As time flew by, the situation unfolded rapidly.
At present, Aymar grapples with a massive 5-meter-tall Gorilla monster.
Grooaaarrrr ~
The Gorilla repeatedly attacks Aymar with both its hands, unleashing a fierce roar. Aymar holds a shield firmly, enduring the continuous onslaught.
"Naesa, healing!" Elwin, his body shrouded in a thick, radiant energy, shouts.
Holding a wooden staff with a green orb on top, Naesa raises the staff high. A pure green energy vortex swiftly forms above the staff, heading towards Aymar at the frontline.
Green energy envelops Aymar's body, and his wounds gradually start to heal.
"I can't hold on much longer!" Aymar shouts.
After gathering enough radiant energy, Elwin lifts his massive sword with both hands and swings it forward!
"World's Destruction!"
Elwin's large sword unleashes a massive energy bomb attack, like an ocean crashing against the rocks!
Boom!
Elwin's strike lands heavily on the large Gorilla, causing it to stagger and lose its bearings.
"Attack!" Elwin shouts.
Whooshes ~
A dark shadow moves swiftly, launching two black energy lines that approach the large Gorilla, delivering repeated sword attacks.
"Dancing Sword—Shadow Killer!"
Slash ~ Slash ~ Slash ~
Grooaaarrrr ~
The relentless assault inflicts deep wounds on the Gorilla, the attacks not immediately ceasing but persisting with tremendous speed.
On the other side, Loya, positioned behind, prepares to shoot Dragon Fire Arrows.
"Dragon Fire Arrow!" Loya shouts, releasing an arrow she held momentarily.
Boom!
The arrow soars forward, leaving a large fire trail reminiscent of a phoenix in flight! The echoing roar of the Gorilla follows.
Boom!
Grooaaarrrr!
The arrow strikes the Gorilla's forehead, delaying its ability to regain full body mobility.
On the other side, Venix, his body surrounded by lines of fiery energy and wearing simple leather armor, remains silent as he observes the unfolding scene.
"I feel like I'm not playing the same game as them... Each one shouting the names of their attacks, but I don't have anything..." Venix murmurs softly.
"Venix! What are you waiting for!"
Elwin shouts upon seeing Venix still not moving.
"Ah! Sorry! I'll move!" Venix finally snaps out of his daze.
Then, Venix leaps into the air, leaving behind a fiery trail as he takes flight.
Next, Venix firmly grasps his sword upwards, intensifying the energy on his blade even further!
Zsssshhhh ~
The sword in Venix's hand creates an energy tail, resembling a burning wooden staff and reaching 3 meters above the sky!
"You all! Get ready!" Venix shouts as he quickly descends, aiming his powerful attack at the head of the large Gorilla.
Kaeran swiftly steps aside, avoiding Venix's blow on the Gorilla's body.
Boom!
Grooaaarrrr!
Venix's sword strikes the Gorilla's head with devastating force, obliterating it entirely!
The Gorilla's body sways momentarily in a standing position before collapsing to the ground.
Boom!
The Gorilla's headless corpse lies sprawled on the ground.
Upon landing, Venix is already perspiring heavily from his previous exertion..
"Hey, that really took almost half of my energy." Venix wipes his sweaty forehead.
He meticulously planned the previous attack, ensuring he gathered enough energy to execute it.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"What? You spent almost half of your energy?" Elwin, having just approached, hears Venix's remark about energy consumption.
"Huh? Is there something wrong?" Venix turns, wearing an innocent expression.
Of course, there's nothing strange," Elwin assures Venix. "However, with Tier 1 player energy, our reserves are quite abundant. Energy consumption shouldn't be that high."
"So, how much energy did you guys spend dealing with this Gorilla Boss?" Venix inquires.
"Fifteen percent." Aymar.
"Twenty percent." Elwin.
"Ten percent." Naesa.
"Fifteen percent." Loya.
"Twenty-five percent." Kaeran.
"What?" Venix is astonished. "I mean, overall in the battle against this Gorilla Boss, you really only spent a small amount of energy?"
"Of course, that's correct. We strategically use our skills, and acquiring ones that consume a lot of energy for a single attack is quite challenging," Aymar explains to Venix.
In general, the strength of a skill corresponds to the amount of energy consumed.
"Wait!" Elwin feels something is off. "Did you use your strongest skill? That's why you almost spent half of your energy?"
