40: Chapter 40 The Death Gaze! A "Gift" from a Level 1 Main City

The afterglow of the setting sun was sliced into mottled shadows by the thick city walls, spilling across the magnificent Teleportation Plaza of Donghai City.

Facing that Cavalry Captain who was as high as LV.50 and exuding the pressure of the Silver Rank, the smile on Qin Ji's face did not fade; instead, it grew increasingly brilliant. The tome of death in his hand seemed to sense a fresh life, and the eerie eyeball totem on the cover suddenly turned, staring fixedly at the knight on horseback.

“What is this thing?!”

The Cavalry Captain instinctively felt a chill rush straight to the top of his head—a shuddering sensation as if being stared down by an ancient Vicious Beast. He subconsciously wanted to draw his sword, but Qin Ji's movements were faster than his.

“Shh, don't speak. Just look at it.”

Within Qin Ji's Purple-Gold Pupils, that smear of grayish-white deathly Aura instantly erupted.

【Skill Activated: Death Gaze (LV.1)】

There were no brilliant light effects, nor any earth-shattering explosions.

Only an invisible ripple of rules instantly crossed the ten-meter distance and descended upon the Cavalry Captain.

“Aaaaaaah——!!”

A shrill scream instantly tore through the silence of the plaza. The Cavalry Captain's originally ruddy face instantly turned as pale as paper. He felt as if his Soul was being forcibly dragged out of his shell by an invisible giant hand and thrown into a raging fire to be roasted.

-12485! (True Damage)

-12485! (True Damage)

...

One after another, scalp-numbing purple damage numbers drifted crazily from above the Cavalry Captain's head like a waterfall.

【Judgment Effective: Target's life Rank is lower than the user's (judged based on the "Cataclysm" trait); all attributes forcibly reduced by 20%!】

The Unicorn beneath the Cavalry Captain let out a terrified neigh, its four legs giving way as it knelt directly on the ground. It could feel that its originally powerful master on its back was seeing his Aura decay at a terrifying speed.

“Demonic Technique... You are a Black Mage!!”

The Cavalry Captain endured the agonizing pain of his Soul tearing, his eyes full of horror. He could not understand why a "country bumpkin" who had just walked out of a Newbie Village could possess such terrifying means. Over ten thousand true damage per second? This was simply not a value a player at this stage should have!

Escape!

He had to report this news to the City Lord's Mansion!

The Cavalry Captain was indeed an NPC who had experienced a hundred battles, making the most correct judgment in the moment of life and death.

“Holy Light Overlord Body!”

He roared, his whole body erupting with blinding golden light, forcibly dispelling his body's stiffened state. Immediately after, he violently threw the lance in his hand at Qin Ji, using the reaction force to catapult himself off the horse's back.

“Spatial Scroll, open!”

In mid-air, he tore open a piece of parchment emitting a silver glow.

Sizzle—!

Space was torn apart like cloth, and an unstable teleportation portal appeared out of thin air.

“Trying to run?”

Qin Ji stood in place, not even making a move to dodge the lance. That lance, imbued with battle Qi, was forcibly deflected by an invisible data force field three inches from his brow, making a crisp "dang" sound before spinning and embedding itself three inches deep into a nearby stone pillar.

Watching the Cavalry Captain who already had half a foot inside the teleportation portal, the corner of Qin Ji's mouth curled into a playful arc.

This scene was so familiar.

Just like back in the Newbie Village when Blacksmith Wang tried to use the method of sacrificing equipment to tear through space and escape.

“Unfortunately, I'm tired of seeing the same trick.”

The heavy sword in Qin Ji's hand slammed into the ground.

“Stay right here!”

Boom!!

With Qin Ji as the center, a fan-shaped shockwave instantly exploded. The hard obsidian floor tiles on the plaza surged up like ocean waves, and countless sharp earth spikes spread crazily toward that teleportation portal in a wave-like pattern.

Physical terrain alteration!

The originally stable spatial tunnel instantly became extremely unstable under the violent geological vibration.

“No!!”

