The stout shield-bearer, Floating Mountain, was once again taken aback. He had been so engrossed in observing Lin Tianhao's precise maneuvers that he hadn't noticed an assassin stealthily approaching.
A brief moment of surprise gave way to realization. "Snow Emperor, he's trying to steal the boss!" Floating Mountain exclaimed.Lin Tianhao, however, remained focused on the encroaching figure. The assassin's equipment was remarkably complete for so early in the game. His eyes, sharp and filled with a chilling intent, marked him as no ordinary player. The killing intent in his gaze was not something commonly seen amongst casual gamers. Moreover, he had just deflected one of Lin Tianhao's arrows with his dagger—a feat more common in the later stages of the game, not on the first day."Join my party. We split the boss," the assassin declared, his voice devoid of emotion.Lin Tianhao simply shook his head. "No."Without another word, the assassin retreated, melting back into the shadows of stealth."What's his game? Coming on so strong? Trying to steal the boss with stealth?" Floating Mountain sputtered, his tone laced with anger. "Listen here, kid, I'm with the Floating Mountain Guild. I suggest you leave now, or…""Careful!" Lin Tianhao shouted, cutting him off. Even as the words left his lips, an arrow was already flying.Thwack!The assassin materialized behind Floating Mountain, forgoing the beginner's backstab skill for a swift throat strike. A crimson critical hit flashed: -642. Then came the bleeding: -90, -90…In the blink of an eye, Floating Mountain crumpled to the ground.Lin Tianhao's eyes narrowed. The assassin's methods were clean and efficient, and the damage was alarmingly high. Even with a critical hit, his attack power had to be well over three hundred. At level eight, even with every point allocated to attack, his base attack should only be around eighty. This meant the assassin's equipment or passive skills were providing a substantial attack boost. Some assassin passives granted precisely that: increased attack, movement speed, and attack speed. In truth, most classes had similar variations.Floating Mountain respawned at the newbie village's resurrection altar. He stared at his experience bar, noting he'd lost a level and a level-five piece of equipment. He was numb with shock. "What in the world was that? He one-shotted me?" His understanding of the game was shattering. A tank being one-shotted? It was unheard of!Back at the Twisted Treant King's location, Lin Tianhao regarded the assassin with a cold stare. "What is it? Want to show off your skills?" With ten years of prior gaming experience, Lin Tianhao wasn't about to engage in a pointless contest of skill.The assassin merely crooked a finger in a beckoning gesture before vanishing once more into stealth.Whoosh!Lin Tianhao immediately drew his bow and fired, unleashing the skill 'Rapid Shot'. Two arrows tore through the air, instantly forcing the hidden assassin into the open.Whoosh!Lin Tianhao pressed his advantage. Now that the assassin was visible, he wouldn't be allowed to re-enter stealth. The Twisted Treant King was beginning to regenerate health, but Lin Tianhao wasn't concerned.Arrows flew relentlessly, each one met by the assassin's dagger. Lin Tianhao remained calm, maintaining his attack rhythm. His arrows dealt over five hundred points of damage. While deflecting arrows was possible, the sheer power of Lin Tianhao's shots would eventually wear down the assassin's dagger.And so it did. After deflecting more than ten arrows, the assassin's expression darkened. Faced with the relentless barrage, he abandoned his defensive stance, executing a backflip to narrowly avoid the incoming projectiles."Fool!" Lin Tianhao sneered, sending another arrow hurtling towards the assassin's exposed abdomen. The force of the impact sent the airborne assassin tumbling backward. Then came the second arrow.-502.Two arrows were all it took. The assassin fell, returning to the resurrection altar.Lin Tianhao's eyes lit up as the assassin dropped a pair of boots. He also noted that the assassin's health pool had been surprisingly high. A typical level-eight assassin would have been instantly killed by a single arrow.Brutal Boots (Elite): Level 7Effect 1: +0.5 Movement SpeedEffect 2: +1 Critical HitDurability: 100Lin Tianhao was pleased. The boots' stats suited him well. The only drawback was the lack of attack speed, which was his most desired stat. Higher attack speed meant greater life steal, and thus, higher attack damage.Pocketing the boots, Lin Tianhao resumed his assault on the Twisted Treant King. With no one to interfere, the boss was no match for him. The Treant's 'Thorn Shield,' which reflected physical damage, posed little threat thanks to Lin Tianhao's precise shooting, which prevented the boss from even activating the skill. This was also due to another benefit of the newbie village: its bosses lacked crowd control immunity."Ding! You have defeated the Twisted Treant King. Experience +8250.""Ding! You are the first player to defeat a boss. A server-wide announcement will be made. Do you wish to hide your name?""No."In this new life, a mere first kill wasn't enough for Lin Tianhao to hide his name. He wanted recognition. He needed prestige. Only then could he hope to reach the pinnacle of power. To stand against the Alait Star System, individual strength was insufficient. Lin Tianhao needed authority, control."Server Announcement: Congratulations to player Snow Emperor for achieving the first kill of the Twisted Treant King! This announcement serves as a commendation. May all players strive for greater heights!"The message echoed across the server repeatedly."Ding! Congratulations! You are the first player in Twilight of the Gods to defeat a boss. Reward: 50 free attribute points, 1 class-specific skill book, 1 class-specific main weapon, 100 gold."Lin Tianhao's lips curved into a smile. Soloing the boss had indeed yielded exceptional rewards. He allocated all 50 free attribute points to attack speed, instantly boosting it from 113 to 213—a speed that undoubtedly placed him far ahead of the competition.Lightning Leap (Passive Skill): 1 StarEffect: Your basic attacks have a 50% chance to trigger Lightning Leap, which can jump to up to 10 enemy units within a 20-meter radius, dealing 10% of your actual damage.Cooldown: NoneCost: NoneProficiency: 0/1000Lin Tianhao raised an eyebrow. This skill was intriguing. If its level increased, could the damage rise to 90%? Could the range and number of targets also increase?The mere thought sent a shiver down his spine. His damage was already absurdly high. His only weakness had been his lack of area-of-effect attacks. Now, with this skill, even that flaw was rectified.