64: Chapter 64 Is this all the people you have? Are you insulting me?

Before the assassin player's corpse could even fully hit the ground, it dissolved into a burst of white light, leaving only a faintly glowing Black Iron Chest in its place.

Qin Ji didn't even spare it a glance; with a light flick of his toe, the chest traced a parabolic arc through the air and landed precisely in his palm.

[Ding! You have opened a Black Iron Chest and obtained: Poisoned Dagger (Silver Grade), Gold Coins x50.]

"Pauper."

Qin Ji curled his lip and casually tossed the dagger into a dusty corner of his backpack. His gaze crossed the shimmering surface of Black Water Lake and settled on the increasingly restless jungle in the distance.

The ground began to tremble slightly.

Birds took flight in alarm, and the crisp sound of snapping dry branches merged into a single noise, as if a herd of prehistoric behemoths was approaching.

"Are they finally here?"

Instead of running, Qin Ji leisurely found a clean rock to sit on, pulled out a piece of roasted meat dropped from killing a Valxun earlier, and took a slow, deliberate bite.

Since he wanted to farm attributes, naturally, the more monsters there were, the better.

If it were players... that would be even better. After all, the 'Negative Emotion Points' provided by players and the occasional high-end equipment drops were things wild monsters couldn't compare to.

A moment later.

The shadows of the jungle were torn asunder as a group of players with the [Dream Chasing] prefix aggressively burst into view.

Leading them was a female player in pale golden robes, her ID being [Dream Chaser in the Mist]. She held a shimmering golden staff, and her face, though cold and beautiful, was currently covered in frost. Behind her followed about a hundred fully armed elite players.

Knights in the front, Warriors in the middle, Mages and Archers bringing up the rear, and Priests interspersed among them.

A standard hundred-man raid formation.

Dream Chaser in the Mist stopped fifty meters away from Qin Ji, her beautiful eyes fixed on the black-robed man sitting on the rock eating meat.

"Snow Emperor?"

Her voice was cold, carrying the dignity of someone long accustomed to a high position. "To kill my people and then dare to sit here so brazenly. Do you truly think our Dream Chasing Guild has no one capable, or do you think you can take down our entire elite team alone?"

Qin Ji swallowed the last bite of roasted meat, wiped the grease from his hands, and slowly stood up.

He didn't answer her question. Instead, he extended a finger and pointed at the crowd in the air, muttering to himself.

"One, two, three... one hundred and eight?"

After he finished counting, his brow instantly furrowed into a deep knot. A look of genuine disappointment—even an offended anger—surfaced in his purple-gold pupils.

Yes, he was offended.

It wasn't because they had come for him, nor was it because they were the famous Dream Chasing Guild.

It was because...

"Just these hundred or so people?"

Qin Ji pointed at Dream Chaser in the Mist, his tone full of a sense of unbelievable absurdity. "The bounty from Devil King Grelorlinssen is so high, and my head is worth so much money. You only sent this many people?"

"Who are you looking down on?"

"Go call more people! Call your guild's external members, the logistics cooks, and the cleaners—call them all over! You have the nerve to come hunt me down without at least a thousand people?"

Dead silence fell over the scene.

The elites of the Dream Chasing Guild looked at each other, every one of them doubting if there was something wrong with their ears.

Was this guy... a lunatic?

Facing a hundred-man elite team, he didn't run, but instead complained that there weren't enough of them?

"Arrogant!"

Beside Dream Chaser in the Mist, a male Mage with the ID [Dream Chasing Dharma God] instantly flew into a rage. He was a top-tier expert in the guild; when had he ever been so disregarded?

"Guild Leader, don't waste words with him! For an unaffiliated player who doesn't know the heights of the heavens, he'll behave once we kill him!"

Before his voice even faded, the staff in Dream Chasing Dharma God's hand swung violently.

"Explosive Fireball!"

A crimson fireball the size of a washbasin roared out, trailing a long tail of flame as it smashed directly toward Qin Ji's face.

