there is something I must tell you first.¡±


    ¡°Please do, Mister Lin.¡±


    ¡°You must be aware that Xinyan¡¯s father¡ªwho is my second uncle had managed to put together some success in Yinhai over the years, and is considered a person of prestige in the city. As for Xinyan, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for her to enroll in a university with her results and secure a bright future, although she is a little young. I know what I¡¯m saying would hurt your self-esteem, but I must say it.¡±


    Lin Quan¡¯s subtext meaning was certainly obvious, but Nie Fan spoke out, stopping him just as he was about to continue.


    ¡°I get your meaning, Mister Lin. I¡¯m no more than a poor village boy who came to Yinhai trying to make a living. Uncle Lin only offered to help me for my father¡¯s sake and I could not be more grateful, which is why you could be at ease, Mister Lin¡ªI wouldn¡¯t have presumptuous thoughts about Miss Lin given my lowly identity.¡±


    2


    Moreover, he was only close to Lin Xinyan when they were children. As time and distance set them apart, he did not feel anything special about her when he saw her again after so long, save for finding her a little breathtaking. Be that as it may, it did hurt his esteem to be warned in such fashion, not to mention that he was rather eager to get ahead despite his poor background, and would rather not be belittled like this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to hurt you, so please don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡± Lin Quan could tell that Nie Fan had an unyielding air to him¡ªthe youth spoke with a demeanor that was neither prideful nor sycophantic despite his humble roots, which earned him a few points of admiration from Lin Quan. ¡°I believe you could make it with your ability, but it¡¯s just that Xinyan wouldn¡¯t make a good match for you.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me, Mister Lin. Even so, I would admit that I have no outstanding talent, and I am not out to seek fame and glory. That being said, I would not starve as long as I have limbs.¡± Nie Fan could tell that Lin Quan¡¯s words were compassion for the weak, and he did not need that.


    1


    ¡°You are just like your father.¡± Lin Quan smiled calmly. Nie Fan¡¯s father had been a famously difficult person too. His nature where he would rather be broken than bent commanded respect, but the man himself would beg to differ. ¡°Uncle Lin once told your father that he would let Xinyan marry you, but it was just a joke.¡±


    2


    ¡°Mister Lin, you must be joking. It¡¯s just two old men having a laugh¡ªwith my father¡¯s passing, I would not take it seriously.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    2


    ¡°Still, I believe Uncle Lin would remember that and he might still hope that you could be with Xinyan, although I hope you¡¯d understand that the elders wouldn¡¯t agree even if Uncle Lin does. He would not be making the decisions.¡±


    4


    Nie Fan frowned then, suspicious why Lin Quan would talk so much about something completely unrelated to him. ¡°That would never happen, and there¡¯s no need to keep talking about it. Can I leave if there¡¯s nothing else, Mister Lin?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it. Let¡¯s set aside private affairs and talk business then¡ªhere¡¯s a VR headgear, it¡¯s company standard equipment. Now run along to human resource to sign your contract. That is all.¡±


    Lin Quan walked to a corner of the office, took out a blue headset and handed it to Nie Fan and waved him off.


    For some reason, it was a grade B headset that internal employees would use.


    ¡°Thank you. Then, I shall be going.¡± Nie Fan accepted the headgear and left the office.


    Watching his back as he left, Lin Quan sighed emotionally, doubting Uncle Lin if he had the right person.


    ***


    Lin Xinyan approached Nie Fan the moment he left the office. ¡°What did my cousin tell you?¡± She asked interestedly.


    ¡°He gave me this headgear, told me to head to HR and sign my contract.¡± Nie Fan said, brandishing the headgear in his hand.


    ¡°He¡¯s being nice to you¡ªthat¡¯s a B-grade headgear for internal employees.¡± Lin Xinyan smiled as she looked at the headgear.


    Nie Fan felt a little troubled at her words then, since it was puzzling that Lin Quan would treat him so well given how he despised him and wanted him to stay away from Xinyan. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of you.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Who do you think I am? Remember to treat me to dinner when you get your pay.¡± Lin Xinyan lifted her chin proudly, her two dimples showing as she smiled. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you to HR.¡±


    Two hours later, Nie Fan¡¯s various work arrangements were decided. He gained a general understanding about Blade of Tyranny after Tempest Wings gave him some information¡ªhe would be allowed stay online for a maximum of ten hours per day and he could arrange his own schedule, not to mention that being online keeps him in deep sleep and he would be using his brain waves to play the game. Furthermore, he would have thirty-six hours of contingency time each month, permitting him to handle various emergencies. As for the actual game content, everyone did not know much except for the map information that the official portals published.


    Even if he did not consider himself gifted in VR games, Nie Fan had decided that he would do his best so that others would not look down on him whatever happens.


    Later, Lin Xinyan brought him to her home and arranged a room for him.


    It was a three-floor mansion, and Nie Fan¡¯s room was on the second floor opposite Xinyan¡¯s. The house itself was considered luxurious, and a place which Nie Fan would never imagine he was staying before this.


    After putting away his luggage, he was left speechless as he looked at the two-meter wide bed.


    Could one person use such a huge bed? Moreover, he was not used to the soft mattress¡ªhe was basically sleeping on a twenty-centimeter wide bench in the past, and was not allowed dropped off it. His father called it training, but where could he find a bench now?


    1


    He would just have to adapt.


    ¡°The kitchen is downstairs. Go out and buy ingredients if you would rather cook, I¡¯m calling delivery. Also, I would be at school in the morning, and at the gym other times for dancing, yoga, and taekwondo. Don¡¯t find me if there¡¯s nothing important, but call me on the phone if there is.¡±


    Lin Xinyan explained simply, basically saying that she did not have much free time.


    ¡°Okay. I think I¡¯ll cook¡ªwhere¡¯s the food market?¡±


    ¡°Turn right after you leave the neighborhood, and you¡¯ll reach it in two hundred meters.¡±


    ¡°Alright. You go do your thing.¡± Nie Fan nodded¡ªit seemed that rich kids had it hard too.


    On another note, he would save more money if he cooked on his own. He certainly would not order delivery so that the money he had on hand would last until next month.


    1


    As such, Lin Xinyan left to go about her business while Nie Fan headed to the food market to get some ingredients. It also turned out that the kitchen had not been used for quite some time and he had to use an hour to clean it all up, before simply cooking a bowl of noodles for dinner.


    He then returned to his room and took his shirt off for his daily mandatory training. His muscles were sturdy, each strand ever distinct over his inverted-triangle figure. The outline of his firm pectoral muscles and eight neatly arranged abdominal muscles were pronounced, and yet he did not give others such a fearsome impression. With his clothes on, others could hardly imagine such a slim form would be hiding such an astonishing force¡­


    1


    There certainly would be no telling what Lin Xinyan would think if she saw him shirtless.


    2


    Nie Fan hence started off his training with basic things like push-ups and deep squats, along with several tai chi moves. Fortunately, his room was wide enough and he did not feel squeezed when moving around.


    Still, he thought that it was a shame that there wasn¡¯t a sandbag.


    At a young age, Nie Fan had trained in free wrestling with Coach Tang. With his father teaching him some homegrown techniques in between, what he learned was quite jumbled although the outcome was obvious: his body was strong, and he could handle five to six adults at a time in a fight.


    After training for three hours, he went to take a bath¡ªit was very convenient washing up in the mansion since each room here had its own bathroom. After that, he took a glance at the time and realized that it was already 10 pm when he heard movement outside and the sound of the opposite door opening. It must be Lin Xinyan returning, but Nie Fan pretended that he was asleep instead of going out to greet her, sparing the awkwardness of running into each other at night.


    Leaning on the bedside and looking out of the window, he thought that the distant street lights were like little stars that flickered against the endless night sky. He felt melancholy then when he wondered how his mother was or whether his father knew what happened here on the other side, and took out the notebook his father left him, gently touching its cover.


    He turned to the front half of the notebook, which had over a hundred pages written with weird data that he could not understand.


    Nie Fan could not help being puzzled. Could it be some mathematic or physics formula? Although he had dropped out since early middle school, Nie Fan could understand enough by looking closer that the data had nothing to do with mathematics, although some parts look like it had to do with gaming. Remembering that his father was a professional gamer in life, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised that some game data was jotted down here¡­ perhaps those were notes that his father made when playing.


    1


    Those things would not help be helpful to Nie Fan, but as he turned to the other half, he found that it was his father¡¯s diary¡ªrecords he had kept before he died! He felt his eyes become watery as various memories during his childhood surged like a tidal wave. His father had been a quiet person, but he knew many things and taught Nie Fan much, and though they did not speak much he felt closeness and happiness when he was with him. He had started teaching Nie Fan a few things about VR games when he was ten, but he abruptly moved to Ningdong, left in a dejected mood and no longer playing, until a few years later where he met his demise in an accident. Nie Fan had always found that he could not let go of his father¡¯s passing.


    1


    He did not know what happened back then that forced his father to move from Yinhai to his old home in Ningdong, and his mother would keep quiet if he asked. Be that as it may, Nie Fan did not press her so that she would not be caught up in her sadness, although now he wondered if he could find some clues in his father¡¯s diary.


    The first dozen pages were his father¡¯s struggles as an unranked minor gamer climbing up to the leaderboards of the professional scene, working alongside his partner ¡®Bloodfeather¡¯ and founding Demon God Studios. At the time, they were ranked third and sixth, with Demon God studios also reaching the top five in the country, indisputably standing on the pinnacle at the time.


    Bloodfeather? Demon God Studios?


    Why didn¡¯t he hear about that from his mother? Why did his father eventually leave Demon God Studios? That being said, he had heard of the studio itself as it developed rapidly over the last few years, assimilating five to six studios. They now stood alongside Dark Dragon Studios as the two giants of the VR gaming scene, while Bloodfeather was universally acknowledged as the top gamer on the professional leaderboards.


    Nie Fan connected the dots then, realizing that his father perhaps had faced some desperate predicament.


    As he continued reading on, his father had described something where gamers from across the globe were invited by the Tian Xia Group to participate in the development and closed testing of a game called Blade of Tyranny, which had been sensation news at the time. Game development and coding were his father¡¯s strengths¡ªhe had coded much data, and following careful research as well as minor adjustments by the development team from Tian Xia, his work was used.


    1


    Hold on.


    Blade of Tyranny! It¡¯s that VR game which would soon be entering its public testing phase!


    1


    With the others who had been involved in the development and beta testing had become older or retired, Nie Fan did not expect that that game his father had a hand in making would soon be released to public servers.


    He could not stop himself from feeling a strong pride. It turned out that he such an amazing father!


    Still, which aspect was his father in charge of developing at the time? Moreover, his family would not have become so miserably poor given his father¡¯s ability¡ªeven if he would fail, he could certainly try again with ease. So why would his father appear so disheartened after leaving Demon God Studios? That was certainly a difficult mystery.


    As Nie Fan continued turning the pages, he found that the story ended halfway through because around fifty to sixty pages had been torn off. He wouldn¡¯t know what happened later even if really wanted to, and there was no telling if his mother knew where those torn pages were. But when he remembered that unhappy look on his father¡¯s face when he died, Nie Fan knew that he had many unfulfilled dreams.


    Nonetheless, the game called Blade of Tyranny was something his father left behind, and Nie Fan suddenly felt infinitely driven¡ªhe absolutely could not disappoint his father¡¯s soul in heaven.


    He hence started to look through the diary carefully, but he could not be sure whether the data at the front half he can¡¯t quite understand had anything to do with Blade of Tyranny. His mathematics was bad, and when coupled with the fact that he dropped out of school since early middle school, his brain felt like it would blow up as he stared at the sequence of numbers, much less allow him to arrange them.


    On the last page, Nie Fan caught what was a group of numbers: 28, 22, 218, 1, 92, 12¡­


    4


    The numbers were written messily, and it was obvious that his father was not calm when he wrote those numbers.


    Those numbers. What do they mean?


    Was it a telegraph code? Didn¡¯t feel like it.


    Could it be that they mean something special?


    There must be a reason his father left this behind. Given that the notebook was the most important heirloom from his father, those numbers just might be the code to something very important.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan could not arrive at any answer despite racking his brains.


    Well, whatever. He would put it aside for the moment¡ªhe just might find the answers in the future.


    1


    While he was left in distress, a loud clanging could be heard from the direction of Lin Xinyan¡¯s room, with something seemingly crashing down. The mansion was soundproof enough that normal objects falling would not echo so loud, and uncertain that Lin Xinyan is alright, Nie Fan had stood up before he could think and dashed towards her room.


    He knocked on her room¡¯s door heavily and shouted, ¡°Lin Xinyan! Are you alright?¡±


    It was after a while that a meek call for help amidst groans of pain could be heard from within.


    Something had happened! Ignoring all else, Nie Fan took a few steps back and launched his body forward, crashing through the door with a door and ran inside.


    1


    2


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Once inside, Nie Fan found that Lin Xinyan¡¯s room was full of dolls from cartoons beneath the bright yellow lights. Each were exquisite and adorable, but also unique and eccentric¡ªjust like Lin Xinyan¡¯s own personality: mischievous, cheeky and a hint of boldness.


    The bathroom was at a corner of the room, separated by frosted glass.


    Lin Xinyan was groaning inside.


    ¡°Are you alright, Lin Xinyan?¡± Nie Fan hesitated for a moment before knocking on the bathroom door.


    ¡°I fell. I couldn¡¯t feel anything in my legs¡ªI can¡¯t get up!¡± She sounded tearful, as it was natural for anyone who lost sensation of their legs to be terrified.


    2


    Nie Fan gave the door a shove, but realized that it was locked from the inside.


    ¡°Could you put on a towel and open the door?¡± He asked anxiously. Uncle Lin had been kind to him, and he was therefore obliged to take care of Lin Xinyan. After all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to face Uncle Lin if anything happened to her.


    1


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t¡­¡± Lin Xinyan sobbed, attempting to stand up. She could not help but panic because she still couldn¡¯t feel her legs.


    6


    Meanwhile, since saving her was most important and the emergency of the situation took precedence, Nie Fan firmly pushed with a low cry, and the lock of the bathroom broke apart with a clang.


    Prone on the floor, Lin Xinyan was left blank for a moment as she watched Nie Fan entered, not expecting him to do that. Crying out in her surprise, she quickly covered herself with her hands.


    Nie Fan looked around to find that the bathroom was itself a mess. Lin Xinyan was leaning on the bathtub, her beautifully lined neck and collarbone exposed as she covered her chest with her white willowy hand, although she was hardly shielding her virtue. Her flawless smooth skin was like white jade, whereas her face was faintly scarlet in embarrassment. Most of her dripping wet hair was behind her back, adding to her devilish charm.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan did not have the time to enjoy the view. He handily pulled down a towel from a hanger and covered her.


    1


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± he asked, crouching.


    Even as she tugged at the towel so that it sheltered her body, Lin Xinyan was utterly confused. Nie Fan was ever so close, and all she had between him and herself was just a towel¡ªher skin hence reddened unusually as her chest heaved from her nervousness. Still, that was when she felt a sharp pain in her waist and she could not stop herself from groaning in pain, her brows tightening into a knot. ¡°I slipped when I tried to stand up and couldn¡¯t feel the lower half of my body. Am I paralyzed, Nie Fan?¡±


    1


    Even as she uttered those words, Lin Xinyan¡¯s face went pale white and her tears were streaming.


    ¡°Where did you fall?¡± Nie Fan patiently asked. ¡°Did you have medical checkups on your feet before?¡±


    ¡°I hit my knee in the bathtub just now¡­ There was nothing when I checked in the hospital, but I couldn¡¯t summon any strength in my leg when I tried to stand just now and simply dropped down,¡± she replied in fear and helplessness.


    Getting the gist of it, Nie Fan reached out with his right hand and calmed her. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Despite having a towel, most of Lin Xinyan¡¯s thighs were still revealed¡ªlong, tight, and slick white, it had a crystalline luster that leaves the heart throbbing.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Lin Xinyan¡¯s cheeks went full red as Nie Fan reached out towards her. The fact that just one towel separated them left her feeling very naked under his gaze, and her heart was at once an indescribable wreck of nervousness, panic, and embarrassment.


    The sight of her blushing, her damp wet hair hanging before her chest, the ripples of her starry eyes and alluring exposure would leave anyone¡¯s heart racing. Nie Fan had to admit then that she was much more beautiful than any lady he had ever encountered before.


    ¡°Relax!¡± Nie Fan growled as he cleared away all extra thoughts, and put his right hand on her inner thigh to feel for a beating in her pulse.


    1


    Lin Xinyan stiffly refrained from speaking when she saw his serious look. He appeared as calm and composed as an experienced doctor right then, which in turn slowly calmed her even if the bizarre sensation on her feet left her heart palpitating quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing too serious. All you need is to take it easy for one month or two¡ªtry not to take too many baths from now on, or don¡¯t soaking in the bathtub for too long if you have too,¡± Nie Fan told her then.


    It was just a minor ailment caused by excessive hygiene.


    2


    ¡°You know medicine?¡± Lin Xinyan asked in surprise. Nie Fan did not resemble a doctor of western medicine, but his methods were not quite the same as Chinese medicine either. Most doctors trained in Chinese medicine tend to read the pulse on the wrist, and she never heard of someone who could read the pulse on a thigh.


    ¡°I know just a little. Here, let me help you up¡ªit¡¯s bad if you keep lying down on the floor.¡± Nie Fan told her, unwilling to say much about his methodology.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Xinyan calmed down when she heard that it was nothing serious, also realizing then that it was a rather awkward situation. With just a towel covering her and her limbs hanging out, it would fall off if she was caught off guard for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll move you to your bed.¡±


    Lin Xinyan felt her body become light just as she tried to reply¡ªshe was picked up in one swift stroke: she did not expect him to be so strong, not to mention that his broad chest gave her a sense of security.


    1


    For his part, Nie Fan could feel a faint sweetness sneaked into his nostrils, and he could not help but look down at her. The towel was only shielding some of her more important parts, and on its fringes were her round and slim shoulders. The distinct curves and outlines that protruded from beneath the towel were elegant, while her soft snow-white long legs were perfect and natural, although one wouldn¡¯t bear to look at the dark bruise on the knee. That being said, as his right hand carried her by her buttocks, he could not help but be surprised that the brat was quite perky.


    2


    Still, the thought was gone as soon as it came. Nie Fan gradually calmed when he remembered what Lin Quan told him during the day.


    1


    Nie Fan, Nie Fan. Why would you come up with such unrealistic thoughts? He laughed at himself inwardly as he put Lin Xinyan on her bed.


    Once on it, Lin Xinyan quickly pulled the blanket over her. She had felt his hand touching the bare skin of her bottom, the rough texture of his skin in turn making her itch a little.


    Could he have seen something?


    Her cheeks became hot as she remembered the scene just a moment ago, because that was the very first time that she had such intimate contact with a man. As such, her heart could not help but stir.


    Nie Fan did not appear as despicable as he was when he was a child then.


    ¡°Anyway, the spot you knocked doesn¡¯t look serious¡ªa little ointment should do the trick. Where¡¯s the first aid box in the house?¡±


    3


    ¡°The cabinet beside the living room.¡± Lin Xinyan said, lowering her head since she was afraid to look at him at the moment.


    Nie Fan quickly brought the first aid box and took out a bottle, rubbed it hot on his hands and told her, ¡°It would hurt a little. Try to bear with it.¡±


    Lin Xinyan grimaced, her eyes showing a hint of fear. Nonetheless, she gritted her teeth and nodded, looking ready to just go for it.


    Nie Fan looked at her with a smile and gently rubbed the ointment on her knee bruise, and then massaging it patiently. The skin his palm was touching was delicate and smooth as if he were touching the finest silk. His heart skipped a beat then despite his extraordinary composure, and he quickly lowered his eyes and stopped thinking too much in his embarrassment.


    On the other hand, Lin Xinyan was blushing again as she felt his hands rubbing her knee incessantly. Nie Fan¡¯s technique appeared professional and his massage hit the spot, and the pain was also bearable. She hence did her best to bite her lower lip so that she did not make a sound, but the occasional groan she let out left herself blushing even harder.


    As she sneaked a look up at Nie Fan to find that he was not really reacting and concentrating on his work, she discreetly breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Alright, rub it twice again tomorrow and it would be more or less done.¡± Nie Fan rubbed his hands, and then brought a rather worn bag from his own room.


    1


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, staring at the bag which appeared heavy despite being not too large.


    ¡°Needles.¡±


    Nie Fan smiled and opened the bag, and Lin Xinyan discovered in shock that it was full of uncountable golden needles of different sizes, with some having bizarre shapes.


    ¡°You¡¯re not sticking them into me, are you?¡± She asked, looking weirded out¡ªshe had seen those things and tv, but the thought of having your body covered in needles was still quite horrifying.


    2


    ¡°You could choose not to, but while your condition might not be matter much since you¡¯re young, it would eventually become a problem as time goes on and not even syringes would help then.¡±


    1


    ¡°Is it really that serious?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, pulling a long face.


    Nie Fan responded with a shrug and a calm smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be bothered with the needle if it was someone else.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t¡ªyou usually wouldn¡¯t feel a thing. So? Dare to try?¡± He looked at her mischievously.


    Trying to look brave, Lin Xinyan nodded after hesitating for a moment. ¡°Nie Fan, how did you come to learn such a weird thing?¡± She then asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s passed down in my family. Uncle Lin should know that my father is quite learned in the Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor, even asking my father to teach him. It¡¯s just that Uncle Lin only learned the bare minimum. Anyway, the Scripture is divided into three parts: the first is Chinese medicine, the second is acupuncture while the third is Dao Yin¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Dao Yin?¡±


    1


    ¡°It¡¯s an ancient qi art used to strengthen the body, although it an art that¡¯s almost lost.¡± Nie Fan grinned, drawing out three gold needles from the bag as he spoke and taking off the wax covers before masterfully poking them into Lin Xinyan¡¯s feet and kneecap.


    She had been ready to scream in pain when she saw him pierce her leg with the needles, only to realize then that it really did not hurt at all. All she felt was a numbness, as if her hair was being pulled.


    ¡°What do you feel?¡± Nie Fan asked, looking at her with a smile.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. It¡¯s just a little numb and a little cold¡­ hold on¡­ I think I feel something in my leg! It¡¯s like a little worm that keeps wiggling up¡­ I can feel my leg now!¡± Lin Xinyan exclaimed in wonder and disbelief that three tiny needles could work so miraculously.


    Later, as Nie Fan pulled out the three golden needles. ¡°These three needles could only ease your condition for a while. But to cure it completely¡­¡± He said, trailing off as he eyed her.


    ¡°What should I do to cure it completely?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, rather interested in acupuncture now.


    ¡°The root of your condition is at your pelvis. Your veins aren¡¯t flowing smoothly¡ªthere¡¯s cold air accumulating in that spot.¡±


    ¡°Pelvis?¡± Lin Xinyan repeated, taken aback. She had been sparkling a moment, but now quickly shook her head. ¡°No way.¡±


    Needling the pelvic would mean letting Nie Fan see everything, and that would not do. After all, it was an accident when he caught a glimpse just now, not to mention that she had never been so close to a man, which was a far cry from taking off her pants to let him put some needles into her.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan smiled, having sterilized his golden needles with a special method and put them away. ¡°I¡¯m simply mentioning it,¡± he told her as he got to his feet. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a problem tonight, so rest up and it should ease tomorrow. Try to be active with you your legs, but don¡¯t exercise too strenuously such as through dance or taekwondo.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Xinyan replied distractedly.


    ¡°I¡¯m off, then.¡± Nie Fan said as he headed for the door.


    ¡°Nie Fan¡­¡± Lin Xinyan suddenly called out to him just as he was about to leave.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked, turning around.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Xinyan said gratefully¡ªif not for him, she wouldn¡¯t have known how to handle this emergency.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, and I¡¯m just doing what I should. I wouldn¡¯t have the faintest idea if Uncle Lin offered me a place to stay anyway. You should sleep since you¡¯re better now too. See you.¡± Nie Fan smiled lightly and closed the door behind him.


    After watching him leave, Lin Xinyan lay under her blanket and flexed her feet: they felt much better although there was still a little curious sensation.


    That being said, she was really scared out of her wits just now, and finally understood why her father admired Uncle Nie so much when she was still a child.


    Now, she could not help but wonder what kind of a person Nie Fan actually was too¡ªso many mysteries seemed to surround him.


    2


    And then there was that moment when he pressed the needles into her: he had been so frighteningly calm, and she simply could not detect a single flutter of emotion in his eyes.


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan could not calm his thoughts at once when he returned to his room, feeling an unbearable parching at the pit of his stomach.


    Xue Yu, a good friend of his had collected many videos from a certain island nation, and under his influence, Nie Fan had more or less sampled it. Be that as it may, the impact on his sight was nothing comparable to today, when he saw the body of a beautiful young girl in reality. Lin Xinyan¡¯s fantastic figure was no different from God¡¯s finest work, and the very sight of it was now irremovable despite being just a few glimpses¡ªeven the faint sweetness from her body swirled around his nose, and the smooth touch of her skin still lingered on his palm.


    1


    When he returns, his friends back at Ningdong would definitely envy him if he got himself a girlfriend like that. Still, Nie Fan could not help wanting to slap himself when he remembered what Lin Quan told him earlier that day.


    ¡®Nie Fan, Nie Fan. You need to wake up¡ªcould you even reach her? Uncle Lin¡¯s family fortune must at least be hundreds of millions, and Lin Xinyan is his only daughter. What are you in comparison? No more than a nameless impoverished brat shouldering heavy debts.¡¯


    3


    It was pretty much like a toad wanting to devour a swan.


    Collecting his delusional thoughts, Nie Fan decided to continue studying the notebook his father had left him. His mother had repeatedly reminded him to take care of it when she gave it to him, and there must be some important information his father wanted to give him in the notebook.


    That was especially true for the numbers that stood out like a sore thumb!


    What did those seventeen numbers of no sequence mean?


    Suddenly, Nie Fan felt a moment of inspiration in his head. Could they be referring to page numbers of the notebook itself?


    He quickly flipped to page 28 at the very thought, and he could only do so by counting each page since there were no page numbers. Still, he found nothing when he reached it¡ªthere was nothing other than a chunk of text and data!


    Nevertheless, Nie Fan remembered that his father was often obsessed with details, and he could well have left some clues. Hence, gritting his teeth, he looked through the clumps of data as well, but still couldn¡¯t find anything unusual aside from a letter ¡®h¡¯ at the corner of the page which had nothing to do with the other data.


    He realized sharply then that the letter could have a further meaning. The second number on the last page was 22, and he promptly flipped to that page, searching through it and finding the letter ¡®t¡¯, which was also unrelated to the rest of the data on the page.


    He was on to something! It might be a clue his father had left!


    Finding the two letters had actually taken him two whole hours¡ªit was extremely difficult to find two letters in chunks of data after all! However, Nie Fan continued searching despite feeling exhausted, driven by his curiosity.


    Eventually, he found one letter after another, obtaining eight of them through the course of the night. It was already morning then: Lin Xinyan had left for school while he hastily made himself breakfast and finished it, before continuing his search.


    Time flew, and it was the evening when he finally found all seventeen letters. As he connected them together, he found that it was actually a website.


    That discovery certainly left Nie Fan thrilled, and he promptly took out his VR headgear which could be used as a computer, and keyed in the seventeen characters of the website.


    [System: Logging in to website¡­]


    [System: This website is private and encrypted. Please enter your ID.]


    ID? Mine or dad¡¯s? Nie Fan was taken aback when he saw the system notification. He couldn¡¯t remember his father¡¯s ID number which consisted of 26 letters and numbers¡ªin fact, most people would have a hard time remembering that.


    2


    Still, he decided he did not care and keyed in his own ID number.


    [System: password accepted, iris verification accepted, nervous system connection successful¡­]


    1


    Nie Fan did not expect that he would find such a website that his father designed specially for himself, laden with so many heavy encryption sequences. But even as he thought about that, a recorded voice started playing from the website.


    It was his father¡¯s voice.


    Unable to help himself, his eyes welled with tears at the voice he hadn¡¯t hear for a long time.


    ¡°Son, I must have been long gone by the time you found this place. I hope that your mother and you could live in peace after I die, but I also know that it would be hoping too much because they would never spare you both. You must assume that you and your mother¡¯s daily conversations are being monitored, and that is why you must never mention this website to anyone else. Hurry off and find Uncle Lin if you have found this place¡ªhe will protect you.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, I am still unable to tell you the whole truth, but you may use what is on this website to help Uncle Lin destroy Demon God Studios if Blade of Tyranny has begun service. When that day comes, your mother would tell you the whole truth.¡±


    Demon God Studios? That was the studio that his father had co-founded out of nothing before, and was eventually forced out due to some unknown reasons¡­ but to think that his will was to destroy what he once built!


    ¡°Father, I promise you that I would help you fulfill your wish.¡± There was cool killing intent in Nie Fan¡¯s eyes.


    That being said, it was a serious matter considering that his father¡¯s claims that Nie Fan and his mother¡¯s daily conversations were being monitored.


    It was only after some time that his palpitations calmed and he began to browse through the website¡¯s content. The website itself was designed with meticulous detail and was as rich in content as the official portals of major VR games, hosting thousands of essays about Blade of Tyranny, with some titled, ¡°Rising as divine druid¡¯, ¡®Ultimate medals for flame knights¡¯, ¡®Strategy for legendary quest: Battle of the Magic Capital¡¯, ¡®120 exploitable landscape bugs¡¯, ¡®hidden trap sequences¡¯, ¡®quick emblem clearing for wild tribes¡¯¡­


    1


    In other words, his father had recorded all his experiences and all the system bugs he encountered in the closed testing phase for Blade of Tyranny. Having been a part of its content development, he had discreetly put in hidden sequences, backdoors, and even evaded the checks of the mainframe, recording everything with text and images.


    It was a genius idea! Nie Fan himself was awestruck by the content of the essays: it was a battle of wits and courage that pits the human mind against AI, a bold ultimate move that made a fool of manmade intelligence. Before the public testing phase, each VR game tend to be processed over dozens of times with AI before it was being marketed, and yet the programs his father designed had easily evaded such scanning¡ªto be precise, he had kept certain bugs that was considered permissible in the main content to himself while reporting other bugs that could be found. Moreover, aside from the data related to Blade of Tyranny, he had also recorded his understanding and experiences as a professional gamer, on how one could become a skillful player and the like.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan could not finish reading through all the content at the website. After all, his father did compile it with untold blood and sweat. Nie Fan also noticed that his father left a quote at the corner of the website:


    [Blade of Tyranny is a revolution in VR gaming that would change the world. And you, my son, shall be the leader of that revolution.]


    2


    Nie Fan¡¯s heart would surge whenever he read that quote. He must absorb all the content here because it would be very troublesome if he read it after joining the game, and he certainly must not let down his father¡¯s hopes! What he left here seemed to have opened a brand-new world in Nie Fan¡¯s mind too, allowing him to slowly understand what it meant to be a professional gamer.


    Hence, in the time before the servers for Blood of Tyranny became open to public, Nie Fan spent all his time at that website aside from meals. Like a sponge, he absorbed everything in it as hard as he could.


    Furthermore, the VR headgear had the capacity to keep the cerebral cortex in deep sleep and would not affect normal sleeping at night. It was basically equal to doubling one¡¯s lifespan, and was the reason why VR games became a global trend¡ªwith his headgear on, Nie Fan had completely forgotten the time.


    Still, although he had done all he could to learn everything on the website, he did not have much time and therefore had to leave the content beyond Level 30 for some other time.


    On the third day, Lin Xinyan had bought herself a headgear. She also wanted to play Blade of Tyranny, and she told Nie Fan that her crew in her class each had their own headgears, and were prepared to formed their own guild after joining the game.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan appeared distracted when he was speaking to her. With Blade of Tyranny starting service soon, he was both nervous apprehensive.


    ¡°I¡¯m off to my room, Nie Fan. Remember to message me after you enter the game.¡±


    ¡°Run along then. I have to start leveling up when the game starts¡ªit would be too embarrassing if your cousin had to chase me out of the studio for being underleveled.¡± Nie Fan replied and glanced at the time, rushing back to his room and putting on his headgear when he found that there were ten minutes left.


    Even as time ticked away, Nie Fan felt himself becoming even more nervous. Be that as it may, he had decided on taking the Druid class¡ªit was the class his father used most frequently in closed testing, and the class which he wrote the most content about.


    3


    But as he delved in his thoughts, a blinding white light shone before his eyes as if he had crossed into a dimensional portal. As that light slowly dimmed, a palm-sized fairy danced in front of him as he found himself in an altar, surrounded by various dazzling wildflowers and butterflies.


    It was as if he had arrived in a divine domain.


    The fairy was a beautiful young girl with delicate skin and exquisite features¡ªeven the hairs on her brows were distinctly visible.


    ¡®It feels so real. So, this is Blade of Tyranny!¡¯


    This was much more realistic than any VR game Nie Fan had played before, and he could not help but be in awe. No wonder his father told him that it would be a revolution for VR games: such stunning VR technology!


    ¡°Greetings! I¡¯m Nola, your tutorial fairy. I shall be guiding you in Blade of Tyranny¡ªplease select the city and continent of your destination.¡±


    Citizens on earth could only choose between the continents of Osland and Okado.


    2


    ¡°Osland continent, Carlos City, Kelfield Town, Tajit Village,¡± Nie Fan replied without hesitation. Heading to the Kelfield Town in Carlos City of the Osland continent was a condition that his studio had set, although he was free to choose which village he would spawn.


    ¡°You will now spawn in the Tajit Village, Kelfield Town, Carlos City. After an inspection, your basic attributes are as follows: Agility 9, Strength 9, Spirit 10. Your body composition especially strong and does not require additional compensation. Please select your class and talent.¡±


    Gamers who had exceedingly low physical attributes could obtain additional compensating attributes, but Nie Fan did not need that at all¡ªthe inspection had determined that his Agility, Strength, and Spirit were quite good, and did not need any help.


    2


    ¡°Druid!¡± Nie Fan appeared quick and decisive since he knew what he wanted.


    ¡°You have two talents to pick: One major, one minor.¡±


    The Druid class had many talents: Elemental, Plant-type, Summoning, and Morphing to name a few. They could also pick two talents, with the major talent having a 10% effect buff for skills of that aspect and minor talent having a 5% buff.


    1


    ¡°Major: Plant-type, minor: Morphing.¡± Nie Fan said then. Most Druid players would pick Elemental or Summoning as their major talents, and there were basically none who would pick Plant-type as their major since it was rather underwhelming. On the other hand, it was normal to pick Morphing as a minor talent, although that was also something Nie Fan had thought of early on.


    2


    ¡°Please name your character.¡±


    ¡°Dark Night.¡± Nie Fan simply chose his ID.


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± Nola the tutorial fairy asked, smiling.


    ¡°None. Enter game,¡± Nie Fan replied, knowing that the questions Nola could answer were only superficial, and he did not have to waste time here.


    ¡°Very good. Welcome to the world of magic.¡±


    [System: Game initializing¡­]


    With a white flash, Nie Fan appeared in a run-down village. There were only five to six low old houses and two to three dozen NPCs dressed in a variety of strange clothing¡ªno other player had yet to appear on the small path laden with gravel at the center of the village. At the moment, most of them would probably still be considering the class and talent that suits them or asking the tutorial fairies for information, and there would be rarely any who would come in so quickly like Nie Fan.


    The sights around were as genuine as it was in reality. Nie Fan could not help but draw in a deep breath and open his senses to the world around.


    Be that as it may, time was of the essence. He still had things to do before the players entered by droves, and he quickly turned on his attribute panel to check his talent and attributes. He hence breathed a sigh of relief after taking a look at his major talent panel¡ªjust as his father had told him, picking Plant-type as his major talent would earn him a talent status: Crossing Thorns!


    [Crossing Thorns: Druids could travel through certain areas unaffected, such as forest, thorn bushes, swamps, rockpiles, and lush vegetation areas. Also grants immunity to Swamp and Spiderwebs, and a 30% chance for immunity from bind-attribute spells.]


    1


    ¡®That is what I wanted!¡¯ Nie Fan thought excitedly as he headed to the center of Tajit Village.


    There would be a shabby library there that was built from wood, but it was the tallest building in Tajit Village. Aside from the main area beneath, there was a mezzanine upstairs under the roof that was grown full of moss.


    Inside the library, Nie Fan noticed a very old man dressed in worn mage robes, a tall sharp hat, and was wearing a jet-black redwood staff.


    He was Solamu, the librarian here.


    ¡°Greetings, revered elder.¡± Nie Fan bowed in salutation, putting his right hand before his chest.


    ¡°Greetings, young man.¡± Solamu smiled faintly. ¡°You are the first one to arrive. Every youth of Tajit Village may select two skill tomes to cultivate their basic skills. As the first one to arrive, you may choose one minor skill tome as a reward.¡±


    The library sold scores of skills tomes, but most of them were expensive. Nonetheless, each player was allowed to choose two for free when they start playing, and there were many skills to choose from, allowing them to match their skills as they would prefer.


    Being the first to arrive, Nie Fan would additionally obtain a minor skill tome worth at least hundreds of bronze coins!


    ¡°Thank you, revered elder.¡± Nie Fan smiled and headed deep into the library. It was rather dark inside and there were around six bookshelves around him, each neatly arranged with various skill tomes for basic abilities of various class, including Mini Fireball, Sword Strike, and Snowball.


    Nie Fan himself chose a basic skill from the corner of the third bookshelf: Black Oil!


    Most players would never choose an almost cheating skill like Black Oil since it basically had no offensive effects. All it did was summon a pile of oil into the opponent¡¯s hand, and apart from grossing out the target while also slowing their movement, it did not appear to be of much use.


    3


    Still, the black oil summoned came from the plant saps, which was just enough to be categorized as Plant-type magic.


    Then, after walking a few laps around the bookshelves, he took the tome for Mini Fireball. He could learn elemental magic even if his main talent was not elemental albeit to weaker effects.


    Aside from those two tomes, he had also taken the skill tome of Harvest for gathering herbs.


    2


    After choosing those three skill tomes, Nie Fan left the library. There were more players on the streets now, and they were looking around or talking to NPCs, trying their hand on newcomer quests. Still, it was clear that they were left disappointed¡ªthey could never clear those quests without learning beginner skills.


    When some of the players saw Nie Fan step out of the library, they paused for a moment before making a dash inside as well. Be that as it may, it would take some time until they could choose their favorite skill tomes from the many tomes offered.


    Meanwhile, with a swift move of his hands, Nie Fan¡¯s three skill tomes turned into three streaks of white light, and his skill bar was added with three skills.


    There were around three dozen of newcomer quests that can be accepted after a player¡¯s first skill learning. That being said, most players would accept those quests as the game intended, but Nie Fan wouldn¡¯t¡ªthose burdensome quests take too much time and were a lot less rewarding.


    Be that as it may, players would not have the coins to purchase potions without doing newcomer missions, and was therefore likely to run into danger when leaving the village. Moreover, they would drop a level below if they die, and would be forced to stay offline for five hours, making it a major headache for players.


    However, Nie Fan had already thought about the solutions for all those problems.


    After learning his skill, Nie Fan dashed wildly out of the village. He would rather level up before others did than to level up with a large group, which in turn would slow his progress as being in a group meant competing for kills.


    Beyond the village was a red plain that went as far as the eye could see. It was as if it had been dyed in blood, giving an impression of a bleak and tragic vastness.


    [System: You have discovered the Blood Shade Plains]


    It was said that this place was an ancient battlefield where millions of armies had fallen.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan did not pause for a moment and started towards the depths of the Blood Shade Plains, although his voice channel rang while he was still sprinting. It was Lin Xinyan, player ID Woody¡ªthey had added each other on a chat tool before entering the game, and the chat could be used in-game, displaying every friend playing in his friend-list.


    ¡°Nie Fan, where are you now?¡±


    ¡°Tajit Village.¡± He replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m at Moxxi, which is just nearby. Come over, Nie Fan, it would take at most half-an-hour¡ªwe¡¯ll group up to level up, and my classmates have also invited a few professional gamers.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Nie Fan refused. He had already made his plans and definitely would not waste his time going to Moxxi.


    ¡°Nie Fan, it¡¯s better if you come since leveling alone is definitely slower than leveling in a group, not to mention it¡¯s dangerous and you could easily die.¡± Lin Xinyan persuaded him. She believed that he would have a hard time training alone, and it would be a problem if he couldn¡¯t keep his place in her cousin¡¯s studio.


    But in spite of whatever she had said, he refused her goodwill once again, and kept to his original plan and ventured deep into the Blood Shade Plains


    ***


    Meanwhile, the group of twelve players were ready in Moxxi Village, one of the twelve villages in the Blood Shade Plains.


    ¡°That braindead Nie Fan!¡± Lin Xinyan stamped her feet and grumbled to herself¡ªNie Fan insisted on leveling up in Tajit whatever she might say, and she certainly could not kidnap him here. ¡°I gave you my heart, and you gave it away the very next moment! I don¡¯t care anymore! Just don¡¯t regret it later!¡±


    4


    Ever since that night when he helped her with acupuncture, she couldn¡¯t help recalling the vaguely intimate scenes then which left her heart throbbing. Still, it was an unexpected emergency, and Nie Fan himself was forced to do that.


    ¡°Xinyan, is your friend coming?¡± A Holy Knight player asked. His ID was ¡®Tracer¡¯, and he stood around one point eight meters¡ªmaking him a little taller than Nie Fan. He also had a handsome face and was the type girls would prefer, although he did feel a hint of danger from the look on Lin Xinyan¡¯s face, and began inwardly projecting the relationship between Lin Xinyan and that friend of hers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started. He¡¯s not coming.¡± Lin Xinyan said dully.


    ¡°What a pity. Well, there¡¯s no helping it if he can¡¯t come. It would certainly have been quicker if he trained with us¡ªour formation would definitely reach top ten in Kelfield.¡± Tracer said proudly as he rejoiced inwardly. It seems that Lin Xinyan¡¯s friend would rather play solo, and with himself rather not having an unwanted person tagging along, he would have more time with Lin Xinyan.


    1


    ¡°There¡¯s not much time. Let¡¯s hurry up and go.¡± Lin Xinyan said with a bored tone.


    Hence, the twelve-person party left for the Blood Shade Plains as well after they had completed their preparations.


    ***


    Nie Fan had been running around the Blood Shade Plains for a dozen minutes. He decided that he was at his destination after checking his coordinates and the landscape around him: the grass was knee-high here, and while most players would have their movement slowed by 30% and above, he was slowed by just 10% thanks to Plant-type, his main talent!


    As he looked towards the distance, he found many humongous spiders crawling around the plains, each of them standing at the frightening height of a human!


    Giant Spider, Level 3, HP 120!


    The Giant Spiders were a difficult monster for players in their early levels. Though they moved slowly, they had the Spiderweb skill that could catch hold of their opponent and keep them immobile, allowing them to approach their target and attack with their toxic fangs and inject a poisoned state. They were also highly resistant to physical attacks and have high HP, although their only weakness were fire spells. Nonetheless, since Spiderweb was still a bane of mages, players below Level 5 would never try to challenge them alone.


    And yet, Nie Fan was certainly prepared since he had picked these monsters to level up with. After all, his talent was immunity towards Spiderweb!


    He headed towards one particular Giant Spider and stopped around ten yards away. Noticing him, the Giant Spider squawked and lunged towards Nie Fan¡¯s position.


    Nie Fan held his position and started to chant his spell.


    Black Oil, six seconds!


    1


    When he finished chanting, a pile of black goo appeared over the Giant Spider¡¯s head and splashed down on it, the thick liquid wetting it all over.


    The Giant Spider promptly slowed. The dark oil over its body left its movement extremely sluggish, and it reacted by launching its Spiderweb skill at Nie Fan¡­ albeit with no effect.


    Nie Fan took a few steps back and started to chant another spell: Mini Fireball!


    A scorching ball of flame appeared out of thin air in front of Nie Fan and arched through the air and shot towards the Giant Spider, smashing it with a bang and causing 2 points of damage.


    With a difference of three levels between Nie Fan and the Giant Spider, the damage on the monster was pathetically low.


    Still, in the instant that the Mini Fireball struck, the Giant Spider¡¯s entire body was set ablaze with a whooshing sound, trapping it in the fire¡ªit was the effect of the black oil being ignited by the Mini Fireball.


    1


    [-32]


    [-36]


    [-37¡­]


    One frighteningly high damage value after another popped up over the head of the Giant Spider. Amidst its shrill cries, the creature¡¯s HP kept dropping by the notches and it soon dropped to the ground altogether.


    Glancing at his EXP bar, Nie Fan saw that his experience points had bloated up to 82% after the Giant Spider croaked.


    1


    So fast! He could not help but think in shock.


    It was unimaginable for a Level 0 player to kill a Level 3 monster with just two skills after all.


    The Tajit Library had thousands of different skill tomes, each having different effects: some leaned heavily towards attack, others on defense or control, but many were created with complementing effects. Seizing the convenience of closed testing, Nie Fan¡¯s father had tested countless combinations of skills, eventually discovering that the match between Black Oil and Mini Fireball was most devastating in damage, and basically peerless before Level 30.


    Nie Fan tried it once to extraordinary effect!


    He then searched around the Giant Spider¡¯s body and found a pair of broken boots he could wear at Level 3 which also adds +2 Defense.


    2


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Black Oil!


    Mini Fireball!


    Nie Fan continuously unleashed his two skills, and the ring signaling that he had leveled up rang soon enough.


    He had reached Level 3 after killing two Giant Spiders, as well as obtaining a Level 3 White-grade item.


    The speed of his leveling up was simply delightful¡ªhe stayed as the same place and leveled up while one Giant Spider dropped after another. He had gained considerably apart from leveling up too: a pile of spider fangs could be sold for up to 16 bronze coins, and he had also managed to pick up 27 bronze coins.


    Moreover, his damage values with Black Oil and Mini Fireball became much higher, and he could kill the monsters even quicker.


    Another dozen minutes later, Nie Fan realized that he was already Level 5 when he checked his stats, while his Black Oil and Mini Fireball skills had also increased in effect and by two levels. It was a stunning rate of leveling up, and not even being in a large group of skillful players would help leveling that quickly.


    Still, it was no longer profitable to stay here and keep farming the Giant Spiders. Packing up, Nie Fan returned to purchase some potion since it would be difficult in the wild without it¡ªit would be a serious waste of time if he had to sit and slowly recover his spent MP and HP on every turn.


    He hence sprinted away, returning inside Tajit village after dashing wildly for around eight minutes. There were now thousands of players in the village now, creating a bustling atmosphere as the crowd moved here and there. There were many new players coming in as well, but the best of them were merely Level 3 while most were still Level 0. Nie Fan, now Level 5, abruptly became a god amongst men.


    ¡°That guy¡¯s leveled up so quickly, reaching Level 5 almost right after the servers are opened¡­¡±


    Some players were quietly discussing away behind Nie Fan.


    Still, Nie Fan ignored the players¡¯ weird looks as he sped towards the apothecary, selling all the spider fangs he had to the NPC and earning 16 bronze coins, and proceeding to buy two stacks of Lesser Mana Spring Water and Bread.


    [Lesser Mana Spring Water: Restores 50 MP over 10 seconds.]


    [Lesser Bread: Restores 50 HP over 10 seconds]


    2


    Both stockpiles of items were cheap: a stack of twenty Mana Spring Water costs seven bronze coins, while the Bread only costs six bronze coins.


    Stuffing both items into his back and checking it, Nie Fan found that he still had thirty bronze coins. After some thought, he went off to the grocery shop to buy a few interesting objects which included six Ground Stakes, a 20-yard Gravity Javelin, six piles of Minor Sparkling Dust¡ªspending every last of his coins.


    [Ground Stake: Special item. An item favored by bandits to set traps with (Nie Fan could use it although he was a Druid). Causes damage to monsters that steps on it, 10% chance to cripple target, effective against monsters below Level 30 only.]


    [20-yard Gravity Javelin: Each tube consists of ten javelins. Causes a low amount of long-range damage, a good item for early stages. 3% chance to repel target, effective against monsters below Level 30 only.]


    [Minor Sparkling Dust: Special item. Throw it to cause a flashing effect when the dust hits the ground, 10% chance to blind target, effective against monsters below Level 30 only.]


    While the effects of those beginner-level items were barely acceptable, there were times when they could be surprisingly effective!


    ***


    When Nie Fan was buying items by the bulk, several players approached him. A Level 3 warrior named Warsong was leading them, while the others with him were Level 2.


    ¡°Hey, bro. Want to form a party? There¡¯s fifteen of us in our group and our technique is alright¡ªwe are planning to head to the Grey Plains Swamp straightaway after we reached Level 15.¡± Warsong asked cautiously. When Nie Fan returned to the village, he had noticed that Nie Fan had powered up to Level 5 in the short time that the game had started, and knew right away that he was a good player.


    Nie Fan eyed Warsong once and said flatly, ¡°Sorry, not interested.¡±


    Ignoring Warsong from then on, he left the grocery store.


    ¡°What a cocky fellow. Here we are offering to chat him up¡­ Who does he think he is!?¡± Beside Warsong, another warrior named Warhammer started complaining. Their guild had some reputation in the professional scene, and there were many who wanted badly to join them but were declined¡ªand then there was Nie Fan whom they had broken tradition for just to invite him to play with them, only to have him refuse their offer.


    Nonetheless, Warsong appeared to have no comment regarding what Warhammer said, instead smiling quietly as he watched Nie Fan leave. ¡°He¡¯s playing around Kelfield¡­ We¡¯ll definitely meet again.¡±


    1


    For his part, Nie Fan was no professional since he just started working as a professional gamer provisionally, and therefore did not know those professional players at all. He was completely unaware of who that Warsong person was, and his invite did not ruffle him at all. Nie Fan was simply focused on carrying out his level-up plans, or he would suffer untold loss when the other players finished scouting the other maps!


    After leaving Tajit Village once again, Nie Fan hurried towards the eastern end of the Blood Shade Plains.


    He carefully made his way past the territories of various beasts, including the Level 3 Giant Spider domain, Level 6 Venom Spider domain, the Level 7 Lesser Goblins¡¯ domain and the Level 9 Green Goblins¡¯ domain as he ventured ever deeper.


    At the moment, most of the other players are only brave enough to play nearby the villages, and there were virtually none who would venture so deep inside the Blood Shade Plains.


    Nonetheless, moving through such places left Nie Fan sweating too. He would not have an easy time if any of the monsters here targeted him, with monsters such as the Level 9 Green Goblins being perfectly capable of insta-killing him!


    He frowned slightly as he glanced at his map location¡ªhe should be near his objective, but he could not find a thing. Could it be that the coordinates his father recorded had been changed?


    Maybe the mainframe had adjusted the map!


    Still, unwilling to give up, Nie Fan searched the vicinity for another dozen minutes when he looked up towards the distance.


    That¡¯s it! He thought in delight, a few hundred yards away, that spot overgrown with thorn bushes!


    As he dashed towards the thorny thicket, several Green Goblins noticed him and screeched, brandishing their axes as they charged towards him, prepared to encircle him.


    Nie Fan ignored them and kept sprinting at the direction of the thorn bush, but the Green Goblins were closing in on him too.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan ran headlong into the thorn bushes just when the Green Goblins were just three yards away from him.


    The thicket appeared unable to harm Nie Fan at all, with the thorns stopping short from breaking his skin as though was a barrier over it. He could move freely even around even at the densest spot, although his movement would slow just a little.


    That being said, the thorny zone was as wide as a hundred yards!


    The Green Goblins were left fuming and stamping their feet outside. They tried to rush inside the thorny thicket, but damage values would start popping up over their heads once they entered and their movements extremely slow. Helpless, they therefore chose to leave that area.


    Black Oil!


    A splash of dark grease wetted one of the Green Goblins from head to toe, with a Mini Fireball soon streaking through the air and hitting that creature with a bang. A blaze instantly ensued, leaving the Green Goblin screaming shrilly.


    Damage points amounting above fifty started to pop up above the Green Goblin¡¯s head as well¡ªit certainly could not withstand such a violent assault when its HP was just around 300, and it dropped to the ground in no time at all.


    With the crisp jingle of the system notifications, Nie Fan checked his level to find that he had improved to Level 6!


    That was so quick!


    After killing two Green Goblins, Nie Fan fumbled around their corpses to find a Level 9 Warrior White-grade armor.


    In spite of it being merely White-grade, he sorely lacked equipment, not to mention that it could sell for up to twenty coins.


    Afterward, Nie Fan started to head deeper into the thorn thicket. There should be a treasure chest around here! Even so, he found nothing despite having combed every inch of that location, although he did obtain two herbs and silver grass that be used as ingredients for Lesser Haste Potions, which could be sold for some money.


    Minutes later, Nie Fan finally found the treasure chest hidden deep within the thorn bushes. The box was entirely grey and half-covered in mud, and basically hardly noticed unless a player was looking for it.


    Nie Fan was beside himself with excitement since beginner maps hardly ever show locations of treasure chests. Crouching in front of the chest, he realized that it wasn¡¯t locked! Still, being uncertain what was within, he reached inside with his hand and felt around, touching something with sharp edges and spikes.


    His heart skipped a beat¡ªit seemed to be an item, and he therefore scooped it out of the chest.


    [Spike Spaulders (Druid): White-Bronze grade, Level 9 required, Defense 12-18, Plant-type magic damage +3, Durability 23/23]


    1


    Item grades were divided according to materials to Bronze, Iron, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with Bronze itself being separated into another three different tiers: Copper, Cyan Bronze, and Dark Enchanted Bronze, the latter of which has the finest equipment up to Level 60.


    Equipment were actually quite rare at the markets and mostly White-grade. Bronze items were hardly ever found, which was why each could be sold for a fine price despite having rubbish attributes.


    And this was the first Copper-grade item Nie Fan obtained.


    On the other hand, that treasure chest also had a 30% chance to drop a skill tome for Lycanthropy, and Nie Fan was as such a little disappointed that it wasn¡¯t. Nonetheless, it was fine to have gained a Copper-grade item that also came with a buff for Plant-type magic damage which he majored in.


    1


    Nie Fan put the Spike Spaulders into his bag¡ªhe could wear it when he reached Level 9.


    As he started to head for the edge of the thorn thicket, he looked to the east and caught sight of a powerful Venom Spider. Its head was several inches taller than Nie Fan and was so ugly it was puke-worthy. Its plump abdomen, up to six times the size of its front half was overgrown with thin hairs, as such making it resemble a bloated cotton ball.


    1


    That fellow was one of the rare Level 10 elite creatures in the area, and usually it would take a party of at least ten Level 10 players to kill it.


    [Az¡¯Shara the Venomous, Elite, Level 10, HP 620]


    2


    Nie Fan¡¯s heartbeats quickened at the sight of the Venom Spider, anxiously thinking whether he could take that big fellow at Level 6.


    Still, the question was whether his Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo could break its defenses!


    Groaning for a second, he soon decided that the data his father left definitely wouldn¡¯t be wrong, and whatever the case might be, there was no reason for him to retreat since he was here!


    Anything could wait after he lured Az¡¯Shara to the thorn thicket!


    Chanting a curse, Nie Fan released a vicious Mini Fireball at Az¡¯Shara from afar, detonating it over its back with a bang as sparks flared everywhere.


    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    At the moment, Az¡¯Shara the Venomous was simply wandering and did not notice Nie Fan at its rear. Nonetheless, it squawked shrilly and turned, promptly giving chase when it found Nie Fan in the thorn thicket.


    Nie Fan quickly retreated deep into the thorns.


    That was when Az¡¯Shara the Venomous opened its mandibles, throwing a Spiderweb from high above and catching Nie Fan.


    Although most players would still be able to chant spells and attack with their weapons, they would be left stuck where they were when hit by Spiderweb. On the other hand, while Nie Fan dashed towards his rear, the spiderweb melted into nothingness the instant it touched his skin.


    Nie Fan easily escaped the spiderweb and glanced behind. Az¡¯Shara had trouble moving after it entered the thorn thicket, its fat abdomen and large size slowing it. The overgrown thorns on the ground also scratched narrowed lines of wounds over its body, with innumerable [-1] damage values popping up over its head and hurting it considerably.


    The most basic attack for Az¡¯Shara was to catch its target with Spiderweb, approach them and stab them with its fangs. Even Level 10 tank players with Copper-grade items would not be able to withstand more than a few blows, but that measure was simply useless against Nie Fan.


    Nie Fan did not have to worry about being caught in Spiderweb and was 20% faster than Az¡¯Shara, which allowed him to agilely evade its pursuit.


    Black Oil!


    A pile of dark grease splashed down from the skies, covering Az¡¯shara entirely in that thick fluid.


    Mini Fireball!


    A small ball of flame shot out and ignited the Black Oil on Az¡¯shara with a boom, setting it ablaze as damage value up to a dozen continuously appeared over its head.


    Nonetheless, being an elite monster and four levels higher than Nie Fan, the Black Oil, and Mini Fireball combo had limited effect against Az¡¯shara.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan had managed to taunt Az¡¯shara despite the low damage. Having gone berserk, it attempted to close in on Nie Fan, but its abdomen would be hurt severely every step it took.


    It seemed that Level 10 elite monsters were no more than paper tigers.


    Nie Fan¡¯s nervousness in his first encounter against an elite monster slowly faded then. Naturally, it was thanks to the terrain and his skills that he gained an advantage and left Az¡¯Shara so ragged¡ªNie Fan would probably be unable to withstand even a single blow in a direct confrontation against Level 10 elite monsters.


    Be that as it may, Az¡¯Shara was utterly infuriated with that weak human who kept provoking its might. Squawking again and gaping its maw, spiderlings began to crawl out of its mouth one after another.


    All of them were Level 9, and there were six of them!


    While a huge chunk of Az¡¯Shara¡¯s abdomen had been peeled off, it still had a hard time moving around in the thick thicket.


    On the other hand, although the spiderlings were moving slowly around the thorn thicket, they were clearly much nimbler and more started to encircle Nie Fan.


    One spiderweb after another began to fall from above, bearing down on Nie Fan.


    It would have been impossible for most players to escape with such a wide net, but Nie Fan completely ignored it. One of the spiderlings screamed as he cast another Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo on it, the fires devouring it and reducing it to ash. With one killed, Nie Fan ran some distance away before killing another spiderling with another combo.


    He was almost out of mana, but Nie Fan also noticed that he almost reached Level 7 with a glance at his EXP bar.


    Stepping back slightly and waiting for his MP to recover slightly, he killed a third spiderling with another combo. A crisp system notification rang then¡ªhe had reached Level 7, and his MP bar was fully refilled!


    Soon, Nie Fan had cleared away all six spiderlings.


    Looking afar, he saw that Az¡¯Shara had kept dragging its massive abdomen without rest through the thorns, and was now barely alive with less than 100 HP out of its initial 620. Nie Fan did not even have to attack¡ªthe thorny undergrowth was going to kill it.


    Hence, Nie Fan launched several waves of assault at Az¡¯Shara until its HP was finally emptied. With a shrill cry, its abdomen exploding and splashing green toxin over the ground.


    Ding-dong-ding-dong-ding-dong!


    A chain of three notifications rang¡ªthe EXP from killing Az¡¯Shara the venomous had instantly leveled up Nie Fan three times.


    Such abundant experience points, jumping three levels at once! Nie Fan thought excitedly as he walked up to Az¡¯Shara¡¯s corpse, searching it and obtaining two items along with 13 bronze coins.


    1


    [Leather Armor of Tenacity (Warrior): Copper-grade, Level 10 required, Defense 32-35, Tenacity +3, Durability 33/33]


    It was a Warrior¡¯s leather armor¡ªa defensive item with acceptable attributes which would fetch a good price in the market.


    Apart from that, he had also acquired a +1 Power Gem Fragment. The grades for gems were Fragment, Piece, Shattered, Flawed, Complete, and Flawless¡ªeach of which were very rare, including fragments. Aside from the high value of around sixty bronze coins, three Power Gem Fragments also had a 60% chance of fusing into one Gem Piece, although the rate of fusion was lower the better the gem grade while Flawless Gems basically only existed in legends.


    Nie Fan was rather excited with his fine reaping, not to mention that his level had shot up to 10. Most of the other players should be lingering at Level 3 or 4 at the moment, and those who reached up to Level 6 probably were professionals.


    2


    Moreover, it seemed that the data that his father had left him was precise and flawless. Nie Fan¡¯s confidence was slowly building with his string of successes, and he must become a champion so that he did not let his father down!


    After packing up, he quickly headed to his next destination¡ªhe would find another elite monster there, but it would be a much difficult opponent compared to Az¡¯shara. Still, he checked his backpack and ensured that the stake, flashbang and gravity javelin were in it, items which would soon prove useful.


    He hence dashed along the Blood Shade Plains, his movement now much quicker than before after reaching Level 10.


    As he advanced rapidly, his voice channel alert sounded again.


    It was Xue Yu! He was in the game too!


    Nie Fan was very pleased. A look at his chat tool would show that he had few friends, but they were friends he could trust, not to mention that Xue Yu was one of Nie Fan¡¯s childhood friend¡ªmost of Nie Fan¡¯s friends of the same age rarely got in touch after his family had incurred a large debt, but Xue Yu never once belittled him. Instead, he forged a strong bond with Nie Fan, and Xue Yu had been the one who pooled the money for his train fare to Yinghai.


