Chapter Nine: Murder and Monster Looting

"Hey, kid, why aren't you running? Are you waiting for us to finish off the Boss and then kill you?"

"Haha, he's practically offering himself up as our plaything. Look at him, just standing there. If I were him, I'd turn tail and run, crying for my parents."

"Not bad, not bad. Hey, rookie healer, are you trying to commit suicide?"

"Don't touch him yet, let me do it. I want to one-shot him again, hahaha."

A group of players hurled mocking jeers at Ye Chen standing not far away, but Ye Chen remained unfazed, paying them no mind. Hmph, what was the point of talking to a bunch of doomed men? Like grasshoppers at the end of autumn, he would let them jump around for a little longer.

Ye Chen fixed his gaze on the Murloc King's health: 8506, 7050, 5125, 3298. The time had come!

He swung his staff, launching a black fireball straight at the archer named Blazing Tiger, the only ranged profession among their group.

"Damn, that rookie healer made a move."

"No worries, at most he'll knock off seventy or eighty health. We'll finish the boss and then deal with him."

But in the next moment, Blazing Tiger and his nearby teammates stared in terror at Ye Chen, their faces twisted in fear.

-1368. Instant kill. Blazing Tiger's archer was slain in a single blow!

"Impossible, damn it! That rookie healer is supposed to be weak—how could he possibly one-shot a level twenty-two archer!" A thief beside Blazing Tiger Roar shouted in horror, disbelief written all over his face.

"Don't panic, focus on the Boss! We must take down the Murloc King." Blazing Tiger Roar yanked the fleeing thief back, bellowing, "Are you stupid? He's ranged—can you outrun his attack range? Kill the Boss, dammit!"

Futile struggle. Ye Chen curled his lip; another black fireball spell was already cast and thrown at Blazing Tiger's priest.

-1569. Another effortless kill, beyond doubt.

"Kid, I've got your number. The Blazing Tiger Family won't let you off!" Blazing Tiger Roar cursed at Ye Chen as he hacked at the Boss.

Ye Chen laughed coldly, continuing to chant his spell. This guy was trying to bait him into an argument, hoping to stall his casting time and maybe still claim the Murloc King. Ye Chen saw through the trick at a glance and would not be fooled.

Black fireball. -1206. Thief. Instant kill!

"Damn you, bastard!" Blazing Tiger Roar's eyes were bloodshot. The three slain players were his usual cronies, and now that they'd been red-named and killed, they'd lose a level and drop gear.

Ye Chen smiled. The more hysterical the enemy, the deeper their fear, their fury, their helplessness. People like Blazing Tiger Roar deserved no pity.

-1327. Berserker. Instant kill!

"Ye Chen, I'll fight you to the death!" Seeing all four of his companions slain, while the Murloc King still had over 1500 health, Blazing Tiger Roar fell into utter despair. Ignoring the Boss's attacks, he turned and charged at Ye Chen.

Unfortunately, he wasn't a knight and lacked the charge skill; otherwise, Ye Chen might actually be in danger, since his defense was nothing special despite his monstrous attack. But now that Blazing Tiger Roar remembered to counterattack, it was already too late.

Black fireball!

-1176. This guy was a tough warrior, apparently decked out in elite or even rare gear, with plenty of constitution bonuses. Even after a black fireball, he still had a sliver of health left.

But so what? At this range, he had nowhere to run. Facing a violent mage at distance was suicide.

Black fireball. -1069!

"Ye Chen, curse you!" With a furious roar, Blazing Tiger Roar was unwillingly reduced to white light, his gear clattering to the ground.

Still daring to insult me? That's what you get for acting tough! Mess with me, and I'll cut you down like a child—you are that child!

Ye Chen felt a surge of satisfaction as he gazed at the pile of equipment Blazing Tiger Roar dropped. The taste of vengeance was truly exhilarating.

Then he looked at the tottering Murloc King advancing toward him, delight swelling in his heart. Revenge and monster snatching were indeed among life's greatest pleasures. The Murloc King looked fierce, so Ye Chen dared not slack off, attacking while it was still far from him.

Black fireball. -968.

This creature was tough. Luckily, he'd had the foresight to let Blazing Tiger's crew work as free labor, whittling down the Boss's health for him. Otherwise, if this beast got close, it would surely mean death.

Another flick of his wrist, another black fireball. -1080. A blood-red number floated above the Murloc King's head as the giant beast swayed, then crashed heavily to the ground.

"Ding! Congratulations, you have slain the Bronze-level Boss, Murloc King of the Lake Shore. You receive 23,680 experience and +20 reputation."

Good heavens, over twenty thousand experience! The experience bar leapt forward.

He dashed to the Murloc King's side, impatiently reaching beneath its body. Sure enough, he found two items: a pair of exquisitely crafted boots, cloth armor—exactly what Ye Chen needed. Clutching the brown cloth boots, his breath quickened. The other item was a necklace, seemingly strung with beast fangs, rough and fierce in appearance.

He quickly examined the gear stats.

[Black Fire Cloth Boots] (Rare Equipment—Blue)
Defense: 15
Intelligence: +8
Black Fireball Level: +1

Required Level: 15

Excellent, excellent! Besides everything else, the Black Fireball skill level had increased by one, boosting its power by a full ten percent!

Overjoyed, Ye Chen tossed his old, shabby boots aside and donned the brand-new Black Fire Cloth Boots. Taking a few steps, he felt lighter on his feet.

Next, he checked the necklace, its cool appearance filling him with delight.

[Fish Fang Necklace] (Bronze Equipment—Green)
Attack: 15–30
Constitution: +15
Required Level: 15

This was game-changing. Ye Chen licked his lips, speechless with excitement. A bronze item! Far superior to elite or rare gear—he was rich now. Fifteen constitution, that's over a hundred health points! Poor Ye Chen had only 250 health to begin with; now he'd gained a huge chunk.

He hung the necklace around his neck and checked his stats.

[Ye Chen] (Dark Priest)
Level: 15
Attack: 697–797
Defense: 52
Health: 370
Mana: 1000

His attack was absurdly high, though it would revert to normal after the aura faded. Still, even then he'd have nearly 300 attack, more than triple his original 90!

In just a few hours, his progress had been astonishing. The System God truly was the deity of the game; even a casual gift through its fingers was enough to send him soaring!