This wasn't some small fireball from a Newbie Village; it was a level 20 advanced Mage skill with an extremely high damage coefficient!

"Boom!"

The fireball hit its mark precisely, exploding into a brilliant display of fireworks against Qin Ji's chest.

A cold smile curled on Dream Chasing Dharma God's lips. Even a Knight of the same level wouldn't dare take this hit head-on; this guy putting on an act would lose a layer of skin even if he didn't die.

However.

A second later, the smoke and dust cleared.

A bright red number slowly floated up from above Qin Ji's head.

-1 (Forced Damage).

"This..." The cold smile on Dream Chasing Dharma God's face instantly froze. "How is that possible?!"

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

He saw a faint, eerie light flowing over the surface of Qin Ji's [black god set]. That Explosive Fireball, which should have been enough to one-shot any squishy class, hadn't even scorched the hem of his robes.

"This is the output of your elite team?"

Qin Ji looked down at his chest and flicked away non-existent dust, his tone disinterested. "Since you refuse to call more people, then don't blame me for being impolite."

"In the spirit of reciprocity, take a move from me as well."

Qin Ji didn't even use the greatsword on his back. He simply raised his right hand, and a black light bullet the size of a thumb condensed at the tip of his index finger.

Dark Magic Bullet (Normal Attack).

"Whoosh!"

The black light cut through the air, moving so fast it left only an afterimage on the retina.

"Watch out!"

Before Dream Chasing Dharma God could react, a quick-thinking Shield Warrior beside him named [Dream Chasing Iron Wall] had already stepped forward violently.

"Shield of the Firmament!"

A heavy tower shield slammed into the ground, and golden light instantly constructed a defensive barrier.

This was a pure Health-tank warrior who had put all his points into Physique. Combined with a set of top-tier green gear and the talent skill [Savage Growth], he possessed a staggering 16,000 HP at level 20! Among players at this stage, he was an absolute top-tier meat shield.

"Clang!!!"

The black light bullet collided with the tower shield, letting out a massive boom like a great bronze bell.

Immediately following that.

A scene appeared that every member of the Dream Chasing Guild would remember for the rest of their lives.

That tower shield, claimed to be able to withstand a hit from a BOSS, was covered in cracks like a biscuit the moment it touched the black light, and then it shattered with a bang!

The black light, its momentum undiminished, pierced straight through Dream Chasing Iron Wall's chest.

-15,999!

A heart-stopping damage number floated up.

Dream Chasing Iron Wall's absurdly long health bar was instantly emptied, leaving only a tiny sliver of health (1 point). This was only because he had triggered the [One-time Death Immunity] effect provided by his guild medal!

"Thud."

Dream Chasing Iron Wall collapsed to his knees, staring in horror at his empty health bar. Rasping sounds came from his throat as his entire body trembled violently.

One hit!

Just a single normal attack!

If not for the death immunity effect, he—one of the server's top tanks—would have been one-shot!

"Eh?"

Qin Ji raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised. "You didn't die? It seems your turtle shell is quite hard."

Although he hadn't used a skill for that casual strike, with his current Intelligence attribute in the thousands plus the Spell penetration from the [black god set], one-shotting players at this stage should have been as easy as drinking water.

"A death immunity item... interesting."

Qin Ji's gaze became playful, looking at him as if he were a slightly stronger ant. "Then let's do that one more time."

"Heal him, quick!!"

Dream Chaser in the Mist finally snapped out of her shock, her voice changing pitch. "All Priests, keep the healing up! Control group, go all out! Crowd-control him to death!!"

She could see it now.

This man's attributes were absurdly high! They absolutely could not let him attack again, otherwise, their hundred people wouldn't be enough to kill!

"Holy Light Spell!"

"Healing Wind!"

Several bursts of white light landed on Dream Chasing Iron Wall, barely pulling his health back to a safe level.

At the same time, the battle was triggered instantly.

The Priest team was the first to strike.