    1


    Aside from Xue Yu, Lin Suyue was online too¡ªXue Yu had been wooing her for ages, although Nie Fan didn¡¯t know if he had succeeded.


    ¡°You bought a VR headset? How rare! Either way, I¡¯m relieved you are having it easy in Yinghai.¡± Xue Yu chuckled.


    ¡°Just found a job at a game studio,¡± Nie Fan replied. ¡°I actually got the headgear from them. I¡¯ll pay you back the two thousand bucks I owe when I get back.¡±


    Nie Fan had never been willing to borrow money from friends, not to mention that some of the money Xue Yu gave him was borrowed from others too. They were students and did not have much cash after all, which was why Nie Fan always kept that in mind.


    ¡°We¡¯re bros! Why so uptight with money? That could wait until you make it in Yinghai,¡± Xue Yu said nonchalantly before asking interestedly, ¡°Which game studio, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Tempest Wings.¡± It took a few seconds for Nie Fan to remember where he was working.


    ¡°Wow! Tempest Wings? Well done, you¡­ they¡¯re one of the top studios. Don¡¯t forget about me when you make it, kiddo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a fringe member; I count as cheap labor at best.¡± Nie Fan said self-deprecatingly.


    To think that Tempest Wings were so famous that Xue Yu would actually know about them.


    ¡°A fringe member¡­ now wonder. I want that too but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m getting the job¡ªstill, you have to treasure this chance, and it would be awesome if you get into their inner circle.¡± Xue Yu appeared rather thrilled.


    ¡°Are they really that good?¡± Nie Fan asked uncertainly.


    ¡°Of course! Tempest Wings is amongst the top three in Yinghai and would definitely make the top twenty of China! Do you know the context? According to the national VR gaming statistics last year, there are twenty-six thousand game studios of all sizes in China!¡±


    It was certainly outstanding to rank inside the top twenty, out of twenty-six thousand¡­ even so, Nie Fan¡¯s objective not merely becoming an internal member of Tempest Wings!


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan switched the subject. ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    ¡°Sonard Village, Leon Town.¡± Xue Yu replied.


    ¡°The one beside Kelfield town?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why?¡± Xue Yu asked.


    ¡°Lin Suyue over there too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Xue Yu nodded, a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Come over and find me at Tajit Village!¡± Nie Fan exclaimed excitedly.


    Things were simpler now since the spawn points of Xue Yu and Lin Suyue were quite near. He decided he would help them level up as well, since Blade of Tyranny was a balanced game and one person¡¯s ability was ultimately limited. One would need many friends to make it in this game world, and acquaintances made in-game would always be less trustworthy than Xue Yu and Lin Suyue.


    ¡°Why? It would at least take three hours to travel from Sonard to Tajit!¡± Xue Yu exclaimed in confusion. He would be able to level up considerably with those three hours, and it was a waste to spend it on traveling.


    ¡°Listen to me. Leveling up here is definitely much quicker than in Sonard!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Have I ever lied to you?¡±


    ¡°So many times. I remember being led by the nose when we were kids, you even fooled me to hang my underwear on the tree in front of Suyue¡¯s house!¡± Xue Yu retorted ruthlessly.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ when we were kids. You don¡¯t have to dig up every old grudge!¡± Nie Fan¡¯s face went red.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll bring Suyue over.¡± Xue Yu was smiling at the mental image of Nie Fan¡¯s embarrassed face. He understood that Nie Fan had no reason to lie to him about such matters, and he would have believed him unconditionally anyway even if he was.


    ¡°Alright then, hurry over!¡± Nie Fan replied.


    After all, wouldn¡¯t it be a piece of cake for him to quickly level up both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue with his understanding of the game now?

 Chapter 8

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ten minutes away from his destination, Nie Fan charged deep into the Blood Shade Valley. However, the grass was lusher the further he ventured with some bushes as tall as a person, causing low visibility.


    Still, Nie Fan appeared prudent¡ªDruids who had yet to learn Morphing were not good at close combat since their low HP meant they could easily be killed. Fortunately, he was now Level 10 and was equipped with the spike spaulders as well as several White-grade items, providing an acceptable level of defense.


    Be that as it may, a cold presence permeated the overgrown grass, and Nie Fan immediately became alert when he felt faint movement behind him.


    Hiss!


    With a sharp but bizarre cry, a Green Goblin that was half the height of a normal human leaped out of the bushes and swung its broad axe at him.


    Nie Fan watched as the broad axe was just about to reach him when he shifted his body and tunneled into the bushes beside him, his heart tightening as he felt the broad axe shoot right past his ear. He could not help but be a little nervous since that was the first time where he was fighting a monster so near himself, but he also had sharp reflexes thanks to his martial arts training.


    Mini Fireball!


    1


    Nie Fan chanted a spell and launched a mini fireball at the Green Goblin, detonating over its body with a loud bang, and shredding a chunk of HP off the creature. That being said, he was forced to use Mini Fireball without Black Oil since the time needed to cast Black Oil was too long and ill-suited for close-quarters combat, but the damage from one Mini Fireball was still considerable since he was one level above Green Goblins now.


    Nonetheless, the Green Goblin gave chase as Nie Fan swiftly darted through the lush growth, pulling away from the Green Goblin while firing one Mini Fireball after another from his palm. Eventually, the Green Goblin was sent flying with another bang and fell face down on the dirt.


    Nie Fan went to its corpse, arching his back to pick up its drops: two bronze coins.


    However, Nie Fan thought right then that killing monsters was not that hard¡ªas if he was gaining some epiphany.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too different from wrestling in the real world, which depends on agility, strength, and technique. On the other hand, it takes just a few skills to do that in the game, and the only hard part is to stay aware of skill cast time and cooldown time.¡± Nie Fan muttered to himself. It was natural for him to discover something different since he was really focusing and researching the game itself, whereas he had merely played VR games casually before this.


    He was also keeping a close eye on the map as he delved in his thoughts, finally arriving at his destination minutes later. As he looked towards the thicket in the distance, he found a Goblin Warrior that was holding a mace. Being pygmy creatures, it was rather short although it had formidable fighting ability, not to mention it looked very fearsome with its steel armor glinting in silver light.


    The Goblin Warrior was Sagaro, a Level 15 elite beast with 900 HP.


    So tough!


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan¡¯s eyes were darting all over the place¡ªif his information was right, there should be herbs that could stop bleeding and some mineral ores nearby. Indeed, his eyes eventually stopped and lingered at the edge of a tuft of overgrown grass where a single red plant stood.


    That was definitely Coagulus, the herb that stops bleeding. It could be used to brew novice HP potions, and would be valuable in the near future. Moreover, there was a pile of ore glinting in silver radiance nearby¡ªit was the lowest grade ore, copper!


    1


    Copper ore was a material for crafting equipment and would fetch some money, but the skill to dig ores had Level 15 and the Miner-apprentice class as a minimum requirement. Nie Fan therefore simply ignored it since he would never play as a Miner.


    At the moment, Nie Fan was also keeping an eye on the distance between the Goblin Warrior and himself while combing through every information on how to slay a Goblin Warrior in his head.


    He then slowly made his way towards the Goblin Warrior and stopped around fifteen yards away. The creature still hasn¡¯t noticed his presence and was still dragging its mace and trudging along. Dropping to a crouch, Nie Fan dug into the soil and place his first stake, after which he retreated six paces and inserted the second stake.


    That process continued for five minutes until he set all six stakes in place.


    With everything prepared, Nie Fan slowly made approached the Goblin Warrior. His eyes flashed when he was ten yards away and he started chanting stanzas of spells.


    As the goblin wandered on, it suddenly felt something. It growled lowly when its pale-blue gaze turned to where Nie Fan was, and charged towards him while dragging its mace along.


    Nie Fan¡¯s heartbeat quickened as their eyes met and he felt the threat. Challenging Sagaro was much more difficult and dangerous than Az¡¯Shara the venomous, but he could not afford a moment of cowardice.


    Meanwhile, Sagaro was now six yards away.


    Five yards.


    Nie Fan chanted the last syllable.


    Black Oil!


    Thick dark grease descended from the skills and utterly drenched the Goblin Warrior, slowing its movement dramatically.


    Mini Fireball!


    The ball of flames was hence unleashed upon the Goblin Warrior¡¯s body, igniting an inferno over the creature with a whoosh, and clusters of [-20] damage values began to pop up over its head.


    Still, that was all the effect that the Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo had. The monster¡¯s defense was really high.


    With an enraged bellow, the Goblin Warrior disregarded the wild flames burning over its body and swung its mace at Nie Fan.


    He quickly darted backwards, leaving the mace to smash down just a yard in front of him with a thunderous crack, with rocks flying everywhere.


    Nie Fan was startled right then¡ªwhat horrific might!


    Elite-class creatures were as formidable as he imagined.


    Nonetheless, the Goblin Warrior lunged towards Nie Fan and swung its mace at him again.


    Be that as it may, everything was within Nie Fan¡¯s calculations: by taking in the distance and the cooldown time for Black Oil, he smiled and started to run towards the spot where he set a stake.


    At the same time, the fires over the Goblin Warrior¡¯s body had died down, leaving it utterly charred or as some would put it¡ªblack-faced. It was moving swiftly once again as Black Oil had lost its effect, roaring as it chased after Nie Fan and flailing its mace at him. Suddenly, when it noticed that Nie Fan was simply standing right in front of him, it put his right foot ahead as it prepared to smashed its mace down at him¡­ but with a loud pop, it had stepped on one of the stakes, the terrible agony leaving it screaming shrilly with [-6 damage].


    It took the bait! Nie Fan took a few steps back and evaded the mace.


    He hence seized the creature¡¯s moment of vulnerability to kill it!


    Black Oil!


    Mini Fireball!


    The Goblin Warrior was once again in flames and wailing.


    However, the effect of the stake quickly faded whereas the burning Goblin Warrior became even more enraged, continuing its mace-flailing charge and moving even faster than before.


    Knowing that it was unwise to engage the monster directly and that its mace could kill him instantly, Nie Fan rapidly retreated, throwing out the sparkling dust handily which exploded with a loud bang and a burst of white light.


    Sagaro paused for a moment, and started rushing towards Nie Fan again because it was not blinded.


    Sparkling dust only had a 10% chance of causing blindness after all¡ªa very low rate, but Nie Fan was not actually counting on its success anyway. After all, slowing the Goblin Warrior was an immensely good thing, even for just a bit.


    As he kept buying himself time by retreating, Nie Fan glanced at his skill bar to find that the cooldown for both Black Oil and Mini Fireball was almost over. He quickly made his way to the second stake, with Sagaro hot on his heels.


    It stepped on the stake once again, a popping sound audible as the object met its mark.


    And once again, Nie Fan seized the moment to unleash another Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo.


    Infuriated, the Goblin Warrior stomped its feet. Even so, Nie Fan had complete control over the flow of the battle, and it did not even have the chance of a counterattack.


    In its blind madness, the Goblin Warrior continued its attempt to murder Nie Fan. Still, it would already be wondering one question if it was intelligent: its mace could kill that puny human before it instantly, so why did it not even touch his hair after fighting for so long, and was being left unbelievably wretched instead?


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan lured the Goblin Warrior ran into four stakes now and suffered three rounds of sparkling dust, and only had around 100 HP left.


    But as it kept stumbling into the traps without end and could not even reach an inch near Nie Fan, a fearful look appeared in the goblin¡¯s warrior face just as it was about to hit the fifth stake, and it suddenly turned to run.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan already expected that¡ªnaturally, monsters would run in fear when they couldn¡¯t reach their target for so long!


    Keeping his composure, Nie Fan drew out a javelin from his bag and held it with his right hand, running a few faces before throwing it at the Goblin Warrior¡¯s back.


    It streaked through the air in a straight line, hitting the Goblin Warrior in the middle of its back. Blood sputtered, and a large [-30] damage value appeared over its head.


    Javelins had a low chance of hitting targets and could be easily dodged when facing the attacker, which was why Nie Fan refrained from using it when he was luring Sagaro. It was especially hard to hit the target if it was too far away!


    At the moment, the Goblin Warrior was no more than four yards away from Nie Fan and had its back towards him¡ªhe would be a complete failure if he could not hit it.


    Not to mention that the javelin dealt considerable damage.


    However, the Goblin Warrior grunted in pain once and kept running forward.


    Still running?


    Jogging a few steps ahead, Nie Fan launched another javelin at Sagaro¡¯s back again, striking it and causing [-21] damage this time.


    The creature bellowed after being hit twice. Taunted, it bellowed and turned to charge towards Nie Fan once more.


    That being said, the Goblin Warrior was unintelligent and therefore did not know how to choose the best fighting style, the back-and forth exchange only ending up giving Nie Fan more chances to attack it.


    With a muffled cry, Nie Fan launched a third javelin!


    The weapon fired rapidly towards the Goblin Warrior and struck its chest with a pop, splashing fresh blood everywhere as the monster stumbled backwards.


    The repel effect!


    It only lasted seconds but it was an unmissable opening, and so Nie Fan let loose another javelin.


    With barely any HP left, the Goblin Warrior shrieked and kept charging at Nie Fan, but he retreated four paces when its mace bore down on him. Nevertheless, another pop sounded just as the Goblin Warrior was about to continue its assault, its face turning a dark reddish purple as it tragically stepped on another stake!


    The human before it was simply to sly. Surely the Goblin Warrior would be blowing its top by now!


    Still, that was when another bang sounded as a Mini Fireball hit it, and its remaining HP was finally drained dry. With a terrible cry at the skies, Sagaro slammed down heavily on the ground.


    Fumbling around the Goblin Warrior¡¯s corpse, Nie Fan found three items.


    The first was alright: a Copper-grade Warrior Helmet, 31-32 Defense and +2 Additional Defense.


    The second was something resembling a cat¡¯s eye stone. It was the size of a pigeon¡¯s egg and a crystalline green, smooth to the touch.


    Nie Fan¡¯s heart skipped a beat then. It actually dropped!

 Chapter 9

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    [Goblin¡¯s Eye: Special Item]


    There was also a worn tome apart from Goblin¡¯s Eye.


    [Skill Tome: Bloodthirsty Vines]


    Nie Fan had expected to find the tome¡ªor should he say, he had come searching for it! The skill Bloodthirsty Vines was a novice Druid ability, and was leveled up through usage just like Black Oil and Mini Fireball. It could only be obtained by slaying a Goblin Warrior, but killing a second Goblin Warrior would only provide an ordinary vine spell.


    Bloodthirsty Vines was a growth-type skill as well, with each increased level cultivating more attributes than Black Oil or Mini Fireball. In later stages, it would even develop special mutations, gaining attributes such as Bloodlust or Death Devourer.


    In fact, Nie Fan was looking up the information on Bloodthirsty Vines right now.


    [Bloodthirsty Vines: Skill growth rate 27, Adjustment 32]


    [Skill Level 1: 1 vine summoned, attack 15, tenacity 3, HP 30, 5 seconds casting, 5 mana cost, 20 seconds cooldown, no special attributes]


    [Skill Level 2: 1 vine summoned, attack 25, tenacity 6, HP 50, 4.6 seconds casting, 7 mana cost, 18 seconds cooldown, no special attributes]


    [Skill Level 3: 1 vine summoned, attack 35, tenacity 8, HP 80, 4.4 seconds casting, 9 mana cost, 16 seconds cooldown, no special attributes]


    ***


    A 20-growth rate was considered high for a normal plant-type skill, and yet Bloodthirsty Vines reaches a stunning 27. Adjustment was a fine attribute to have as well, since players would be able to change the attributes of Bloodthirsty Vines through certain quests their after they had leveled up the skill considerably. Higher adjustment rates also meant higher successes¡ªin comparison, Bloodthirsty Veins had an Adjustment rate of 32 whereas normal plant-type skills only reached around ten.


    Apart from obtaining that skill, Nie Fan had also secured one Goblin¡¯s Eye, which would be a key item to enter the Goblin Temple in the depths of the Blood Shade Plains!


    Nie Fan had also quickly learned Bloodthirsty Vines, adding another active attack skill on his skill bar.


    It was a strong ability whether in the early or the late stages¡ªNie Fan had also thought of a place where he would level up that skill, and the rest could wait. As the saying goes: beard well lathered is half shaved, leveling up Bloodthirsty Vines would also help improve his own level, although the cost would be huge: he would need to pool some money before that and purchase MP potions.


    At the moment, he has three warrior items, two of which were Copper-grade that could sell for a good price given the rareness of equipment at the moment. He also had other items such as Silver Grass and Coagulus which would be enough to sustain his skill training for quite some time, although there was no telling whether anyone would want to buy them.


    Searching for the locations of herbs nearby, Nie Fan harvested another twenty-six tuft of Silver Grass and twenty-two tufts of Coagulus. While a lot of players would have found it rewarding to be able to obtain three tufts of herbs, there were basically none of them who would directly allocate skill points to herb harvesting. As such, the level of his Harvest ability improved rapidly, with the system notification ringing when he harvested the last tuft of Coagulus to signal that his Harvest skill had improved from novice to intermediate.


    That was a simple matter, however, since only 50 proficiency points were only needed to level up from novice to intermediate. On the other hand, leveling up to advanced from intermediate required 2500 proficiency points, and it would be more horrific when attempting to level up from advanced to master. Nonetheless, intermediate-ranked Harvest skills were enough to gather any herbs for maps below Level 30.


    Taking a look at the time and realizing that more than an hour had passed, Nie Fan headed back towards Tajit Village.


    There were more players logging in now, and item trading between players was increasing as some of them began to level up. Tajit Village was bustling now, with one stall after another being set up at the path entering the village.


    And at the village gates, two fully armored Level 60 elite guards holding greatswords were keeping order.


    ¡°We buy full-sets of level ten equipment, even mystery items!¡±


    ¡°We buy various herbs, ores, gem shards, and quest items¡­¡±


    ¡°We buy level five warrior helmets¡­¡±


    The shouts were never-ending at the village entrance. Most of those purchasing Level 10 equipment, herbs, and ores by bulk were representatives from major guilds or studios since their main players would usually be outside the village power leveling, leaving a few others who stayed in the village for logistics.


    Nie Fan showed some of those buyers the attributes of the items he had on hand, asking them for a price.


    ¡°Please wait a moment, we shall receive a reply soon.¡± Several of the buyers were taken aback when they saw Nie Fan¡¯s message. That single normal armor was nothing, but he did possess two Copper-grade items and one of them was Level 15¡ªthey certainly couldn¡¯t make the call with such top-grade equipment on the table, and would have to ask their party¡¯s chief.


    Most of the top players should be around Level 8 and about to reach Level 10 at the current phase, which sets a high demand for Level 10 items. However, that demand would not be mad even if most guilds would farm items in their parties: top parties that managed to secure drops of one or two Level 10 Copper items would never put them out for sale because they need those items urgently. That was why no one expected Nie Fan to actually sell a Level 10 Copper-grade armor and a Level 15 Copper-grade helmet.


    How could they not be shocked?!


    ¡°How much would you sell the Copper-grade armor for?¡± Some of the players asked gingerly.


    ¡°Five hundred bronze coins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too high a price. I can¡¯t decide for now; I have to ask the boss about it.¡±


    Nie Fan shrugged. He could afford to wait at the moment, and he could get rid of the herbs he had now. Those were much easier to sell in comparison: the market price for one tuft of Silver Grass was ten bronze coins and one tuft of Coagulus was fifteen.


    Many parties and studios tend to groom one or two specialist potions masters. They would mainly be the ones consuming herbs, although they still would not be able to purchase too much at once, and Nie Fan could only sell them moderately.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the Green Goblin spawn point deep inside the Blood Shade plains.


    ¡°Warsong, someone¡¯s selling a level ten copper-grade warrior steel armor and a level fifteen copper-grade warrior helm.¡±


    ¡°Wow. A level fifteen, copper-grade warrior helm? That party must be insane¡­ they actually took down a level fifteen elite beast?¡± Warhammer¡¯s first reaction to the information was that it must be a party selling that item, because no one could kill a level fifteen elite beast alone!


    ¡®But it makes no sense. Why aren¡¯t they keeping it for themselves if they got that perfect an item drop?¡¯ Warsong wondered beside them.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the seller?¡± Warsong asked.


    ¡°Dark Night.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± Warsong was stunned for a moment, remembering that it was the fellow whom he invited to their party. ¡°No need for guessing games, everyone. You guys stay here while I return to the village for a look¡ªwe need those two items whatever the price may be! What is the first offer anyway?¡±


    Since there was considerable competition in Tajit Village, it would also be troublesome if those items fall into their rivals¡¯ hands.


    ¡°Five hundred bronze coins for the level ten armor, a thousand for the level fifteen helm.¡±


    The entire party gasped when they heard about the astronomical price. In comparison, their pooled wealth was only three thousand-odd bronze coins, and that was also thanks to the hard work of around three hundred players in their guild.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s not really expensive, but we¡¯ll go broke if we buy those items,¡¯ Warhammer thought.


    So, that Dark Night was actually that amazing that he could get two items worth half their entire studio¡¯s wealth. No wonder he gave them the cold shoulder when he was invited to join their party¡ªwith that wonderful a player, it was fortunate he did not recklessly provoke him.


    1


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to bargain with him,¡± Warsong said, but he did not appear too confident.


    ***


    At the same time, Nie Fan had finally sold off all the Silver Grasses and Coagulus he had and realized that he now had around six hundred bronze coins. Earning money was quite easy by using information other players did not know, and with the money he now has, Nie Fan started to purchase every Novice Mana Potion and Novice Health Potion available on the market.


    1


    [Novice Mana Potion: Single burst, restores 100 MP]


    [Novice Health Potion: Single burst, restores 150 HP]


    Meanwhile, Potions Masters who had purchased herbs would be using it to concoct items, after of which they would either provide them to their respective studios or sell them on the market. That being said, novice potions were not for casual gamers since novice mana potions and novice health potions were twenty bronze coins and thirty bronze coins per bottle respectively. Even elite parties would have to think carefully when using one or risk going penniless if they use those potions too carefreely.


    Nie Fan himself bought one novice health potion for emergencies and twenty novice mana potions.


    ¡°Greetings. I¡¯m Warsong; we¡¯ve met before.¡±


    When he heard that voice, Nie Fan turned and studied the person speaking¡ªit was Warsong, who came looking for him immediately after returning to Tajit Village and was able to find him in the crowd with a single glance.


    ¡°Were you talking to me?¡± Nie Fan asked in return. ¡°I¡¯ve told you: I¡¯m no interested in joining your party.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about being presumptuous before,¡± Warsong said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯ve come with the intent to buy those two warrior items.¡±


    At the same time, he was guessing that Nie Fan might be a member of a super guild that operated discreetly, and that Nie Fan was their spokesperson. How could he even dream of Nie Fan to join his party if that was the case?


    ¡°Oh, the steel armor and the helm?¡±


    ¡°Well, that price is a little too high. Can I get a discount?¡± Warsong added uncomfortably. That was the first time he was actually bargaining with someone else¡ªbefore this, all his deals were made without much fuss, whereas the numbers this time was a little too high.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but this is non-negotiable. In fact, it¡¯s already considered cheap.¡± Nie Fan promptly replied, unwilling to waste time on senseless haggling. Moreover, he did not really especially connect with Warsong when they met two hours ago, and there would be others coming to buy those two items even if Warsong did not.


    After all, Nie Fan was perfectly aware of how wide the market goes for those items.


    ¡°Could I trade with another item?¡± Warsong asked hesitantly after some thought.


    ¡°What do you have? I need level ten copper-grade druid items or gem shards, otherwise forget it.¡± Nie Fan said after considering it, deciding that he could yield if Warsong had those.


    ¡°Not really¡­¡± Warsong¡¯s tone became meek. Nie Fan was demanding high-grade items on the get-go, not that Warsong¡¯s own party had much to offer either.


    ¡°I could offer market price discounts if you have lesser healing potions or lesser mana potions. Someone is already pinging me now¡ªI¡¯m selling them if you won¡¯t take it.¡± Nie Fan said as he glanced at his private messages.


    There was already someone else inquiring about the price and was haggling as well.

 Chapter 10

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Trading with Novice Mana Potions? Fantastic. I¡¯ll have both items¡ªI have thirty of them here which would make a rebate of six hundred bronze coins, added with these nine hundred bronze coins.¡±


    Even as Warsong spoke, he had quickly sent Nie Fan a trade request because he could see a few familiar faces coming towards them, all of whom were his bitter rivals.


    Nie Fan checked to ensure that there really were 30 Novice Mana Potions and 900 bronze coins, before putting up his tow and confirming the trade.


    Warsong confirmed the trade too, although he did not expect Nie Fan to agree so easily.


    ¡°Good deal. Let¡¯s trade again if there¡¯s a chance¡ªsee you.¡± With those words, Nie Fan turned and left since he did not have the time to waste here.


    Warsong himself breathed a sigh in relief after checking his bag that both items were in his possession. He felt tension whenever he talked to Nie Fan, who acted as if he did not want to speak one sentence more than he needed to, and Warsong himself was very afraid to misspeak even a single word in their negotiation in fear that Nie Fan would simply call off the deal. Still, Nie Fan could have at least raised the price of both items beyond 1800 bronze coins if he dug in¡ªmany parties are willing to pay high prices to upgrade their Warrior-class items. Warsong had the feeling that Nie Fan simply did not want to waste time on bargaining, and it works as long as someone would take the items off his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m Warsong. Message me privately if you have another item you want to sell,¡± Warsong sent Nie Fan a message then, and then a friend request.


    Receiving the request, Nie Fan groaned for a moment before clicking [confirm].


    Warsong was overjoyed with his request accepted. He just might be able to buy even more items from Nie Fan. And being able to tell that Nie Fan disliked idle chatting, he did not send him more messages¡ªthere would be more chances to get in touch since they had added each other.


    Meanwhile, the leaders of other parties who had hurried over were left fuming and stamping their feet when they heard that Nie Fan had sold his two items. Warsong sneakily enjoyed the looked on their faces for a moment before leaving quietly.


    With 900 bronze coins in hand, Nie Fan made a quick dash to the apothecary and bought five hundred pouches of Intermediate Mana Spring Water, spending a thousand bronze coins before checking to see that he had not much money left from his trade with Warsong.


    [Intermediate Mana Spring Water: Restores 200 MP over ten seconds]


    Nie Fan¡¯s current MP was 160. The effect of Lesser Mana Spring Water would slow and not apparent for him just as it would be wasteful to use Intermediate Mana Spring Water, although he would not care about squandering those mana points. Either way, the truckloads of Mana Springs and fifty Novice Mana Potions would last him a long time.


    He then spent another hundred bronze coins on three 8-grid bags. Basic bags would provide 50 grids, and items such as potions and Mana Spring Water require one grid for every 20 items, which was why his bag still has space relatively speaking. That being said, lingering outside of town for a longer time makes it necessary to increase bag space.


    Nie Fan also remembered something then: within the ten hours after Blade of Tyranny begins service, he had to register his ID, class information and other details with a Tempest Wings administrator. They would also be assigning fringe players with compulsory quests since that was how he earns his two-thousand-dollar salary from Tempest Wings studios and why he had a VR headgear from work. If he did nothing, Tempest Wings would be wasting all that money.


    Tempest Wings had around a hundred fringe players, all of whom were managed by a person called Infernal Left Hand.


    Several gamers were registering as Tempest Wings fringe players at Moxxi Village of Kelfield Town. As the admin for the fringe players, Infernal Left Hand was responsible for tasks such as compiling all information and assigning the gamers with quests. He had long hair, looked to be around his mid-twenties and stood tall and imposing. His pitch-black eyes gave him a deep-reaching impression and he also looked as if he looked like he was a piece of art, the kind of person who would leave girls screaming when he is out on the streets.


    ¡°Vice president, that Nie Fan whom Miss Xinyan recommended just sent a message¡ªhis ID is Dark Night.¡±


    ¡°Got it. You guys proceed.¡± Infernal Left Hand replied flatly. He really wanted to know what was the deal with that fellow called Nie Fan that he would join Tempest Wings with Lin Xinyan¡¯s recommendation. In fact, the reason Infernal Left Hand himself had joined Tempest Wings was for Lin Xinyan¡ªher father was influential in both politics and commerce, and marrying her would be very useful for his family business.


    Nonetheless, he felt a vague threat with Nie Fan¡¯s appearance.


    ¡®Kid, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless. It would take a miracle if you could stay in Tempest Wings as long as I¡¯m around¡ªif you can¡¯t even complete the task for a fringe member, neither Lin Quan nor Lin Xinyuan would want you around.¡¯


    1


    After some thought, he assigned Nie Fan his first mission: deposit 50 bronze coins into his account within the first day of the game.


    He did not make things too ridiculous that Lin Quan could see through it. Still, it was already not bad for a fringe gamer to get 100 bronze coins on day one, and it would definitely hurt if they had to pay 50 bronze coins on top of purchasing necessary items.


    By dealing a slight loss on Nie Fan on the first day and slowly giving him tougher quests later, Nie Fan would be left between a rock and a hard place with his need to level up and to handle the studio-assigned quests. Eventually his level and items would not be able to keep up and he would not be able to accomplish his quests, and Infernal Left Hand would be able to chase off Nie Fan with sufficient reason and pomp as per the studio regulations.


    Infernal Left Hand smiled sinisterly at that very thought.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan was completely unaware that he had caused someone to resent him. When he received feedback from the studio that his quest was to pay the studio fifty bronze coins before midnight, he found the day one quest quite easy since it was an equivalent of two bottles of Novice Mana Potions. As such, he dumped the fifty bronze coins into the mail without much fuss, although it would take half an hour to reach Moxxi since delivery had certain delays.


    With the studio quest for the day easily accomplished, Nie Fan left the village and streaked towards the eastern corner of the Blood Shade Valley. He would now level up his Bloodthirsty Vines skill!


    After around twenty minutes, he arrived at the edge of the Blood Shade Valley and looked towards the distance. The border between the mountains and the valleys is grown full of red trees that were a fiery crimson and went as far as the eye could see¡ªthose were Grando Redwood Trees, a unique species of tree only found in the Blood Shade Valley. Seemingly affected by the soil here, the tree trunks, leaves, and fruits were all colored like blood, making them a glowing and eye-catching sight.


    [System: You have discovered Grando Redwood Trees. 1 Insight point obtained.]


    The more places a player visits, they would come across more text and in turn earn more Insight attributes. Insight itself grows in usefulness towards the latter stage of the game, allowing Mages to have an easier time improving spell levels and for Druids to communicate with Nature Force conveniently. Even warriors could learn combat skills effortlessly, Holy Knights comfortably obtaining divine blessing while Bandits could also learn various trap mechanisms. Aside from all that, players with extremely high Insight could gain many titles, including Erudite, Scholar, Wiseman, Philosopher, Sage, and Grand Sage.


    Those titles are not easily obtained, however, as it at least required a dozen thousand Insight points to reach Erudite, the lowest title. Still, Nie Fan had some special measures to increase his Insight attribute although his current level was far from enough.


    The Redwood Forest was the spawn point of a creature called the Redwood Nymph, a lesser nymph at Level 16. That level was a little high for Nie Fan, but the Redwood Nymphs were also very slow in movement compared to other Level 8 or Level 9 beasts. Couple that with their high defense and rich HP, and Redwood Nymphs become suitable targets for long-range classes to level up.


    That was why the Redwood Forest at the edge of the Blood Shade Valley was a sacred place to Mages for leveling up. In comparison, most Druids would not pick such a place since they were a moderate long-range class, but Nie Fan had different plans¡ªhe wanted to level up his skill, and it wouldn¡¯t matter if it was a little slower since upgrading Bloodthirsty Vines would become easier at higher levels.


    A cold breeze pungent with blood rustled as he entered the Redwood Forest, prompting a chilling sensation.


    Each Grando Redwood Tree was three dozen feet tall and stood very straight. There were not many leaves at their tree crowns, but the forest ground was blanketed with thick layers of leaves amidst the flapping of winds. Everything within sigh was red as if one had arrived in a world of blood.


    Nie Fan held his breath and looked around with complete concentration. The Redwood Nymphs were good at camouflage and were hard to notice in Redwood Forest, but it was fortunate that they moved slowly. As long as one paid attention so that they did not fool their eyes, they basically could not get too close to anyone.


    Nie Fan looked around for any signs of those nymphs, and then at his skill bar. Without accounting for the buff from his Spirit, the basic stats of his Level 1 Bloodthirsty Vines were 3 Tenacity and 30 HP. Still, the higher his Spirit points, the stronger the vines he could summon.


    Since two stat points are gained for each level he improved, Nie Fan added 20 points to his Spirit attribute and every other skill point on Agility. As such, the HP of the vines he could summon with the Spirit Buff is 36, and could probably survive two blows from the Redwood Nymphs.


    1


    Nie Fan¡¯s eyes locked on to a huge Redwood Nymph some distance away then. It was over six feet tall and had camouflaged itself as a smaller Grando Redwood Tree. There was a massive human face at its center, however, that made it looked fearsome and frightening.


    He cast a Scout spell on the nymph.


    [Redwood Nymph: Level 16, 550 HP]


    Nie Fan slowly moved up to ten yards away from the Redwood Nymph, mouthing a spell and preparing an attack with his vines.


    The Nature Force around surged and converged upon him.


    Feeling something unusual, the Redwood Nymph¡¯s gaze locked on to Nie Fan. It shrieked and started to charge towards him.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    Chant complete.


    The ground where the Redwood Nymph had been standing split apart for two seconds as a green vine shot out, flailing in the air and trying to coil around something but failed. After five seconds, the Redwood Nymph had already left where it was standing and continued dashing towards Nie Fan.


    Missed.


    Damn it.


    Nie Fan promptly turned and sprinted away, distancing himself from the Redwood Nymph. Still, it was only after more than twenty yards of running that the creature gave up and reverted to its wandering mode.


    It was Nie Fan¡¯s first time casting Bloodthirsty Vines and understood its nature. The vines are summoned in a specific position to coil around a target, but there is a five-second gap between chanting the spell and for the vines to appear. In battle, beasts would never remain stationary and that makes the vines hard to hit, although it would be easier if there was someone keeping the beast at bay up front. On the other hand, the vines would also be severely restrained in its binding utility if another player was there to hold it, since using direct damaging spells would do the trick!


    As such, only truly skilled players could master the vine spell.


    Although Nie Fan had a better understanding of Blade of Tyranny compared to most players with the data his father left him, he was merely above average in skill and still lacking. Be that as it may, that could be improved as no one was skilled on day one.


    Nie Fan thought long and hard then. Given that the casting time for the vine spell was so long, he would need the ability to anticipate various aspects such as the terrain, his surroundings, as well as the movement speed and the position at which the Redwood Nymph would arrive. If his anticipation was precise, the vines would have a great chance of hitting the target.


    He was not disappointed despite his first and failed casting of the Bloodthirsty Vines. He would keep trying, or he might as well give up if he could not even master that.


    Bloodthirsty Vines had an average mana consumption and cost 5 MP for each casting, and had a rather short cooldown time of twenty seconds. It would cost penniless players a lot of time if they were reluctant to drink their potions or mana spring water, instead restoring their MP by sitting on the ground. Nie Fan hence could save time given his stores of MP restoratives, and with the high growth rate of Bloodthirsty Vines, the casting time would shorten dramatically at higher levels. If the casting time was reduced to two seconds, the hit chance would be very high and prove very useful whether it was farming monsters or PK.

 Chapter 11

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan calculated the movement speed of the Redwood Nymph; of the distance it would approximately move in five seconds and the position where he would cast the vines.


    It was difficult to precisely evaluate the reaction time of the Redwood Nymph, its displacement and distance from the ground too. Nie Fan imagined that not many from Blade of Tyranny could that either, and with himself being not a prodigy at math, he could only depend on instincts.


    As the saying goes: practice makes perfect, and it was no less a measure too.


    Instinct was a mysterious thing in itself, and once developed it is a greater strength than most calculations. The latter needs time while instincts were the opposite, instantly accomplished just like classical conditioning.


    Nie Fan approached the Redwood Nymph again and began chanting his vine spell.


    The ripples of Nature Force naturally caught the creature¡¯s attention, and it immediately bared teeth and fang as it lunged towards Nie Fan.


    Focusing intensely, Nie Fan cast his spell.


    One long vine shot out from the nearby ground, but it merely brushed past the Redwood Nymph.


    The release of the Bloodthirsty Vine was mistimed: when it had finally breached the ground, the Redwood Nymph was already too far for it to hit.


    Nie Fan finally realized how difficult it was to use that skill then¡ªif the player misfires even by the slightest fraction, it was one spell wasted and the fight affected adversely.


    Even so, Nie Fan was still not discouraged by his second failure. He ran off to the fringes and waited for his skill to cooldown, experimenting with Bloodthirsty Vines repetitively until he finally got it: on his fifth try, the vine grew out rapidly and coiled around the Redwood Nymph.


    The beast was bound fixedly and unable to free itself, with two [-18] damage values popped up over its head. Nonetheless, the Redwood Nymph kept flailing its feeble arms to strike the vine¡ªwith a crack, the vine was slapped into several different chunks.


    [System: Bloodthirsty Vines cast successful, skill proficiency +2]


    Nie Fan could not hold back his excitement when he saw his success with Bloodthirsty Vine. It was not easy at all, but he finally succeeded.


    The offensive capacity the Bloodthirsty Vines was not bad either¡ªRedwood Nymphs possessed high physical defense, and it was already good enough for Nie Fan¡¯s fireball to deal up to [-8] damage on them since they were six levels above him. On the other hand, the Bloodthirsty Vine restrained it for five seconds while also dealing [-36] damage, which was quite significant. If he used the Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo to attack the creature while it was bound, it wouldn¡¯t take much time for him to slay a Redwood Nymph!


    Since the Redwood Nymphs were six levels above Nie Fan, he would gain additional skill proficiency when casting Bloodthirsty Vines on them.


    Still, Nie Fan did not really slay a Redwood Nymph, and simply kept casting vines again and again to develop his skill proficiency. However, he did not quickly level up given that he would have a slower rate of developing proficiency at a higher level, although Nie Fan was becoming more familiar with the technique the more vines he released, with his hit rate clearly rising up to 30%. He was very serious on each occasion he cast vines as well, continuously reflecting when he consciously failed, trying everything he could to improve his accuracy.


    Moreover, every time his MP was drained, he would look for a safe place to sit and drink Intermediate Mana Spring Water, rapidly recovering his mana points.


    However, Nie Fan¡¯s lack of concentrated damage meant that the Redwood Nymph would slowly recover its HP each time he finished releasing vines. Nonetheless, he also managed to get a feel of the Redwood Nymph¡¯s habits and its movement speed as time passed. The accuracy of the Bloodthirsty Vines gradually climbed up to 50% too, and while his EXP bar hardly moved, his proficiency of the skill kept rising.


    After almost an hour, his proficiency of Bloodthirsty Vine had reached 226, and would improve by one level. That was only thanks to Nie Fan¡¯s fighting a creature of a much higher level while also using his Intermediate Mana Spring Water and Novice Mana Potion, and it would have taken one or two days for most players to level up the vine skill to two.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan¡¯s level advantage also decreased considerably as most players reached level 10. He was not worried, however, because he would widen the gap once more when he leveled up his vine skill.


    That was when his voice chat rang. Xue Yu was calling.


    ¡°Nie Fan, I¡¯m at Tajit Village with Suyue now. Where are you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m leveling up my skill outside. What classes did you two pick, by the away?¡± Nie Fan asked in return.


    ¡°I picked Holy Knight; Suyue picked Cleric. Both of us are only Level 3.¡± Xue Yu sounded listless¡ªtheir levels were trailing behind after wasting so much time on the road. They could have simply deleted their current player accounts and created new ones if they knew this would be happening, just as they did not know what Nie Fan was planning, telling them to travel all the way here.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan¡¯s eyes sparkled when he heard about their classes: Holy Knight and Cleric was a fine combination!


    ¡°Hear me out,¡± he said into the voice channel, ¡°You could quickly catch in terms of levels. Buy some pouches of Novice Mana Spring Water, and then head to these coordinates east of Tajit Village: 210, 328, 212. Train up to level six over there and then message me again.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Xue Yu was curious about what was at those coordinates. Would it be worth all their wasted time? Still, it was not too bad since they were fortunate to have gained a few Insight points after their long journey.


    In reality, the coordinates Nie Fan provided were spawn points for Evil Goblins. Both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue could deal bonus damage on those creatures and would therefore level up 50% quicker at other locations of the same level. They would therefore quickly improve to level six, after which they could move on to a different spot.


    After the conversation with Xue Yu and Lin Suyue was done, Nie Fan continued with his vine training, and soon, his skill bar shone in a white light.


    His heart skipped a beat then¡ªBloodthirsty Vines, Level 2!


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan did not pause despite the improvement, and dashed deeper within the Redwood Forest.


    Sunlight streamed through between the gaps of the tree crowns and threw speckles upon the ground, adding an air of mystery to the forest. And at the moment, Nie Fan was leaving the small path inside Redwood Forest, evading the Redwood Nymphs and dashing towards a single coordinate.


    Making his way past a tall slope full of tree leaves, Nie Fan¡¯s eyes focused on the exposed ground nearby the thick, powerful roots of a Grando Redwood Tree: a tuft of inch-long grass was glinting animatedly, the sunlight shining upon it from above by sheer chance.


    The herb itself only had three leaves and was blood-red but crystalline, its luster swirling and leaving the eyes dizzy.


    It¡¯s a rare novice-grade herb¡ªa Red Corolla!


    Red Corollas were herbs used for creating potions for dizziness and was very rare. In the future, those potions would be needed for entering the Goblin Temple, which was why he has to prepare some since it would be unavailable in the market.


    The drop location of those herbs was recorded in his father¡¯s data too¡ªharvesting them right now before the map was explored meant that he would be getting one herb with every coordinate provided. On the other hand, that might not be the case if someone had been there before.


    Nie Fan dropped to a crouch and carefully dug out the herbs. The potion quality would drop drastically if he hurt the roots of the plant, and it would also have a lower success rate in being brewed as a potion.


    He continued onwards after harvesting the herb, aware that he was near his target after glancing at his coordinates. Looking ahead, he found an enormous Redwood Nymph¡ªits whole body was dark red, and while it did not look too different from ordinary Redwood Nymphs, it stood a dozen feet taller, its lush branch and leaves stretching into the air like a massive canopy while its body burned in white-hot flames. It was simply wandering at the moment, with the redwood trees around it swaying in a lively manner every step it took.


    [Burning Redwood Nymph: Level 20 Miniboss, 3500 HP]


    It was one of the toughest monsters beneath level 30!


    A group of at least thirty players was needed to stand a chance against it, and Nie Fan simply would never survive at his current level. But naturally, he was here to train his skill and not to farm monsters.


    Nie Fan slowly made his way around to reach its rear, staying around ten yards away from the Burning Redwood Nymph under the cover of the trees.


    The Miniboss had three blind spots, exploitable when coupled with its slow movement speed. Moreover, the mainframe had a certain setting for the creature: under most situations and as long as it did not spot the player, it would not target the player even when attacked. It meant that you could attack it however you want¡­ until its HP became lower than 80% when it would go berserk, unleashing AoE attacks like Fiery Sea to attack every creature alive around itself.


    That being said, there would be no problem as long as one was not spotted and did not hurt it lower than 80% of its HP!


    Nie Fan hence chanted his spell.


    Bloodthirsty Vine!


    Having reached Level 2, the cast time for the spell had been reduced from 5 seconds to 4.6 seconds as well.


    The Burning Redwood Nymph seemed to felt something then, but when it was about to turn a vine had broken through the ground, coiling around it tightly as a [-2] damage value popped up over its head.


    Its level was simply so high that even Bloodthirsty Vines could only cause two points of mandatory damage.


    And even before the Bloodthirsty Vines could attack again, the Miniboss had raised its massive wooden arm and slapped it in two.


    The creature then paused for 2 seconds, but that was long enough for Nie Fan to rapidly circle around and get to its rear again. Death would be inevitable if he trained his skill here when it was level 1, but at level 2, the restraining effect of Bloodthirsty Vines ensured that Nie Fan had enough time to evade.


    Meanwhile, the Burning Redwood Nymph looked around, and returned to its roaming state when it noticed nothing.


    Nie Fan did not linger after unleashing his Bloodthirsty Vines, instead adjusted his position relative to the Miniboss¡¯s movements and ensure that he was always in its blind spot. At Level 1, factors such as the long casting time and being unable to slow the creature¡¯s movements would get him spotted by the Burning Redwood Nymph, and Nie Fan would never escape its fire spells even if he could run quickly.


    [System: Bloodthirsty Vines cast successful, skill proficiency +5]


    Since the Burning Redwood Nymph was twice of Nie Fan¡¯s level, the skill proficiency points he obtained with a successful cast of Bloodthirsty Vine was simply stunning. Moreover, the creature moved so slowly that his accuracy was at 100%!


    It takes 800 points of skill proficiency to improve Bloodthirsty Vines from Level 2 to 3, which would usually take five days for most players. On the other hand, it took just an hour of such special, outlandish skill training for Nie Fan¡¯s skill bar to glow white again.


    Bloodthirsty Vines was now Level 3.


    Moreover, Nie Fan would also seize the chance during the cooldown period for Bloodthirsty Vines to level up Black Oil and Mini Fireball as well, and both soon reached Level 3 too. Furthermore, since the damage for Mini Fireball had increased for almost 30% compared to Level 2, and with the ensuing strengthening of Black Oil, the damage of Nie Fan¡¯s combo with both skills doubled!

 Chapter 12

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan¡¯s attack merely itched the Burning Redwood Nymph, and did not draw its attention at all. As is usual, it would only look around when it occasionally sensed ripples of Nature Force, and did not reacted out of the ordinary.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan was slowly getting used to the behavioral patterns of the Burning Redwood Nymph, slowly becoming at ease as he concentrated in training with his skill. Although Bloodthirsty Vines would still deal [-2] damage on the Miniboss, Nie Fan was aware of how stunning the attributes of the skill was: one cast was enough to instakill another player of the same level!


    2


    He was just getting started. After all, it¡¯s not enough for Bloodthirsty Vines to stay at Level 3!


    It takes 2000 proficiency points to improve Bloodthirsty Vines from Level 3 to Level 4 and almost two hours, but the investment was worth it. Even if someone would pull away in terms of level, a powerful skill like Bloodthirsty Vines would make leveling up a simple task!


    But as Nie Fan was enthusiastically raising the skill level for Bloodthirsty Vines when his voice channel started to ring. It was Xie Yu once again.


    ¡°Nie Fan, Suyue, and I already reached Level 6. That place you told us about is definitely good: Holy Light classes deal 160% damage on evil goblins and killing them is like chopping vegetables. Moreover, they would spawn quickly at that location¡ªit¡¯s like another would appear right after we killed one! Also, this place is quite isolated so no one else is trying to steal our kills!¡± Xue Yue told him excitedly, ¡°Should we stay here and keep leveling up?¡±


    Nie Fan smiled since it was an outcome he expected. ¡°Evil goblins are just level four,¡± he replied, ¡°And the EXP you would gain for killing each one would be a lot less at level six. So stop hanging around there and move to these coordinates: 262, 372, 229. Got it? It¡¯s not far from there.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Xue Yu nodded, now a firm and undoubting believer of Nie Fan. He promptly headed to the coordinates with Lin Suyue.


    ¡°It¡¯s best if you replenish your mana spring water stock when you go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xue Yu answered, and then asked mysteriously, ¡°Nie Fan, could you have received insider tips from Tempest Wings?¡±


    ¡°Insider tips?¡± Nie Fan drew a blank.


    ¡°Of course. I say, how did the studio work so fast? It¡¯s almost inhuman¡­ they must have certain connections. Still, relax, I won¡¯t simply expose your secret.¡±


    Nie Fan could not help but smile¡ªXue Yu had mistaken his information as coming from the studio. ¡°More or less. Anyway, you should go level up now, don¡¯t waste time.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll listen to you in the game from now one.¡± Xue Yu chuckled, thinking that he would definitely be able to level up rapidly and reach professional gamer levels with those insider tips from Tempest Wings. It was certainly worth spending the time to travel here, not to mention that Nie Fan would be bearing certain risks by revealing that information to him. He could not help but feel moved: he had made many friends since he was a child, but Nie Fan was the only one he would call ¡®brother¡¯.


    As such, following Nie Fan¡¯s instruction, Xue Yu went off with Lin Suyue to level up, whereas Nie Fan continued to train his skill enthusiastically.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the logistics department of Tempest Wing was still running in an orderly manner at Moxxi Village.


    ¡°Vice chairman, we received fifty bronze coins from Dark Night in the mail.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± There was a fickle look on Infernal Left Hand¡¯s face.


    So, the one called Nie Fan had some tricks up his sleeve to complete the quest on the first day so quickly. Still, someone must be helping him behind the scenes since most players would never gather so much bronze coins in such a short time. As such, he had a growing feeling that Nie Fan was up to no good when he joined Tempest Wings. He might have come for Lin Xinyan like he did, since any gamer who could gather 50 bronze coins on day one did not have to stay at Tempest Wings for a measly two thousand dollar-salary¡ªhe could go to any studio he wanted and earn up to seven thousand.


    Infernal Left Hand would never imagine that Nie Fan was waiting for his salary from Tempest Wings to make a living.


    Nonetheless, he had already thought up a dirty trick.


    ¡°Send a message to all Tempest Wings fringe members, tell them to gather at Moxxi Village tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Vice chairman, that might not fly. Our fringe members are spread out at various villages, and it might take six hours for some to come here even if they hurry.¡± One of the gamers told him gingerly, afraid that he would make Infernal Left Hand feel cross.


    Infernal Left Hand thought about it for a moment and then said, ¡°Those too far need not come, but anyone based in the villages near Moxxi Village must come!¡±


    It was at least a half an hour journey from Tajit Village to Moxxi Village. Afterwards, Infernal Left Hand would simply assign that Nie Fan some trivial mission so that he couldn¡¯t do anything else, and he could just leave Tempest Wings if he had any objections!


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Infernal Left Hand was the second-biggest shareholder in Tempest Wings, and the other gamers naturally would not go against him and hence quickly left to relay his orders.


    ¡°Vice chairman, the boss is here.¡± One of them suddenly yelled.


    At the village gates, a group of over fifty players was entering Moxxi Village imposingly, all of them now Level 10 and drawing gasp of awes from the other players.


    Leading the group was Lin Quan. His ID was Heavenly Left Hand and he was now Level 11. With his two Copper-grade items, he looked valiant and formidable.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s Tempest Wings!¡±


    ¡°Amazing, all of them have level ten items already!¡± To normal players, the drop rate of items was so rare that even having a normal White-grade item they could wear was already extraordinary.


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure. They are ranked at the top twenty in the country!¡±


    ¡°Bro Quan, you¡¯re back. How were things?¡± Infernal Left Hand smiled, looking much friendly than he was just a moment ago.


    ¡°It was alright.¡± Lin Quan laughed cheerfully, before turning to give his group instructions to replenish their potions. Then, he walked alongside Infernal Left Hand and asked, ¡°How are the fringe members doing with their quests?¡±


    ¡°All of them had completed their quests at the moment, earning more than three thousand bronze coins with ten coins a person on average. Only one player didn¡¯t.¡± Infernal Left Hand replied, although the truth was that there were seven fringe members who have not completed their quests. However, he was covering for them since


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Lin Quan asked¡ªto avoid affecting a fringe member¡¯s development early on, their quests were moderate. As such, the fringe members would help cultivate the elite members, and when the elite members were stronger, they would in turn nurture the fringe members: it was the most common strategy for studios to strengthen themselves altogether. Therefore, when a VR game starts service, most studios would be incurring losses since they would be paying their employees heftily, and it is only during later stages when they grow in strength, in turn gaining sponsorships, endorsement deals, items trades, and other profits.


    That was why no one could not afford starting a studio without strong financial power, and they might be forced to pay for damages if the strength of the studio fell beneath projections.


    ¡°The newcomer, that one called Nie Fan,¡± Infernal Left Hand replied.


    2


    ¡°Him?¡± Lin Quan frowned. ¡°Never mind. He¡¯s new, it¡¯s normal if he didn¡¯t finish his quest.¡±


    Infernal Left Hand smiled in agreement at Lin Quan¡¯s nonchalant look. ¡°That¡¯s right, newcomers could hardly secure any results. Why not make him a farmer? We do lack a miner player after all.¡±


    ¡°Miner?¡± Lin Quan repeated, shaking his head. ¡°Forget it. Xinyan recommended him so let him be¡ªwe¡¯ll only discuss his future if he can¡¯t complete the fifty percent bare minimum of quests in a month.¡±


    ¡°Is he her classmate?¡± Infernal Left Hand pretended to ask casually, his heart tightening as he waited for Lin Quan¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Classmate? No way,¡± Lin Quan laughed. ¡°He¡¯s just the son of my second uncle¡¯s old friend who passed away. That¡¯s why my uncle was entrusted with taking care of him, and it¡¯s even said that he was engaged to Xinyan, although that¡¯s probably my uncle¡¯s joke and not to be taken seriously. He would never really let him marry her, but let¡¯s allow him to stay around for a bit. Think of it as giving my uncle face and taking in a homeless person.¡±


    1


    It was a casual remark, but Infernal Left Hand took it to heart. His very thoughts darkened at the idea of that brat being betrothed to Xinyan as children, and he definitely would not accommodate the presence of such a threat.


    ¡°Anyway, the stats should be in by now. Which other studios are basing themselves in Kelfield?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re lucky. Kelfield has only a few factions: Bloodbath Studios, Phoenix Down Studios, Stalker Studios, and Wandering Souls Studios. For Bloodbath, they only have twelve players who could make the mark, aside from Warsong himself. They shouldn¡¯t be a threat. That¡¯s the same for Phoenix Down¡ªit¡¯s a nation of women over there, but most of them can¡¯t even be considered professional gamers aside from Dancing Phoenix. As for Wandering Souls and Stalkers, they basically aren¡¯t a threat.¡± Infernal Left Hand handed Lin Quan a sheet of data.


    ¡°Wandering Souls? I heard that they¡¯ve been quite close with Demon God Studios lately.¡±


    ¡°Just rumors. Demon God is expanding without end, sure, but they won¡¯t be interested with a studio as small as Wandering Souls.¡± Infernal Left Hand said disapprovingly.


    ¡°By the way, I heard that there¡¯s a player selling a level fifteen copper-grade item over at Tajit a few hours ago. Help me find that person,¡± Lin Quan said. ¡°We need to take control of Kelfield without any surprises.¡±


    ¡°Level fifteen copper-grade item, a few hours ago? No way. That¡¯s just rumors, how could anyone be challenging a level fifteen a few hours ago!?¡± Infernal Left Hand twitched inwardly¡ªthere was no way that news could be true.


    ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s best to be sure.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll send someone to ask around.¡± Infernal Left Hand replied, thinking that Lin Quan was being too careful. In reality, he is never going to do that, and neither was he afraid that anyone would accuse him of paying lip service since he had almost complete control of Tempest Wings by now. Lin Quan could at best direct those in the elite group, and even then, some of the elites are now his trusted agents.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to replenish some consumables. The logistic tasks are now in your hands, sorry for the trouble.¡± Lin Quan clapped Infernal Left Hand on his shoulder; he was quite trusting of him.


    ¡°What are you saying, Bro Lin?¡± Infernal Left Hand sniggered, scratching his head as insolence flared inwardly¡ªhe would never have bothered to stay with Tempest Wings if not for Lin Xinyan.


    Lin Quan headed towards the apothecary while reading the data Infernal Left Hand provided him. Although this was the first day for Blood of Tyranny, there were clear movements all around as the major studios set the stage in various zones.


    For the moment, who would prevail as the ultimate victor remained to be seen.

 Chapter 13

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Meanwhile, not knowing everything happening outside, Nie Fan was continuously leveling up his Bloodthirsty Veins skill when he suddenly received a message. It was instructions from Tempest Wings studios that he must assemble at Moxxi before ten tomorrow, and that they would be punishing fringe members who were absent.


    Nie Fan was gloomy after reading the message. The first few days when a game began was a critical period for gamers to level up, so what were the admin messing around with, having him travel so far away to Moxxi? Really, whose dumb orders could it be?


    Should he go tomorrow?


    It was for certain that much time would be wasted if he went, but when he thought about going, he remembered that he had only became a part of Tempest Wings days ago and signed a contract with them, not to mention that the headgear Lin Quan provided him was the reason he could play Blade of Tyranny. Moreover, with the trade platform of the game yet to be established in its first months, the players would have a hard time earning in-game currency.


    In other words, Nie Fan would starve to death without the salary from Tempest Wings.


    Would he be forced out of the studio if he didn¡¯t obey instructions? It would be even more troublesome if they took back the headgear as per their contract. How would he afford another?


    Nie Fan suddenly thought of Lin Xinyan¡ªif he asked her to apply leave in his stead, would Tempest Wings be a little more accommodating? He should talk to her after leaving the game¡­


    Whatever. He¡¯ll keep leveling up Bloodthirsty Vines!


    Hence, Nie Fan kept unleashing that skill just as the number of Intermediate Mana Spring Water and Novice Mana Potion continued to decrease. Nonetheless, his proficiency rate of Bloodthirsty Wings was increasing exponentially, and once again, his skill bar shone white soon enough.


    [Bloodthirsty Vines: Skill Level 4, summons 1 vine, attack 55, tenacity 13, HP 150, casting time 4.2 seconds, 15 mana cost, cooldown time 14 seconds, hardened wood attribute. Damage -3%]


    At Level 4, all attributes of Bloodthirsty Vines such as Attack, Tenacity, and HP had increased by significant margins, with a much shorter cooldown and casting time and even evolving a Novice hardened wood buff. Most players would only reach Level 3 in one or two skills at Level 30, Level 4 at Level 50¡ªmeanwhile, Nie Fan had already reached Level 4 by power-leveling Bloodthirsty Vines, which was equal to a Level 10 player wielding a Level 50 weapon.


    To players of the same level, that was an assured instakill.


    But Nie Fan did not stop, and kept cultivating that skill of his.


    Level 4 was not enough; he must reach Level 5!


    In fact, he was also improving his Black Oil and Mini Fireball skills as well, with his numerous Intermediate Mana Spring Water and instant recoveries ready to sustain him for another four hours.


    That being said, leveling Bloodthirsty Veins up to Level 5 takes 5000 skill proficiency points and would need five hours. Most players would probably reach Level 16 by then, and they could run into Nie Fan if he stayed here.


    Nie Fan did not want anyone else stumbling upon his special skill training and proceeding to imitate him.


    He would be profiting right up to Level 60 if he could improve Bloodthirsty Veins up to Level 5! With another five hours, his Black Oil and Mini Fireball would also rise to Level 4, and the combo of the two would be quite stunning then as well.


    Pair that combo with Bloodthirsty Vines, and his capacity for destruction would be devastating.


    ***


    Xue Yu messaged him again then.


    ¡°Nie Fan, both Suyue and I reached Level 10. Where should we go now?¡± He asked, since their progress was now slowing down.


    ¡°Tell Suyue to buy a Flaying Knife from the grocery shop in Tajit Village and learn the Flaying skill,¡± Nie Fan told him. ¡°Then go back and farm Level 6 Feral Deer: you¡¯ll attack, Suyue will do the Flaying.¡±


    ¡°Farm¡­ a Level 6 beast?¡± Xue Yu drew a blank for a moment.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get much EXP, but one Feral Deerskin is worth three bronze coins,¡± Nie Fan explained. ¡°It is definitely one way to make a profit in the early game. Get rich, and I¡¯ll take you two to level up when I¡¯m done leveling up my skill. It¡¯ll be much faster than having you guys level up by yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll go right away.¡± Xue Yu replied. He could basically cut down Feral Deer with one swing of his sword at his current level, and with Suyue focusing on flaying as well as Nie Fan¡¯s tip that one skin was worth 3 bronze coins, he would definitely earn money efficiently.


    Moreover, most players would be busy leveling up right now, and they would not be farming Feral Deer since those beasts yield low EXP¡ªnot even one-third of the EXP gained from other beasts of the same level. That was why not many of them would farm Feral Deers at the moment, meaning that Xue Yu did not have to worry about other players trying to steal their kills. When they finally realized the creature¡¯s worth later on, there would be crowds of players forming parties to farm them.


    When that happens, they could not even dream of getting one!


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep training my skill; I¡¯ll contact you later.¡± Nie Fan said.


    He would soon reach his ten-hour playing limit, but he still had 36 hours of free time for the month that he could allocate as he like. After all, most players would never log out on day one of a new game¡ªtime was of the essence!


    Meanwhile, Xue Yu and Lin Suyue returned to Tajit Village. After taking some time to manage their inventory, they bought a Flaying Knife as Nie Fan instructed and had Suyue learn Flaying, before heading south towards the spawn point of the deer herd.


    They arrived a dozen minutes later. Xue Yu gasped then¡ªevery other spawn point was plagued with crowds but this place was empty. Not even players would come to farm Feral Deer at Level 7, whereas other players who are now above Level 10 had naturally gone off to high-level maps since there was no EXP to be gained here. As such, the deer were spawning here herd after herd, spreading all over the place, so much so that Level 6 players would have been drowned instantly before they could farm them.


    Xue Yu dashed ahead, brandishing his sword and killing one Feral Deer per swing. Soon, a pile of them dropped to the ground, although the others began to encircle and attacked him. Nonetheless, one [Miss] sign after another popped up over Xue Yu¡¯s head, with the occasional [-1] mandatory damage.


