Chapter Eight: The Challenge
A distant howl echoed through the hills, filling me with both excitement and fear. This game was so lifelike; who wouldn’t be scared facing a real wolf head-on?
Scruffy Wild Wolf
Level: ???
Attack: ???
Defense: ???
Strange—I couldn’t see the creature’s level. It wasn’t a boss, so perhaps it was simply far stronger than me?
Beside the wolf was a tomato patch, its fruit plump and fragrant. Even from afar, the scent drifted to me. I’d set the taste and pain settings to just 10%, yet I could still smell them. Was it the tomatoes being so aromatic, or was my nose unusually sensitive?
As usual, I gripped my sword and charged forward!
“4!”
A glaring red number appeared—only four points of damage? Its health bar barely moved, but when the wolf struck me with its claw, the pain made me nearly cry out. Glancing at my health bar, I saw I’d lost fifteen points in one hit! With only a hundred health, a direct fight was hopeless.
I quickly retreated, my speed rivaling that of a world-class sprinter, but the wolf chased me relentlessly, attacking again and again. Clearly, its speed surpassed even the fastest runners!
“Huff!”
The wolf finally gave up, returning to its post. My heart raced as I stared at the meager four health points left. If it struck me one more time, I’d have to start over from level two! (Accidental death drops one level, PK death drops two.)
What should I do? Was I to abandon my quest because of this beast?
Reluctantly, I approached once more, watching the wolf lazily biting at its fleas.
“Animal!” I cursed under my breath, stealthily circling the wolf to the far side of the tomato garden. Trembling, I reached out for a ripe tomato. Heaven help me! Let this wolf be just passing by, not guarding the garden.
The progress bar crept forward—almost there. Just as I was about to grab the tomato, the wolf stirred, turning its gaze toward me!
Dammit! It spotted me!
Quickly, I withdrew my hand and sprinted away. This time was even riskier—when I finally escaped, I was barely alive, with only two health points left! This game was pure adrenaline!
Checking my inventory, I was pleasantly surprised to find the tomato safely tucked away.
Ah Hua’s Tomato (Quest Item)
Attribute: Carefully cultivated by Ah Hua, this tomato is fragrant and, when eaten, restores 0.5 health per second. When used on an enemy, prevents them from recovering health for thirty minutes!
Preventing health recovery for thirty minutes? Eureka!
A bold idea sparked in my mind. No wonder the tomato was so fragrant—it had such a powerful effect! If I could keep the wolf from recovering health, I might just be able to wear it down. Most players were likely grinding to level ten for their first job change, so few would venture to this remote hillside. I had a chance to defeat the wolf!
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A wolf whose level I couldn’t see—what a temptation!
Acting on impulse, I carefully approached the wolf, checked my gear, and gripped the tomato in my hand. I rushed forward, slashing at the wolf. It struck back with its claw—another slash—it opened its jaws to bite! My reflexes, honed by countless hours of gaming, took over. I threw the tomato precisely into the wolf’s mouth, and the system immediately notified me: Scruffy Wild Wolf consumed “Ah Hua’s Tomato”—unable to recover health for thirty minutes!
Perfect! After another strike, I fled, having dealt three sword blows and reduced the wolf’s health by fifteen points—about 1/20th of its total. Yet I could see its health slowly draining.
Forty seconds of rest restored my health—back for another round!
Again and again, I timed my attacks perfectly, executing near-flawless assaults on the wolf. My heartbeat never slowed, and I imagined anyone with a weak heart would drop dead from this kind of excitement.
Twenty-five minutes passed—the wolf’s health was nearly gone!
Panting, I returned. My starter sword was almost broken; if I didn’t finish the wolf soon, I’d be forced to fight bare-fisted…
One last perfect maneuver—I leaned against a tree, recovering my health, while the wolf’s health bar was completely empty. It looked like a simple touch would finish it.
Health restored, I charged again!
With a decisive swing, I delivered the fourth blow!
“Ding~!”
“System Alert: Your level has increased to four!”
I was stunned. In online novels, defeating tough monsters usually meant rapid leveling, but I’d only gained one level. Still, it was a worthwhile reward—level four in no time!
The wolf’s level was finally revealed.
Level eight!
A full five levels above mine! No wonder I couldn’t see it before.
Wait—there was loot too!
I quickly gathered my spoils: forty copper coins, a wolf’s fang, a pair of leg guards, a cloth robe, and a gleaming longsword.
The other items were less important; I eagerly checked the sword’s stats:
Beast Sword (Green Equipment)
Attack: 7-12
Stamina: +3
Strength: +1
Required Level: 4
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Hahaha! My mouth was watering…
This was a true treasure—a level four longsword with up to twelve attack points! My old short sword only had two attack. Now, with this green-grade weapon, I was set for both leveling and PvP!
Right, there were also leg guards and the robe. Quick, let’s see!
Wild Wolf Leg Guards (Green Equipment)
Defense: +8
Stamina: +3
Strength: +2
Required Level: 4
Sorcerer’s Robe (Green Equipment)
Defense: +6
Intelligence: +4
Required Level: 6
……
I nearly burst out laughing—the leg guards’ bonus stats were even more impressive than the Beast Sword, and they were perfect for melee classes. I equipped them immediately! The Sorcerer’s Robe added four intelligence, which was significant early on; whether for Xulin the mage or Xuehan the priest, it would be a great gift. Hopefully, their generosity would earn me a meal.
After equipping the new leg guards, I swung my sword around for a bit, reveling in my newfound power. I allocated all ten attribute points from my last two levels to strength, finally feeling like a true expert!
Vegetable Jade Soup
Level: 4
Health: 168
Attack: 15-29 (Beast Sword 7-12)
Defense: 20
Reputation: 0
Luck: 0
……
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