Da Fei lives in a small market area in the suburbs, with all sorts of small food restaurants, grocery shops, and hair salons downstairs, a true mixed bag of good and bad. Despite that, rent and prices aren't much cheaper here. Big cities are tough these days. But that's about to change—I'm gonna make it big!
Feeling great, Da Fei ordered a dish of stir-fried pork at the restaurant downstairs. Normally, he would have a drink too, but since he might pull an all-nighter tonight, he decided against it.
Little Li must be at self-study now, right? Even though it's the holidays, Little Li is a hardworking student, a seat hogger at the study room—a real step up from me, who used to hog seats in internet cafes. Plus, Little Li has a good habit of not using her phone while studying, which gives Da Fei the perfect excuse to legitimately hit on her roommate!
Da Fei then called Little Li's dorm. After a long wait, just when Da Fei thought no one was there, the call connected.
—"Hello! Who are you looking for?"
Da Fei's heart skipped a beat, it was Little Fang! She's the number one homebody in Little Li's dorm! I've met her when I went to drop things off for Little Li at the start of school! A beauty with glasses! They say she almost never leaves her dorm, skipping classes to play games online! Yet, her credits are always up to par, truly a weird genius! But for such a homebody, was she taking the call while in the bathroom or something?
Da Fei grinned and chuckled: "Little Fang, it's your brother here!" Well, a sister's brother is surely also her friend's brother!
Little Fang laughed: "Oh, it's Big Brother! What's up?"
Oh, her voice is so enthralling! But calling me "Big Brother" isn't as intimate as "Brother"!
Da Fei also chuckled: "So, you haven't gone home yet for the vacation?"
Little Fang laughed: "I feel less comfortable at home, Little Li went to self-study, if you have any message, I can pass it along!"
Come on, why dive straight into the main topic, let's chat a bit more?
Da Fei, disappointed, had to ask: "When is Little Li's train ticket for? I want to send some items back with her."
Little Fang responded: "It should be the day after tomorrow at noon, you can check the specific train. Anything else, Big Brother? Otherwise, I'll hang up."
Today Little Fang seems rather busy, huh? Da Fei could only chuckle and say: "Thanks, I'm good now!"
—"Then bye, Big Brother!" Click! The call immediately ended.
Da Fei shook his head with a wry smile. Modern female students are so sharp, they see right through someone like me trying to flirt, even turning me into a laughing stock. Little Li often mocks me too, but what can I do, I'm lonely! Once I make my fortune, I'm definitely buying a seaside house and taking a pretty junior as my wife! Little Fang wouldn't be bad! Hehe, hehehe...
After dinner, Da Fei went back home to log into the game.
As evening approached and the waves still crashed, Da Fei habitually pulled out his telescope and saw Blood Sea Wave wasn't battling anymore, just sitting on the island to restore his health. Well, it's about time to calm down, I don't believe you never run out of stamina.
Night fell, and the tide quietly receded as Da Fei rose up, waiting. Starting tonight, I'm making my comeback as Shipwreck Dominator! Hmph!
Before leaving, Da Fei turned to a pile of bones and chuckled, "Thanks, Uncle Juan!"
Now Da Fei's damage is 4-6, facing an anemone with 0 defense and 11 health is much easier, quickly taking one out in two or three shots, unlike before leveling up when it might take five or six bad luck shots to barely kill one, his efficiency improved by more than two to three times! But it seems the Enchanting Poison special effect doesn't work on anemones?
No matter, level 6, wait for me! Wahahaha!
Shipwreck.
For Blood Sea Wave, the curse-filled two and a half hours felt as long and grueling as a real-life day. He could stand other curses, but the Delay Magic that reduces attack speed was unbearable, always getting hit first. It often took two to three hits to kill a skeleton, and even though each hit from a skeleton only took away one health point, with his total health at only 30, killing eight or nine skeletons meant he had to go on shore to recover, wasting nearly a third of the time just regenerating health! This low leveling efficiency nearly drove Blood Sea Wave mad.
It turned dark, and finally, the dreadful long-lasting curse lifted, the deck filled up with more skeletons, allowing him to slay one with a single, unharmed strike. Blood Sea Wave unleashed a full day's pent-up fury! 50 kills! 100 kills! 200 kills!
Finally, a flash of gold, level 6!
Blood Sea Wave upgraded his skill to Master-level Attack Skill, boosting it to 50% melee damage. He continued to add to his attack attribute points, now he had more than enough to take down that BOSS!
Blood Sea Wave laughed heartily: "Magic Book, here I come!"
Only when you experience the pain of black magic firsthand, can you truly relish the pleasure of tormenting others later!
Swinging his blade, Blood Sea Wave charged into the cabin and suddenly found that there were no more skeletons following. Huh? No more summoning? Just as he was puzzled, a heavy footsteps came from the corridor ahead, this was definitely not the clinking of skeleton bones!
