Killing Shuoluosi

The sleeping Rock Giant Shuoluosi was suddenly struck. Even though the damage Shi Feng dealt was negligible, it was enough to jolt Shuoluosi awake.

Being abruptly roused from slumber would make anyone furious.

"Tiny human, I will crush you!" Shuoluosi roared, causing the entire cavern to shake. He then stood up and strode toward Shi Feng.

Shi Feng naturally wouldn't give Shuoluosi a single chance; he immediately took out a Burst Berry and threw it onto the path ahead of the giant.

A Rock Giant's speed had always been its weakness, and even a special elite was no exception. While Shuoluosi was larger, stronger, more versatile, and slightly faster in movement and attack than an ordinary Rock Giant, he remained as sluggish as a turtle after being slowed by the Burst Berry.

With 16 points in Agility, Shi Feng's movement and attack speed were high, allowing him to circle directly behind Shuoluosi and launch a fierce assault.

A string of damage numbers popped up over Shuoluosi's head.

-2, -2, -2, -2...

Following that, he used a Slash, dealing 6 points of damage.

One had to admit that Shuoluosi's defense was astonishing. Even with the damage amplification from Wind Thunder Flash, a level 2 Slash only dealt 6 points of damage; if it had been a level 1 Slash, it likely would have only dealt 4.

After a flurry of attacks, Shuoluosi finally turned around, lifted his mountain-like foot, and stomped heavily toward Shi Feng.

As a reincarnator who had experienced countless battles in God's Domain, Shi Feng felt not a shred of panic. With a shift of his feet, he nimbly dodged to Shuoluosi's back, evaded the sluggish attack, and resumed his wild hacking.

Five seconds later, Shuoluosi's HP recovered by 18 points, leaving him with 886 HP remaining. In an instant, Shi Feng's efforts for the past while had been rendered futile.

Compared to ordinary monsters, elite-grade monsters and above possessed a combat regeneration of 2% every 5 seconds. With 900 HP, Shuoluosi recovered 18 HP every 5 seconds, which completely exceeded the damage Shi Feng could deal in a single round of normal attacks.

Despite this, Shi Feng calmly swung his sword, continuously whittling away at Shuoluosi's health.

If an ordinary player saw such HP and recovery capabilities, they would likely have given up, but not Shi Feng. His 16 Agility allowed him to easily dodge attacks, and his high attack speed meant the damage he dealt could fully offset the recovery; it would simply take a long time to finish Shuoluosi off.

It was not only necessary to dodge constantly but also to attack frantically, which could feel monotonous. High-intensity combat was also mentally taxing and prone to causing fatigue.

Time ticked by second by second, and Shuoluosi's HP steadily declined.

Until 15 seconds of attacking had passed.

The damage amplification effect of Wind Thunder Flash wore off, and the damage Shi Feng could deal plummeted. Each sword strike could only deal 1 point of damage, and his Slash could only take away 4 HP, forcing Shi Feng into a bitter struggle.

Five seconds later, Shuoluosi recovered another 18 HP.

In those same 5 seconds, Shi Feng had only dealt 17 points of damage—not even keeping pace with the giant's recovery.

Shi Feng's brows furrowed slightly. Shuoluosi was indeed difficult to kill; without sufficient damage, it was all just wasted effort.

Should he give up?

Just as this thought crossed Shi Feng's mind:

"I will crush you!" Shuoluosi bellowed and slammed his foot down.

Instantly, the cavern shook violently, and sharp stalactites rained down from above, covering the entire area.

Does he even have a party-wipe skill?

Seeing the situation turn dire, Shi Feng retreated from Shuoluosi's side, dodging the falling stalactites.

The sheer number of falling stones was immense, and their speed was blinding. If a full party had come here, they would have been unable to dodge in this cramped space and would certainly have been wiped out. If not for Shi Feng's agile body and the slightly larger space, he would have found it difficult to evade the falling rocks as well.

After Shuoluosi finished executing his skill, he appeared somewhat exhausted. Shi Feng's eyes lit up, and he charged straight in.

Wind Thunder Flash!

Slash!

In an instant, he dealt terrifying damage of -4, -5, -6, and -10.

The "Fatigued" state was a period of weakness after some mini-bosses used their ultimate skills; not only would their attack power weaken, but their defense would also drop significantly.

With the Fatigued state active, Shi Feng saw hope in killing Shuoluosi.

Seizing the opportunity, his attacks became even more frantic.

-4, -4, -4...

Taking advantage of the weakness and the damage amplification state, every sword strike could take away 4 HP.

While in the Fatigued state, Shuoluosi's HP recovery speed also dropped to 1%.

As one waxed and the other waned, by the time the round of fatigue ended, Shi Feng had stripped away 15% of Shuoluosi's total HP.

The subsequent battle was a test of endurance, constantly attacking to offset Shuoluosi's recovery. The Wind Thunder Flash, available every 30 seconds, provided another burst of damage, followed by waiting for Shuoluosi's ultimate move. While that ultimate was undoubtedly terrifying for a team, for Shi Feng, it was an opportunity.

