First Battle

"Mysticism?"

Xiao Wan tilted her head. She knew Jiang Yang's personality—if he said it was just a casual hobby, then it was just a casual hobby.

Having served as Jiang Yang's housekeeper for years, she knew he would never do anything serious.

This was like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.

"Not bad luck. I finally did something proper for once. Did you notify the family?"

Xiao Wan frowned. Jiang Yang's parents were like her own parents, and she was worried about how things were over there.

Jiang Yang waved a hand. "I told them in advance. The old couple didn't believe me and thought I was pulling some kind of stunt again..."

Before he could finish, a piercing scream interrupted him. It came from residents downstairs.

There were still plenty of guests staying in this luxury hotel. Jiang Yang had only booked out these few floors.

"Monster!"

"A lizard! Where did that lizard come from?!"

"That's not a lizard! What the hell is that?"

Screams rose from downstairs, followed by the sound of glass shattering. Xiao Wan, Wu Lei, and the others grabbed their crossbows and rushed to the window.

When they got a clear look at the thing below, Wu Lei was still relatively calm, but Xiao Wan's delicate body trembled.

Ye Qingwei's hair stood on end as well.

"Holy shit! If the third brother saw this thing, wouldn't he hold a flag-raising ceremony right on the spot?"

Everyone knew that whenever the third brother saw a lizard, they all stood at attention. Seeing a giant lizard like this? That was simply unimaginable.

Though he said that, Jiang Yang remained extremely cautious when he moved.

He carefully looked down from the window. A gigantic lizard nearly six meters long was clinging to the wall and crawling upward, with a person dangling from its mouth.

"You still have the mood to joke around?"

Xiao Wan frowned. How were humans supposed to defeat a monster like that?

The giant lizard below was covered in bloody blisters and rotten flesh, giving off a putrid stench. Bone was visible in several places, and even more terrifyingly, there were parasite-like things wriggling among the bones.

At that moment, the giant lizard had begun chewing on the screaming living person in its mouth. Then it raised its head and looked at them as though they were food.

Race: Lizard.

Name: Foul Giant Lizard.

Level: Level 1.

Description: A weak monster from the Land of Filth. It grows in highly corrosive swamps, and the bloody blisters across its body can spray highly corrosive liquid. Although it is only Level 1, ordinary humans cannot confront it head-on. If you can cut off the Foul Giant Lizard's head, you may gain certain benefits.

Plunderer's Insight had provided enough information. A monster from the Land of Filth?

Apparently, it was not a creature from Earth.

The corners of Jiang Yang's mouth rose uncontrollably. In the original novel, these mysterious monsters were covered in Treasure.

For example, a Foul Giant Lizard's teeth could be processed into weapons.

Some monsters' internal organs could enhance physical fitness if eaten. At worst, these materials could be sold at the Apocalypse Store in exchange for the Apocalypse's universal currency: Apocalypse Coin.

Apocalypse Coin was a currency introduced after the Apocalypse. It resembled coins and came in different denominations.

The old monetary system had collapsed, and the Apocalypse Coins issued by the Apocalypse Store became the new trading system. Professionals could exchange the things they acquired at the Apocalypse Store for Apocalypse Coins, then use them to purchase other goods.

Such as the scrolls and badges needed for a Professional's advancement.

Some Zombies and Monsters were more unusual, containing other things within their bodies. For instance, according to the information provided by Plunderer's Insight, cutting off the Foul Giant Lizard's head could yield certain benefits.

"This monster is highly corrosive. Stay upstairs and shoot its eyes with your crossbows!"

Jiang Yang drew the Black Gold Ancient Blade. The Captain America Serum had given him physical capabilities equivalent to a Level 1 Professional.

Taking down this Foul Giant Lizard should be no problem!

"Jiang Yang, what are you doing?!"

"Boss!"

"Big Brother Jiang!"

Xiao Wan and the other two had just taken out their crossbows when they saw Jiang Yang leap straight down.

"Cover me from up there!"

Holding the Black Gold Ancient Blade, Jiang Yang's physical abilities, five times greater than an ordinary person's, allowed him to run across walls and roofs.

But once he truly approached the Foul Giant Lizard, Jiang Yang still felt an oppressive pressure.

He did not have Ye Fan's seven years of Apocalypse experience. Facing such a colossal creature head-on, he was deeply wary.

But as a transmigrator—and someone going against the protagonist—if he did not even have this much courage, how could he keep playing this game?

A fierce glint flashed through Jiang Yang's eyes as he leaped directly onto the Foul Giant Lizard's back.

Several bloody blisters burst beneath his feet at once. Crimson liquid splashed onto Jiang Yang's body, and he felt an intense burning pain.

But the burning sensation vanished the next moment, becoming only mild pain. The areas hit by the liquid showed no abnormalities on his skin.

The Black Gold Ancient Blade was taking effect!

After opening his status panel, Jiang Yang could see the Black Gold Ancient Blade's attributes.

This blade possessed a trait called Death Dance.

It delayed damage received, with the delay depending on the user's strength. If the enemy was killed, the user could heal themself.

Jiang Yang's current delay time was ten minutes.

That was enough time to kill this lizard!

Jiang Yang slashed at the Foul Giant Lizard's claw. The attack seemed to enrage the giant lizard.

It turned its hideous head and bit toward Jiang Yang. Just then, three arrows struck the Foul Giant Lizard's cheek.

Xiao Wan and the others had made their move!

The two women and one man stood at different windows, attacking the Foul Giant Lizard.

However, the crossbow bolts could only make the Foul Giant Lizard feel pain and could not inflict any meaningful damage, because every arrow that struck it was completely corroded away.

The trio's attacks drew the Foul Giant Lizard's attention, while Jiang Yang seized the chance to drive his blade into its neck.

The Black Gold Ancient Blade was nothing like those arrows. In the original novel, Ye Fan used this blade until the very end without it suffering any damage.

Its hardness might not have been the greatest in the Apocalypse, but it was certainly among the best.

The blade sank into the Foul Giant Lizard's neck, and countless jets of corrosive liquid burst forth, all of them avoided by Death Dance.

Jiang Yang gripped the hilt and twisted it hard. Unable to bear the pain, the Foul Giant Lizard fell straight from the wall.

Jiang Yang fell along with it, but the instant he landed, a suit of chainmail appeared over his body.

It was the piece of defensive equipment the system had rewarded earlier.

Black Gold Ancient Blade and chainmail, Captain America Serum and Plunderer's Insight, plus a powerful healer upstairs.

If he still could not kill this lizard, that would be downright humiliating!

Up in the hotel, seeing Jiang Yang crash to the ground together with the monster, the three cried out. A ball of green light formed in Ye Qingwei's hand, and she hurled it downward.

"Big Brother Jiang, catch it!"

The green light descended from above and landed on Jiang Yang, directly offsetting the damage delayed by Death Dance. At the same time, warmth spread through his entire body, leaving him incredibly comfortable, as though he had just received a massage from a highly skilled blind masseur. Every inch of him felt wonderfully sore and refreshed.

Being healed felt this good?

The color was a little lacking, though.

With a beautiful woman's healing filling him with energy, Jiang Yang charged at the Foul Giant Lizard with the Black Gold Ancient Blade and engaged it in close combat.