Blood Sea Wave furrowed his brows, fully alert! There it was—zombies!
Blood Sea Wave cursed out loud: "Damn it, why is it zombies!"
—Zombie: Attack 1, Defense 2, Damage 1-2, Life 17, Attack Speed: Very Slow 6, Move Speed: 4, Experience 10, Command Value 1, Special Skill: Intermediate Defense Skill.
Zombies, the famed Second-level Soldiers of the Undead Race and the classic protagonists of doomsday themes! In this game, zombies lead the trash tier in every stat among Second-level Soldiers, even worse than Low-level Soldiers. But with their 17 Life Points and an inherent 20% melee damage reduction from Intermediate Defense Skill, plus their high yield and low cost, they jump to the top of the fodder line as the strongest meat shield! Naturally, they're also the most beloved source of experience points for players.
But looking at the slow-moving zombies, Blood Sea Wave was far from seeing them as mere experience opportunities!
What's happening? Could it be that I've leveled up, so the boss's summoned creatures have upgraded too? These aren't the 5 Life Points skeletons that I can kill with one strike! Killing one of these would take at least 3 slashes! Blood Sea Wave quickly calculated the cost of killing one zombie:
With a zombie's attack speed of 6 and my attack speed of 12, I hit it twice before it can hit back, its 2 defense points canceling out my 2 attack points, my damage being 4-7 can deal 5-9 damage, its Intermediate Defense Skill negated 30% of my attack bonus from Master-level Attack Skill, resulting in a final damage output of 6.5-11! It could take two hits, or three at most! But either way, I'm bound to get hit at least once. And if I'm cursed, it could be three to four hits...
No! I can't think this way! Zombies have lower damage than skeletons but nearly half the attack speed, I can totally ignore the swarm of zombies and fiercely assault the boss! So, although the summons looked stronger, actually fighting the boss just got easier!
At this moment, the first zombie reached Blood Sea Wave, who raised his sword and swiftly chopped the zombies down with two strikes, but not before the zombie also dealt 1 point of damage to him before dying.
Blood Sea Wave was furious! Why is my attack speed 12 and not 12.1! If I had just a bit more speed, even 0.001 more, I could've breached this critical point and killed the zombie in two hits without any damage! At this rate, I won't be at full health when I reach the boss!
Screw it, as long as I have 24 life points left, even if I'm cursed, I can still take down that ghost with 16 life points!
Then, as Blood Sea Wave continued slashing his way, he reached the cabin where the Magic Book was located, only to be stunned once again!
The boss had leveled up too! No longer a 16 life points ghost, but instead a higher form—Resentful Spirit!
—Resentful Spirit: Attack 4, Defense 5, Damage 4-6, Life 20, Attack Speed 8, Move Speed 15, Command Value 2, Special Skill: Nonphysical, Magic Absorption.
—Magic Absorption: Resentful Spirits can absorb the enemy's Magic Value to restore their own Life Value, can be used once per battle.
It's just a bit more health, more damage, a bit more attack and defense! I'm not afraid of your magic absorption since I have no mana, I'll fight!
...
At the receding tide beach, after numerous Anemones were defeated, Da Fei's head flashed with a golden light!
—System Prompt: Congratulations! You've leveled up to Level 6! Your Life +2, You gained 1 strategic attribute point, 1 Skill Point, and your Command Power +1.
Da Fei took a deep breath, having persevered in the game for three days, finally making a breakthrough! Da Fei opened the Reconnaissance Skill Book, and with a flash of golden light!
—System Prompt: You spent one Skill Point and learned the sub-skill "Stealth" of Reconnaissance Skill!
—Stealth: Allows the hero to remain undetected by enemy armies and monsters within a certain range, the effect relates to the level of Reconnaissance Skill, the monster's level, weather, and the terrain of the scene. While using Stealth, the hero cannot lead any troops. Prerequisite: Advanced Reconnaissance Skill.
This is Stealth! A core skill for players keen on adventure and treasure hunting! Also, it's the most charming skill in the entire set of Reconnaissance Skills! Equivalent to "Invisibility" in various rogue-themed games, realistically speaking, such a skill is definitely a Divine Skill, right? However, in this game, during broad daylight, Stealth isn't that effective—it cannot fool everyone under the sun without using the shadows of corners and obstructions to enhance its effects.
Now with 30 life points, 4-6 damage, plus the eerie paralyzing poison, I'm not weaker than a Divine-level Hero, and now that I've learned Stealth, whether I advance or retreat, I'm not afraid of any Divine-level Hero!
Shipwreck, I'm back!
Before leaving, Da Fei waved to the Anemones: "Comrades Anemones, you've worked hard!"