Sure enough, every so often, Shuoluosi would trigger his ultimate, and Shi Feng would seize the chance to shave off another 16% of his HP.

Time trickled by.

Five Burst Berries had already been used, and Shuoluosi still had 32% of his HP left.

When Shuoluosi triggered his ultimate again, Shi Feng took off another 16%, leaving the giant with only 16% HP remaining.

Just as Shuoluosi's HP dropped to 15%, he underwent a change.

His massive body began to shrink, his attack power and defense decreased, but his attack and movement speeds began to rise. This change was highly disadvantageous for Shi Feng.

Although the effect of the Burst Berry remained, Shuoluosi's attacks were becoming faster and faster, nearly striking Shi Feng.

Even though Shuoluosi's attack power had lowered, a level 2 Shi Feng absolutely could not withstand a single hit. If he were struck, it would be the end; his level would drop to 1, and his skill proficiency would also suffer a massive decline. This was absolutely not something Shi Feng wanted to see.

"Do or die!" Shi Feng's eyes flashed with a cold glint as he activated Gravity Liberation, making his movements suddenly feel effortless.

He could never easily give up on a special elite with only 15% HP remaining.

Shi Feng circled Shuoluosi, hacking and slashing frantically.

Each strike dealt 3 points of damage, causing Shuoluosi's HP to slowly tick downward.

14%, 10%, 9%, 8%, 5%.

The duration of Gravity Liberation was running out; with only 7 seconds left and Shuoluosi still at 5% HP, he would surely be killed in one hit the moment the skill ended.

Faster! Faster! Faster!

Shi Feng's eyes were bloodshot, his sword speed increasing with every passing second.

Just as Shuoluosi was down to its last 10 HP, Gravity Liberation ended...

Shi Feng's speed plummeted, and Shuoluosi, wearing a human-like sneer, swung its boulder-sized fist downward.

"Die!" The cooldown for Wind Thunder Flash, which Shi Feng had been counting down in his mind, finished.

Wind Thunder Flash!

In a flash, Shi Feng unleashed three streaks of lightning that instantly pierced through Shuoluosi's body.

-4, -5, -6.

The final 10 HP of Shuoluosi were drained away.

With a loud rumble, Shuoluosi crumbled into a pile of rubble.

System: You have killed the special elite Shuoluosi 4 levels above your own. Experience gain increased by 400%. Received 940 EXP.

Shi Feng's experience bar surged by 27% in an instant, taking him a giant step closer to level 3.

After finishing off Shuoluosi, Shi Feng rummaged through the pile of rubble.

The loot from a special elite was superior to that of a normal elite; he obtained a piece of equipment, a skill book, and 16 coppers.

"Challenge a higher level, and the drops are good. To think it would drop a bronze great shield—this will definitely fetch a high price. If only I could farm this more often." Looking at the blue cross-shield in his hands, Shi Feng could already imagine the many guilds that would be willing to pay a hefty price for it.

Iron Rock Great Shield, Bronze rank, requires 8 Strength, level 5, Defense +21, Block Rate 23%, Strength +2, Stamina +4, HP +30.

With stats like these, it could be called a minor top-tier item. Equipping it would significantly boost his defense and increase his HP by 110—for a level 5 warrior-class, that was equivalent to an extra third of his total health. It was more than enough for tanking bosses in level 5 dungeons, and could even be used for level 8 dungeons.

As for the skill book, it was also quite good: the universal melee skill 'Parry'. It required a melee weapon and could negate one frontal attack, with a 30-second cooldown.

Parry was a popular skill for any melee class and an absolute must-learn for warrior-type classes. It was in short supply on the market, and since the drop rate was extremely low, it was almost never for sale. After all, it was a life-saving skill; being able to block an attack at a critical moment could mean the difference between life and death, especially when fighting bosses. If the healer couldn't keep up with the healing, a well-timed block could buy enough time for them to recover.

Shi Feng looked at the Parry skill book and ultimately chose to learn it. Although he could have sold the shield and the book for a better price, he wasn't about to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs.

After finishing off Shuoluosi, Shi Feng continued his climb.

A bronze shield was mere pocket change; the Mithril Treasure Chest was the real treasure for building his fortune.

He was less than a third of the way to the summit, and it was easy to encounter monsters at the rest stops. However, with only 4 Burst Berries left, Shi Feng had to be extremely careful in choosing his route.

Half an hour later.

After proceeding with caution, he finally reached the summit. It was shrouded in thick fog, with visibility so low he could only see about 20 yards ahead.

Along the way, Shi Feng had already used 4 Burst Berries to kill Rock Giants. If one more monster appeared, he would have no choice but to give up and leave, starting over from the beginning.

Just as Shi Feng took a few steps forward.

A few blurred figures could be vaguely seen ahead.

At this moment, the system issued an urgent alert: Player has discovered the Lost Land. Hidden quest "Past Glory" initiated. All external communication for the player is temporarily disabled, and the player cannot leave this area until the quest is completed.

"Damn it, those assassins lied." Shi Feng couldn't help but curse; those assassins had definitely withheld some information.

The situation at the summit was completely different from what those assassins had reported.