"Avarice breeds mischief."

"Don’t flaunt your wealth."

"A common man is innocent, but a treasuring jade rings guilty."

"Men die for wealth as birds die for food."

…

Clearly, these are famous sayings and truths. For example, certain people behind me are well-suited for the first saying, while I violated the second, directly leading to the third. So... who will the fourth saying apply to?

Turning around, I take a deep breath, activate my magic shield, and simultaneously, two beams of white light—courage and first aid—fall on me.

"Oh?" Ahead, two mages and a seemingly newly transferred novice mage stand in a line, both mages emitting a faint blue light.

"Haha, sorry, we'll leave then." Seeing their numbers and equipment, my initially cold words changed to a fervent apology at the last moment after an initial exclamation.

"Ziyi, let’s go, we’ll find another spot." Smiling at the troublemakers, I nodded and then pulled Ziyi’s hand to move to a different area.

Although Ziyi looked stubborn, she understood that it was not the time to be quarrelsome. Losing levels was minor, but losing green equipment would be major. It was clear that these guys decided to pick a fight after noticing that the beetle had been cursed by the undead. Although the green staff was tempting, it wasn't worth killing for given my current level. However, when they saw the additional skill and its powerful effect, they couldn’t resist anymore.

Seeing me cooperating so well, the troublemakers were momentarily speechless. However, they were unwilling to let such a fat sheep escape so easily. The novice mage yelled, "You think you can just leave after taking our spot?"

Rage surged within me. Damn it, I’ve already conceded this much, what more do they want?

"Then what do you want?" I coldly responded, unwilling to humble myself further, especially in front of a beautiful woman.

"Leave your weapon and go." The novice mage arrogantly stepped forward and demanded.

"Not a chance!" Ziyi and I spoke simultaneously, and I felt my anger boil over. The prepared Vampire’s Kiss spell exploded on the novice mage, creating a red aura, -85 HP, followed by a Death Ray, -65 HP. The novice mage turned into a beam of white light without leaving any last words.

"Run!" Without hesitation, I grabbed Ziyi and bolted toward the way we came.

Angry shouts erupted behind us, followed by two "thuds"—sounds of warriors' combat bindings landing. Damn, their preparation was thorough.

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"Chase! That mage killed our leader!" one of the mages shouted in anger. The blue light of the Pause spell landed ten centimeters behind my heel.

Oh? Accidentally killed their leader? I smirked inwardly. However, in my hurried glance back, I saw two warriors and the two mages chasing after us.

"Head to the rest station, go to the no-combat zone. I’ll head up the mountain." I shouted to Ziyi, thinking that as a man, I should shoulder the burden.

"No, we escape together." Surprisingly, the beauty knew to share the burden.

"Fool, they’re after me. Just go back." I shoved Ziyi aside while dodging monsters. The respawning beetles and zombies provided excellent cover for us.

"Take care then..." The beauty hesitated but understood my meaning, sprinting towards the entrance. Surprisingly, she could run quite fast when escaping.

"Damn, that girl ran away."

"Forget her, chase this mage. The leader said to kill him down to level ten if needed." The mages shouted, casting Death Rays recklessly.

Leader? Did I provoke a gang? I wondered, but there was no time to think. Judging by their movements, they were around level 20. Since we were all low-speed classes, I decided to take them on a mountain chase.

Lion Valley was surrounded by mountains, but oddly, no monsters spawned on them—just some birds. As I climbed into the forest, countless birds were startled into flight.

The four behind me persisted, following the trail I blazed, shouting curses and even advising me to surrender to avoid future chases. Damn, what a bunch of scumbags.

Before entering the game, the hellish darkness training I experienced proved beneficial. Even though it was late at night with only faint starlight, it was enough for me to distinguish between grass and trees. However, my pursuers, despite their torches, struggled. My silent sprint through the underbrush left them dependent on the sounds and traces I left behind, significantly slowing them down.

Gradually, the torchlight faded, leaving only distant shouts echoing through the night. Ha! Trying to play hide and seek with me in the dark? You’re not up to it!

After circling the area several times, I found a large rock to rest on. It seemed they couldn’t keep up. Even if they could, they wouldn’t know which way I went. Time to head back.

With a mischievous smile, I reached into my bag, only for it to turn into a grimace. Return scroll! Damn it, to save money, I hadn’t bought a return scroll worth one gold coin!

The joy of victory vanished instantly! After running all the way up, I was now stuck halfway up the mountain!

Suddenly, a stranger’s voice came through the private chat, "Damn, kid, if you’ve got guts, stay on the mountain forever. If you come down, we’ll kill you down to level ten!"

Oh? So the leader I killed checked my name with the death records officer. "Damn, kid, did you hear our leader? Come down and surrender, or we’ll kill you every time we see you." The ones who chased me also learned my name.

Ignoring the private chat, I felt a sense of melancholy. Although they were bluffing, the game was vast. Could they really guard me for dozens of levels? However, the current situation was frustrating, stuck halfway up the mountain with no way up or down, and likely a group of lackeys waiting below.

Ziyi’s message arrived, offering some pointless comfort and asking if I had escaped. She had some conscience. I replied that I was safe, then lay back on the rock.

Silence. The mountain forest was utterly silent. The faint starlight occasionally revealed the blowing mountain wind, adding to the desolation. Staring at the surrounding darkness, fatigue slowly crept over me.