No time to waste basking in newfound power.
The memory surfaced sharp and clear: Deep within the Whispering Glade, near the abandoned logger's camp, lurked the Shadow Serpent.
A Level 5 Elite. Hidden. Normally requiring a coordinated party of five Level 5+ players to even attempt.
Its venomous bite inflicted a nasty stacking debuff, melting health bars. Its scales deflected poorly aimed shots.
But its treasure… the Serpent's Kiss ring. +3 Agility. A god-tier item for any Archer in the early game.
I needed it.
Movement was fluid, purposeful. Other players blundered through the undergrowth, fighting Level 1 squirrels and Level 2 wolves with clumsy swings and hesitant spell casts.
They were learning the game. I was breaking it.
I skirted the main paths, using terrain knowledge from my past life to find shortcuts, avoiding unnecessary mob aggro.
My speed was already noticeably faster than the average starter character, even without investing points yet. Base stats, maybe? Or just the efficiency of knowing exactly where to go.
Near the overgrown, dilapidated logger's camp, the air grew heavier, colder. The usual forest sounds died down.
A low hiss echoed between the rotting logs.
Bingo.
A small group of three players huddled near the camp entrance, looking nervous. A Warrior, a Mage, and another Archer.
"Did you hear that?" the Mage whispered, clutching her staff.
The Warrior puffed out his chest. "Probably just a normal snake. Let's clear these logging zombies first."
The other Archer scanned the shadows warily. "I don't know, man. Feels different."
They hadn't found the trigger spot. Amateurs.
I ignored them, slipping past behind a stack of decaying timber.
A specific sequence was required. Touch the moss-covered chopping block, then kick the overturned barrel, then peer into the darkness beneath the collapsed cabin roof.
As my virtual hand brushed the damp moss, the ground trembled slightly.
A low growl emanated from the shadows.
The Shadow Serpent uncoiled.
It was larger than I remembered. Easily ten feet long, scales shimmering like oil slicks in the dim light, fangs dripping with green-black venom. Its eyes burned with cold, predatory intelligence.
[Shadow Serpent - Level 5 Elite]
The other players yelped.
"What the hell is that?!" the Warrior shouted, fumbling with his shield.
"Elite! Run!" the Mage shrieked, already backing away.
Their Archer just stared, frozen.
Too late for them. The Serpent lunged, a black blur.
It struck the Warrior first. [-50! Poisoned!] His health bar took a significant hit, turning a sickly green.
He panicked, swinging his sword wildly. The blade glanced off the Serpent's scales with a dull clank.
Useless.
This was my chance.
While the Serpent was focused on the flailing Warrior, I stepped out from cover.
Arrow nocked. Aim steady.
Target: The slight gap between scales just behind its eyes. A known weak spot.
Thwip!
[-30! Critical Hit!]
The Obsidian Arrowhead flared. The System responded instantly.
[Critical Combo Triggered!]
My world narrowed to the Serpent, the bow, the rain of arrows.
Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!
My arms were pistons. The bowstring hummed a song of death.
The Serpent hissed in pain and fury, abandoning the hapless Warrior, its head snapping towards me.
Damage numbers exploded above its head: [-15], [-15], [-30! Critical Hit!], [-15], [-30! Critical Hit!], [-15]...
[Critical Combo Stack x2!]
[Critical Combo Stack x3!]
The speed became ludicrous. Arrows blurred into streaks of light, hammering the weak spot relentlessly.
The Serpent lunged, fangs bared, venom spraying.
My reborn instincts kicked in. Sidestep. Keep firing.
The venom splashed harmlessly where I'd stood a split second before.
My health remained untouched. My barrage didn't pause for a heartbeat.
The other players watched, jaws slack.
"Who... what is that?" the Mage stammered.
"Is he... soloing it?" the other Archer whispered, eyes wide with disbelief.
The Serpent's health bar, thick and imposing just moments ago, was plummeting under the onslaught. Its movements grew sluggish. The hisses turned pained.
One final arrow. Aimed true.
[-32! Critical Hit!]
The Serpent convulsed, its head whipping back, then crashed to the ground, dissolving into shimmering particles and loot.
Silence.
A beam of light enveloped me. Level up!
[You have reached Level 2!]
[You have reached Level 3!]
Two levels from one Elite kill. The experience was insane.
But more importantly...
[Ding! System Objective 'First Elite Kill' Completed.]
[System Experience Gained.]
[Infinite Arrow God System Level Up! Current Level: 2]
[Ability Updated: Attribute Unshackling (Lv 2)]
[New Attribute Unshackled: Agility]
[Description: The conventional limits placed upon your Agility attribute by the world's laws have been removed.]
Yes! Agility!
The core stat for any Archer. Attack speed, movement speed, critical hit chance… all tied to Agility. And now, mine had no ceiling.
I felt a lightness spread through my virtual limbs, a sense of heightened responsiveness.
My eyes scanned the loot pile where the Serpent vanished.
Copper coins. A few common materials. A green-quality bow (trash compared to what I'd get soon).
And there, nestled amongst the junk, a simple silver band gleaming faintly.
[Serpent's Kiss (Uncommon)]
[Type: Ring]
[Level Requirement: 3]
[Effect: +3 Agility]
Got it.
I equipped the ring immediately. The feeling of swiftness intensified.
My base Agility, plus this ring… and the potential to stack it infinitely higher? My Critical Combo would trigger even more often, the speed ramping up faster, the damage becoming astronomical.
"Dude..."
The Warrior, healed slightly by the Mage, approached cautiously. His earlier bravado was gone, replaced by awe.
"How did you...?" He gestured vaguely at the empty space where the Serpent died.
The Mage and the other Archer followed, staring at me like I was some kind of mythical creature.
I offered a noncommittal shrug, turning to leave. No time for explanations. No need.
"Wait!" the Archer called out. "Who are you? What guild are you with?"
I paused at the edge of the clearing.
"Fierce Arrow," I said, the name feeling right, tasting like future victories. "And I walk alone. For now."
I melted back into the trees, leaving them staring after me, whispering my name.
Let them talk. Let the whispers spread.
The legend was just beginning.
But as I moved deeper into the woods, a faint, almost imperceptible feeling prickled the back of my neck.
The feeling of being watched.
Not by players.
Something else. Something… within the game's code? Or perhaps… tied to the System itself?
A cold whisper, different from the System's mechanical tone, seemed to brush against my mind.
So... the anomaly reveals itself... Interesting...
My steps faltered for just a second. What was that?
Was the System… not the only unnatural thing operating in Epoch this time around?