Chapter 50: The Unconquerable Mountain (3)

"The last lesson for a talented player like you, Jake," Richard smiled, turning a blind eye to Jake's pained expression. "Humans are really weird creatures. I once knew a man whose prestige as a hunter stretched far and wide across the world. He was strong, bold, and merciless. He'd fight any monster, even those looking like devils from the worst nightmares.

Yet, he couldn't lift a finger at his own kin—a human. The human hired by the monsters to kill him. Someone who would do anything for fame and money... he just couldn't kill that person.

"Why? The hired man had the same killing intent and similar motives as the monsters, right?" Richard asked.

Jake didn't answer him.

He could see what the crux of the last lesson was.

Fighting monsters was much different than clashing with one's kin—a human.

Although Jake exchanged words with the intelligent eagle in a human language, it wasn't similar in the slightest to battling one's kind, with whom he had lived for eighteen years in a peaceful and modern world.

The principles from the world in question shaped Jake's mindset and personality.

That said, because he was in the immersive virtual reality game, those principles and troubles mattered the most.

He wasn't clicking a mouse or keyboard or looking at Richard through the screen—Jake stood there in person, viewing the man's feelings with his eyes and even feeling them with his heart.

He breathed, experienced pain, and felt sadness and happiness all the same in the Legend Enigma Online.

Just like climbing The Unconquerable Mountain was impossible for many players because of its natural hurdles and hazards, the same rules applied to killing one's kin.

Empathy was instilled too deep in the hearts of players coming from Earth.

Alas, the fireball mischievously made a U-turn and slammed into Jake's back. His perception failed him in this case solely because he didn't have much contact with fire magic and because his eyes were on Richard.

Jake patted his back to save his armor's durability points.

Meanwhile, Richard switched his weapons. He wielded a dark wooden sword now.

"Swords and Magic seem to be most players' fantasies," he said before rushing at Jake. He wasn't faster than Jake in his black monkey set, but his speed only allowed Jake to release three arrows at him from the Soldier Form.

Richard, however, didn't stop his assault.

By cutting arrows into half with the edge of his sword, he showed Jake the impeccable precision of a swordsman.

Once in his reach, Richard had no hesitation in swinging down his sword at Jake's shoulder. He seamlessly cut through Jake's light armor, drawing a deep gash from which blood leaked out in abundance.

He kicked him away, "One of the mistakes new players wielding a sword make is that they only focus on swordsmanship. A real swordsman uses all he has—his sword, arms, legs, even head!"

Laying on his side, Jake suddenly felt warm, green energy wrapping around him like a ribbon. He checked his status and noticed that a healing skill had touched him.

He lifted his eyes and saw Richard standing with a different wooden staff. It was made of light wood, much shorter like a club, and decorated with a white gem at its tip.

Richard just cast a healing skill on him, yet his expression was not amiable. Instead, he wore a condescending mask, and his expression seemed as though he was looking at a rat.

"You have yet to wound me," Richard said coldly, "Stand up and fight me, Jake."

That cold tone was so unfamiliar, yet so natural.