    While Xue Yu held the full attention of the herd, Lin Suyue dropped to a crouch and collected Deerskin from the corpses. Flaying each took her around five seconds, and she did not move more than two steps to reach another corpse and collect another. At this rate, she could at least collect more than 500 in an hour, meaning that they could earn fifteen hundred bronze coins at minimum!


    ¡°Nie Fan is so awesome. It¡¯s like he calculated everything¡­ how did he know that coming here is so profitable at Level 10?¡± Lin Suyue exclaimed excitedly. She was a friend of Nie Fan¡¯s since childhood as well¡ªa tomboy from the start, cheerful and open-minded, she had always been on good terms with Nie Fan and Xue Yu. Still, she thought that she did not quite get him at the moment.


    ¡°Insider tips from Tempest Wings, of course.¡± Xue Yu replied as if it was almost natural.


    ¡°No way! If Tempest Wings knows, why aren¡¯t they here to farm as well?¡± Lin Suyue shot back.


    ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡± Xue Yu scratched his head with a goofy smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we shouldn¡¯t ask since there must be a reason Nie Fan wouldn¡¯t tell us. Listen to him and we¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Suyue didn¡¯t dwell on it as well. Although Nie Fan might be acting like a prodigy at the moment, he was definitely sincere towards them.


    ***


    With everything proceeding as Nie Fan intended, a bright white light flashed in his skill bar five hours later. He lowered his gaze to find that his Bloodthirsty Vines skill was now Level 5 while both Black Oil and Mini Fireball were Level 4, while his bag only had two stacks of Intermediate Mana Spring Water and three bottles of Novice Mana Potion left.


    [Bloodthirsty Vines: Skill level 5, summons 1 vine, Attack 75, Tenacity 17, HP 190, casting time 4 seconds, 21 mana cost, cooldown time 13 seconds, hardened wood attribute. Damage -6%]


    He could leave now¡ªother players might notice him if he stayed.


    With his goal achieved, Nie Fan left the Burning Redwood Nymph and dashed towards a clearing to the eastern side of the Redwood Forest, sprinting rapidly through the woods.


    He arrived at his destination and found five Redwood Nymphs wandering back and forth, one of which was larger than the rest and holding a massive wooden hammer.


    It was a Redwood Nymph Warrior, an elite monster!


    [Redwood Nymph: Level 16, 550 HP]


    [Redwood Nymph Warrior: Level 17, 1320 HP]


    Hiding in a dense bush, Nie Fan looked towards the western corner of the clearing: beneath a towering Redwood lay a wooden treasure chest¡ªalthough it was low level, it could drop nice items. Now, Nie Fan was ready to clear away the Redwood Nymphs, open the treasure chest and return to Tajit Village¡­ or it would be depressing if someone passed by and unlocked the chest. After all, players might reach this place after their levels increased.


    He looked at his skill bar then. He could now test the power of Level 5 Bloodthirsty Vines now!


    Picking an angle, Nie Fan started to chant his spell.


    Nature Force began to surge wildly.


    The Redwood Nymphs noticed Nie Fan when he was chanting his spell then. With a sharp squawk, they began to approach him. Even so, they would never reach him in four seconds since they moved so slowly!


    Bloodthirsty Vines!


    One of the Redwood Nymphs was striding ahead when a red vine suddenly shot out from the ground and rapidly coiled around him, rendering it immobile. Then, with a thud, the vine slapped it, and a [-95] damage value appeared over the creature¡¯s head.


    Level 5 Bloodthirsty Vines had 75 Attack, almost reaching a hundred with Nie Fan¡¯s Spirit buff!


    The Redwood Nymph swung its wooden hand to attack the wine. One [-17] damage value appeared over the vine, but it was so tough at Level 5 that not even the Level 16 Redwood Nymph could break it after ten attacks.


    On the other hand.


    [-98], [-157] ¡­


    Nie Fan¡¯s vines had managed to strike a critical hit, promptly splintering the Redwood Nymph into pieces of wood strewn all over the ground.


    He, at Level 10 had actually destroyed a Level 16 Redwood Nymph! There would be no telling what others would think if they could see him right now!


    But even as his EXP shot up to 63%, Nie Fan quickly retreated when he saw the Redwood Nymph Warrior and three other normal Redwood Nymphs come towards him. He also cast Black Oil at the Redwood Nymph Warrior, which takes only three seconds at Level 4 and slowed the Redwood Nymph Warrior considerably. Almost immediately afterwards, a Mini Fireball shot out, and a scorching blaze that reaches the skies ignited with a boom.


    [-60], [-65], [-69] ¡­


    The Redwood Nymph Warrior screamed miserably in the fire which also blurred its vision, while the creature itself lost all control over its own movements. Beside it, the other three Redwood Nymphs had quickly dodged aside to avoid being touched by the flames as well.


    Glancing at his skill bar to find that the cooldown period for Bloodthirsty Vines was over, Nie Fan killed another Redwood Nymph with that skill.


    His vicious destruction continued afterwards, and just a minute later, there were three Redwood Nymph corpses on the ground.


    Such terrific damage¡ªhigh-level skills are so frightening!


    Even Nie Fan was stunned by the sheer power.


    Still, high-level spells did have a rather high mana cost. Taking a long at his MP, Nie Fan saw that three castings had consumed almost half of his MP.

 Chapter 14

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan quickly pulled back. Then, when he saw from skill bar that his skill had cooled down, he cast Bloodthirsty Vines again and fell another Redwood Nymph. With the crisp ding of a system notification, he saw that he was now Level 11. However, he continued by throwing Black Oil at the Redwood Nymph Warrior and followed it up with a shot of Mini Fireball.


    The towering flame ignited with a bang.


    Although killing a Miniboss like the Burning Redwood Nymph was too difficult with Nie Fan¡¯s current level, it was a simple matter to kill a Redwood Nymph Warrior.


    With his fearsome assault, the Redwood Nymph Warrior roared grimly as damage values reaching up to sixty appeared over its head.


    Not even a Level 60 offensive mage could deal such high damage!


    1


    And right after the Black Oil Mini Fireball combo, Nie Fan restrained the Redwood Nymph Warrior with a Bloodthirsty Vine.


    The creature kept swinging its hammer to attack the vine coiled around itself, each blow causing more than thirty points of damage. On the other hand, each Bloodthirsty Vine would hurt it with up to seventy points of damage.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan¡¯s vine split into pieces and dropped to the ground after six hits by the Redwood Nymph Warrior.


    With a brief calculation, one could see that the Bloodthirsty Vine had kept the Redwood Nymph Warrior under control for almost ten seconds and attacked it five times, dealing up to -300 damage.


    On the other hand, the Redwood Nymph Warrior fell into a crazed rage after escaping the Bloodthirsty Vine. As it looked around, it found Nie Fan some thirty yards away, and promptly gave chase.


    Black Oil!


    Mini Fireball!


    Another towering flame ignited with a bang. Its HP finally empty, the Redwood Nymph Warrior screamed into the skies before slamming heavily down on the ground.


    That was easy! As Nie Fan imagined, a Level 5 skill and two Level 4 skills are peerless. Glancing at his status, he saw that he had leveled up once again, reaching Level 12.


    Nie Fan hence reached out and picked up the drops from the Redwood Nymph Warrior. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that it was a Druid¡¯s leather armor! At the moment, his best equipment was the Spike Spaulders and the rest were White-grade items he simply put on after he got them from the monsters he killed.


    He took a look at the stats of the leather armor.


    [Wild Leather Armor (Druid): Level 17 required, Copper-grade, Defense 22-28, Spirit +3, Durability 31/31]


    It was a very ordinary Copper-grade item with good defense, and would increase his defense greatly as well add 3 Spirit points when he equips it at Level 17.


    Nie Fan put the Wild Leather Armor into his bag and then searched the other Redwood Nymph corpses as well, but only found five bronze coins. Then, having collected all his spoils, he headed towards the treasure chest which was some distance away.


    What could be in the chest?


    However, the nearby thicket rustled suddenly when he was around ten feet away from the treasure chest. Alert, Nie Fan looked up towards the source and saw that a Mage dressed in blue robes had appeared behind several towering trees. He was male and looked around twenty, his eyes leveled at Nie Fan¡¯s direction.


    It was clear that he had discovered the treasure chest too!


    That being said, it was clear that he was skilled: Level 16, class unknown and yet brave enough to farm monsters in the Redwood Forest alone.


    Their eyes met then, and Nie Fan immediately became alert. It was difficult for him to not be hostile with a Mage who suddenly appeared out of nowhere when the treasure chest was just in front of him, and if the Mage would attempt to claim the treasure chest, the only solution was to fight for it.


    Nie Fan had yet to duel another player and did not have any experience with PK either. Moreover, his items were terrible since he had been training his skill all along, and the only thing he could rely on were the three skills on his skill bar.


    It would probably be one horrible battle, but Nie Fan was prepared to fight.


    ***


    Shadow Sadwind was a lone mage. At Level 16, the Redwood Forest was undoubtedly paradise for his class¡ªslow movers like the Redwood Nymphs were most suited for them to level up. In fact, he had picked this place as his precious training ground at Level 13 and he had indeed been leveling up until just now, when he heard the shriek of the Redwood Nymph Warrior while looking for more Redwood Nymphs. He hurried here to check things out, running into Nie Fan and was stunned speechless: there were five Redwood Nymph corpses strewn around the ground, one of which was an elite Redwood Nymph Warrior.


    Sadwind had experienced the terror of that elite beast himself himself¡ªwhen he ran into one in the forest, he quickly gave up a few dozen seconds later since there was no way he could defeat it.


    1


    On the other hand, Nie Fan was only Level 12 and only equipped with worn inferior items. Did he really slay those Redwood Nymphs and that Redwood Nymph Warrior?


    If that was true, the Level 12 Druid simply defied logic! Sadwind looked around and couldn¡¯t find anyone¡ªnot even another player¡¯s corpse.


    Nie Fan was definitely alone.


    So how did he do it?


    Shadow Sadwind felt waves of chill inside. As a solo professional gamer, he had always considered that he had to find technique. Now, however, he appeared to be terribly lacking compared to the Druid before him.


    And when he saw Nie Fan¡¯s gaze that was dripping with enmity, he promptly realized that Nie Fan had assumed that he was here to steal the treasure chest.


    But how would he dare to do that under such circumstances?!


    He would never assume that he could handle Nie Fan, and even if by chance he could kill Nie Fan, making such a frightening enemy over a mere box was not a worthwhile trade.


    Still, Nie Fan felt so mysterious that Sadwind cast Scout on him and saw that his ID was Dark Night.


    ¡°Dark Night. I¡¯ll remember that name.¡± He muttered under his breath. They would definitely meet each other again since they were both from Tajit Village.


    Gesturing with his hand at Nie Fan, Sadwind slowly retreated.


    ***


    Nie Fan¡¯s tightened heartstrings slowly relaxed when he saw that Shadow Sadwind had gone far away. Though Bloodthirsty Vines were incredibly powerful at Level 5 it was a different matter with player combat, and Nie Fan could hardly be certain of his chances in a real duel against a Level 16 mage.


    A player who could reach Level 16 in such a short time? He was definitely skilled!


    Nonetheless, he arched his back and was about to unlock the treasure chest¡­ when he found that it had no lock. Most White-grade treasure chests were rarely sealed, but one would have to give up on any sealed treasure chest unless they were Thief-class or had a key.


    [System: Opening treasure chest¡­ 21%¡­ 36%¡­]


    Around six seconds, the treasure chest opened with a click.


    Feeling around the inside of the chest, Nie Fan touched something that was at once very smooth and hot with his right hand. That sensation¡­ could it be a magic item? His heartbeat quickened even as he drew out the object: it was a fist-sized crystal with a unique designed. It looked like a beating heart and was entirely blood-red, with crimson specks of light dancing around it like fairies, releasing hot energies outwardly.


    Nie Fan was curious. It was neither a gem nor jewelry, and so he checked the attributes of the item.


    [Nymph Heart: A key to enter the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest. Single-use for a party of 5, level requirement 20-25]


    It was a special item¡­ and a key?


    Nie Fan remembered something then: there was definitely a small but quite difficult dungeon in the heartlands of the forest. The drops include Level 20 enchanted items, and there was also a chance to obtain top-grade rare items.


    Nie Fan made a search about the heartlands of the nymphs¡¯ forest in the website that his father left him and soon found a pile of information. He started to read through it as he hurried back to Tajit Village.


    It turns out that the heartlands require a five-person party to enter, with many elite monsters spawning inside. Compared to outside, the drop rate of Level 20 enchanted items is 160%, and the most powerful Boss in the dungeon was the Nymph King, which item drop immediately caught Nie Fan¡¯s attention: The Skill Tome for Feral Lycanthropy!


    Lycanthropy was a necessary skill for Druids at Level 20, and it was only having that Morphing ability when Druids would truly be strengthened in melee combat, and would not lose out to Warriors or Holy Knights who were synonymous with close-range fights. Feral Lycanthropy was itself an upgraded version of Lycanthropy, boasting 10% improved attributes and a higher growth rate.


    That being said, the heartlands of the nymphs¡¯ forest was not open and could only be entered with the Nymph Heart in the forest itself. Since the drop rate for Nymph Heart was low as well, there were any players who could make it inside those heartlands.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan decided that he must get the Feral Lycanthropy skill tome, because it is of vital importance towards his future development! As for the five-person party, Nie Fan remembered that he already had a group of three, and he could simply look for two other people when Xue Yu and Su Yue reached Level 20.


    When he almost arrived at Tajit Village, Nie Fan messaged Xue Yu, ¡°Come back to Tajit Village, I¡¯ll bring you two somewhere to level-up.¡±


    ***


    Xue Yu and Lin Suyue were busy farming feral deer, with Xue Yu glancing at his bag to find that all fifty grids were stuffed full of Deerskin, each grid holding twenty Deerskins and making it a thousand. Su Yue¡¯s bag had almost eight hundred skins too, and after some counting, they realized that it could sell for over five thousand coins!


    ¡°Go back now? But Suyue¡¯s bag isn¡¯t full yet, we could still farm for a while.¡± Xue Yu replied, a little reluctant to return with the rapid earning he was doing here.


    ¡°Hurry back. We won¡¯t miss that bit of money, and there¡¯s all the opportunity to make a killing from now on!¡± Nie Fan could not help but laugh¡ªXue Yu had become such a money-grubber that he didn¡¯t want to return!


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re coming back right away.¡± Despite being unwilling to leave, Xue Yu ultimately decided to listen to Nie Fan, calling out to Lin Suyue to hurry back as well.


    Somehow, there were even more people in the village now: there were probably six thousand players who chose to spawn at Tajit Village, and the center of the village bustling with crowds moving here and there.


    Nie Fan, Xue Yu, and Lin Suyue gathered outside the apothecary at the center of the village.


    ¡°Hi, Nie Fan. Long time, no see!¡± Lin Suyue greeted Nie Fan with a smile. She had a pretty face despite her tomboy personality, a look that others would feel comfortable around even if she was not exactly a beauty.


    ¡°Long time, no see.¡± Nie Fan smiled in return to the both of them.


    ¡°You look well. It seems that the air in Yinhai is quite accommodating.¡± Lin Suyue grinned.


    Xue Yu laughed too, and punched Nie Fan on the chest. ¡°You didn¡¯t even call after arriving at Yinhai, and I thought you¡¯ve gone missing. I thought you must have lost your head to some gorgeous babe in the big city!¡±


    ¡°I barely settled down in the last few days. I wanted to message you guys online, but never found you two.¡± Nie Fan smiled apologetically. He had been soaking in the data his father left him and did not go online much, which made sense that they could not get in touch.


    Nie Fan chatted for a while with Xue Yu and Lin Suyue then as his heart stirred with emotion. He had thought that he wouldn¡¯t see them in two or three years, and certainly did not expect to meet them in the game just three days after coming to Yinhai.

 Chapter 15

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°What about the deerskin in our bag? Surely we can¡¯t get rid of them in one go?¡±


    After some idle chatter, Xue Yu turned the conversation back to the game. It was definitely not worthwhile to sell so many Feral Deerskins to the NPC shops, and the modest market in Tajit Village also meant that other players would not need it at such great quantities for now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With the shortage of items right now, the major studios would be training Tailors. Those Tailors need to level up their skills, and for that they would need a lot of lesser grade beast skins¡ªand since the elite members of their group would be busy leveling up and have no time to gather materials, you both only need to advertise yourselves that you are selling the deerskin by bulk. The studios would reach out to you soon enough, and you just have to stick to the price of three bronze coins and they would take it off your hands,¡± Nie Fan told them, having planned it all beforehand.


    ¡°Really?¡± Lin Suyue asked doubtfully.


    ¡°We should split up and promote the Feral Deerskin bargain sale, and then buy as many Novice Mana Potions as we could!¡± Nie Fan said¡ªwith a stockpile of those potions, they could have a wild time farming.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll try.¡± Neither Xue Yu nor Lin Suyue knew much about the market and were therefore slightly doubting Nie Fan, although they quickly split up and went to work¡ªNie Fan knew a lot, and was very much the leader of the trio.


    And just as Nie Fan had told them, it wasn¡¯t long after the trio started to promote the deerskin that representatives from quite a few studios reached out to purchase those items. Even if each individual studio could not purchase too many at once, they would take in a maximum of six hundred deerskin or around a hundred at minimum. Soon enough, all of their deerskin was sold out, and they could now afford to purchase quite a number of Novice Mana Potions.


    Nie Fan noticed then that there were more high-level players in the village now, with the highest amongst them being Level 16. Nonetheless, the high-level players tend to belong to a fixed party and were gathered in groups of two or three. From that perspective, the player called Shadow Sadwind whom Nie Fan ran into at the Redwood Forest was quite formidable, being able to solo level but not lose out to these top-level players either.


    Meanwhile, several players were recruiting in the square at the center of the village. They were affiliated to Stalker Studios and were ready to form a guild.


    A guild?


    Nie Fan remembered that the conditions for building a guild were very demanding. First, they must obtain a Silverwing Crystal, and then accomplish a series of major quests to obtain permission for building a guild. The Silverwing Crystal was worth a lot of money and Nie Fan incidentally knew where it dropped, but his current level was far from enough.


    Still, that could wait¡ªhe should take things step-by-step.


    1


    Right now, the trio could level up after buying enough Novice Mana Potions.


    But that was when Nie Fan¡¯s voice channel rang.


    It was Lin Xinyan¡¯s bright, clear voice.


    ¡°Nie Fan, where are you? I¡¯m at Tajit Village now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m outside the apothecary. What are you doing here?¡± Nie Fan asked¡ªher spawn point was at Moxxi, why did she come here?


    Nonetheless, she exclaimed excitedly, ¡°I see you!¡±


    Nie Fan looked around, and eventually found Lin Xinyan coming towards him.


    Her face did not change much in-game: the outline on that oval face was ever distinct, and with those starry eyes, puckered lips, snow-white skin, and stunning curves she could lead anyone¡¯s mind astray. The class she had chosen was Mage, and she was wearing light-blue robes sewn with motifs of wisteria flowers. Her dark, soft and silky hair was tied with a silver hairband and hung to her waist, exuding a unique classical elegance that players nearby could not help sliding a few more glances.


    Beside her was a male player. His ID was ¡®Tracer¡¯¡ªtall and handsome, he looked like he was around nineteen, the same age as Nie Fan himself.


    1


    He looked at Nie Fan, studying him: although Nie Fan was not really good-looking, he had an indescribable elegance and appeared unaffected. Tracer¡¯s brow wrinkled then, appearing rather irritated.


    2


    At the moment, Lin Xinyan was Level 15 while he was Level 16, which was considered high.


    Nie Fan approached them with composure.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he greeted them.


    ¡°Xinyan, how should I address him? Introduce us.¡± Tracer appeared gentlemanly and natural.


    ¡°He¡¯s Nie Fan, my uncle¡¯s son who¡¯s living at my place for the moment. This is Xu Hong, a classmate of mine.¡±


    Even as Lin Xinyan spoke, there was a blush too faint to be seen on her face as she introduced Nie Fan¡ªto her, he was the man who had invaded her bathroom and quite different from others. Moreover, she heard that his father had once betrothed her to him when they were children, and she had argued many times with her father although it was a joke. Be that as it may, she no longer knew how she should behave around Nie Fan after the recent events, and was actually not so against the idea of marrying him anymore.


    ¡°Uncle, but his surname is Nie?¡± Xu Hong understood at once that Nie Fan wasn¡¯t directly related to Lin Xinyan, and his brow lifted unwittingly when he heard that he was staying at Lin Xinyan¡¯s house.


    1


    ¡°You¡¯re only level twelve, Nie Fan? Do you want to come level up with us?¡± Lin Xinyan said invitingly then. ¡°There¡¯s twelve people in our group and half of us are pros: the best is now already level seventeen! Although the rest are my classmates.¡±


    However, there was no way Nie Fan would join Lin Xinyan¡¯s party. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to level up with my two other friends.¡±


    ¡°Why not have them join us?¡± Lin Xinyan persuaded Nie Fan relentlessly. ¡°Grouping up with us would definitely be faster than just training with just a few.¡±


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s fine.¡± Nie Fan grinned, shaking his head¡ªhe would not lose to Level 20 players in ability even if he was only Level 12, and naturally couldn¡¯t care less about those so-called pros.


    ¡°Forget it, he¡¯s not coming. He¡¯s level twelve right now¡ªI¡¯m afraid the others would have something to say if he joins us.¡± Xu Hong snidely jabbed at Nie Fan that his level was too low, and that he would not be welcomed if he joined their party stubbornly. He would be embarrassing himself then, and basically gathering disgust.


    Nie Fan could tell what Xu Hong meant, but did not show his irritation. ¡°Xu Hong¡¯s right,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Let¡¯s level up some other day, today¡¯s really inconvenient.¡±


    Lin Xinyan could not help feeling disappointed, but she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Xu Hong was celebrating inwardly¡ªat least Nie Fan knew his place. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± he told Nie Fan. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be joining us today, but we¡¯ll invite you again when you are level twenty to challenge the Gray Plains Swamp.¡±


    Despite what he was saying, Xu Hong was despicably thinking that by the time that he and Lin Xinyan reached Level 20 and enter the Gray Plains Swamp, Nie Fan might still be lingering around Level 15.


    On the other hand, although Nie Fan could not tell what Xu Hong was thinking, he wouldn¡¯t sink so low as to squabble with Xu Hong and would only stick to the truth.


    That was when Xue Yu found him and came by.


    ¡°Nie Fan, who are they?¡± Xue Yu asked interestedly when he saw Lin Xinyan and Xu Hong, discreetly amazed as he glanced at Lin Xinyan¡ªshe was even more beautiful than the prettiest school back at middle school!


    Nie Fan made the introductions, ¡°They¡¯re friends. She¡¯s Lin Xinyan, my uncle¡¯s daughter; that¡¯s her classmate Xu Hong.¡±


    ¡°Lin Xinyan? Is it actually you? I remember meeting you during sixth grade.¡± Xue Yu was gaping so widely that a chicken egg could be stuffed into his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m Xue Yu¡ªdo you remember me? Never thought that you would become so beautiful¡­ He must be your boyfriend, right? Quite handsome too.¡± Ever straightforward, Xue Yu spoke his mind directly. After all, there was every chance that Xu Hong was Lin Xinyan¡¯s lover since he was together with her.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s a misunderstanding. He¡¯s just a classmate.¡± Lin Xinyan quickly waved him off and denied that, while sneaking a glance at Nie Fan and searching for any reaction.


    But she failed, and felt a pang of disappointment.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Xue Yu nodded, looking between Nie Fan, Lin Xinyan, and Xu Hong for some hints because he did not get the relationship between the three of them. Nonetheless, he briskly messaged Nie Fan so that they wouldn¡¯t waste time, ¡°We spent everything and bought all the Novice Mana Potions and Intermediate Mana Spring Water we could.¡±


    Having read the message, Nie Fan turned to Xu Hong and Lin Xinyan. ¡°Well, I should be going off with Xue Yu here. Sorry for leaving so soon, but let¡¯s talk more if we see each other next time.¡±


    With that, he and Xue Yu turned and left. Lin Suyue, who had been standing in a corner came to them.


    ¡°You two know them?¡± She asked, glancing at Lin Xinyan and Xu Hong behind them.


    ¡°Nie Fan does.¡± Xue Yu replied.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xinyan looked like she lost all interest after watching both Nie Fan and Xue Yu leave. ¡°Is our party leaving soon?¡± She asked Xu Hong.


    Seeing her dispirited look, Xu Hong comforted her, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no helping it if he¡¯s not coming. He is only level twelve, and both his other teammates are level ten¡ªthere¡¯s such a big gap that we can¡¯t bring them along.¡±


    After all, that pair must lack in skill given their levels. He would never believe that it was worthwhile to have them in their party, not to mention that Nie Fan made him feel a little threatened.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lin Xinyan did not even bother to listen to him.


    ***


    Xue Yu and Lin Suyue passed some of the Novice Mana Potions and Intermediate Mana Spring Water to Nie Fan, and left Tajit Village together, dashing towards the eastern side.


    In the midst of their journey, Xue Yu caught up to Nie Fan and teased him quietly, ¡°It was quite surprising. The saying ¡®a girl changes eighteen times between childhood and womanhood¡¯ is so true¡ªLin Xinyan is actually so beautiful now. I still remember how you were complaining about her always sticking to your side during grade school¡­ you must be regretting that now.¡±


    Nie Fan kept silent as past memories flooded his mind. He had indeed been at odds with Lin Xinyan as children, often arguing and even occasionally fighting. In fact, he still has her bite marks from that time.


    Even so, both of them had now grown, and those days were long gone.


    ¡°Nothing, huh? Well, does she have a boyfriend? Did you really not think about it even when you¡¯re living under the same roof? Remember, good things should not be given out. You are going to regret if someone gets her.¡±


    ¡°You talk too much. It¡¯s impossible for me anyway,¡± Nie Fan denied it determinedly since their families¡¯ circumstances were simply too different.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xue Yu chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re not still thinking about that Xu Feiyu, are you? She¡¯s no good! She kept saying that she won¡¯t be in a relationship until she gets in a university, only to end up hooking up with Liu and for money at that. She never even thought about you, after you have been chasing after her for years and done so much for her.¡±


    He quickly paused when he saw Nie Fan¡¯s frown. ¡°Fine, pretend I never said a thing. Still, Lin Xinyan is much more beautiful than Xu Feiyu in my opinion, and didn¡¯t I hear that your father and Uncle Lin betrothed you two? Childhood friends and childhood engagement, even living together now¡­ so convenient. Really, the pavilion closest to the water enjoys moonlight first!¡±


    1


    ¡°Times change. It was just a joke between our parents; it would have been forgotten after so many years. Our families are now mismatched and different in standing¡ªI¡¯ll be humiliating myself if I tried to woo her.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Lin¡¯s not the type who minds whether a person is rich or poor, right? I could tell from how much he cares for you.¡±


    ¡°One should be conscious of one¡¯s own position,¡± Nie Fan replied, ¡°I won¡¯t get a girlfriend before my family¡¯s debt is cleared. I will repay Uncle Lin¡¯s goodwill, and wouldn¡¯t I be an ingrate if I have delusions about Lin Xinyan?¡±


    He also remembered what Lin Quan told him before, which profoundly hurt his self-esteem. In the end, if he wanted to be respected and honor in survival, he had to strengthen himself.


    ¡°The debt is your father¡¯s problem,¡± Xue Yu retorted nonchalantly. ¡°No one would blame you even if you ultimately fail to pay back everything¡ªthat amount of debt would never be cleared even in twenty years, or are you really going to stay single for that long? Your mom would be waiting for so long that her hair would go white.¡±


    ¡°I have my own plans,¡± Nie Fan muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s stick to what we have to do right now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Still, if you could become a professional gamer like your father who ranked third, it might take less than ten years.¡± Xue Yu said, stopping the conversation since Nie Fan was unhappy.


    If Nie Fan really could make it into the top three of the gamers¡¯ leaderboards, he would definitely be getting paid handsomely from yearly sponsorship or endorsement deals since he wasn¡¯t that ugly. But could he really do it, to become a ranked gamer whom every other professional gamer looks up too?


    ¡°What are you two mumbling about?¡± Lin Suyue complained beside them. Both Nie Fan and Xue Yu had been whispering to each other for quite a while, once again excluding her.


    ¡°Nothing much, it¡¯s just the movies of a certain island nation.¡± Nie Fan replied with feigned frankness and started to speed up.


    ¡°Xue Yu!¡± Lin Suyue¡¯s eyes bulged, suddenly looking like she was having a stroke.


    Soon, Nie Fan could hear Xue Yu¡¯s horrific screams from behind. ¡°Nie Fan! You traitor!¡±


    Nie Fan smiled from the bottom of his heart, but he also thanked those two inwardly for being at his side during the darkest days of his life.


    Hence, he swore that he would have everyone see him in a new light from that day onwards, and forged a legend that belonged only to them!

 Chapter 16

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    At the Demon Goblins¡¯ spawn point deep within the Blood Shade Plains that was lush with knee-high thickets, goblins which bodies were entirely black were holding pitchforks and wandering everywhere. Dwarf-sized creatures half as tall as a human, they had distinct stout bodies.


    Meanwhile, three figures appeared at the edge of the area.


    ¡°Nie Fan, are we going to farm here? Should we have Xue Yu draw their attention?¡± Lin Suyue asked.


    The Demon Goblins were Level 17 monsters and Xue Yu would never survive a single blow from those monsters! On the other hand, Suyue and Nie Fan would not last long either if Xue Yu did not create a diversion.


    However, Nie Fan shook his head and smiled. ¡°No need.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we being a little bold coming here too?¡± Xue Yu was panicking inwardly as well¡ªthose monsters¡¯ levels were simply too high.


    But Nie Fan remained calm and confident. ¡°You two don¡¯t have to farm. You just have to collect the dropped items.¡±


    ¡°Collect dropped items?!¡± Xue Yu was stunned. He had the feeling that their trio would actually fail to kill even a single Demon Goblin with their trio¡¯s combined might.


    ¡°Just pay attention to stay six yards away since they are a little short-sighted and that is as far as their vision goes. Everything beyond that is a blur, so they would never notice you as long as you don¡¯t attack them.¡± Nie Fan told them. That was the precise reason he chose these monsters¡ªhis preparations in the two days before Blade of Tyranny started service was quite useful.


    Locking in on one of the Demon Goblins, Nie Fan started to chant his spell.


    [Bloodthirsty Vine!]


    A vine hence crept out of the ground and coiled around the Demon Goblin. The creature bellowed, swinging its pitchfork to strike at Nie Fan¡¯s vine even as the vine flailed at it without stopping, with damage values above a hundred popping up over its head.


    It¡¯s finished! A single Bloodthirsty Vine was enough to snuff it!


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan ignored it. His eyes locking in on another Demon Goblin nearby as he chanted a curse.


    Black Oil!


    The thick dark grease splashed down on the Demon Goblin¡¯s head, and it was followed up by a Mini Fireball shot. The ensuing bang and violent flames caused both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue to jump, startled.


    They gaped as the Demon Goblin¡¯s body burned with scorching fire and leap everywhere, shrieking, one stunning damage point appearing over its head after another and dropping to the dirt soon enough.


    With two Demon Goblins dropped after the other, Nie Fan¡¯s trio gained over 300 EXP per person.


    It was only then that both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue were left utterly dumbfounded. A Level 12 Druid, instakilling two Level 17 Demon Goblins at once? What skills could be so overwhelming? If Druids were so over powering, shouldn¡¯t everyone be playing Druid?


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan¡¯s Bloodthirsty Vines had gone off cooldown after a dozen seconds, and he casted it once again.


    One Demon Goblin after another began to drop into the dirt.


    Xue Yu watched as his EXP increased by leaps and bounds, and soon a white light shone: he was now Level 11. One Demon Goblin provided over 300 EXP, while he and Lin Suyue could only gain less than twenty EXP when they farm creatures of their same level¡­ the speed of this leveling up was more than a dozen times that!


    ¡°Nie Fan, what are those skills of yours?¡± He then asked as he recovered from his shock.


    ¡°Upgraded Bloodthirsty Vines, and Novice Black Oil plus Mini Fireball. The key here is skill level: My Bloodthirsty Vines is already level five, while both Black Oil and Mini Fireball are level four. That¡¯s the reason it¡¯s so effective.¡± Nie Fan explained while continuing farming monsters.


    ¡°How is your skill level so high!?¡± Lin Suyue asked in shock. She had collected some data as well after joining the game¡ªleveling up skills were time consuming, and it was very difficult to upgrade any to level five. It took weeks even if one trains nonstop, and that was why most players would not usually be able to improve a skill to level five in months, and would only reach that level for one or two skills after reaching Level 50.


    Xue Yu was speechless too. ¡°So, one level five skill and two level four skills¡­ no wonder it¡¯s so violent. How did you level up those skills anyway?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Let¡¯s just hurry up with leveling up.¡± Nie Fan considered it for a moment but soon decided that it would not benefit Lin Suyue or Xue Yu to know about certain things. Moreover, that skill leveling up process could no longer be replicated.


    Neither of them of them pressed him since he was unwilling to say it either. That being said, this was also the first time that they had felt as if they were sitting on a rocket: leveling up no sooner after they had just leveled up, the speed at which their EXP bloated left them wondering if they were dreaming. They did not have to fight or anything else for that matter, and only had to help Nie Fan gather every dropped item.


    At the same time, Nie Fan was continuously unleashing his skills and quickly using Novice Mana Potions when his mana was drained¡ªtheir party did purchase 120 bottles, after all, and it was absolutely enough for the time being.


    Moreover, the spawn rate of this location which Nie Fan himself picked was rapid. After killing a few Demon Goblins at one location, they only need to walk a few faces to find another whole bunch, leaving a trail of corpses behind them.


    1


    ¡°That¡¯s fast!¡± Xue Yu could not help exclaiming in awe.


    After twenty minutes, Nie Fan was already Level 15, while both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue were fifteen. As the EXP gain began to reduce from farming here, they quickly headed to another spot to continue leveling.


    1


    Nie Fan had quickly picked the Level 20 Fire Goblins, since leveling up was quickest when the monsters were three levels above the players. And just like the Demon Goblins, the Fire Goblins could not withstand Nie Fan¡¯s horrific assault.


    Another hour later, Nie Fan was now Level 17, while Xue Yu and Lin Suyue were Level 16. It was hard for the latter two to imagine dashing into the leading front so quickly, but they also knew that this miracle was all thanks to Nie Fan.


    Xue Yu, now fully confident in Nie Fan clapped him on his shoulder. ¡°Nie Fan, we¡¯ll do whatever you tell us in this game from now on. Just say the word and we¡¯ll get it done!¡± At this rate, the day might come that even they could squeeze into the ranks of leading gamers, which was a beautiful dream Xue Yu had¡ªneither he nor Lin Suyue came from rich families, and becoming a professional gamer meant fat salaries.


    2


    ¡°You two are my best friends. We live in hardship together, and would also get rich together. I believe that we could make it as long as we do our best.¡± Nie Fan said somberly. They were indeed friends he trusted most who helped him in hard times, and he was not an ingrate.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to log out,¡± he soon added, having decided to do his best to fix their playtime from eight pm to six am, and use his reserved time if there was anything unexpected. ¡°Go offline and rest well, we¡¯ll meet again at eight tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Xue Yue replied.


    ¡°See you tomorrow, Nie Fan.¡± Lin Suyue waved.


    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    The trio logged out, one after another.


    ***


    Plucking off his headgear, Nie Fan got out of bed and opened his curtains. The gentle morning sun streamed in from outside, relaxing the mood.


    After washing up, Nie Fan went to the kitchen to make breakfast¡ªthere was cold rice left from last night, he could cook it as porridge today.


    ¡°Morning. You left the game?¡± Lin Xinyan greeted Nie Fan as she came downstairs, smiling when she saw the steaming porridge on the table, her faint dimples showing. ¡°Nie Fan, mind if I freeload?¡±


    ¡°This is your house. Wouldn¡¯t you chase me out if I refused?¡± He joked in return. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot anyway, eat as much as you like.¡±


    ¡°Great! It¡¯s been so long since I ate at home.¡± Lin Xinyan cheered, poured herself a bowl of porridge and sat down. ¡°Dad¡¯s always been away recently so I have to go to restaurants every day,¡± she added as she ate, ¡°I¡¯m starting to get sick of that.¡±


    Nie Fan looked at her. She was wearing her school uniform: a white shirt and a knee-length skirt, simple but presenting her as a youthful beauty.


    ¡°I have something I need your help with.¡± Nie Fan said after some thought. Since she was here, he could have her help him apply for leave.


    What is it?¡± She asked suspiciously.


    ¡°The studio requested that we gather at Moxxi at ten tonight. It would take me a long time to run from Tajit to Moxxi, so could you apply leave for me?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you level up with us, Nie Fan?¡± Lin Xinyan felt puzzled at the mention of the game¡ªshe was convinced that it would be much faster if Nie Fan leveled up with her group.


    She probably would never imagine that he was now Level 17.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already promised my two friends I¡¯ll train with them; I definitely can¡¯t leave them just because of another group. Moreover, your party doesn¡¯t exactly welcome me, do they?¡± Nie Fan smiled faintly.


    1


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give Zhao Yang a call¡ªhe¡¯s the vice chairman of Tempest Wings; his ID is Infernal Left Hand. He is in charge of fringe gamers but quite friendly and easy to talk to. I¡¯ll help you apply for leave.¡± Lin Xinyan dialed a number as she explained.


    1


    ¡°So¡­ he manages all fringe gamers?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Then is he the one who gives fringe gamers daily quests?¡± Nie Fan asked carefully.


    ¡°Yep. What is it? Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Nie Fan shook his head.


    At the same time, Lin Xinyan dialed Zhao Yang¡¯s number, hung up after a few words before smiling dazzling at him. ¡°Done. I did say he¡¯s easy to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    A beautiful girl makes everything easier, Nie Fan could not help but think, before suddenly realizing another serious issue: staying in that beautiful girl¡¯s house would quickly make him a public enemy. He certainly could tell from how that person called Xu Hong was acting, and he felt truly wronged for having to bear that. That being said, he couldn¡¯t afford living by himself at the moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. By the way, my dad called me last night, and he said you should come with me to classes. Our school allows outside students to audit anyway, so you could join us.¡±


    ¡°Audit?¡± Nie Fan blanked out for a moment.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what my father said¡­ do you want to him tell you personally?¡± Lin Xinyan smiled slyly, whipping out her phone again and dialing another number.


    ¡°I was thinking about getting a daytime job. Never mind about school.¡± Nie Fan quickly refused.


    Nonetheless, Lin Yan was already handing him her phone and pointing at the screen.


    ¡°Long time no see, Xiao Fan.¡± A middle-aged man appeared on Lin Xinyan¡¯s phone screen: it was her father, Lin Weihong. He has a broad face, bushy eyebrows, large eyes and some stubble beneath his chin. Nie Fan heard that he had been very handsome in his younger years, and those outlines could still be clearly seen even now.


    ¡°Hello, Uncle Lin.¡± Nie Fan quickly greeted him. He respected the man very much since it was Lin Weihong who kept helping his family behind the scenes in hard times so that they would not suffer too miserably. When Nie Fan and his mother had been tormented by debt, even their own relatives had shunned and distanced themselves as far as possible, but Lin Weihong aided them when they needed it the most. As such, Nie Fan thought of Lin Weihong as highly as his father.


    ¡°Xinyan had probably spoken to you about this before about how she had been harassed at school recently. I¡¯m thinking about having you take care of her, so think of as a request from your Uncle Lin.¡± Lin Weihong smiled. In truth, he had to make a great effort to convince Lin Xinyan when he arranged for Nie Fan to come to Yinhai¡ªhe naturally did not expect that she was so accepting of him so quickly, and his old mind was at ease that they could be in the same room.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Nie Fan certainly could not refuse since Lin Weihong had already spoken, not to mention that he owed the head of the Lin family.


    ¡°Be rest assured, Uncle Lin, I will take care of her.¡± He said nonetheless, although those weirds felt weird the moment it left his tongue.


    2


    ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving Xinyan to you. There are still matters in my company I must see to, and we will have a good talk when things are handled here.¡± Lin Weihong smiled breezily.

 Chapter 17

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan could not help feeling troubled as the call was hung up with a beep. He really could not tell what Uncle Lin was thinking, having him attend classes with Lin Xinyan.


    Either way, his hopes of getting a day job was dashed.


    ¡°Come on, clean up. We¡¯re leaving.¡± Lin Xinyan was beaming since her cunning plan to get a personal attendant worked.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that having me go to your school would give your classmates the wrong idea? Such as that Xu Hong?¡± Nie Fan said¡ªhe was actually fine with the auditing since he could just think of it as a pleasure trip and certainly no big deal.


    1


    ¡°It¡¯ll be better if they misunderstand. No one will harass me from now on.¡± Lin Xinyan replied, quickly hiding her strangely red face.


    ¡°As you wish. I¡¯m just your bodyguard keeping you safe anyway. Don¡¯t blame me for being heavy-handed if your classmates try to start something with me.¡±


    ¡°Are you really that good? Every boy in my class is like one point nine meters tall.¡± Lin Xinyan teased.


    Nie Fan shrugged but did not deny it.


    ¡°So mysterious. Just remember not to stir trouble at my school.¡± Lin Xinyan said a little worriedly then.


    1


    ¡°I won¡¯t do a thing if they don¡¯t.¡± Nie Fan replied flatly, although there was something else that was his core principle which he left unspoken.


    2


    Then, having finished his breakfast, he quickly cleaned up the dishes. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Nie Fan, my ankle is swelling and a little sore, what is the problem?¡± Lin Xinyan asked, thinking of him as half a Chinese medicine practitioner now.


    ¡°Hard to say. It could be your ankle or your soles¡­ I need to check to see.¡±


    ¡°Would it need needles?¡±


    ¡°A massage is enough for most sore swellings.¡± Nie Fan chuckled. Why would some minor ailment need needles?¡±


    ¡°Really? Then¡­ could you help me massage?¡± Lin Xinyan asked a little shyly, watching him.


    ¡°Sit on the sofa and take off your shoe.¡± Nie Fan was composed since it was like lifting a finger anyway.


    Lin Xinyan did as she was told and took off her left shoe, shifting her posture. However, she soon felt that it was a little wrong, and tugged her skirt a little awkwardly.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan dropped to a crouch. He saw that Lin Xinyan¡¯s foot was long and white, her skin as smooth as solid oil. Her petite ankle could be held with one hand, each toe as white as snow and having a meaty softness¡ªthis feeling just might be why girls would often either think themselves too fat or too skinny.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan could not help remembering the sight he saw when he had crashed into her bathroom as she held her leg.


    Lin Xinyan seemed to have thought of something too: her cheeks were becoming hot, and the spot on her leg where Nie Fan touched was turning soft.


    The air between two turned tenderly charmingly then.


    ¡°Uh, forget it.¡± Blushing, Lin Xinyan tried to withdraw her leg. Though she was cheerful and energetic, she always declined every boy¡¯s advances.


    Even so, Nie Fan had suddenly become quite different from the other boys in her heart at some unknown point in time¡­ it could be the familiarity they shared in childhood that she did not feel a gap between them, not to mention that there were so many things special about him that drew her to him profoundly.


    ¡°I just need one minute.¡±


    Nie Fan put his fingers over her acupoint and slowly rubbed it, not looking up as he calmly asked, ¡°How does it feel?¡±


    Just as Lin Xinyan was about to say she felt nothing, the soreness on her leg was gone. A warm stream soon followed, rising from her soles and climbing up like ants up to her calves, her thighs and then her underbelly. It was such a sensation of comfort that she could not repress a soft murmur when that warm stream flowed past her more delicate parts¡ªit itched, leaving her even more sheepish, with both her thighs twitching.


    ¡°It feels¡­ warm.¡±


    ¡°Alright, there shouldn¡¯t be no problems for the time being. Still, it takes half an hour to clear it entirely so we¡¯ll leave that for next time.¡± Nie Fan told her as he stood up.


    Lin Xinyan could feel the warmth fading when Nie Fan¡¯s fingers left her leg, and suddenly felt an emptiness.


    His massage was really pleasant.


    ¡°Where did you learn all this, Nie Fan?¡± She asked, changing the conversation as she attempted to hide away her awkwardness.


    ¡°My father taught me.¡± Nie Fan could not help looking a little mournful at the mention of his father.


    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± Lin Xinyan quickly apologized when she saw the sadness in his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Nie Fan smiled, withdrawing the pained emotions in his heart.


    ¡®He really is different now,¡¯ Lin Xinyan thought then.


    She remembered that she had always clung on to him as children and fought him when he ignored him. With her dad¡¯s constant joking of having her marry Nie Fan, the childish sentiment of younger days always left her feeling nostalgic.


    And now, reuniting after being separate for years, those feelings and memories she had once believed to be distant had now returned, overlapping with the present.


    ***


    They left the mansion together, with Lin Xinyan driving Nie Fan to school.


    Her Lamborghini roared past the flat roads, passing by towering buildings and crowded streets. Nie Fan was in awe then: Yinhai definitely was no match for Ningdong, and that he himself was out of place with the prosperity here. And how difficult would it be to find a job in this big city? Most heavy labor and dangerous jobs were replaced by robotics, and any work left requires high academic qualifications and professional skill¡ªit took a lot of luck or the help of others to get any work here, and for Nie Fan, the best job at the moment was definitely being a gamer.


    For a society of definitive modernization, most tasks were accomplished through heavy machinery and humans were often idling. VR games were therefore their most joyful pastime, the mass of players collectively sustaining the many professional gamers. Likewise, major game studios popped up like mushroom after the rain, some of which boasted strong backgrounds. Aside from enjoying their wild popularity and income from in-game trading, famous gamers would also obtain income from professional tournaments, sponsorship, endorsements and the like.


    Since his father had once stood at the pinnacle of gamers¡¯ leaderboards, Nie Fan could consider himself as inheriting his father¡¯s business.


    As Nie Fan¡¯s thoughts drifted away, Lin Xinyan had parked her Lamborghini in her school¡¯s depot. She also helped him apply for an audit pass, which basically allows him to attend classes like any other student, the drawback of which was Lin Xinyan being marked down for disciplinary demerit if Nie Fan broke school rules, and he would also never be accepted into the school. The school¡¯s atmosphere was quite relaxed aside from that, and their administration would not nitpick as long as school rules were not seriously breached.


    The moment Nie Fan and Lin Xinyan alighted, a girl approached them and greeted Lin Xinyan.


    She was quite pretty: round cheeks, narrow but long eyebrows over her large eyes. Although she was not quite tall at one point five meters, that was the precise reason she appeared dainty, even if she lost to Lin Xinyan slightly in terms of class.


    ¡°Xinyan, you¡¯re early.¡± The girl said in her melodious voice, although she soon realized in shock that Nie Fan in the car as well, and therefore could not refrain from narrowing her eyes to look at him from head to toe. ¡°Who is he? Why have I never seen him before? Could he be your boyfriend, Xinyan? Not that good-looking but he does have some style. Acceptable.¡±


    ¡°Nope, you¡¯ve got it wrong.¡± Lin Xinyan quickly denied it. Although she had joked about it with Nie Fan earlier, she was flustered when the misunderstanding really came.


    On the other hand, Nie Fan returned the girl¡¯s greeting although a little unsettled by the girl¡¯s measuring look. ¡°I¡¯m Nie Fan, her cousin. I¡¯m just here visiting Yinhai a few days, so Xinyan brought me here for a look around.¡±


    He had long since thought about his excuse.


    However, the girl¡¯s eyes widened as she looked suspiciously at Lin Xinyan and then at Nie Fan. ¡°Really? There¡¯s no resemblance between you two at all.¡±


    ¡°Let me introduce you: she¡¯s Xu Xiaoshuang, she¡¯s in the same class as me. A famous big mouth.¡± Lin Xinyan quickly changed the conversation while giving Xu Xiaoshuang a deadly nudge.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have left that last part out?¡± Xu Xiaoshuang shot Lin Xinyan an unhappy look, but extended her right hand at Nie Fan, her eyes narrowing into a thin line as she smiled. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± Nie Fan returned the greeting and shook her hand, which was very white and smooth too and made him remember Lin Xinyan¡¯s ankles. Naturally, it was just a random thought without filthy elements, and he quickly withdrew his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in. Class is almost starting.¡± Lin Xinyan told them, unable to avoid a little sour feeling inside when she saw Nie Fan studying Xu Xiaoshuang.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xu Xiaoshuang smiled and took Lin Xinyan¡¯s hand, and the trio made their way towards the classroom.


    Along the way, the students they passed by would all look towards their direction, guessing Nie Fan¡¯s identity.


    ¡°Why are they staring at us?¡± Nie Fan asked in curiosity.


    1


    ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t know, but Xinyan here is the most beautiful girl in our school. The boys chasing after her could fill three classes, so be careful and quickly tell anyone giving you a hard time you¡¯re her cousin, or you are going to suffer.¡± Xu Xiaoshuang smiled teasingly.


    ¡°Who is this ¡®most beautiful girl¡¯ you are talking about? That¡¯s just what they like to say.¡± Lin Xinyan denied with a reddened face.


    ¡°That¡¯s what everyone says! Tsk, tsk. Look at those cheeks, those hips, and those boobs. Cousin, don¡¯t you think she is?¡± Xu Xiaoshuang laughed, drawing semi-circles over Lin Xinyan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°And you¡¯re still mocking me!¡± Annoyed, Lin Xinyan started to tickle Xu Xiaoshuang¡¯s armpits, making her laugh out loud.


    Those two girls fooling around certainly was a completely extraordinary sight. No wonder so many boys were looking here.


    Still, Xu Xiaoshuang¡¯s words left Nie Fan feeling caught: girls definitely outdo one another these days. All he could do was smile awkwardly as he slid a peek at Lin Xinyan¡¯s breasts¡ªthough they were nowhere near as large as those often shown on tv, they certainly could hold their own.


    On the other hand, Lin Xinyan threw him a vicious glare when she caught that strange look on his face.


    Pervert! Staring at a maiden¡¯s chest¡­ so annoying!


    3

 Chapter 18

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan, Lin Xinyan and Xu Xiaoshuang were met with stunned gazes when they entered classes.


    Who was that brat? Would they not be envious and jealous when he came in beside two of the class¡¯s great beauties?


    The classroom itself was very wide but there were only a little over twenty students. The latest V-type computer was furnished on each desk, with bright sunlight streaming from the French window. Moreover, there was a semi-circular balcony outside that was hundreds of squared meters ride and grown full of all manner of green plants, stirring one¡¯s spirit after one look.


    Indeed, the classroom could be described as extravagant!


    Xu Hong was seated at the last row of the classroom and doing something. He then looked up, his eyes showing delight when he noticed Lin Xinyan entering, but quickly grimaced when he saw Nie Fan behind her. He had already met Nie Fan in-game, and certainly did not expect her to bring him to class, and naturally could not help suspect the relationship between Nie Fan and Lin Xinyan.


    Nie Fan had seen Xu Hong as well, but he quickly withdrew his gaze and smiled at the other boys sitting at the front rows. ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Nie Fan, Xinyan¡¯s cousin¡ªI might be hanging around a few days, you wouldn¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    Even Nie Fan thought that his smile was quite affable.


    Meanwhile, the boys at the front rows brightened immediately. So, he was Xinyan¡¯s cousin and not a love rival. After all, since she was unquestionably a target of their affection, each of them was already thinking how they should get closer to Nie Fan after learning that he was her cousin.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Wu Hongfei, please take care of me.¡± A huge, muscular boy was all smiles.


    ¡°Hello¡­¡±


    Several boys were all introducing themselves very warmly.


    ¡°Hello, we¡¯ve met before.¡± Xu Hong came to him as well, extending his right hand gentlemanly.


    Some of the boys made way by reflex when they saw Xu Hong. In their perspective, his powerful background undoubtedly made him the one they wanted to provoke the least¡ªhis father was said to be the father of a certain conglomerate group with strong influences in Yinhai, and Xu Hong himself was the student council president of the school and therefore could be considered influential here too. Coupled with his good looks, he was as such rather reputable amongst the girls, but in spite of all that, Lin Xinyan never agreed to be his girlfriend despite his persistent advances for some reason.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Nie Fan nodded and shook hands with Xu Hong. He could tell that Xu Hong was being cordial but was not all friendly, although he was no coward and naturally would not be afraid of Xu Hong.


    ¡°Xinyan, there¡¯s a basketball match between our school and Wuzhong tomorrow. The class teacher hopes that you could come and cheer for us, are you coming?¡± Xu Hong was looking at Lin Xinyan hopefully. She was often lukewarm towards him, but he did not think much of that normally since she behaved coolly towards everyone. Be that as it may, he felt danger with Nie Fan¡¯s appearance¡ªhe might be classmates with Lin Xinyan, but Nie Fan was the very picture of a childhood friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired so I can¡¯t come. Not this time.¡± Lin Xinyan refused unhappily; she disapproved of how he had involved the class teacher.


    A dark look flashed over Xu Hong¡¯s face at her words, but he did not say anything else.


    Nie Fan kept quiet beside them, but he observed every bit of Lin Xinyan¡¯s reaction and Xu Hong¡¯s expression. It seemed that Lin Xinyan was not at all taken with Xu Hong, which was a pity since he was handsome and seemed to come from a good family, making him a good match for her. Still, matching did not always matter when it came to sentiment, although Nie Fan never considered himself a courter of Lin Xinyan since he was perfectly aware that he could not reach her.


    ***


    A dozen minutes later, a tall, slim female teacher who was dressed raunchily but was not much of a looker entered. Her class was about universal theories and planetary ecosystems, about how living planets were found one after another with the arrival of starfaring, enriching resources and profound welfare states. Human population hence rapidly broke past thirty billion and were distributed over different planets. And as universal neutron communication appeared amongst the stars, a brand-new society was formed.


    2


    Nie Fan was sitting at the last row. He certainly never learned about the latest technological information during early middle school, and had gained much knowledge from that class alone. According to Federation statistics, 87% of the thirty billion population kept VR games as their primary entertainment¡ªof that number, Blade of Tyranny occupies 30% of the industry and was still growing, and one could imagine how vast a market it would be soon!


    There were over twenty continents in Blade of Tyranny, each hosting thousands of cities and innumerable villages. Still, Earth players were only allowed to choose between the continents of Osland and Okado, with 99% of players in China picking Osland.


    No VR game before could accommodate so many players. There had been another game which could accommodate two hundred million players concurrently, but that record was broken by Blade of Tyranny, which server volume appeared to be infinite. It was also rumored that Blade of Tyranny would install Continental Portals during later stages so that residents of different planets could meet through the game itself, which was the major attraction for most players. The large planetary migrations had separated many families and relatives, and with Blade of Tyranny fulfilling that wish, one could naturally imagine the commercial opportunities when such populations of players gather within a single game.


    But as Nie Fan allowed his thoughts to drift away, he realized that Lin Xinyan was sneaking a look at him from her seat up front, and could not help being taken aback.


    In fact, she was not concentrating during this lesson since all her mind would think about was whether Nie Fan was focusing. She kept holding it in, until she finally couldn¡¯t and turned to look, only to be caught by Nie Fan. As their eyes met, her heart stirred nervously and she promptly make a silly face at him before quickly turning again.


    Nie Fan felt a warmth at the sight of her mischief. Could she be worried that he wasn¡¯t used to being in class?


    Sitting nearby, Xu Hong took it all in, and his face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. Even if every other student in the class thought that Nie Fan was Lin Xinyan¡¯s cousin, only he knew otherwise.


    The lesson lasted thirty minutes, and it was soon recess.


    Xu Hong approached Ni Fan after the teacher left, and asked rather provokingly, ¡°Our class is having a practice match. Would you join us?¡±


    ¡°Basketball? I¡¯m no good at it.¡± Nie Fan shook his head. Xu Hong finally couldn¡¯t hold it any longer¡ªhe was too youthful in the end, and Nie Fan could not help finding the funny side as Xu Hong now took him for a love rival as he seethed in anger.


    ¡°Come join us. It¡¯s not a regular match, just a three on three game for fun. We¡¯ll be playing at the gym next door.¡± Wu Hongfei said warmly, unaware of the conflict between Xu Hong and Nie Fan and assuming that Xu Hong was inviting Nie Fan out of goodwill.


    Nie Fan kept quiet for a moment before nodding¡ªWu Hongfei did not appear to be scheming and appear to be a good person. ¡°Alright, I could play for a bit.¡±


    Even if Nie Fan did not play much basketball before, he often watched games. That, along with his constant Neijia and kickboxing practice meant that he was in tip-top physical shape.


    Nonetheless, Xu Hong sneered when Nie Fan agreed to join the game. He was the ace of the school¡¯s basketball team, and was confident that Nie Fan would never win against him.


    Meanwhile, he and Wu Hongfei sought out three other classmates and headed to the gym. Every other student in the class also went when they heard about the match, whereas Lin Xinyan looked worried as she watched Nie Fan leave with Xu Hong.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go watch too.¡± Xu Xiaoshuang took Lin Xinyan by the hand, muttering, ¡°Nobody in class can beat Xu Hong in a match.¡±


    Lin Xinyan certainly could tell that Xu Hong was deceitful and narrow-minded as a person, which was why she would always keep her distance from him. Even so, Xu Hong himself appeared to have no self-awareness and thought the world of himself, constantly bugging her. That was the reason she brought Nie Fan to school, but she was now worried that Xu Hong would find trouble with Nie Fan. Once she thought about that, she believed that only she could stop them if push came to shove.


    ***


    Nie Fan and Wu Hongfei was grouped together with a short boy, while Xu Hong got two other classmates to join him. Everyone thought then that only Wu Hongfei, who stood at one point nine five meters could hold his own against Xu Hong.


    Like every other place in the school, the gym was very wide. Over six hundred square meters, it was equipped with various sporting equipment, along with basketball courts and badminton courts. Nie Fan was speechless when someone told him that this gym was exclusively used by their class¡ªit was definitely a school for nobility, what with the annual school fees costing up to six hundred thousand dollars.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t think you have enough players, you can have one more.¡± Xu Hong said smugly.


    Wu Hongfei¡¯s mouth twitched with disdain and whispered to Nie Fan. ¡°Ignore him¡ªhe¡¯s always been a fart. Anyway, which position do you usually play, cousin?¡±


    ¡°Just Nie Fan is fine.¡± Nie Fan chuckled. ¡°I usually play point guard.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Wu Hongfei nodded.


    A whole ring of classmates surrounded their court while they were discussing their game plan, and Nie Fan noticed that Lin Xinyan and Xu Xiaoshuang were standing together, surrounding a crowd of girls. He had to admit that the standard of the girls here was quite high¡ªall of them had good looks and none were particularly ugly, not to mention that everyone was dressed youthfully in the latest fashion, with some even putting on makeup.


    ¡°Let¡¯s play for half an hour. It¡¯s tip-off,¡± Xu Hong said impatiently as he watched Nie Fan and Wu Hongfei quietly mumbled away.


    1


    The trio took their positions, with Xu Hong and Wu Hongfei on the tip-off. The ball was sent flying above at the whistle and both boys leaped up almost at the same time. But even though Wu Hongfei was an entire foot taller than Xu Hong, he was much weaker in his leap¡ªXu Hong hence got the ball, sending it to one of his teammates.


    Then, after landing, Xu Hong darted past Wu Hongfei and caught the fine pass from his teammate, scoring a three-step slam-dunk elegantly, drawing cheers from the girls outside the caught.


    1


    He threw a provoking look at Nie Fan, who shrugged nonchalantly.


    Play continued.


    Nie Fan¡¯s game was simple: he would occasionally intercept the ball and quickly pass it to Wu Hongfei, basically not joining the scoring efforts and simply wandering around the edge. Even if he did not usually play, he quickly familiarized himself with the game, not to mention that he had several strong advantages: the first was his fine physicality, the second was his quick hand-eye coordination and the third was his agile pace. Xu Hong was confident that the game was yet to be decided if he became serious, but he didn¡¯t really mind the game¡¯s outcome since it did not matter to him anyway.


    Meanwhile, the points gap continued widening and eventually reached 21:7. Wu Hongfei might have a strong body, but he was nowhere near as nimble as Xu Hong, allowing Xu Hong to slip away on each turn without hope of guarding him.


    Soon, Wu Hongfei was panting heavily from the toll of guarding Xu Hong alone. He was too slow and simply could not keep up.


    That said, Xu Hong had come trying to make Nie Fan look bad in the first place. He did not expect Nie Fan to simply act as if it had nothing to do with him at all and refused to come in direct contact, which left Xu Hong a feeling that he was punching a cotton.


    Nonetheless, he clapped his hand on Wu Hongfei¡¯s shoulder and beamed smugly. ¡°Your skill really never improved,¡± he said, and headed to the edge of the court.


    ¡°Damn it! Who do you think you are, a star?!¡± Wu Hongfei snorted coolly, watching Xu Hong¡¯s back as he left.


    Meanwhile, the girls outside the court were cheering by waves as they watched Xu Hong scored without stopping, screaming his name in extraordinary excitement.


    On the other hand, Nie Fan remained calm in spite of everything going on around him, and Lin Xinyan was much more relieved when she saw that he was not clashing with Xu Hong directly. She did not care at all about how the match would end, and certainly did not care to watch how insufferably Xu Hong was playing.

