The Earthshaking Sea, east of Crescent Moon Fishing Village, Mist Swamp.
The salty, damp air was so thick it seemed water could be wrung from it. It gathered into gray-white miasma that flowed between the low shrubs, obscuring vision and carrying a rotten smell.
This was one of the forbidden zones for early-stage newbies, a gathering place for Mimic Water Lizards.
Three days ago, hardly anyone came here.
Three days later, scattered Player Squads could occasionally be seen probing the vicinity.
At that moment, deep in the swamp.
Bang!
Crack!
A deep boom like a heavy hammer pounding a drum suddenly erupted, accompanied by the distinct sound of breaking bones.
A scaled Mimic Water Lizard nearly two meters long, disguised as a gray, rotten log, looked as though an invisible battering ram had struck it head-on. Its entire head twisted backward at a bizarre angle, and its massive body flew off the ground, slammed into a dead tree behind it, and slid limply down.
Immediately afterward, its body began rapidly disintegrating into a cloud of dense mist. Wisps drifted toward a figure standing nearby and were absorbed into his body.
That figure was none other than Lin Ji.
His muscular upper body and feet were bare, and he wore black shorts. Mud, sweat, and a little dried, dark-red blood covered his bronze skin. His muscles were not exaggerated, but they coiled taut like steel wires tempered countless times, brimming with raw power.
His empty hands hung casually at his sides, thick scabs covering his knuckles as his fingers slowly relaxed.
The blow that had shattered the skull had come from his fist.
Dark-red energy that had yet to fully dissipate flickered like embers over the knuckles of his right fist.
These were the lingering traces of a burst of Rage.