The couple ahead were named Niu Gang and Guan Xiaoya.
At first glance, it was easy to tell their classes: Niu Gang was a Warrior, and Guan Xiaoya, a Priest—A classic Tank-Healer duo.
Just like Qin Feng and Little You had once been in his previous life.
Niu Gang spoke loudly and confidently as they walked. He stood about 1.8 meters tall, broad-shouldered and built like a fortress, exuding a sense of security with every step.
Guan Xiaoya, on the other hand, was anything but delicate. Her frame was strong and well-built, almost rivalling Niu Gang's in size. She held a low-quality Priest's staff in both hands, her eyes scanning the forest around them with nervous vigilance.
Then, a faint whistling broke the silence.
"Whoosh, whoosh."
Both of them froze. The sound came from above. Before they could even react, two thick strands of pale-white spider silk shot down from the treetops, wrapping tightly around their bodies and yanking them into the air.
Their backs slammed against a nearby trunk as a massive, pitch-black spider slowly descended from the canopy. The creature was nearly two and a half meters tall, its entire body glistening with oily black chitin and hundreds of small, gleaming eyes.
"What the hell is that…" Niu Gang's voice cracked.
"Ah! A spider!!!" Guan Xiaoya screamed, her voice echoing through the forest.
[Breeder (Lv1)][Grade: Bronze]
Not a normal monster, but a Bronze-grade mini BOSS.
Qin Feng's lips curved faintly as he observed from the shadows, completely concealed by the darkness. Perfect. Boss-level magical creatures guaranteed Evolution Points upon death.
He whispered under his breath, "A Bronze-grade Breeder… around 1500 to 2000 Health Points. Definitely beyond what ordinary newcomers can handle. No matter how many show up, they'll die here. And more importantly…"
His gaze darkened. "This one commands smaller spiders."
A faint rustle followed his words. From all around the trees, small black spiders began crawling along the webs, their movements quick and synchronised.
[Breeder · Spiderling (Lv1)]
[Grade: Normal]
Dozens of them appeared, each with spindly legs nearly a meter long and four pairs of eerie compound eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
Niu Gang's confidence crumbled instantly. His legs shook, his face pale as the webbing tightened around his limbs. Beside him, Guan Xiaoya struggled uselessly, but their attributes were too low. The sticky silk held them fast.
"Break free, hurry!" Niu Gang shouted, pulling against the strands with all his might.
It was useless.
The small spiders reached them, their mandibles clicking as they began to bite.
"Ahhh!"
Their screams filled the forest as bright red damage numbers appeared one after another above their heads. In seconds, both of them were drained of life.
When their bodies went limp, faint grayish-white spheres of light, pure lifespan floated out of them. The small spiders swarmed greedily, devouring the energy. Just as the last glimmer of light disappeared, a flash of cold steel cut through the air.
A dagger tore across one of the Breeder's massive eyes.
-338 (Weak Point Attack)!
The creature shrieked, its hundreds of eyes snapping toward the source of pain.
But Qin Feng was already gone.
Before the spider could even spit a web, its figure melted into the shadows, completely vanishing from its sight.
The Bronze-grade Breeder hesitated, scanning the darkness. Its many eyes blinked rapidly, searching. The smaller spiders continued devouring the couple's lifespan, completely unaware of the predator lurking nearby.
Twenty-six seconds passed.
Qin Feng reappeared in a different position. The faint gleam of his scrap iron dagger flashed again as he struck another of the spider's eyes.
-338 (Weak Point Attack)!
He vanished once more. The Breeder's health bar dropped to just over half.
"Three more attacks should do it," Qin Feng muttered, pulling back into the forest.
The enraged BOSS hissed violently, spewing webs in all directions. Thick strands shot out, wrapping trees, bushes, and even the ground itself in a sticky mesh. The air vibrated with tension.
This kind of wide-area attack could have easily wiped out an entire six-person party. But Qin Feng didn't move recklessly. He crouched low, breathing slowly, waiting.
When Shadow Cloak's cooldown ended, he shifted silently back into position. The Bronze-grade Breeder twisted its body, paranoid and restless, turning from side to side. Its large abdomen quivered as it searched for the unseen assassin.
Too late.
Qin Feng's blade pierced forward, precise and ruthless.
-338 (Weak Point Attack)!
The spider shrieked again, its limbs flailing.
Qin Feng slipped away once more, his outline fading like mist. His rhythm was methodical—strike, vanish, wait. But the creature wasn't completely mindless. When its health fell below one-third, the Breeder abruptly leapt backwards, climbing a nearby tree in an attempt to escape.
"Two more hits left," Qin Feng whispered calmly.
He reached down, picking up a small stone from the ground. In the world of God Forsaken, even objects in the environment carried properties. This fist-sized stone, for example, had 2 points of physical attack power.
Qin Feng aimed carefully, his arm steady. Then he threw. The stone hit the Breeder's abdomen with a dull crack.
-279 (Weak Point Attack)!
Despite being an improvised weapon, the bonus from his Shadow Cloak made even a thrown stone lethally effective. The spider shuddered, thrashing wildly. It spat silk everywhere, panicking, trying to flee.
But Qin Feng had already gone invisible again.
The smaller spiderlings scattered through the forest, clicking and hissing, searching for him. They crawled over the trees and ground, their countless eyes scanning the shadows. None of them found him.
Qin Feng appeared once more, now twenty meters away.
He picked up another stone and threw it with smooth precision.
-279 (Weak Point Attack)!
The stone struck true, the impact echoing through the trees. The massive body convulsed and then collapsed heavily to the ground.
[You have killed 'Breeder (Bronze Grade)'.]
[You have gained 300 Experience Points.]
[Congratulations! You have levelled up to Level 2!]
[Congratulations! You have gained 2 Evolution Points!]
[Congratulations! You have unlocked the Shell Town Level Leaderboard, and you have gained 1 Reputation Point!]
A faint chime echoed across Shell Town as a system notification appeared in every player's mind.
[Player 'Shadow' has killed 'Breeder (Bronze Grade)' and was the first to reach Level 2! The Shell Town Level Leaderboard has been unlocked!]
In an instant, the town stirred.
There were already over three hundred players here, mostly from Jianghai City. Morning sunlight touched the quiet streets, reflecting on confused faces. Most were in their twenties or thirties, still trying to understand where they were or what this strange new world meant.
Then came the system message.
Li Zi and his group, who were exploring near the plaza, froze mid-step.
And within moments, Niu Gang and Guan Xiaoya, who had just revived in the town square, stared blankly at the glowing notification that hung before their eyes.
They could hardly believe it.
The one who had reached Level 2 first… was someone they hadn't even noticed hiding nearby.
Shadow.