Chapter 44: High-Level Assassin, Killer Not Too Cold!
Whoosh!
A flash of white light flickered as Killer Second's body vanished, leaving behind a pair of black greaves and several silver coins scattered on the ground.
On the other side, Killer Third stood frozen in shock.
'What kind of damage is that?'
'How can someone one-shot a fully equipped level-25 warrior?'
"You bastard." Killer Third roared in fury, raising his sword and charging at Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue quickly launched an attack.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With lightning-fast reflexes, he unleashed a barrage of basic attacks and fire missiles, each one landing precisely on the moving Killer Third.
-313!
-234!
-598 critical hit!
-598 critical hit!
In an instant, Killer Third was severely injured. Zhang Yue leaped out of his way, dodging the attack, and delivered a final blow, dealing 732 points of critical damage, draining the last third of Killer Third's health bar.
Thud!
Killer Third collapsed to his knees, eyes wide in disbelief. The next second, his body disintegrated into white light and disappeared.
Just then, Zhang Yue felt a gust of cold wind from behind.
The enemy's speed was too fast—there was no time to dodge.
Slash!
A sharp dagger sliced across Zhang Yue's shoulder, leaving a deep wound.
[Ding~ You have been hit by the skill [Shadow Strike] from player [Killer Not Too Cold], losing 1,425 HP]
Zhang Yue's health bar dropped drastically.
Thankfully, with the protection of his two gold-grade pieces of equipment, Magic: Scholar's Fury and Magic: Berserker's Cloak, he had over 1,700 HP, barely avoiding an instant kill.
But to [Killer Not Too Cold], this was unexpected. "A level-20 rookie can survive a strike from me?"
"Interesting... but this is as far as you go."
Killer Not Too Cold's eyes flashed with menace as he lunged at Zhang Yue with his dagger.
As a level-30 assassin focused on agility, his speed far surpassed Zhang Yue's.
With Zhang Yue's flash skill still on cooldown, there was no way for him to dodge the incoming attack.
His only option was to summon his Silver Armored Scorpion.
Whoosh!
The Silver Armored Scorpion appeared in front of Zhang Yue, intercepting Killer Not Too Cold's attack.
A critical hit of 1,366 points instantly wiped out the scorpion's 1,045 HP.
Zhang Yue realized just how outmatched he was—this assassin wasn't just ten levels higher than him; Killer Not Too Cold was fully equipped with 3-star, gold-tier gear at level 25 or higher.
They were in completely different leagues.
"Die!" Killer Not Too Cold leaped into the air, dagger aimed straight for Zhang Yue.
But just then—
Whoosh!
A streak of silver light shot down from above, striking Killer Not Too Cold squarely.
-175! Immobilized!
Killer Not Too Cold was frozen in place, unable to move.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yue—whose cooldowns had just finished—swiftly raised his staff and unleashed a devastating combo.
Fireball! Ice Spike! Lightning Bolt!
-756!
-1,348 critical hit!
-816!
As an assassin, Killer Not Too Cold had far lower defense and HP than the level-25 warriors before him.
Zhang Yue's combo, dealing over 2,900 points of damage, completely depleted Killer Not Too Cold's health bar.
Collapsing at Zhang Yue's feet, Killer Not Too Cold's eyes were filled with disbelief. "This... this is impossible."
Even in death, he couldn't comprehend how a fully geared level-30 assassin like himself had been killed by a mere level-20 beast tamer.
It wasn't until Killer Not Too Cold's body dissolved into white light that Zhang Yue finally let out a breath of relief.
He turned toward Su Jinyan, who stood a short distance away, and said, "Thanks."
It was a stroke of luck that after defeating the Second World boss, Su Jinyan had reached level 20. Without her to bypass the level difference and land that timely immobilization, Zhang Yue would have been the one to die.
Su Jinyan hurried over, her face filled with concern. "Didn't you see the message I sent you? These guys were definitely hired by Chen Jun to target you."
Before Zhang Yue could respond, Liu Yao chimed in, guilt-ridden. "It's my fault. Zhang Yue risked himself to save me..."
Zhang Yue knelt beside Killer Not Too Cold's remains and picked up a purple crystal ring that had dropped.
'Sure enough, it is a gold-tier item—Slaughter: Brutal Ring, level 28, 3-star.'
As for the gear dropped by Killer Second and Killer Third, the Mechanical Greaves and Glory Armor, while decent 3-star level-25 items, were only orange-tier.
At that moment, Liu Yao's assistant, Supreme Xiaoyao, adjusted his silver-framed glasses and offered some analysis. "If they really are from the Killer Mercenary Group, I think I understand."
"The Killer Mercenary Group is a small guild formed ten years ago. It only has about fifty members, but none of them are above level 30."
"Only level 30 after ten years in the Otherworld? How did they manage that?" Liu Yao asked, bewildered.
Su Jinyan pondered for a moment. "Once you reach level 30, you need to complete a second class advancement. If you don't do that, you'll never surpass level 30."
"Exactly," Supreme Xiaoyao continued. "They're notorious for robbing lower-level players. They've been lurking in the Third World for years, ambushing new arrivals and living off the spoils."
"They've been around so long that their gear has all been upgraded to gold-tier through accumulated ether. They're incredibly strong, and each year, new players from Linhai City often fall victim to their robberies."
Just then, a message popped up in the regional chat:
Killer Not Too Cold (Level 29, Elite Brutal Assassin): "I'm warning you, return my ring immediately, or I'll hunt you down."
Zero (Information Hidden): "Thanks for the gift, pal. I'm planning to sell your precious Slaughter: Brutal Ring on the market tomorrow. Here's the listing: (Item Preview)."
Killer Not Too Cold: "I'll kill you, I swear. If you dare sell it, you'll never survive in the Otherworld again."
Supreme Xiaoyao glanced at Zhang Yue and said, "We should get back to the safe zone. In the Third World, players have to wait ten minutes in the graveyard after dying before they can respawn. If we don't leave now, they might return with backup."
Having just narrowly escaped death, Liu Yao wasted no time. He was the first to sprint back toward the safety of the graveyard.
Zhang Yue, Su Jinyan, and the others quickly followed, returning to the cemetery and logging out.
———
Meanwhile...
Trapped in a dark grave, awaiting his ten-minute respawn timer, Killer Not Too Cold was trembling with rage.
He opened Feixin and messaged a contact named Killer Peiqi:
"Boss, that guy Chen Jun hired us to kill just took me out."
Killer Peiqi: "You're joking, right? Isn't he a newbie this year?"
Killer Not Too Cold replied, "I don't know what happened. His damage was insane. He wiped out me, Second, and Third in an instant."
"Boss, he even took my ring. That bastard's wearing it now. I spent four months grinding ether to upgrade it to gold-tier. I need to kill him and get it back."
After a long pause, Killer Peiqi finally responded:
"I see."
"Leave it to me. I'll take care of him personally."
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