C19 The Central Altar!(1)
Light Body Technique! As the attack came, Chen Ye knew he was going down, so he wasted no time in activating an ability that would amplify his damage. The Bloodthirster shielded his neck, and as the Bloody Warrior pounced, Chen Ye, with a slight boost in agility, subtly adjusted his dagger's angle to pierce the opponent's throat. Regrettably, there was no critical hit this time, but the 10 points of fixed damage from Bloody Massacre, coupled with the Swallow effect, meant this strike was nearly as potent as the previous Slit Throat.
The Bloody Warrior hit the ground for two seconds, slapping its palms on the ground in frustration. The damage from the pounce had already been healed thanks to the Bloodthirster's passive ability. Chen Ye quickly rolled to his feet, creating distance from the pounce-less Bloody Warrior. After waiting for the 10-second cooldown of Slit Throat, Chen Ye closed in again, taking a couple of hits before slicing the Bloody Warrior's arm and swiftly backing off. He then unhesitatingly used a "Blood Essence (Small)" and prepared for the next opportunity to strike.
Over two rounds of combat, Chen Ye consistently dealt over 40 points of damage to the Bloody Warrior. The Bloodthirster's passive healing of 10 HP meant his losses were not as severe as expected, and he avoided giving the Bloody Warrior a chance to land a "Bite of the Ripper." In the third round, with just over 20 HP left, Chen Ye managed to defeat his opponent, fortuitously obtaining a white treasure chest.
Chen Ye eyed his next target, a mere two or three minutes away, and decided not to rush. He had initially planned to save two blue chests to open them all at once for a better chance at valuable loot. But given the unexpected strength of the Bloody Warriors, he had to pull out all the stops just to defeat two of them. To take down a third, he'd need to land a critical hit with Throat Slitting right from the start. Otherwise, the Bloody Warrior could easily overpower and bite him, and in just a few blows, Chen Ye would meet his end.
Chen Ye wasn't one to risk his life recklessly, so he decided to spend a few minutes enhancing his abilities to avert any potential disasters. His first task was to unlock three chests. To his surprise, the white chest yielded a "Blood Essence (Small)," and the two blue chests functioned as expected, thankfully not triggering the 20% chance of yielding lower-tier items.
The Bloody Beast's Ring (1/3): Quality: Indigo; Ring accessory; Strength: +1; Vitality: +1; Set Equipment Effect (3/3) Evil Fur: Reduces curse spell effects by 30%
Bloody Beast's Horn Claw (1/3): Quality: Indigo; Footwear; Strength: +1, Agility: -1, Vitality: +1
Chen Ye's eyes sparkled with excitement. Although these items were part of a rare set, they paled in comparison to the Bloody Warrior's talisman in terms of practicality. Yet, for him at this moment, they were invaluable. The boost of two Strength points was just what he needed to gain the upper hand. With the defeat of two or three more Bloody Warriors, the "Bloody Slaughter" he had amassed would sustain him in battle. Most of his equipment slots were vacant, making it the perfect time to don these new pieces.
But that alone wasn't enough. Chen Ye drank a "Basic Skill Upgrade Potion" since none of his basic skills had reached full proficiency. This activated a 20% proficiency increase, which this time enhanced his "Basic Culture (D)" by 20%. Shaking his head, he continued, downing five more potions before he finally hit the "Basic Physical Fitness (B)." His spirits lifted as he saw his proficiency reach 1432/1600. He pressed on with determination.
It wasn't until he was down to the last three "Basic Skill Upgrade Potions" that he managed to elevate his basic physical fitness to an A-level. Chen Ye immediately used a "Beginner Skill Book" and acquired another beginner skill. After reviewing his overall stats, he finally felt content.
Reincarnate 98537 — Health Points (HP) 170/170, Stamina 600/600, Strength: 5+6; Vitality: 5+2; Agility: 5+2; Spirit: 2/3
Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat (C): Melee damage +4%
Beginner Physical Fitness (G): Maximum HP +100; Maximum Stamina +500
Basic Footwork (D): Physical Evasion +0.3
Introductory Shooting (G): Hit Rate +2;
Fundamental Culture (C): Insight +0.4
Elementary Culinary Skills (E): Cooking +2 (Reduces cooking time by 2%; 2% chance of food quality improving by one level)
Basic Carnage (D): Increases the maximum capacity of the Killing Aura Bar by one slot, using Killing Aura Bar energy to boost damage by 30%.
Chen Ye didn't delay any further. Upon locating the third Bloody Warrior, he directly confronted the opponent's lunge. These Bloody Warriors, devoid of consciousness and no longer under the Blood Mage's control, seemed to have a limited repertoire: lunging followed by biting. Lacking any real skills, they resorted to slapping with their fan-sized hands. But for Chen Ye, with a Strength score now at 11 points, the lunges only resulted in the warriors being knocked down.
Seizing the moment, Chen Ye executed a Throat Slash. Although it didn't hit critically, the two stacks of Bloody Massacre added an extra 20 points of damage on top of the base 25 points. Coupled with a guaranteed critical hit, he wiped out half of his adversary's health. The brief time left allowed him to land a stab to the opponent's chest before engaging in more evasive combat. Despite having 170 health points, Chen Ye couldn't fully withstand a head-on confrontation. After two rounds of maneuvering, he used a 'Blood Essence (Small)' to finish off his foe. Consulting his map, he realized he was eight minutes away from his next target and quickly set off.
The fourth Bloody Warrior fell to a Throat Slash amplified by the third stack of Bloody Massacre, resulting in a 50% critical hit that instantly dispatched the warrior. The move also restored half of Chen Ye's health points. Reinvigorated, Chen Ye's excitement grew as he eagerly sought out his fifth target.
