3: Chapter 3 Quitting Without a Plan! Since You're Following

The sunset's afterglow was like a rusty, jagged saw, slowly sawing through the city's gray skyline.

Qin Ji withdrew his gaze from the glass window and turned toward the cafeteria exit, his pace never faltering.

"Brother Qin! Brother Qin, wait!"

A series of hurried and heavy footsteps came from behind, accompanied by the clatter of trays. Fatty Zhou chased after him, panting, clutching half a bun he hadn't finished yet, his Face covered in grease and sweat.

"Brother Qin, you… you were too impulsive just now." Fatty Zhou wiped the sweat from his forehead and lowered his voice. "You know what Li the Skinflint is like; he's petty and holds a grudge. By making him lose Face in front of everyone, he'll definitely find a way to kill you off."

Qin Ji stopped and looked back at this brother who had remained loyal to him until the very end in his previous life.

In his previous life, when Qin Ji was wanted by major guilds and banned across the entire network, only Fatty Zhou had secretly sent him nutrient solution. In the end, he even had his account destroyed while helping to block a guild ambush for him, and he had suffered a car accident in reality...

Thinking of this, the coldness in Qin Ji's eyes melted a little.

"Fatty." Qin Ji interrupted his rambling, his tone calm but filled with unquestionable certainty. "Give me your card number."

"Huh?" Fatty Zhou was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously recited a string of numbers.

Qin Ji didn't speak, just looked at him.

Fatty Zhou felt a chill under that gaze, but he gritted his teeth, suddenly pulled a crumpled bank card from his pocket, and shoved it into Qin Ji's hand. "Brother Qin, I know you need money. There are twenty thousand in this card; it's the down payment I saved up for a house… It's not enough, but take it for an emergency first. If Li the Skinflint really deducts your penalty fee, we'll figure something out."

Looking at the bank card that still held warmth in his hand, Qin Ji felt a slight stir in his heart.

This was a brother.

Even if the whole world thought he was crazy, Fatty would still stand by his side without hesitation.

"Take it back." Qin Ji stuffed the card back into Fatty Zhou's jacket pocket, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful arc. "I asked for your card number so I could give you a dividend after I make money, not to take your life savings."

"Ma… make money?" Fatty Zhou widened his beady eyes, looking completely confused. "Brother Qin, you're Rank 1 right now, with 0 copper coins, how are you going to make money?"

"Fatty, dare to make a big bet with me?"

Qin Ji leaned closer to Fatty Zhou, his voice low, carrying a certain bewitching magic. "The current Dream Chasing Club is just a sinking ship. A short-sighted fool like Li Haitao has no idea what 'Shenyu' means."

He pointed toward the club's entrance. "Go, slap your resignation letter on Li Haitao's Face. Then come with me; we'll do this ourselves."

"Resi… resign?!"

Fatty Zhou was so scared that the bun in his hand fell to the ground. He had worked at Dream Chasing Club for three years; although the pay wasn't high, it was a steady job. Now Qin Ji wanted him to just quit; this was even more stimulating than asking him to solo a BOSS.

"But… what about Skinny and Glasses…"

"They aren't in Binhai, we'll contact them later." Qin Ji patted Fatty Zhou's sturdy shoulder, his gaze as sharp as a blade. "Three days. Just three days, and I'll let you know that today's decision was the most profitable deal you've ever made in your life."

Fatty Zhou looked at Qin Ji.

He realized that Brother Qin had changed today.

The Qin Ji of the past was skilled, but always exuded a sense of frustration and decadence. But the current Qin Ji had an ambition burning in his eyes that made him shudder, like a hungry beast that had just awakened.

"Let's do it!"

Fatty Zhou stomped his foot, his fat wobbling. "Damn it, I've had enough of Li the Skinflint's crap anyway! At worst, I'll go home and farm!"

Ten minutes later.

A roar erupted from Li Haitao's office, followed by the loud thud of files hitting the door.

Fatty Zhou walked out looking refreshed. Although he didn't get a single cent of his salary and even ended up with the threat of a so-called "penalty fee," he felt that he had never stood taller in his life.

