Chapter 7: The Black Wind Fortress Bandit Chief!
Tang Xuan carried an iron sword, with thirteen throwing needles in his game backpack, and arrived at the northern mine outside the beginner’s village.
The blacksmith’s “Collect Iron Ore” novice quest had a level restriction of “5 to 10.” Because of this, the mine was utterly deserted; not a single player could be seen. In fact, in this beginner’s village, number 2512, Tang Xuan was currently the only one who had reached level 5. Even among all the beginner villages, he was among the top players. Only the prominent figures of major guilds, with the resources of their entire guilds behind them and being experts in online games themselves, could barely keep up with Tang Xuan’s level.
Though the mine was empty now, it was only a matter of time before more players reached level 5 and flocked here for quests. However, this “emptiness” referred only to the absence of players—not of monsters.
Tang Xuan had barely stepped into the mine when two humanoid monsters rushed toward him.
“Where did this scoundrel come from, daring to trespass on Blackwind Fort’s territory? Prepare to die!”
The two level 5 humanoid monsters, Blackwind Fort bandit lackeys, each brandished a machete with fierce momentum. They shouted as they charged Tang Xuan, swinging their blades menacingly.
“A scoundrel?” Tang Xuan couldn’t help but find it odd to be called a scoundrel by bandits themselves. Unfazed, he dodged their attacks with a flicker of movement and thrust his sword at one of them.
Now that he’d reached level 5, his speed was 170. Even without using any movement skills, he could easily evade these monsters’ attacks, thanks to the stat boosts from his level 10 masterful basic internal skills.
His sword strike, though only a basic attack with no special skill, dealt a whopping 360 damage.
-360
Critical hit! A deadly blow.
His sword had pierced the monster’s heart. With his base attack at 170, plus 10 from the iron sword for a total of 180, a critical strike dealt double damage—360 points in one blow. The level 5 humanoid monster only had 500 health. Hit in the heart, it immediately entered a near-death state, rendered incapable of fighting back.
The second bandit, missing his first strike, swung again. Tang Xuan dodged lightly, thrusting his sword into the second bandit’s heart as well.
-360
Bright red digits appeared—another critical, a deadly strike.
Both bandits, pierced through the heart, collapsed helplessly, now powerless.
Even if Tang Xuan didn’t finish them off, they would bleed out and die, in line with “The Great Wuxia” game’s commitment to 100% realism. Still, Tang Xuan quickly delivered the finishing blows.
-180
-180
Two basic attacks ended their lives instantly.
[You killed a level 5 wild monster, Blackwind Fort lackey. Gained 50 experience points.]
[You killed a level 5 wild monster, Blackwind Fort lackey. Gained 50 experience points.]
Tang Xuan nodded in satisfaction at the experience notifications. Only he, at level 5, could so effortlessly defeat two level 5 humanoid monsters with basic attacks alone, not even needing any skills. The stat boosts from his level 10 masterful basic internal skill were no joke. Not to mention his basic fist and sword techniques, also at masterful level—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to solo a level 10 wild monster, let alone a boss-tier one, at level 4!
Tang Xuan ventured deeper into the mine and soon spotted a protruding rock. He took out the special pickaxe he’d received from the blacksmith for the quest, mined a piece of iron ore, and stowed it in his backpack.
The quest required him to collect 100 pieces of iron ore.
He pressed onward into the mine. Soon, he encountered three more Blackwind Fort lackeys, who charged at him with intimidating shouts.
This mine was occupied by Blackwind Fort, and their bandits ranged from level 5 to level 10. Even the level 10 bandits were no match for the twin-headed centipede boss he’d faced before, let alone for Tang Xuan.
This group consisted of one level 6 and two level 5 bandits. Tang Xuan dodged their attacks in a blur, slipped to one side, and stabbed one of the level 5 bandits in the heart.
-360
Once again, a critical hit to the heart. The bandit collapsed, near death.
The other two attacked, but Tang Xuan dodged again and delivered another thrust, piercing the second level 5 bandit’s heart.
-360
Another deadly strike.
Both fell, helpless.
The remaining level 6 bandit, witnessing this, turned pale with fear and fled.
“Hm?”
Treating them simply as “monsters,” Tang Xuan suddenly felt disconcerted. For a moment, it seemed as though he were killing real people.
“They’re NPCs,” he reassured himself. With his speed of 170, he easily caught up to the fleeing bandit and stabbed him in the back.
-360
Another critical hit.
Even though this level 6 bandit had 600 health—100 more than the others—a strike to the back was just as fatal. Without rare medicine, he would bleed out and die.
Tang Xuan finished off the three bandits with a few more sword strikes.
[You killed a level 6 wild monster, Blackwind Fort lackey. Gained 60 experience points.]
[You killed a level 5 wild monster, Blackwind Fort lackey. Gained 50 experience points.]
[You killed a level 5 wild monster, Blackwind Fort lackey. Gained 50 experience points.]
…
Tang Xuan made his way deeper into the mine, mining ore and dispatching more Blackwind Fort bandits. His level gradually rose from 5 to 8.
[Name: Challenger of Heaven]
[Level: 8]
[Health: 800/800]
[Internal Force: 120/120]
[Attack: 210]
[Defense: 200]
[Speed: 200]
[Martial Arts: Plum Blossom Thirteen Needles (Masterful), Basic Internal Skill (Masterful), Basic Movement Skill (Masterful), Basic Fist Technique (Masterful), Basic Sword Technique (Masterful), …]
[Backpack: Throwing Needles x13, Iron Ore x108]
Tang Xuan had already completed the “Collect Iron Ore” quest, gathering eight more pieces than required. He lingered in the mine, searching for a presence akin to the twin-headed centipede boss—a leader among wild monsters.
His basic stats—defense and speed—now increased by 10 per level, had reached 200 each. With the iron sword equipped, his attack had risen to 210.
“I’ve cleared out nearly all the bandit lackeys here. They won’t respawn for a while. Why haven’t I found the wild boss? Or is there none?”
Pondering aloud, Tang Xuan explored the depths of the mine. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
Directly ahead, a level 15 wild monster’s name glowed scarlet.
Blackwind Fort’s Bandit Chief!