The Cavalry Captain let out a desperate roar. The teleportation portal twisted and collapsed in front of him, eventually dissipating into dots of starlight. He was forced to drop from mid-air by the surging earth spikes.

Ahead was collapsed space, and below was a forest of jagged rocks like knives.

Even with Overlord Body activated, he could not ignore the physical obstruction of the terrain.

“Since you're looking for death, I'll grant it to you!”

With no way to retreat, a flash of ruthlessness crossed the Cavalry Captain's eyes.

“Berserk!”

“Charge!”

“Holy Cross Slash!”

He activated three skills simultaneously. His originally burly frame expanded once more, the muscles under his armor bulging like coiled dragons. He transformed into a golden meteor, crashing toward Qin Ji with an indomitable Aura.

The speed was so fast that it even pulled out an afterimage in the air.

However.

In Qin Ji's eyes, which had been enhanced by tens of thousands of Agility points, this speed was simply so slow it was like watching a slideshow.

“Too slow.”

Qin Ji shook his head.

The moment the golden meteor was about to crash into him, Qin Ji moved.

There were no fancy skills, only pure speed suppression.

Swish!

Qin Ji's figure vanished into thin air.

In the next instant, he had already appeared behind the Cavalry Captain.

The Cavalry Captain's pupils constricted violently; his proud combat instinct was screaming frantically, but his body simply couldn't keep up with his brain's reaction.

“When did he...”

Bang!

A slender palm lightly pressed against the Cavalry Captain's thick backplate.

“Down you go.”

It seemed like a casual press.

Crack—!

That Silver-grade armor, sufficient to withstand the shot of a siege crossbow, was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks.

Terrifying power instantly penetrated the armor, muscles, and bones, acting directly on the Cavalry Captain's internal organs.

Boom!!

The Cavalry Captain was slammed into the ground like a swatted fly.

Gravel flew and dust swirled.

A human-shaped crater appeared in the center of the plaza.

“Cough, cough...”

The Cavalry Captain lay at the bottom of the crater, blood gushing from his mouth mixed with fragments of broken internal organs. The light in his eyes was rapidly fading, and the health bar above his head was already empty.

Even so, he still stared fixedly at Qin Ji by the edge of the crater, his eyes filled with disbelief.

“You... just who... are you...”

“Just a passing ordinary player.”

Qin Ji stood by the edge of the crater, looking down at him from above, as the tome of death in his hand slowly closed.

“By the way, remember in your next life to check the other person's Rank before checking their ID. Oh, sorry, you can't see my Rank.”

Puchi!

The heavy sword fell, accurately piercing the Cavalry Captain's throat.

-99999! (Critical Strike)

【Ding! You have killed "Donghai City 3rd Cavalry Squad Captain · Kyle" (LV.50 Elite NPC), obtaining Experience +50,000.】

【Plunder Successful! Obtained Free Attribute Points +100.】

【Plunder Successful! Obtained Skill Book: Holy Charge (B-Rank).】

【Warning! You have killed a guard within the main city, Sin Value +1000! A city-wide wanted order has been triggered!】

A piercing alarm exploded over Donghai City.

The originally bustling streets instantly fell silent, and countless terrified and shocked gazes turned toward the center of the plaza.

In the distance, more City Guards were assembling, the sound of armor clashing surging forward like a torrent of steel. In the sky, several massive Magic-Guided Airships turned their cannons, locking onto the figure in the plaza.

However, Qin Ji, who was at the center of the storm, did not have the slightest panic on his face.

He casually picked up a glowing coin pouch dropped by the Cavalry Captain, weighed it in his hand, and then looked up at the airships that blotted out the sun and the armies surging from all directions.

This was the game experience he wanted.

Since entering the city low-key wasn't welcomed, he would use another way to make this city remember his name.

The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the ruins a dark red. Qin Ji stepped one foot onto the Cavalry Captain's shattered armor and casually flicked away the last drop of warm blood from his heavy sword. Those Purple-Gold Pupils shone brilliantly in the twilight, just like an ancient Vicious Beast that had just finished a hearty meal, gazing coldly and greedily at this steel jungle that was about to boil over.