Chapter 6
Jason came to, still staring at the enhancement interface—his Strength stat now read 28. He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of energy, though he suspected it was more psychological than physical.
"Strength enhancement boosts your entire physiological system: power, stamina, vision, hearing, bite force, immunity, nerve response, bones, muscles… Speed and recovery get minor boosts too, but 2 points won't make a dramatic difference."
Jason sighed, closing the platform. Grinding Gray Rats for paltry points wouldn't make him strong fast enough. The most efficient way to earn points was clear: kill players—1000 points minimum per kill. He'd sized up Ted's crew: aside from Zheng Wei, those Level 3 and 4 lackeys wouldn't stand a chance against his street-fighting instincts.
But targeting innocents?
He wasn't that desperate… yet.
He pulled up Moonheart's map, eyeing the Hyena spawn—6 points each, passive single-attack. Riskier than Rats, but higher reward.
Sherry returned, shaking her head. "No chance to plant the code during the day—Life Tree's swarming with people. We'll have to wait until midnight."
"Tonight, let's try Hyenas."
She frowned. "They're faster, harder to kite. Safety zone's 1.5 meters—newbies avoid them for a reason."
"I need to test my limits."
—
Under the midnight moon, the Hyena loomed, sleeker than a Gray Rat, its synthetic fur rippling over metallic muscles. Jason and Sherry flanked it, blades drawn.
The moment they entered range, the Hyena spun, jaws snapping at Sherry. She hacked its shoulder, leaping back as Jason drove his blade for the neck—only to feel it grind against reinforced metal. The beast thrashed, nearly wrenching his arm from its socket.
Sherry darted in again, slicing its foreleg joint. Wires sparked, but the Hyena pivoted, red optics locking onto Jason. He rolled, amazed at his own agility—the Strength boost had sharpened his reflexes.
Sherry lunged from behind, piercing its energy core. The Hyena's optics dimmed, collapsing with a metallic thud.
"Eight minutes," she panted, wiping sweat. "We could've killed two Rats in that time."
Jason cursed, kicking a rock. Firearms were too expensive—60 points for a basic pistol, 1 per magazine—and his aim was worse than a stormtrooper's. Brute force isn't enough. We need strategy.
Sherry softened, seeing his frustration. "You're adapting. Without those void simulations, we'd be dead meat out here."
He paused, staring at the Hyena's corpse. "What if I study their patterns in the void? And the Bulldogs, Spider Wolves, even the Goblins?"
Her eyes widened. "It's a gamble. What if you get stuck there? Or the system detects the glitch?"
"Worth it." He smirked, cracking his neck. "I'll rig the Silver Ice Device to my finger this time—no more losing body parts."
Chapter 7
Morning in Moonheart was usually lively, with nearly two hundred players jogging and trading items. But today, everyone clustered around the Life Tree, and even from his cottage on the village's edge, Jason could hear Zheng Wei's shouts echoing.
Peering through the curtain, Jason marveled at the crowd. If points could be traded directly, Han Bin would've been filthy rich. Instead, the bastard had a racket: force players to gift him items, then resell them via the trading system at 50% markup. A Healing Scroll, 80 points to buy, 40 points to repurchase from Han.
Beyond grinding mobs, Han organized tasks, assigning teams and leaders to squeeze every drop of labor from them. Refuse? Pay a weekly "tribute." He controlled their levels, their lives—everything.
Jason guessed the commotion was his Morse code at work. Han would be hunting the culprit. The game's level system was cruel: kill to level up, but with restrictions. Zou Yidao, a Level 9 Punisher, could wipe the village in seconds, yet he couldn't attack lower-level players without punishment. Han, 明知 his crew was no match, would still risk everything for the bonus points.
He'd underestimated Sherry's paranoia. Even at Level 2, he feared the same level players. The higher the level, the juicier the target—everyone was walking points. Trust was a luxury.
As the crowd dispersed, he saw Sherry join a group, likely for a quest. He'd browsed quests—fetching ingredients for innkeepers earned pittance, while high-tier ones required killing mobs. At his current strength, Gray Rats were still his best bet, thanks to that glitch.
Thinking of the void space, he buzzed with excitement. More than just studying mob patterns, he might snag rare weapons—every trip was a lottery win.
To kill time, he did push-ups, feeling his Strength stat's 4-point boost. Hunger drove him to order noodles, scrolling the Demon Subduing List as he ate. Zou Yidao's Level 9 glowed, a red downward arrow marking his Punisher status. At the top: one King, one Queen, three Jacks. Below, eight Level 10 players—why so few 'Observer'?Balance, he guessed. The King, stuck one step from freedom, waited for a worthy opponent.
Finishing his meal, Jason checked Ryan Qiao's status—Level 4. Overnight promotion. That smug hypocrite had no qualms about killing. Jason's grip tightened on his sword. You won't die easy, Ryan.
Chapter 8
Jason's daily training included 10km runs, so the 7km to the Slender Crocodile zone was easy—his enhanced stamina barely registered the effort.
He paused at the safety perimeter, throat bobbing as he eyed the massive reptile sunning by the water. Pretending not to fear it would be foolish. Gray Rats and Hyenas were intimidating, but this beast was twice his size, its armored hide capable of shearing a man in half. Virtual familiarity couldn't erase the visceral dread of real confrontation.
After confirming no players were nearby, he accessed the platform. "Can this steel blade kill a Slender Crocodile?"
Xiao Shen answered flatly, "No."
Jason sighed. Low on points, he couldn't afford a better weapon. A pistol magazine cost 1 point, but his aim was unreliable against such a fast target.
Xiao Yuan chimed in, "Of course he can! Don't be mean, sister."
"He can't," Xiao Shen repeated, emotionless.
Xiao Yuan rolled his eyes. "The blade can pierce its hide, but you need strength and speed. Most Level 4s attempt this, but you're practically suicide bait."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Jason rolled his eyes.
Xiao Yuan pouted. "Your attitude is lowering our favorability rating, you know. Handsome boys who're rude don't get bonuses."
"Like I care."
Xiao Shen's smile turned eerie. "I like risk-takers. They're more entertaining."
Jason ignored them, exiting the platform. Just need to know if the blade can pierce skin. That was enough.
Gripping his sword, he stepped inside the safety zone. The crocodile's optics flared, its bulk shifting with surprising speed.
"Come on, you metal lizard."
It charged, first strike a headbutt. Jason leaped right, slashing its jaw—metal screeched against metal, leaving only a shallow gash. The beast reared, jaws snapping for his head.
In the void, he'd practiced this exact move: duck, slash the forelimb, roll. The blade bit deep into its left leg, hydraulic fluid spraying. The crocodile staggered, unbalanced.
But in reality, the recoil influenced his arm numb. It recovered faster than expected, claws raking his shoulder. He barely blocked with the hilt, falling back as its jaws closed inches from his face.
Adrenaline spiked. Kicking the damaged leg, he felt metal joints crack. The crocodile stumbled, exposing its throat as it fell. Jason didn't hesitate—his blade severed the neck cable in one stroke.
12 points earned.
He grinned, blood dripping from his arm, and moved to the next target.
——
All night, Jason fought, each kill refining his strategy. Early encounters left him battered, but by dawn, he predicted every lunge, every tail sweep. The void's simulations had trained his muscle memory, turning each fight into a dance of predict and precision.
Collapsing at sunrise, he checked his haul: 238 points, plus a Strength Pill and Mini Bomb from drops. Upgrading Speed to 30 left him with