Venix hesitates, uncertain of how to respond.
"There are various attack skills—some basic and weak, some mid-level, and some high-level. In a regular Boss battle, we don't necessarily need to use high-level skills. Perhaps, due to your solo playstyle, you ended up overusing your attack skills," Kaeran calmly suggests.
After being killed by Venix once, Kaeran suddenly becomes more stable and composed.
"Huh?" Venix is even more confused. "My previous final attack almost spent half of my energy, and if I sum it up from the beginning of the battle until now, I only have 25% of my energy left!"
"So that's it. Alright, you should start by using weaker skills and not waste energy. Since we're a team, there's no need to expend more energy when the situation is still under control," Elwin advises.
I can suggest you use the
Venix falls silent.
What are
"Is there something wrong?" Naesa notices Venix's silence and senses his surprise.
"Ah, no, it's just..." Venix hesitates as he looks at his own profile.
[ Skills:
He only has two skills!
During the previous duel with Kaeran, Venix fell into a fierce battle instinct, honing his focus on the imminent clash!
Unaware, Venix triggered another skill—
Energy converged within Venix's body, allowing him to execute energy-consuming attacks with remarkable speed.
In the
"I only have two skills," Venix explained. "One is an Energy Control Skill, and the second is... well, it's like enveloping my body with energy, as before."
"What?" Naesa and Elwin stared at Venix in disbelief.
Kaeran and the others shared the same disbelief; it was hard for them to accept.
"How is that possible? Every player has basic skills when their characters are created, like
"Is there such a thing?" Venix scratched his head, perplexed by the notion.
In the forums, there were too many discussion topics.
Most of the time, Venix focused on searching for the most trending information in the forums or details relevant to his current needed.
Venix also delved into basic information discussions in the game, primarily related to potions and other consumables that were crucial for players while hunting monster.
Venix didn't bother with basic discussions about combat before. After all, he used to be a bird. Would information like that even be useful to him?
So Venix ignored this, remaining unaware that players had basic skills.
"Is it a game bug?" Loya tried to guess.
In the end, Venix confirmed that it was a bug, and the topic quickly ended.
Afterward, they extracted the large Gorilla's body, obtaining several hundred Gold and discovering five items dropped by the Gorilla Boss.
Unfortunately, those items didn't suit Venix's current needs, and he didn't receive a share.
But Elwin, recognized for his strategic thinking, was a fairly wise team leader.
In their hunting team, each valuable loot would be distributed to the members who could make the best use of it. Those who didn't get a share would receive more from the loot of ordinary monsters, and those who got valuable items had to reduce their share of ordinary items.
Essentially, Elwin made a sincere effort to ensure fair distribution of loot among all team members.
They all rested while awaiting Venix's energy recovery.
During his energy recovery, Venix pondered a thought.
Given that players could learn skills, Venix wondered if acquiring
Venix approached Kaeran, requesting to learn the basic skills. Given Kaeran's proficiency with a one-handed sword, he seemed the most suitable mentor. Seeking advice from other team members wouldn't be as fitting.
To Venix's surprise, Kaeran readily agreed and led him a short distance away from the team to impart the basic skills.
"How precisely did you surpass Tier 0?" Kaeran inquired of Venix.
"Of course, similar to other players—slaughtering beasts and leveling up," Venix replied. He continued, "Yet, I employed a regular sword enhanced by energy."
"Like that," Kaeran nodded.
Following their conversation, Kaeran demonstrated the basic skills
Venix failed to discern any distinction in Kaeran's stabbing and slashing sword techniques compared to his own.
Subsequently, Venix showcased the familiar basic attack he had been using since adopting this human character not too long ago.
"No, that's not it. Observe my sword movements; they're stable, strong, and robust. Yours are too stiff and weak. Give it another try, and let me demonstrate," Kaeran advised Venix.
Venix nodded, then executed the Slash motion with his sword. Kaeran, in turn, attacked Venix's Slash motion with his own sword, resulting in a clash.
Clang ~
The echoing clash of swords filled the air, and Venix struggled to control his sword as he lost balance in his grip.
In contrast, Kaeran's sword remained sturdy and composed, showing no movement upon colliding with Venix's.