Three Priests waved their staves simultaneously, and three [Silence Pillars of Light] fell in a triangular formation, sealing off all of Qin Ji's paths to evade.

As long as he was silenced, a Mage would be a lamb to the slaughter!

However.

In Qin Ji's eyes, the speed at which these pillars fell was as slow as a slow-motion replay.

His mental attribute had long since broken the human limit, and his dynamic vision was comparable to a supercomputer.

A sidestep, a slide, a lean back.

Three simple micro-movements, as if precisely calculated, avoided the three pillars of light with millimeter precision.

"How is that possible? This reaction speed..."

Before the Priests could even be surprised, two Berserkers roared and launched a charge.

"Savage Charge!"

Two figures wrapped in fierce winds crashed toward Qin Ji from left and right. This was the most classic Warrior combo: Charge + Taunt + Fragile Strike. If it hit, even an immortal would be stunned for 1.5 seconds.

"Too slow."

Qin Ji shook his head.

Just as the two Warriors were about to hit him, his figure suddenly vanished into thin air.

[Void Walk] (Short-distance Teleportation).

The next second.

Qin Ji appeared behind the two Warriors, a pitch-black dagger (transformed from his staff) having appeared in his hand at some point.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two soft sounds.

The two Warriors fell forward in their charging posture, a thin line of blood appearing on each of their necks.

-24,500!

-24,500!

Instant kill!

"Long-range suppression! Don't let him get close!"

Dream Chaser in the Mist's face was deathly pale, but she was the guild leader after all. Remaining calm in the face of danger, she slammed her golden staff into the ground.

"Summon: Elemental Guardian!"

The earth cracked, and six Lava Giants, each three meters tall and wreathed in flames, roared as they crawled out.

This was her trump card skill. Each Lava Giant was a level 25 elite monster with 50,000 HP and a built-in burning Aura!

"Go! Crush him!"

The six Lava Giants moved with heavy steps, advancing toward Qin Ji like a wall of fire. Using the giants as cover, the Mages and Archers in the rear poured out their skills frantically.

Ice arrows, fireballs, wind blades, arrow rain...

A dense thicket of attacks covered the sky and earth, completely blanketing the area where Qin Ji stood.

"Now this is getting interesting."

Facing this death trap, an excited curve instead curled on Qin Ji's lips.

He didn't retreat. Instead, he took a step forward into the rain of skills.

"Since you like playing with numbers, then I'll let you see what true... numerical suppression looks like."

Deep within Qin Ji's pupils, the purple-gold light surged violently.

He didn't use any defensive skills, but instead directly activated a passive he had plundered with [Greedy Grasp]—[Body of Thunder].

Zzzzt!

Violent blue electrical arcs instantly wreathed his entire body.

"Thunder Flash!"

Boom!

Qin Ji's figure instantly turned into a blinding bolt of lightning, weaving through the dense rain of skills in a 'Z' shaped trajectory that completely defied physical inertia.

MISS! MISS! MISS!

All targeted skills missed their mark!

And that bolt of lightning, within a thousandth of a second, passed through the bodies of the six Lava Giants in succession.

Qin Ji's figure appeared behind the last giant, his dagger still held in a slashing posture as residual arcs of electricity jumped along the blade.

Time seemed to stand still in that moment.

One second later.

"Crack..."

The core crystal of the first Lava Giant shattered.

Then the second, the third...

The six elite summons with 50,000 HP each disintegrated into countless stones at the same time, collapsing with a roar!

Instant kill! All of them one-shot!

"This... what kind of damage is this?"

Dream Chaser in the Mist felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her skull, her fingers turning white from gripping her staff too hard.

These were Lava Giants with extremely high defense!

Even a level 30 BOSS couldn't possibly one-shot six of them instantly!

"Next, it's your turn."

Qin Ji turned around, his eyes surging with thunder light as they locked onto the group of pale-faced, squishy players in the back row.

"Run! Run, quickly!!"

