In Zhou Zheng's memory, he had never seen the appearance of a Sword Boar, only heard others describe it.
Holding the dagger in a reverse grip, Zhou Zheng exchanged a glance with Lan Xi and the others, then moved towards the source of the sound. At level 15, Zhou Zheng's stats were not inferior to a Third-Stage Martial Artist, especially in agility, which far surpassed the third stage. His steps were light and nimble as he walked.
After passing a few clumps of bamboo, the area suddenly opened up into a large clearing.
A large number of low shrubs grew in this clearing, with some stones faintly visible hidden among them. The chaotic shrubs indicated that Sword Boars frequently visited here, making it a regular resting place for them.
A gigantic Sword Boar was lowering its head, using its snout to dig through the soil, foraging everywhere.
The "snorting" sound was made when it raised its head, a vigilant action to scout the surrounding environment.
Seeing this Sword Boar, Lan Xi and Zhou An's eyes were filled with astonishment, because this Sword Boar was slightly larger than a normal one, resembling a small bull. Its brown mane reflected the sunlight, appearing very sleek. A row of twelve sword-like giant bristles stood erect, rising and falling with the Sword Boar's movements. Occasionally, when it raised its head, its tusks appeared as white as snow against its brown body.
In "Firmament Continent," there were also low-level monsters like wild boars, but how could a game compare to reality?
Sword Boars were actually a mutated variety of wild boars, with an incredible sense of smell, capable of detecting even the slightest scent in the air.
As soon as the three appeared in the clearing, the Sword Boar abruptly stopped its foraging, lifted its head, and sniffed forcefully, gradually locking its gaze onto Zhou Zheng and the others, emitting a "snort."
Sword Boars were mutant beasts with a strong sense of territory, and upon discovering Zhou Zheng and the others, it stared at them from afar.
"Young master, you stay here and watch, we'll handle it."
Zhou An sensed the danger emanating from the Sword Boar, a faint white halo appearing around him. The alloy blade he held also shimmered with a faint white light as Star Power infused it, showcasing the unique traits of a martial artist at this moment.
Lan Xi was the same, both of them guardedly positioned themselves in front of Zhou Zheng.
Zhou Zheng ventured into the Sword Boar Forest to test the effectiveness of his skills. How could he test them without taking action himself?
"You two wait here for me."
For the first time, Zhou Zheng used a cold tone, speaking these indisputable words. He tightened his grip on the dagger, took a deep breath, and moved past Zhou An and Lan Xi, his steps mysteriously gliding. Though seemingly slow, he was actually incredibly fast, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"This..."
The mysterious steps and terrifying speed gave Lan Xi and Zhou An a feeling of witnessing something supernatural. Even they couldn't achieve such silent, rapid movement. The only thought in their minds was when the young master had acquired such skills.
In truth, this was an instinct of Zhou Zheng's, or rather, an instinct granted by his game character.
What does a rogue rely on for survival? It's their silent, traceless movements, hiding in the shadows. To achieve this, one must have superior speed and stealth, going unnoticed. In the darkness, a rogue's critical strike is a one-hit kill.
A stroke of luck, that's what Zhou Zheng was experiencing now.
The strange sensation led to actions that surprised even Zhou Zheng himself. As he moved forward, he instinctively avoided every stone and shrub, making almost no sound. These were not abilities he previously possessed, but now he could perform them effortlessly, thanks to the bonuses his game character provided.
The Sword Boar's entire back suddenly arched, its sword-like bristles standing erect and rigid.
A soft "pop" sounded.
Under strong pressure, one of the sword-like bristles detached, tearing through the air as it shot towards Zhou Zheng.
The razor-sharp bristle cut through the shrubs, sending branches and leaves flying, its speed rivaling that of a bullet, granting it immense power, appearing before Zhou Zheng in a flash.
Like a sailfish swiftly swimming across the ocean surface, leaving a trail of waves.
Zhou Zheng twisted his body, and the sword-like bristle flew past him.
A rogue's high agility is not just about speed; a high dodge rate is also one of a rogue's essential skills.
"Too bad I haven't learned Flash Assault yet, otherwise..."