The two left the club, used Fatty Zhou's twenty thousand, rented a two-bedroom apartment in a nearby urban village, and went to the black market to pick up two second-hand, old-model gaming pods.

Although the equipment was crude and the nutrient solution was the lowest-grade glucose mixture, for Qin Ji, it was enough.

"Fatty, after entering the game, level up step by step. Don't rush to the main city when you reach Rank 10; wait for me at the entrance of the Newbie Village."

"Got it, Brother Qin! What about you?"

"Me?" Qin Ji lay into the slightly moldy gaming pod, the corners of his mouth slightly raised. "I'm going to go stock up on some goods."

...

[Neural connection established...]

[Iris locked...]

[Welcome back to Shenyu, player "Qin Ji".]

The familiar feeling of weightlessness returned, and when Qin Ji opened his eyes again, he was back in the dilapidated Newbie Village square.

All around were dense crowds of players, with shouts for groups and requests for teams echoing one after another.

"Powerful warrior looking for a group for Red-Eyed Rabbit, need a healer!"

"Buying copper coins at a high price, 1:100, unlimited!"

"Are there any big brothers who can carry me? I have a loli voice~"

Qin Ji ignored the noise and walked straight toward the Village Chief.

The old Village Chief was surrounded by a group of players demanding quests. Seeing Qin Ji approach, his originally cloudy eyes suddenly brightened.

"Young warrior, I see your bone structure is remarkable, and there is a… uh, Killing Intent between your brows?"

Qin Ji didn't waste words and directly opened the quest list: "Give me that 'Clear Out Red-Eyed Rabbits' quest; I want the highest tier."

The old Village Chief was stunned: "The highest tier requires collecting 10,000 Red-Eyed Rabbit eyeballs. That's a huge project, it would take an ordinary person several days to kill…"

"Accepted."

Qin Ji clicked confirm and turned to leave.

10,000?

For ordinary players, this was torture. But for him, possessing 【Greedy Grasp】, it was simply a gluttonous feast.

Half an hour later.

The "Red Leaf Field" on the west side of the Newbie Village.

This was the spawn point for Red-Eyed Rabbits and currently the leveling area with the most players. Although Red-Eyed Rabbits were Rank 1 monsters, they were agile and would kick people with their hind legs; many newbies had flipped over here.

"Whoosh—!"

A black shadow streaked across the grass like lightning.

A newly spawned Red-Eyed Rabbit hadn't even had a chance to take a bite of tender grass before its head exploded like a watermelon.

[Killed Red-Eyed Rabbit, EXP + 1]

[Triggered "Greedy Grasp"! Agility + 0.1]

"Too slow."

Qin Ji looked at the blood-dripping Newbie Iron Sword in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

Although his attack power was already overflowing, the attack speed and range of this broken sword were truly pathetic.

"Need a different approach."

Qin Ji scanned his surroundings, locking his gaze onto a dense bush where Red-Eyed Rabbits were most concentrated. He didn't lure them one by one like other players; instead, he charged straight in!

"Holy crap! Is that guy crazy? Daring to charge into a rabbit den?"

"He's courting death. Red-Eyed Rabbits bite when they get anxious. If a dozen of them attack at once, even a god couldn't handle it!"

"Wait to see him return to the city for free."

Surrounding players stopped what they were doing, ready to watch a joke.

However, the next second, everyone's expressions froze on their Faces.

The moment Qin Ji rushed into the rabbit pack, he didn't swing his sword; instead… he used his body to ram them!

A dozen Red-Eyed Rabbits were startled and frantically pounced on Qin Ji, their sharp incisors and hind legs raining down on him.

- 0.

- 0.

- 0.

A series of white numbers indicating forced damage reduction floated up, and Qin Ji's health bar didn't move an inch.

With over a thousand points of defense, these rabbits' attacks were like scratching an itch for him.

"Warm-up over."

Qin Ji stood in the center of the rabbit pack, letting the rabbits hang off him. He slowly raised his right foot, and then—

Stomped down heavily!

