Chapter Six: The Power of Dedicated Cultivation

While the massive slime launched its attack, a swarm of players surrounded it, hacking away, while I stood behind them, content to watch the spectacle unfold.

One player shouted, “Brothers, let’s take down this boss!” At his words, a crowd surged forward. Most wielded wooden clubs or short swords—clearly basic, beginner-grade gear—which made me stifle a laugh.

Still, numbers have their own kind of power; as the saying goes, enough ants can bite an elephant to death. The boss’s attacks were brutal, thinning their ranks, and those with only wooden clubs grew hesitant, none daring to rush forward.

The same player from before snarled, “What a bunch of cowards, get in there!”

Just then, yet another group approached from the distance, quickly sealing off the perimeter. Their intentions were clear; news of the boss’s appearance must have spread, drawing in some well-organized teams.

I noticed all their names bore the prefix “Blaze”—obviously a guild. Their leader, “Blaze Wildfire,” gave a cool smile. “Well, isn’t this lively? And who would’ve thought the Dynasty and Snowy Night would both be here too? Fate has a sense of humor.”

The opposing group revealed their names as well. From Dynasty, a player named “Dynasty Under Heaven” arched an eyebrow. “Didn’t expect to see Blaze here in this starter village. Seems fate loves to bring old rivals together!”

A player from Snowy Night, “Snowy Night Glacier,” laughed heartily. “Indeed, our three old foes gathered again. But this isn’t the same as our previous games—my Snowy Night isn’t afraid of you.”

Dynasty Under Heaven chuckled. “Looks like we finally have a chance to settle our differences today.”

Blaze Wildfire laughed. “Settle them we will—but only after we deal with the boss.”

Snowy Night Glacier’s expression chilled. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. We found the boss first—it’s ours to defeat. You have no place here.”

At that, a player wielding a giant axe strode out from the Blaze team. His name: “Blaze City Fortress.” He laughed boisterously. “With just your sorry lot, you want to take on the boss? There are barely a few of you left. Step aside before you lose more levels.”

He wasn’t wrong. The group had already been whittled down to twenty or thirty, while Blaze still had over a hundred. It was a lopsided situation. Dynasty Under Heaven spat, “Damn it! Blaze is trying to take advantage!”

Blaze Wildfire snapped, “Enough nonsense! Didn’t you do the same thing? Remember when you monopolized the leveling grounds and drove out countless solo players? We’ll settle that score sooner or later. Dynasty, you’re nothing but bullies. And as for you, Snowy Night, all you have is money—so what? Even combined, you’re no match for Blaze.”

Tempers flared. Dynasty Under Heaven and Snowy Night Glacier exchanged a glance and shouted together, “Brothers, send Blaze packing! Take them out—now!”

Immediately, Dynasty and Snowy Night players surged forward, clubs and battered swords swinging.

A flurry of clashes followed, and a few Blaze players at the front fell, but the cost was high: their attackers all turned flagged with “yellow names,” marking them as outlaws.

Blaze City Fortress laughed, advancing with his battle-axe raised high. With a flash of red light, he cleaved the ground, sending a shockwave that instantly annihilated several oncoming players.

Snowy Night’s forces were still numerous. Snowy Night Glacier barked, “First squad, hold off Blaze’s lackeys! Second squad, focus on the boss—now!”

Dynasty’s side joined in, shouting, “Anyone above level eight, hit the boss! The rest, hold off Blaze! Move!”

For a time, Blaze was held at bay, while Dynasty and Snowy Night split their forces—most to fend off Blaze, a few elite players battling the boss.

I slipped quietly into the forest, frustrated that the boss had become a prize for these three guilds. Damn, going solo really is a hard life.

Still, I didn’t want to leave. I hid in the woods, watching the fight unfold.

While most players were low-level, a few stood out—already having completed their first advancement. Some mages unleashed fireballs and wind blades at the boss, becoming the main damage dealers. After all, wooden clubs and iron swords could barely scratch the boss’s defenses.

Time ticked by. The boss’s health quickly dropped below half, but it wasn’t going down alone. In a short span, almost all of Snowy Night and Dynasty’s players were wiped out, with only a few long-range mages lobbing fireballs. The rest, low-level players, were mere cannon fodder.

Meanwhile, Blaze seemed to realize the boss was nearly finished. They launched a furious assault, wiping out the remaining Dynasty players.

White light flickered as players’ avatars vanished—over twenty of them sent back to town by more than a hundred Blaze members.

Within minutes, not a single Dynasty or Snowy Night player remained. Blaze claimed the field.

After a brief skirmish, Blaze was left with around sixty members, half of them now red-named. If they died, their penalty would be severe.

But with the boss right before them, there was no turning back. Blaze Wildfire gave the order: “Surround it! Kill the boss!”

I stayed hidden, waiting in silence.

Suddenly, with a thunderous roar, the boss erupted in golden light, swelling to nearly double its size.

Without warning, the boss unleashed a shockwave, a brutal, slicing blast radiating outward.

A dreadful sound ripped through the air as the entire Blaze team was caught in the wave; most were instantly killed, only the well-equipped surviving.

Wave after wave of the boss’s shockwave rolled out. Blaze Wildfire managed a curse before being instantly slain.

It became a massacre. Blaze’s elite fell one after another to the boss’s relentless onslaught. The boss seemed almost gleeful, continuing—fifth wave, sixth wave... I lost count.

In the distance, a crowd of players watched the rampaging boss, none daring to approach. If even a top team like Blaze had been wiped out, what hope did casual players have?

Eventually, the boss finally ceased its rampage, panting heavily. I realized my chance had come. I had to act quickly; those players would be back any moment.

Without hesitation, I leapt from the forest, my fist smashing down atop the boss’s head, tearing open a massive bloody wound.

-346!

Seeing over three hundred damage sent a rush of joy through me. The monster that had been so ferocious moments ago was now nothing but a pile of twitching flesh—its poison attacks still dangerous, but I could just down potions and force my way through.

From afar, the crowd gasped in surprise, several players sprinting over, shouting, “Where did this guy come from? Hurry up, or we’ll be too late!”

As they shouted, I struck again with a powerful punch. The boss, like a balloon, burst under my assault. I received 50,000 experience points, and two pieces of gear dropped clearly at its corpse.

A triumphant roar escaped me, and suddenly, brilliant white light burst from my body, enveloping me. The light surged through my veins, organs, and muscles, flooding me with power that rushed through me like liquid mercury.

It was an extraordinary sensation. My hearing sharpened; every movement felt imbued with a newfound, indescribable strength.

The feeling faded after a few seconds. I rushed forward, snatching up the two pieces of equipment and stashing them in my pack before the others could arrive. I rummaged through the corpse—nothing else but a pile of coins.

Counting them, I found ten gold coins—what a windfall!

I opened my stats:

Weiwei Long
Class: Novice
Level: 10
Health: 500 (Base 400 + Fist 100)
Mana: 300
Attack: 110 (Base 30 + Knuckles 75 + Gloves 5)
Defense: 35 (Base 25 + Wolfbone Armor 10)
Reputation: 10
Luck: 0

So this was the result of dedicated training. The experience hadn’t gone into my bar but instead fueled a skill activation. My base health was now 400, much higher than before, with mana up to 300. My base attack was now 30, and defense 25. This skill was incredible. By now the crowd had already reached me—