Chapter 31

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Strictly speaking, Toxic Miasma was not a Plant-type skill but was grouped into it because it had many a vague connection with various Plant-type skills. Even so, it was such a chickenfeed of a skill that most players would simply ignore it.

[Toxic Miasma: Releases a cloud of poison which lowers the target’s Attack and Defense to a certain extent, lasts ten seconds, 1-second casting, 20 seconds cooldown, mana cost 12.]

Such a skill would be fine from that explanation alone—short casting, short cooldown, and the unleashed poison cloud would lower the opponent’s Attack and Defense. Be that as it may, the phrase ‘to a certain extent’ was key and it was simply puzzling: players who initially thought that it was a good early game skill would find it defective after testing it. Some even calculated that it only reduces Attack and Defense around 2 to 3 percent, and that effect was weakened even further against monsters above Elite-class.

In short, the 2 to 3 percent reduction was basically negligible since most monsters had defense values numbering up to several dozen points, making Toxic Miasma even less cost-effective given the major mana cost. Moreover, the growth rate of that skill itself was very low and had no potential for development, and it was useless even if its area of effect could be increased rapidly.

Nonetheless, most players were not aware of a trick to using it, although that would require the skill to be leveled up to 3.

Moreover, the Skill Tome for that ability was a cheap sixty bronze coins, and Xue Yu used the rest of his money buying consumables.

“Are you really learning Toxic Miasma? Don’t you think it’s a waste on your Skill Bar?” Xue Yu smiled bitterly, unable to imagine the function of such a skill.

“You will know when the time comes.” Nie Fan grinned. It wouldn’t be interesting to explain everything at once—his friends would eventually see Toxic Miasma in a different light.

With a flick of his right hand, he learned the skill.

From Xue Yu and Lin Suyue’s perspective, Nie Fan had produced surprising results consistently with his unique ideas on every occasion, and they would certainly like to see how he could play with a rubbish skill like Toxic Miasma.

“Where are we going next?” Lin Suyue asked, assuming that Nie Fan already has something in mind.

“I have something else to do, you two should go for some leveling.” Nie Fan told them. He had initially planned to bring them to the Heartlands of the Wood Nymphs’ Forest, but thought that it would be fine going later since their equipment were still too weak. They could wait until they had upgraded items, since they just have to remain under Level 25 before heading to the Heartlands.

For his part, Nie Fan was supposed to get a Lycanthropy Skill Tome as early as possible—a core skill for Morphing Druids, but that could also wait now that he has Cheetahmorph.

Hence, Nie Fan sent Xue Yu and Lin Suyue a spawn point for Frost Goblins, a Level 20 monster which was ideal leveling for them.

“Well then, I’m going off with Su Yue. Contact us on voicechat later.” Xue Yu said with a nod. After all, they should train alone and familiarize themselves with their own skills, or being carried all the way by Nie Fan and not improving their skills meant nothing even with their high player levels.

Hence, with their bags stuffed full of Mana Springwater and other consumables, Xue Yu and Lin Suyue left the village.

Checking his own bag and finding that he was fully prepared as well, Nie Fan left too.

***

There was only one entrance into Tajit Village. Two Level 60 Elite Guards stood watch, one on each side of the entrance. At their current levels, they were existences that players looked up to, not to mention that they could instakill any red-listed players who dared to come to close without allowing them any time to react.

Nie Fan himself felt a murderous air hitting him face-on when he walked past the Elite Guards. Anyone would be intimidated by those figures armed to the teeth in Crusader Armor and equipped with enormous War Swords.

Outside the village, Nie Fan looked towards the north where a few dozen players were engaged in a battle royale on a clearing a hundred yards away. There were several especially conspicuous red-listed players, but ultimately there would always be conflict wherever there were people, and the reason they were engaged in PK duels there was no more than to resolve their differences.

Nonetheless, Nie Fan did not linger for too long and made a mad dash deep within the Blood Shade Plains.

At the same time, a Thief who had been sixty yards away from him faded from view.

“Got him!” He said into the party channel.

“Kill him! Kill him until he wouldn’t even dare to leave Tajit Village!” Xu Hong’s eyes flashed with viciousness, able to see Nie Fan through livestream despite being at Moxxi.

1

He absolutely hated Nie Fan ever since he had been utterly humiliated by him at the school’s basketball court, and that grudge deepened when he came online yesterday and found that Lin Xinyan had left their party.

He could not even lift his head in front of the woman he loved, and it was all because of Nie Fan. There was no way he wouldn’t repay that grudge!

Be that as it may, he wouldn’t waste time hunting Nie Fan since he was at Moxxi, but resorted to the simpler measure of spending some dime and having other players affiliated with gaming studios to do the deed. There were around half a dozen studios making base at Kelfied, and amongst them Wandering Souls had the most Thief players who specialized in assassination quests, even accepting requests at a fair price too.

After confirming their employer’s mark, three Thieves cast their Cloak and started to flank Nie Fan’s position.

Meanwhile, Nie Fan was checking his map with his eyes focusing on a position labeled at the center. It was the ruin of a castle and the spawn point of Soul Eaters, which was also heavily populated with monsters that were at least above Level 25. After pulling the data, he started doing his homework to be prepared just in case.

However, he felt that something was out of place even as he dashed across the Blood Shade Plains, but he found nothing as he turned to look at the nearby bushes.

‘Could I be mistaken?’

Nie Fan frowned, and in spite of what he thought, he acted prudently.

Better safe than sorry!

Cheetahmorph!

As his body rapidly turned into a cheetah’s, Nie Fan also cast Lurk and slowly faded into the vast backdrop of the grasslands.

The three Cloaked Thieves were dumbfounded. Were they exposed? No way!

His Cheetahmorph had already caught them by surprise, and they immediately lost him when he cast Lurk as well. In short, both sides now have no idea where the other was.

“How did you lose him? Didn’t you lot say that it’s as good as done?!” Xu Hong roared in rage when he saw what had happened through livestream.

“We were careless. We didn’t know that the kid had learned something as good as Cheetahmorph with his poor equipment.” The leading Thief apologized. In the end, Xu Hong was their employee—and if they failed their mission, not only would they not get paid, their studio’s reputation would be harmed.

“I don’t care. We made a deal and I even paid the deposit! Whatever happens, I want to see Dark Night’s corpse!” Xu Hong insisted stubbornly.

“Relax, he won’t escape us! His destination must be around the eastern side—brothers, search along that trail!” The Thief growled.

He would never believe that three Level 22 players such as them couldn’t handle a Druid with those rag for equipment!