The night still loomed over the forest, silence cloaking it except for the faint sounds of insects and the wind howling through the trees. Having exhausted his energy during the chase, Tang Han sat inside the hollow of a massive tree, hiding out of Guan Yin's sight—or so he thought.
He had run for a long time, leaping from tree to tree, crawling between rocks, before deciding that this place was safe enough to catch his breath.
He took a quick glance at the system screens that appeared before him, flashing with a series of notifications:
[Your "Attack" has increased by 5 points!]
[Your "Stamina" has increased by 3 points!]
[Your "Intelligence" has increased by 4 points!]
[You've gained 2 stat points!]
[Your "Resistance" skill has leveled up!]
[Your "Instant Agility" skill has leveled up!]
[Your "Cat's Claw" skill has leveled up!]
[Your "Cat's Claw" skill has leveled up!]
[You've leveled up!]
[You've leveled up!]
[You've gained 4 stat points!]
Looking at these system screens, his rapidly increasing strength, and his upgraded skills, Tang Han had gained far more from provoking Guan Yin than he had lost. Yet, instead of feeling happy, he cursed under his breath.
'...Damn this system, is lowering my IQ!'
At first, he convinced himself that the "system" was just a tool at his disposal, but in just two days or more… he had become addicted to it like a game.
Still, he couldn't deny how thrilling it was.
'Well, no blame… this is kind of fun...'
'Ah, whatever… I need to calm myself.'
'Of dozens of hits, [Life Steal] only activated 3… no, 4 times. This low activation rate is frustrating… but even so, it's still a huge advantage. I guess "courting death" will be my path.'
Recalling Guan Yin's bloodied attacks—those crimson arrows and the even stronger strike that took the form of snakes—Tang Han frowned unconsciously. In a direct fight, he lacked any defensive techniques!
'One hit from those red arrows would be enough to kill me.'
'I'm currently level 7. Assuming level 10 is a breakthrough, I estimate that the red-robed cultivator is around level 16… Yeah, as for Yu Qin, he might have already surpassed level 20!'
'My only defense is my speed, but that won't work every time… I need a defensive skill!'
Suddenly, his body froze in place!
"Whoosh!"
He felt a majestic aura sweep through the area, like an invisible blade resting against his neck.
'Hmm? This Qi… Damn it, it's the red-robed cultivator!'
'Has he already started searching for me?'
Tang Han's frown deepened as he realized how dangerous this situation was.
Fortunately, his [Assassin's Sense] hadn't triggered, meaning the enemy wasn't close enough to pose an immediate threat. Still, that didn't mean he would sit around waiting to be found!
[Instant Agility!]
He activated his skill and moved deeper into the forest, darting between trees like a fleeting shadow.
…
The sun rose over the dense forest, sending golden rays through the tangled branches.
Tang Han slowly opened his eyes. He was still hidden inside the hollow of a massive tree, his body stiff from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. But he didn't complain.
'To think I managed to sleep peacefully…'
'That red-robed cultivator didn't chase me this far. Thankfully, I washed the blood off.'
While escaping last night, Tang Han had come across a river where a waterfall crashed deep into the forest. Being cautious by nature, he had bathed there for a while, ensuring that any traces of Guan Yin's blood were washed away.
His reasoning? That cultivator used blood arts—he might have a method to track me through the blood on my claws!
After that, he had been too exhausted to bother searching for food and had quickly fallen asleep.
'Good, I'll try to reach level 10 today. But before that…'
Tang Han felt refreshed, but his stomach grumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten for nearly a day!
'The river is nearby. I'll catch some fish.'
He felt that his mood wasn't suited for eating something luxurious like the golden carp.
In fact, he never really had the chance to eat it. Something always interrupted him.
'Ah, such bad luck.'
Tang Han sighed, then quickly moved toward the river.
After a while, he arrived at the riverbank, where clear water flowed powerfully from the waterfall, creating a soothing noise among the smooth rocks. He took a quick look around, then sat at the water's edge, watching the fish swim gracefully beneath the surface.
He reached into the air, and soon, a small fruit appeared in his hand. He had picked it from the trees near the lake earlier. And put it into [Stoarge].
Of course, he could have eaten it alone, but he preferred meat instead.
He took a bite, then threw the rest into the river.
Seconds later, just as he was about to jump in, he noticed faint ripples in the water, hidden among the fish gathering toward the fruit. These ripples indicated the movement of Qi!
'Another golden carp?'
Tang Han felt a surge of excitement. He had thought that this type of fish was exclusive to that lake, but now he had found another one!
As if sensing his presence, the golden carp quickly vanished into the river!
"Whoosh!"
Without hesitation, Tang Han took a deep breath and leaped straight into the cold water, only to find himself facing the raging currents!
The icy water lashed against his body like a chilling sting, and the powerful currents pulled at his feet as if trying to drag him into its dark depths. Tang Han, being an assassin trained to endure the harshest conditions, wasn't fazed by this.
'Tougher than I expected, but not beyond my limits...'
He moved his arms powerfully, resisting the pull. His eyes locked onto the golden target moving away. But suddenly, a cold pressure spread around him, and he felt his body slow down.
'Hmm? This isn't from the water!'
He quickly scanned his surroundings and spotted a massive fish with glowing red eyes staring at him from the darkness, rushing toward him!
'Hmm? Is it targeting me?'
He quickly realized the truth—he saw the golden carp fleeing ahead of him.
'Did the golden carp subdue this fish? Tsk tsk, I bet you're even tastier then!'
Tang Han's eyes gleamed with both challenge and hunger. What he felt wasn't like that [Control] skill from the golden carp, but something more like [Intimidation] or [Paralysis]. This might have affected him before, but now?
[Resistance!]
With a faint cracking sound, Tang Han moved through the water as swiftly as a fish!
[Cat's Claw!]
With a single strike, he tore through the giant fish's head. A surge of blood erupted through the water, dyeing the nearby currents an inky black.
Ignoring it, he pushed forward toward the golden carp, fighting against the flow.
"Whoosh!"
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between himself and the golden carp, which was now desperately trying to escape!
[Cat's Claw!]
In a swift motion, just as he reached it, he tore through its head directly!
At that moment, a new notification appeared before him!
[You have acquired the title "River Claw"!]