Dream Chaser in the Mist finally broke down, letting out a hysterical scream. "He's not human! He's a monster!!"

But the command came too late.

To Qin Ji, whose Agility attribute had long since surpassed a thousand, the speed of these players was no different from a snail's.

It was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep.

No, it was the Grim Reaper swinging his scythe.

Qin Ji didn't use any large-scale Forbidden Spells because it would be a waste of mana, and... it wouldn't be as satisfying.

He preferred this feeling of the blade sinking into flesh.

Every swing of his dagger was guaranteed to take a life.

Every flicker of his movement was inevitably accompanied by a scream of despair.

[Ding! You have killed player "Dream Chasing Fleeting Years", plundered attribute: Intelligence +2.]

[Ding! You have killed player "Dream Chasing Mad Blade", plundered passive: Elementary Bleed.]

[Ding! ...]

The pleasant System notifications flashed frantically in Qin Ji's ears; it was the most wonderful music in the world.

In a mere thirty seconds.

The shore of Black Water Lake returned to dead silence.

Other than Qin Ji, there wasn't another person standing.

The ground was covered in corpses that had yet to respawn, along with equipment and potions radiating an enticing glow.

Dream Chaser in the Mist was the last to die.

She hadn't run, but instead sat paralyzed on the ground, her eyes hollow as she watched that demon-like man walk toward her step by step.

"Who... exactly... are you?" she asked, trembling.

Qin Ji stopped in front of her, looking down from above with a harmless smile on his face.

"Who I am isn't important."

"What's important is to remember to bring more people next time."

"This tiny amount of attribute points isn't even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth."

Squelch.

The dagger slashed across.

Dream Chaser in the Mist's beautiful head flew high into the air, dissolving into white light.

[Ding! You have killed Guild Leader "Dream Chaser in the Mist", triggering a Greedy Grasp Critical Hit!]

[Plundered attribute: Charm +10 (Rare).]

[Plundered special item: city establishment token (Fragment).]

"Oh? A big drop?"

Qin Ji's eyes lit up as he reached out to catch the bronze token dropped from her corpse, which radiated an ancient Aura.

Even if it was just a fragment, this thing's market value was enough to buy half of a city center in reality!

...

Black Wind City, respawn point.

The originally noisy plaza suddenly went silent for a moment.

Then, white light began to flash frantically like a fountain.

One, two, ten... a hundred!

A full hundred or so players walked out of the respawn array almost at the same time. Most of their equipment was incomplete, and their Ranks had all dropped by one level. Every one of their faces was written with a lingering fear and daze.

"Holy crap! What am I seeing? The Dream Chasing Guild's elite team was wiped out?!"

"Is that Guild Leader Dream Chaser in the Mist? How did she die too?"

"Heavens, over a hundred people respawning at once—did they go to raid a World BOSS?"

The surrounding passers-by instantly exploded with chatter, gathering to watch this rare spectacle.

Dream Chaser in the Mist stood in the center of the crowd, her face pale. Listening to the discussions around her, she only felt a chill over her entire body.

In her mind, the figure wreathed in lightning, slaughtering her subordinates like he was chopping vegetables, refused to go away.

"Snow Emperor..."

She bit her lip hard until she tasted blood.

That man was simply not an existence that players at this stage could contend with! He was a System BUG! A demon god in a player's skin!

...

Black Water Lake.

The setting sun was like blood, painting the broken battlefield in a layer of tragic red makeup.

Residual thunder light still lingered in the crisscrossing ravines on the ground, and the air was filled with the smell of scorched earth mixed with blood.

Qin Ji rested one foot on a large piece of obsidian that had broken off from a Lava Giant, casually tossing that priceless city establishment token into the air and catching it steadily.

He turned his head slightly, his purple-gold pupils reflecting the calm surface of the lake. The lingering curve on his lips looked exceptionally eerie in the twilight, like an abyssal demon who had just finished an appetizer and was looking forward to the main course, coldly and greedily watching this world that was about to be completely subverted by him.