Boom!

Centered on where he landed, a terrifying shockwave spread along the ground. This wasn't a skill, but a physical shockwave triggered after pure strength reached its limit!

The ground cracked, and mud churned.

More than thirty Red-Eyed Rabbits within a five-meter radius didn't even have time to scream before they were instantly crushed into meat paste!

[Killed Red-Eyed Rabbit x32, EXP + 32]

[Triggered "Greedy Grasp"! Agility + 3.2]

[part:gemini-2.5-flash]

This scene not only shattered the rabbit horde but also shattered the worldview of the surrounding players.

"I... I didn't see wrong, did I? One stomp? Crushing over thirty of them?"

"This is a cheat! Report him! Must report him!"

"What kind of hidden skill is this? War Stomp?"

Qin Ji ignored the surrounding clamor. He was like a tireless killing machine, harvesting wildly across the plains.

Lure monsters, gather monsters, one stomp to kill.

Lure monsters, gather monsters, one stomp to kill.

His movements became faster and faster, and his efficiency was terrifying.

Five hours later.

The originally lush Red Leaf Plains had now become a dark red Asura field.

"9998."

"9999."

"10000."

Qin Ji stopped, letting out a long breath.

At this moment, his Agility attribute had increased by an additional 1000 points!

Now, even without using any skills, he could leave an afterimage behind him just by his movement speed.

Returning to Newbie Village, Qin Ji poured ten thousand Red-Eyed Rabbit eyeballs "clatter-clatter" onto the old village chief's table, forming a small, bloody-smelling mountain.

The old village chief's beard trembled: "Gr-great adventurer, your perseverance moves even the gods! This is your reward!"

[Ding! Completed quest "Clear Red-Eyed Rabbits (Hell Mode)", gained 5000 experience points, 10 silver coins.]

[Obtained Skill Book: Normal Attack Amplification (Passive)]

Qin Ji immediately clicked to learn it.

[Normal Attack Amplification (1 Star)]: Your normal attack range increases by 5%, and deals 10% splash damage.

"Splash?" Qin Ji's eyes lit up.

This was exactly what he lacked most right now! With splash damage, his monster grinding efficiency would increase exponentially.

Just then, the old village chief suddenly lowered his voice and mysteriously leaned in: "Brave adventurer, since you possess such strength, I have another commission here... Recently, ten terrifying demon leaders have appeared in the forest near the village. If you can hunt them..."

Here it comes!

Qin Ji sneered inwardly. In his previous life, this hidden quest was taken by an elite group from a major guild, and the rewards were extremely generous.

[Ding! Triggered hidden chain quest: Hunter (1/10). Objective: Kill any BOSS in the Newbie Village area. Reward: Unknown.]

"Accept."

Qin Ji turned and left, heading straight for the depths of the Misty Forest.

There, a Level 10 BOSS named Twisted Treant awaited.

...

In the depths of the Misty Forest, the air was damp and thick.

Giant ancient trees blotted out the sky, and the ground was covered with rotten fallen leaves.

"Roar--!"

A five-meter-tall Twisted Treant was wandering through the forest. Its body was wrapped in thorny vines, and a twisted human Face grew on its bark. With every step, the ground trembled slightly.

[Twisted Treant (BOSS)]

[Rank: LV.10]

[HP: 50000/50000]

[Skills: Vine Strangle, Poison Mist Spray, Root Entanglement]

This was the nightmare of Newbie Village. At this stage, even a hundred-person party would be wiped out by its area-of-effect skills.

But in Qin Ji's eyes, this was just a pile of walking timber.

"Crack."

Qin Ji snapped a dry branch.

The Twisted Treant suddenly turned around, its pair of eerie green eyes locking onto Qin Ji. It let out an angry roar, and dozens of thick vines shot towards this tiny human like javelins!

"Too slow."

Qin Ji's figure flickered in place.

The next instant, he was already above the Treant's head.

The extreme speed brought by over a thousand Agility made him move as if on flat ground in the air.