 Chapter 19

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Five minutes into the match, Nie Fan¡¯s performance was rather regular. It was no high-stakes match after all, and he should just let Xu Hong have it since he enjoyed the limelight so much.


    However, Xu Hong gave his two teammates a look when he saw that Nie Fan was keeping himself uninvolved. They nodded, and quietly surrounded Nie Fan.


    Thud!


    Nie Fan had just received a pass from Wu Hongfei and was ready to make a play when one of the players in Xu Hong¡¯s team rapidly closed in and slammed his elbow on his back. That player was not quite tall but very strong, with every inch of his body laden with firm muscles¡ªmaking it quite a vicious elbowing.


    Unprepared, Nie Fan stumbled a step back at the sudden sensation of pain near his hip.


    ¡°Sorry, accident.¡± The player blanked out for a moment. The strength he but in his elbow should have floored any person, which left him surprised that Nie Fan did no more than stumble a little.


    In reality, Nie Fan learned kickboxing at a young age from his uncle and possess much actual fighting experience, gaining a ridiculous tough physique and was as formidable in taking a hit and giving one. Therefore, a mere elbowing would not hurt him too much.


    Meanwhile, the onlooking crowd could see that it was a foul with ill-intent and became a little restless.


    ¡°Shameless! Liu Kan clearly did that on purpose!¡± Xu Xiaoshuang frowned, upset in Nie Fan¡¯s stead.


    Lin Xinyan¡¯s brow knitted together, her heart leaping a beat when she saw Liu Kan¡¯s elbow hit Nie Fan. She was only relieved when she ensured that Nie Fan was not hurt, but knowing that it was Xu Hong¡¯s trick, she could only try to stop the match if push comes to shove.


    2


    Nie Fan was a little annoyed. He had no intention to compete with Xu Hong, but he did not take into account that Xu Hong would keep trying, even having his teammate foul him aggressively to hurt him. There was no telling what would have happened if he never had his training, and internal injury would certainly have been unavoidable.


    In the meantime, he scored both his free throws. Having learned the ways of the fist, he was adept at controlling his wrist strength, which makes things all too easy in basketball.


    Nonetheless, Xu Hong¡¯s teammates began to clash even more with Nie Fan in the rest of the game, fouling him from time to time.


    The fire he had kept under wraps in his chest finally erupted.


    Hit him three times and even Buddha would get mad!


    When he saw that things were going wrong in the court, Wu Hongfei would try to cover Nie Fan with his strong figure but it did not help things.


    ¡°Nie Fan, catch!¡± Almost parried by Xu Hong when he was aiming a shot, he quickly passed the ball to Nie Fan when things appeared awry.


    Xu Hong¡¯s two teammates quickly surrounded Nie Fan, with the one called Liu Kan aiming his elbow at Nie Fan¡¯s chest.


    As Nie Fan made a fadeaway jump-shot, he took the brunt of the elbow. Meanwhile, the ball arched through the air and darted into the basket with great precision. Nie Fan¡¯s movement was nimble and graceful, delighting the eyes of every spectator and prompting a wave of cheers from the girls.


    On the other hand, Liu Kan thought he heard a bang and felt as if his elbow had struck a steel plate, leaving his entire arm numbed and crippled. In comparison, Nie Fan was still lively and energetic, looking not all injured¡ªhe was no longer holding back, but unleashing the strength his body withheld when Liu Kan touched him.


    Liu Kan¡¯s deliberate foul meant another free throw for Nie Fan, which he scored again with ease.


    ¡°That fadeaway was beautiful! But are you alright?¡± Wu Hongfei asked after him with concern, but realized in shock that Nie Fan was not injured at all despite suffering two elbow hits from Liu Kan. Then, as he turned to look some distance away, he found that Liu Kan was gritting his teeth and holding his elbow joint, clearly hurt considerably.


    ¡®What is with Nie Fan¡¯s body? It¡¯s so powerful it¡¯s almost violent!¡¯ Wu Hongfei thought in shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. That brat is all looks and no bite.¡± Nie Fan smiled contemptuously. He could toy with Liu Kan to death when it comes to bodily contact!


    Wu Hongfei sweated all over his brow then. How tough could Nie Fan actually be? Liu Kan was one of the tough guys in their class and almost as strong as Xu Hong, and Wu Hongfei himself would probably have fallen over if that elbow hit him instead.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan looked as if nothing happened to him¡ªwas he made of metal!?


    ¡°I see that you have good basics and a strong body. Have you been holding back?¡± Wu Hongfei asked quietly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t play much before, but it doesn¡¯t feel that difficult now. Come, let¡¯s have a good match, and we¡¯ll see how much points we could pull back!¡± Nie Fan glanced at the scores to find that they were twenty-one points behind Xu Hong, which was not that huge a gap.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do our best and hammer that pig Xu Hong!¡± Wu Hungfei felt his blood heating up as well; he had been holding a grudge against Xu Hong for some time now.


    The game continued.


    Using his strong form, Wu Hongfei sent the ball beneath the basket by force. Catching Nie Fan some distance away as two opposing players who were at his sides almost reached him, he flung the ball straight at Nie Fan.


    Fetching the ball and suddenly accelerating to shake off Xu Hong¡¯s blocking, he fired another jump shot, and the ball dipped in a curve into the net soundly.


    Nie Fan and Wu Hungfei shared an audible high-five then.


    ¡°Good teamwork.¡±


    The crowd was shocked. Nie Fan had basically been idling in a corner at first and not contributing much, but was now hitting the target again and again. Even Xu Hong who was in the school¡¯s main team could not stop him, and there was rarely anyone else in the school who could hold their own against Xu Hong.


    Those who thought that the game was decided in the first place found it competitive now¡ªit turned out that Nie Fan was hiding his cards.


    ¡°I¡¯ll guard him!¡± Xu Hong glared at Nie Fan coldly as he called for his team to shift formation, with Liu Kan marking Wu Hongfei instead.


    1


    Then, Liu Kan who had been dribbling and about to cut through the three-point suddenly felt an emptiness at his hands. A figure had flashed past him at a speed that left him feeling chills, because he never expected Nie Fan to actually slip away from Xu Hong and dispossess him in no time at all, made his way downtown for another precise three-pointer.


    Nie Fan was slowly seizing the flow of the game¡ªhis scoring and accuracy stunningly high. Not even professional games could see such high precision, whereas his elegant and unconstrained movements drew more cheers from the crowd.


    At the same time, Xu Hong was screaming inwardly.


    Impossible! How was he losing to that bastard?!


    Having always prided himself with his skill in the game, Nie Fan was now completely dismantling his confidence.


    He called out to Liu Kan so that they double-teamed Nie Fan, turning the match to a two-on-one. But even if Nie Fan had a hard time making plays, he simply slipped several exquisite passes to Wu Hongfei for several easy slam dunks, along with an exciting alley-oop that left the crowd feeling the heat!


    One must say that Wu Hong¡¯s body was actually fantastic, albeit lacking in specialized training that kept his performance unstable. Now, with Nie Fan being his catalyst and his outstanding effort, he was playing at his best.


    As the score gap shortened to four points, another three-pointer from Nie Fan left the onlookers gasping in awe. What a demon¡ªthe school¡¯s basketball team would be making a clean sweep of all high school basketball tournaments if he joined them, even though their current best result was second runners-up at the nations with Xu Hong leading them!


    And yet, Xu Hong was now completely deflated, unable to keep up with Nie Fan¡¯s rhythm at all!


    The entire class had been backing Xu Hong at first, but began to cheer on Nie Fan as his performance converted them. Now, each of his scorings would stir a tide of whoops, catching the next class¡¯s interest and luring them to watch the game as well. The unbelievable news that someone was completely dominating Xu Hong on the basketball court soon spread like wildfire, and many students from other classes began to stream in as well.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xinyan was grumbling unhappily about what an attention seeker Nie Fan was in a corner, becoming more upset as the girls beside her screamed away just like animals.


    1


    ¡°Xinyan, does your cousin have a girlfriend?¡± Xu Xiaoshuang asked excitedly as she watched Nie Fan steal the limelight endlessly in the game.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Lin Xinyan asked carefully.


    ¡°As the saying goes: keep the best for your buddies. I¡¯m thinking about becoming his girlfriend, surely you wouldn¡¯t mind, right?¡± Xu Xiaoshuang looked extremely thrilled.


    ¡°No way.¡± Lin Xinyan refused sharply by reflex.


    ¡°Why?¡± Xu Xiaoshuang was upset.


    ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s just staying in Yinhai for a few weeks and would go back to Ningdong soon.¡± Lin Xinyan knew that she had overreacted even as she tried to explain, but was lucky to have found an excuse after just some thought.


    ¡°I actually don¡¯t mind long-distance relationships. He is so cool!¡± Xu Xiaoshuang exclaimed, her eyes twinkling like stars. ¡°Just look at the ever-high-and-mighty Xu Hong¡ªhe doesn¡¯t even dare to speak up in his presence!¡±


    1


    ***


    Even as the girls chattered away, the match escalated to a white-hot state: a single point separated both teams and there were only a dozen seconds left.


    Xu Hong had possession, and Nie Fan was guarding him.


    For some reason, Xu Hong had lost all of his typical composure beside Nie Fan¡¯s constant calmness, with the right hand that he was dribbling the ball with trembling. Nie Fan was like an insurmountable mountain, and what Xu Hong feared most was his demonic speed.


    ¡®Is he even human? How could he move so fast!¡¯


    Unbeknownst to him, Nie Fan¡¯s speed and reflexes were basically nurtured under his uncle¡¯s endless inhuman torture. That uncle had saved Nie Fan¡¯s father when he was almost murdered by a hired killer, and from then on, his father had entrusted him to his uncle to train in kickboxing and Neijia as a means of self-preservation, in hopes that he wouldn¡¯t fall to underhanded measures of the vile. As such, Nie Yun¡¯s skills as a mercenary who saw action and a special agent of the intelligence bureau was passed on to Nie Fan himself.


    3


    After learning the skills that mattered in life-and-death situations, something as simple as basketball was nothing to fuss over.


    Now, Xu Hong swayed, readying himself to dribble past Nie Fan and cut into the three-point line. However, Nie Fan¡¯s came as fast as lighting, reaching out for a gentle poke that sent the ball flying out of Xu Hong¡¯s hands.


    To the rear, Wu Hong quickly took the ball and passed it outside, and began dashing towards the three-point-line himself.


    ¡°Stop him!¡± Xu Hong¡¯s eyes could have popped out of their sockets. He never expected that he would lose the ball at such a vital moment and felt as if he had lost all face.


    He glared poisonously at Nie Fan. It was all because of him!


    Meanwhile, Liu Kan had promptly moved to block Wu Hongfei.


    Wu Hongfei swung his right hand, sending the ball to Nie Fan.


    Nie Fan took the ball beneath the net and was ready for a shot, but all three players at Xu Hong¡¯s team had surrounded him.


    ¡°Stop him! Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t make it!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Xu Hong cursed as he threw his body forcefully at Nie Fan. A deadly killing intent flashed in his mind within that very second¡ªhe no longer cared about the scores.


    He must make Nie Fan pay.


    Shooting was impossible with the trio crashing towards Nie Fan, and he might be even hurt if he¡¯s not careful.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan blew his top as well as he watched Xu Hong¡¯s team bounding towards himself. It was just a simple match, but Xu Hong clearly had every intention to maim him.


    He bellowed then, and leapt with the ball in hand.


    Xu Hong and the others could feel Nie Fan suddenly leaping off the floor, and he was jumping so high that they thought that a mountain was crashing down at them.


    Bang!


    All three of them hit Nie Fan¡¯s body but it was no different from crashing into a wall, the force of the recoil throwing them all backwards.


    With a dull clang, Nie Fan had slammed the ball into the net, his body having flown upwards before landing with a heavy stomp, shaking the floor violently.


    The noisy gym turned silent at once. As Xu Hong and his teammates dropped to the ground and groaned in pain while holding where it hurts, their cries were especially clear inside the gym.

 Chapter 20

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Everyone present gasped. A vertical slam dunk while throwing three players off their feet¡­ were they actually watching a professional match? Moreover, Nie Fan was only around one point seven five meters tall¡ªnot only was he incredible for reach the basket at that height, he even sent three other players flying before forcing the dunk!


    What horrific physique. It was basically a beast¡¯s!


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan had returned to the floor and was flexing his limbs, unscathed. At that level of collision, the only ones getting hurt would be Xu Hong¡¯s team!


    Wu Hongfei was standing at a corner blankly, not quite believing his eyes even as his heart roared. What a monster! Nie Fan would never have a problem making it to the professional scene!


    The onlooking crowd had burst into wild discussion as well, with audible exclamations of awe from time to time.


    ¡°That is one fierce fellow!¡± One of the boys declared excitedly. ¡°To think that Xu Hong¡¯s team would be beaten so horribly¡­ with that guy, our basketball team is definitely going to be national champions!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! He¡¯s so modest too¡ªif Xu Hong¡¯s team didn¡¯t foul him deliberately and anger him, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have bothered. Before him, Xu Hong is an amateur.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Lin Xinyan never cared for Xu Hong. With such a great cousin, Xu Hong is just sub-par.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being too loud. Xu Hong lost all face in today¡¯s match¡­ be careful, or he will come looking for you if he heard you insulting him behind his back.¡±


    The girls were equally noisy, with a few of them who were dressed naughtily feeling especially amorous.


    ¡°So cool, I can¡¯t stand it anymore¡­ I want him. Don¡¯t try to steal from me, girls!¡± A girl dressed in black stockings exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°Forget it. He looks so quiet and serious¡ªhe definitely is not into flirts like you.¡± Another girl with a voluptuous figure mercilessly blew her off.


    ¡°That might not be the case.¡±


    ¡°He is so good at basketball¡­ his chest must feel good to touch.¡±


    ¡°How fierce would he be at night? Actually, I won¡¯t mind sharing with you gals.¡±


    2


    The conversation of the girls beside them was leaving Lin Xinyan utterly red-faced, and she was already cursing inwardly.


    ¡°Look! Wouldn¡¯t it better if you let me take advantage of him than them?¡± Xu Xiaoshuang was chuckling at her side.


    Compared to those girls, Xu Xiaoshuang was indeed much better.


    ¡°You¡¯re no different from them.¡± Lin Xinyan muttered, a complicated emotion rising within her as she watched Nie Fan standing proudly at the center of the basketball court.


    What did that idiot think he was doing, creating such a huge scene?


    Nonetheless, Xu Xiaoshuang sniggered at her words. ¡°Hurry, hurry, tell me what¡¯s your cousin¡¯s type!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Lin Xinyan replied just a little jealously.


    ¡°I smell¡­ strong jealousy. Could you be nursing a brother complex? And here I was thinking why you would refuse every boy¡¯s advances! No wonder Xu Hong was so keen on stirring trouble with Nie Fan¡ªI get it now.¡± Xu Xiaoshuang said as if gaining epiphany with humor in her eyes.


    ¡°Silly girl. You¡¯re the brother complex here!¡± Lin Xinyan was almost gritting her teeth now.


    ***


    Xu Hong pushed himself off the ground, holding a hand over his head but leaving one eye glaring hatefully. It was a terrible humiliation: Nie Fan had embarrassed him completely just now, and even Lin Xinyan was watching.


    There is no turning back now! Someday, he would repay the humiliation he suffered with interest!


    ¡°Are you alright, Xu Hong? Sorry about just now, I forget my strength. It was a good match.¡± Nie Fan spoke stiffly, and anyone near him could tell that he was not apologetic at all. Still, Nie Fan was aware that he had really crossed Xu Hong from his eyes, but he was fearless¡ªXu Hong could challenge him as much as he liked, since Xu Hong himself started it.


    Meanwhile, Xu Hong threw him a deadly glare before leaving the gym straightaway, perhaps to the nurse¡¯s office to patch himself up. He would only earn more disdain if he burst out right then, but since revenge is a dish best served cold, he could wait.


    Wu Hongfei dashed up to Nie Fan after watching Xu Hong leave. ¡°Be careful. Xu Hong is very petty and might try something with you. Take my number, and call me as soon as you need assistance. I might not exactly be too helpful, but you would at least have support.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t have a cellphone.¡± Nie Fan smiled. Wu Hongfei was really a good person who cares about loyalty and self-sacrifice, but Nie Fan feared no one in a fight, and he would entertain Xu Hong whatever tricks he might try.


    ¡°No¡­ cellphone?¡± Wu Hongfei almost fainted right then. He could gouge his eyes out in disbelief¡ªto think that there was someone who didn¡¯t use a cellphone!


    Nonetheless, as Xu Hong¡¯s team left for the hospital and Nie Fan was ready to leave, a crowd of girls flocked around him.


    ¡°Handsome, how can I stay in touch?¡±


    ¡°Come have lunch with us. Our treat.¡±


    Nie Fan felt dazed right then. Those girls could not be more direct in their spiciness, and he was feeling a little numb in the presence of their overt devilish suggestiveness. One of them had even reached out with a very lewd hand to touch his chest!


    He felt toyed right then.


    That being said, the girls mostly came from rich families and were widely sociable, maturing at the early age of seventeen or eighteen and appearing quite open-minded on certain fronts. In comparison, Nie Fan of Ningdong was very plain.


    ¡°Look, he¡¯s blushing!¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. Are you a virgin? Could have fooled me.¡± A girl wearing a short skirt said while deliberately rubbing her ample bosom on Nie Fan¡¯s arm.


    His face turned a total crimson at those words, and his head might as well be blowing out smoke.


    What is this place, a cave of succubus?


    1


    Naturally, the ones really flirting were just a handful¡ªthe other girls were not that direct.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Are you guys done? Then go home and flirt away.¡± Lin Xinyan scolded with her hands on her hips, before squeezing her way into the crowd and shielded Nie Fan from the front, her bold and impressive look surprising everyone.


    ¡°Come on, Xinyan. Let your cousin have a chat with us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Don¡¯t be so dull.¡±


    ¡°Keep dreaming, all of you.¡±


    Lin Xinyan frowned, before turning to Nie Fan and hissed quietly, ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s go!¡±


    With that, she pulled him toward the direction of the classroom.


    Some of the girls pouted unhappily, but could only watch as Lin Xinyan dragged Nie Fan away.


    ¡°Why did you catch so much attention? Look, now you have a bunch of troublesome women all over you.¡± She grumbled.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know that the other girls in your school are so passionate. That said, their figures are quite fine.¡± Nie Fan sniggered, suddenly feeling a heavy blow on his leg and was left gritting his teeth in pain.


    Lin Xinyan was flashing a false smile. ¡°Tell me. Which of them has the better figure?¡±


    ¡°I mean that they have fine figures, but they are very much lacking compared to you.¡± Nie Fan quickly corrected himself, albeit suddenly realizing that he might have added a little tease since he did see her naked.


    Lin Xinyan clearly thought of that too, but snorted even as her cheeks became a little hot. ¡°Try to be discreet in school from now on, or I¡¯m telling daddy not only did you not protect me at school, you¡¯re flirting everywhere and ignoring my wellbeing.¡±


    ¡°I was wrong. Won¡¯t do it ever again,¡± Nie Fan said sullenly. Having basically thought of Uncle Lin as his own father, Lin Xinyan¡¯s coercing him with Uncle Lin was definitely no different from grabbing his weakness.


    ¡°At least you understand.¡± Lin Xinyan found his sullen face rather funny.


    It seems that only her dad could keep him on a leash.


    3


    ***


    News that an auditing student from Class One, Year Three had tormented Xu Hong on the basketball court soon spread across the school, with several busybodies recording the match between Nie Fan and Xu Hong¡¯s teams, and those footages had quickly circulated even if everyone was avoiding using Xu Hong¡¯s name like it was taboo. Having considered himself the only one suitable to woo Lin Xinyan, Xu Hong had made every other one of her admirers suffer and as such the hate against him was only imaginable. Still, no one could have expected that someone would finally stand up against him¡ªand it was Lin Xinyan¡¯s cousin no less, immediately making Nie Fan an idol in the hearts of many.


    He had always kept a low profile back at Ningdong and rarely got into disputes, having no presence of existence at all to most of his classmates. He naturally was a little caught off guard, never imagining that he would suddenly be making waves after coming here. It was therefore fortunate that he wasn¡¯t a student here and could come and go as he wanted, so it would be fine to stir some trouble.


    That being said, that lass Lin Xinyan was being quite strict with him.


    After the match, Xu Hong did not attend any other class. Each lesson was therefore peaceful, with Nie Fan feeling very comfortable. Still, many other students would come to talk to him during breaks, some of them girls who were rather good-looking. Be that as it may, Nie Fan would only respond nonchalantly and did not say particularly much, because he could see Lin Xinyan frequently shooting him death glares.


    When the day¡¯s classes were over, Nie Fan, Lin Xinyan and Xu Xiaoshuang walked together to the underground car depot.


    ¡°Cousin, Xinyan was saying she will introduce you a girlfriend.¡± Xu Xiaoshuang grinned mischievously then.


    ¡°Really? Who?¡± Nie Fan chuckled¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a moment when Xu Xiaoshuang was actually serious, and he was already used to it.


    ¡°Me! What do you think? When it comes to looks, I only lose out a little compared to Xinyan in our class, but that wouldn¡¯t disqualify me, and I¡¯m quite confident with my figure too! So? Why not think about it?¡± Xu Xiaoshuang assumed a model pose where she stood. Even if she was a little short, her curves were dainty and distinct, and she certainly had the talent for further growth as a beauty.


    ¡°Alright, stop that posing. When did I ever say that I would introduce my cousin to you?¡± Beside them, Lin Xinyan could no longer bear to watch¡ªXu Xiaoshuang was indeed a beauty and had her own suitors in class, which in turn pressured her slightly. Even if she wasn¡¯t really sure that she liked Nie Fan, she definitely thought well of him.


    ¡°But you just promised a moment ago!¡± Xu Xiaoshuang said and stared at Lin Xinyan with much grief, as if Xinyan had really said it.


    ¡°I never said that!¡± Lin Xinyan roared like a lioness.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll pretend you didn¡¯t.¡± Suddenly shifting her tone, Xu Xiaoshuang simply flashed a flirty wink at Nie Fan. ¡°I¡¯m going home, but come look for me when you¡¯ve made up your mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m dying here.¡± Lin Xinyan was stamping her feet, but Xu Xiaoshuang had already turned and left.


    Nie Fan grinned. Even if she often bickered with Lin Xinyan, he must say that Xu Xiaoshuang was quite interesting, although he certainly would not take her words seriously.


    As he looked up some distance away, he found Xu Xiaoshuang getting into a Maserati convertible, its engine bellowing as it left.


    Even the worst car in the depot was a luxury salon¡ªno ordinary family could afford school fees that numbered up to a few hundred thousand after all. That was why Nie Fan believed that he would never be a suitable partner for girls like Lin Xinyan and Xu Xiaoshuang who had it all. Indeed, his greatest dream was to accomplish his father¡¯s will and clear his family¡¯s debts. After that, he would get himself a lady who was gentle, caring but did not have to be especially good-looking, and live a quiet, peaceful life.

 Chapter 21

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°She¡¯s already long gone, and you¡¯re still staring.¡± Lin Xinyan got on her car between puffy breaths.


    Nie Fan threw his arms up¡ªhe was only admiring Xu Xiaoshuang¡¯s sports car.


    Sometimes, women are really hard to understand.


    As Lin Xinyan started her car ignition and jammed her foot on the throttle, her Lamborghini shot off like a raging bull.


    ¡°Slow down!¡± Nie Fan yelled nervously. ¡®Why is this girl driving so fast? Does she have a death wish?¡¯


    ¡°What are you afraid of? Haven¡¯t you heard of automatic collision avoidance system?¡± Lin Xinyan rolled her eyes at Nie Fan in disdain. It was normal acceleration¡ªhe was being dramatic.


    ¡°There are times when machines fail,¡± Nie Fan said as his face went white. He had felt dizzy before when riding on Lin Xinyan¡¯s car, and he did not expect that she would drive even faster.


    ¡®So inhuman! Is she really a girl!?¡¯


    ¡°Full AI control, automatic recovery even if any malfunction would occur.¡± Lin Xinyan appeared very calm.


    The Lamborghini finally reached the front gates of her house around twenty minutes later. Nie Fan threw up the moment he got of the car, collapsing on the lawn.


    ¡°Are you actually carsick? You¡¯re so weak! I was just driving up to one-eighty miles per hour. The speed limit for the collision avoidance system is three hundred¡ªwhat would happen to you at that speed?¡± Lin Xinyan laughed.


    1


    ¡°I never liked riding cars ever since I was a child. You might as well kill me at three hundred.¡± Nie Fan heaved.


    ¡°To think you were showing off at the basketball court just now, sending three people flying alone, and now you¡¯re carsick¡ªwhat a freak.¡± Lin Xinyan rolled her eyes at him, finding him cute even though he had collapsed and about to turn white-eyed. In comparison, the other boys would either pretend to be a gentleman or feign maturity, not to mention that Nie Fan¡¯s plain and affable attitude made her remember their carefree days as children.


    He really didn¡¯t change, Lin Xinyan thought then, a nostalgic familiarity and intimacy appearing in her heart.


    ¡°Getting carsick is normal. It happens to a lot of people, and you were driving very fast.¡± Nie Fan replied. It made sense for him to get carsick since he rarely traveled around in one, although he would become immune if he got used to it over the next few days.


    ¡°I told you, one-eighty isn¡¯t fast. The others drive at two hundred, at least!¡± Lin Xinyan exclaimed, irritated. ¡°Or are you having me drive at eighty?¡±


    ¡°The speed when you drove last time was fine!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s during rush hour. There¡¯s heavy traffic!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine!¡± Nie Fan waved her off and climbed to his feet on his soft legs. He returned to his room for a bath: after sweating all over, he needed one good scrubbing to feel comfortable.


    Later, Lin Xinyan told Nie Fan that she would eat with him again, and so he had to go with her to buy groceries. They talked and joked around almost like when they were younger, the only difference being that they wouldn¡¯t suddenly start fighting over something unreasonable. It was indeed a little funny when they remembered those days.


    It had been some time since Lin Xinyan went to a food market. She found it a fresh experience to watch Nie Fan bargain with the vendors, and joined him occasionally too.


    ¡°It¡¯s so fun being with you, Nie Fan. This is the first time I found buying food so interesting.¡± Like a happy hare, Lin Xinyan was leaping around in front of Nie Fan.


    He rolled his eyes. A rich daughter like her naturally didn¡¯t have to do such things personally¡ªit would be interesting the first time, but she would find it dull soon enough if she came every day.


    ¡°Why are you acting like you just got out of prison? It¡¯s just buying food.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one acting like that. Dear god, please send lightning and strike down this killjoy.¡± Lin Xinyan had been feeling a rare homeliness when Nie Fan soured the atmosphere.


    Didn¡¯t he know how to get on a girl¡¯s good side? She even felt a little frantic at that.


    After carrying what they bought home, Lin Xinyan offered to cook but burnt whatever she was making. Helpless, Nie Fan decided to cook by himself, and they went out for a stroll after dinner, returning when it was almost time for him to meet with Xue Yu and Lin Suyue online.


    ¡°I should be playing the game now.¡± Nie Fan told her.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Xinyan headed to her own room, but turned around, pursing her lips in a smile as she remembered something. ¡°Nie Fan, it has been a good day.¡±


    Her smile was vibrant and stirring, leaving Nie Fan a little blank as he watched her entering her room. Still, he quickly shook his head.


    ¡®Oh, Nie Fan. Don¡¯t go senile just because the beauty lives under the same roof with you¡ªshe¡¯s Uncle Lin¡¯s daughter, don¡¯t find trouble.¡¯


    Hence, punctually putting on his headgear, Nie Fan appeared in-game, exchanging greetings with both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue who were already online and waiting.


    ¡°Word has it that there are level twenty players now, and going beyond that would be difficult.¡± Xue Yu told him the latest news he had just received.


    ¡°The gamers from the studios must be busy leveling up for the whole day. There¡¯s no telling how much out of the thirty-six hours reserve period they had used up, but even so, their progress isn¡¯t too quick and we could quickly catch up.¡± Nie Fan told them. Using so much reserved time was simply extravagant, and those gamers are going to be sulking when the month ends.


    ¡°Nie Fan, where are we going now?¡±


    Both Lin Suyue and Xue Yu were waiting for his orders since they drew a blank about where they should go farming monsters, and could only follow him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get up to level twenty and get two other players to join us at the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest. But we have to get some better equipment before all else¡ªthe stuff we have now is too crude.¡± Nie Fan replied after some thought.


    ¡°Are we going to continue leveling up around here?¡± Xue Yu asked, looking around.


    They were still at the spawn point of the Fire Goblins.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s move to another place.¡± Nie Fan shook his head. It would take hours for them to level up if they farmed monsters of the same level, but that rate would multiply if they farmed monsters three levels above themselves, although it would be significantly more dangerous too. Nonetheless, those issues would be solved with a Level 5 skill and two Level 4 skills in their possession.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan downloaded the detailed map of the Blood Shade Plains from his father¡¯s website to study it and check for places where they could farm for monsters.


    ¡°How is it? Are there any nice places nearby for leveling?¡± Xue Yu asked after watching Nie Fan stay silent for a while.


    ¡°There is: a Blazing Goblin tribe, five minutes¡¯ walk from here, but it could be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Blazing Goblins? Like, evolved Fire Goblins?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Nie Fan nodded.


    ¡°Level?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-five.¡±


    ¡°How confident are you about fighting level twenty-five monsters, then?¡± Xue Yu asked¡ªhe and Lin Suyue would be a little unhelpful against such high-level monsters.


    ¡°One casting of Bloodthirsty Vines and a combo of Black Oil and Mini Fireball should kill one.¡± Nie Fan said after some thought, but it was not as if he was worried that he couldn¡¯t handle the Blazing Goblins. There were a few markers left in his father¡¯s map which indicated that they could get some nice item drops at the tribe, although it might not prove easy either: even his father had died three times at Level 16 before managing to claim those item drops.


    One could imagine the difficulty if his father had to die three times for that.


    ¡°Ring of Fate.¡± He muttered then.


    ¡°What Ring of Fate?¡± Xue Yu did a double take¡ªthey were just discussing farming monsters, why was Nie Fan talking about some ring?


    Beside them, Lin Suyue was also staring blankly at Nie Fan.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Nie Fan was still conflicted as he weighed whether they should go to the tribe. He was much inferior in skill compared to his father and heading there might be just going off to die, but missing out on getting the Ring of Fate would mean losing an item vital for the future, and that he might never become a Divine Druid.


    He turned to glance at Xue Yu and Lin Suyue, whereupon he suddenly felt an inspiration. ¡°Xue Yu, Suyue, I might have a few things I need your help with.


    ¡°Do tell. We¡¯ll do it if we can.¡± Xue Yu replied without hesitation.


    ¡°You might die.¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s more normal than dying in a game, since we are at our current levels because you helped us.¡± Lin Suyue smiled nonchalantly.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. We¡¯re on the same boat.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you two to level up then.¡± Nie Fan said and dashed towards the tribe of blazing goblins.


    Three figures hence streaked through the plains.


    ***


    Back then, Nie Fan¡¯s father had invaded the Blazing Goblins¡¯ tribe alone when he played in the closed testing phase of Blade of Tyranny. Even if Nie Fan was not as skilled as his father was, he has two dependable friends!


    Nie Fan grinned at that very thought.


    He just might assume a different path than his father¡¯s.


    Later, Xue Yu gasped as they looked deep into the settlement of the Blazing Goblins¡¯ tribe, where huts built from straws went on as far as the eye could see.


    It was quite a huge area.


    A goblin which body was burning in crimson flames and dragging along a massive axe appeared within their sights. It was waist-tall to humans, but that axe it was pulling was extraordinarily massive, even dragging out a shallow ditch behind itself.


    Soon, it noticed the trio, shrieking as it lunged towards them.


    Bloodthirsty Vines!


    A red vine shot out of the ground and bound it with a vice-grip, and the Blazing Goblin could not free itself no matter how it kept struggling.


    Black Oil!


    Mini Fireball!


    Nie Fan determinedly casted all three spells direct and efficiently. His improvement was obvious in the dozen hours of playing that he could now proficiently use every skill he had on hand, with his control becoming much smoother.


    Ultimately, the Blazing Goblin was quickly slain since they were just a normal Level 25 monster.


    In turn, the EXP points worth over six hundred that each of them shared was quite rewarding.


    They ventured deeper into the settlement step-by-step after collecting the goblin¡¯s dropped items. There weren¡¯t many other players around since not even the elites of the gaming studios would be brave enough to form parties and level up here.


    As they moved along a small abandoned path, they found a rundown straw hut standing beside it. As Nie Fan attacked a wandering Blazing Goblin wandering nearby, he turned towards Xue Yu and Lin Suyue as well. ¡°Go check that hut, see if you can find anything.¡±


    Nie Fan looked inside to ensure that there were no monsters before lowering himself to enter. He found the inside a messy pile of random things and wooden blocks, but when he thought to himself that there was nothing inside, Xue Yu suddenly looked up to find an empty bookshelf on the eastern wall of the hut. His eyes then settled on a tome lying quietly at the edge of the shelf¡ªit had a white cover and was emanating faint but warm white light.


    His heart skipped a beat then, and he made his way to the tome.


    He held it in his hands to feel gentle power reaching out from it, and he checked its status.


    [Sacred Lunar Shield: Rare Skill Tome]


    ¡°Found anything?¡± Lin Suyue asked when she saw Xue Yu holding something in his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rare skill for Holy Knights!¡± Xue Yu exclaimed excitedly.

 Chapter 22

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°What is it?¡± Nie Fan asked in the party chat, an imperceptible smile on his lips.


    He was the one who brought Xue Yu and Nie Fan there after all¡ªof course he would know what item it was.


    ¡°Sacred Lunar Shield. How¡¯s that for a skill?¡± Xue Yu asked hopefully.


    ¡°Sacred Lunar Shield? You¡¯re lucky¡ªthat being said, it¡¯s not quite the same as normal shields since normal shields protect the caster from every direction, whereas the Sacred Lunar Shield only deflects attacks coming from the front. Still, its defense is much stronger than other skills, and it would be quite strong if used well.¡± Nie Fan said, informing them with data that couldn¡¯t be found anywhere else.


    ¡°Really?¡± Xue Yu looked almost reluctant to part with the skill tome after that.


    ¡°Hurry up and learn it then,¡± Nie Fan could not help but laugh.


    ¡°But¡­ well, I¡¯ll do that, then.¡± Xue Yu thought that it was nothing impolite with Nie Fan since they were bros, and he himself would never hold back if Nie Fan needed help.


    With a move of his right hand, the Sacred Lunar Shield turned into a streak of white light.


    Xue Yu glanced at his skill bar and said, ¡°Nie Fan, use your Mini Fireball on me. Let me try this skill.¡±


    Nie Fan forced an attack, launching a Mini Fireball at Xue Yu.


    ¡°Sacred Lunar Shield!¡± Xue Yu cried, and a white half-moon barrier appeared in front of himself, keeping him behind from the ball of flame.


    The Mini Fireball struck the shield, spraying sparks everywhere and exploding with a bang, while a [-5] damage value popped up above Xue Yu¡¯s head.


    1


    A Mini Fireball would have caused over fifty points of damage on Xue Yu under normal circumstances. Moreover, with the Sacred Lunar Shield buffing him, Xue Yu¡¯s magical defense and physical defense had also increased considerably.


    Still, it lasted five seconds before diminishing entirely.


    ¡°By the way, the level of this skill wouldn¡¯t increase by usage,¡± Nie Fan added, ¡°you need help from the Skill Trainer back in Tajit Village to strengthen it by two levels after you reached level twenty, although that costs over a thousand bronze coins.¡±


    It was quite expensive a fee for a leveling up a single skill.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xue Yu nodded, but he remained quite satisfied with his new skill.


    ¡°You even know that?¡± Lin Suyue asked in surprise then.


    Nie Fan smiled but said nothing. He was thinking much further than either of them.


    At Level 17, their leveling progressed much slower than before. Nie Fan estimated that they would need at least two hours to level up once, even if that was much quicker than other players.


    Nonetheless, there were quite a few monsters in the Blazing Goblins¡¯ settlement. Nie Fan was playing quite carefully too, since it would prove troublesome if they were encircled by the Blazing Goblins¡ªas for Xue Yu and Lin Suyue, their task remained the same: collecting the item drops from the Blazing Goblins and occasionally searching nearby huts.


    As Xue Yu combed around one particular goblin corpse, he drew out a cone bottle of yellow liquid. It was sealed with a wooden cork, although the yellow liquid within kept churning and bubbling, looking very unstable.


    Nie Fan lifted a brow and looked excited when he saw what was in his hand. ¡°Keep it, it¡¯s a Potion of Inferno¡ªyou throw it.¡±


    ¡°Throw it? Got it, there are six bottles in this batch.¡± Xue Yue replied, knowing from Nie Fan¡¯s look that it was a good item.


    The Potion of Inferno only drops from the Blazing Goblins, and there would be more as they kept farming monsters nearby.


    Time flies as they monotonously farmed monsters in the area. Two hours later, a crisp notification rang for Nie Fan to indicate that he had reached Level 18, while both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue had reached Level 17 as well.


    They had also ventured deep into the Blazing Goblins¡¯ settlement in those two hours, and Nie Fan could only ensure his current position with his present coordinates.


    ¡°Nie Fan, Xue Yu¡ªlook there!¡± Lin Suyue exclaimed rather excitedly.


    She was pointing at a nearby clearing between several straw huts where six Blazing Goblins were pacing around. At the heart of that clearing was a wooden box that appeared quite thick, its pale-yellow bulk carved with various patterns.


    It was a Level 25 Copper-grade treasure chest!


    Nie Fan was slightly surprised¡ªthe map his father left him did not mark the location of that treasure chest, but it made sense when he thought about it since treasure chests could appear at random in certain locations.


    ¡°Five of those Blazing Goblins are normal, but one of them looks like an Elite. This could be difficult¡­¡± Xue Yu¡¯s excitement from finding the treasure chest cooled after scouting out the area from the outside, since finding it means nothing if they could not obtain it. ¡°Blazing Goblins move fast, not to mention that one of them is Elite¡ªsomeone is going to die if one of us tried to lure them, and it¡¯s even less possible for a direct fight.¡±


    ¡®It seems that we can only give up,¡¯ Xue Yu thought dejectedly.


    ¡°It would be nice if we could separate them,¡± Lin Suyue said simply just then, although she was also aware that was extremely difficult.


    Separate them? Nie Fan muttered and suddenly thought of a strategy. After studying the outer edge, he turned to glance at Lin Suyue and asked, ¡°Suyue, did you learn Taunt Dispel?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± How could she not? It was the most basic skill for Clerics!


    ¡°Good. Xue Yu, have you learned Protect?¡± Nie Fan then turned to Xue Yu.


    Xue Yu, however, made a pained smile and shook his head. He had only learned two offensive skills at the start, his third being the Sacred Lunar Shield.


    Nie Fan stayed silent for a while. That means only Taunt Dispel was available without Protect, but that was enough after he thought about it¡ªfor Clerics, Taunt Dispel was a self-preservation technique that would remove the focus of monsters from themselves, avoiding from becoming targets especially in encounters with monsters of superior levels.


    ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Lin Suyue asked. Nie Fan must have something in mind or he wouldn¡¯t have asked those questions.


    ¡°It would be perfect with a Holy Knight¡¯s Protect skill. There is no guaranteed chance of success with only Taunt Dispel, but we could try,¡± Nie Fan said.


    In the end, a Level 25 Copper-grade treasure chest was worth the risk.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Lin Suyue asked interestedly¡ªdid Nie Fan put together a plan even under such circumstances? How would he get rid of five Normal and one Elite monster flocking together?


    One Elite alone would be very difficult already.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan told them about the plan in mind.


    ¡°Looks like the only way is to try,¡± Xue Yu said.


    They could not come up with a better plan anyway.


    ***


    Lin Suyue slowly approached the Blazing Goblins. She was feeling nervous, but her mental composure was not bad compared to other players¡ªshe was not helplessly flustered at least.


    The nearest Blazing Goblin was fifteen yards away.


    Thirteen.


    Eleven.


    Still, Lin Suyue did not catch the blazing goblins¡¯ attention and kept wandering all around.


    She took another step ahead.


    That was when one of the Blazing Goblins suddenly turned its head, glaring its large round eyes at her.


    Lin Suyue felt her heart tighten and stopped advancing, leaving girl and monster in a suffocating standoff.


    After a moment, that Blazing Goblin suddenly roared and dashed towards her.


    She turned and ran without a pause.


    As the one Blazing Goblin stayed hot on her heels, the others hesitating for a moment before giving chase too.


    Still, Lin Suyue did not deliberately attack them. Since the Taunt she was drawing was not high, those Blazing Goblins were not quite determined in their pursuit of her, and were also spread towards the rear.


    Nie Fan stood behind one of the straw huts. His eyes were fixed on one of the Blazing Goblins, but he did not attack¡ªthe others would swarm him if he attacked it and destroy him first.


    That was when two of those Blazing Goblins noticed him. They glanced at Lin Suyue who was now quite far away, and then at Nie Fan, before turning to dash towards Nie Fan.


    Having drawn two of them to him, Nie Fan quickly dashed towards the opposite direction, waving his hand to cast Black Oil on one of those Blazing Goblins.


    Meanwhile, after drawing three Normal and one Elite Blazing Goblin to herself, Lin Suyue had run quite far¡ªshe quickly used a Taunt-Dispel skill on herself just as the distance between them shortened to five yards. After all, she would never escape if those Blazing Goblins got any closer.


    The monsters paused and looked blankly around themselves, each of them eventually giving up and turning back.


    Nie Fan himself had lured the two remaining Blazing Goblins some distance away as well.

 Chapter 23

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan aimed a Mini Fireball at the Blazing Goblin which was drenched in Black Oil. It detonated with a bang, with an ensuing inferno leaping into the air.


    The other Blazing Goblin roared in rage as it watched its companion being buried in the sea of flames and lunged towards Nie Fan.


    Nie Fan himself had stopped and began chanting the incantation for Bloodthirsty Vines. Even the seconds seemed to passed slowly as the Blazing Goblin approached, because he would die if this casting did not hit and the Blazing Goblin reached him.


    Five yards.


    Four yards.


    Three yards!


    Bloodthirsty Vines!


    The Blazing Goblin had a foot out and almost escaping the attacking position of the Bloodthirsty Vine when a thick and powerful vine suddenly shot out from the ground and bound its leg, promptly restraining it tightly.


    Nie Fan discreetly rejoiced his luck and calmed his wildly beating heart while retreating rapidly. His back was dabbed in cold sweat even as he released another Black Oil spell.


    It was fortunate that his three skills were sufficiently powerful, or they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle those Level 25 creatures.


    That being said, his father would never himself to be run so ragged. He was much inferior compared to first-rate gamers in mentality and technique, but he still managed to control himself with standards on par with those gamers, forcing calm upon his anxiety.


    1


    Mini Fireball!


    A second bang and a second fire. The Blazing Goblin struggled and shrieked for a while before dropping to the ground as a pile of charred blackness.


    When Xue Yu and Lin Suyue rushed towards him after some time, they noticed the Blazing Goblins¡¯ corpses on the ground.


    Nie Fan¡¯s ability truly left them blushing. It was as if they were not helping until now.


    Still, they realized that the two Blazing Goblins¡¯ corpses dropped no items at all. In fact, all three of them did not even manage to put together a normal White-grade item¡ª drop rates for various items were too low in Blade of Tyranny after all.


    ¡°There¡¯s still two minutes before Taunt Dispel comes off cooldown,¡± Lin Suyue then said after checking her skill bar.


    ¡°Let¡¯s farm the monsters around us for a bit then.¡± Nie Fan said, still feeling apprehensive since he was still unsure if he could get rid of the Blazing Goblin Warrior, a Level 26 Elite monster.


    When the cooldown of Lin Suyue¡¯s Taunt Dispel ended, they killed another one of the Blazing Goblins by repeating their tactic.


    And after a dozen minutes passed, only the Blazing Goblin Warrior was left nearby that Level 25 Copper treasure chest.


    [Blazing Goblin Warrior: Elite, Level 25, HP 2100]


    The monster was wearing silver steel armor and stood a head taller than ordinary Blazing Goblins, and the axe it was dragging along behind itself was polished to a radiant silver. Most Elite creatures such as these could instakill Nie Fan with a simple cut.


    ¡°Xue Yu, Suyue, support me from the flanks, but be ready to run if I can¡¯t kill it.¡± Nie Fan said after some thought. Even if his friends had low attack, it was better than none.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Nie Fan said with a nod. He was a little troubled now why he didn¡¯t get the Protect skill back at Tajit because he would be able to help Nie Fan if he did, since it could keep a fellow party member immune from damage for a certain amount of time.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Suyue said beside them.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Nie Fan nodded somberly and slowly made his way nearer to the Blazing Goblin Warrior.


    The creature appeared to sense something when he was twelve yards away and it suddenly stood still, looking all around it.


    Even as Nie Fan started to cast Bloodthirsty Vines, the Blazing Goblin Warrior was already rushing towards him as if crazed.


    Bloodthirsty Vines!


    Nie Fan quickly casted one spell when he saw the creature¡¯s wild rush towards himself.


    The ground in front of the Blazing Goblin Warrior thus suddenly rumbled violently, with a red vine shooting out of it.


    Please, hit!


    Nie Fan¡¯s eyes tightened.


    But in that very moment, the Blazing Goblin Warrior roared. Its skin shone in a bizarre redness and it continued to streak towards Nie Fan in wild, wide strides.


    Its speed took Nie Fan completely by surprise.


    That was a charge, a Warrior¡¯s skill!


    The Bloodthirsty Vine hit thin air.


    As the Blazing Goblin Warrior continued dashing towards Nie Fan, he quickly ran away, knowing that things had gone awry.


    Oh, no.


    Xue Yu had been hiding at a corner, but as soon as he realized that things had not gone well, he instinctively dashed towards the Blazing Goblin Warrior.


    Knowing that Xue Yu was never going to win against that monster, Lin Suyue stamped her feet in frustration before slamming a shot of Holy Light down at the Blazing Goblin Warrior. Anything could wait after Taunting the monster.


    Nonetheless, it only dealt [-1] damage.


    Still, the Blazing Goblin Warrior paused for a moment after that blast of Holy Light, but it ignored Lin Suyue when it saw that she was some distance away and maintained its pursuit of Nie Fan.


    It was closing in, its axe lifted and almost bearing down on Nie Fan for one instakill. However, that was also when Xue Yu suddenly dashed out from the side.


    Sacred Lunar Shield!


    Holding the shield aloft, Xue Yu smote the Blazing Goblin Warrior heavily, causing a bang noise and forcing the creature to stumble a few steps behind.


    Seizing the moment, Nie Fan retreated a few more steps before shouting, ¡°Xue Yu, dodge!¡±


    After all, the Blazing Goblin Warrior was enraged by the surprise blow from Xue Yu, and it roared before rushing towards him.


    Xue Yu would definitely be killed if he was a moment too slow!


    Black Oil!


    Nie Fan quickly chanted his spell, and the thick dark grease appeared out of thin air within second and drenched the Blazing Goblin Warrior from overhead. It also blocked its vision entirely, while slowing its speed significantly as well.


    Meanwhile, Xue Yu kept running raggedly, while behind him, the Blazing Goblin Warrior¡¯s massive axe smashed heavily on the ground with a boom and kicked up clouds of dust. Xue Yu would have been a corpse if he was even a step slower.


    That was also when a Mini Fireball shot towards the Blazing Goblin Warrior with a boom, splattering dancing flames.


    Damage values above thirty popped up above the monster¡¯s head, one after another.


    Nie Fan breathed in slight relief after watching the Black Oil and Mini Fireball hit the Blazing Goblin Warrior. The monster¡¯s speed would be largely impeded if hit by either that combo or Bloodthirsty Vines, after of which he could fight it at his own pace without being left so ragged like moments ago.


    It was really thanks to Xue Yu¡¯s smite. There would be not telling what would have happened otherwise.


    Then, when Nie Fan saw that his combo¡¯s effect was almost fading, he casted another Bloodthirsty Vine which easily bound the Blazing Goblin Warrior this time.


    Both Xue Yue and Lin Suyue unleashed their own assault when they saw that Nie Fan had kept the monster restrained. Since their attack stat wasn¡¯t high, they didn¡¯t have to worry about Taunting that monster either.


    At the same time, Xue Yu was relishing his masterstroke of a smite, slowly realizing then that Holy Knights could be played this way too.


    Soon, as the Bloodthirsty Vine had barely any HP left under flailing slashes of the Blazing Goblin Warrior, Nie Fan launched another combo of Black Oil and Mini Fireball at the creature.


    That barrage left the Blazing Goblin Warrior dazed. Caught beneath the flames and the Bloodthirsty Vine, it could not determine its direction at all, not to mention that the vine was so tough that it could only shave off little over half its HP after a few good cuts. Through it all, its own HP was being cut down rapidly.


    Though its ferocity surprised Nie Fan, it was thanks to the sufficient power of his Level 5 Bloodthirsty Vines or he might not have stood a chance.

 Chapter 24

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nonetheless, the Blazing Goblin Warrior never stopped struggling and continued bellowing in its rage.


    The Bloodthirsty Vine was almost breaking!


    Nie Fan glanced over at Xue Yu. His friend¡¯s performance had surprised him, and his improvement was certainly clear¡ªwith time in his hands, Xue Yu could really become a skillful player given his perfect timing just now.


    ¡°Xue Yu, get over here!¡± Nie Fan yelled into the team chat.


    Xue Yu quickly dashed to Nie Fan¡¯s side when he heard him, with Nie Fan giving him everything that remained in his bag, including the Sparkling Dust and Gravity Javelin.


    ¡°Use these items whenever you find a chance. We¡¯ll talk later, after we get rid of the Blazing Goblin Warrior!¡± Nie Fan quickly told him¡ªit would be troublesome if the monster was freed from its restraints.


    That being said, Nie Fan had a lot of items in his bag. After looking through some of the attributes of those items, Xue Yu quickly drew out one Gravity Javelin, found a position and promptly launched it at the Blazing Goblin Warrior.


    Meanwhile, with a crack, the Blazing Goblin Warrior had violently broken the Bloodthirsty Vine into pieces. But at the same time, it was struck by the Gravity Javelin with a dull thud, and it shrieked once while stumbling three steps backwards.


    Black Oil!


    Then, before the Blazing Goblin Warrior could find its balance, thick dark grease drenched over its face once more.


    Xue Yu realized in surprise that the items Nie Fan gave him were really useful. Between Nie Fan¡¯s attacks, he would unleash Sparkling Dust or Gravity Javelins¡ªeven if the effect would not be ideal on every instance, it more or less impedes the Blazing Goblin Warrior¡¯s movement.


    ¡°Where did you get these stuff, Nie Fan? Remember to buy more next time so that Suyue and I don¡¯t have to stand in a corner and do nothing.¡± Xue Yu exclaimed excitedly, finding the Gravity Javelin especially handy.


    Nie Fan rolled his eyes. ¡°Did you think those stuff comes cheap? Keep using it like this and we¡¯ll be penniless soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, forget it then.¡± Xue Yu chuckled dryly.


    Still, the Blazing Goblin Warrior could no longer withstand Nie Fan¡¯s continuous barrage. With a long howl towards the skies, it staggered and dropped to the dirt, its armor having been charred black like a heap of ashes.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally dead.¡± Lin Suyue breathed a sigh of relief.


    That being said, Xue Yu had used up every last pile of Sparkling Dust and Gravity Javelin, whereas Nie Fan himself used two bottles of Novice Mana Potions.


    ¡°Did it drop any items?¡±


    Nie Fan headed to the Blazing Goblin Warrior¡¯s corpse, arched his back and combed through it. He found a Gem Shard and one item, the latter of which was a Cleric¡¯s staff.


    [Staff of Healing: Level 20 required, Copper-grade, Attack 32-38, Spirit +3, Healing +3, Durability 35/35]


    ¡°It¡¯s a fine Cleric staff,¡± Nie Fan said, and traded that item to Lin Suyue.


    The trio¡¯s eyes then turned simultaneously to the Level 25 Copper treasure chest. Players hardly encounter treasure chest, even normal ones¡ªand this was a Copper-grade.


    In the end, there are always surprising discoveries when it comes to exploring a new map.


    The trio was excited and hopeful despite not knowing what lay inside too.


    They could only hope that their luck was not too horrible since it was possible for some poor players who found only White items in Copper treasure chests.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan opened the chest and reached inside, feeling around until one item entered his hand.


    It feels like¡­ a tome?


    ¡°What is it?¡± Xue Yu asked anxiously.


    After feeling around some more and making sure that there were no other items in the treasure chest, he fished out that item.


    It was a Skill Tome.


    The totem of a cheetah on the gray cover of the tome immediately caught Nie Fan¡¯s attention. It looked as vivid as real life, its eyes flickering with captivating faint red radiance.


    ¡®This is it!¡¯ Nie Fan thought in irrepressible excitement.


    He had journeyed far and wide in search of it, only to find it so easily¡ªone of the most important Skill Tomes for Druids in the early game, Cheetahmorph!


    1


    And being one of the most necessary skills for Druids in Morphing, its drop rate in the early game was relatively low. As a matter of fact, most Druids only learn that skill when they reach Level 30.


    Druids are divided into five major classes: Elemental, Support, Plant-type, Summoners, and Morphing. Cheetahmorph would prove useful to each class, not to mention that it was necessary for Nie Fan to learn multiple morphing skills since he chose it as his minor talent. Furthermore, morphing skills grants Druids formidable close combat ability, along with various special abilities.


    As a skill, Cheetahmorph was very similar to Lycanmorph were similar since they buff the user in terms of speed, attack speed, and concealment, although their specialty varied as well: Lycanmorph¡¯s significantly increases the user¡¯s affinity for close-range fights to the point that they would not lose out to close-quarter fighting units. On the other hand, Cheetahmorph specializes in speed and concealment, adapting the user to escaping and ambushes while losing out in melees.


    That being said, the Cheetahmorph Skill Tome obtained from a Level 25 Copper treasure chest appeared to be a strengthened version, which made Nie Fan especially excited.


    [Phantom Cheetahmorph: Skill level 1, morphing duration: 10 minutes; cooldown: 1 hour, MP cost: 85]


    [Talent Buff: -25% Mana cost (Arcane Endowment)]


    [+10% Attack Speed (Feral)]


    [+36% Speed (Feral)]


    [+10% Attack (Hunter¡¯s Wrath)]


    [-6% Defense (Unarmored)]


    [Lurking: Cheetahmorpher becomes invisible.]


    1


    [Phantom: Creates a phantom to confuse opponents. It has no attack ability and could be seen through with Scout.]


    [Morphing state can be removed.]


    [Level 20 required.]


    Even at skill level 1, the basic effects of Phantom Cheetahmorph was already very good. It lasts a long time and increased the user¡¯s speed drastically. It was acceptable even if the cooldown time was 1 hour, but the mana cost was just a little too high, consuming almost half of Nie Fan¡¯s MP in one use. On another note, Lurking and Phantom were quite useful skills as well, but Nie Fan must reach Level 20 to learn the skill itself.


    ¡®Still, that isn¡¯t too far,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Skill Tome of an upgraded version of Cheetahmorph. It would fetch over three thousand bronze coins in the market.¡± Nie Fan told Xue Yu and Lin Suyue, brandishing the tome in his hand.


    They were not envious upon learning that he obtained a supercool skill, but earnestly happy since they never minded the differences between themselves and Nie Fan. They shared all glory and sufferings, after all.


    Although it was a little ridiculous for one Skill Tome to be worth more than three thousand bronze coins, it remained that Strengthened Skill Tomes were different from Rare Skill Tomes.


    There would always be fewer Rare Skill Tomes, but the skill they hold might not actually be powerful, and could actually prove useless. Meanwhile, Strengthened Skill Tomes were upgraded versions of mainstream skills, but drops were actually frequent compared to Rare Skill Tomes. That being said, when learning a normal skill, a player could opt to overlap it with the Strengthened version of that skill, although its skill level would revert to Level 1 too.


    ¡°Can you learn it now?¡± Xue Yu asked, curious to see the effect of that skill.


    ¡°Have to wait until I¡¯m level twenty.¡± Nie Fan said, shaking his head.¡±


    ¡°Which we would be soon at the rate we are leveling at the moment.¡± Lin Suyue added beside them.


    Nie Fan¡¯s right hand gently stroked the cheetah totem on the cover of the Skill Tome while he grinned.


    It was a good start.


    Stuffing the Skill Tome into his bag, he then looked up and said, ¡°A fine catch for the day. Let¡¯s keep going deeper.¡±


    The reward from opening the treasure chest had stirred their spirits.


    Numerous straw huts stood beside the winding path. Still, they could only see some roaming Blazing Goblins as they looked towards the depth, and there was no telling where the depths were.


    Innumerable variables fill the path ahead, but Nie Fan¡¯s heart was filled with power once he remembered that it was a place his own father had walked.


    If his father could do it back then, he could too!

 Chapter 25

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    It took three hours for Nie Fan, Xue Yu, and Lin Suyue to reach the very heart of the Blazing Goblins¡¯ settlement, and untold numbers of slain Blazing Goblins.


    At the same time, Nie Fan¡¯s had reached 21% in Level 19, as compared to his initial Level 18.


    That was an acceptable rate, and actually quicker than his estimation.


    The trio had also obtained many items, including several Level 25 White-grade items along with herbs and leather. Be that as it may, those items were not quite valuable and would not even compensate for Nie Fan¡¯s mana consumption when sold.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that his settlement would be so wide. Where are we now, actually?¡± Xue Yu asked as he stared at the map.


    ¡°We should be almost at the center zone,¡± Nie Fan replied. ¡°We would find the Goblin Firewalker further ahead¡ªlevel thirty Miniboss, over five thousand HP, strengthened armor, and AOE fire spells.¡±


    It was also the most powerful Boss at their current location, and every party of elite players were still ants they could crush with a single blow at the moment.


    Both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue could mostly guess how powerful that monster was from Nie Fan¡¯s description: They basically had no chance against at their current level.


    ¡°Are we going, then?¡± Xue Yu asked, unsure why Nie Fan led them here since looking for a Level 30 Miniboss now was no different from going to die.


    ¡°Not at the moment. After leveling up twice more.¡± Nie Fan said as he checked out the topography around them.


    It was not as if increasing two levels would allow them to take down a Level 30 Miniboss. Xue Yu and Lin Suyue refrained from asking, however, since Nie Fan might have another plan in mind.


    The sixty-odd straw huts around them were arranged circularly and closely to each other, and it was quite the hassle searching through all of them.


    After some mental calculation, Nie Fan then turned to his friends and said, ¡°Xue Yu, search the sixth hut from here while Su Yue search the thirteenth. Hide if you run into any Blazing Goblins, I¡¯ll head over to get rid of them for you.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The pair hence dashed towards their respective objectives. Even if they didn¡¯t know how Nie Fan told them to do that, they were already used to not doubting him.


    At the same time, Nie Fan would slowly clear up any Blazing Goblins nearby. He could handle two at the same time, although he could only evade places where there were too many of them.


    Around three minutes later.


    ¡°Nie Fan, I¡¯ve got nothing.¡± Xue Yu said in the party chat.¡±


    Nie Fan thought about it. ¡°Take the twenty-third, then.¡±


    Soon, Lin Suyue exclaimed in delight into the party chat as well, ¡°I found a Warrior-class Copper Greatsword, level twenty-five!¡±


    A single Copper Greatsword would sell for over a thousand bronze coins even with weak stats¡ªthis one in particular would fetch two thousand with its good stats of +5 Attack and +2 Strength.


    ¡°Nie Fan, I found something here too: it¡¯s a Copper Hammer, Holy Knight-class.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Nie Fan said. ¡°You two could go look through more straw huts, but you don¡¯t have to look too carefully since there¡¯s probably nothing now.¡± He should just let Xue Yu have that Hammer, while earning some money by selling the Level 25 Greatsword, which would be enough for their potions in the future.


    In reality, Nie Fan had anticipated that they would find those items. Those were rewards for frontline explorers, and most players had to search carefully to find them inside the huts.


    If they searched each of those sixty-odd straw huts, it would take at least an hour.


    ***


    While Xue Yu and Lin Suyue were combing through the straw huts, Nie Fan ran towards an elevated slope to the west. It was probably as tall as one of those straw huts, and he could see everything nearby when he stood over it.


    As he looked ahead at the top, he found Blazing Goblins crowding the nearby clearing, and most of them should be Elites. At the center of the clearing was a spot enclosed with boulders, with over twenty Blazing Goblins within.


    One of them was wearing a fiery red steel armor, and was quite distinct in the midst of the other normal Blazing Goblins.


    That¡¯s the Goblin Firewalker, the Level 30 Miniboss!


    Nie Fan¡¯s heart thumped at the sight of so many Blazing Goblins too. There probably wouldn¡¯t be many could compose themselves when they come across such a scene either, much less make their way past them.


    Then, as Nie Fan looked north, he found a cyan spring flowing over the grayed land.


    It¡¯s the Goblin Springs!


