Jason hid behind an oak tree, watching two men smoking and chatting nearby. Gray Rat territory—less than a kilometer from Moonheart, Sherry's cottage visible in the distance. Zheng Wei had indeed posted guards here, betting Jason would starve without access to low-level mobs or quests.
He hesitated—could he take these two Level 3s? Probably, but noise might alert the village. They weren't the ones who'd beaten him before; he let them live.
Silently, he crept toward the village. Only NPCs milled about; players were asleep. Zheng Wei clearly didn't fear him, posting no patrols.
Near Sherry's house, a guard leaned against the door, the repaired window glowing. Programmed scenery, Jason thought, recalling the void's miniature village. Sherry was surely trapped inside.
Knife in hand—lightweight, the default rookie weapon—he hugged the wall, heart pounding. This was his first real kill.
The guard yawned. Jason lunged, tackling him to the ground, knee pinning an arm, palm smothering a scream. Warm breath hit his hand—this was a man, not a machine.
"Who's there?" someone called from inside.
The guard bit his palm, struggling. Jason stared into panicked eyes, heart racing, then slit the throat.
"Congratulations! Player Jason killed a Level 3 player, earning 1500 points. Unlocked achievement 'First Blood' (100 bonus points) and 'Overstep' (200 bonus points for killing a higher-level player)."
1800 points—more than hours of grinding crocodiles. Adrenaline drowned guilt.
The door flew open. A long-haired man smirked: "Back for more, huh?"
"Where's Sherry?"
"Inside. We had fun before you arrived—"
Jason's vision redlined. His seven-chrome blade flashed, hacking at the man's sword. A slash tore his side, but he pressed the attack, driving the man to the wall. A sweep kick felled him; the blade pierced his heart—until healing scrolls began knitting the wound.
The door crashed open—Zheng Wei, flanked by a crowd at the window, unable to enter the protected house.
Jason grabbed his blade, but Zheng Wei's kick sent him flying, ribs cracking, blood spraying. The Level 5's strength was crushing.
Zheng Wei hauled him up by the hair, fists raining blows. "Thought you could kill me? I'll carve you up, heal you, and do it again."
Jason spat blood, smirking. He can't kill me directly. Glancing at his 3886 points, he accessed the platform: "Five Healing Scrolls, rest into Strength and Speed."
Chapter 10
Jason palmed a red pill—the Strength Pill from the Slender Crocodile—and swallowed it. A jolt raced through him, adrenaline flooding his system, sharpening his senses to a razor's edge. Like the steroids they forced on me in the ring. He shoved the memory aside; he had one minute to use this boost.
Zheng Wei's machete swung down. Jason blocked, 虎口 numbing, then countered with a kick to the gut. Strength surged, but Zheng Wei's Level 5 reflexes were still a match for his enhanced speed.
Their blades clashed again. Jason spun, targeting the elbow—bone cracked, machete flying. He leaped, blade arcing for Zheng Wei's neck, but the man rolled, chair splintering under Jason's strike.
A fist slammed into his temple, stars exploding. Zheng Wei's blade bit into his shoulder, muscle splitting. Jason roared, Silver Ice Device morphing into a jagged dagger, plunging into Zheng Wei's kidney. The man's scream was music to his ears, but a counterattack tore through his abdomen, warm blood pooling.
They healed frantically, staring each other down, bloodied and panting. The pill's effect faded, but Jason's grin didn't falter. You're scared now, aren't you?
Zheng Wei's eyes flickered to the window, where Fatty shouted a warning. Jason pressed the attack, relentless, driving the bigger man to the wall. The machete wavered; Zheng Wei's grip slipped.
A gunshot split the air, missing Jason's temple by centimeters. The 吊灯 exploded, sparks blinding Zheng Wei for a heartbeat—enough time for Jason to sweep his legs, driving the blade through that thrashing chest.
Blood gushed, but Jason didn't stop. He stabbed again and again, until the body stilled, until the system's prompt glowed:
"Player Jason killed Level 5 player Zheng Wei, earning 3000 points. Unlocked achievement 'Dominator' (500 bonus points for killing a Level 5+ player)."
Silence. The crowd outside gaped, Han Bin's face pale. Jason stood, blood dripping, and pointed at the man through the window: "Next—you." His voice was a rasp, but the message clear.
He collapsed, healing scrolls mending his wounds as Sherry shuffled over, ropes still binding her wrists.
"Are you hurt?" he croaked.
She shook her head, tears in her eyes. "No. Thanks to you."
"Consider the debt repaid." He smirked, cutting her free.
In the bedroom, Sherry whispered, "How did you—"
"Later." Jason lit a crumpled cigarette, smoke calming his shaking hands. Three kills in hours, and the rush hadn't faded. This is the Abyss now. Adapt or die.
Sherry studied him, voice steadying. "Han Bin will hunt us. Every grind spot, every move—he'll track us."
"Then we get stronger." Jason checked his points: 2846 left after splurging on Strength and Speed. Upgrades were exorbitant now—300 points per stat point past Level 45—but necessary.
A low laugh came from outside. Zou Yidao
Chapter 11
Jason maxed his Recovery to 35, noticing Healing Scrolls worked faster with higher stats. A few more points there, and minor wounds might heal on their own. He added 2 points each to Strength and Speed, bought five more Healing Scrolls, and saved 546 points—just in case.
Current stats: Strength 42, Speed 42, Recovery 35, Spirit 32, Intelligence 19, Luck 7. He'd ignored Spirit, Intelligence, and Luck—they felt irrelevant to his brute-force strategy.
6800 points from three kills had vanished in upgrades. No wonder Sherry said saving for Soul Forging is tough. Killing higher-level players only gave bonuses the first time; now, only Han Bin and Zou Yidao offered significant rewards. And taking on either was suicide—for now.
In the shower, he scrubbed blood from his grandfather's pendant, a dried fragment on a cord. Ugly, but the old man had sworn it was lucky. Superstitions die hard.
Dressed, he collapsed into bed, waking to a spotless living room—no blood, no bodies, just pristine application generated scenery. Everything here is disposable code. Am I just code too?
Sherry, exhausted but alert, said, "I heard Han Bin's men are grinding quests for Zou Yidao."
"Quest sharing?"
She nodded. "Fetch quests, easy for a 9 level,but Han's using lackeys to curry favor. Zou's close to 100 points—Han will attack before he leaves."
Jason said. "We strike during their fight. Han's desperate; we wait."
A thunderclap shook the village—new arrival.
"Bai Er, 17," Sherry murmured, checking the Demon Subduing List. "Too young."
Through the window, a pale boy with snow-white hair and skin moved like a wraith, dagger flashing through five attackers in seconds. Jason's enhanced vision caught every detail: the calm in those colorless eyes, the precision of each kill.
"Who is he?" Sherry breathed.
"Not human. Too controlled."
Bai Er lured attackers close, using a burning hay bale to create chaos. When a rocket launcher threatened, Jason shouted, "Buy a gun with your points, kid!"
The boy obeyed, firing a stolen assault rifle, but his bullets bounced off a shielded attacker. A rocket blast threw him into the dirt, but he locked eyes with Jason, defiance burning through the pain.
"Let him in," Jason said.
Sherry hesitated, then nodded. The door flew open, and Bai Er tumbled inside, shielded by the house's protection. His wounds healed with Scrolls, his voice flat: "Qiao Jingting. I owe you a life."
Sherry laughed. "He said the same thing when I saved him."
Bai Er ignored her, staring at the window where Zou Yidao now stood, smirking.
"Bai family,