Vol. 1 Chapter 17 – Blow It Up!

Just as expected, a sudden change occurred. The Giant Fierce Wolf, now with less than 20% health, stopped its attack and let out a terrifying howl towards the sky. An overwhelming, violent aura surged out of its body, and its fur stood up on end. Its large wolf eyes turned blood-red, exuding a chilling murderous intent. The sudden shift in atmosphere caused all five players to feel a surge of fear. The trainee shield guard instinctively took a step back, exclaiming in shock, “It’s berserk! Be careful, everyone! Increase the damage output!”

Berserk: When the Giant Fierce Wolf’s health drops below 20%, there is a 50% chance to trigger this skill. Once triggered, attack power, attack speed, and movement speed are increased by 30%, while defence is reduced by 30%, lasting for 1 minute.

In its berserk state, the Giant Fierce Wolf naturally broke free from the 『taunt』 effect it had been under. It no longer targeted the shield guard in front of it, but instead, with a furious roar, leapt towards the trainee priest standing behind. The priest, caught off guard, didn’t even have time to scream before the massive wolf’s claws struck his chest, instantly taking away half of his health.

The shield guard was stunned and quickly turned around, but his 『taunt』 skill was still on a 10-second cooldown, leaving him unable to immediately draw the wolf’s aggro back. The priest scrambled to retreat, but how could his speed possibly match that of a berserk wolf? Another claw strike tore across his chest, and the health bar above his head emptied instantly. His body fell straight to the ground, turning into a flash of white light as he was sent back to the novice village.

With the priest down, the remaining four players were thrown into chaos. The two ranged players fumbled with their attacks, their nerves shattered. Meanwhile, the Giant Fierce Wolf, having killed the priest, roared once more and charged towards the trainee mage, who was still casting magic missile after magic missile.

“Fall back!” the shield guard shouted urgently. The trainee mage’s health couldn’t withstand two hits from the wolf, and with the priest now gone, his recovery potions used up, the wolf’s remaining 200 HP seemed like an insurmountable barrier. Even if all four of them died here, it was uncertain whether they could take down the last bit of the wolf’s health.

The four players scattered in different directions, fleeing towards the safe zones outside the map. The shield guard, in his desperation, ran directly towards Ye Tian Xie’s location and shouted, “Friend! Could you help us out? This boss is almost dead. I’ll add you to our party, and if you trade me your recovery potions, we’ll give you one of the items it drops as a reward!”

Ye Tian Xie narrowed his eyes slightly, a peaceful smile appearing on his calm face. “Alright, just remember to keep your word.”

【Ding… Player Hong Ye Iron Wall invites you to join their party. Do you accept?】

“Heh, I accept.”

The notification confirming that he had successfully joined the party sounded in his ears. The shield guard, having reached Ye Tianxie, hurriedly urged, “Quick, trade me all the recovery potions you have… This is a level 5 boss! Not only will you share in a lot of experience, but you’ll also get an equipment drop. You’re going to make a killing!”

If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, Hong Ye Iron Wall would never have asked for help from someone still wearing a full set of novice gear. Without hesitation, Ye Tian Xie took out five small recovery potions from his inventory and traded them to him. The shield guard grabbed them quickly, saying no more, and charged back towards the Giant Fierce Wolf, which was now chasing the archer. He shouted, “Get ready to deal damage!”

The shield guard swiftly used his “taunt” skill again, causing the wolf to pause for a moment before turning its focus back on him. The shield guard braced himself, using his shield to block the wolf’s attack. The other three players, who had been fleeing, gathered back around and began another round of attacks.

Meanwhile, Ye Tian Xie, at some point, had casually walked over, stabbing the Giant Fierce Wolf with his novice sword, one hit after another, dealing a laughable amount of damage:

-1, -1, miss…

A new name appeared on the team panel—Xie Tian—and next to it, glaringly, his level was just 1. The four members of the Red Leaf Alliance all showed the same disdainful expressions.

The Giant Fierce Wolf’s HP dropped from 200 to 150, and then from 150 to just on the brink of 100. The warrior, who was swinging his two-handed sword, cast a cold glance at Ye Tian Xie and whispered to Red Leaf Iron Wall, “Kick him out. Otherwise, he’ll share our experience… and who knows, he might try to snatch the loot later.”

No sooner had the trainee warrior finished speaking than Ye Tian Xie’s ears rang with the notification, “You have been kicked from Red Leaf Iron Wall’s team.” A cold smile curled at the corners of his mouth. He stepped forward suddenly, and the novice short sword in his hand vanished. When he struck again, a massive black arc swept forward, slicing right into the body of the Giant Fierce Wolf…

-142!

A stunning yellow critical hit flashed on the Giant Fierce Wolf’s head, and amidst its sorrowful howl, its HP was instantly drained. The massive wolf collapsed to the ground, dropping a pile of copper coins, health potions, and three items, all glowing faintly with blue light.

【Ding! You have successfully killed the Three-Star Elite Giant Fierce Wolf, gaining 400 experience points.】

With 10 points in luck—the maximum luck value that any player could currently achieve—Ye Tian Xie’s critical hit rate was far higher than that of regular players. His chance of obtaining high-quality loot and equipment from monsters was also significantly greater.

The four members of Red Leaf Alliance stood there, dumbfounded, as they watched Ye Tian Xie pick up the three items from the ground. The gleam of the equipment confirmed that they were indeed steel-grade items. The fact that three steel-grade items had dropped at once was enough to astonish them, but their gazes were now entirely focused on the massive black weapon in Ye Tian Xie’s hand. Its shape was even more exaggerated than that of a two-handed greatsword, twisted and indescribably bizarre, with occasional flickers of eerie light. Any player seeing such a weapon for the first time would undoubtedly have the same shocked expression.

Shock was soon followed by the stirrings of greed. They felt no guilt over kicking Ye Tian Xie from the team and even the humiliation and anger of having their boss kill , stolen, faded into the background. The weapon’s strange appearance, along with the over-100 damage Ye Tian Xie had just dealt, left no doubt in their minds—this was no ordinary weapon; it was something incredibly powerful.

“He dared to steal our kill! Get him! Take him down!”

The trainee shield guard’s face contorted, and he finally let out a low growl before charging toward Ye Tian Xie. However, as he closed the distance, Ye Tian Xie’s strange, unreadable smile sent a sudden jolt through the shield guard’s heart, making him falter for a moment before swinging his sword down on Ye Tian Xie.

【Ding… You have been attacked by Red Leaf Iron Wall’s team. You now have 30 minutes to retaliate.】