    That place was a living sustenance for goblins. According to ancient legends, a traveler had fallen short due in his attempted journey across desert due to thirst, encountering a sorcerer as death loomed. The sorcerer told the traveler that he must drink from a cursed spring to survive, and henceforth become extraordinarily ugly. The traveler drank it to see the wife waiting for him in their faraway homeland, from then on becoming a grotesque goblin, only to be mocked by his wife in every way possible because she was unable to accept his goblin appearance when he returned. He eventually broke, and stabbed his wife to death with a dagger.


    Such was the storied origins of goblins. Therefore, in the bible of the Holy Temple, the goblins were described as ugly creatures, coming to this world bearing curses and original sins.


    Players who drink sparingly from the Goblin Springs would become a goblin for some time, reverting to their original look after some time. However, drinking too much of the toxin would kill them immediately.


    That was another one of his father¡¯s discoveries: Most players were aware of the legend of goblin origins and would therefore avoid it, since it would be trouble if they could not revert from goblins. However, his father who was especially sharp about quests completions promptly realized that it was the key to obtaining the Ring of Fate after stumbling on the Goblin Springs, and he left those clues as well as the entire procurement process with Nie Fan.


    In fact, his father died three times and tried countless methods before finally figuring out the way to claim the Ring of Fate.


    1


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan collected his thoughts that were in disarray. Anything could wait until they were Level 21, and he could feel that the Ring of Fate was within reach.


    Meanwhile, Xue Yu and Lin Suyue found nothing other than one bottle of Intermediate Mana Potion after searching the other straw huts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep leveling up, and try to get up to level twenty-one within five hours.¡± Nie Fan declared confidently.


    Time passed quietly as he continued culling Blazing Goblins, even by luck securing a Cleric¡¯s Minor Healing Skill Tome. It was perhaps two hours later when the crisp ringing of the system notification sounded, and Nie Fan looked down to find that he was now Level 20!


    He could learn Cheetahmorph!


    Nie Fan took out the Cheetahmorph Skill Tome from his bag, and it turn into a streak of white light with a move from his right hand, becoming his fourth combat skill! He activated it with a quiet roar, his form rapidly turning into a strong cheetah¡¯s, with black spots all over its white-and-yellow fur along with sharp eyes, sharp teeth, and sharp class.


    He had an intimidating presence.


    In that form, he ran a few paces to adapt himself to his brand-new body. His speed had indeed become much quicker, the only drawback being his lowered defense which made him a weak melee combatant.


    The outline of his body slowly faded as he Lurked.


    His speed reduced considerably in Lurk, although his movement remained unimpeded.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan was very excited about the feeling of Morphing. It was a skill that sets him on a completely different path from his father¡¯s, since his father only learned Cheetahmorph at Level 26. Moreover, it was a normal skill and not a strengthened version of it, not to mention that his father was more adept at Lycanthropy.


    Even if someone has arranged everything and set a target for you, everyone ultimately experiences different encounters, just as the eventual outcome would be distinctly different.

 Chapter 26

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue were stunned when they saw Nie Fan freely change his form, vanishing from sight before turning visible again.


    So that was Cheetahmorph¡ªit appeared to be a strong skill. Thinking from certain perspectives, it would really be difficult for another player to adapt to an opponent who suddenly turns into a cheetah and change their combat style in a PK duel.


    Nie Fan also tried his Phantom skill, but at Level 1 the Phantom Cheetah was merely a blurred shadow. It couldn¡¯t move either, and would simply fade just moments later, which made it a minor diversion to confuse the enemy.


    It could not be used too frequently either, since it would not surprise an opponent who eventually grew wary. That being said, it was good enough for a level one skill.


    Like Xue Yu¡¯s Sacred Lunar Shield, Morphing skills cannot be leveled through usage, but by paying a huge sum of gold to the Skill Trainer in the village after reaching player Level 30.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan dispelled his skill and assumed a human form once more. He generally understood his new skill and how to apply it, although it would be some time before he would become proficient.


    After testing out the Cheetahmorph form, Nie Fan continued his wild leveling with Xue Yu and Lin Suyue. He was also now more composed in farming monsters compared to before, his state of mind now completely different with a Morphing skill was backup¡ªhe could simply cast Cheetahmorph in dangerous moments to escape.


    Moreover, leveling was now 20% faster with Cheetahmorph for Nie Fan. As such, the crisp system notification rang around two hours later once more, indicating that he had reached Level 21!


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan did not stop at that, and spent most of the next half hour carrying Xue Yu and Lin Suyue up to Level 21 as well.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready,¡± Xue Yu smiled nonchalantly as Nie Fan looked at them then. ¡°We¡¯ll only drop by one level, so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°We could quickly level up again after falling too. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Lin Suyue grinned sweetly.


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯m off. I¡¯ll send you two a message later!¡± Nie Fan said as he headed towards the direction of the Goblin Springs.


    ***


    Clear water was gushing from beneath the ground at the Goblin Springs, its bottom clear and visible.


    No one would have expected that those cyan ripples were full of poison.


    Nie Fan crouched, scooped up the water and took a sip. He must not drink too much at once since a little too much meant death, and he needs to have a handle on the amount.


    After drinking, Nie Fan¡¯s bones began to shrink rapidly as he assumed the appearance of a Blazing Goblin. In that form, he made unusual squawking voices even when he tried to speak.


    Any other player who saw him would take him for a Blazing Goblin, and not a fellow player.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan whirled around to check that he really was no different from a normal Blazing Goblin, and then darted towards the Goblin Firewalker.


    The transformation was only effective for twenty minutes.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan had soon arrived at the edge of the area, although he could not help feeling nervous at the flocks of goblins nearby. He also spotted a number of Elite-class Blazing Goblin Warriors, monsters which would probably encircle him and kill him in seconds if they noticed that he had slipped into their ranks.


    That was when another Blazing Goblin came to his side and casted him a few glances, his gaze showing signs of confusion and suspicion.


    Nie Fan could feel that his heart was about to leap out of his chest, but could only feign calmness and kept walking forward. That Blazing Goblin watched as he left, before shaking its head and leaving as well.


    It was for but a moment, but Nie Fan could feel cold sweat appearing over his back in his fright.


    After passing by another crowd of Blazing Goblins and heading deeper, Nie Fan finally caught sight of the Goblin Firewalker, dressed in red helm and armor.


    Hundreds of Blazing Goblins and over a dozen Elite-class Blazing Goblin warriors were here. There was no telling how much time it would take to farm them all, nor was there any hope of killing them without a group of more than thirty players above Level 30.


    As he kept going forward and reached around eight yards away from the Goblin Firewalker, Nie Fan found a single wooden pillar that stood around a meter tall from the ground. A spherical bubble of light hovered on top of it, the center of which a pale-gray ring lay serenely¡ªit looked as if it was forged from some poor grade of metal, its surface resembling a thick layer of filth. In fact, the entire ring itself appeared plain and without a single special aspect.


    There was no doubt that that¡¯s the ring all Druids dreamed of.


    That being said, only goblins could reach their hands inside the bubble to take the ring. Since normal players could not get past the bubble, it would mean nothing even if they would clear away every last monster in the vicinity, not to mention that the monsters would respawn at that very same spot after a day.


    It was only by drinking from the Goblin Spring and assuming a goblin form like Nie Fan did that he could reach inside the bubble.


    Now, he was even closer to the Goblin Firewalker¡ªonly five yards separated them.


    Perhaps it was also because he was much shorter in goblin form, but he found the Goblin Firewalker especially massive. Its body armor was akin to burning flames with red sparks occasionally popping up, not to mention that it has a fearsome visage and sharp tusks that reached down to its chin. Its fiery crimson gaze was also brimming with the color of violence, and the golden axe it was dragging behind it was even more stunning, outsizing even Nie Fan himself.


    Nie Fan could not help feeling alarmed right then.


    Indeed, the Goblin Firewalker seemed to take notice of the anomaly that was Nie Fan himself, and studied him from head to toe.


    He paused and ceased all movement, and looked at Ring of Fate which was just nearby with the corner of his eye.


    It was still lying there quietly and motionlessly. Despite it having no luster, Nie Fan sensed a lethal attraction exuding from it as if destiny was calling.


    That was the very key Nie Fan would unlock his fate with!


    Be that as it may, he did not reach out to take it because he simply could not get close to the ring¡ªthe Goblin Firewalker would not hesitate to smash him into a puddle with its axe if he took another step! This was the place where his father was killed, twice!


    Though within reach, Nie Fan did not dare to leap into the storm. The unusual movements of the Goblin Firewalker left his heart tightening, and he is going to die here if there was a single mishap!


    At the moment, the Goblin Firewalker appeared to suspect the abnormal way Nie Fan was behaving as well, its flame-red eyes appearing to be full of suspicion. After pausing for a moment, it eventually decided to take a look, and approached Nie Fan step after step.


    A trace of sweat appeared over Nie Fan¡¯s head then. He moved off to a side and tried his best to keep his distance, even as each of the Goblin Firewalker¡¯s thunderous footsteps seemed to be stamped onto his head with a bang. Even so, he must not run, because he would expose himself immediately once he turned to flee.


    He would also die a lot faster as well!

 Chapter 27

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Hurry up, Xue Yu, Suyue!¡± Nie Fan yelled anxiously into the party chat. Any slower and he would become a corpse!


    Nonetheless, the goblins around him broke in an uproar just then, and Nie Fan understood immediately that his friends had already started.


    A white bubble of light was seen in the air, shooting straight forward over a dozen yards before landing on one Blazing Goblin Warrior with a pop. The creature roared in ridge, and led its lesser Blazing Goblin brethren and charged towards the ambusher.


    In the distance, a white figure was gone in a flash.


    It was Lin Suyue.


    Soon, however, they surrounded her, and in another white flash, she fell into the dirt.


    [System: Your party member Waning Moonshade has died.]


    Right when Lin Suyue fell, another figure was rushing at the Goblin Firewalker from a spot where the goblins were fewer. Lin Suyue¡¯s diversion had drawn off a major horde of goblins, creating the best opening for Xue Yu.


    Sacred Lunar Shield!


    With a loud cry, Xue Yu casted Sacred Lunar Shield and kept it in front of him, knocking away one of the Blazing Goblins.


    He looked around. He couldn¡¯t tell which of those goblins was Nie Fan, but he had only one objective: charge towards the Goblin Firewalker.


    And yet, it seemed to be an impossible mission!


    Even so, there were a dozen of Blazing Goblins and Blazing Goblin Warriors, and he could never break past them!


    ¡®No, I mustn¡¯t fail!¡¯


    Xue Yu leapt, with a Blazing Goblin Warrior¡¯s giant axe brushing past right beside him.


    So close!


    Nevertheless, Xue Yu no longer cared about all that. He darted forward with every last bit of strength he had until he was just eight yards away from the Goblin Firewalker.


    Nie Fan turned towards the source of disturbance to find Xue Yu hurrying at his direction as best he could. Even so, he would never make it since there were simply too many goblins in the vicinity and they were basically one stalwart wall of meat.


    As such, Nie Fan kept his focus on the Goblin Firewalker. Lin Suyue¡¯s earlier diversion had already drawn its attention, making it turn away and no longer paying him any heed. Xue Yu¡¯s appearance even left it in an unending rage, and it began to drag along its massive axe and walked towards where Xue Yu was.


    Meanwhile, Xue Yu did not make it. A horde of goblins had promptly surrounded him, and he turned into a streak of white light in just a few blows.


    [System: Your party member Falling Maple Leaves has died.]


    Nie Fan glanced at the Goblin Firewalker after receiving the system notification. It had its back to him just six yards away, while he himself had moved just two yards off the Ring of Fate in the confusion just now.


    The chance would be gone in an instant. Any slower and there wouldn¡¯t be any opening!


    Nie Fan promptly reached out with his right hand into the bubble, and caught the Ring of Fate smoothly.


    And in the very instant he touched the Ring of Fate, it abruptly shone in blinding radiance just like the sun, vibrant and dazzling.


    In an instant, every creature¡¯s attention was stirred and drawn to that light, including the Goblin Firewalker nearby.


    Then, the light from the Ring of Fate quickly darkened, and it was now covered in a layer of silver in contrast to its once colorless form. Uneven patterns also appeared alongside a flowing halation, emanating an extraordinary color that captured the soul.


    Seizing the moment before every goblin reacted, Nie Fan threw the Ring of Fate into his bag while transforming his form into a cheetah¡¯s, and then sprinted away.


    The Goblin Firewalker burst into an unstoppable rage when it noticed that someone had actually taken away the Ring of Fate. It bellowed violently, brandishing its axe as it gave chase.


    In fact, the axe itself had turned into a raging flame and cut down at Nie Fan.


    Watching as the giant flame axe of the Goblin Firewalker was almost reaching him, Nie Fan completely forgot about his present form and lunged ahead in a barrel roll. It was lucky that the diversion just now had drawn the goblins to the west to other zones, and no Blazing Goblins were at his front to stop him.


    With a massive bang, the Goblin Firewalker¡¯s giant flame axe struck the ground, spluttering fist-sized fires while veins of cracks appeared over the earth.


    Although he had clearly slipped away, two balls of flame still managed to hit Nie Fan and shredded almost a hundred HP off him.


    It was such a terrific attack. Nie Fan was left in utter astonishment, but he also casted Phantom in the instant when the attack kicked up fiery sparks.


    A blurred shadow appeared to Nie Fan¡¯s rear.


    Meanwhile, the Goblin Firewalker¡¯s flame attack had actually petrified the Blazing Goblins nearby. Muddleheaded, they simply forgot to pursue Nie Fan right then.


    At the same time, the Goblin Firewalker brushed away the flames to find a cheetah¡¯s shadow. Believing that it was Nie Fan, it roared as it smashed down on it with its giant axe, causing another rumble with its violent blow. Even so, it did not hit a thing¡ªNie Fan had already fled a dozen yards away.


    Even so, the Goblin Firewalker did not give up and maintained its pursuit while flailing its massive axe.


    Soon, however, Nie Fan has leapt away, evading several scattered Blazing Goblins and Blazing Goblin Warriors and swiftly vanished into the plains, the Goblin Firewalker¡¯s roars ever present behind him.


    To avoid any chance of the Goblin Firewalker catching up, Nie Fan wildly sprinted for another few more minutes, and only relaxed when he made sure that no monsters were still trying to chase him. It was only then that he realized that his back was drenched in cold sweat.


    That was the first time he was caught in such danger, but it proved to be more a scare than an actual threat¡ªindeed, he felt that it was all worth it once he remembered that the Ring of Fate was in his bag.


    He checked his friend list to find that both Xue Yu and Suyue¡¯s names were still in gray, and they would only be able to play after five hours if they did not revive right away. It was thanks to their help this time, or Nie Fan would never have gotten the Ring of Fate.


    His father had braved every danger before claiming the Ring of Fate for himself. While Nie Fan was not as superior as his father in skill, the aid from his two friends allowed him to get the ring without much danger.


    The old saying is true: Three smelly cobblers could defeat one Zhuge Liang!


    Xue Yu and Suyue¡¯s chat tools were on, and they could converse normally even if they couldn¡¯t play.


    ¡°Return to Tajit after reviving!¡± Nie Fan said into the party chat. They were done here, and it was time they went back to Tajit Village for a little rest.


    ¡°Did you get the ring?¡± Xue Yu asked anxiously when he saw Nie Fan¡¯s message.


    That ring must have been a very important object for Nie Fan, but Xue Yu was a little let down by his own performance. He definitely would have been able to rush ahead a little more, but he missed that chance because he hesitated. As such, he would blame himself to death if Nie Fan failed.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Nie Fan grinned. ¡°Thanks to you two.¡±


    ¡°As long as you got it.¡± Xue Yu breathed an inward sigh of relief.


    Lin Suyue was pleased when Nie Fan told them he got the ring as well, although she also wondered about the stats of that item given how much Nie Fan valued it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s gather in front of Tajit Village at six pm tomorrow.¡± Nie Fan said as he dashed towards the village right now. He beamed in satisfaction as he looked at the Ring of Fate which lay silently at a corner inside his bag.


    His ability would rise by a whole notch with it!

 Chapter 28

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan touched the tip of the ring with his right hand, where a single word ¡®Solanda¡¯ was sculpted upon the ring¡ªwhich meant ¡®hunter¡¯ in Old Elven.


    Legend has it that Solanda was also the name of a Druid prodigy amongst the elves in ancient times. He gained the favor of the Lifetree and hence obtained the Ring of Fate, becoming the leader of the elves. He had safeguarded the peace amongst the elven tribes over six hundred years, but when he was assassinated by a group of human bandits in the midst of a war between human and elves, the Ring of Fate was hence lost.


    Although the Ring of Fate was only usable by individuals of elven blood, the humans eventually defeated the elves and took elven maidens with them, offering them to human nobles with whom they procreated in order to gain immortality. Henceforth, the blood of the elves was passed down amongst humans as well.


    As such, humans who could become druids would be able to use the Ring of Fate.


    Nie Fan examined the stats of the Ring of Fate.


    [Solanda¡¯s Ring of Fate: Druid-class, Dark Enchanted-grade, upgradeable item, EXP to next level: 0/30000]


    [Attack +32, Defense +21, Strength +21, all Druid skills +1, 3% increased chance for magic item drop.]


    There were not many Copper items in the market at the moment, and certainly less for the grades above that which were Cyan Bronze or Dark Enchanted Bronze! Accessories were even less common¡ªmany players would not necessarily get one even at Level 50 or even up to 60, and making a +10-Defense ring with gems and other materials would require more than five thousand bronze coins! To make something like a Solanda¡¯s Ring of Fate would need the finest gems in the very least.


    Indeed, the current value of Solanda¡¯s Ring of Tate was inestimable, not that Nie Fan would sell it.


    It was only by binding the Ring of Fate that Nie Fan could use it in ease of mind, or he wouldn¡¯t otherwise¡ªhe would cry himself to death if he was killed and dropped it! Even so, it took over three thousand bronze coins to bind that ring to himself, although it could neither be traded nor dropped after that.


    Still, those coins had to be spent for the sake of security.


    Every attribute of his rose by a notch right after Nie Fan equipped that ring, and he was especially excited with ¡®all Druid skills +1¡¯. His Level 5 Bloodthirsty Vines hence leapt up to Level 6 instantly, whereas Black Oil and Mini Fireball reached Level 5 as well, meaning that all his skills were even more powerful. Naturally, his Cheetahmorph was also Level 2 now, and after taking a look at the stats of that skill, he saw that every attribute had increased by a lot with the risen level as well.


    Aside from those stats, the 3% increased chance for magic item drop was not bad either. Given how rare items above Copper dropped, increasing that chance by just a little would make anyone excited.


    At the same time, 2% of Nie Fan¡¯s EXP gain would be diverted to the Ring of Fate¡¯s EXP, but that would not trouble him. In fact, since that EXP upgrades the ring, Nie Fan would rather it drained more of his EXP¡ªhe would be able to slay more powerful monsters the stronger the ring gets, in turn gaining more EXP.


    He must earn that money and bind it right away!


    When he returned to Tajit Village, Nie Fan checked his bag for things he could sell: a few Level 25 White-grade items and the Level 25 Copper Greatsword. The top-level for players right now was Level 23, but there was a great demand for Level 25 items especially amongst the elite organizations. To make leveling convenient in the future, they had begun to form parties to farm for high-grade items, and they naturally would not hesitate to buy one that appeared in the market.


    Despite being unsure how much it could sell for, Nie Fan started to peddle his items on the market. Soon enough, people were flocking towards him.


    His offer for the Level 25 Copper Greatsword was three thousand bronze coins, which was expensive but not excessive.


    Still, some shook their heads and left after learning about the price.


    Nie Fan then checked his friend list. For some reason, that player called Warsong was not online¡ªnonetheless, Nie Fan sent him an offline message detailing the stats of the Copper Greatsword and his asking price, which he would see when he came online.


    Later, as he continued peddling, the players nearby suddenly became rowdy. Something was happening!


    But even as Nie Fan was left wondering, a female Warrior donning full-red steel armor was approaching him.


    ¡°It¡¯s her. It¡¯s Dancing Phoenix!¡±


    ¡°Her level is so high!¡±


    It was only after hearing the other players¡¯ quiet exclamations that Nie Fan really took notice that the lady was Level 25, which was certainly stunning! He definitely did not expect someone to progress so quickly, having assumed the highest was Level 23!


    In the end, the data which Nie Fan¡¯s father left him with were merely his experiences after playing the game. The reality was that he remained a newcomer and amateur, and he had a long way to go before he became a skilled gamer. Moreover, there was a gap between his group and the real elites in terms of leveling up.


    From the looks of the other players around, it appears that Dancing Phoenix was quite influential too.


    Indeed, Nie Fan could not help feeling a sense of urgency following her appearance. It seems that he had been staying in his comfort zone and not striving hard enough.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Dancing Phoenix walked up to Nie Fan and greeted him.


    ¡°Who, me?¡± Nie Fan looked left and right bewilderedly to ensure that Dancing Phoenix wasn¡¯t talking to him before carefully studying her. She appeared to be around twenty and would not lose to Lin Xinyan in looks¡ªwhere Lin Xinyan appeared pure and vibrant, Dancing Phoenix was valiant and imposing. Her clear, quite-witted eyes were now studying Nie Fan in turn, and the figure beneath her shoulder-length hair was even more stunning, stretching her chest armor to its very limits while keeping her cleavage barely visible. She appeared one point seven meters tall in height, with her fiery-red armor perfectly accentuating her curves and presenting her definitive, devilish figure.


    ¡°Yes, what are the stats of your level twenty-five Copper Greatsword?¡± She asked nonchalantly even as she measured Nie Fan.


    ¡®A Level 21 getting a Level 25 Copper Greatsword,¡¯ she thought quietly. But which studio could he be from? She had never received any information about Nie Fan before, not to mention that he had traded with Warsong¡¯s gang once before.


    Moreover, their studios were competing over several villages including Tajit and Moxxi at the moment. Therefore, any threat appearing within these domains would have to be paid close attention.


    On the other hand.


    ¡®Oh, so she wants to buy my item,¡¯ Nie Fan thought innocently, and messaged Dancing Phoenix the details.


    ¡°Looks good. What¡¯s your price?¡± Dancing Phoenix asked.


    She could not understand why he would be selling such a Copper Greatsword. Could his party have better items than that? That Copper Greatsword was actually slightly better than the weapons she had now too!


    ¡°Three thousand bronze coins.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Nie Fan¡¯s asking price was a lot higher than the market price, but Dancing Phoenix did not even bargain. He was naturally taken aback by her frankness too, but he certainly wouldn¡¯t eat his words since he had already set such a high price, and completed the trade with Dancing Phoenix.


    ¡°You could message me if you have another item to sell.¡± Dancing Phoenix said, offering a friend request to Nie Fan on her own.


    Those words were rather familiar. It reminded Nie Fan of Warsong since that was what he told him back then.


    From the looks of things, the studios sorely needed equipment.


    ¡°I will.¡± Nie Fan nodded and added Dancing Phoenix as a friend.


    The jingle of a system notification suddenly rang while he was conversing with Dancing Phoenix¡ªit was Warsong, promptly replying to Nie Fan¡¯s message right after coming online. ¡°I¡¯ll have that level twenty-five Copper Greatsword.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too late. I already sold it.¡±


    ¡°No way! That¡¯s fast!¡± Warsong pulled a long face.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Who bought it?¡± Warsong asked, since not just anyone could purchase an item worth three thousand bronze coins.


    ¡°Someone named Dancing Phoenix.¡±


    ¡°Oh, her,¡± Warsong muttered blankly.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Nie Fan asked.


    That question left Warsong feeling as if he had run headlong into a stone wall. ¡°No way, bro. Are you from another planet? How could you not know Dancing Phoenix?¡±


    ¡°But I really don¡¯t know who she is,¡± Nie Fan said blankly. Was she that famous?


    1


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Warsong was speechless. If it had been anyone else, he would have definitely retorted to the effect of ¡®Why are you even playing VR games without knowing who Dancing Phoenix is? Go home, and stick to milk!¡¯, but he didn¡¯t because Nie Fan was a better player than he was.


    Could Nie Fan really have come from another planet?


    2

 Chapter 29

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan did not know much about the world of professional gamers before joining Blade of Tyranny. As such, he was too embarrassed to keep asking after what Warsong had told him, and simply searched ¡®Dancing Phoenix¡¯ on the web to find her information.


    She was the head of Phoenix Down Studios and a famous person in the professional scene, her individual achievements granting her place amongst the top ten pro gamers of China, and she was also the female on that leaderboard. The Phoenix Down Studios which she had founded was all-female and was a famed realm of beauty, although their overall ability was second-rate and ranked much lower than Tempest Wings. Be that as it may, Phoenix Down was much more famous than Tempest Wings since they had more babes¡ªespecially Dancing Phoenix herself, who countless players saw as their goddess.


    1


    Nie Fan certainly felt newfound respect after learning that she was the only female gamer in China¡¯s top ten¡­ and that was about it. He was busy, and was quite reluctant to get too involved with the studios.


    ¡°Don¡¯t the Warriors in your party need this weapon?¡± Dancing Phoenix asked probingly then, keeping a close eye on Nie Fan¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m not obligated to answer that.¡± He replied calmly.


    ¡°Just curious. Are you also quite close to Warsong, from Bloodbath Studios?¡± Dancing Phoenix was troubled to find that Nie Fan was as responsive as a block of wood, with his face not reacting at all.


    Even her good looks which never failed against any man was useless against him.


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve only traded with him once, like you.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll take the other level twenty-five White-grade items as well.¡± Dancing Phoenix replied, since her other ordinary studio members could use those items too.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have put it better.¡± Nie Fan felt a breezy joy, and sold every equipment at once to Dancing Phoenix, earning more than thirty-eight hundred bronze coins.


    And everything else could wait after he bound the Ring of Fate to himself. He would also have to farm some coins later or he wouldn¡¯t even be able to afford potions.


    ¡°Good trade. Well, I¡¯m off¡ªI¡¯ll reach out when I have another item.¡± Nie Fan bid her farewell then, before turning to leave.


    Dancing Phoenix frowned slightly as she watched him go.


    She had tried to loosen his lips about his background in their conversation, but she had clearly failed¡ªNie Fan revealed nothing, and even acted as if he did not know her at all! Reasonably speaking, most VR game players would have heard of her name even if they did not know who she was specifically, but Nie Fan looked as if he knew nothing at all which made it all the more puzzling. After all, he couldn¡¯t be a newbie given the way he was selling high-level Copper items.


    Dancing Phoenix had so many questions. Nie Fan¡¯s identity was so utterly mysterious¡­ could it be some godly character¡¯s sock puppet account?


    1


    ¡°Snow Butterfly. Run this ID for me: Dark Night¡ªI want every detail available about him, and check the list of members of major game studios to see if he¡¯s in there.¡± Dancing Phoenix spoke into her group chat, even if it was like finding a needle in a haystack and they might get nothing at all.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go check right away.¡± The girl called Snow Butterfly replied immediately.


    1


    Meanwhile, the players in Tajit were getting excited with her presence in Tajit, with some bored players even getting ideas such as ¡®if Dancing Phoenix is here, is Phoenix Down Studios going to set up base here in Tajit?¡¯ That would certainly be great news, since the female gamers of Phoenix Down were an excellent resource they sorely needed.


    1


    Most of the male players were having unrestrained lustful fantasies as they watched Dancing Phoenix leave¡ªher gait and her devilish figure were setting their hearts aflame¡­ what kind of man would it take to assert dominance over that spicy body? Indeed, there was even some who were thinking that it would be worth shortening their lifespans by decades just to spend a night with her.


    On the other hand, meeting Dancing Phoenix was no more than a minor interlude for Nie Fan. His only gain from it was that he had one more buyer for any items he wanted to sell in his friend list, and she must be quite rich given that she was a player in the top ten.


    Later, Warsong sent Nie Fan a message. ¡°I¡¯ve just found a level twenty Miniboss and I¡¯m going to form a raid party of thirty. Interested, gamer?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I won¡¯t be joining you. You should find someone else.¡± Nie Fan replied. It would be wasting time for him to do so since he knew a lot more Miniboss spawn points than Warsong did. Moreover, going a group meant that he would only have only a tiny fraction of the spoils even if everyone would get item drops.


    ¡°Okay, then,¡± Warsong said regrettably. Nie Fan had considerable ability, and he would have been great support if he would join them.


    ¡°Wait. How about we make a deal?¡± Nie Fan suddenly asked, having come up with a new way to earn money which he needed very much at the moment.


    ¡°What deal?¡± Warsong was immediately attentive. Could Nie Fan have more fine equipment in his possession?


    ¡°I have the location of some Elite monsters and Minibosses.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re selling it to men?¡± Warsong¡¯s eyes brightened. Selling coordinates was a perfectly ordinary trade in VR games¡ªwhen a player stumbles upon a Boss in the wild but was not strong enough to take it down, they could sell those coordinates to professional raid parties. That way, the player would earn some money while the raid party would have a Boss to fight, making it a win-win trade. Moreover, Nie Fan had a lot of Bosses he could challenge, and therefore selling one or two locations would not affect himself too much.


    ¡°What level of monster can your party handle at the moment?¡±


    After some thought, Warsong answered, ¡°We are a party of twelve, so we could handle any Elite up to level twenty-five and Miniboss up to level sixteen.¡±


    ¡°I have a level fifteen Miniboss for you. Goblin Mutant, twelve hundred bronze coins, the deposit is half. I¡¯ll return the six hundred coins in full if your party can¡¯t find it.¡± Nie Fan said, making himself very clear that the choice was up to Warsong himself.


    On the other end, Warsong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His present plan to make a thirty-person raid party challenge a Level 20 Miniboss was actually quite risky, and it would take a long time to find the right party members. But if it was just a Level 15 Miniboss, his party twelve could move out immediately, and it would probably be at most two hours when they returned with handfuls of loot.


    That being said, the key was the coordinates! Boss monsters were often found in secluded locations, and finding them was extremely difficult in the vastness of the Blood Shade Plains.


    Even so, Warsong could tell that Nie Fan was not someone who would try to con him out of six hundred bronze coins solely from their previous two encounters. After all, it would not have been an issue if Nie Fan decided to sell the previous item they traded for six hundred bronze coins more.


    After weighing the idea for a bit, Warsong decided that he could go for it. ¡°I¡¯ll credit your account,¡± he said.


    Even if Nie Fan needed money, he wouldn¡¯t be too concerned about one or two thousand bronze coins since he had more ways to earn that amount in a short period of time. What he valued was a partnership, because if this first deal could be made with Warsong, the second and third deal would come naturally.


    ¡°By the way, no one must know about our deal,¡± he told Warsong.


    ¡°I understand. You could definitely be rest assured about that.¡± Warsong replied, being not one foolish enough to tell everyone about something like that.


    In the end, Nie Fan did not want to catch too much attention. Even if being a little famous in a remote location like Tajit Village would not necessarily gather reputation, it would not be well for him if his name spread to other places.


    Meanwhile, after Nie Fan had given Warsong the coordinates, Warsong¡¯s party departed after making preparations in the village.

 Chapter 30

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The clearing at the western side of Tajit Village was quite deserted, with rarely any players moving around it.


    Nie Fan made a beeline towards a hunchbacked, white-haired elderly man dressed in gray-white rags, and had a wooden cane on his right hand.


    He was Ian, the Soulbinder of Tajit Village.


    ¡°Greetings, revered elder. I wish to Bind an item.¡± Nie Fan approached him and explained his intention.


    ¡°Bring out your item, then,¡± Ian said after coughing a few times.


    Nie Fan presented him Solanda¡¯s Ring of Fate.


    When Ian saw the ring, he eyed Nie Fan in surprise and exclaimed in wonder, ¡°Its light is as dazzling as the Eternal Stone.¡±


    Nie Fan had no idea what Ian was talking about, but it probably meant that Solanda¡¯s Ring of Fate was quite something.


    ¡°This item would not drop or be traded after Soulbound. Do you wish to proceed?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°This Souldbound costs thirty-one hundred and twenty bronze coins. Confirm?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A blinding white light flashed then, and Nie Fan felt as if his very soul shuddered under its power. When he checked the stats for the Ring of Fate once more, he found a line of green fonts noted behind it, indicating that the ring could now no longer be traded or dropped. The Soulbound was complete!


    Ding-dong. Another crisp system notification jingle.


    [System: Would you receive the quest: Fate¡¯s Guidance¡ªThe Search for the Lifetree¡¯s Seed?]


    Yes!


    Nie Fan did not hesitate to confirm taking the quest, and a glance at his quest bar showed the addition of an orange quest.


    Quests were divided into five colors: white for normal quests, red for elite quests, green for legend quests, orange for epic quests and gold for main story quests. Most players would receive white quests, and it was actually rare to have red quests and epic even less.


    5


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan could finally be at ease that he would not drop the Ring of Fate while wearing it. That Dark Enchanted Bronze-grade ornament had buffing stats which were quite stunning, being the equivalent of equipping three Level-20 Copper items¡ªno item would match it at the present phase.


    Having the item also made farming monsters much safer.


    Nie Fan then checked his messages. He had yet to complete the day¡¯s studio-assigned quest, which was paying 100 bronze coins in one go. It wasn¡¯t too expensive for him, and he simply coughed up.


    With that quest completed, Nie Fan went offline.


    ***


    In Moxxi, Infernal Left Hand received the message from his underling that Nie Fan had completed his daily quest again.


    After learning from Lin Quan that Nie Fan was a minor character with no strong background despite his links with Lin Xinyan¡¯s family, he knew that he had an assortment of measures to make him disappear and was not in a hurry either. In fact, when he put himself in the shoes of Lin Xinyan¡¯s father, he decided he would never let Nie Fan marry his daughter despite nostalgic sentiments and his doting over him. In the end, their family backgrounds were too different, and marriage at this day and age were quite insistent on matching social standings.


    1


    That thought seemed to assure him too. As long as Infernal Left Hand could prove his worth before Lin Xinyan reached marriageable age, he was convinced that Lin Xinyan¡¯s father would consider carefully and decided that he was a better fit for Lin Xinyan than that penniless brat.


    1


    For one, he has a strong family background, and secondly, he had proven his ability¡ªwith his help, Tempest Wings was rising like clockwork and expanding its influence. Though he had borrowed his family¡¯s influence here and there, he had kept the studio neat and prim inside out. If it had been anyone else, Tempest Wings would have been left in a mess amidst its rapid development.


    Even if Tempest Wings appeared to be under Lin Quan¡¯s leadership and had nothing to do with Lin Weihong, the reality was that the studio was merely a branch under one of Lin Weihong¡¯s numerous arrangements.


    With his connection to Lin Quan, as long as he showed results and have Lin Quan brag about him to Lin Weihong, he was confident that Lin Weihong would easily make his choice.


    That being said, he was really upset when Lin Xinyan applied leave for Nie Fan, but realized after some thinking that he shouldn¡¯t be cornering Nie Fan in such a hurry or the cat would leap out of the bag, and his pettiness would be exposed. That would in turn affect the good image he maintained with Lin Weihong and Lin Quan, and the loss would far outweigh any gains.


    Impatience is costly, and he could just carry out his plans slowly.


    ***


    On the next day, Nie Fan went to class with Lin Xinyan as usual. It was a little boring but Nie Fan enjoyed such a life: the school¡¯s atmosphere was serene, everyone was friendly and Xu Hong, the only eyesore was taught a lesson. In the end, he realized that the reason schools were compared to ivory towers was because the people here were not scheming, unlike the black-hearted realm of politics, business and workplaces outside. Even if there were still some strife here, it was child¡¯s play compared to those places.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan was stunned when he received a few love letters for some bizarre reason¡ªthe girls in this school were definitely too passionate and welcoming. Still, Nie Fan would not have minded finding a beauty for a pure-hearted school romance if he was still a student, but he was supposed to be Lin Xinyan¡¯s bodyguard¡­ and she had even laid down the law, saying that she would tell Uncle Lin about it if he fooled around in school.


    After due consideration, Nie Fan decided that he could only yield to her abuse of authority.


    After passing the day in relative peace, he logged into the game at around six in the evening. Once again, Xue Yu and Lin Suyue had come online earlier than he did, and they all gathered at Tajit.


    ¡°Nie Fan. What¡¯s the stats on that Ring of Fate? Let¡¯s have a look.¡± Xue Yu asked curiously.


    Lin Suyue was staring at Nie Fan as well and blinking. What sort of a ring could that be? Surely it would not be too plain, or Nie Fan would not have gone through such lengths to obtain it.


    ¡°Alright, but keep it a secret.¡± Nie Fan told them as he sent them the details.


    Xue Yu gasped when he saw those stats. Dark Enchanted Bronze-grade! Most items on the market now were White-grade, with rarely any Copper items and certainly no Cyan Bronze! Rumor has it that only Miniboss monsters would drop one or two Cyan Bronze items, but Dark Enchanted Bronze was another matter entirely.


    Such powerful stats! Lin Suyue was stunned as well. She had assumed that obtaining a Cyan Bronze was already good enough, and certainly did not expect a Dark Enchanted Bronze. Moreover, it was an upgradeable item, and their one deducted player level was really worth it when that was taken into account.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t last long, though. We could soon get our hands on some Priest and Holy Knight Dark Enchanted Bronze items too.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Xue Yu asked in shock. Could they really procure items of that grade so easily?


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe me?¡± Nie Fan smiled mysteriously.


    ¡°I do.¡± Xue Yu replied firmly.


    With the Ring of Fate, Nie Fan¡¯s current combat prowess would probably match players up to Level 26.


    Even so, this was merely the beginning¡ªin Nie Fan¡¯s perspective.


    As he used what remaining coins he had to replenish his consumables, he received the message from Warsong that he had paid the rest of his agreed fee after killing the Level 15 Goblin Mutant.


    With another six hundred bronze coins in hand, Nie Fan could buy quite a lot.


    ¡°Dark Night, do you still have more coordinates? I could use one more.¡± Warsong¡¯s message to him was warm¡ªthe Level 15 Goblin Mutant and the five Elites which was following it had dropped one Level 15 Cyan Bronze item, three Copper Items, and one Strength Gem Shard, which value totaled up beyond seven thousand coins. It was certainly worth the two hours spent taking down that Miniboss since the party had gained EXP at the same time, which was no different from leveling.


    ¡°I have another level seventeen Miniboss. Two thousand bronze coins, do you want it?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Warsong exclaimed excitedly, the income just now having left him in a firm thrill. ¡°Deal! I¡¯ll pay you right away.¡±


    Nie Fan grinned. Warsong now trusted him after the first deal, or he wouldn¡¯t have asked for payment up front.


    ¡°By the way, where did you get those coordinates, Dark Night?¡± Warsong could not refrain from asking after getting the second coordinates, although he regretted almost immediately since he was doing something unnecessary.


    ¡°I have my own channels, of course. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Sorry about that, I know I¡¯ve asked too much.¡± Warsong apologized. ¡°I¡¯ll be bringing my party to farm the Miniboss, then, contact me if there¡¯s something.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Nie Fan hung up the voice channel¡ªthat income had incidentally solved his current emergency. ¡°Xue Yu, head to the market and buy a Skill Tome for Toxic Miasma.¡±


    ¡°Toxic Miasma?¡± Xue Yu was taken aback. ¡°That Plant-type skill nobody wants? Are you sure about that?¡±


    Why would Nie Fan have him buy the Skill Tome of such a rubbish technique?

 Chapter 31

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Strictly speaking, Toxic Miasma was not a Plant-type skill but was grouped into it because it had many a vague connection with various Plant-type skills. Even so, it was such a chickenfeed of a skill that most players would simply ignore it.


    [Toxic Miasma: Releases a cloud of poison which lowers the target¡¯s Attack and Defense to a certain extent, lasts ten seconds, 1-second casting, 20 seconds cooldown, mana cost 12.]


    Such a skill would be fine from that explanation alone¡ªshort casting, short cooldown, and the unleashed poison cloud would lower the opponent¡¯s Attack and Defense. Be that as it may, the phrase ¡®to a certain extent¡¯ was key and it was simply puzzling: players who initially thought that it was a good early game skill would find it defective after testing it. Some even calculated that it only reduces Attack and Defense around 2 to 3 percent, and that effect was weakened even further against monsters above Elite-class.


    In short, the 2 to 3 percent reduction was basically negligible since most monsters had defense values numbering up to several dozen points, making Toxic Miasma even less cost-effective given the major mana cost. Moreover, the growth rate of that skill itself was very low and had no potential for development, and it was useless even if its area of effect could be increased rapidly.


    Nonetheless, most players were not aware of a trick to using it, although that would require the skill to be leveled up to 3.


    Moreover, the Skill Tome for that ability was a cheap sixty bronze coins, and Xue Yu used the rest of his money buying consumables.


    ¡°Are you really learning Toxic Miasma? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a waste on your Skill Bar?¡± Xue Yu smiled bitterly, unable to imagine the function of such a skill.


    ¡°You will know when the time comes.¡± Nie Fan grinned. It wouldn¡¯t be interesting to explain everything at once¡ªhis friends would eventually see Toxic Miasma in a different light.


    With a flick of his right hand, he learned the skill.


    From Xue Yu and Lin Suyue¡¯s perspective, Nie Fan had produced surprising results consistently with his unique ideas on every occasion, and they would certainly like to see how he could play with a rubbish skill like Toxic Miasma.


    ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Lin Suyue asked, assuming that Nie Fan already has something in mind.


    ¡°I have something else to do, you two should go for some leveling.¡± Nie Fan told them. He had initially planned to bring them to the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest, but thought that it would be fine going later since their equipment were still too weak. They could wait until they had upgraded items, since they just have to remain under Level 25 before heading to the Heartlands.


    For his part, Nie Fan was supposed to get a Lycanthropy Skill Tome as early as possible¡ªa core skill for Morphing Druids, but that could also wait now that he has Cheetahmorph.


    Hence, Nie Fan sent Xue Yu and Lin Suyue a spawn point for Frost Goblins, a Level 20 monster which was ideal leveling for them.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going off with Su Yue. Contact us on voicechat later.¡± Xue Yu said with a nod. After all, they should train alone and familiarize themselves with their own skills, or being carried all the way by Nie Fan and not improving their skills meant nothing even with their high player levels.


    Hence, with their bags stuffed full of Mana Springwater and other consumables, Xue Yu and Lin Suyue left the village.


    Checking his own bag and finding that he was fully prepared as well, Nie Fan left too.


    ***


    There was only one entrance into Tajit Village. Two Level 60 Elite Guards stood watch, one on each side of the entrance. At their current levels, they were existences that players looked up to, not to mention that they could instakill any red-listed players who dared to come to close without allowing them any time to react.


    Nie Fan himself felt a murderous air hitting him face-on when he walked past the Elite Guards. Anyone would be intimidated by those figures armed to the teeth in Crusader Armor and equipped with enormous War Swords.


    Outside the village, Nie Fan looked towards the north where a few dozen players were engaged in a battle royale on a clearing a hundred yards away. There were several especially conspicuous red-listed players, but ultimately there would always be conflict wherever there were people, and the reason they were engaged in PK duels there was no more than to resolve their differences.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan did not linger for too long and made a mad dash deep within the Blood Shade Plains.


    At the same time, a Thief who had been sixty yards away from him faded from view.


    ¡°Got him!¡± He said into the party channel.


    ¡°Kill him! Kill him until he wouldn¡¯t even dare to leave Tajit Village!¡± Xu Hong¡¯s eyes flashed with viciousness, able to see Nie Fan through livestream despite being at Moxxi.


    1


    He absolutely hated Nie Fan ever since he had been utterly humiliated by him at the school¡¯s basketball court, and that grudge deepened when he came online yesterday and found that Lin Xinyan had left their party.


    He could not even lift his head in front of the woman he loved, and it was all because of Nie Fan. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t repay that grudge!


    Be that as it may, he wouldn¡¯t waste time hunting Nie Fan since he was at Moxxi, but resorted to the simpler measure of spending some dime and having other players affiliated with gaming studios to do the deed. There were around half a dozen studios making base at Kelfied, and amongst them Wandering Souls had the most Thief players who specialized in assassination quests, even accepting requests at a fair price too.


    After confirming their employer¡¯s mark, three Thieves cast their Cloak and started to flank Nie Fan¡¯s position.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan was checking his map with his eyes focusing on a position labeled at the center. It was the ruin of a castle and the spawn point of Soul Eaters, which was also heavily populated with monsters that were at least above Level 25. After pulling the data, he started doing his homework to be prepared just in case.


    However, he felt that something was out of place even as he dashed across the Blood Shade Plains, but he found nothing as he turned to look at the nearby bushes.


    ¡®Could I be mistaken?¡¯


    Nie Fan frowned, and in spite of what he thought, he acted prudently.


    Better safe than sorry!


    Cheetahmorph!


    As his body rapidly turned into a cheetah¡¯s, Nie Fan also cast Lurk and slowly faded into the vast backdrop of the grasslands.


    The three Cloaked Thieves were dumbfounded. Were they exposed? No way!


    His Cheetahmorph had already caught them by surprise, and they immediately lost him when he cast Lurk as well. In short, both sides now have no idea where the other was.


    ¡°How did you lose him? Didn¡¯t you lot say that it¡¯s as good as done?!¡± Xu Hong roared in rage when he saw what had happened through livestream.


    ¡°We were careless. We didn¡¯t know that the kid had learned something as good as Cheetahmorph with his poor equipment.¡± The leading Thief apologized. In the end, Xu Hong was their employee¡ªand if they failed their mission, not only would they not get paid, their studio¡¯s reputation would be harmed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. We made a deal and I even paid the deposit! Whatever happens, I want to see Dark Night¡¯s corpse!¡± Xu Hong insisted stubbornly.


    ¡°Relax, he won¡¯t escape us! His destination must be around the eastern side¡ªbrothers, search along that trail!¡± The Thief growled.


    He would never believe that three Level 22 players such as them couldn¡¯t handle a Druid with those rag for equipment!

 Chapter 32

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nonetheless, the Thieves¡¯ Cloak and Nie Fan¡¯s Cheetahmorph were not flawless. Their movements could be heard faintly despite being invisible, and it was only the top players who could use the invisibility to that greatest effect.


    The three Thieves were clearly being careless in that respect: their attempt to outflank Nie Fan was too obvious that even he could sense it.


    Most players would not feel concerned over a little wind or rustling grass, but Nie Fan was different because he had gone through the strictest training as a child, and had a sharp sense of danger that surpassed most.


    ¡°That Druid must have gone far.¡±


    ¡°My invisibility is almost over!¡± One of the Thieves said in the group chat. There was a time limit to Cloaking and the active period for it was low since his skill was low, and his body hence slowly gained form.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan did not actually run off after casting Cheetahmorph. Instead, he had hidden in a corner and waited patiently, and soon saw the Thief appearing.


    He was being followed by that Thief just as he had expected!


    No, there should be another!


    His brow slightly wrinkled, Nie Fan saw the other Thief gaining form in another few seconds.


    If he hadn¡¯t noticed them earlier and allowed them to surround him, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t sure if they had come targeting him or had simply run into him by coincidence, and was attempting to rob him.


    Players are red-listed if they engaged in deliberate player killing, and reluctant to get involved in any trouble, Nie Fan was about to leave when he suddenly found that those two players were actually yellow-listed.


    He felt a sudden pang of inspiration just then.


    A player killing would get the culprit red-listed, but the culprit would also drop a few items at random if they were killed in turn¡ªincluding some items from their bags, as well as decreasing beyond two player levels. They couldn¡¯t return to town either as the Elite Guards would cut them down on sight, although they would be yellow-listed in the next ten hours following the one hour of red-listing. When yellow-listed, they were basically no different from normal players and were allowed to return to town, but should they be caught in a duel, their murderers would not be red-listed for killing them.


    And it seemed that those two had killed someone before!


    That being said, Nie Fan was not actually aware of their background, although he wouldn¡¯t be curious if he knew that they made a living through assassination.


    Nonetheless, when he remembered that he was a newbie and had a low chance of winning if he fought them, he decided to leave.


    However, that was also when one of the Thief exclaimed, ¡°There¡¯s no telling how far Dark Night has gone. Hurry up!¡±


    Nie Fan¡¯s brows lifted at those words.


    They were actually gunning for him? Really, he didn¡¯t know how or when he had crossed them!


    1


    Nie Fan groaned. He took a look at his skill bar where his one Level 6 and two Level 5 abilities were displayed¡ªhe had acceptable combat ability, and even if he did lose, his Ring of Fate was Soulbound and would never drop off. It would not be a waste to lose his other items either, and he could quickly regain his player level even after dropping by one.


    He didn¡¯t have experience in PK, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try with the rare chance he had now.


    Seizing the moment before his own Invisibility was over, Nie Fan slowly sneaked towards the rear of those two Thieves. His footsteps were light, and they would never hear him with ten yards between them.


    Bloodthirsty Vines!


    Nature Force stirred powerfully as he chanted the spell.


    The two Thieves paused for a moment when they felt the abrupt sense of peculiarity, before turning to find Nie Fan casting his skill.


    ¡°It¡¯s that Druid! It¡¯s Dark Night!¡±


    Their pause lasted longer than two seconds.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± One of the Thieves let out a stifled cry.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan kept his eyes fixed on one of the Thieves dressed in robe armor, whose other equipment was clearly better than the other Thief. He should kill the stronger first!


    At the same time, he had finished chanting the incantation for Bloodthirsty Vines!


    That robe-armored Thief had just advanced a few steps when he suddenly sensed something unusual suddenly happening to the ground around him. A thick, powerful Vine shot out and he couldn¡¯t evade it in time, but he pursed his lips all the same¡ªit was only a normal Vine skill. He could not help thinking then that the Druid called Dark Night was such a second-rate player. What did he think he could do with an ordinary Vine skill?


    But halfway through those thoughts, he suddenly realized that the Vine was a little different from other Vine spells¡ªthis one was red!


    Before he could understand what happened, the Vine was already tightly wrapped around him.


    Then, with a whipping thud as the Vine lashed out upon him, a [-120] damage point appeared over his head.


    Such horrific damage!


    Startled, he quickly drew his dagger to attack the Vine.


    ¡°Rupture!¡± He cried out, stabbing the Bloodthirsty Vine with the dagger in his right hand and causing a loud, sharp burst of energy. It was a trick of his: a strengthened Level 2 skill with considerable damage¡­ but he was left dumbfounded after his eyes focused again following that strike¡ªRupture, which had worked every time in previous PK only dealt [-21] damage to the Bloodthirsty Vine¡¯s astonishingly high 230 HP. He would have to attack over a dozen more times to break it, and he could not help feeling that he had run into a wall right then. What manner of a Vine spell was that?!


    Naturally, he didn¡¯t know that Nie Fan¡¯s Bloodthirsty Vine was Level 6. After all, no ordinary players at the current phase of the game could even fathom the concept of a Level 6 skill!


    Thud. With another lashing from the Bloodthirsty Vine, the Thief dropped to the dirt.


    Meanwhile, the other Thief panicked for a moment after realizing that his partner had been killed, but he soon lunged at Nie Fan at top speed.


    Still in Cheetahmorph, Nie Fan rapidly retreated. His movement was a lot faster than that Thief in that state. At the same time, he had managed to cast Black Oil with a lift of his right paw, drenching the Thief with the dark grease overhead and all over his face.


    ¡°What is this!?¡± Irritated, the Thief tried to brush the grease away but to no effect, and the black goo was so utterly disgusting.


    There were rarely any Druids who would choose to major in Plant-type with only two Talents to choose from, just as there were rarely any Druids who would pick a skill like Black Oil. Taking that into account, Black Oil was a rare skill and the Thief would not have any defense against such a niche skill, and could not think of any solution at once.


    However, while Nie Fan was about to cast Mini Fireball, he suddenly sensed the cold glint of a dagger cutting down at the back of his head.


    There¡¯s one more!?


    Nie Fan¡¯s eyes tightened and he canceled his Mini Fireball casting while he rolled off to his side.


    Whoosh!


    The sharp dagger cut past the side of Nie Fan¡¯s face, drawing blood and splattering it everywhere.


    A damage value above seventy popped up over Nie Fan¡¯s head. Such a high attack value!


    With the Thief¡¯s powerful attack stat and the fact that Nie Fan had lowered defense in Cheetahmorph, the Thief shredded off almost a third of Nie Fan¡¯s HP with one hit.


    In fact, it was fortunate that he had stats buff from the Ring of Fate, or that one strike would have halved his HP instead!


    After Nie Fan finding his feet on the ground, the Thief relentlessly pressed towards him, brandishing his dagger as he lunged, this time aiming for Nie Fan¡¯s throat.


    That was fast!


    With the corner of his eye, Nie Fan saw what the Thief looked like: it was a man over thirty years old, armed with Level 20 items from head to toe with at least three being Copper-grade or better!


    There were three men pursuing him, not two! But realizing that now was already too late!

 Chapter 33

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Grievous Harm was one of twenty-six party leaders working at Wandering Souls Studios, a group that accepts various assassination quests and in turn earn their pay. Each leader was assigned with two followers, and almost half of the players in Wandering Souls were Thief-class. Aside from profit, another advantage of killing players was to loot their items, and since Wandering Souls rarely fail under most circumstances, their items were quite fine.


    The studio itself also has a powerful intelligence network in place. They had immediately received word once Nie Fan arrived in Tajit Village, after which Grievous Harm led two of his underlings and set an ambush outside.


    It was quite the unlucky day for Grievous Harm, however¡ªfirst, their target noticed stalking, and then they had one of theirs killed in retaliation, something which never happened before. Moreover, with their client watching a livestream, Wandering Souls Studios would have nowhere to show their faces if they failed to kill Nie Fan!


    As such, Grievous Harm was anxious to reclaim their honor, attacking lethally at the get go and with an unyielding attitude.


    Even so, his first blow, intended to knock out Nie Fan was evaded. Still, he did not give up, and aimed his second strike at Nie Fan¡¯s throat.


    Life and death hung within a split second!


    Watching as the sharp dagger was about to hit his neck, Nie Fan promptly leaped away while still facing the dagger.


    With a slashing sound, the dagger cut through Nie Fan¡¯s belly and another damage value just above seventy popped up over his head again. After suffering two hits, Nie Fan had finally managed to leap to Grievous Harm¡¯s flank.


    Even so, there was no chance that he would spare Nie Fan. Locking on to Nie Fan¡¯s position with the corner of his eye, he stabbed down ferociously with his dagger.


    Die!


    Grievous Harm could see from Nie Fan¡¯s HP bar that most of his HP was gone from his two chained strikes. He is definitely getting him with this one!


    Thud!


    A cold smile of delight flashed over his face as he watched his dagger plunge into Nie Fan¡¯s body, but he also abruptly felt that his dagger had hit thin air. What was going on?


    Then, the cheetah in front of him suddenly turned illusory before eventually fading.


    He turned to find that Nie Fan had already dashed five yards away.


    Moreover, his speed after Cheetahmorph was simply too swift, and it did not take more than a few steps for Grievous Harm to realize that he would never catch up.


    His face turned to a frightening scowl. He was actually fooled by Nie Fan¡¯s Phantom.


    When Nie Fan pulled around sixteen yards away, he looked aside to find that the other Thief whom he dumped Black Oil on was still drenched in the sticky fluid. With a turn of his paw, he shot a Mini Fireball at the man.


    Grievous Harm smiled in disdain. A mere fireball, he thought.


    All classes wouldn¡¯t have any strong offensive skills at the early game after all. No matter how powerful Nie Fan¡¯s attack stat was, the Mini Fireball would at best knock off up to 20 HP.


    Nonetheless, that Mini Fireball struck his underling with an echoing bang. The stunning wave of hit spread, almost sending Grievous Harm flying and was followed by his party mate¡¯s blood-curdling screams.


    The Thief was completely consumed in the flames and he dropped to the ground, his HP emptied within moments.


    [System: Your friend Codfish has died.]


    Grievous Harm took it all in with sheer shock. ¡®That¡¯s the effect of a Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo?¡¯ He thought in horror.


    There were thousands of novice skills available in the early game for all classes, with most matching with others to produce certain special effects. And since Black Oil and Mini Fireball appeared to be the least useful amongst those skills, no one expected that putting them together would cause such devastation!


    After all, thousands of novice skills would at least form dozens of thousand combinations, and yet it was Mini Fireball and Black Oil that could combine for the highest damage. Moreover, Nie Fan¡¯s skills had been buffed with the Ring of Fate to a shocking Level 5, and using that combo now meant several times the damage, even instantly offing Grievous Harm¡¯s party member.


    Indeed, Grievous Harm felt as if his heart was stabbed violently at the successive deaths of his underlings. He wanted to reclaim their items, only to find that Nie Fan was still there and eyeing the corpses like a tiger glaring at its prey.


    It¡¯s going to be bad if Nie Fan ambushed him while he tried to recover those items.


    Whether it the terrifying Vines or the destructive Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo, all of Nie Fan¡¯s skills were simply too strong that Grievous Harm felt a little troubled then.


    Why did he have to be assigned such a ridiculous target?! He had fought many skilled players, even gamers from major studios¡ªbut he never even heard of someone with Dark Night¡¯s caliber!


    Intimidated by Nie Fans¡¯ skills, Grievous Harm refrained from getting too close. He glanced at his skill bar just then to find that his Cloak skill was still on cooldown.


    On the other hand, Nie Fan shot Grievous Harm a glance, and after noting that he did not dare to come to him, he started to loot the dead Thieves¡¯ corpses.


    He¡¯s going to take those items!


    Grievous Harm exploded in rage. Nie Fan was completely ignoring his presence, and started walking towards him¡ªbut when he was within ten yards away, Nie Fan released a shot of Toxic Miasma at Grievous Harm, hurtling a black cloud at him.


    What? Toxic Miasma?


    That rubbish of a skill, Toxic Miasma?


    Grievous Harm was taken aback. What good would it do for Nie Fan to use it against him?


    Be that as it may, there was no way he could be sure that it was really Toxic Miasma¡ªjust a while ago, one of his party members had fallen victim to what he assumed to be the rubbish Vine skill and the other burned to death by the minor skills Black Oil and Mini Fireball. If that black cloud was some horrific skill as well¡­


    At that thought, Grievous Harm quickly retreated when the black cloud suddenly exploded in front of him, splitting apart before fading.


    It was only after the Toxic Miasma was gone that Grievous Harm could clearly see the situation: Nie Fan had already picked up the items that Grievous Harm¡¯s party members had dropped, while Grievous Harm himself could do nothing despite his inconsolable rage.


    Nie Fan could not help chuckling when he saw Grievous Harm being scared off by Toxic Miasma. That idiot!


    Even if this was his first PK, he was rewarded heavily, killing two and looting two items. Though they were White-grade, they were still Level 20 and could sell for some money. Moreover, Nie Fan learned from the fight that he was powerful enough at the moment, and killing one or two players of the same level was easy.


    Nie Fan decided that he couldn¡¯t do anything when he saw that Grievous Wound was not approaching him. Shooting him a cold glare, he then turned and sprinted away¡ªhe had things to do after all, and had no time to waste here.


    Grievous Harm chased after Nie Fan for some distance as he ran, but gave up when he realized once again that he just couldn¡¯t keep up.


    It seemed that his quest couldn¡¯t be accomplished this time around.


    Xu Hong, who was still watching the livestream clenched his fist. Three of the Thieves attempting a group assault on Nie Fan ended up with two of their own dead, not to mention that Nie Fan¡¯s ability went completely beyond what they could imagine.


    ¡°Wandering Souls Studio gamers are so weak. Three of you can¡¯t even handle a single Druid.¡± Xu Hong sent Grievous Harm a very disgruntled message.


    ¡°Young Master Xu, you could see for yourself that our opponent is uncommon in ability. But be at ease, we would soon send more men¡ªsatisfaction guaranteed.¡± In the end, Xu Hong was Grievous Harm¡¯s client, and he would be courteous despite his client¡¯s rudeness.


    That being said, the game had barely started and Nie Fan was already that powerful. If he continues to grow at that rate, Xu Hong would never be able to hold up against Nie Fan soon enough.


    ¡°I¡¯ll double your pay. Send twice the number of people, and kill him until he drops to level zero!¡± He demanded spitefully.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Grievous Harm nodded.


    That being said, it was not about the money¡ªnow, the reputation of Wandering Souls Studios was at stake, and they would have sent more people even if Xu Hong did not pay more. Such was their principle as professionals: whatever the price, the client¡¯s commission must be accomplished.


    After the Wandering Souls Studios received Grievous Harm¡¯s message, they sent out five more Thieves to work under his command.


    Nie Fan¡¯s death was all but assured if he appeared at Tajit Village.

 Chapter 34

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan looked behind him¡ªthe Thief wasn¡¯t pursuing him.


    Those three Thieves were powerful enough to kill him, but it was thanks to the three impressive skills he had and their unexpected effect that he could kill two of them.


    Even so, the one called Grievous Harm still almost managed to kill him. In other words, he was too lacking in ability, not to mention that he had been dependent on openings. He would definitely have lost terribly if he was fighting real elites in a PK.


    Moreover, since they were targeting him specifically, they would not give up just like that.


    His items were too weak, his skills barely enough and hardly experienced in PK.


    Having summed up all his flaws, Nie Fan decided that he could solve those problems one by one!


    In fact, he had done well in his first Blade of Tyranny PK. Normal players would have been utterly flustered in the same situation, perhaps dying to Grievous Harm¡¯s ambush.


    Either way, he was not going back to Tajit for the time being. Glancing at his map, he darted towards his destination.