Qin Ji gripped the damaged Newbie Iron Sword with both hands. Although the blade was rusty, under the enhancement of his thousands of Strength points, it let out a mournful cry of protest.

"Open... for me!"

Qin Ji was in mid-air, using his core strength. His entire body was like a fully drawn bow, and the iron sword, with a tearing shriek through the air, fiercely struck the Treant's crown!

No fancy techniques.

Only absolute strength and absolute speed.

"Boom--!!!"

The moment the blade touched the bark, it was as if a high-explosive grenade had detonated.

The huge shockwave instantly pulverized the branches and leaves on the Treant's head. Immediately after, the iron-hard trunk split open with a massive crack that extended all the way down to its roots!

Wood chips flew, and sap splattered.

This five-meter-tall behemoth, without even having time to release a skill, was brutally split in half by this terrifying sword strike!

Its massive body collapsed to both sides, hitting the ground and raising a cloud of dust.

A shocking damage number slowly rose:

[-102400! (Weakness Critical Hit)]

One hundred thousand damage!

The health bar was instantly emptied.

[Ding! Killed LV.10 Twisted Treant (BOSS), experience +5000.]

[Triggered "Greedy Grasp"! Obtained Passive Skill - Photosynthesis (F-Rank): Restores 1% HP per second in sunlight.]

[Obtained Item: ring of resuscitation (Rare).]

Qin Ji landed, casually shaking off the green sap from his sword.

"Photosynthesis? Not bad, saves on potions."

He bent down and picked up the ring glowing with a faint green light.

[ring of resuscitation (Blue Rare)]

[Equip Requirement: LV.5]

[Effect: Restores 10 HP per second, Physique +20.]

At this stage, when everyone was still drinking low-quality red potions, this ring was definitely a Divine Artifact. Especially for Shield Warriors who needed to tank monsters, this was a second life.

"Perfect, my first pot of gold is secured."

Qin Ji opened the global auction house and immediately listed the ring.

[Auction Mode: Starting bid 5000 credit points. Buyout price: 50000 credit points.]

[Note: The first HP-regen ring on the server, those who know, come. Poor people, do not disturb.]

After doing all this, Qin Ji glanced at his experience bar.

LV.4 (85%).

Although killing a BOSS gave a lot of experience, it was still a drop in the bucket compared to the vast amount of experience needed for leveling up.

"Nine more BOSSes."

Qin Ji licked his lips, his gaze turning towards the deeper darkness of the forest.

...

Five minutes later.

Futou Shield Mountain, the Vice Guild Leader of Futou Guild, who was leading a team to grind monsters, suddenly received a special attention notification from the auction house.

He clicked it open, and his pupils instantly contracted.

"HP-regen ring?! 10 HP per second? Who the hell got this at this stage?"

As the Vice Guild Leader of one of the top ten major guilds in Dragon Country, he knew too well the strategic value of this ring. With it, the chance of getting the First Kill for that Level 10 dungeon would increase by at least 30%!

Without any hesitation, he directly clicked "Buyout."

Fifty thousand credit points? For Futou Guild, it was a drop in the ocean.

[Ding! Your item "ring of resuscitation" has been sold. After deducting handling fees, 47500 credit points have been deposited into your account.]

Looking at the huge sum of money that instantly appeared in his account, Qin Ji remained expressionless.

This amount of money was just the beginning.

"Beep beep."

The friend request tab flickered.

[Player "Futou Shield Mountain" requests to add you as a friend. Note: Brother, where did you get the ring? Do you have more? Price is negotiable.]

Qin Ji glanced at it and immediately clicked "Reject."

Since he had decided to walk a path of unparalleled solitude, this so-called guild recruitment was meaningless to him.

At this moment, the forest wind died down.

Qin Ji stood on the massive remains of the Twisted Treant's corpse. The setting sun shone through the gaps in the tree canopy, dyeing the ruins beneath his feet blood red. He casually reinserted the blunted iron sword into his waist, his purple-gold pupils slightly narrowed, like a monarch surveying his territory, indifferently watching a flock of startled birds in the distance—the direction of the next BOSS.