[Burst Shot] (S-Rank)
Enhancement Level: 0
Skill Description: Fires three consecutive shots, dealing 120%, 130%, and 150% physical damage to the target. If the third shot is a critical hit, a fourth shot will be automatically triggered, dealing 170% physical damage. Cooldown: 15 seconds.
Passive Attribute: Increases critical hit chance by 1%.
"Holy shit!!!"
"An S-rank skill!!!"
Jiang Bai was completely stunned by the overpowered skill description. "That's some insane damage! This has got to be the strongest single-target skill for archers!"
"This-this-this!!!"
Jiang Bai stared at the description, practically drooling. "They say S-rank skills and above come with bonus effects, and it's true! It even gives an extra 1% crit chance!"
Without hesitation, Jiang Bai replied, "Bro, name your price. The moment I laid eyes on this thing, it was destined to be mine!"
"Hehe."
Datang Wuzui chuckled. "Hold on a sec. Honestly, I didn't expect such a god-tier drop. It came from a Level 8 boss our guild took down. Honestly, I was planning to keep it for our guildmates..."
"Don't do that…"
Jiang Bai immediately panicked. "Bro, I may not be in your guild, but I'm closer than most of your guildmates!"
"I know,"
Datang Wuzui replied, "Of all the archers I know, you're the only one worthy of this skill book. So listen, bro—join our Datang Guild, and the skill is yours for free!"
"This..."
Jiang Bai was stunned. He didn't expect Datang Wuzui to be so generous—offering up an S-rank skill just to recruit him.
"This is an S-rank skill!"
"A rare treasure that money can't buy!"
"People would easily bid over 100 gold for this!"
But to be honest, Jiang Bai never liked joining guilds.
Too restrictive. No freedom. And he'd never accept a gift without returning the favor—especially not something from a friend.
Because in this world, favors are more complicated than money.
Favors are debts that can't be measured by numbers—and this was an S-rank skill.
This had been Jiang Bai's philosophy throughout years of gaming: No matter how good an item is, if it's not yours, don't force it.
After drooling over the god-tier skill for a good while, Jiang Bai reluctantly restrained himself and replied:
"Bro, just let me admire it for now. I really can't afford this at the moment. If nothing else, keep it for someone in your guild."
He said this with a heavy heart, but he had no regrets. Skills can be farmed or bought again—but a favor owed is hard to repay.
"Damn!"
That one sentence frustrated Datang Wuzui. "You're stubborn as hell! Not even this could sway you?"
"Hey, that's just how I—"
Before Jiang Bai could finish, a message popped up from Datang Wuzui.
"Fine, I won't push you. Let's say I'm selling it—50 gold. Even if I don't keep it, I have to give something to the bros. But you have to promise me one thing."
Jiang Bai hesitated. "What is it?"
"If you ever decide to join a guild, you have to make Datang your first choice!"
"No problem."
Jiang Bai replied without hesitation. After all, Datang Wuzui had long earned his trust through their time together.
Without another word, Datang Wuzui opened a trade window and put in the god-tier S-rank skill book.
"I only have a little over 40 gold on me—just spent a bunch upgrading armor. I'll pay the rest later."
"No biggie."
…
Inside Datang Guild.
Datang Xiaotian: "Boss, you just gave away that S-rank skill?!"
Datang Wuzui: "What are you talking about? Didn't you see? I sold it for 50 gold."
Datang Xiaotian: "Come on!!! Boss, was it really worth it? He didn't even agree to join us!"
"It was. Absolutely," Datang Wuzui said. "You think it's easy to recruit a top-tier player like him? You've seen his gear. If I had sold the skill to our own guild, as he said, the bond between us would've weakened. That S-rank skill is great, but compared to him? Not even close. That 50 gold? Just a formality for both sides."
Datang Xiaotian: "I get your logic… but I'm still salty. That was an S-rank skill."
Datang Wuzui: "Think long-term, brother…"
…
After the trade, Jiang Bai stared at the skill book in his inventory in a daze.
"Sold" for 50 gold? That was basically giving it away. Jiang Bai wasn't exaggerating when he said it could easily fetch 100+ gold on the market.
And more importantly, by selling such a rare skill to an outsider, Datang Wuzui would have to explain himself to his guild. Otherwise, the decision wouldn't sit well with them.
As for that condition—"make Datang your first choice"—that was just Wuzui giving both Jiang Bai and himself a way to save face.
So yes, Jiang Bai owed him one.
But he couldn't help it—he really wanted that skill.
"Thanks, brother. I'll repay this favor someday."
After learning [Burst Shot], Jiang Bai once again set off toward Night Demon Valley.
And with this, his critical hit rate finally reached double digits—now at 10%.
Night Demon Valley was quite far from the newbie village, and since players didn't have mounts yet, it was a long trek on foot—tedious, to say the least.
It took Jiang Bai nearly an hour. Along the way, he soaked in the majestic world of Genesis and its breathtaking scenery. Eventually, a mist-shrouded valley appeared before him.
As he entered the valley, the lighting and visibility plummeted dramatically. It was like crossing from daylight into darkness.
Ghostly monsters roamed about: [Night Demon Sirens], [Night Demon Riders], [Night Demon Brutes], and more—most were Level 10 or 11.
For average players, these monsters would be tough. But for Jiang Bai? They were trivial.
He could kill them without taking damage. It also gave him the perfect chance to test out his new skill, [Burst Shot].
As expected of the strongest single-target skill—a single Burst Shot nearly wiped out a mob's entire HP bar.
Unfortunately, after using it a dozen times, the third shot still hadn't landed a critical hit. So he hadn't yet experienced the joy of triggering that bonus fourth shot.
After venturing deep into the valley, a cave entrance—more than three meters tall—appeared before him.
The atmosphere was eerie. Even from outside, piles of bones were visible—both human and animal.
Inside, the cave was deathly silent. Using his torch for light, Jiang Bai cautiously advanced through twists and turns until a massive inner chamber opened up before him.
And lying inside—was a behemoth.
"Damn!"
Jiang Bai stared at the beast. It was indeed a giant three-headed hellhound, as tall as a two-story building. Its fur was pitch-black and glossy, wings sprouting from its back, and three heads lying in different directions—deep in slumber.
Carefully, Jiang Bai used [Scout].
[Hellhound Cerberus] (Demonic Boss)
Level: 10Attack: 450Defense: 200HP: 10,000Skills: Evil Breath, Flame Breath, Lightning Breath, Wing Sweep
"Holy crap… these stats…"
Jiang Bai clicked his tongue. "That's got full raid boss written all over it. Not even a 5-man party could take it down—probably needs a full 15-man group."
"Too much attack power. I've only got about 1,200 HP—can take three or four hits max."
Jiang Bai scratched his head, then looked into his inventory. Seeing his stash of elite health potions brought a little peace of mind.
These things were powerful—instant 200 HP restore, 20-second cooldown. But expensive as hell. Jiang Bai had gritted his teeth and bought 20 bottles.