    After running for a dozen minutes, he caught sight of some ruins over distant grasslands.


    It was the Overgrown Ruins¡ªspawn point of the Soul Eaters!


    ***


    The Soul Eaters were wandering spirits, some of them being crusaders in life who died in the battlefield over numerous expeditions. They had long since become undead roaming nearby the Overgrown Ruins, feeding upon anything alive passing by.


    Nie Fan felt a sinister dampness hitting him in the face upon his approach to the Overgrown Ruins.


    [System: You have discovered the Overgrown Ruins. You gained 1 Insight.]


    The gloomy clouds overhead had blocked out the sun, leaving the place especially dark.


    ¡°367, 281, 273.¡± Nie Fan was muttering to himself as he sprinted to the western side. Half a minute later, he checked the coordinates and saw that he was in the area he wanted to be. Although it was a sloped area and he was still on the outskirts of the Overgrown Ruins, several Soul Eaters were wandering the area.


    If he was lucky, he could get a good Skill Tome farming monsters here.


    Bloodthirsty Vines!


    Black Oil!


    Mini Fireball!


    As one skill was fired after another from Nie Fan¡¯s hands, the Soul Eaters fell one after the other. He would also cast Toxic Miasma from time to time, which leveled up quickly since the Soul Eaters were at least four levels above him.


    Moreover, it did not actually take much to level up Toxic Miasma from Level 1 to Level 2, and it took around half an hour as Nie Fan continuously trained his skill.


    In fact, it had risen up to Level 3 thanks to the buff from the Ring of Fate.


    No one had arrived at this map which was since it was Level 25, and there was no telling what they would think after seeing Nie Fan rapid farming.


    After killing a horde of Soul Eaters, Nie Fan collected all their item drops. Aside from the few bronze coins, his eyes sparkled when he found a Skill Tome with a gray cover.


    That¡¯s it!


    Soulcraving Thorns!


    It was not exactly an eye-catching Plant-type skill. Most Druids would prefer not to use it since it did not have any major use aside from summoning a bunch of thorns, not to mention that it had a weak attack and would wither in a short period of time. Furthermore, it was only the number of thorns that increased with every summon, whereas its Attack and Slow effect would still not be much.


    [Soulcraving Thorns, Level 1: Summons 5 Soulcraving Thorns over a corpse with Slow effect. 3-5 attack, lasts 3 seconds, cooldown 0 seconds, cast time 0 seconds, 3 mana cost.]


    Soulcraving Thorns was not exactly useful whether in PK or farming monsters since the skill had low attack, and it required a corpse even though it had a useful Slow effect. Only low-level players would use that Skill Tome if Nie Fan dumped it in the market, since the low mana consumption meant saving costs, not to mention that it had no cooldown or casting time.


    With a wave of his right hand, Nie Fan learned Soulcraving Thorns.


    However, he could not use it right away since Soul Eaters left no corpses.


    Having gained another skill, Nie Fan did not continue farming monsters there and headed into the ruins instead.


    The gray skies overhead felt stifling, with the wandering spirits nearby adding to the horror.


    Glancing at his skill bar, Nie Fan found that Cheetahmorph had come off cooldown.


    He cast it and rapidly advanced through the curving corridors within the ruins. The wandering spirits he ran into on the way would all lunge towards him, but his Movement Speed was simply too fast in Cheetahmorph, and he soon pulled away from them. They would eventually give up when he put fifteen yards between them and reverted to their roaming mode.


    After swiftly bypassing those spirits, Nie Fan finally entered the heart of the ruins¡ªeven the Soul Eaters did not approach this area, seemingly afraid of something.


    With ten minutes past, Nie Fan¡¯s Cheetahmorph was over and he reverted to human form.


    The wildflowers growing over the corner of the wall caught his attention then. They were Soul Eater Blooms, a plant that only grew in the Overgrown Ruins and could be made into Soul Eater Bane. That poison had a strong paralyzing effect when laced over weapons, although it would be ineffective against undead or spirits.


    There were still many such flowers around since Nie Fan was a pioneer of this map. Still, the number of Soul Eater Blooms would plummet soon after more players streamed into this place, becoming rare and expensive.


    He dropped to a crouch and started to harvest those flowers.


    [System: You have obtained a Soul Eater Bloom. +2 skill proficiency.]


    ***


    After forty minutes of harvesting the Soul Eater Blooms, Nie Fan now had a group and a half of blooms that could be used to brew thirty Soul Eater Bane.


    Looking around to find that he had harvested almost every Soul Eater Bloom, he saw that the ruins were covered in towering walls that had been left in utter ruin. Leaping, he got on top one of the lower walls.


    As he checked his surroundings, he found a massive spirit at a cluster of debris just ahead. Standing over five meters tall, it resembled a giant wearing huge war crusader armor while wandering around.


    It was the Soul Eater Leader, a Level 30 Miniboss and a damage sponge. Anyone would be intimidated by its six thousand HP, and it also possessed Earthsplit Chop, a powerful AoE skill that made it one of the toughest monsters under Level 30.


    Under most circumstances, it would take a raid party of thirty Level 30 elites to take it down.


    The greatest weakness of the Soul Eater Leader was its size. Moving was inconvenient for it within the many walls in ruins, although Nie Fan was not hoping to kill it yet. After all, when it unleashed Earthsplit Chop once its HP dropped to a certain level, it would instakill Nie Fan despite the protection of the walls.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan turned towards a nearby wall where a treasure chest was shining in cyan radiance.


    The Cyan-bronze treasure chest was very rare in the early game¡ªNie Fan would never have made the long trip otherwise. It had a huge chance of dropping Cyan-bronze items, along with Gem Pieces, maps or Skill Tomes, along with a minor percentage of dropping a top-quality item.


    Looking towards that hunk of a monster, Nie Fan¡¯s right hand moved and launched a Mini Fireball at it.


    The ball of flame burst over the Soul Eater Leader¡¯s head with a bang, splattering sparks all over the place.


    The monster unleashed an ear-shattering roar of rage after being attacked and started to chase after Nie Fan, its red eyes shining in its impulse to consume flesh.


    After attacking the Soul Eater Leader, he did not pause for a moment, leaping over several collapsed walls and darting towards the heavily walled zone in the ruins.


    The Soul Eater Leader reached a wall over two meters tall, paused and strode over it. It looked around, searching, but was unable to find Nie Fan when a fireball fired at its direction from the distance, hitting it with a loud bang.

 Chapter 35

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The Soul Eater Leader slowly turned around and continued to chase after Nie Fan.


    Under most circumstances, the Soul Eater Leader would have given up on its pursuit and return to the vicinity of the treasure chest after it was lured fifty yards away, and having a grasp on that distance was critical.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan had gone up to the side of a wall and checked his position that he was in the right spot, before firing a barrage of Mini Fireballs at the Soul Eater Leader.


    For most players, their low attack stat would not be enough to Taunt the Soul Eater Leader and simply unable to draw it out. On the other hand, Nie Fan¡¯s attack was plenty enough with his Level 5 Mini Fireball.


    Moreover, the Soul Eater Leader reacted quite slowly, striding past one stone wall after another as it approached Nie Fan, who was just nearby and buying time.


    He released one Mini Fireball after another, accumulating Taunt while his Mini Fireballs dealt up to -20 damage each. That output could slowly cut down the Soul Eater Leader¡¯s HP, but without a Warrior up front or a Cleric behind, Nie Fan would be destroyed immediately if the monster launched an Earthsplit Chop, which was why he could only give up on the idea of killing it.


    Then, he eyed his skill bar to see that Cheetahmorph had come off cooldown once again and then checked the distance between himself and the Soul Eater Leader.


    It¡¯s almost time!


    Black Oil!


    Nie Fan cast his spell, promptly drenching the Soul Eater Leader¡¯s head and entire body with thick grease, which also slowed it down!


    Cheetahmorph!


    Bounding into a leap, Nie Fan jumped over several lower walls and dashed wildly towards the treasure chest.


    Nie Fan¡¯s figure streaked past over the walls; he was quite agile with Cheetahmorph. Soon, he returned to the Soul Eater Leader¡¯s original spot, turning to find the creature screaming after being attacked with Black Oil, unable to find where Nie Fan was at once and only slowly turning towards him.


    Seizing the moment, Nie Fan dropped to a crouch beside the Cyan-Bronze treasure chest which glinted in cyan radiance. It was sculpted exquisitely too, with many a sculpting of bauhinia flowers carved over it¡ªthe emblem of the crusaders.


    [System: Opening treasure chest.]


    [3%¡­]


    [5%¡­]


    Nie Fan was quite nervous even as he opened the box. He only had one chance because the Soul Eater Leader would never be fooled a second time. That being said, it took fifteen seconds to open the treasure chest, which was more or less the same time needed for the Soul Eater Leader to return.


    Whether he would succeed in opening the chest remained to be seen.


    Even as Nie Fan stared at the progress bar over the treasure chest, it leaped from 18% to 58%, only to suddenly fall back to 53%. It certainly left him troubled¡ª the time required to open treasure chests were random: around five to six seconds for a Cyan-Bronze if things went quickly, or more than thirty seconds if it didn¡¯t.


    Time flowed rapidly in the meantime, and Nie Fan could feel the Soul Eater Leader getting even closer.


    Mental composure mattered most in such moments, and his progress could actually slow down if he panicked.


    [78%¡­]


    [83%¡­]


    Nie Fan seemed to hear the very ticking of time. He glanced aside to find that the Soul Eater Leader was already just fifteen yards away, and it could rush at him if it noticed him.


    That was when a click sounded right beside his ears.


    The treasure chest was opened!


    Nie Fan could not repress his wild delight, and reached his hand inside to feel around.


    What could it be?!


    However, in the instant that he opened the chest, the Soul Eater Leader seemed to sense something as well. With a deafening roar, it strode towards Nie Fan.


    Staying vigilant, Nie Fan felt something resembling an item with his right hand, caught it and threw it into his bag, and continued fumbling around before eventually reaching some unknown fabric. Whatever¡ªthat could wait, and he appeared to have emptied the entire treasure chest after taking the two items. Looking up, he found the Soul Eater Leader almost within touching distance, bearing down its greatsword at Nie Fan.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan sprung into a leap stretching over four yards, and the Soul Eater Leader¡¯s blade only managed to strike the wall beside him, cutting a huge chunk off the already worn wall.


    With the items in hand, Nie Fan did not even look back and bounded away over the walls.


    Blocked by the same walls, the Soul Eater Leader found that Nie Fan had already gone far after it had crossed just one wall, leaving it utterly infuriated.


    Earthsplit Chop!


    Dark spirit flames ignited over the Soul Eater Leader¡¯s blade into a searing pillar of flame, which it smashed down on the ground. Following a massive rumbling, an inferno shot into the skies and spread all around it.


    Wasn¡¯t the Soul Eater Leader supposed to cast Earthsplit Chop only when it had 20% HP left? Could Nie Fan¡¯s looting of the treasure chest had angered it?


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan did not have the time to think. Feeling the parching waves of heat bearing down on him, he immediately lunged outside.


    The heatwave washed over him and sent him flying, slamming him heavily onto a wall with [-160] damage.


    With his defense stat, Nie Fan would have definitely died when struck by Earthsplit Chop. It was fortunate that he was ten yards and far enough from the Soul Eater Leader that the attack was quite weak, and he was therefore only sent flying and not instakilled.


    He did not dawdle when he landed either, dashing and pouncing away as he went.


    It was only when he saw that the Soul Eater Leader was becoming ever distant behind him that he breathed a sigh of relief.


    That was close. He was almost killed right then!


    Although he was safe, he seized what remaining time of Cheetahmorph he had to dash away and beyond the Overgrown Ruins.


    Even as he ran, he glanced at the items he just obtained.


    [Shroud Helm: Cyan-Bronze grade, Druid class, 22-31 Defense, +11 Agility, +20 HP, +1 Defense Strengthening, Level 25 required.]


    It was a Cyan-Bronze grade Druid item with fine attributes, improving Agility, HP as well as +1 Defense Strengthening¡ªwhich was an equivalent of 3 to 5% increase in Defense.


    Still, Nie Fan had to wait since it could only be equipped at Level 25. He then turned to the other item, which was a blueprint!


    Machinists and Tailors could create various items and tools with blueprints, and Nie Fan could hardly avert his gaze after one glance of that blueprint. It was the exquisite design of a black crossbow which could be nocked with two bolts at once, and made from some unknown metal that was entirely black and without any other color. The limbs of the crossbow resembled a dragon spreading its wings, brimming with power and beauty.


    [Karlas¡¯s Dragonwing Crossbow: Dark-Enchanted Bronze, 231-256 Attack, +22 Rapidness, 30-yard range, twin shots. Effects: Penetration, Deep Wound.]


    [Tear: Causes Bleeding (8% of initial damage, lasts 10 seconds) on target.]


    [Deep Wound: Deal 150% additional damage to unarmored and light-armored units, causes 80% damage to heavy-armored units.


    [3 nocks can be added.]


    [Level 60 required.]


    A Level 60, Dark-Enchanted Bronze crossbow!


    Dark-Enchanted Bronze equipment were rare below Level 60, making blueprints for such items worth even more money. Even short-range units would need long-range weapons such as crossbows, longbows or matchlocks for luring monsters, and the Dragonwing Crossbow had both fine range and stats.


    Unsure what materials were needed to craft one, Nie Fan flipped the blueprint to read the text behind it.


    [Crafting materials: 10 Smelted Dark-Enchanted Copper, 1 Black Snake Tendon, 1 Rubberwood, 2 Gray Crystals, 3 Black Stones.]


    Every material was rare, and it would probably take a lot of time to gather them.

 Chapter 36

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Arriving at the outskirts of the Overgrown Ruins, Nie Fan found a spot to keep farming monsters. Soon enough, a white light flashed over his skill bar: Toxic Miasma was now Level 2, buffed up to Level 3 thanks to the Ring of Fate¡¯s effect.


    [Toxic Miasma: Releases a cloud of poison that lowers the target¡¯s Attack and Defense to a certain extent, lasts 15 seconds, 1 second casting, 20 seconds cooldown, mana cost 20. Improved effect when near rotting plants, causes Poison damage to all units within range.]


    1


    That¡¯s the effect he wanted!


    Nie Fan smiled. His goal here was accomplished, and he should find a place to test his skill.


    He dashed towards another spawn point of Level 20 Fire Goblins nearby, and as he ventured further from the Overgrown Ruins, he caught sight of hordes of Fire Goblins just ahead.


    There were some corpses of Fire Goblins left on the ground too¡ªleft by players who were leveling nearby.


    Looking around and upon seeing that those players had gone far, Nie Fan started to farm the Fire Goblins. With barrages of Bloodthirsty Vines, Black Oil and Mini Fireball combos, there were soon piles of Fire Goblin corpses on the ground.


    Soulcraving Thorns!


    Nie Fan cast his skill on one of the Fire Goblin corpses, and seven dark thorns immediately grew out of the lifeless body, each around two meters long and creeping over the ground, their branches full of spikes.


    At Level 2, Soulcraving Thorns would summon seven thorns at once, each having Slow, just [-5] and [-6] damage points would also pop up over the head of any goblin walking through them.


    Still, it lasts for a very short time at 3.5 seconds, even though it was already Level 2.


    The thorns would quickly wither and rot, before being strewn all over the ground.


    That being said, Soulcraving Thorns could be cast infinitely without cooldown at only 3 mana cost, and so Nie Fan continuously unleashed it¡ªuntil a thick layer of withered Soulcraving Thorns blanketed the ground.


    That being said, the low MP cost didn¡¯t mean that Soulcraving Thorns could be used without end, and Nie Fan¡¯s MP bar was empty soon enough.


    After downing a bottle of Novice Mana Potion and restoring a little MP, Nie Fan ran some distance away and found a dozen more Fire Goblins gathered. Casting Mini Fireball, he detonated the spell over one of the Fire Goblins with a bang, promptly drawing the attention of every other Fire Goblin with all of them charging towards Nie Fan at once.


    Nie Fan turned to run, firing another Mini Fireball towards other directions to draw even more Fire Goblins towards himself, until there were around sixty chasing after him. He was also leading them towards the spot with the most withered Soulcraving Thorns, and soon enough, every Fire Goblin was about to reach him.


    Toxic Miasma!


    The dark cloud was launched, reaching the closest goblin and bursting over it into a poisonous vapor permeating the air. But that was not the end¡ªit thickened the more it spread, with the remains of the Soulcraving Thorns all turning into miasma as well.


    Eventually, the Toxic Miasma covered an area of over a dozen yards, and every Fire Goblin within range would have damage values up to [-130] popping up over their heads.


    The creatures dropped to the ground one after another in no time at all.


    Since the Toxic Miasma had a stronger effect with more dead plants nearby, its attack would not lose out to most Mages¡¯ high-damage spells when there are over seventy withered Soulcraving Thorns lying around.


    ***


    While Nie Fan started clearing up the Fire Goblins, a party of five players had appeared at a bush around a hundred yards away.


    All of them were girls.


    ¡°Look!¡± One of them, a Cleric exclaimed in surprise¡ªshe was Dust, a twenty-year-old gamer with a tall, slim figure, and fairly good looks. She was now Level 23 which was considered high for Cleric players, and she was also the top Cleric player in Phoenix Down Studios. Her party of five were here to farm some Fire Goblins, and naturally did not expect to stumble upon such a stunning sight.


    ¡°Is that a Druid?¡± The girls were stunned.


    ¡°Seems like it, but isn¡¯t he casting Toxic Miasma? But how could it have such range¡­ maybe buffing? But there¡¯s no way Toxic Miasma can be so devastating¡ªit¡¯s a useless spell that only lowers Defense and Attack!¡± Dust was mumbling to herself in disbelief. After all, according to her big sis, there were only three AoE spells that could only be learned and only at Level 60, with two of those classes being Mage-class and one Cleric.


    So, what was with that cloud? Watching as the Fire Goblins were being harvested like fields of wheat, she even thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her!


    But it was all real and right in front of their eyes. There was no way they could not believe it!


    That leveling speed was untold times faster than their entire party¡¯s!


    ***


    Nie Fan¡¯s main goal here was to test Toxic Miasma at Level 3, which offensive effect satisfied him considerably since it was basically an AoE spell when matched with Soulcraving Thorns. Most players wouldn¡¯t know about that Level 3 effect since rarely any of them would train it up to that standard, nor would they think of combining it with Soulcraving Thorns even if they were aware. In fact, it would be months later when they finally discover it.


    Toxic Miasma wouldn¡¯t have much of an effect by then too.


    Picking up all the items that the Fire Goblins had dropped, Nie Fan turned to leave, disappearing from the corner of a bush. He had actually noticed Dust¡¯s party, but he ignored them since they were simply watching from afar and did not approach him at all.


    That being said, he couldn¡¯t keep farming monsters here either¡ªhe would have to look for another place since he did not want others stumbling on his secret.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± A female Warrior in Dust¡¯s party said after seeing Nie Fan leave. ¡°Should we tell Big Sis about what we saw?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already recorded it and sent it to her,¡± Dust said.


    Since Phoenix Down Studios had already decided to set up base in Tajit Village, they naturally had to pay extra attention. They hoped that Nie Fan wouldn¡¯t prove hostile since that sight just now was simply mind-boggling, and they would be in trouble if they were engaged in a faction war to claim Tajit Village. That being said, Dust was just unaware that many conditions must be met before Toxic Miasma could be unleashed with the effect of an AoE spell, not to mention that it would be difficult to fully apply it in a collective battle between players.


    ¡°We can only hope he¡¯s not an enemy.¡± Dust muttered as she watched Nie Fan leave.

 Chapter 37

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    A lone red figure was crossing the grasslands far within the Blood Shade Plains, at a spawn point of Level 29 monsters.


    There were not many players who could farm monsters at that spot, but Dancing Phoenix had already been leveling here for three hours and 23% from reaching Level 27. Aware that the highest level on the Osland Continent was Level 28, she believed that she would definitely make top five.


    But unlike Nie Fan who spent most of his time training skills and searching for treasures, she was using every moment in nonstop leveling to rush towards the peak of top gamers.


    Ever eager for victory, she joined the professional scene right after graduating high school although she also ran into many obstacles in her early years. Even so, she founded Phoenix Down Studios through her own ability and claimed some honors for her group, while she herself had squeezed into the top ten of professional gamers. Since she had always played the Warrior-class, players had dubbed her the War Goddess, while countless others proclaimed her one of the Four Great Beauties of Gaming and the goddess of their hearts.


    1


    Dancing Phoenix herself was naturally pleased with the title of War Goddess. Still, she did not care at all for being one of the ¡®Great Beauties¡¯ since only one other was a formidable Mage, whereas the other two were all looks and no ability, and she would rather not be compared to them.


    Charge!


    Dancing Phoenix dashed into the middle of three Dark Goblins.


    Shock Strike!


    A pillar blaze shot into the skies. After being struck by Shock Strikes, the three Dark Goblins became Dizzy, stumbling backward for a bit before remaining motionless.


    Dancing Phoenix followed up her attack with a Whirling Chop on one of the Dark Goblins. A two hundred plus damage value popped up over the monster¡¯s head¡ªwith her Whirling Chop now at Level 3, combined with her own items being a fine full set of strength-stat buffing equipment that was Copper-grade or above, her attack was quite astonishing.


    4


    Amidst the fire and sparks, her red athletic figure was just like her namesake: a phoenix within the flames, noble and dazzling.


    With a few chained blows, one Dark Goblin was sent flying and dropped to the dirt, dead.


    Then, even as the other two Dark Goblins recovered, they were sent flying by Dancing Phoenix again with a loud crash.


    Punisher Chain!


    Streaks of blade aura were released, stabbing without end towards the Dark Goblins. Amidst the banging, the monsters were sent hovering in the air, crashing down again after suffering the chain of blows.


    Dancing Phoenix¡¯s movements were agile and her skills were timed perfectly, not to mention that the way she fought had a touch of delightful elegance. Each of her attacks were determined and her skills were over 70% in completion, and the remaining Dark Goblins finally fell after several skill combos.


    Then, she went to a bush to sit and recovered some HP buy eating bread, her voice channel rang.


    1


    ¡°Big Sis, we ran into a skilled player outside. Here¡¯s my footage of him.¡±


    Dancing Phoenix nodded in acknowledgment and soon received the video from Dust. She was confident that Phoenix Down Studios could take Tajit Village, but with some competitors such as Bloodbath Studios and Wandering Souls Studios also paying close attention to that potential base, her faction must be prepared for any skilled player that might appear in their midst.


    Nonetheless, she immediately recognized from a single glance at the footage that it was Nie Fan.


    Him!


    The content of the footage also left Dancing Phoenix¡¯s face twitching.


    What skill was that¡ªToxic Miasma? There¡¯s no way it could be that powerful! It was basically an AoE spell, but the information she obtained made it clear that the three available in the early game could only be learned at Level 60. Druids would not have such a skill below that level, at most obtaining a few channeling skills which could blow up a limited range in front of the caster, which was a completely different matter compared to an AoE spell.


    And yet, that skill of Nie Fan¡¯s had nothing to do with channeling!


    Dancing Phoenix rubbed her temples. Everything defied everything she knew¡­ Nie Fan must have obtained some ultimate item, or some rare Skill Tome.


    ¡°Notify me immediately if any of you spot a player called Dark Night in Tajit Village.¡± She then said into her guild¡¯s group chat. She must know which studio Nie Fan belonged to¡ªhe appeared to be a solo player from the looks of things, and if possible, she would try to link up with him or even invite him to Phoenix Down Studios¡­ although they had only accepted female gamers so far, she could make an exception this time.


    1


    After all, Nie Fan¡¯s Toxic Miasma defied all common sense. Given that most players had not even reached Level 30, anyone could imagine the threat one possessed just by having such a skill.


    ***


    Meanwhile, unaware that he had caught the attention of Phoenix Down Studios, Nie Fan was collecting some rare herbs to sell on the market. Although some gaming studios would provide coins, materials, and equipment for underlings and afford them plenty of time for leveling so that they could level up faster than others, self-sufficient players like Nie Fan naturally had less time for leveling.


    While he obtained the herbs, he had also opened three normal treasure chests, although he did get some good items including one Druid Skill Tome.


    [Vertical Leap: usable in Morphing, evades attacks by jumping. 20 seconds cooldown, no mana cost.]


    It was a combat skill used during Morphing for dodging attacks.


    Smiling, Nie Fan learned Vertical Leap since it was quite a good skill. Besides that, he had also obtained a Level 20 Copper Mage Robe and a Warrior Skill Tome for Dash and Slash, which could sell for over three thousand bronze coins.


    ¡°Xiao Yu, where are you guys right now?¡± Nie Fan messaged Xue Yu as he was ready to Tajit Village and sell off some of his loot, in turn buying some Druid items or Skill Tomes.


    ¡°We¡¯re still farming fire goblins. Good news, we just managed to get a pair of level twenty Druid¡¯s Copper Greaves: twenty defense, plus five agility and plus twenty MP, you should be able to put it to good use.¡± Xue Yu replied.


    In fact, they were lucky to actually get a good item after farming for so long. Most players would farm for hours only to get one or two white items, much less Copper. The reality was that the rate of getting a white item drop from farming normal monsters was just as low as getting a Dark-Enchanted Bronze item from farming Elite monsters¡ªfeeling lucky, Xue Yu thought that he could for a lottery ticket after going offline.


    ¡°You get that from farming fire goblins?¡± Nie Fan asked, taken aback.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Lucky punk.¡± Nie Fan grinned. He would not have been surprised if his friends got a Copper item from opening treasure chests or slaying Elite monsters, but they were simply too lucky to get it from normal monsters.


    ¡°I think so too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to Tajit for some trading before I look around, and see if I can get someone to join us at the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest.¡± Nie Fan then told him¡ªin the end, challenging dungeons were necessary for better items, and the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest was incidentally a good dungeon. ¡°I¡¯ll call you guys when I find somebody.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Xue Yu replied.


    After slaying a few more monsters, Nie Fan followed the small trail over the grasslands and returned to Tajit Village.

 Chapter 38

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Nie Fan was dashing towards Tajit Village when he suddenly received a system notification.


    [System: Horde of goblins spotted at first sentry!]


    [System: Horde of goblins spotted at second sentry!]


    [System: Warning, a goblin legion is rushing towards Tajit Village. Citizens nearby, please return to aid the militia in defense immediately.]


    ***


    Nie Fan did a double-take at the striking message. The village was being attacked?


    It was rumored that such random incidents where each village on the Osland Continent was attacked by monsters would occur daily, and the failure to defend any village would end up with the devastation of that settlement. On the other hand, various rewards such as Honor points, titles, and equipment were available successful aid of NPC in defense, not to mention that the sieging monsters tend to see the presence of substantial Elites and Bosses, which in turn was the best path to obtaining fine items.


    At the moment, the goblin legion had just passed the second sentry¡ªNie Fan would be able to return to Tajit Village in time.


    All the players farming monsters in the wild received the system notification at the same time as well. Some hesitated but eventually rushed back as well, while others gave up and fled as far as they could since they were lacking, and would never survive a battle royale.


    Dancing Phoenix, who was still farming Dark Goblins received the system notifications too, before finding a clamor of comments in the guild chat when she turned towards it.


    ¡°Tajit Village is being attacked. What would Big Sis do?¡±


    ¡°Is she still farming monsters? Dust, ask her.¡±


    Nonetheless, Dancing Phoenix issued a command in the guild chat. ¡°Every member of Phoenix Down Studios are to gather in Tajit Village in three minutes!¡±


    The entire studio¡¯s chat was silent once Dancing Phoenix¡¯s message was received, with every member stopping whatever they were doing and rushing back to Tajit Village. They were all well-trained: acting swiftly in a vital moment without dragging their feet, which obviously showed that Dancing Phoenix has strength in leadership.


    Moreover, members from the Bloodbath Studios and Wandering Souls Studios who were active around Tajit Village were all heading back to the settlement as well.


    It was only natural that all of them would join in the defense¡ªthough it was an ordinary siege on the village, this was the best timing for the various studios to establish dominance. Moreover, the Honor and titles they would gain in the village¡¯s defense would also make things a lot more convenient for them, and if they were lucky, they might get some good items as well.


    ¡°Nie Fan, Tajit Village is being attacked. What are you going to do?¡± Xue Yu asked Nie Fan through a message.


    ¡°You guys should keep farming and stay away from the village since Tajit would probably be surrounded by the time you arrive. But I¡¯ll be going back since I might get some good stuff.¡±


    ¡°Then be careful.¡±


    Nie Fan hung up and entered Tajit Village to find a very busy scene. NPC militia were gathering, while players were looking for their respective groups.


    ¡°We are a party of five level twenty players here! Any players above level twenty are free to join us, the more the better!¡±


    ¡°Wandering Souls Studios, gather at the west side of the village!¡±


    Several Thieves from Wandering Souls Studios passed by Nie Fan then. One of them was Grievous Harm, who attempted to assassinate him just before.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s from Wandering Souls.¡± Nie Fan lifted a brow, unable to think of when he had crossed the Wandering Souls that they would send Thieves to kill him. Indeed, when he thought about it carefully, he realized he was no more than a newcomer who did not really offend anyone¡­ but when it came to offending someone, he immediately thought of Xu Hong, who must absolutely hate Nie Fan after he humiliated him at school.


    Grievous Harm had clearly noticed Nie Fan too, and snorted.


    ¡®Lucky punk,¡¯ he thought. ¡®I¡¯ll let you roam free for some time with the goblins coming.


    ¡®But when they¡¯re gone, I¡¯m coming for you.¡¯


    He then turned, and headed to the western side of the village.


    Nie Fan turned around after watching Grievous Harm vanish amongst the crowd. Anything could wait until after he sold off the items which he had with him. His messages to Warsong and Dancing Phoenix received quick responses, with Dancing Phoenix buying off the Copper Mage Robe and Warsong getting the Dash and Slash Skill Tome.


    Meanwhile, members of Phoenix Down Studios and Bloodbath Studios were already inside Tajit Village. Nie Fan soon finished his trade and received thirty-six hundred bronze coins.


    ¡°Dark Night, care to join our group?¡± Warsong asked, able to see that Nie Fan was not partied and might not even earn a single EXP point if he played alone in the siege. ¡°Our elite party is just twelve people, but we could be considered quite good around Tajit.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡± Nie Fan flatly rejected him, unwilling to get to close to another studio. For better or worse, he was a fringe member of Tempest Wings and drew a salary from them, and therefore was reluctant to be the subject of ridicule.


    Warsong could not help feeling a little disappointed by Nie Fan¡¯s refusal, but he quickly accepted it¡ªthey were now working together, at least.


    Scanning through the crowds, Nie Fan soon found the members of Phoenix Down Studios some distance away. All females, there were up to sixty of them¡ªa lot more than Bloodbath Studios, not to mention that there were quite a number of pretty runs, which turned the heads of every male player nearby.


    And amongst the crowd of female players, Dancing Phoenix appeared especially conspicuous with her fire-red armor and her stunning figure. Anyone who saw her would find her elegance and charm so extraordinary, she must be unmatched in this generation.


    She was a lady who countless would fall for.


    Dancing Phoenix caught sight of Nie Fan then too. The pair then locked gazes for a moment, with Dancing Phoenix flashing him a friendly smile.


    The players around were left breathless, her stunning smile leaving them dazed and enchanted.


    On the other hand, Nie Fan nodded at her in return and headed off to another corner. She withdrew her gaze as well, and continued tasking the female legion of Phoenix Down Studios in various matters.


    There were now over thousands of players gathered in Tajit Village, leaving it bustling and a little chaotic.


    Even so, Nie Fan doubted their ability to fight. The most powerful of them would probably be the gamers from the respective studios, and other top players who were in fixed parties.


    Nonetheless, all that confusion had nothing to do with Nie Fan himself as he started to make one announcement after another.


    [Want to buy Druid Skill Tomes for Smite or Tear.]


    Soon enough, his voice channel rang.


    ¡°I have a Skill Tome for Tear. How much could you offer?¡±


    ¡°Five hundred bronze coins.¡± Nie Fan¡¯s price was even slightly higher than the standard market price.


    ¡°Make it eight hundred.¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Nie Fan firmly declined. It was clearly extortion!


    The caller didn¡¯t respond at all afterwards.


    Later, another caller messaged Nie Fan to sell their Skill Tome for Smite, and both sides agreed upon the price of one thousand bronze coins, with Nie Fan immediately receiving the Skill Tome right after paying.


    [Smite: Level 1, usable during Morphing, a vicious strike that renders the target Dizzy, lasts 2 seconds, 20 seconds skill cooldown, 10 Rage required.]


    [Chain skill, +1 Chain Points with each casting.]


    In terms of importance, Tear was actually less so than Smite since the latter could apply certain control over a fight, and it would be greatly useful in a PK even if it only lasts for two seconds.


    The close-range skills of melee combat units were categorized into normal¡ªChain and Finisher. Combining Chains and Finishers were possible to build up combos, producing outcomes several times more effective than normal skills when used well.

 Chapter 39

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    There were certain techniques to using Chain and Finisher skills, and therefore were harder to master. As such, not many could play Morphing Druids well despite the class being very formidable since it was simply too demanding on technique.


    A Morphing Druid was usually identical to close-combat units in stats and skills. If they managed to cast combos to ideal effect, their affinity for melee battles would not lose out to Holy Knights and Warriors of the same player level even with their high defense. On the other hand, if they failed to produce the combo¡¯s effect, their performance would be halved, in turn allowing even inferior Holy Knights or Warriors to trample all over them.


    Nie Fan grinned as he learned Smite. Yet another skill, and one driven by Rage which was in turn obtained by close-ranged fights.


    With his current level, even the top gamers affiliated to various studios would pale in comparison to Nie Fan¡¯s skill bar.


    Meanwhile, a thunderous rumble echoed even as Nie Fan thought about what other skill he should buy to fill his skill bar. He climbed up to a higher spot and looked out to find a magnificent sight: goblins, stretching as far as the eyes could see were pouring towards Tajit Village like a tidal wave. The first wave composed mostly of Level 17 Demon Goblins, along with some Elite Demon Goblin Warriors.


    The monsters to the rear were even higher in level, and it was such a scene of terror that the players were left utterly astonished.


    So, this is a Siege.


    ¡°Get out and fight! We can¡¯t cast skills with so many players stuffed inside the village!¡±


    The players only realized that after someone shouted it, and all of them rushed outside, with Warriors leading the charge and Mages hiding behind.


    Squawking, the hordes of goblins all leaped and lunged at the warrior blocking their way, and the entrance of Tajit Village descended into a confused melee. Spells were darting at every direction, and the radiance of various skills were at once blinding.


    Screams could also be heard from time to time, with one player after another reduced to streaks of white light.


    It was such pandemonium that the Clerics simply didn¡¯t know whom they should heal, with some Clerics themselves killed by goblins that rushed at them before they could react.


    But in the end, goblins weren¡¯t high-level creatures. When the village¡¯s militia which soldiers were between Level 30 and Level 40 and their two Level 60 Elite Guards rushed forward, it quickly became a massacre. At the same time, after most of the low-level players died in the first round of assault and only high-level players remained, they also stabilized the tide of the battle.


    Being a Druid, it was unnecessary for Nie Fan to charge into the fray. Fixing his eyes on an Elite Demon Goblin Warrior on the edge of the horde and ensuring that no one is coming for a kill steal, he unleashed Bloodthirsty Vines.


    The Vine kept the monster tightly bound, keeping its entire body where it was.


    Black Oil!


    Mini Fireball!


    A searing flame rose over the Demon Goblin Warrior with a bang, and damage values over three hundred popped up continuously over its head.


    After all, Nie Fan was already Level 22¡ª4 levels above the Level 18 Demon Goblin Warrior. Along with the buffing from the Ring of Fate, his attack was naturally stunning.


    The HP of the Demon Goblin Warrior was soon rock bottom, and the creature dropped to the ground.


    Nie Fan smiled¡ªit had been a determined and simple attack. Rushing up, he picked up whatever item the Demon Goblin Warrior had dropped without checking it, and promptly retreated.


    The spot he chose was also quite isolated. With most players being too busy to care about anything else, they did not notice Nie Fan at all, although several of them had their eyes bulging when they saw him take care of a Level 17 Elite monster so easily, assuming that their eyes were playing tricks on them.


    Warsong himself was holding eight Demon Goblins at bay when he caught sight of Nie Fan some distance away, and was left mildly stunned. His attack only caused up to ninety damage on those normal Demon Goblins, whereas Nie Fan dealt over three hundred on that Elite Demon Goblin Warrior.


    More than one notch in ability separates them!


    Sweating, Warsong thought then that Nie Fan was powerful¡ªeven peerless, just as he expected.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan started scanning through the hordes of monsters after picking up the items. He had no interest in those normal Demon Goblins at all, because his targets were the Elite Demon Goblin Warriors amongst them.


    After all, where could one find so many Elite monsters in the wild!? He would run himself ragged even before he reached their locations!


    Incidentally, a Demon Goblin Warrior was leading a charge with a dozen of its smaller brethren in tow, dashing into a crowd of players. Although its brethren were soon cut into pieces, the Elite monster stalwartly cut down two players and repelled every other player.


    Nie Fan¡¯s eyes locked on to it just then, and with a wave of his right hand, he casted Bloodthirsty Vines once again.


    Black Oil and Mini Fireball!


    Another loud bang, and that Demon Goblin Warrior slammed down heavily on the ground as well.


    Even as the players nearby stared blankly at it all, Nie Fan had already dropped to a crouch, pick up every item drop from the monster¡¯s corpse and turned to leave.


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Can¡¯t see his face, and his name is hidden too.¡±


    Under most circumstances, a player hiding his name meant that others would not be able to see it, but the name would be visible in a PK or an item trade.


    In the meantime, Nie Fan precisely aimed his offensive at more Demon Goblin Warriors, and then checking his bag to find that the item drops he obtained had been quite rewarding. He quickly equipped two items that were Level 17 Copper Druid equipment, which increased his Defense by quite a lot.


    Nearby, Dancing Phoenix had just sent seven Demon Goblins flying with a single Shock Strike when she heard several party members arguing. Looking out, she found a familiar figure¡ªit was Nie Fan! And he was slaying Elite Demon Goblin Warriors by the droves without restraint!


    Even though she was now Level 27, she was not confident that she could slay one Demon Goblin Warriors so easily.


    At the same time, Grievous Harm himself was fighting a Demon Goblin Warrior when he saw a familiar figure moving past him in a flash.


    He focused his gaze. It was Dark Night!


    Hesitating for a moment, Grievous Harm Cloaked himself and sneaked towards Nie Fan¡¯s rear.


    Now was the best moment for ambushing, what with Nie Fan¡¯s attention fully focused on the nearby monsters.


    His name would not be Grievous Harm if he failed to kill him this time!


    Even so, he paused and his legs shook when he saw Nie Fan send an Elite Demon Goblin Warrior flying with just a few skills. He did not expect him to be that powerful!


    ¡°Brothers, hear me out: follow me and we¡¯ll get this guy!¡± Grievous Harm would not dare to underestimate Nie Fan with the guts he was showing, and so-called out the other Thieves in his party to act together.


    Receiving his message, five other Thieves who were nearby also Cloaked themselves, their figures all fading away.

 Chapter 40

    Nie Fan was unaware that Grievous Harm was approaching. Still, he had been quite cautious after running into him in the village, keeping an eye on his surroundings so that he would not fall to Grievous Harm¡¯s ambushes.


    He glanced at his scoresheet to find that he had already slain nine Elite Demon Goblin Warriors.


    Other players around were looking at him with utter respect. All of them were trying to guess who Nie Fan actually was since top players like him were rare, and not even Dancing Phoenix could compare to him. Could he be some godly gamer who was also ranked at top ten?


    Naturally, all of them were just guessing, and none of them actually knew Nie Fan¡¯s identity.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan had taken out another Demon Goblin Warrior with a Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo. However, he sensed that something was amiss when he was about to collect the dropped items, and turned his form into a cheetah with a roar. Ever alert to his vicinity in every moment, he could actually pick up the slightest shift in the winds, and that he would definitely die if he didn¡¯t Morph with the Thieves coming for him.


    Grievous Harm was certainly stunned, caught off guard by how quickly Nie Fan reacted and noticed him in almost no time at all. The dagger on his right hand which was charged with a Bash skill was therefore interrupted, and was promptly shifted towards Nie Fan¡¯s back instead.


    Nie Fan quickly shifted his body. But even if his reaction was quick enough to evade the Bash, he couldn¡¯t completely evade Grievous Harm¡¯s attack.


    With a slashing sound, a damage value just over fifty popped up over Nie Fan¡¯s head.


    His Defense was much higher than last time, making him a lot less vulnerable.


    Grievous Harm drew a blank for a moment. He had already switched to a better weapon¡ªso why would the damage from his attack this time be lower than before?


    Still, he quickened his hand to stab his dagger at Nie Fan¡¯s back. Knockout!


    Vertical Leap!


    Casting his evasion skill, Nie Fan jumped three yards away at once, and Grievous Harm¡¯s attack hit thin air this time.


    The Thief¡¯s heart sank right then. ¡®That fellow has even more skills now,¡¯ he thought.


    Nonetheless, he swiftly pursued Nie Fan even as his target fled.


    ¡°Surround him! Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± He yelled, inwardly scolding himself for attacking too quickly and ought to have waited until his other party members had arrived. He never thought to expect that Nie Fan would be so alert despite having lowered his head to pick up item drops, even dodging his ambush.


    Meanwhile, the other five Thieves were encircling Nie Fan from every direction.


    Sensing the Thieves approaching with Cloak but not knowing their positions, Nie Fan paused for a moment, thought about it and started to make a dash at a position with the most goblins.


    ¡°Should we go after him?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Grievous Harm seethed. His group should never have accepted that Tracer¡¯s quest if they had known Nie Fan was actually so much trouble. That being said, they could no longer regret it since they did accept the quest, because their studio¡¯s reputation was at stake, and they would complete their client request even if they knew how powerful Nie Fan was.


    Even now, Nie Fan proved too quick for the five Thieves attempting to surround him, weaving in and out between the Demon Goblins and dashing far away soon enough.


    The Thieves in turn crashed into some of the Demon Goblins, decloaking and exposing them one after another.


    So, there were six Thieves including Grievous Harm. They really thought highly of him!


    Nie Fan sneered. He glanced at his system notifications: since Grievous Harm had attacked him on purpose, he has half-an-hour period for legal self-defense against Grievous Harm¡¯s gang.


    Despite agilely dodging the Demon Goblins¡¯ attack, Nie Fan had to retreat some distance as more Demon Goblins rushed towards him. Nearby, the Thieves were held back by the Demon Goblins as well and was too busy to attack him, but they were still slowly getting closer to Nie Fan.


    If all six Thieves managed to surround him, Nie Fan would probably never escape.


    Even as he thought about how he should escape, Nie Fan¡¯s eyes brightened when he suddenly noticed the piles of Demon Goblin corpses on the ground.


    With a wave of his right hand, he casted a multitude of Soulcraving Thorns! Since the spell had no cooldown and cost barely any MP, he could do so continuously.


    Long, thorny vines grew out of the ground, cutting any Thief passing by with [-2] or [-3] damage. It was not much, but the slowing effect was plenty enough to delay their movement.


    However, the number of thorns on the ground were increasing instead of decreasing, which them utterly annoyed.


    ¡°These damned thorns!¡± Grievous Harm could not hold back a curse. To think that someone would pick such a skill, even developing it up to level two! Usually it would have been a useless skill since it required corpses as a medium, but there are plenty of them around here, so much so that Nie Fan did not have to worry about running out.


    Soon, however, Nie Fan¡¯s MP was drained and he quickly drank a Novice Mana Potion.


    He looked at his skill bar then, but decided not to use Toxic Miasma when the other players were looking unless he was absolutely forced to do so. Otherwise, news that it could be combined with Soulcraving Thorns as an AoE spell would quickly spread.


    While he had been seen using that combination before, they did not know it was because it was an effect from matching two spells and might even have assumed that it was not Toxic Miasma at all. On the other hand, if Nie Fan used it right here, Grievous Harm and the others would be able to clearly see him do so.


    Black Oil!


    Nie Fan unleashed his skill at Grievous Harm, splashing his head with a wave of dark grease without warning out of thin air, drenching his whole body and slowing him down.


    Then, a Mini Fireball shot towards the Thief as well.


    Grievous Harm was scared out of his wits when he saw the ball of fire coming towards him. He had seen the sheer power of the Mini Fireball and Black Oil combo, and he was not certain that he could survive that!


    Hide!


    Grievous Harm gained a Vanish status, and the Mini Fireball hence blew up in thin air with a bang and missed.


    Nie Fan did not anticipate that Grievous Harm had that many skills as he watched the Thief hide, especially since Thief skills that provide Vanish was both rare and expensive.


    Meanwhile, while Nie Fan traded blows with the Thieves, players from both Bloodbath Studios and Phoenix Downs Studios had noticed the situation there.


    ¡°Warsong, the one called Dark Night seemed to be fighting some guys from Wandering Souls.¡±


    ¡°How does it look over there?¡± Warsong asked in the party chat when he received the news, unsure how Nie Fan had provoked the Wandering Soul players.


    ¡°They can¡¯t do a thing to Dark Knight although they are having six guys fighting him at once, but he isn¡¯t getting the upper hand either.¡±


    Warsong blanked out for a moment from the report. A band of six Thieves working together, but unable to kill one Druid? If it had been himself against those six Thieves who were also above Level 20, he probably would have died in no time at all.


    ¡°Send a few guys over to help. Take down those thieves from Wandering Souls!¡±


    ¡°But boss, is it really worth provoking Wandering Souls over him?¡±


    ¡°Wandering Souls isn¡¯t even worth a fart. Would I be scared of them? And who cares about provoking anyway? We would fight eventually, and I¡¯m going to have to take them down sooner or later.¡± Warsong cursed in disdain¡ªhe never considered Wandering Souls a rival, but since they were squeezed into the same village anyway, conflict was inevitable.


    Moreover, Nie Fan had sold him two extraordinarily rewarding coordinates which he got quite a few awesome items from, so he had every intention to keep their partnership a long term one. And there was no way Nie Fan was some minor character given how he sold high-level Copper items and he could provide the locations of Boss-class monsters. Earning favor would be nice with such a person!


    At Warsong¡¯s command, seven elite gamers from Bloodbath Studios sprinted towards the direction where Nie Fan, Grievous Harm, and the others were having their PK.

 Chapter 41

    ¡®Should I use cast Toxic Miasma?¡¯ Nie Fan pondered endlessly. The Thieves would definitely die if he used it right now, what with all the withered Soulcraving Thorns strewn all over the ground. If he didn¡¯t, he was going to have a hard time escaping their encirclement.


    Moreover, there were too many Demon Goblins around them for Nie Fan to cast Bloodthirsty Vines. He would definitely be interrupted by those creatures if he stopped to cast it.


    But in that very moment, a pleasant, stirring voice spoke. ¡°Need help?¡±


    Nie Fan looked towards it to find Dancing Phoenix, who had already arrived beside him unbeknownst to him.


    Her bright smile left Grievous Harm and the others stunned too.


    Dancing Phoenix was a friend of Dark Night¡¯s? They rarely even heard of Dancing Phoenix mingling with men!


    Even as the Thieves were left doubting what they see, Nie Fan grinned. ¡°My thoughts, precisely.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t one to put on airs, and though it was not a problem for him to handle three opponents at once, six was a little difficult.


    Whirling Chop!Read more chapters at Listnovel.com


    Nie Fan had just spoken when Dancing Phoenix sent one of the Thieves flying, and killed him with another lethal slash.


    With one Thief down, she immediately rushed away and intercepted another Thief!


    To avoid being red listed for killing another player, Dancing Phoenix limited her targets to the yellow listed Thieves.


    It was hard to imagine that a woman of every sweetness and charm could move so agilely. No wonder there were those who call her the War Goddess.


    Still, Nie Fan was not one to be outdone. He lunged towards a Thief who tried to turn and run, and unleashed a Smite square on the back of his head.


    The Thief was instantly rendered Dizzy.


    Thud-thud-thud!


    With a few more blows, from Nie Fan, damage values over fifty and sixty were popping up continuously over the Thief¡¯s head.


    Although Nie Fan¡¯s equipment was just above average, the buffing from the Ring of Fate meant his attacks were quite vicious. Moreover, the Thief¡¯s Defense and HP weren¡¯t that high, and he dropped to the ground with just a few blows.


    Grievous Harm and the others turned pale from fear, losing all will to fight from the sheer surprise of Dancing Phoenix joining the fray. She was quite famous for her prowess after all, not to mention that they could not use their numbers against her¡ªwith other Phoenix Down members nearby, wouldn¡¯t she just call for them?


    They started to withdraw, ready to leave when several Warriors came up on their rear to block their path.


    They immediately realized that they were surrounded.


    ¡°It¡¯s Bloodbath Studios! Shit!¡± One of the Thief cursed just before he fell to the ground as well.


    Grievous Harm simply couldn¡¯t understand why players from Phoenix Down Studios and Bloodbath Studios would come to Nie Fan¡¯s aid, and even before he could ponder, he had dropped to the ground already after Warhammer cut him down.


    All six Thieves from the Wandering Souls Studios were slain.


    ¡°Much thanks.¡± Nie Fan sent Warsong a message afterwards.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind¡ªit really wasn¡¯t much.¡± Warsong smiled nonchalantly, since Nie Fan and Dancing Phoenix would have handled things even without him. That said, where had she come from? Could she be connected to him as well? It was a point of concern since Bloodbath Studios and Phoenix Down Studios were rivals and could clash at any given moment¡­


    Still, the only important thing was that Nie Fan wasn¡¯t affiliated to Phoenix Down. They wouldn¡¯t have recruited Nie Fan since that group was all girls anyway, and Warsong smiled in relief at the thought.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Nie Fan messaged Dancing Phoenix as well.Read more chapters at Listnovel.com


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± She pursed her lips in a smile, and quickly returned to her own party when she saw that there¡¯s nothing to do there.


    Looking at the six Thieves¡¯ corpses in the dirt, Nie Fan thought that he would have been forced to cast Toxic Miasma just to kill them eventually. Even if he was a little stronger than other players of the same level, he would still be disadvantaged against numbers.


    In the end, others had the support of their gaming studios while he was a solo player. Nie Fan therefore felt an urgent yearning for ability right then, to be powerful enough so that he would not be pushed around like today, and at least flee altogether in times of danger!


    ***


    The other side of the battlefield.


    ¡°Boss Shadow Fiend, Grievous Harm failed again. All six of our boys are dead.¡±


    Shadow Fiend frowned and growled. ¡°What happened? Wasn¡¯t the mark just one person?¡±


    Six Thieves attacking one Druid only to end up all dead. What astounding joke was that?


    ¡°That¡¯s because we didn¡¯t know about his background. When Grievous Harm and the others attacked him, both Dancing Phoenix and Warhammer of Bloodbath Studios came to help at the same time, and all of our boys were counter killed.¡±


    Shadow Fiend lifted a brow. To think that he could get Dancing Phoenix and someone from Bloodbath Studios to help¡­ that fellow certainly wasn¡¯t some minor character!


    ¡°Drop that quest. Pay close attention to that Dark Night, and find out everything about him!¡± Shadow Fiend himself felt intrigued with Nie Fan right then.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Drop the quest meant refunding the client with ten times the money they original paid. That was their studio rules, and Shadow Fiend certainly would not take it lying down after suffering such a huge loss¡­ although that would have to wait after he solved the riddle of Nie Fan¡¯s identity.


    Moreover, there were only three studios active in Tajit Village: Bloodbath Studios, Wandering Souls Studios, and Phoenix Down Studios. Being one of them, the other two joining forces was not something they wanted to see.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the defense of the village continued. Just a moment after the first wave of Demon Goblins were killed, another wave of stronger monsters charged towards the village, most of them being Level 20 Fire Goblins.


    At the moment, there were around five to six hundred players left. It meant that almost half out of the thousand over players were dead, not to mention that some of the cowardly players had retreated inside the village, leaving around four hundred players to hold the line. It was fortunate that NPC militia and the Elite Guards were helping with their formidable power, as such easing much of the pressure on them.


    While Nie Fan scouted around the battlefield, he found an enormous creature which was entirely green amongst the faraway hordes of fire goblins. It was around three meters tall and moved very slowly, with sharp spines growing all over its body. It was also carrying a thick two-meters long wooden log over its shoulder, which was probably its weapon.


    It was the Swordtooth Nymph, a Rare monster!


    Nie Fan could not stop himself from reacting. Rare monsters appeared at random and were Boss-class at minimum, not to mention that their item drops tend to be very good, with a high chance of being Dark-Enchanted Bronze equipment, or it could be certain special rare items as well. The best item Nie Fan had was the Dark-Enchanted Bronze Ring of Fate, and at his current level, any item of that same grade was a priceless treasure.


    Seizing the moment before his Cheetahmorph was over, Nie Fan pounced and dodged to approach the Swordtooth Nymph, and launched a Mini Fireball at it.


    The spell exploded over the nymph¡¯s body with a bang, and [-7] points of damage appeared over its head.


    [Swordtooth Nymph: Boss, Level 26, Rare, HP 12000.]


    Wow, Nie Fan gasped. It was actually a Level 26 Boss with twelve thousand HP.


    It really was stunning.


    Amongst those present, it was perhaps only the NPCs who could kill it, but the Boss would not drop any items if the NPCs dealt half of the total damage against it. In the end, it just isn¡¯t worthwhile to have the NPCs kill it.


    Though Nie Fan had many coordinates of Minibosses and Bosses, finding a Rare monster out in the wild remained extremely difficult. After all, Rare monsters spawned at random and followed no patterns, not to mention that they were extremely few in number!

 Chapter 42

    Nie Fan decided that it was probably too difficult for him to fight a Level 26 Boss alone.


    Still, he then thought of Dancing Phoenix and Warsong¡ªwith their help, he could take down the Swordtooth Nymph¡­ although item distribution might prove to be a problem.


    ¡°Are you interested in killing that Swordtooth Nymph?¡± Nie Fan messaged both Dancing Phoenix and Warsong.


    ¡°Swordtooth Nymph? What level is it?¡± Dancing Phoenix was taken aback. Although she too could see the massive nymph up front which stood out amongst the goblins, she didn¡¯t know what it was called or its level.


    ¡°Level 26 Boss.¡±


    ¡°Level 26 Boss? Might be a little difficult.¡± Dancing Phoenix said. Most Boss beasts were tough¡ªwhen she ran into a Level 7 Boss before, she had formed a group of thirty players between Level 6 and 7, but eventually had to give up after attacking it for an hour.


    In the end, they were all too powerful, either possessing strong defense, bulky HP or shocking attacking power.


    ¡°If you¡¯re coming, ask for more people to join you and send me their IDs. I¡¯ll compose the groups¡ªany item drops would be auctioned off within the party.¡± Nie Fan added. Auctioning within the party meant that any item drops would be purchased at a certain price, and the money earned would be divided amongst the party.


    On the other hand, Warsong agreed right away when he received Nie Fan¡¯s message without asking any questions. ¡°I see it. I¡¯ll leave the groups to you, then.¡±


    ¡°Call for more people to join you, the more the better¡ªbut they have to be above level twenty-two. Send me their IDs.¡± Nie Fan had been able to tell that although Warsong was a little rough on the edges, he was a pleasant person and someone worth befriending. ¡°Any item drops would be auctioned off within the party.¡±


    Warsong disbanded his party and sent some names to Nie Fan. They were Warsong¡¯s twelve elites, and Nie fan pulled all of them into his party.


    [System: Warsong has joined your party.]


    [System: Warhammer has joined your party.]


    ***


    ¡°How sure are you about this?¡± Dancing Phoenix asked.


    She was not really acquainted with Nie Fan, but knew from various channels that he was formidable, and probably wouldn¡¯t do something he wasn¡¯t sure about.


    ¡°Sixty percent. It is a Rare monster after all.¡±


    ¡°Rare monster? Well, guess we could try.¡± Dancing Phoenix¡¯s eyes brightened and she weighed it for a while before deciding to give it a try. Disbanding her party, she then sent Nie Fan a list of names.


    [System: Dancing Phoenix has joined your party.]


    [System: Dust has joined your party.]


    ***


    ¡°Whatever your differences before, put it aside for the day,¡± Nie Fan spoke into the party channel before getting started, since it was hard to not clash when people from two different gaming studios were gathered.


    ¡°We¡¯ve just met. No differences yet, although that might not be the case later,¡± Dancing Phoenix said calmly, a little surprised that Nie Fan could draft the twelve players from Bloodbath Studios.


    ¡°No problem on my end either.¡± Dancing Phoenix was not the only one surprised¡ªWarsong was caught off guard too. He had heard of Dancing Phoenix a long time before, and while they were competitors, conflict was unnecessary at the moment.


    A glance at the party bar showed that there were now 28 people in that party. Nie Fan had not formed a party before, but he had some understanding of how to command one with the information his father left him.


    Warsong and Dancing Phoenix did not know each other, and Nie Fan therefore had to mediate between them or neither would cooperate with one another. In fact, he did not expect that such a party could be formed so quickly, and he was a little nervous about that. Moreover, both Warsong and Dancing Phoenix were top players who made it into leaderboards for professional gamers, and Nie Fan was going to be belittled if he made even the slightest mistake.


    Still, now that he was in that position, he should give it a try!


    ¡°Warsong, your group of twelve should clear off the Fire Goblins on the right flank. Dancing Phoenix, you and I will draw the Swordtooth Nymph here. Don¡¯t attack it, just clear a path for it and make sure that none of the NPC militia and Elite Guards notice it at all cost, or we are going to suffer a major loss if NPCs get it.¡± Nie Fan instructed in the party channel.


    The gamers from both studios were trained well, and everyone soon assumed positions.


    Nie Fan was not Morphed at the moment. Escorted by two Warriors from Phoenix Down, he advanced for a bit.


    Mini Fireball!


    He fired a single spell at the Swordtooth Nymph, and it blew up over the beast¡¯s body.


    Taunted by Nie Fan, the Swordtooth Nymph began to move towards him ever so slowly.


    At the same time, Dancing Phoenix and other members of her studio carefully cleared a path. They have to draw the Swordtooth Nymph away from the NPCs of Tajit Village, or they would not have a piece of the action if the NPCs attacked it.


    In no time at all, the Swordtooth Nymph was drawn to their designated zone under the luring of Nie Fan and the others.


    To the rear, Holy Knights were shielding Dancing Phoenix, whereas Clerics and Druids buffed her stats.


    But suddenly, the Swordtooth Nymph swung its log heavily and struck Dancing Phoenix with a loud bang. A damage value above a hundred and seventy popped up over head, losing her a chunk of her HP immediately


    Still, as a Level 27 Warrior, Dancing Phoenix¡¯s HP was almost five hundred.


    ¡°Its attack isn¡¯t exactly high.¡± Dancing Phoenix said into the party channel, while the top Cleric from Phoenix Down Studios immediately healed her and restored her HP.


    ¡°We¡¯re just getting started.¡± Nie Fan said and issued the order to attack.


    To the rear, Mages unleashed barrages of spells at the Swordtooth Nymph. Most were casting fire-type spells since it was general knowledge that nymphs were afraid of fire.


    Damage numbering up to just twelve appeared over the Swordtooth Nymph¡¯s head. There was a total of six Mages and three Druids, and one barrage only cut off just a hundred HP.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do. Our damage is too low! Its regeneration is very high as well, and it¡¯s going to take at least two hours!¡± Dancing Phoenix grumbled. It was the same situation when her party encountered that Boss monster before, with everything ending vaguely after an hour.


    However, Dancing Phoenix had just spoken when a pile of dark grease splashed down over the Swordtooth Nymph¡¯s head. Then, with an audible bang, towering flames arose, with damage up to forty popping up above the beast¡ªand five times at that!


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan was frowning unhappily. Someone else had ignited his Black Oil, and that damage was a lot less than what he intended.


    Still, everyone was dumbfounded and leveled mystified looks at Nie Fan.


    Such serious damage! What skill was that?!


    They did not manage to see him cast Black Oil, only that the Swordtooth Nymph was suddenly covered in flames.


    ¡°What skill is that?¡± Warsong asked after staring blankly for a moment.


    ¡°Black Oil.¡± Nie Fan replied since there was nothing to hide.


    Black Oil? Black Oil and Mini Fireball actually had such great effect?


    ¡°Warflame, have you learned Black Oil yet?¡± Warsong promptly yelled into his party¡¯s channel.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Warflame smiled bitterly and shook his head. No one would learn such a worthless Plant-type skill under most circumstances, and he neither majored nor minored in Plant-type!


    The other two Druids of Phoenix Down Studios did not learn it either.


    Nie Fan showed a pained smile then. Did they believe that a normal Black Oil could deal such devastating damage on the Swordtooth Nymph? His Black Oil only had such effect because it was now skill Level 5 with the Ring of Fate¡¯s buffing as well as his majoring in Plant-type.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of output. Phoenix Down, Warsong, keep an eye on positions. The rest of you, clear out the Fire Goblins nearby.¡± Nie Fan said, as it was much better for him to be the main attacker instead of having the other Mages and Druids do it! Moreover, there really were too many Fire Goblins nearby, in turn exerting much pressure on the mob-clearing Warriors. As such, it was much ideal to have the Mages and Druids support the Warriors.

