Vol. 1 Chapter 8 – Kill the Wolf!

Moving forward, the number of players sharply decreased until there were none in sight. This was the territory of level-five monsters, and from level five onwards, most monsters began to possess aggressive attributes. At this early stage of the game, this area was forbidden for ordinary players, with level three being the highest they could typically handle—though that only applied to average players.

Ye Tian Xie took a step forward, just about to enter the monster’s territory, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a faint, flickering figure out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he was surprised to see someone sitting under a short tree not far to his right. She was sitting against the tree, her body so withered and small that her face appeared as dry as bark. It was as if her body had fused with the tree, which explained why Ye Tian Xie hadn’t noticed her at first.

A thin, elderly woman… Could she be an NPC of this world? Ye Tianxie walked towards her.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Ye Tianxie asked, forcing a slightly distorted yet friendly smile. A more direct version of his question would have been: “Do you have any quests? Hand them all over.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than his expression froze. He had noticed the old woman’s legs…They were crossed on the ground, completely still, and the exposed parts had a dark, greyish colour.

Petrified…The word flashed through Ye Tianxie’s mind.

“The core energy of this world—the Everlasting Fate Hour—has disappeared. Its whereabouts are unknown. Without the power of the Everlasting Fate Hour, the seal of the Tower of Destiny has broken, releasing all eight Demon Kings. The leaking demonic energy is now affecting all lands, turning even the gentlest creatures violent… Adventurer from another world, can you help me collect ten wolf eyes? I need them…but my body is sealed here, and I cannot leave. Will you help me?”

【Ding… The sealed old woman has asked for your help to collect ten wolf eyes. Quest type: ordinary. Quest duration: none. Quest reward: unknown.】

“Accept.” Ye Tian Xie accepted the quest without hesitation. Although it was a regular task, the  『unknown』 label on the reward piqued his curiosity. Such mysterious wording shouldn’t appear at this early stage of the game. The fact that it did suggested there might be something hidden behind it. His years of gaming had honed this sense.

【Ding… You have accepted the quest 『The Sealed Old Woman’s Request』…】

“Could you tell me why your legs have turned like this?” Ye Tian Xie didn’t immediately set off to find the wolves; instead, he squatted down and asked with a friendly face. If the word 『unknown』 in the quest description had mildly intrigued him, the fact that the old woman had no specific name had really caught his attention. In the world of 『Destiny』, all living beings had independent thoughts. Given that he had obsessively maxed out his charm stat to an extreme 10 points, he believed it wouldn’t be wasted. He was trying to see if he could dig out more information from this old woman.

“Young man, just go. Some things are better left unknown,” the old woman replied coldly.

“Well… if you can’t move, how about I carry you back to the beginner’s village?” Ye Tianxie hesitated before suggesting.

“My body cannot leave this place, but thank you for your kindness. Go now.”

“Alright.” Ye Tian Xie gave up. “Where is the nearest wolf pack?”

“Up ahead.”

“Alright, I’ll bring back what you need soon.”

With that passing comment, Ye Tian Xie glanced around and continued deeper into the area. The season in the 『Destiny』 world was clearly spring, with a gentle and warm breeze brushing against him. Since entering the gaming world, he had never experienced the early stages of killing level-one monsters at level zero. Every time he began, it would always be at level five, or even higher, shocking those around him. Only by doing this could he avoid the massive crowd of level grinders and enjoy the peace of solitude.

*

Northern Hills, territory of the level-5 wild wolves.

Wild Wolf: Level 5, Health: 170.

A rather ferocious creature, fond of living in packs, and will actively attack any human that comes near.

Facing level-5 monsters alone, while only at level 0 and equipped with nothing but a beginner’s outfit with no special attributes, would be akin to suicide in most virtual games. But, this rule applies only to ordinary players.

Due to the lack of other players in the area, the wolves here were densely distributed, wandering aimlessly, ignoring Ye Tianxie as he stood just outside their territory. Ye Tian Xie took a few steps forward, testing the wolves’ aggro range, then picked up a stone from the ground. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it at the nearest wolf.

-1.