Flash Assault can instantly bring a rogue to a locked target's side, delivering a lethal blow when the target is caught off guard. Flash Assault requires level 30, still a long way to go. "Dual Strike" has an attack range of five steps, a close-combat skill.
Zhou Zheng was quick, appearing before the Sword Boar before it could prepare for a second attack.
The first move was, of course, "Weakness Scan."
With a "snort," the Sword Boar swung its head, its tusks sweeping towards Zhou Zheng.
Zhou Zheng merely stepped back, dodging the tusks that were inches away, while silently chanting "Dual Strike." The steel dagger emitted a white glow, tracing an irregular arc in the air, striking heavily at the weak point on the Sword Boar's head.
No damage numbers appeared, but the Sword Boar's health bar suddenly dropped by one-fifth.
What surprised Zhou Zheng even more was that "Dual Strike" only delivered one hit; the second strike didn't occur, yet the Sword Boar's health bar decreased by another segment.
The second strike of "Dual Strike" was an invisible, mandatory secondary damage.
In other words, as long as the first hit landed, the second hit's damage would be forcibly added, without needing a follow-up strike, making it unavoidable.
The Sword Boar had thick skin and flesh, being a second-tier mutant beast, ordinary firearms would only cause surface damage, perhaps not even killing it with a dozen shots. The steel dagger, with Zhou Zheng's strength bonus, was comparable to a bullet's kinetic energy, yet it only penetrated a finger's depth, insignificant for the massive Sword Boar. The source of this chapter is novelping . com.
But the Sword Boar's reaction was even more mysterious, as if it had suffered a severe trauma, letting out a mournful howl.
With just one strike, it lost a quarter of its health.
Zhou Zheng's eyes widened, finally understanding that in the game, it wasn't necessary to hit a monster's vital point or cut deeply and heavily for damage to occur. In the game, as long as your weapon made contact with the monster, damage would be forcibly inflicted.
And this trait had somehow carried over into reality.
A real dagger would at most cause a superficial wound to the Sword Boar, but now, with Zhou Zheng's skill enhancement, it would forcibly inflict damage.
Taking away a quarter of the Sword Boar's life in one hit, this wasn't a game monster, it was a living mutant beast. Losing a quarter of its health was enough to significantly impact it, a severe injury.
An injured wild boar is the most terrifying.
The Sword Boar was no exception, the massive damage causing the wound to expand, blood gushing out. Its howl shook the surrounding bamboo, leaves falling like rain, its limbs digging into the soil as it charged at Zhou Zheng.
With the Sword Boar's mass, being hit would send even a Fourth or Fifth-Stage Martial Artist flying, coughing up blood.
A rogue relies on speed, and with "Dual Strike" still on cooldown, Zhou Zheng dodged, twisting his body to evade the Sword Boar, then activated the second active skill, "Backstab," as it passed by.
The skill that best embodies a rogue is "Backstab," typically used for ambushes.
The steel dagger once again glowed white, and with a reverse grip, Zhou Zheng stabbed it into the Sword Boar's back.
Countless cracks appeared on the Sword Boar's back, with a 150% attack bonus and 300 additional damage points. How high was this value? Almost instantly, the remaining three-quarters of the Sword Boar's health bar was reduced to a small segment.
Moreover, the damage effect from "Backstab" caused countless cracks at the point of impact, as if it had been torn into strips, blood gushing out like it was free. The Sword Boar's charge resembled a crashing plane, plowing into the ground, its tusks acting as a plow, carving a trench in the soil.
With only a small segment of its health bar left, the Sword Boar could only twitch and whimper, its wounds bleeding until it reached zero.
Standing before the massive Sword Boar, Zhou Zheng held the dagger in a reverse grip, still in shock from the effects of the skills.
Zhou An and Lan Xi rushed over, like two meteors under the influence of Star Power, but when they saw the Sword Boar lying before Zhou Zheng, their eyes nearly popped out. They couldn't believe that in the few breaths it took them to arrive, the young master had already slain the Sword Boar.
What terrified them even more were the mysterious wounds on the Sword Boar.
...