"See, there's a distinction. Your sword technique is weak and vulnerable to being overpowered. I'm concerned our previous duel was won due to the strength of your attack. In a clash of swords, you'd be at a disadvantage," Kaeran pointed out Venix's weakness explicitly.
As Venix listened to Kaeran's words, he nodded in agreement, but confusion lingered.
What prompted Kaeran's apparent transformation into a different person?
Venix perceived Kaeran as someone who easily stirred trouble, unaware that Elwin and others shared this observation. They, too, puzzled over Kaeran's seemingly accepting attitude toward the recent outcomes.
In Venix's perspective, Kaeran should have been more eager for revenge, potentially turning into a covert adversary within the team.
However, Kaeran remained remarkably calm, as if the preceding events had never transpired.
"By the way, did you genuinely accept your previous defeat so easily?" Venix was genuinely curious.
Venix's discomfort stemmed from his inability to fathom why Kaeran deviated from expected behavior.
"I lost; that's the undeniable truth. Why should I deny this outcome?" Kaeran responded calmly.
"But... you were the one who provoked me first. Isn't your attitude a bit strange and contradictory?" Venix questioned.
"At times, I lose control. Yet, there are instances when I can restrain myself from such behavior," Kaeran replied.
"Ah, okay! In that case, I'll relearn this basic skill!" Venix accepted Kaeran's explanation readily. Further inquiry might only complicate matters and potentially lead to new problems.
Venix, a lover of peace, didn't mind accepting things beyond his understanding to prolong this peaceful situation.
Guided by Kaeran, Venix dedicated about a dozen minutes to mastering the basic skills.
Venix couldn't pinpoint why, but Kaeran displayed remarkable skill in these sword movements—as if he were a true sword martial arts expert!
After a dozen minutes of dedicated effort, Venix's endeavors bore fruit.
[Player learns new skill:
[Player learns new skill:
Beyond these fundamental sword movement skills, there were also basic skills for various weapons, obtainable at the Hero Hall—a place Venix hadn't visited in the beginner village or Caria City.
"Why does it have an additional 'Force'? How does it differ from Kaeran's and other players' skills?" Venix frowned in contemplation.
A subtle distinction existed between Kaeran's basic skills and Venix's. Kaeran's execution appeared as an ordinary attack, unremarkable until his sword became enveloped in energy, transforming the basic skill into an undoubtedly powerful move.
In contrast, Venix exhibited a unique approach. When he executed the basic skill, a nearly invisible spark of golden flame accompanied his movements, adding a distinctive touch to his technique.
"By the way, did you activate the pain level? How much did you increase it?" Kaeran suddenly inquired about Venix's pain level, his instincts and agility suggesting its activation.
Kaeran, being aware of the benefits of the pain level feature, as were other players by now.
"Not a lot, just 20%," Venix responded.
Venix's pain level currently stood at 60%. However, he didn't provide a completely honest answer to Kaeran's question. Considering they were only acquaintances, Venix didn't feel obligated to disclose everything unless required.
"What are your thoughts on this? This game is unlike other virtual experiences; it feels almost real. The effects might extend to the real world," Kaeran remarked.
"It's a possibility," Venix nodded.
Observing this, Kaeran was slightly surprised that Venix concurred with him.
"Do you genuinely believe this game can have real-life effects on us?" Kaeran inquired with a touch of enthusiasm.
"I'm uncertain. However, at the game's outset, when I activated the pain level, the torment felt real. After finishing, I sensed fatigue in my body and, unaware of my pale complexion, much like a sick person. If my little sister hadn't pointed it out, I might not have noticed," Venix sighed.
As Venix responded, the gleam in Kaeran's eyes gradually dimmed.
"Perhaps your body was merely shocked by receiving unusual information from the brain," Kaeran suggested, then added, "By the way, I'll be heading back. You can continue practicing to get used to it."
"Of course, thanks for your help." Venix sincerely expressed his gratitude.
Kaeran then walked back to join Elwin and the others.
En route, Kaeran contemplated.
"This is the first time I died in the game... Earlier, I couldn't control myself and appeared sensitive. However, after being killed by him, everything returned to normal, and I even became calmer... What actually happened?" Kaeran pondered with confusion.
He glanced at his system interface, which still displayed the mission to kill 100 players in this game.
This mission was exceptionally peculiar and instilled fear in Kaeran.
He dreaded that advancing in this mission would lead to increasing uncontrollability.