As Chen Guo advanced in level, the intelligence of both NPCs and monsters he encountered had significantly improved, indistinguishable from that of normal humans.
Chen Guo wasn't the least bit surprised. After all, he was in a world that, despite being crafted by the Almighty into the semblance of a game, retained a core of undeniable reality.
Encountering monsters and NPCs as ordinary as any human was something Chen Guo would have to grow accustomed to; there was no need for astonishment at this point.
He carefully stored the paper butterfly used for communication with Yim Chixia and recited the Invisibility Spell, vanishing from sight in an instant.
Yim Chixia's unexpected arrival had given Chen Guo a lead on the so-called job mission.
If Chen Guo's assumptions were correct, the job mission should unfold as follows:
Firstly, the trial challenger arrives in the crimson zone.
Next, they catch the eye of the professional mentors within the City of Pain, engage in dialogue, and opt to assist them.
Secondly, the trial challenger must slay ninety-nine demons and collect their Soul Stones. With these Soul Stones, they can breach the magical shield and enter the City of Pain.
In the third step, the trial challenger aids the professional mentors in defeating Demon Commander Kidan, thwarting the Evil Energy Army's schemes within the City of Pain.
By doing so, the challenger is certain to win the professional mentors' favor, earning a debt of gratitude.
Demonstrating a genuine desire for the mentors' profession would naturally lead to acquiring the job.
That's the expected process, though details may vary; the overall trajectory should remain consistent.
Having completed the first step, Chen Guo was ready to tackle the second: killing ninety-nine demons.
This was no small feat.
Judging by the demons' fighting capacity and sheer numbers, an ordinary person would need to form a team to accomplish this task.
It was only natural for Yim Chixia to question Chen Guo's capabilities, given that he stood alone amidst such daunting odds.
Indeed, the challenge was immense.
Chen Guo possessed a fighting capacity of 300,000, yet he had no intention of drawing undue attention to himself. The old adage held true: a cautious sailor navigates safely for eons.
Being overly conspicuous often led to undesirable outcomes.
Having received the gift of invisibility from Yim Chixia, Chen Guo decided to use it to his advantage, opting for stealth attacks over direct confrontations with the demons. There was no honor in fighting these fiends head-on.
Harnessing his formidable strength, Chen Guo could deliver precise and lethal strikes from the shadows. A smirk played across his lips as he drew the Kingslayer, his trusty dagger that had once claimed the life of a renowned king. It was the perfect tool for ambushes and assassinations.
Cloaked in invisibility, Chen Guo became a ghost among the demons, unseen as he scouted for isolated targets. "Shame she's a demon, with a figure like that..." he mused, spotting a Scarlet Succubus who had strayed from the pack.
The Succubus, swaying seductively, was now alone—an ideal mark. Chen Guo seized the moment, materializing behind her and driving the Kingslayer deep into her heart with a devastating critical hit.
The Scarlet Succubus, boasting a combat strength of 70,000, was formidable among her peers and far surpassed the ordinary monsters outside. She even eclipsed legendary beings like the Fiend Demon in power. But against Chen Guo's overwhelming combat strength of 330,000, she stood no chance, crumbling to dust without time to even react.
"You have slain the Scarlet Succubus, earning 30,000 Slaughter Points!" the system announced.
"Ding! Copy ability triggered. You have absorbed 200 points of the Scarlet Succubus's spirit!"
Chen Guo wasted no time searching the corpse before it vanished, leaving behind a green Soul Stone. He scooped up the stone and melted back into the shadows, his presence undetected.
The killing spree continued: "You have eliminated the Evil Child, gaining 18,000 Slaughter Points!"
"You have vanquished the Demon Lord, receiving 27,000 Slaughter Points!"
"You have dispatched Evil Demon Eric, securing 29,000 Slaughter Points!"
These demons were formidable adversaries with high combat strengths, and the Slaughter Points they yielded were substantial. Chen Guo's silent war raged on, his blade reaping lives and rewards in the City of Pain.
Unfortunately for them, they encountered Chen Guo. With his ruthless surprise attacks, these isolated Evil Demons perished silently, their demise going unnoticed by all.
Chen Guo also made a useful discovery: after the Evil Demons perished, their remains swiftly transformed into Soul Stones. Simply by collecting these stones, he left no evidence of his presence, thus facilitating his covert assassination of the demons.
In under a minute, Chen Guo had dispatched ten Evil Demons. The substantial Slaughter Value they yielded allowed him to ascend from level 19 to level 20.
Yet, as one's individual strength grows, leveling up accelerates. Chen Guo's attainment of level 20 was among the highest globally, but he still hadn't made it onto the leaderboards.
This world was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with powerhouses aplenty. Some might not match Chen Guo's strength, but they outpaced him in leveling up.
Chen Guo wasn't bothered by this. Others fought as a team, while he operated solo. His efficiency alone spoke volumes about his prowess.
What truly mattered was combat ability, not level. While levels could enhance one's combat ability, they didn't dictate its magnitude.
In the tumultuous expanse of the Heavenly Battlefield, it wasn't uncommon for low-level trial challengers to possess greater strength than their higher-level counterparts.
Chen Guo's crusade against the demons persisted.
Like a blade in the shadows, he pierced demon after demon, extinguishing their lives and converting them into Soul Stones.
Yet, he didn't advance in level. The further he progressed, the more Slaughter Value was required, effectively diminishing his current tally.
When dozens of demons vanished without a trace, even the dimmest among them sensed something amiss. Despite Chen Guo's carefulness to leave no trace, suspicion arose.
"What's happening? How have so many of our brothers and sisters vanished from the camp?"
"A despicable infiltrator has launched a sneak attack on us. Such audacity to strike at our Evil Energy Army!"
"Capture this contemptible vermin; we can't let him run rampant!"
With the realization that something was amiss, the demons began scouring for any sign of Chen Guo.
If Chen Guo's only skill were the Invisibility Technique, the demons would have surely caught him by now.
Thankfully, Chen Guo possesses more than just the ability to vanish from sight; he also masters the Flying Thunder God Art. Even while invisible, he can wield this power to traverse space with the ease and grace of a butterfly flitting through time.
This ability renders him completely undetectable to the demons. And although assassinating them has become a more challenging task, Chen Guo's meticulous caution ensures that some demons still meet their end at his hands.