 Chapter 43

    The Mages and Druids hence withdrew to fight the fire goblins nearby instead. With those creatures encircling towards them without end, things could become troublesome if they were not kept in check constantly.


    But was Nie Fan¡¯s damage alone enough for output?


    Everyone in the party were doubtful.


    On the other hand, Nie Fan was aware that doing that would expose his ability, but simply let it go. It was only by doing so that Phoenix Down Studios and Bloodbath Studios would value him!


    Meanwhile Dancing Phoenix, Warsong and the others were retreating on every turn under the Swordtooth Nymph¡¯s assault. They appeared to have almost reached their limit.


    Bloodthirsty Vines!


    In that very moment, a single red Vine grew out from the ground and bound the Swordtooth Nymph with a vice grip, while [-80] damage points appeared continuously over the creature¡¯s head. It was also unable to move forward, which eased the pressure on Dancing Phoenix and Warsong¡¯s group.


    The Swordtooth Nymph was only able to break the Bloodthirsty Vine with three strikes from its log. On the other hand, the Bloodthirsty Vine had managed to hit it four times, dealing more than three hundred points of damage.


    Was that a Vine spell?


    The gamers from the two studios could not help glancing at each other¡ªNie Fan¡¯s Bloodthirsty Vines had completely overturned their impression towards Vine spells, since most would only cause single digit¡¯s worth of damage, showed not much endurance and would break in a single blow.


    And right after his Bloodthirsty Vines was casted, Nie Fan unleashed a combo of Black Oil and Mini Fireball, hitting the Swordtooth Nymph five times at around sixty damage to claim another three hundred damage.


    The gamers from the studios were speechless. That kid was abnormal¡ªhis attack alone was much more vicious than theirs put together!


    There was a flash of bewilderment in Dancing Phoenix¡¯s eyes as she looked at Nie Fan. His Vine spell must be a strengthened skill and had a high skill level, and it also appeared that Nie Fan majored in Plant-type. In addition, his skill levels with Black Oil and Mini Fireball must not be low either, and those two killer moves must have been forged with painstaking attention to detail.


    Moreover, there was something strange about the Toxic Miasma which Dust had seen him use before. In short, Nie Fan had incredible ability, and it also seemed like he had even more trump cards he had yet to play.


    Warsong also completely conceded to Nie Fan¡¯s superiority as well. If his party had a member with such terrific output, there was no dungeon that would stand in his way¡ªall they needed was to have the Warrior stand ahead to tank damage, and any ordinary Miniboss would be down after a few barrages of attacks. It was therefore a pity that his invites were declined by Nie Fan.


    ¡°Look at that. All of you put together wouldn¡¯t match him.¡± Warsong stared at his party¡¯s Mages and Druids unhappily.


    All of them smiled bitterly.


    ¡®Aren¡¯t you not his match either, Boss?¡¯ They thought, although they refrained from saying it.


    Meanwhile, the Swordtooth Nymph¡¯s HP kept dropping by the notches. Warsong and the others suddenly had the mistaken impression from that level of damage then, as if the creature was actually very weak. Nonetheless, they still understood that it was not the case: the Swordtooth Nymph wasn¡¯t weak, but that guy in charge of damage output to the rear was insane.


    Nie Fan¡¯s attack left the Swordtooth Nymph roaring endlessly, all its focus concentrated solely on Nie Fan. Be that as it may, Dancing Phoenix and Warsong¡¯s group were quite able to box it¡ªthey would keep switching positions so that even if the Swordtooth Nymph could move, it only moved very slowly.


    Eventually the Swordtooth Nymph¡¯s HP dropped to almost 30%.


    ¡°Watch out for its skills! Cleric, Holy Knights, keep an eye out and prepare for strengthened healing!¡± Nie Fan instructed in the party channel.


    Hearing Nie Fan¡¯s call, every Cleric and Holy Knight paid every focus they had, prepared to cast the finest healing spells they had.


    At the same time, the Swordtooth Nymph bellowed at the skies. Its entire body became a bloody red and expanded greatly while it held its log over its head, and smashed it down heavily on the ground up front.


    Dancing Phoenix and Warsong¡¯s group quickly took a few steps back, afraid to take the blow head-on.


    With a loud boom equal to a tremor, an enormous shockwave swept out.


    Bang, bang, bang!


    Nearby, Dancing Phoenix, Warsong and the others were almost sent flying by the shockwave, more than half their HP cut off. In fact, one of Phoenix Down¡¯s Warriors was promptly instakilled due to her lower Defense, reduced to a streak of white light.


    Soon, however, other streaks of white light fell upon everyone¡¯s body, restoring their HP.


    Meanwhile, the Swordtooth Nymph was rushing towards Nie Fan, wanting him dead very much. Dancing Phoenix, Warsong and the others tried to stand their ground to stop it, but were all sent flying.


    Bloodthirsty Vines!


    Nie Fan was quite calm despite seeing the oncoming beast. He had expected such a situation earlier.


    A red Bloodthirsty Vine shot out from the ground and coiled tightly around the Swordtooth Nymph.


    Bang, bang!


    The Bloodthirsty Vine broke into pieces after the Swordtooth Nymph hit it viciously twice this time, but Nie Fan had already gotten far away.


    ¡°Stop it right now!¡± Warsong dashed up to meet it with Charge to intercept the Swordtooth Nymph, but before he even reached the monster, he was sent flying with a slap.


    None of them could handle the Swordtooth Nymph in its Rampage mode.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Just do what you can to buy time¡ªits Rampage last twenty seconds at best, just kill it after it goes out! Clerics, keep your distance!¡±


    Nie Fan ran to a nearby clearing which was free from monsters, doing his best not to drag in any Clerics. They had quickly spread out at his call as well, whereas Dancing Phoenix, Warsong and the others kept charging at the Swordtooth Nymph to try holding it back, doing whatever they could as long as the monster did not come close to Nie Fan.


    Time passed ever so slowly, but after twenty seconds¡ªno more, no less, the Swordtooth Nymph¡¯s body rapidly shrank to its original form.


    Rampage over!


    The party members were all delighted. Dancing Phoenix, Warsong, and the others soon managed to box in the Swordotooth Nymph once again, and Nie Fan resumed his output.


    ***


    Faraway, Shadow Fiend and his gang saw everything happening while they cleared up the Fire Goblin hordes.


    ¡°Boss, Bloodbath Studios and Phoenix Down Studios are partying up to farm a Boss!¡±


    Shadow Fiend frowned. Why would gamers from Bloodbath Studios and Phoenix Down Studios join up? He could not help feeling a little headache from that, since their partnership meant that Wandering Souls Studios would come under fire of two major studios.


    ¡°That Druid is so awesome. Looks like it¡¯s the same Druid who took down Grievous Harm¡¯s whole gang!¡±


    At those words from his underling, Shadow Fiend took notice of Nie Fan at the center of it all then. Although there were so many players coming together to fight the Boss, only Nie Fan alone was in charge of damage output, and the sheer devastation from his attacks were only too astonishing! There¡¯s no way he could be so powerful, even if he did have a full set of Copper-grade equipment!


    He felt headache and melancholy right then, never imagining that he had provoked such a powerful top player. Nonetheless, he did not regret it since Wandering Souls earned a living through assassination missions, and crossing people was inevitable.


    Anything could wait until they learned about the brat¡¯s background. They could just give up if he proved untouchable since most players knew that Wandering Souls studios played for money and not personal connections.


    In the end, it was just a mission. if Nie Fan wanted revenge, he should be looking for their client¡ªthe whole thing had nothing to do with them.


    ¡°Boss Shadow Fiend, should we head out to try stealing their loot?¡±


    Shadow Fiend shook his head and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to provoke them for now. We wouldn¡¯t be able to handle two major studios even if we went.¡±

 Chapter 44

    The Swordtooth Nymph¡¯s HP dropped bit by bit, and was unable to hold itself up soon enough.


    Every member from Phoenix Down Studios and Bloodbath Studios were rather excited at that. It was a Level 26 Boss and a Rare monster after all¡ªwhat items would drop from it? With Dancing Phoenix and Warsong unable to keep calm either, the ordinary gamers certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to do so.


    That being said, while all of them had casted the most damaging skills as well, the best damage they could deal amounted up to fifty only. They could not help breaking a sweat when they compared that to Nie Fan, who was only using the same few skills.


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan had hastened his barrage of attacks, continuously unleashing Black Oil, Mini Fireball and Bloodthirsty Vines.


    Another fire burst out with a bang, and the Swordtooth Nymphs¡¯s HP Bar was finally empty. With a last miserable howl at the skies, its body dropped raggedly to the ground.


    Only party leaders were allowed to collect dropped items since they had decided to auction the items within the party, although the items would also immediately be locked. After that, the party would decide the new owner only by a two-thirds party majority, which prevents the party leaders from taking the item for themselves.


    Now, Nie Fan walked up to the Swordtooth Nymph and picked up the total of three items it had dropped.


    [Assala¡¯s Judgement (Gauntlet Swords): Dark Enchanted Bronze grade, Upgradable.]


    [Item description: A weapon blessed by Assala the Phoenix Goddess that possesses the power of judgement¡¯s will.]


    [Attack +176, Agility +23, Strength +32, Lycanthropy +1 (weapon becomes claw in Morphing), +50% Attack in Morphing]


    [Level 25 required, limited to Druid-class.]


    Since it was a Dark Enchanted Bronze Druid item, every party member gasped when they saw it appear. It was the good stuff, worth at least sixty thousand bronze coins, and it wouldn¡¯t be unusual to sell it at a hundred thousand.


    Even Nie Fan felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the stats on the Gauntlet Swords. Still, he smiled bitterly since he would never afford it in the party auction because he could not even fork out ten thousand bronze coins even if he sold off every last item he had, although the Ring of Fate didn¡¯t count since it was Soulbound.


    Both Dancing Phoenix and Warsong were clearly excited too. Such an amazing item!


    Aside from Assala¡¯s Judgment, there was also Cyan Bronze-grade Warrior Greatsword. It was a fine attack with its +123 Attack, +25 Strength and Attack Buff +1 stats, although it dulled in comparison to Assala¡¯s Judgement.


    The last was an Agility Gem Piece, which adds +3 Agility when embedded into items. Although three gem shards could be fused to make one gem piece, there was a certain rate of failure, which was why one gem piece would sell for five gem shards in the market.


    With such rich rewards, every gamer from the two studios was chattering away excitedly.


    ¡°Us Bloodbath Studios have decided to forfeit our right to the Gauntlet Swords. I personally suggest leaving it to our Brother Dark Night here since it is by his damage output that we took down the Swordtooth Nymph.¡± Warsong said, looking at Dancing Phoenix.


    ¡°I agree.¡± Dancing Phoenix replied. It was inconvenient for Phoenix Down Studios to take the Gauntlet Swords even if the item boasted impressive stats, because they would never have slain the Swordtooth Nymph without Nie Fan.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t afford it even if you sell me off.¡± Nie Fan made a pained smile. Since they had decided the rule was to auction it, he should pay Warsong and the others or it would be most regular.


    Nie Fan notwithstanding, neither Dancing Phoenix nor Warsong could afford to buy the Gauntlet Swords either. That being said, Phoenix Down Studios were relatively extravagant with their finances and just might be able to get it, but breaking the bank for the Gauntlet Swords, and saving it for an underling Druid? There¡¯s clearly no way that¡¯s happening!


    ¡°Let¡¯s try taking a middle ground, then,¡± Warsong said. ¡°Brother Dark Night will take the Gauntlet Swords, but he¡¯ll have to labor a while for us¡ªincidentally, there are a lot of Elite monsters and Minibosses nearby, so we¡¯ll draw them here and have Brother Dark Night here take charge of dealing damage. Our studios will then share the additional dropped items, and consider it repayment.¡±


    After all, in Warsong¡¯s perspective, although one Dark Enchanted Bronze Gauntlet Swords was worth a lot of money for a studio, it would never be as useful as twenty more Copper items.


    ¡°Okay. That settles it.¡± Dancing Phoenix nodded in agreement since that benefits Phoenix Down too.


    ¡°Very well.¡± To Nie Fan, taking ownership of the Dark Enchanted Bronze Gauntlet Swords was an extremely exciting prospect, and laboring a little for them was nothing at all.


    Later, Dancing Phoenix bought the Cyan Bronze Greatsword at nine thousand bronze coins, which was divided equally amongst all party members, Nie Fan was naturally excluded. Warsong himself claimed the Agility Gem Piece with three thousand bronze coins.


    Nie Fan was beside himself with excitement now that he has two Dark Enchanted Bronze items. He would have to think of a way to Soulbind the Gauntlet Swords, or he would cry himself to death if it dropped. It would also be nice to get a skill tome for Lycanthropy as well, since with the Gauntlet Swords and the Ring of Fate¡¯s buff, that skill would leap up to Level 3 once he learns it!


    Still, he wasn¡¯t sure how he should upgrade the Gauntlet Swords since its item description did not specify anything. It seems that he would have to figure that out later.


    He put the Gauntlet Swords into his bag since he could only use it at Level 25¡ªthree more levels and he would be able to equip it.


    Meanwhile, the hordes of fire goblins were more or less cleared out. Still, hordes of Black Nymphs were pouring forward from the rear, each Level 25 monsters that were much larger than the goblins.


    This was the last wave!


    Nonetheless, there were a lot of those Black Nymphs, and weathering through this wave was even more difficult than before. The four hundred players who were left had been reduced to around two hundred in the last wave, with many NPC militia having died too. In the end, the most impressive were those two Level 60 Elite Guards who were bringing death and carnage everywhere without losing much HP.


    In the remaining time, Warsong, Dancing Phoenix, and the others would lure Elites and Minibosses while Nie Fan would take charge of damage. Once again, they witness his powerful offensive strength: his Bloodthirsty Vines, along with his Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo were dealing up to three hundred damage on the Elites and Minibosses, which was no different from a trampling! Each of them would drop like flies with just a few rounds of attack!


    His damage potential wasn¡¯t obvious in the assault on the Swordtooth Nymph, especially since it was a Level 26 Boss with extremely high defense. Now that he had switched to attacking Elites and Minibossess, the three hundred damage number allowed everyone to truly see how powerful his attack was.


    At the same time, the three Druids of Phoenix Down Studios and Bloodbath Studios were musing about how they have to learn Black Oil when they returned. Vine spells were a lost cause, however, since they had Vine spells but it was just infinitely lacking compared to Nie Fan¡¯s Bloodthirsty Vines. It was also very difficult to use it, and it would be months before they could level up that skill.


    That being said, they would never reach the same level of effect as Nie Fan even if they did learn Black Oil, although it would help to have the Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo.


    With so many monsters slain, Nie Fan glanced at his level.


    Just 15% more until Level 23¡ªthe leveling progress was quite fast.

 Chapter 45

    The battle escalated as the Black Nymphs charged, while Phoenix Down Studios and Bloodbath Studios continued luring a large number of Elites and a few Minibosses from their ranks to Nie Fan. He was quite competent as a laborer too, with over a dozen of Copper and Cyan Bronze items dropped from his skills, later split between while Phoenix Down Studios and Bloodbath Studios. Still, there were no Dark Enchanted Bronze items like Assala¡¯s Judgement amongst the drops, nor were there Rare monsters like the Swordtooth Nymph.


    Soon, the crisp sound of the system¡¯s notifications rang. Nie Fan was now Level 23.


    At the same time, the players were slowly withdrawing into Tajit Village as the numbers of Black Nymphs increased. They were wreaking destruction everywhere, and the interior of Tajit Village was left in ruins in no time at all.


    The players were also being parted into different zones, each fighting for themselves. Some had even logged out, going offline because they couldn¡¯t handle the pressure.


    Nonetheless, the two Elite Guards were still standing by the village entrance, unleashing skill after skill and blowing swarms of the Black Nymphs into pieces littering all over the ground.


    Still, both Dancing Phoenix and Warsong were become worried as more and more of their party members fell. At another corner, every gamer from Wandering Souls Studios had already left the game.


    ¡°Dark Night, we can¡¯t stop this. Let¡¯s log out.¡± Warsong said into the party¡¯s channel.


    ¡°We¡¯ll all die if we stay here. We have to retreat.¡± Dancing Phoenix agreed with Warsong¡¯s decision. They had to think for their studios, because exceeding losses would definitely leave a huge impact on their later developments.


    After all, the Black Nymphs were now in every corner of the village, destroying every building they could reach in a mad frenzy. What remaining players are logging out or already dead, leaving around thirty NPC militia fighting on bitterly.


    ¡°You guys go. I¡¯ll stay a while longer!¡± Nie Fan said.


    ¡°Alright, you be careful.¡± Warsong and the others began to exit the game.


    Dancing Phoenix eyed Nie Fan for a while before leaving the game as well.


    With only himself left, Nie Fan hid in an alley, killing off each Black Nymph rushing inside as he checked his bag: There were seven bottles of Novice Mana Potion, which would sustain him for quite some time.


    Nie Fan then looked up at the clearing in the center of the village, which was overflowing with piles of Black Nymphs¡¯ corpses.


    He did not have to worry being seen since there was no one else in the village, and as such began casting over thirty counts of Soulcraving Thorns. As one thorny vine began to grow out of the ground after another, they soon reached an astonishing number.


    Toxic Miasma!


    At the chanting of the incantation, a black fog gathered before Nie Fan and fired forward.


    The Toxic Miasma exploded in the village with a reverberating bang, and rapidly spread towards every direction as if it could grow, enshrouding an area of over twenty squared yards. Any Black Nymph that entered the range of the black fog would have numerous damages numbering up to fifty or sixty popping up over their heads.


    At the same time, the NPC militia immediately drank up Novice Antidotes after sniffing out the poison in the Toxic Miasma, and stayed immune against it.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan did not stop after one blast of Toxic Miasma. He continued casting Soulcraving Thorns, having them grow out of the ground without end until they withered and died, becoming corpses that he could convert into Toxic Miasma.


    The lethal fog did not vanish either. In fact, it was becoming ever stronger, its range stretching further and further.


    And when he saw that he was out of MP, Nie Fan quickly drank a bottle of Novice Mana Potion, and continued his ceaseless casting of Soulcraving Thorns. That skill had no cooldown time, and with the many corpses on the ground, he could unleash it infinitely as long as his MP was not drained.


    Meanwhile, the Black Nymphs¡¯ MP were eventually emptied as time passed, and started to drop down by the dozens.


    Unsure himself how many monsters he had killed, Nie Fan flicked on his EXP notifications bar.


    [System: You have slain a Black Nymph and gained 560 EXP.]


    There were six whole pages of similar notifications. His EXP had leapt up one notch after another, although Nie Fan had been busy collecting the item drops from the Black Nymphs aside from casting Soulcraving Thorns as well. After a few moments, another crisp system notification sounded.


    He was Level 24 after just a dozen minutes!


    That was when the number of Black Nymphs were slowly dwindling, and some stragglers were cleared away by the NPC militia. As Nie Fan looked towards the village entrance, he found hills of Black Nymph corpses piled where the two Level 60 Elite Guards were positioned.


    It¡¯s over?


    Nie Fan stopped casting Soulcraving Thorns then, and the poisonous vapor of Toxic Miasma finally dispersed and faded. It appeared that the Toxic Miasma had actually killed a few Elites and Minibosses too, since he managed to pick up a few Copper items and gem shards.


    Soon, the village NPCs began to step out from the houses where they had been hiding as well, their faces full of smiles in their fortune of escaping death.


    Their village was in a bad shape, and would take a long time to repair.


    Still, it was better than being completely destroyed.


    ¡°O venerable brave warrior, thank you for saving our village.¡± Solamu the Librarian said.


    He was the first person Nie Fan had met when he started playing the game.


    ¡°It¡¯s what I should do, such is the call of honor.¡± Nie Fan replied humbly, surprised that the monsters¡¯ siege ended so quickly. But he remembered then that the village¡¯s defense had also lasted for almost two hours, and that would sound about right.


    He was also the last one left in the village¡¯s defense, so there was no telling how many Honor points he would get. Dancing Phoenix, Warsong and the others should have held on a bit longer, since they would receive more rewards that way.


    ¡°This is your deserver Honor and rewards, given in gratitude for your contribution to Tajit Village. We have also decided to grant you this Skill Tome.¡± Solamu respectfully held up the book as he handed it to Nie Fan.


    Nie Fan¡¯s heart thumped wildly at the sight of that Skill Tome. He did not know what skill it held, and though he could not read its title, he could tell from the cover alone that it was not a normal item. It was entirely silver-gray and made from unknown materials, decorated with golden threads on its seams and golden totems over its cover, which shrouded it in an air of mystery.


    [System: You have slain a total of 7329 monsters and gained 2305 Honor points.]


    [You have earned the title of Brave Warrior.]


    Accumulating Honor points in Tajit Village would confer several titles, including Third-class Citizen, Second-class Citizen, First-class Citizen, Brave Warrior, and Knight-Errant. It¡¯s only after earning the title of Knight-Errant, reaching Level 60, obtaining a letter of recommendation from the village chief and completing a quest that any player earns a pass to head out to Kelfield.


    On the other hand, Nie Fan himself did not expect that he had directly skipped past the citizen ranks to Brave Warrior. Most of the players participating in the village defense ought to have earned a lot of Honor points as well, albeit not as much as he did.


    With his new title, he could now purchase a set of Level 25 Cyan Bronze equipment from the militia captain.


    If he had been farming monsters in the wild, there was no telling how much time it would take for him to gather a complete a set of Level 25 Cyan Bronze equipment, and there was nothing better than being able to purchase it with money now. Moreover, the equipment the militia captain was selling was much cheaper than the market price, although it was Soulbound upon purchase and cannot be traded.


    Nie Fan accepted the Skill Tome from Solamu then, brushing his fingers over its cover.


    That soft sensation to the touch was certainly pleasing to the spirit!

 Chapter 46

    Nie Fan checked out the stats of the Skill Tome.


    [Energy Blast (level 1): Finisher skill, only useable when Morphed. Unleashes all Rage and Chain points when Rage is 30 or above, deals damage and Dizzy to all units within a circular area of 3 yards radius. Higher Rage and Chain points deals higher damage. Lasts 5 seconds.]


    It was a melee skill used when Morphed and seemed to have some fine effects including a rather long Dizzy period. Still, its offensive effect was yet known, and it appeared to be the strengthened version of a rare skill.


    And the rarer the skill, the stronger the advantage during PK since the opponent would have less chance of encountering it before, and therefore would get hit more easily.


    In terms of market value, a skill such as Energy Blast would fetch at least twenty thousand bronze coins.


    Moreover, possessing strong skills is vital to future development¡ªNie Fan certainly would not be so foolish to sell it on the markets. With a flick from his right hand, the Skill Tome turned into a streak of white light, and another skill was added to his skill bar.


    Meanwhile, the village NPCs had promptly focused on urgent rebuilding. The quests, EXP, and money they rewarded would be more generous during this time, but Nie Fan had no interest in them at all. His current objective was to get up to Level 25, earn some money to Soulbind the Gauntlet Swords and then purchase the exclusive set of Cyan Bronze Level 25 equipment. When that was done, his ability would clearly rise to the next level.


    Players began to enter the game when news of Tajit Village¡¯s successful defense was posted on the game¡¯s main page. All of them went to Solamu to claim their Honor points, with those achieving less earning just dozens while some earning hundreds, along with a few being promoted as Second-class Citizens.


    ¡°Damn! That Dark Night dude actually got over two thousand Honor Points!¡± One of the players exclaimed in awe when he saw the statistics. While chatting with Solamu, he had also opened the Honor points leaderboard in Tajit Village, which grandly revealed Nie Fan at first place.


    ¡°He has already reached Brave Warrior!¡±


    Aside from Nie Fan topping the rankings and reaching Brave Warrior, everyone beneath in rankings reached Second-class Citizens at best. There wasn¡¯t even one First-class Citizen!


    Nie Fan smiled as he listened to everyone debate away, and then saw that it was time to go offline. The studio¡¯s daily quest for the day was to pay one hundred bronze coins too, and he put it into the mailbox before logging out of the game.


    Taking off his headgear, he climbed out of bed, washed up and made breakfast.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Lin Xinyan left her room in a light-blue sleeping gown, her messy hair giving her a laid-back look as she did not have time to tidy up yet.


    ¡°Morning.¡± Nie Fan nodded, unable to resist casting her a few extra glances.


    He must say that she was especially scintillating at the moment. There was an alluring sensation in her purity, but Nie Fan quickly threw away the thought when the two words ¡®extraordinary beauty¡¯ crossed his mind. He could not help but make a pained smile then¡ªhe really couldn¡¯t tell what Uncle Lin was thinking having him take care of Lin Xinyan, hadn¡¯t he heard of the phrase ¡®fox guarding the henhouse¡¯?


    Even if Nie Fan had incredible self-control, he was still a healthy youth, not to mention that Lin Xinyan showed no cautiousness at all, dressing as she preferred around the house just like right now, covered in nothing but one inviting sleeping gown. Nie Fan could faintly discern the voluptuous, pronounced figure beneath that gown, his dormant heart now gently tickled.


    ¡°What are we having? Porridge?¡± Lin Xinyan then asked as she scrounged around the kitchen, looking for leftovers in the refrigerator.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have kneaded noodles.¡± Nie Fan said after some thought, taking out a bag of flour bought yesterday from the kitchen cabinet.


    ¡°You can make those?¡±Read more chapters at Listnovel.com


    ¡°A little. But you¡¯ll have to put up with it if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Nie Fan smiled. He often cooked for himself back home, including the occasional noodles meal and therefore was quite skilled.


    He poured the flour into a stainless-steel bowl and started stirring.


    Lin Xinyan watched him while leaning on a marble kitchen counter, giggling as she rested her chin on her hands. ¡°Nie Fan, you really can do everything: acupuncture, massage, basketball, even noodles. Any girl marrying you is going to have a blissful life.¡±


    Nie Fan could not help showing a pained smile at her words. Any girl would probably be running away if they knew about his family background¡ªhe knew a lot of things, but that was because his life forced him to! Not that he thought highly of those skills either.


    As he turned to look at Lin Xinyan, he suddenly found that she was lying over the counter, her loose sleeping gown hanging down, the deep cleavage underneath clearly visible along with delicate, dazzling whiteness.


    Lin Xinyan followed his gaze and looked down, her face promptly turning scarlet as she quickly stood up.


    ¡°You¡­ I¡­¡± Lin Xinyan awkwardly tried to speak but didn¡¯t know what to say as butterflies fluttered over her stomach. Even if Nie Fan had seen her in all her naked glory from head to toe before, she wasn¡¯t as nervous as she was now.


    ¡°I saw nothing.¡± Nie Fan kept a straight face and continued stirring the flour. Lin Xinyan was wearing an inner dress as well, but it wasn¡¯t exactly thick.


    He had clearly just exposed his own denial, leaving Lin Xinyan both embarrassed and irritated, and barely calming herself.


    ¡°Right, you¡¯ve been to Yinhai for some time, so you probably don¡¯t have a lot of money left. I got an advance pay from my cousin as your month¡¯s salary¡ªhe said you¡¯ve done well and should keep working hard.¡±


    Nie Fan carefully considered what she was saying. Were those words her own or Lin Quan¡¯s? Didn¡¯t Lin Quan hold him in slight disdain?


    ¡°My cousin¡¯s actually a nice guy. He¡¯s just a little serious sometimes¡ªbut he does treat others fairly.¡± Lin Xinyan said as she tried to pass him the money.


    ¡°I¡¯ll receive it when I¡¯ve worked the month in full.¡± Nie Fan calmly shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. By now, you must have spent almost all the money you brought when you came here from Ningdong. You could just use this money for the time being.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a matter of principle¡ªplease return it.¡± Nie Fan shook his head. In his perspective, earning money from the studio by working for them was only too reasonable since he had completed every task assigned by them. On the other hand, taking a month¡¯s worth of salary in advance despite having labored only for three days was essentially being given alms, and he absolutely wouldn¡¯t accept it.


    ¡°You¡¯re braindead, Nie Fan. I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± Lin Xinyan stamped her feet in irritation, before turning and going back to her room. Nie Fan watched her leave with a pained smile, and understood that she was being kind. Even so, he could not accept it, and though he may still be impoverished at the moment, he is convinced that he would succeed soon enough: after playing Blade of Tyranny, he thought that he had found a direction to strive for. Whatever happens, he must not allow others to look down upon him

 Chapter 47

    Soon, Nie Fan had finished making the kneaded noodles, but Lin Xinyan kept pouting throughout the meal and did not say a thing to him.


    He smiled helplessly but did not offer any explanation¡ªshe was born in a great family, and it was normal for her to not understand him.


    Hence, they had their breakfast before leaving for school.


    Still, Lin Xinyan felt annoyed with Nie Fan¡¯s persistent silence, and jammed her foot on the accelerator. It was fortunate that current technology would prevent any accident as long as the onboard computers were not defective, although it was unnecessary to drive that quickly even with the accident-prevention systems. Nonetheless, Nie Fan¡¯s physical ability to adapt was quite stunning, and he was no longer carsick after two rides.


    ¡°Not carsick?¡± She asked, watching him. She had wanted to tease him but failed, taken by surprise that Nie Fan was not dizzy at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. If you do feel carsick or airsick, you could try something like I did: keep your teeth clenched, and lift your tongue to your upper jaw.¡± Nie Fan chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a little Dao Yin trick.¡±


    ¡°The Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor also teaches carsick prevention?¡± Lin Xinyan felt as if she was knocking her head on a brick wall when she saw his carefree look. That boy was so despicable and never knew what¡¯s good for him, not to mention that he¡¯s so inflexible and nothing could change that.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, but it describes the construct and medical know-how on the human heads.¡± Nie Fan explained.


    ¡°Do you really understand all that knowledge?¡± Lin Xinyan¡¯s tone softened when she remembered the symptoms on her feet. It was frightening, too: hospital checkups never seem to root out the cause, and she would still occasionally lose feeling in both her legs.


    ¡°More or less. I could at least treat others.¡± Nie Fan replied humbly, since he could treat anything that wasn¡¯t too serious.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong with my leg?¡±


    ¡°How do I put this¡­ Western medicine would call it joint infection but in fact it isn¡¯t: it is a combination of vein blockage and dampness in the body. Most doctors would just prescribe you some medicine and recommend bedrest because they don¡¯t have any better measures, and not even modern equipment could handle such cases. That said, acupuncture, massage, personal training or Chinese medicine could help.¡± Nie Fan said after some thought. In reality, Lin Xinyan¡¯s condition was a little more serious than he let on, but he didn¡¯t want to say it and burden her.


    ¡°Then can¡¯t you prescribe me some medicine?¡±


    ¡°How could I? I¡¯m not a traditional doctor.¡±


    ¡°How about massage and acupuncture?¡±


    ¡°Massage would require finding the right pressure point and takes a longer time to complete, even up to a few months.¡±


    ¡°No massage then.¡± Lin Xinyan¡¯s face went scarlet. The mere thought of having Nie Fan grope around her buttocks was embarrassing, and she might as well die if that lasted months.


    It was impossible for Nie Fan to not have straying thoughts either¡ªLin Xinyan¡¯s buttocks were so well-rounded that it would feel good to touch, but he kept that thought in his head and did not say it.


    ¡°What about acupuncture?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quicker, and would definitely be done in a week.¡± Nie Fan replied, as acupuncture was indeed the most direct and effective measure. ¡°But I have told you before: the pressure points are at your pelvic bone, and it¡¯s wouldn¡¯t be easy to find it underneath your clothes.¡±


    Lin Xinyan blushed again and glared at him grumpily. ¡°Are you doing that on purpose!?¡±


    Acupuncture was actually harder to accept compared to massage since the latter was merely groping around the buttocks, while the former was directly going pants off.


    ¡°You can just regard me as an ordinary doctor.¡± Nie Fan said calmly with a shrug, finding her distress a little funny.


    Lin Xinyan resembled an enraged lioness even as she glared at him viciously. She really wanted nothing more to smack him on his seat, and there¡¯s no way she would bare her lower half to a male doctor even if Nie Fan were one.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Dad you molested me. Believe it!¡±


    ¡°You can tell him what I said, word for word.¡± Nie Fan thought that he was being reasonable since it really was a form of treatment, and he wasn¡¯t lying.


    ¡°That time, when you broke into my bathroom¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an emergency!¡± Nie Fan quickly countered. Was she going to threaten him with that!? He felt so wronged!


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Lin Xinyan naturally wouldn¡¯t tell her father that since it was too embarrassing. Moreover, she had always been independent and didn¡¯t want her father to worry about her, which was why she kept quiet even after her legs had gone wrong. ¡°How long would personal training take?¡±


    ¡°Ten years is enough. You can¡¯t do ballet in that time or any strenuous sports, only slow regenerative training.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Lin Xinyan said anxiously. It was impossible for her to not do ballet because that was her top hobby. It was a little world she could revel in even if she wasn¡¯t dancing for show, and the reason her figure had been kept so perfect.


    ¡°Well, I have no choice.¡± Nie Fan shrugged¡ªthe young lady was quite a piece of work, allowing nothing at all.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you come up with something else? You could have me train, but it¡¯s impossible for me not to dance for ten years.¡± Lin Xinyan felt grief then, and thought then about how the things she liked were always taken away from her since she was a child: her mother died when she was twelve, and the puppy that grew up with her in her father¡¯s constant absence also died last year.


    And now, the only thing left that she loved would be snatched away too.


    On the other hand, Nie Fan couldn¡¯t understand why Lin Xinyan was being so stubborn about ballet. She wasn¡¯t going on stage, and would only train with a female home tutor without anyone watching.


    Even so, he kept quiet when he saw the vague tears in her eyes.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xinyan furiously struggled with herself for what felt like half a day before saying begrudgingly, ¡°I¡¯ll let you needle me, but you cannot tell anyone else!¡±


    Her ears were red to the brim when she finished.


    Nie Fan stared at her in astonishment; he did not expect her to choose that. Her scarlet face was tenderly sweet, a moving charm that left him slightly distracted.


    ¡°Relaxed. I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Nie Fan said, and he certainly wouldn¡¯t do that as a lady¡¯s honor was at stake. He assuredly only held the mindset of carrying out a treatment, which was why he was firm that her illness must not be allowed to drag on even if he was feeling stirred.


    That being said, the treatment method was itself rather¡­ vaguely intimate.


    Lin Xinyan said no more after casting him a glance. She could tell from his look that he might not have any schemes, because he would have already taken advantage of her on that day in the bathroom, not to mention that they were living so close. Be that as it may, lying down on her bed with her pants down and letting Nie Fan put one needle after another into her was as strangely charming as it was embarrassing!

 Chapter 48

    Afterwards, Lin Xinyan and Nie Fan remained silent even after reaching school, and entered the classroom together after she parked her car.


    That was when Nie Fan found Xu Hong¡¯s gaze when he looked at the rear of the classroom.


    He actually came back!


    There was a poisonous look in Xu Hong¡¯s eyes when he saw Nie Fan. It was Nie Fan who utterly humiliated him, and he could feel that his classmates¡¯ stares had a hint of mockery even as he entered the classroom, and he could feel that their hushed whispers were all about him. He couldn¡¯t raise his head thanks to all of that, and he blamed everything on Nie Fan.


    Xu Hong clenched his fists¡ªhe would definitely get his payback. As he glanced at Lin Xinyan who was some distance away, he thought that it was obvious that he came from a good family and was handsome, given how countless girls admired him. Still, he ignored all her courters which had no lack of good-looking ones amongst them and was only ever loyal towards Lin Xinyan, so why would she give him the cold shoulder? He was satisfied at first since Lin Xinyan was cold towards every boy in the classroom anyway, but Nie Fan¡¯s appearance left him threatened.


    They are actually living together too, so there¡¯s no way there isn¡¯t anything between them! He had always believed that he alone could enjoy how wonderful Lin Xinyan was, but could not help feeling hopeless now. When he tried to ask her about it to clear any doubts in the game, he only found that she had left their party.


    That certainly left him assuming that Nie Fan had taken her away from him.


    Still, little did he know that it was he himself who made Lin Xinyan keep a distance. Xu Hong had constantly targeted Nie Fan and cornered him in every way possible in the basketball game a few days ago, which made Lin Xinyan clearly see his pettiness, as well as his inward darkness despite his outward sunny charm. The further she was from such a person, the better, which was why she determinedly left the party.


    Even so, Xu Hong wouldn¡¯t care about any of that. A real man always takes revenge¡ªnever had he suffered such grief after being pampered by everyone since a child, and he was never going to take this lying down.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get you!¡± Xu Hong glared at Nie Fan like a vicious mongrel, while a look of lust flashed in his eyes after he looked at Lin Xinyan¡¯s stunning figure.


    ¡°Xu Hong is back. Careful, cousin, he might come looking for trouble.¡± Xu Xiaoshuang told Nie Fan as she took the seat beside him. She was dressed rather attractively in a mini blouse with puffy sleeves, matched with a short dark-blue skirt. Her onion-white arms and tight, smooth and well-toned feet would leave anyone bleeding through their noses, not to mention that her sitting posture was scintillating, elegant and prim though it may be.


    ¡°Ahem. I know.¡± Nie Fan could not help blushing immediately with those mouth-watering legs dangling in front of him, and awkwardly backed off a little.


    ¡°Anyway, how about we go to a movie today, cousin? I¡¯ve already got us tickets.¡± Xu Xiaoshuang smiled mesmerizingly as she hooked her hands around his right arm.


    Nie Fan felt a faint girly sweet scent promptly hitting his face while his arm felt something tender to the touch. Any young and vigorous boy would probably be unable to withstand the seduction thundering through that profound softness underneath those clothes, and he could not help feeling a rush of blood as if he was about to bleed out.


    ¡°Well, I would have to ask Xinyan.¡± Despite his stirred impulses, Nie Fan knew that Lin Xinyan would award him one fatal slapping if he accepted Xu Xiaoshuang¡¯s invitation.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Lin Xinyan almost felt herself bursting when she saw the scene, and quickly pulled Xu Xiaoshuang up from the chair. ¡°Are you going to sell yourself, dressed like such a skank?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t skanky¡ªit¡¯s sexy, get it? I could tell that cousin here likes it. Why not give it a try?¡± Xu Xiaoshuang replied while shooting Lin Xinyan a charming look containing every form of flirt possible.


    Nie Fan glanced at Lin Xinyan then. She certainly could make every living being fall for her if she dressed sexily with that figure of hers, but she always stayed conservative with her clothing while at school that her skirt consistently covered past her knees.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Unable to come up with a retort against Xu Xiaoshuang, Lin Xinyan caught Nie Fan¡¯s gaze and promptly glared at him. She knew then that the bastard must have some ill intention in his head¡ªnot only did he take advantage of her again and again, even getting her to take off her pants for him, he was also fooling around at school. So annoying!


    Still, she was a little let down at the thought of wearing sexy clothing to school¡­ but maybe she could do that at home if Nie Fan likes it¡­


    She recovered right then with her face becoming hot. Why would she think that? Why would she wear something like that for Nie Fan!?


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan quickly slipped away when he saw the two girls bickering so that he would not get caught up in the crossfire.


    Be that as it may, Xu Xiaoshuang would snuggle up to him whenever she had the opportunity for the rest of the day, although Lin Xinyan did bomb her away several times. Nie Fan, remembering the game Eagles and Chicks, smiled bitterly.


    Still, Lin Xinyan thought that she wouldn¡¯t have bothered herself with Nie Fan the pervert if not for Xu Xiaoshuang¡¯s constant latching.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come to school anymore.¡± She said in irritation.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t put it any better myself. I¡¯m free, finally.¡± Nie Fan breathed a sigh of relief, since he could get a part-time job if he didn¡¯t have to attend school in the morning.


    ¡°What, are you really that unhappy with being my bodyguard?¡± Lin Xinyan glared at him with gritted teeth.


    ¡°No, why would I be unhappy?¡± Nie Fan scratched her head, unsure how he managed to make that blunder.


    Meanwhile, the pent-up indignation in Lin Xinyan¡¯s chest was almost exploding. Would Nie Fan have gotten into so much trouble if he didn¡¯t show off at the basketball court? Though at the same time, she had unwittingly taken a joke her father told her in her childhood for real¡ªwould he have let Nie Fan stayed under the same roof with her if he didn¡¯t want something to develop between him and her? Even so, Nie Fan was not self-conscious at all, and kept raising more hell everywhere.


    Naturally, those were merely her own perspective. That being said, there was another reason she was at odds with Nie Fan as children: she was very irritated when her father and Uncle Nie kept saying that they would have her marry Nie Fan and whatnot when she grew up, even though Nie Fan already had eyes on another girl. Still, that might be the moment she developed tender feelings towards him, and as such persistently harassed him.


    She suddenly remembered something else then: how were things with him and that girl now? Were they still in touch?


    She could not help feeling a little lonely at that.


    ¡°No. You still have to come tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Nie Fan was dumbfounded. ¡®Did she change her mind just like that? Aren¡¯t women a little too volatile?¡¯


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s decided!¡± Lin Xinyan quickly turned and returned to her seat.


    ***


    The last class was mathematical science, which Nie Fan was absolutely bored of since he had no interest at all. Meanwhile, Xu Hong did not come to harass him either, although Nie Fan knew that Xu Hong would definitely want payback given his pettiness, and was only holding back at the moment. Still, Nie Fan was not really afraid given that he never really feared any person since he was a child. Furthermore, he had actually encountered the dregs of society when he was working, and naturally wouldn¡¯t be scared off a mere high school student like Xu Hong.


    The day eventually passed in peace. After Nie Fan and Lin Xinyan returned home and had dinner, he taught her some simple training¡ªher face kept blushing red like an apple when acupuncture was mentioned, and it was certainly a difficult decision. Nonetheless, Nie Fan did not urge her since it was a latent symptom, and she could afford to wait for months. In the end, everything would have to wait until Lin Xinyan overcome her own psychological obstacles.


    Around 8 pm, Nie Fan returned to the game.

 Chapter 49

    Both Warsong and Dancing Phoenix logged on to the game earlier than Nie Fan did. They went in succession to Tajit V//illage to claim their Honor rewards and were not unhappy to be promoted as Second-class Citizens, claiming the second and third places.


    However, they were all left astonished when they saw Nie Fan¡¯s rank at the top.


    He had actually earned the title of Brave Warrior!


    Even if Nie Fan had indeed slain numerous Elites and Minibosses, there was no way he could have gained so much Honor from that alone! It was up to nine times the points they gained, and it was certainly hard to imagine how anyone could get over two thousand Honor!


    The only possibility was that Nie Fan had kept on farming the Black Nymphs after they logged out yesterday, although there was telling if he lasted until the end.


    What happened after they left the game was now therefore a mystery. However, they wouldn¡¯t ask about it if Nie Fan wouldn¡¯t tell, since sticking your nose in a friend¡¯s private affairs only ever made them cautious, and ruined the existing harmony.


    They were also envious since it was said that Brave Warriors could purchase a complete set of Level 25 Cyan Bronze equipment. Both Warsong and Dancing Phoenix only had one or two items of those grade at the moment, much less the other normal players. Moreover, aside from that full set of equipment, Nie Fan also now possessed a Level 25 Dark Enchanted Bronze weapon, and those items would mean that there was going to be some time before anyone in Tajit Village could surpass him.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan had displayed his ability sufficiently that both Phoenix Down Studios and Bloodbath Studios were interested in recruiting him. Still, he was not interested in joining them, and they could only withdraw and pursue the next best thing: a partnership.


    ***


    Sometime later.


    ¡°Big sis, I just received some news. It turns out that Dark Night is from Tempest Wings!¡± Dust messaged Dancing Phoenix even as she arranged the various information she collected.


    ¡°Tempest Wings?¡± Dancing Phoenix¡¯s brows knitted, surprised that Tempest Wings would have such a top player. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of such a person in their team before?¡±


    ¡°He must be new. It looks like he¡¯s just a fringe member and Tempest Wings are not aware of his achievements¡­ but they would know soon.¡±


    ¡°Just a fringe member?¡± Dancing Phoenix was speechless. She was convinced that Heavenly Left Hand must be blind to keep Nie Fan a fringe member given his ability. Having such a great player was often a very delicate matter for any studio, since it would be a huge loss for them if the player switched sides.


    And here Heavenly Left Hand was, keeping such a player as a fringe member.


    ¡°We have to bring Dark Night to our side before Tempest Wings catches on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it seems that he¡¯s not too willing to leave, or he could have transferred somewhere else already with his ability. That said, there¡¯s also news saying that there are people in Tempest Wings don¡¯t want him there!¡±


    ¡°Try to dig up more information. Let¡¯s take our time before coming to a decision.¡± Dancing Phoenix replied.


    After all, Phoenix Down Studios were extraordinarily effective in gathering information. Most of them were beauties whose good looks were ever advantageous for loosening tongues, with many players who were trying to court them blindly


    ***


    On the other hand, Warsong did not receive such news. He had already decided that it would be enough to work together more often with Nie Fan, and that Bloodbath Studios could simply forget about adding him to their ranks¡ªthey were too small a group to accommodate him, and would probably be unable to afford him even if their invitation was accepted.


    Even so, Warsong would probably lose his mind if he found out that Nie Fan was merely a fringe member in Tempest Wings. Warsong himself would offer Nie Fan his place as chairman if Nie Fan was willing to join them, and it would not necessarily be difficult to make him a shareholder either!


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan sold off several items dropped from Black Nymphs to Warsong and Dancing Phoenix as soon as he came online, earning over seventeen thousand bronze coins. He had actually managed to get seven Level 25 Copper items, and he kept two aside for Xue Yu and Suyue while selling off the rest, getting rich in no time at all.


    Afterwards, he spent little over three thousand bronze coins with the Soulbinder, keeping Assala¡¯s Judgement to himself when his system rang with a notification.


    [System: You have received a new quest, ¡®Assala¡¯s Call¡¯.]


    [Please head to the Dark Portal.]


    Nie Fan lifted his brow at the notification.


    The Dark Portal? It must be that place!


    His expression changed when he immediately thought of one particular spot, but soon decided to save it for later after some thought.


    After all, he could do many things with seventeen thousand bronze coins. Anything could wait after he bought a few more Skill Tomes.


    ¡°Want to buy Druid Skill Tomes: Sealmorph, Falconmorph, Tear, Lunge, Ram Willbreaker Howl¡­¡±


    Shouting for more wouldn¡¯t hurt regardless if he could get any.


    ¡°I have Sealmorph here. How much are you offering?¡± A Warrior replied to Nie Fan¡¯s message¡ªSealmorph was Morphing skill that wasn¡¯t meant for combat as it only provides faster swimming and the ability to dive. Given that it was not quite on par with other skills such as Cheetahmorph, it wasn¡¯t really expensive.


    ¡°Six hundred bronze coins.¡± Nie Fan replied with a rate slightly higher than the typical market price.


    However, that Warrior made a double-take when he saw Nie Fan¡¯s name and appeared very surprised. ¡°Are you the Dark Night?¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Nie Fan frowned. It appears that he was now famous Tajit Village, even if that wasn¡¯t what he wanted.


    ¡°Top it up a little. Seven hundred bronze coins.¡± The Warrior asked for a higher price despite knowing that Nie Fan¡¯s offer was already generous. He thought that Nie Fan must be rich, and might not care too much about that little bit of money.


    ¡°Six hundred, take it or leave it.¡± Nie Fan replied and said no more. He certainly could see through the Warrior, and while he wouldn¡¯t mind a few hundred coins, he was not willing to be butchered for no reason at all.


    The Warrior attempted to bargain, but without a reply from Nie Fan after trying a few more times, he helplessly agreed to the deal¡­ although the reality was that Nie Fan could still get another Sealmorph Skill Tome easily somewhere else even if he did not buy it from the Warrior.


    ¡°Alright, six hundred it is.¡±


    Nie Fan paid the six hundred bronze coins and soon got his hands on the Skill Tome, and took a look at the stats: he would move at 200% of his usual speed in Sealmorph and gain the ability to breathe underwater, although his Defense would decrease by 30%. It lasts ten minutes just like Cheetahmorph, and its cooldown period was one hour.


    Although it was not made for fighting, the Sealmorph was still a necessity for Druids since they wouldn¡¯t need potions before going underwater like most players, not to mention that they would swim far faster.


    With the Skill Tome finally in hand, Nie fan could not hold back his excitement despite having kept stoic while bargaining. Cheetahmorph was to others a mundane support skill which could occasionally be used when feeling, but to Nie Fan it had monumental value, allowing him to access places previously denied to him.


    With a flick of his right hand, he learned Cheetahmorph and added another skill to his skill bar.


    Now, Nie Fan¡¯s plan for a system of skills was slowly taking shape: Plant-type skills will be used for farming monsters, while Morphing skills would be used during close-ranged battles.


    He could clearly feel that he was becoming stronger bit by bit.

 Chapter 50

    Nie Fan was sending out a zonal advert when the conversation between two players beside him caught his attention.


    It was a Warrior and a Mage, with the former appearing skinny but experienced, while the Mage was on the plump side. Both of them looked just short of their mid-twenties.


    ¡°I heard that Hell Assassin just joined Demon God Studios,¡± the Warrior told the Mage mysteriously. ¡°I guess that¡¯s only natural for the player ranked fifth in the pro gamers¡¯ leaderboards.¡±


    ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡± the Mage asked in surprise and stared at the warrior. ¡°Hell Assassin¡¯s price tag wouldn¡¯t be low either, since he is the top two Thief in China!¡±


    ¡°I heard that Demon God Studios were offering an annual salary of seventeen million to win him over.¡±


    ¡°An annual salary of seventeen million¡­¡± The Mage gasped¡ªDemon God Studios really were rich but also generous!


    Although the price tag on professional gamers in VR games at the current age wouldn¡¯t lose out to superstars of various physical sports, there weren¡¯t many studios that could make offers worth seventeen million dollars.


    ¡°What are they thinking over at Demon God Studios?¡± The Mage murmured. ¡°I heard that they were recruiting top players everywhere, and had even acquired five or six studios that were quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°Their target is definitely not studios in the country. With their financial ability and rate of expansion, it is already assured that they would soon dominate the nation¡ªword is that their rivals are the foreign: Eternity Studios and Zeus Studios.¡± There was a worshipful look in the Warrior¡¯s eyes. It appears that Bloodfeather, leader of Demon God Studios was his object of adoration, as is expected of all men with fine character.


    ¡°Wow. They would make our country proud if they could really beat Eternity and Zeus. That said, I would have no more regrets in life if I could join Demon God Studios.¡±


    To those two, Demon God Studios was the holiest of existence. Their members would often involve themselves in various charities aside from their continuous expansion of influence, which in turn earned them quite a pull over society.


    However, Nie Fan pursed his lips in disdain: those people who appeared good-natured outwardly were actually deplorably despicable on the inside. At least from his perspective, Bloodfeather wasn¡¯t a person of upright character¡ªthat man had to be connected to the death of Nie Fan¡¯s father!


    How could someone who backstabbed a former partner so heinously be a good person?!


    Clenching his fists, Nie Fan breathed out a mouthful of turbid air to calm down. Revenge was too early for now since he doesn¡¯t even have the right to talk to Bloodfeather, and he had to steadily improve his ability before all else. It was also best if Demon God Studios did not notice him, and it was best to cut down anything too fancy from now on.


    ***


    Nie Fan was unable to buy another Skill Tome, so he proceeded to prepare some necessary consumables including a lot of Novice Mana Potions before leaving the village.


    He did not run into any trouble in his journey since Wandering Souls Studios had already given up their hunt on him.


    After venturing deep into the Blood Shade Plains, he eventually caught sight of a distant azure lake.


    It was Lake Messian, which had formed for untold years at the heart of the Blood Shade Plains. It was also a dead lake with concentrated levels of salt, and monsters would often appear in its depths. That was the reason players would not dare to come too near the lake itself, although there many of them would farm monsters on its beaches where Level 23 Windwalk Polyps were spawning¡ªthose creatures bearing translucent wings had rather low HP but yield high EXP, which made them suitable for leveling.


    When Nie Fan walked up to the beach, he looked around to check that no one noticed him before casting Sealmorph and promptly leap into the water. With a loud splash and water splattering everywhere, he dived downwards rapidly with his fishlike swimming agility after morphing into a seal, heading deep towards the bottom of the lake.


    Still, the deeper he swam, the dimmer the light became. Eventually, only strips of illumination would rapidly flash past his vision.


    The dark depths of the lake are full of unknowns, and another reason why many players would not brave going underwater. They generally tried to avoid going too deep aside from Druids with Sealmorph since Novice Gillyweed Potion only lasts 3 minutes, and being underwater for too long meant drowning if they couldn¡¯t surface in time.


    Nie Fan found fields of weeds were swaying at the depths, and checked his coordinates to ensure that he was near his objective before continuing to swim forward. There, visible to his vision despite the lightless shadows, was an enormous shipwreck.


    The shipwreck was over twenty meters tall, a behemoth despite having half of its bulk sunken into the mud. Its full shape was not distinct since it was exceedingly dark around here¡ªif normal players came here with the darkness enveloping them, the gigantic shadow of the shipwreck would have scared them witless.


    There were many aquatic monsters swimming around the shipwreck too: each of them had human heads attached to eel bodies up growing up to four meters long, and had limbs holding sparkling iron tridents. They would often move around in groups, and they could swim very swiftly.


    [Eelbeast: level 30, 560 HP.]Read more chapters at Listnovel.com


    The Eelbeasts¡¯ did not have much HP for a Level 30 beast, but their attacks were powerful and movement rapid.


    Moreover, Nie Fan could not fight at the moment since he was still under Sealmorph, and the outcome was only too imaginable if he ran into them.


    Nonetheless, he promptly dove to the bottom of the lake, using the weeds as cover and slowly approached the shipwreck.


    There were a lot less monsters at the bottom, but with the Eelbeasts swimming around above it was still dangerous if he was careless and was noticed.


    Around three minutes later, Nie Fan reached the edge of the shipwreck and swam inside through a broken gap on its hull. The space within was vast: he could see the outlines of cabins and corridors, and he moved along the corridors to swim upwards.


    Room 201, room 205¡ªhe identified each cabin number with the dim light that had streamed in through some unknown spot.


    There wasn¡¯t much time. He would drown here if he didn¡¯t quickly find it!


    When several dark figures flashed, Nie Fan quickly hid behind one of the doors. He then found three massive Eelbeasts rapidly swimming in his direction. All of them were Elites!


    When his heartbeat quickening unwittingly, Nie Fan promptly held his breath.


    Meanwhile, the three Eelbeasts wandered over the corridor for a moment, even moving just inches away from Nie Fan at one point. Still, their perceptions appeared to be not so sensitive and, nothing unusual, they quickly swam away.


    Nie Fan then came out from behind the door. After another round of searching, he finally found room 305, which door was so old that the lock dropped off with a gentle shove, and it slowly opened.


    As he swam into the room, he found that the room was not actually large but was a storeroom stacked full of rotted cargo. Looking around, Nie Fan then found a box the size of a wash basin, but was made of some unknown wood that remained undamaged despite its age. Various natural runes were also carved over it and radiated faint white light.


    That¡¯s it! Reaching out and grabbing it with his right flipper, he fished the box into his bag and rapidly swam out of the room.


    There were only 3 minutes left in his morphing after wasting so much time. He might not make it if he didn¡¯t hurry, and so he swam upwards at top speed.


    Anything could wait after he returned to the surface!

 Chapter 51

    Nie Fan swam ever quicker, ignoring the Eelbeasts spawning nearby and shot up to the surface like a missile.


    He continued accelerating until he eventually reached a stunning speed. His size after casting Sealmorph was not huge and he could switch directions agilely, a freedom of movement that he found delightful.


    At the same time, the Eelbeasts attempted to surround him from both sides when they noticed him, although Nie Fan would dart past them even before they could encircle and intercept him.


    They tried to chase him, only to be left further and further away.


    After slipping past the Eelbeasts up front over several close shaves, the surrounding light became brighter.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan only breathed a sigh of relief after breaching the surface and swiftly getting onshore. When the Eelbeasts reached the surface too, they squawked unusually when they found Nie Fan and loitered for a bit before helplessly diving underwater once more.


    Phew.


    He got what he wanted without trouble.


    There was excitement in Nie Fan¡¯s face even as he glanced at the box in his bag.


    After ensuring that there was no one around him, he took out the box, undid its buckle and opened it carefully. Although the box did not appear to be airtight, with a red leather lining its interior that kept it very dry and stopped any water from streaming in. At its center was five cloth bags and one Skill Tome with cyan-covers, which was exactly as it described in the information he has.


    He proceeded to check it.


    [Sowing Novice: Production skill, Rare skill, plants various herbs and trees. Druids learning this skill would gain an additional 20% harvest and 20% growth rate, as well as another additional 30% harvest and 30% growth rate if the Druid majors in Plant-type, and less chance of crop death for Rare plants.]


    Players¡¯ daily consumption of herbs would always exceed the number of herbs they gathered from the wild. That was why a production skill must be obtained to supply herbs for the markets.


    It was a great skill for earning money, not to mention that the Skill Tome for Sowing was the rarest of all production skills, with barely any places yielding it under Level 60.


    Still, having Sowing alone meant nothing because you would also need a place to plant your crops. On the other hand, there was the problem of growth success if the herbs were planted in the wild, and eventually any yield would be taken away before you could harvest them. And then there was also the seeds of herbs that needed to be collected.


    Nie Fan had solutions to all of those problems: he could buy a small plantation near the village which would cost just above fifty thousand bronze coins, and he also had another idea on how to get the money for it. He would be able to get his hands on the herb seeds too, just as he did not have to use too much of his strength after buying the plantation since hiring an NPC to manage it would be enough.


    It was Nie Fan¡¯s own idea to become a farm owner since the market has a high demand on herbs, which in turn made planting herb at once one of the most profitable work and the most hassle-free. Furthermore, there were certain rare herbs that could never be harvested from the wild in the later stages of the game and could only be planted, which meant that it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for a single shrub to sell for thousands of gold coins.


    That being said, not everyone who could get their hands on the Sowing Skill Tome like Nie Fan would necessarily be a Druid majoring in Plant-type, just as they might not be able to afford a plantation even if there were. And in the off-chance that they do, they might not get their hands of bulks of herb seeds, nor would they be aware of certain unique sowing techniques even if they did¡ªwhich is why Nie Fan¡¯s conditions were rich and gifted in comparison.


    In fact, the five cloth bags in the box were full of seeds, with one of them being Coagulus seeds¡ªthe herb which stops bleeding. And although it was just a small bag, there were over several dozen thousand seeds inside, meaning that a few thousand would survive even if the survival rate was just 10%. In the other bags, three contained common herbs, while the last bag was full of a variety of different seeds: some were rice-sized, others as big as almonds. All were unique, and harder to plant successfully than normal seeds, although they would fetch a handsome price if they survived.


    Either way, those seeds are going to last Nie Fan some time, and he could think of something when he used up all of them.


    After Nie Fan learned Sowing, he put away the five bags of seeds and patted his bag in satisfaction. He had a plan in mind even if he did not have the time to buy a plantation yet, and since rushing only ever complicates things, he should take things step by step.


    Anything could wait after he steadily leveled up.


    Finding a spot where the Windwalking Polyps spawned quicker, Nie Fan began to grind, first by casting Black Oil and Mini Fireball combos to slay some of the Polyps and piling up corpses, before casting Toxic Miasma after making sure that no one was around. It may not be as quick as the village defense of Tajit, but it was an acceptable rate of leveling, and he could even afford to train his melee skills such as Smite.


    His EXP was rising steadily when Nie Fan received a message from Xue Yu.


    ¡°Nie Fan, Suyue and I are level twenty-two now!¡± Xue Yu announced cheerfully. Although following Nie Fan in leveling was quick, they felt immense pressure since they could not keep holding Nie Fan back given how powerful he was. As such, both Suyue and Xuyue had worked hard in their leveling, even improving rapidly in technique.


    ¡°That¡¯s quick,¡± Nie Fan replied. ¡°You both should head to Tajit and get some equipment, and I¡¯ve also sent you some on the mail so do check and confirm it. After that, recruit two party members: one Warrior and one Mage. They should be around level twenty-five, and not too weak in terms of equipment and skill. But remember to inform them at the start that they would be heading out to the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯s Forest, and see if they are brave enough.¡±


    ¡°When are we leaving?¡± Xue Yu asked, a little excited at the prospect of going to the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯s Forest.


    Nie Fan checked his current level: Level 24, 67%.


    ¡°Wait until I reach level twenty-five and we¡¯ll move out.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Level twenty-five? What level are you now?¡± Xue Yu asked in surprise. He remembered that Nie Fan was only Level 21 when they parted ways, and it would already have been impressive even if he had quickly risen to Level 23. Moreover, the progress through each level required exponential rates of EXP, and leveling would be slower the higher the player level.


    So what level was Nie Fan now? How long would it take for him to reach Level 25?


    ¡°Sixty-seven percent at level twenty-four, so it would be soon. When you guys are ready, we can leave.¡± Nie Fan said, thinking that Xue Yu was urging him to hurry up.


    Xue Yu felt that he could vomit blood from what Nie Fan said. It took him half a day to level up twice, and he was even under the impression that he had done so quickly since most players would only level up once per day after reaching Level 20. To his surprise, Nie Fan¡¯s leveling was so abnormal that he had pulled away from them by two levels in a brief moment, setting a gap of three levels between them now.


