The Curser was a pure magic-type monster—one of the most troublesome kinds to fight head-on. Nearly all of its skills were wide-ranged, layered bursts of corrosive energy, and the damage they dealt was enough to wipe out low-level players in an instant.
The moment Qin Feng's Poison Dart struck, he didn't linger. He retreated at full speed, barely slipping past the outer edge of the Curser's gray blast radius before the skill detonated.
"That was close. If that hit me, with my current HP and defense, I'd be dead on the spot."
He watched as the forest ahead was swallowed by a cloud of violent gray mist. The sight made his heart tighten not with fear, but with a sharp awareness of just how lethal this Curser had become.
This monster had devoured the lifespan of more than thirty players, leaping to Silver-grade in a single surge. If it had continued plundering unchecked, even advancing to Gold-grade or beyond wouldn't have been impossible.
But unfortunately for it, its path ended here.
After the mist subsided, Qin Feng didn't rush in. Instead, he distanced himself further, waiting patiently for Shadow Cloak to cool down.
The Curser clearly had no intention of letting its unseen attacker escape. It continuously lifted its withered arms, sending smaller gray mist bursts into the surrounding trees. These had far less range, but they were still fatal for anyone caught inside.
If Qin Feng were struck once, the fight would end instantly.
Fortunately, invisibility was the one thing that allowed him to play this cat-and-mouse game without taking risks. From beginning to end, he stayed outside the Curser's senses, silent and unseen.
By the time Shadow Cloak came off cooldown, the Curser's attacks had grown visibly sluggish. It had already cast more than ten skills in succession, draining its mana reserves. Even its movements carried a faint wobble.
The monster scanned its surroundings warily before turning to move deeper into the forest.nd then a figure flickered behind it.
Another Poison Dart shot out, drilling straight into its head.
—659 (Weak Point Attack)!
—219!
—219!
Qin Feng vanished again.
The dart had been thrown from nearly ten meters away. Landing such a precise weak-point shot at that distance was something other players could only dream of. Qin Feng's strength was real, but the years of combat experience from his previous life mattered just as much nine years of life-and-death struggle under constant threat had carved his instincts into steel.
After two more Poison Darts, the Curser's health bar dropped to one-third.
The BOSS still hadn't located its attacker. All it could do was flee, crashing through the thick brush like a dying treant. Its long, skeletal arms dragged against the ground as it sprinted deeper into the forest. The sight would have stunned anyone who saw it.
A Silver-grade BOSS, hunted like prey by a single player.
This very Curser had annihilated dozens of players when it was still Bronze-grade yet now, it could only run. And then,
Poison Dart!
A shadow manifested behind it once more. The dart pierced into the Curser's torso, green venom spreading rapidly across its bark-like skin.
The continuous poison damage shredded the last section of its health bar. Finally, the monster collapsed, its emaciated frame crashing onto a bed of damp, decaying leaves.
[You have killed "Curser (Silver-grade)".]
[You have gained 1800 experience points.]
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 5!]
[Congratulations! You have gained 4 Evolution Points!]
[You have gained 124 days of lifespan (tradable).]
The Silver BOSS had yielded enough experience for Qin Feng to directly jump two levels, reaching Level 5. On top of that, the BOSS had given 4 Evolution Points already a considerable haul.
"Greedy Hand."
A golden phantom arm extended from the void, clutching the Curser's corpse.
[Skill 'Greedy Hand' judgment successful!]
[You have gained 4 Evolution Points!]
[You have gained 4 Evolution Points!]
[You have gained 124 days of lifespan (tradable).]
[You have gained 124 days of lifespan (tradable).]
Two extra rewards.
Altogether, one Silver-grade BOSS had brought him 12 Evolution Points and 372 days of tradable lifespan.
And that wasn't counting what came next. A faint golden light flashed beneath the corpse.
"Oh?" Qin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did a Gold-grade item drop?" As expected of Emerald-grade Greedy Hand—its 20% chance to upgrade loot had triggered.
But when he looked at the pile of seven or eight items scattered beneath the corpse, expression returned to annoyance.
"My backpack only has ten slots. I can't run back every time I kill a BOSS. That's a complete waste of time."
A storage ring would solve everything. With that hope, Qin Feng crouched and sorted through the loot.
—
At the same moment,
Shell Town's central plaza erupted as the leaderboard updated.
"Level 3 straight to Level 5? Did he kill a BOSS?!"
"Are you joking? I just saw that big shot selling equipment ten minutes ago!"
"This is insane!"
"My sister's eighteen this year—if that big shot takes an interest in her, I'll get carried to Level 10 in no time!"
"Forget it. That guy didn't care about ten million. Why would he care about your sister?"
Wang Meng, Lin Liyu, and their team of six had just reached Level 3. One look at the leaderboard left them speechless.
"That big shot is Level 5 already?!" the sharp-eyed archer cursed. "He isn't even letting other people play the game!"
Wang Meng stared for a moment, then exhaled deeply.
"Don't think too much about him. Let's return first. We need to warn our families. The world might fall into chaos soon—at the very least, the people around us should be prepared."
Wang Meng was a SWAT officer. He had entered the game only because he'd fallen asleep after an overnight stakeout. Now that he understood the stakes, his sense of duty outweighed curiosity.
Lin Liyu and the others nodded. One by one, their bodies blurred and disappeared as they returned to reality.
—
Meanwhile, Qin Feng was inspecting his harvest.
Beyond the Evolution Points and tradable lifespan, his non-tradable lifespan had surged past two hundred years.
"My current non-tradable lifespan is 418 years and 271 days."
It sounded like an incredible amount but Qin Feng knew better. In the higher regions of God Forsaken Game, or after reality entered the first Barren Wasteland, lifespan would bleed away at terrifying speed.
He shut that thought away and focused on his loot.
First, the Gold-grade equipment:
[Ring of Curse (Gold)] All Professions All Attributes +8 Dark Element Resistance +26 Weak Point Attack Multiplier +0.1 Requirement: Level 4
An all-attribute ring.
Qin Feng nodded, satisfied. Eight points to all attributes equaled thirty-two attribute points comparable to leveling three times.
Dark resistance was always useful, and the Weak Point Attack Multiplier was an unexpected bonus, raising his damage from 1.5x to 1.6x on weak points.
There were no critical hits in this world. Only weak-point multipliers.
Next, his gaze fell on a Silver-grade skill book dropped by the Curser and for the first time in a while, genuine surprise flickered across Qin Feng's face.