The stone struck the wolf’s head, producing a crimson number indicating forced damage. The once-quiet wolf was immediately alerted, its bloodshot eyes locking onto Ye Tianxie’s position. It let out a long howl, bared its fangs, and sprinted towards him.

The wolves moved quickly, at least 1.5 times the base movement speed of players. Moreover, the wolf’s howl wasn’t just an expression of anger. Along with its cry, two more wolves were stirred, each howling in response as they joined the first in charging toward Ye Tian Xie.

Three wolves!

Seeing the three wolves closing in, Ye Tian Xie didn’t retreat from the wolves’ territory to escape. Instead, he squinted, slowly raising his beginner’s short sword in his hand…

Whoosh!

A gust of wind full of ferocity swept towards him, yet Ye Tian Xie’s gaze remained calm. Only when the wolf’s sharp fangs were about to reach his waist did he swiftly shift his body to the side, dodging with the smallest possible movement. The massive wolf lunged past him, barely grazing his body. The larger the movement during a dodge, the more time it takes and the more inertia it creates. Achieving a perfectly timed dodge with minimal movement is far from easy.

The first wolf missed its mark. Another gust of wind followed closely behind. Without even glancing forward, Ye Tian Xie bent his upper body back abruptly, bending at a near-perfect ninety degrees, while casually lifting his right hand holding the beginner’s sword upwards…

Slash! 

-15!

The second wolf leapt over Ye Tian Xie’s upper body, also missing its attack. Ye Tian Xie’s upward swing carved a straight line across its belly, producing a blood-red damage number. In any game, wolves are known for their high attack, high speed, and low defence. This was one of the reasons Ye Tian Xie chose to hunt wolves directly. If he were facing a slow, low attack, high defence creature like a bear at the same level, it would be much easier to deal with, but breaking through its defence would be almost impossible.

The third wolf followed closely behind the second. As Ye Tian Xie straightened up halfway, he used the slight twist of his body to pivot on his left foot, spinning at a right angle. The third wolf brushed past him, and Ye Tian Xie smoothly turned back, took a few steps forward, and thrust his beginner’s sword twice into the second wolf that had just stumbled to the ground, triggering two more damage numbers.

The total time for the three wolves’ attacks combined was less than two seconds. They didn’t strike all at once but attacked in quick succession. Yet Ye Tianxie had evaded them all effortlessly, shifting his body just a single step to the left and turning from facing forward to sideways.

【Hmm, it’s already twenty thousand words… Since the release of the book in October 2009, it’s been a year and a half in the blink of an eye. Without realising it, this is already my third book. There’s so much I want to say… but what I must say is, thank you to everyone who has stuck with Mars and never left. You are the only reason I keep going on this path of online literature, and how long I can continue is entirely up to you. To be honest, working full-time and still finding about five hours a day to write is truly a pain. There have been countless times when I’ve wanted to quit writing online literature, but each time that thought comes up, I immediately squash it… I just can’t give up on you all. Since starting “Tianchen,” my free time has become incredibly scarce. I rarely check book reviews or messages, and I can only glance briefly at QQ messages with little time to reply. I haven’t been active in the reader groups like I used to be, and there has been a lot of disorder that I haven’t had time to organise… Even so, I still feel your enthusiasm every day, and though I feel guilty, I’m really thankful for your patience.】

【Haha, this isn’t an attempt to be sentimental, it’s the truth.】

【Finally, I want to say… something sincere. Considering the current state of the online literature world, gaming novels are relatively hard to succeed with. I originally didn’t plan to write another one, but here I am, returning to it. Hmm, because everything I’ve achieved in the online literature world is thanks to you. Writing should, of course, respect your opinions first. So, do you all still remember the glory of Shura when it was ranked first? That was an achievement made by your strength and passion. Now, do you have the confidence to push Evil Dragon to the same heights, or even higher than before? Back then, we were the strongest team, and I still firmly believe we are the strongest now. For the sake of that past glory, let’s work hard together. All kinds of clicks, votes, favourites, floating clouds, and lolis… bring them all on.】

【——The great Mars, at 2:39 a.m., April 9th, 2011.】