    ¡°You freak. You¡¯re killing us with that leveling of yours. Fine, we¡¯ll return to the village first¡ªyou hurry back when you reach level twenty-five.¡± Xue Yu was left in slight disbelief of Nie Fan¡¯s rapid leveling, but he and Lin Suyue were already turning back to the village despite what he said.


    Nie Fan smiled. Xue Yu would eventually understand why his leveling was so fast when he witnesses his Toxic Miasma.

 Chapter 52

    Nie Fan casted Cheetahmorph, found one Windwalk Polype and lunged at it.


    He needed to familiarize himself with the various gimmicks of Energy Blast and Smite so that he wouldn¡¯t be too unaccustomed to using it.


    On the other hand, that Windwalk Polyp started shrieking when it noticed him, and flapped its wings as it darted towards him in return.


    Vertical Leap!


    Jumping and dodging the creature¡¯s attack, Nie Fan swung his claws, Smiting down on the back of the Windwalk Polyp.


    However, Nie Fan could feel that his claws did not really hit the mark because exerting strength was different for human forms and Cheetahmorph.


    Thud!


    The Windwalk Polyp swayed, rendered Dizzy while a [-23] damage sign appeared over its head.


    Nie Fan glanced at his skill casting notification.


    [System: Skill completion rate 56%, 38% damage dealt, 2 seconds Dizzy, 1 Chain point.]


    His Skill Proficiency had increased by a fraction after casting Smite.


    Still, the damage with Smite was a little too low compared to his Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo, which deals hundreds of damage points at minimum.


    Even if the skill casting was not really perfect, top players such as Dancing Phoenix could cast their skills at a completion rate of at least 65%, even reaching above 80%.


    The two seconds of Dizzy and 1 Chain point was fundamental, but there would be increased if the skill completion rate was high.


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan was dissatisfied with that level of damage. He would want nothing less than perfect in everything he pursued within Blade of Tyranny, because he would be surpassed if he didn¡¯t reach perfection!


    That being said, Smite provides good control, and its skill effect would be absolutely stunning when fully unleashed. In this game, melee classes were more technical than ranged classes since every close-range skill has certain demands for the movements of every player. All of them must first familiarize themselves with the casting before being able to unleash the power of their skills, or they would never reach the ranks of the top players.


    Black Oil!


    Mini Fireball!


    Nie Fan casted a Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo to kill off the Windwalk Polyp as he waited for Smite to come off cooldown before continuing his experimenting. That was also the moment when his mind whirred and he thought of the question: how could he apply his kickboxing skills deftly in the game?


    Blade of Tyranny was the most realistic of all currently available games, just as its close-range fights were almost a mimic of reality. However, there was obviously no way for Nie Fan to imitate his martial arts into the game, because he was a human in the real world and needed his Cheetahmorph form to gain close-ranged fighting ability in the game. As it was made clear before, human and cheetah have different bodies and different form of exertion.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan¡¯s thoughts began to extend: despite the different combat styles, there were certain principles that connected them¡ªbe it human or beast, they exerted strength through their joints and muscles. Moreover, only martial artists who understood every aspect and layout of those joints and muscles could truly become a grandmaster, as they would be aware of the opponent¡¯s vulnerable points and how to unleash devastating strikes with minimum exertion.


    With that thought, Nie Fan downloaded a muscle distribution chart and a skeleton anatomy for cheetahs. It turned out that their shoulders and pelvis have extraordinarily developed muscles and a curious bone frame, allowing them to achieve bursting speeds instantly.


    Nie Fan gained a vague epiphany after looking through the data, and lured a Windwalk Polyp to himself by launching a Mini Fireball at it.


    Watching as the Windwalk Polyp dashed towards him, Nie Fan abruptly accelerated away, but he had also gone out too quickly that he couldn¡¯t stop after dashing for almost three yards away. He crashed into the Windwalk Polyp and knocked it back while it struck him once, with a fifty plus damage sign appearing over his head.


    However, he promptly used Vertical Leap as the Windwalk Polyp lunged towards him again, a hint of excitement showing in his eyes because he had clearly felt the burst of strength and speed from his dash just now. If he could time those well, his combat ability would rise by a whole notch!


    Hence, after using Vertical Leap, Nie Fan rushed forward and swung his right claws firmly down.


    Smite!


    Although he did not maintain his balance before rushing out and almost missed his Smite, it was still casted for better or worse.


    The Windwalk Polyp was struck with a bang, and rendered Dizzy.


    [System: Skill completion rate 65%, 72% damage dealt, 2 seconds Dizzy, 1 Chain point.]


    Nie Fan lifted his brow at the message displayed on his skill bar. His completion rate for Smite had increased a lot, which proved that his research was quite effective. Moreover, he had only casted Smite just a few times and obtained such effect, and he was convinced that the completion rate would increase further soon if he kept using it.


    Still, not anyone could reach Nie Fan¡¯s level after that bit of researching as they might not necessarily be familiar with a skill even after days or weeks. Because he had been trained extensively since he was a child, Nie Fan¡¯s physical harmony had reached stunning thresholds, and while the fighting styles would complete change in the game, things such as reflexes and hand-eye coordination would not. Indeed, Nie Fan was slowly adapting even though Cheetahmorph felt very irregular.


    Hence, he continued familiarizing himself with Smite, leveling while adapting to the close-range combat style and eventually becoming engrossed. Although there was no major development, he was gaining remarkable understanding of many things such as his usage of Cheetahmorph and casting of Smite.


    Just like before, he lured a Windwalk Polyp towards himself and accelerated when it approached. He launched Smite while slightly shifting his body aside in the air, landing gently to the creature¡¯s flank while a seventyish damage sign appeared over the Windwalk Polyp¡¯s head.


    [System: Skill completion rate 72%, 83% damage dealt, 2 seconds Dizzy, 1 Chain point.]


    At 72%, his skill completion rate was comparable to top-tiered players such as Dancing Phoenix and Warsong, who were at that level too. That being said, Nie Fan had a much harder time than them in casting Smite because he has to be in Cheetahmorph, while they could use it as a Warrior¡¯s skill in human form.


    Nie Fan was a little dissatisfied despite his skill completion rate having reached 72%. He had basically exerted all of the strength of his pelvis, and he would now use his shoulder strength¡ªand given that the cheetah form has exceedingly developed muscle clusters in that body portion, he just might unleash Smite at full damage capacity if he attacked with the correct measure.


    After killing the Windwalk Polyp, Nie Fan flexed his shoulder joint to check how he could maximize his strength output, swiping the air viciously and repetitively as he gained another epiphany. However, he no longer had the time to train his Smite¡ªhis body was changing rapidly, and he reverted to human form.


    His Cheetahmorph was over, but those ten minutes were quite fruitful.

 Chapter 53

    After reverting to human form, Nie Fan promptly casted Bloodthirsty Vines, Toxic Miasma, and every other skill he had to farm monsters.


    Meanwhile, Xue Yu and Lin Suyue had returned to Tajit Village and sold off some of their unused items, gathering other equipment while recruiting other players.


    ¡°Recruiting one Mage and one Warrior to join a party heading into the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest. Requirements: Level twenty to twenty-five, good equipment and amicable personality.¡±


    The ¡®Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest¡¯ and other keywords written in the zonal shoutouts that Xue Yu sent away quickly drew the attention of various players. It took a certain key to enter that area¡ªnot only was that key worth a lot of money, but it could also only be used just once.


    Soon, Xue Yu¡¯s message bar began to jingle repeatedly as many players came forward with their inquiries.


    ¡°Can I join? Warrior, level twenty, 320 defense.¡±


    Xue Yu frowned at the message. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your defense is too low.¡± He replied.


    The player could only leave unhappily.


    There weren¡¯t many suitable candidates either since there were too few solo players whose standards reached what Xue Yu needed. As others with fixed parties naturally wouldn¡¯t split from their group to party with them, Xue Yu was left a little troubled, but there was no way they would be happy if they settled for weaker players. Either way, they could only do their best, even if it was uncertain that they could get the right people before Nie Fan reached Level 25.


    Still, after a dozen minutes of shouting away and turning down a dozen other players, Xue Yu finally found a rather reliable player.


    ¡°I¡¯m Shadow Sadwind. Could you check if I would fit your party?¡± Shadow Sadwind had just finished leveling, and had returned to Tajit Village for replenishing consumables before going out again to farm Black Nymphs.


    That was when he stumbled on Xue Yu¡¯s party request¡ªhe was quite interested in the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest himself, and it was rumored that the Boss in that area was a Level 25 Nymph King which had a certain chance of dropping a Level 25 Dark Enchanted Bronze Staff. It was also very difficult to enter that area under most circumstances as well, with the required permit being hyped up until its price reached three thousand bronze coins.


    Either way, he wanted to give it try since there was telling what else the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest held.


    Xue Yu¡¯s brow lifted at the sight of Shadow Sadwind¡¯s level and equipment data. He was already Level 25 which fits the requirements of entering the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest, and his equipment were quite good as well: with one Level 20 Cyan Bronze item and three other Level 25 Copper items. Moreover, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be that many solo Mages hanging around Tajit Village who were better than him.


    ¡°Okay, but let¡¯s add each other on our friend list first since we still need a Warrior. I¡¯ll add you to our party when we have everyone we need, so you could go for a little leveling before that. That said, don¡¯t level beyond Level 26 or you won¡¯t be able to join us.¡± Xue Yu replied while sending Shadow Sandwind a friend request.


    [System: Shadow Sadwind has added you as a friend.]


    After recruiting a Mage but still needing a Warrior, Xue Yu continued putting out his request everywhere. With no suitable candidate coming forward however, he could only wait patiently.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan was still farming Windwalk Polyps when his System rang crisply, and he could see that he was now Level 25.


    Finally! He could barely hold back his excitement¡ªalthough the Gauntlet Swords were Soulbound to himself, he could not use them due to the level requirement.


    And now he can.


    [Assala¡¯s Judgement (Gauntlet Swords): Dark Enchanted Bronze grade, Upgradable.]


    [Item description: A weapon blessed by Assala the Phoenix Goddess that possesses the power of judgement¡¯s will.]


    [Attack +176, Agility +23, Strength +32, Lycanthropy +1 (weapon becomes claw in Morphing), +50% Attack in Morphing]


    [Level 25 required, limited to Druid-class.]


    The gauntlets, to be worn on both hands had one blade apiece, and Nie Fan¡¯s attack stat immediately leaped up a notch just by equipping it¡ªit was his second Dark Enchanted Bronze item after all! Normal weapons wouldn¡¯t buff a Morphed Druid, and yet these were buffing him even when he was Morph.


    It could well be a divine relic for Druids below Level 60!


    For close-ranged weapons, the Gauntlet Swords were quite short and was probably just seven inches. There was also purple gleam on its arched sharp edge, with guards at the hilt forged from Dark Enchanted Bronze that protected the grips, whereas the various runes inscribed all over it gave it a mysterious appearance.


    Still, its shortness meant its range wasn¡¯t wide, although it had another distinct advantage in its nimbleness and quick attack speed. Aside from the daggers that Thieves used, no other weapon could match the Gauntlet Swords in speed.


    With his dual-handed weapon¡ªthe best weapon available at the moment¡ªequipped, his preparations would be perfect after he returned to Tajit Village and swapped into a full set of Cyan Bronze equipment.


    Nie Fan hence started to dash towards the village.


    ***


    Kaz, captain of Tajit Village¡¯s militia was standing guard to the west of the village. An NPC in his thirties, he had a robust figure resembling a steel tower and the muscles all over his body were bulging and firm. He was also in charge of selling Honor point items, which players could purchase from when their points reached certain amounts. Following the recent village defense, most players who were promoted to Second-class Citizens had purchased full sets of Copper equipment from him. Although the items he sold were almost equal to normal market prices, each were Soulbound immediately upon purchase and could not be traded.


    Nie Fan walked up to him.


    ¡°Revered Brave Warrior. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°I want to but some equipment.¡± Nie Fan said.


    ¡°These are the items available for your purchase. Please select the item you desire.¡±


    A list displaying hundreds of items immediately appeared in front of Nie Fan, most of which were grey and unavailable to him. Still, he could purchase a Level 10 Dark Enchanted Bronze equipment set, Level 20 Copper or Cyan Bronze equipment sets, Level 25 Cyan Bronze equipment sets and the like.


    The one set which was best for him was naturally the Level 25 Cyan Bronze equipment set which includes gauntlets, spaulders, greaves, steel armor, a helm, boots, and a cape: a total of seven items.


    Nie Fan estimated that such an equipment set wouldn¡¯t be available without at least eighty thousand bronze coins on the market. There were few players who could afford such an astronomical price, and not to mention that the markets didn¡¯t have full equipment sets available which would provide additional stat buffs.


    On the other hand, the Cyan Bronze equipment set only cost little over nine thousand bronze coins here with each item costing slightly above one thousand apiece, which was around one-tenth of the market price and naturally quite worthwhile.


    Nie Fan bought all seven items and equipped them, finally replacing his peashooters for some actual firepower and improving his armaments overall.

 Chapter 54

    Not all players who earned the title of Brave Warrior would necessarily spend so much money on a set of equipment. After all, they could resell other normal equipment after they were done using those items while retaining its previous price or even be paid better for it¡ªon the other hand, buying Honor points item meant any money spent was gone forever.


    Nie Fan did not care about the money, however, since good equipment meant that he would earn it back soon enough.


    Now, his Defense was at a stunning 510. Even if it was only on par with normal leather armor, it wouldn¡¯t lose out to some Warriors, not to mention that there were buffs on various stats, including the 3% all-stats buff that the armor provides when worn in a set.


    Indeed, for the time being, he could hold his own against the best, be it in Defense, Attack or any other stat.


    Each equipment was also a good fit for his figure and he did not feel out of sorts wearing it. His chest armor was perfectly streamlined and brimming with might, the cold gaze of the wolf head carving on the plate leaving any who sees it breathless under its killing intent, while his gauntlets, spaulders, and greaves were also adorned with spikes just like the fangs of wolves. His joints were also covered in white leather, and each item glowed light-blue and appeared to match other, with every detail done exquisitely. Totems of bauhinias were sewn even on the least obvious spots, allowing players to see that it¡¯s a full-set item.


    Nie Fan was quite satisfied with the equipment set too. After flexing his joints for a moment, he headed to the center of the village where Xue Yu and Lin Suyue were waiting.


    As he walked, players nearby would look towards him enviously.


    ¡°Who is that? What are those items he¡¯s wearing?¡±


    ¡°Could it be a Copper-grade equipment set?¡±


    Must be the boss of a studio. That equipment set looks awesome!¡±


    Meanwhile, Nie Fan did not comment despite them. It was a pity that he did not have a cloak that hides his equipment, and he was a little not used to the other players¡¯ staring.


    As he headed straight to the square at the center of the village, he could see Xue Yue and Lin Suyue.


    Xue Yu did a double-take when he turned towards his direction. ¡°Is that Nie Fan?¡±


    ¡°Looks like him.¡± Lin Suyue was unsure as well, and it was until Nie Fan came closer that they recognized him.


    ¡°You just got those?¡± Xue Yu asked in surprise as he scanned Nie Fan.


    ¡°Bought it from the militia captain a moment ago. Level twenty-five, Cyan Bronze equipment set. What do you think?¡± Nie Fan smiled. At their current level, his equipment set was very formidable.


    ¡°Is your weapon included in the set too?¡± Xue Yu noticed his Gauntlet Swords then.


    ¡°No. This one is a level twenty-five Dark Enchanted Bronze weapon!¡± Nie Fan grinned, shaking his head.


    ¡°Dark Enchanted Bronze¡­¡± Xue Yu and Lin Suyue traded glances. From their perspective, Cyan Bronze items were already unbeatable existences, and they certainly didn¡¯t expect that he could get a pair of Dark Enchanted Bronze Gauntlet Swords after already obtaining the Dark Enchanted Bronze-grade ring!


    Still, unwilling to continue discussing the matter of items, Nie Fan shifted the conversation. ¡°Have you found us some party members?¡±


    ¡°Got a Mage, still need a Warrior. What should we do? We don¡¯t have a suitable candidate.¡± Xue Yu replied rather unhappily. Most of the best Warriors were already tied to fixed teams, and they had no use for weaker Warriors.


    ¡°Let¡¯s form a party first. We could get a Warrior later.¡± Nie Fan considered asking for Warsong or Dancing Phoenix but they were tied to fixed teams as well, and there was no telling if they would come. It would be best if they could find someone else by themselves, and only consider asking them after they could not.


    ¡°You should be the group leader. I¡¯ll disband the party.¡± Xue Yu told him. ¡°By the way, the Mage we got is named Shadow Sadwind.¡±


    ¡°Shadow Sadwind?¡± Nie Fan found that name familiar¡ªcome to think of it, that Mage must be skilled enough to boldly venture into the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest.


    He hence sent party invites to Xue Yu, Lin Suyue and Shadow Sadwind.


    Both Xue Yu and Lin Suyue quickly joined the party.


    Meanwhile, Shadow Sadwind was at the apothecary when he suddenly received the party invite. He checked it to find that it was Dark Night, and he clicked ¡®confirm¡¯ since they might be departing.


    [System: Shadow Sadwind has joined your party.]


    ¡°Are you guys leaving?¡± Shadow Sadwind asked in the party channel.


    ¡°Not yet, we still need a Warrior.¡± Nie Fan replied. Xue Yu and Lin Suyue were still putting shoutouts, but there was still no one fitting the bill came forward.


    Shadow Sadwind frowned. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to find a solo Warrior, but I do have a guy in mind. I¡¯m just not sure you would be willing to take him in.¡± He offered.


    ¡°How good is he?¡± Nie Fan asked.


    ¡°He could hold his own: level twenty-four, a full set of level twenty-three Copper equipment including a Cyan Bronze Large Shield. He¡¯s quite good in defensive encounters, although he could be a little lazy.¡± Shadow Sadwind replied, a little worried about unpleasantness in the party that arose from troubled partnerships.


    Nie Man mused to himself for a moment. That level of equipment was definitely enough, not to mention that they would still be able to take the Nymph King even if their partnership proved awkward, since they could just pretend as if they had one less person in their group. ¡°We¡¯ll have him.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call him in.¡± Shadow Sadwind nodded.


    ¡°Tell him to prepare consumables. We¡¯ll gather at the main gate.¡± Nie Fan said into the party channel and bought a few potions before heading there himself with Xue Yu and Lin Suyue.


    They waited for three minutes when they saw Shadow Sadwind approaching from some distance away with another warrior.


    When Shadow Sadwind caught sight of Xue Yu, his eyes immediately found Nie Fan beside him¡ªit really was Dark Night whom he met back at the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest. Still, being able to tell at once that every item was Cyan Bronze-grade, he was quite stunned inwardly as he didn¡¯t expect Nie Fan to get such incredible equipment.


    ¡°Greetings. We¡¯ve met before.¡± Shadow Sadwind said when he saw Nie Fan.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that we would meet so soon again.¡± Nie Fan nodded, and turned towards the Warrior beside Shadow Sadwind.


    Shadow Sadwind smiled as he made the introductions. ¡°This is Wastrel Heart. You could just call him Wastrel.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡± The Warrior called Wastrel greeted them.


    The truth was that Wastrel had been a little noncommittal when Shadow Sadwind called him since he never cared for groups due to his lazy attitude and his reluctance to be restrained in the group. Moreover, a hastily grouped party like this one wouldn¡¯t mean much, but he still assumed a casual attitude as he joined Nie Fan and the others for Shadow Sadwind¡¯s sake.


    Be that as it may, Nie Fan¡¯s equipment caught him cold. Those items were so good that not even Dancing Phoenix, Tajit Village¡¯s top Warrior had items that matched his.


    ¡®Who is this guy? Could he be another one of the top ten professional gamers in China?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll invite you.¡± Nie Fan said as he sent Wastrel a party invite.


    [System: Wastrel Heart has joined your party.]


    ¡°Alright, we are five now. Let¡¯s go.¡± Nie Fan smiled, even if he did not know how far the combat ability of this hastily gathered party goes, or whether they could take down the Nymph King.


    With the required numbers gathered, the five headed out of the village.

 Chapter 55

    Once out of the village, all five of them dashed towards the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest, and reached the outskirts around twenty minutes later.


    They promptly ventured inside, pushing forward continuously into the Heartlands and clearing away any nymphs they encountered on the way.


    ¡°Item sharing rules: all five of us would have different requirements since we are all different classes. If there are drops of items for other classes such as Thief, it would be auctioned in the party to the highest bidder, and everyone gets a share of the payment.¡± Nie Fan told the group beforehand, reasserting the party¡¯s item sharing rules.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡± Wastrel said, spreading his hands.


    Shadow Sadwind agreed to that sharing method as well, while Xue Yu and Lin Suyue naturally wouldn¡¯t protest.


    ¡°We¡¯ve almost reached the Heartlands.¡± Shadow Sadwind said beside them then; he was quite familiar with everything here.


    ¡°We¡¯ll clear it in fifteen minutes.¡± Nie Fan added in the party channel. After all, he still had many things to do, not to mention that he had come to the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest only to get the Skill Tome of Feral Lycanthropy. As such, he couldn¡¯t afford to waste too much time here.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes?¡± Xue Yu was taken aback¡ªthat was too tight a timeframe.


    ¡°Clearing the Heartlands in fifteen minutes? No way. I heard others say that they only cleared it halfway after thirty minutes, and had to retreat since the last monsters were too powerful.¡± Shadow Sadwind said¡ªit was as much as an exaggeration as it was impossible for Nie Fan¡¯s declaration to clear the Heartlands in fifteen minutes.


    ¡°They¡¯re them, and we¡¯re us. Anyway, we have to work together when we enter.¡± Nie Fan said as he slid a glance at Wastrel over at another corner. He could tell that Wastrel actually has a strong ego despite his lazy appearance, and wouldn¡¯t be too eager to follow others¡¯ command.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what you ask if your commands aren¡¯t mistaken.¡± Wastrel replied. The reason he never joined other groups before was because he found all the leaders unreliable and yet insisting on keeping command for themselves, and simply decided to leave and go solo after several party ventures. Still, he would like to see how Nie Fan would clear the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest in fifteen minutes.


    ¡°Alright, That¡¯s a promise.¡± Nie Fan started towards the entrance of the Heartlands after getting Wastrel¡¯s affirmation. A single screen of light was keeping them outside, and it would send a powerful repulsive force upon touch.


    [System: Will you use the Nymph Heart to enter the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest?]


    Yes!


    The Nymph Heart in Nie Fan¡¯s bag turned into a streak of white light then, and was gone in a flash.


    With the Nymph Heart used, Nie Fan walked a few steps ahead and could enter the screen without being obstructed.


    Xue Yu and the others followed after seeing him do it.


    ¡°Wastrel, you¡¯ll be in charge of luring monsters.¡± Nie Fan said, before turning to Xue Yu and Lin Suyue, ¡°You two will be in charge of healing.


    ¡°How many on one batch?¡± Wastrel asked in return, turning towards him.


    ¡°Anything goes. As long as it¡¯s within your limit!¡± Nie Fan said.


    Wastrel was quiet for a moment even as he looked into Nie Fan¡¯s eyes, before dashing off ahead.


    There were six Level 25 Black Nymphs moving up front, and Wastrel rushed towards them to unleash a Willbreaker Howl. As [-2] and [-3] damage signs began to pop up over the Black Nymphs¡¯ head, they roared and charged towards them.


    Wastrel retreated while continuing to lure them. He did not do so blindly, and was instead always switched paths so that the Black Nymphs up front would obstruct the advance of the Black Nymphs to the rear, so that only two Black Nymphs could attack him at any moment.


    It was obvious from Wastrel¡¯s footwork that he has good technique, and he was probably only Level 24 because solo leveling was too slow for Warriors.


    Meanwhile, Xue Yu and Lin Suyue kept casting heals on Wastrel, refilling his HP.


    At the same time, Shadow Sadwind picked a target to cast a barrage of spells.


    Bang, bang, bang! Damage points above hundred appeared over the Black Nymph¡¯s head¡ªShadow Sadwind¡¯s attack was indeed quite high, although he was left dumfounded by what he saw in the very next second.


    Nie Fan had summoned a thick and firm Bloodthirsty Vine out of the ground that coiled tightly around another Black Nymph. The Vine then slapped the creature with a few loud thuds, and damage signs around four to five hundred popped up over the Black Nymph¡¯s head.


    ¡®Is that¡­ a vine spell?¡¯


    After that, Nie Fan immediately launched Black Oil at another Black Nymph before shooting a Mini Fireball at it. Flames ignited instantly like fireworks with a bang, and [-600] damage signs began to appear continuously over that Black Nymph¡¯s head too.


    Fire spells had higher damage since the Black Nymphs were vulnerable to fire!


    And soon enough, both Black Nymphs dropped to the ground.


    Nie Fan himself was quite satisfied with the carnage he wrought. Things were definitely different after changing items as he thought, and after easily killing off two Black Nymphs, he proceeded to the next one.


    On the other hand, Shadow Sadwind felt a little dizzy.


    What damage was that!? The attacking power of those spells were five times his own and certainly horrific!


    Nonetheless, Nie Fan had also stirred Shadow Sadwind¡¯s competitiveness. With a low cry, he shot a Freezing Sphere at one of the Black Nymphs, and even as it erupted with a loud bang that froze the creature, he followed it up with Flame Burst that exploded with a thundering rumble. The Black Nymph was sent stumbling backwards, with damage over three hundred showing up on its head.


    A combo of ice and fire!Read more chapters at Listnovel.com


    Nie Fan stared at Shadow Sadwind in surprise. He did not expect him to have such a killing move¡ªthe data his father left him had listed the ice and fire combo as well, but it was also limited to the two spells: Flame Burst and Freezing Sphere. They could work together to deal exponential damage, and was more fearsome than the Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo.


    After all, those spells weren¡¯t novice skills like Black Oil and Mini Fireball which could be learned in the village library. Both Flame Burst and Freezing Sphere were rarer and could only be learnt after Level 20.


    Still, in spite of the vicious chain effect, the damage dealt could hardly match Nie Fan¡¯s Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo since Shadow Sadwind only had both at Level 2. Nie Fan¡¯s skills were on the other hand a stunning Level 5!


    Shadow Sadwind was naturally taken aback that his own combo did not even deal half the damage Nie Fan did.


    In fact, he was far too lacking, and felt a profound dejection even as he looked at Nie Fan.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good combo, but it still makes sense that your skill damage is lower than my Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo. After all, my skills are already level five.¡± Nie Fan could tell what Shadow Sadwind was thinking.


    Shadow Sadwind was relieved at those words. So that was the reason: Nie Fan actually had two Level 5 skills. That said, he also could tell that Nie Fan¡¯s Bloodthirsty Vines wouldn¡¯t be low leveled or it would not be so strong that it could slay one Black Nymph by itself.


    In no time at all, Nie Fan killed off five Black Nymphs while Shadow Sadwind got one as well.


    Meanwhile, Wastrel stared at the corpses littering the ground in shock. He stared at Nie Fan, his eyes full of mixed feelings.


    No wonder he was bold enough to say that they could clear the place in fifteen minutes. He¡¯s a freak!

 Chapter 56

    Both Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel were unconsciously developing an inward awe towards Nie Fan. Since Blade of Tyranny was a world where might makes right, top players would always be respected by everyone else.


    And now, Nie Fan had made a sufficient display of his ability to gain their full confidence. They no longer hold any objections as he led them on the path of clearing Black Nymphs.


    ¡°Have you learned Frozen Ring?¡± Nie Fan turned to ask Shadow Sadwind.


    ¡°I did.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°Join up with Wastrel to lure monsters then. Leave the damage to me.¡± Nie Fan said, since having Frozen Ring would make things much easier.


    Wastrel had baited over a dozen Black Nymphs at once, luring them to a clearing. Shadow Sadwind ran towards them and picked a suitable position and loosed one Ice Ring¡ªa powerful stream of frost immediately spread across every direction from him in a circle.


    Bang-bang-bang! The feet of every Black Nymph caught in the frost were immediately bound in thick ice and kept fixedly where they were.


    Then, Nie Fan launched skill after skill, and the Black Nymphs dropped to the ground one after another.


    With Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel working together, the Black Nymphs became living targets no thanks to their extraordinary slow speed. As such, Nie Fan could cast his spells continuously, and the ground was littered with Black Nymph corpses soon enough.


    Around five minutes had passed, but they had already pushed three hundred yards into the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest¡ªa progress that would leave anyone speechless.


    They just might take down the Nymph King in five minutes.


    At some unknown point in time, Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel no longer doubted what Nie Fan told them.


    Even if both of them could be considered top players, they paled in comparison to Nie Fan.


    At the same time, Nie Fan had also observed Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel through their mutual exchange in the midst of monster farming. Shadow Sadwind was a person of few words, but he was also simple, honest and not the scheming-type. As for Wastrel, he had some pride despite his lazy, indifferent appearance. Still, it was true that both of them had fine attitudes and were worth connecting with.


    ¡°One Cleric¡¯s Copper Robes.¡± Nie Fan traded the item to Lin Suyue after picking up the item dropped from a Black Nymph.


    After resting and reorganizing for a bit, the party continued forward. Elite Black Nymph Warriors were beginning to appear amongst the usual Black Nymphs, with several appearing at once on occasion. The players who had come before must have been stopped by those Elite beasts, and eventually were forced to abandon their quests.


    Shadow Sadwind and the other assumed that their progress would be much slower with the appearance of the Elite Black Nymph Warriors, but Nie Fan¡¯s horrific devastation soon enlightened that their worries were unfounded¡ªdespite being Elites, the Black Nymph Warriors could not survive more than a few barrages of Nie Fan¡¯s attacks.


    They were also rewarded handsomely as well, since those Black Nymph Warriors had dropped a lot of fine items.


    By now, the Nymph King that stood over six meters tall was visible in the distance. Despite feeling heavier pressure with the increasing numbers of monsters, everyone was feeling an irrepressible excitement.


    ***


    Meanwhile.


    Moxxi, base of Tempest Wings Studios.


    ¡°Boss Infernal, here¡¯s a video we just got from Tajit.¡± A Warrior player said as he sent Infernal Lefthand a video.


    ¡°What video?¡± Infernal Lefthand opened it puzzledly to find a Druid casting a barrage of skills at an Elite Goblin Warrior, blowing off a chain of damage numbering around two hundred to three hundred. ¡°Such high attack? Find out who he is!¡±


    And why did they only get news now that there¡¯s such a powerful Druid in Tajit Village? Could it be someone from the top of the leaderboards?


    ¡°Boss Infernal, we already know who he is.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s from our own studio.¡±


    ¡°Our studio? No way!¡± Infernal Lefthand cried out by reflex. There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t know if there¡¯s such a powerful player in their studio. If they did, they would be falling over themselves to worship him!


    ¡°He¡¯s a fringe member; his ID is Dark Night.¡±


    ¡°Dark Night?¡± Infernal Lefthand drew a blank for a moment before exclaiming in astonishment. ¡°Him!? Impossible! Didn¡¯t Heavenly told us that he¡¯s new to the game? How could it be him!¡±


    The look on Infernal Lefthand¡¯s face was amazingly colorful then, as his brain seemed to freeze up. From what he could tell, Nie Fan was a newcomer with no background and not much experience with VR games. Therefore, he shouldn¡¯t be able to do well, not to mention that the cumbersome daily quests the studio assigned him every day should have left him utterly miserable¡ªand yet, Infernal Lefthand¡¯s own underling had presented him a video claiming that it¡¯s him.


    Such immense contrast!


    ¡°Boss Infernal¡­¡± The Warrior quietly prodded after Infernal Lefthand stayed silent for a long time.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s him in the video?¡± Infernal Lefthand growled when he recovered.


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve checked, it¡¯s definitely him!¡± The Warrior replied with a nod¡ªthe source of that information was quite reliable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Boss Heavenly about this. Get it? Even if he asked, tell him you didn¡¯t know, and we never received this video. Do you understand?¡± Infernal Lefthand growled and glared at the Warrior.


    The Warrior felt a chill all over his body from that cold glare. ¡°Got it!¡±


    Even if he didn¡¯t understand why Infernal Lefthand would do that, he wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey since he wouldn¡¯t want to lose his job.


    Nonetheless, Infernal Lefthand was determined to cover up the fact that Nie Fan was a great player for the time being, even if Heavenly Lefthand would know about it eventually. After all, he considered Nie Fan his love rival, and when Nie Fan wins Lin Xinyan¡¯s affection with his position progressing by leaps and bounds, Infernal Lefthand wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Furthermore, Heavenly Lefthand was one who had others work but does nothing himself despite being the major shareholder in Tempest Wings. Infernal Lefthand therefore still had a chance since he was the one who handled every daily business.


    Still, Infernal Lefthand felt seriously threatened as he watched Nie Fan in the video. A player like that would make the top echelon in any studio and enjoy the best treatment. Heavenly Lefthand definitely would promote him immediately if he caught winds of the news¡ªafter all, would he continue benching him as a fringe member and wait for other studios to claim him?


    That being said, Infernal Lefthand would lose his authority in Tempest Wings if he chased off Nie Fan right now and other Tempest Wings Studio members caught on. Having Nie Fan disappear was impossible since it would ruin the good image he had built in Heavenly Lefthand¡¯s mind, although after some thinking, Infernal Lefthand decided that he could not be blamed if another studio scouted Nie Fan. Ultimately, Nie Fan was a fringe member and he probably would leave if another studio offered better conditions.


    Since it was also rumored that Demon God Studios were recruiting skilled gamers far and wide with lucrative conditions, they just might be interested in Nie Fan.


    Infernal Lefthand decided to try it at the very thought. He sent a mail to an old friend of his who now works at Demon Gods Studios, with the video attached to it.

 Chapter 57

    After almost ten minutes, Nie Fan and the others now reached the massive Nymph King which was wandering a clearing just ahead, its massive tree crown covering half the skies above, leaving deep trenches where it passed.


    [Nymph King: Level 25 Boss, 15000 HP.]


    Shadow Sadwind and the others all gasped at the sight of the Nymph King¡¯s attributes.


    ¡°Are you sure we can take it?¡± Wastrel asked, turning to Nie Fan¡ªit was a Boss after all.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be a problem. You all just have to follow my instructions.¡± Nie Fan replied.


    Why would he come here if he wasn¡¯t sure about it? Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t tell Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel¡ªnot even Xue Yu or Lin Suyue. It was a secret that he couldn¡¯t share with anyone else.


    ¡°Nie Fan, are you sure about this?¡± Xue Yu asked quietly then.


    Nie Fan smiled faintly. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ve already killed a level 25 Boss before. Just relax.¡±


    That being said, although the Nymph King was one level below the Swordtooth Nymph, it actually was stronger than the Swordtooth Nymph in combat ability since the Nymph King had several formidable skills in comparison. Still, it was nothing to worry about¡ªNie Fan was only level 23 when he slayed the Swordtooth Nymph, and he was now level 25. Moreover, he had equipped an entire set of Cyan Bronze equipment, which meant his ability shouldn¡¯t be compared to what it was before.


    Xue Yu was relieved to see Nie Fan¡¯s confident too.


    Meanwhile, Wastrel pulled out his short bow and started to lure out the minions around the Nymph King one by one, with Nie Fan casting his skills to kill them all. Soon enough, the Nymph King was left all alone.


    After Nie Fan assigned everyone with different tasks, Wastrel dashed up at the Nymph King and entered its view.


    The beast roared in rage when it noticed him and strode towards him. The ground was shaking beneath its trampling, and its horrific might would deny anyone their wits.


    Despite feeling a chill inside himself, Wastrel took a few steps back and raised the light shield in his hand.


    With one reverberating bang, the immense force when the Nymph King crashed into him left him stumbling backwards, and a damage sign above three hundred and seventy appeared over his head. In the end, his defense was much weaker compared to Dancing Phoenix since she was both higher in player level and had much better equipment.


    Still, Xue Yu and Lin Suyue immediately healed Wastrel when they saw his HP dropped beneath half. As two veins of white light fall on Wastrel, he recovered most of his HP.


    Then, Nie Fan casted Bloodthirsty Vines just as the Nymph King was about to swing its arm for another blow at Wastrel. The thick, firm red Vine coiled around the beast and stopping it immediately, while Wastrel dodged away at once to the Nymph King¡¯s flank and swung his weapon for a Whirlwind Chop on the Nymph King¡¯s body.


    The timing of Nie Fan¡¯s Bloodthirsty Vine was just right that both Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel found themselves in awe of him as their rapport deepened. His reactions and control over timing would definitely put him in the ranks of the best players.


    Meanwhile, Shadow Sadwind is running circles around the Nymph King, prepared to cast Ice Ring at any given moment. They intend to restrain the Nymph King with those control spells so that Nie Fan could be at ease as he rained out damage.


    However, although the Bloodthirsty Vines had dealt damage amounting up to three hundred multiple times on the Nymph King, it did not take long for the beast to slap into separate pieces with a loud crack. Still, even if the Nymph King was now focused on Nie Fan, he had already unleashed a Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo at it before it could chase him down, and damage amounting up to three hundred seventy appeared over the Nymph¡¯s King head again.


    That level of damage was absolutely devastating that not even the Nymph King¡¯s fifteen thousand HP would last more than a few barrages. Wastrel, now standing his ground in the Nymph King¡¯s way had assumed a defensive pose¡ªall he had to do was stop its advance, and Nie Fan would be able to deal damage amounted up to thousands in another few seconds.


    Soon, when Shadow Sadwind saw that that the Nymph King was about to free itself from their restraining, he launched an Ice Ring and the beast¡¯s feet was promptly frozen, rendering it immobile.


    Wastrel seized the moment to catch a breather and adjust his position.


    But despite its frosted legs, the Nymph King could still attack. Bellowing in rage, it swung its massive arms at Wastrel again, this time with searing flames over its hands.


    Everyone was left stunned.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Nymph King¡¯s Blazing Strike, Xiao Yu¡­¡± Before Nie Fan could finish, Xue Yu had brandished the greatsword in hand and cast a shield over Wastrel.


    Bang! The Nymph King¡¯s Blazing Strike only managed to make Wastrel stagger a few steps despite hitting him, dealing no damage at all.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Wastrel said into the party channel.


    It was certainly fortunate that Xue Yu had cast his Protect just in time. Given that the Nymph King¡¯s normal attacks could blow off most of Wastrel¡¯s Hp, the Flame Strike that would hurt at least three times that amount would instakill Wastrel. Nonetheless, the Protect skill of the Holy Knight class would keep their party member invincible for seconds and directly weather through that one blow.


    Indeed, Xue Yu had improved greatly that he did not need prompting when to cast Protect. Glad to see his companion¡¯s growth, Nie Fan grinned.


    At the same time, the flame burning over the Nymph King¡¯s arm had extinguished. The beast was left in irrepressible rage when it saw that the warrior beneath its feet was still alive, and it angrily kicked off the solid frost on its feet.


    Bloodthirsty Vine!


    That was when Nie Fan casted his spell, once again keeping Nymph King lightly bound.


    Three minutes had passed since they engaged the Nymph King, but they had already cut away 80% of its HP, with Nie Fan having dealt most of the damage.


    Still, with 20% left of its HP, the Nymph King went on a Rampage. Its entire body turned into a bizarre blood redness, just as its facial expression became unusually ferocious.


    ¡°Wastrel, dodge!¡± Nie Fan called into the party chat. In Rampage, the Nymph King¡¯s damage would be doubled, while Xue Yu¡¯s Protect was in cooldown and unusable for the moment.


    The Nymph King¡¯s arm slammed down, and it was about to hit Wastrel when he leapt out in a barrel roll to dash aside.


    With a loud boom, the Nymph King¡¯s huge arm struck the ground where he had been standing, splitting a fissure over the earth.


    That was close! Wastrel¡¯s heart thumped furiously¡ªhe would have dropped dead immediately if that blow hit him.


    Ice Ring!


    Shadow Sadwind cast his spell, launching a stream of frost that swept out and hit the Nymph King.


    Even so, it did not freeze up as he expected, and instead faded like the wind.


    Ice Ring is ineffective!?


    Shadow Sadwind felt his heart tightened, but quickly ran away when he saw the Nymph King coming at him, arms flailing.


    Be that as it may, the Nymph King did not persist on chasing Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel, as well as Xue Yu and Suyue who were still behind him.


    Instead, it charged straight towards Nie Fan.


    ¡°Dark Night, be careful!¡± Wastrel shouted into the party chat.


    However, Nie Fan was not all flustered at the sight of the Nymph King rushing towards him. He composedly flung out another Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo and checked his skill bar¡ªCheetahmorph was now off cooldown, and he immediately casted it and change his form. Still, he wasn¡¯t withdrawing, but was instead lunging towards the Nymph King.


    While was he still charging forward!? Shadow Sadwind was left panicking. Nie Fan was being careless: The Nymph King was now in Rampage and its attack was doubled, and yet Nie Fan wasn¡¯t evading despite all that and actually engaging the monster in one decisive bout. What else is that aside from chasing death?


    On the other hand, when the Nymph King saw that Nie Fan was dashing towards it, it felt as if its authority was being provoked. With a raging bellow, it swung its three-meter arm at Nie Fan.


    If it hits, that slap would reduce Nie Fan to a puddle of flesh!

 Chapter 58

    Nie Fan nimbly evaded the massive arm of the Nymph King that was hurtling towards him, leaping aside abruptly before suddenly accelerating towards the beast.


    Attempting to fight the Nymph King was very dangerous. One touch from it meant immediate death from Nie Fan.


    Nonetheless, he could feel the recoil on the muscles over his hip as he charged forward. The powerful acceleration was full of an endless bursting force, and he raised his claws, bearing it heavily down upon the Nymph King.


    Smite!


    There was a loud bang when Nie Fan¡¯s claw struck the Nymph King, knocking a damage point over one hundred and fifty over its head.


    [System: 75% skill completion rate, 89% damage caused, 2 seconds Dizzy, 1 Chain point gained.]


    Be that as it may, the 2 seconds of Dizzy was a direct Miss on the Nymph King.


    However, Nie Fan smiled as he glanced at skill bar¡ªhis skill completion had increased again, and his attack was good with his full set of Cyan Bronze equipment and a Dark Enchanted Bronze item. Having gone through strict training as a child, his body had extremely good memory that he wouldn¡¯t forget any movement he did once. While the completion rate of most players when casting their skills was unfixed since it could be either too low or too high, Nie Fan¡¯s completion rate improved again and again, using his own body¡¯s perfect memory to remember each casting.


    Then as the Nymph King felt Nie Fan slipping past its sides, it swung its enormous arms at him.


    That sweeping motion had the largest range, and with Nie Fan wouldn¡¯t survive a single blow with his lower Druid-class HP.


    In fact, he was startled when he felt the Nymph King hurtling down from his back the moment his paws touched ground. That was so fast!


    But just when the Nymph King¡¯s massive arm was about to touch his back, Nie Fan abruptly jumped four meters into the air with Vertical Leap.


    The Nymph King¡¯s arm hence shot past beneath Nie Fan, almost touching his leg¡ªbut to have the sheer force from that blow merely brushing past his legs was already plenty suffering enough for Nie Fan!


    That was close! Leaping away from the Nymph King¡¯s sweep, Nie Fan growled when he landed. Energy Blast!


    A forceful rush of air shot away from Nie Fan¡¯s body with a body.


    All his accumulated thirty over points of Rage and single Chain point were used up immediately, dealing [-120] damage on the Nymph King.


    [System: Finisher, 32 Rage and 1 Chain point spent. 32% skill damage caused, 3 seconds Dizzy.]


    But once again, the Nymph King was immune to the 3 seconds of Dizzy.


    Nie Fan already had a general understanding about Energy Blast: its range was 3¡Á3 meters, and he could only attack the units right beside him. Like most fighting games, Smite is used for accumulating Chain points whereas Rage builds up naturally over a battle. In turn, Energy Blast was equivalent to a killer move that releases both Chain and Rage for an extremely powerful blow, and when both Rage and Chain were higher, the more powerful Energy Blast would be.Read more chapters at Listnovel.com


    Energy Blast was different from Smite in that it did not require completion rate, and only the release of energy.


    The key was to that was to hone his proficiency with Smite¡ªthe more he mastered it, the higher his completion rate would be and the Chain points he accumulated would be higher too. In the end, it would all add into his Energy Blast, and his attack would be even more devastating.


    That being said, a single Chain skill was not enough. At least two or above was required to continue gathering Chain points before finishing things by casting an Energy Blast to great effect. That is most easily accomplished with the Warrior class¡ªwhile they had mediocre attack and could not unleash high bursts of damage like the Thief class, they had many Chain skills, high Defense, and high HP to engage a target in a melee. They would persistently gain Chain points with those Chain skills of theirs, and as the melee drags on, the target would have to start worrying about a sudden instakill Finisher move from the Warrior. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for the Finisher Move to instakill another damage sponge of a Warrior!


    Close ranged-classes was more demanding on technique than ranged classes!


    ***


    Right now, Nie Fan did not dare to pause for a moment after unleashing his Energy Blast. After casting another Bloodthirsty Vine, he turned and ran.


    Although the Nymph King was immune to other control spells, the Bloodthirsty Vine which caught the Nymph King in a vice grip was a physical form of control.


    But this time, the Bloodthirsty Vine only restrained the Nymph King for two seconds before the beast blew it into pieces.


    Freezing Sphere, Flame Burst!


    Holy Light Judgement!


    In the distance, Shadow Sadwind, Xue Yu and the others did not stop attacking. Although the damage they were causing was very limited, they were still grinding down the Nymph King¡¯s HP every so slightly.


    ¡°13% left. Do your best, everyone!¡± Shadow Sadwind called out in the party channel. Having the next best capacity for damage to Nie Fan, the team¡¯s damage output depended on him with Nie Fan occupying the Nymph King¡¯s attention.


    There was extreme urgency in every passing second.


    Nie Fan sprinted away in Cheetahmorph. When he looked down to check his skill bar, he saw that both Black Oil and Mini Fireball had gone off cooldown. He did not have the time to use them, however, because he would be instakilled if he stopped to cast Black Oil.


    Since only close-ranged engagement could resolve the current circumstance, he drew the Nymph King to a spot of lush overgrowth, weaving in and out of the dense woods to buy time.


    Some of the trees were being snapped into two by the Nymph King, but it was simply inconvenient for the beast to move through the woods with the towering tree trunks blocking its way wherever it would go. Worse, Nie Fan was too quick in Cheetahmorph and could freely move between the trees.


    After twenty minutes of futile pursuit of Nie Fan, the Nymph King¡¯s focus on him faded slightly. Turning, it charged towards Shadow Sadwind instead¡ªhis attack was rather high and quite something when it accumulated, and as such drew the Nymph King¡¯s attention.


    A chance!


    Nie Fan¡¯s eyes brightened and he fired a Black Oil and Mini Fireball combo. With a loud bursting bang, flames ignited over the Nymph King¡¯s body and it turned its attention towards him once again.


    Seemingly outraged with Nie Fan, it also reached out to pull out an entire Redwood Tree roots, smashing it down on Nie Fan¡¯s position like a wooden club.


    Nie Fan was astonished by that very sight, but he managed to jump away with a Vertical Leap and ran deeper into the woods.


    Missing its blow, the Nymph King then swung the Redwood Tree at Shadow Sadwind and the others.


    It was utterly mind-boggling¡ªwith the tree in hand, the beast¡¯s range of attack basically doubled! Shadow Sadwind and the others¡¯ face fell when they saw what was happening and quickly turned to run.


    There¡¯s no way they would allow themselves to get hit by that!


    Bloodthirst¡ª


    But just as Nie Fan was about to cast his spell, he had to quickly cut it short when he saw the Nymph King flung the entire redwood tree at him and retreat some distance away, while the tree smashed into the ground with a heavy rumble.


    And after throwing that tree, the Nymph King started to pluck out another.


    It was now apparent that the beast had a skill to guard against ranged attacks. And if this continues, its HP would gradually recover¡ªsomeone has to stop it!


    After keeping quiet to think for a bit, and subsequently realizing that only he could do it, Nie Fan suddenly accelerated and lunged towards the Nymph King.

 Chapter 59

    Just as the Nymph King was about to fling the Redwood Tree at Shadow Sadwind and the others, Nie Fan had suddenly dived behind the beast.


    It did not notice him at all, allowing Nie Fan to cast as many spells as he wanted.


    His forward drive had reached an astonishing speed with his acceleration. The muscles in his body quivered in a harmonic rhythm before he burst out in full power while borrowing the momentum from his landing, Smiting down upon the Nymph King¡¯s back.


    With a loud bang, Nie Fan felt every strength from his body unleashed from his right paw.


    It was the best single casting Nie Fan had ever managed: his strength was driven to the peak, a wondrous feeling that left his entire body shuddering. He now knew how he should cast that spell, and repeating that from now on would be definitely right.


    The Nymph King¡¯s entire body quivered once under the heavy blow, with a damage sign numbering over two hundred appearing over its head.


    Still, uncertain if he had reached 100% skill completion rate, he quickly checked the system notification on his skill bar.


    [System: 81% skill completion rate, 110% damage caused, 2.3 seconds Dizzy, 2 Chain points.]


    Nie Fan frowned at the notification.


    Just 81%? Could there be some other key to the skill that he didn¡¯t grasp? It seems that Smite was not as simple as he thought it would be¡ªthat said, to deal 110% damage at only 81%, there¡¯s no telling what effect there would be at 100% completion rate.


    That was when he received another system notification.


    [Your Smite skill has reached 81% completion rate. You have earned the title of Skilled Fighter.]


    [Skilled Fighter: all melee skills level +1, +10% additional physical damage.]


    Nie Fan was shocked by the notification. He didn¡¯t expect that he could get a title at 81% completion rate, and the title certainly had fine buffs which adds a lot to his attack.


    He checked the condition for the title, and found that it was ¡®Increase completion rate of one melee skill to above 80%¡¯.


    There should be some players who must have obtained the Skilled Fighter title, with Dancing Phoenix being one. Still, they would also be the minority as it takes not only diligence but also sufficient talent for close-ranged combat to obtain that title.


    After Skilled Fighter, gaining the next title which was called Specialist Fighter requires the skill completion rate of three melee skills to reach above 90%, whereas as the next level was Master Fighter which requires skill completion rate of five melee skills to reach 100%.


    It was already very difficult to develop his Smite Skill, making it a serious challenge to reach 90% in skill completion rate for three melee skills. Master Fighter was therefore really a little too far, and Nie Fan would also have to get five melee skills that requires completion rate too.


    ***


    Soon, before the Nymph King could react to the Smite, Nie Fan had raised his paws again for a fearsome flurry of strikes, with damage signs popping up one after another over the Nymph King¡¯s head.


    The beast roared from the agony on its back, turning with the intent on slamming a palm on Nie Fan and kill him.


    Jumping away with Vertical Leap, Nie Fan continued his attack, gradually accumulating Rage.


    A full bar of Rage was 200 points, and players gain an average of 5 Rage per second in each battle.


    Shadow Sadwind had also resumed his barrages of attack spells when he saw that the Nie Fan had caught the Nymph King¡¯s focus. He certainly was an outlier¡ªno other player would have been able to get the Boss to become so focused on themselves.


    Meanwhile, Wastrel¡¯s confidence suffered a severe blow. The carnage from Nie Fan¡¯s Bloodthirsty Vine, Black Oil, and Mini Fireball combo didn¡¯t count because those were ranged skills, but the melee combat ability that he was showing now did not pale in comparison to his¡­ in fact, it was much stronger than his own melee ability. Moreover, he would never dare to fight the Nymph King so closely as he would be destroyed in seconds, and he was therefore utterly won over.


    Indeed, if they had been reliant on those high-damage skills before, what they were relying on now was genuine technique. All Wastrel himself could do was Charge at the Nymph King, attack it several times while its attention was focused on Nie Fan. If he did was even a step too slow, he would be in trouble.


    As time passed, the Nymph King¡¯s HP was finally emptied. With a terrible howl, its body shattered into pieces littering the ground.


    Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief after watching the beast collapse.


    Success! Though the battle had been difficult in every way possible.


    There were items scattered beneath the remains of the Nymph King¡¯s body: three equipment, three batches of potions, one scroll, two Skill Tomes and two gem shards.


    ¡°Mega Drops from the Nymph King!¡± Nie Fan exclaimed excitedly¡ªthere was a certain chance for all monsters above Elite for a Mega Drop, which showers rewards several times beyond normal item drops.


    Nie Fan¡¯s exclamation left the entire party beside themselves with excitement too, because the Mega Drop meant that everyone would get more than a fair share.


    As he picked up the items, Nie Fan would list the items in the party¡¯s chat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the Feral Lycanthropy Skill Tome, and Suyue will have the Sorrow Skill Tome.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have those Warrior Greaves. You don¡¯t have to save me a cut for the other items either¡ªI¡¯m uncomfortable taking it when I didn¡¯t contribute much.¡± Wastrel said after glancing through the list of items.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Everybody here worked together and did our best, and we would never have killed the Nymph King if anyone was missing.¡± Nie Fan replied. After all, Wastrel did contribute a lot during the start of the fight.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have the Mage Robes and nothing else.¡± Shadow Sadwind added beside them. ¡°There¡¯s a total of three equipment, with both Wastrel and I claiming one each. Taking one more would be ungracious.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll skip the other items, but just remember to call me and Sadwind when you guys find another similar dungeon.¡± Wastrel grinned.


    He then checked the time needed to clear the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest ¡ªthirteen minutes and thirty-five seconds.


    Overall, their campaign had taken less than an hour even after the time spent journeying was added. To clear a rare dungeon like this one while gaining two items along with some other miscellaneous things, it was only extremely worthwhile.


    ¡°Definitely. It¡¯s been a pleasure working together today.¡± Nie Fan had been intending to keep to their original agreement, but decided to drop it after Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel¡¯s insistently declined. Xue Yu hence took the remaining equipment which was for Holy Knights, and glanced away to find that all three batches of potions were all Blazing Potions, with sixteen bottles tied to each batch.


    The two gem shards were for Strength and Spirit attributes respectively, although Nie Fan could not make heads or tails of the scroll embraided with golden threads. There was some weird text over it too¡ªcould it perhaps be a quest item? Still, Nie Fan could not find anything hinting to a quest after looking through it.


    Well, it could wait. He would investigate what it actually is when he had the time.


    Nonetheless, all those random items were worth some money when added together, with each of them at least making one or two thousand bronze coins when sold. However, Nie Fan would have to remember Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel¡¯s grace for forfeiting their claim.


    He could not help being excited too, because he had finally got the Skill Tome for Feral Lycanthropy! It was the most important skill for Druids next to Ursamorph, and finally getting it was a load on his mind eased.


    What¡¯s more, what he got was a strengthened version of Feral Lycanthropy!

 Chapter 60

    Nie Fan looked through the stats of Feral Lycanthropy.


    [Feral Lycanthropy: Skill Level 1, Morphing lasts 10 minutes, 1-hour Cooldown, 55 points Mana Cost.]


    [Talent Buff: -25% Mana Cost (Arcane Blessing)]


    [+27% Attack Speed (Feral)]


    [+16% Speed (Feral)]


    [+30% Attack (Predator¡¯s Wrath)]


    [+5% Critical Hit Chance (Sharpened)]


    [+6% Defense (Thick-skinned)]


    [+1 Attack with each Rage point gained (Bloody Rampage)]


    [Lurk: Lycanthrope can assume Lurking mode in Morphed state.]


    [Morphed state can be dispelled.]


    Lycanthropy grants Druid formidable close-range fighting capabilities, and Feral Lycanthropy provides an additional 10% to the basic attributes for normal Lycanthropy.


    Moreover, that was the effect of Feral Lycanthropy at Level. It sprung up for Nie Fan up to Level 3 immediately after he learned it, with the buffs increasing by an entire notch.


    After a flick from his right hand to learn Feral Lycanthropy, Nie Fan glanced at the stats for the skill level at Level 3.


    [+31% Attack Speed (Feral)]


    [+18% Speed (Feral)]


    [+36% Attack (Predator¡¯s Wrath)]


    [+7% Critical Hit Chance (Sharpened)]


    [+8% Defense (Thick-skinned)]


    [+2 Attack with each Rage point gained (Bloody Rampage)]


    As he expected, Level-3 Lycanthropy had much stronger buffs compared to the skill at Level 1.


    He was pleased with the numbers, and now all he needed to do was Morph to gain combat ability that wouldn¡¯t lose out to any melee classes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± He said, turning to Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel¡ªtheir quest here was completed after all. ¡°I¡¯ll disband the party, let¡¯s work together if we have another chance in the future.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Both Shadow Sadwind and Wastrel nodded and left the party, although they were uncertain if they would have the chance to work together again. Still, this venture together into the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs¡¯ Forest left them keenly aware that is always a better player, which left them with an urgent desire to improve their individual ability.


    They went their separate ways after bidding Xue Yu and Lin Suyue farewell.


    ¡°What are you planning to do, Nie Fan?¡± Lin Suyue asked, staring at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check out the Zombie Mines.¡± Nie Fan replied. It was a dungeon for players between Level 22 to Level 32 players¡ªany players above Level 32 were prohibited from entry.


    ¡°Zombie Mines?¡± Xue Yu repeated, bemused. I heard that it takes twenty level-thirty players to clear that dungeon. At level twenty-five, you could only farm at its outer reaches since the zombies have high Defense and HP. Trying to level there isn¡¯t worthwhile.¡±


    ¡°I just want to check something out; I won¡¯t be farming zombies over there.¡± Nie Fan grinned. ¡°You guys should go farm some beasts¡ªI¡¯ll send a message when I have a plan.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll be leaving with Suyue.¡± Xue Yu nodded. Nie Fan must have his own plans, and he did not have to say more.


    After exchanging goodbyes, the trio parted ways.


    ***


    Nie Fan decided to return to Tajit village after some thought, since he would have to circle around the village to reach the Zombie Mines anyway as it was over on the other side.


    When he reached the Tajit, he put every item he received into his storage chest, and went off to buy some Gillyweed Potion and a Random Teleportation Scroll. With everything done, he left the village and headed towards the Zombie Mines.


    The first and second floors of the Zombie Mines were for excavating Copper, while the third for Cyan Bronze. That is why there would occasionally be parties entering with a Miner joining them, earning money by mining while also killing monsters.


    After dashing away for a dozen minutes, Nie Fan appeared outside the mines.Read more chapters at Listnovel.com


    He looked in to find only pitch-blackness. It was also cold and dismal outside with not many people around, and since it was rumored that Phoenix Down Studios and Wandering Souls Studios were already exploring it, they probably would be inside.


    Be that as it may, it was a dungeon and Nie Fan would be placed in a separate space after entering, and wouldn¡¯t run into the people from Phoenix Down Studios and Wandering Souls Studios. Everything inside the dungeon would also be refreshed upon entry and exit as well.


    [System: Are you entering the Zombie Mines? The threat level of this dungeon is SSS at your current player level.]


    The system warned Nie Fan that entering the Zombie Mines was extremely dangerous at his current level.


    Nonetheless, he ignored it since he had already planned for it. He simply clicked ¡®confirm¡¯, and with a passing flash, he appeared within the mines.


    Pulling up the map of the mines from the website, Nie Fan found that found the path in the mines were winding and connected to each other. It was easy to be lost within, not to mention the surging tides since it was permeated by rivers everywhere.


    Patiently studying the map, Nie Fan then marked various spots on it.


    ¡®That should be it,¡¯ he thought, and started forward.


    He entered the interior of the mines and found it utterly damp with boulders arranged closely to one another, along with puddles of mud all over the place. He emboldened himself and advanced since it was a safe zone without monsters ahead, and found a log bridge after walking over a hundred yards, and past it was the zone to farm monsters.


    ¡®This is the place.¡¯


    Nie Fan walked up on the bridge and looked down to see a deep ditch, dark and bottomless. Waves of chilling winds blew past him, along with the gushing sounds of the river¡¯s tide.


    There was no telling what was within the river. One could only hope that there wouldn¡¯t be too many hidden reefs beneath.


    Nonetheless, there was just a little difference between the real layout and his map. After hesitating over the log bridge, Nie Fan finally decided he could just give it a try¡ªdying was not a big deal since he could just level up again. Hence, casting Sealmorph, he sprung and leap, plunging deep into the water headfirst.


    After plummeting rapidly over a dozen meters, Nie Fan dropped into the water with a loud splash, and he shuddered within the cold stream that chills to the bone.


    The flow was far more rapid than what he imagined, and as soon as the water enveloped him, it hurtled him and surged away.


    Any struggling was futile in such rapids, although Nie Fan was darting along the flow like a fish, darting across beneath the surface.


    In Sealmorph, his swimming was still agile enough to freely control his direction.


    After just over twenty seconds, he had already swum a stunning several hundred yards¡ªbut his body was suddenly flung out and he was in the air, while a pitch-black abyss stretched down beneath him. Meanwhile, the stream continued down a cliff just like a white curtain.


    He only remembered then that the map had marked this spot out as a waterfall!


    Out of control, Nie Fan¡¯s body plunged¡ªthe waterfall must be around thirty meters tall, and he smiled bitterly as he hoped that he wouldn¡¯t drop to his death. It felt as if his heart was hanging in the air too: he had not been careful in his preparations before coming here, and should have prepared something like an Ethereal Potion.


    After all, it wouldn¡¯t all that embarrassing when he landed, not to mention how depressing it would be if he fell to his death. As the winds shrieked beside his ears while he couldn¡¯t tell at all when he would reach the bottom, Nie Fan felt his heart leap up to his mouth.