Chapter 78: Task Bar and Weakness Investigation
Chapter 78: Task Bar and Weakness Investigation
Lin Sai had anticipated a perilous and challenging battle, expecting it to be fraught with danger.
He even considered the possibility of having to jump from a safe height during a crisis to support An Rui in their escape.
However, the reality was quite different. The battle quickly turned into a one-sided slaughter.
As a Fifth Stage Awakened, An Rui was a master of combat, belonging to the War Sect, a school specializing in battle.
An Rui's abilities in combat were impeccable, and even when facing Awakened of the same stage, he could easily gain the upper hand.
The monsters they faced were no match for him.
According to the human Awakened classification, the strongest monsters here were only at the Fourth Stage, and none could fight An Rui on equal terms.
Often, the moment they came into contact, the cold glint of a blade flashed.
The advantage of a preemptive strike left the monsters with no room for resistance.
A bloody wound on a vital area meant the end of their lives.
The only advantage the monsters had was their numbers.
But as an Awakened Warrior, An Rui's agility and dexterity were exceptional. He moved swiftly among the beasts, never getting caught by any of them.
Even when a monster's spell occasionally caught him off guard, he had no chance to evade.
Yet, this Awakened warrior fearlessly charged forward, slicing through the spell with a single strike, leaving no opportunity for the monsters to prevail on the wide lake.
"The disparity in strength is just too great..."
Lin Sai's expression changed from initial tension to helplessness as he witnessed the scene.
He drew his Oak Longbow and aimed downward, releasing an arrow with precision.
Taking advantage of the bow's surprise attack, Lin Sai managed to kill a few monsters, but his efficiency paled in comparison to An Rui's swift blade below.
"This is a massacre!"
Minutes passed.
The lake, like a meat grinder, once filled with charging monsters, was now a scene of carnage.
The monsters left behind a pool of corpses, their bodies scattered around the lake.
An Rui did not pursue further, but instead, sheathed his long daggers and signaled to Lin Sai above:
"Come down, it's safe now."
Lin Sai remained expressionless.
He put away his longbow and carefully slid down the vine onto the warm lake surface.
The moment his feet touched the murky water, as he had anticipated, a skill upgrade notification appeared.
Moreover, two skill upgrades appeared simultaneously!
【RPG Level: 4】→【RPG Level: 5】
【RPG Ability: Task Bar】
【Hunting Simulation Level: 4】→【Hunting Simulation Level: 5】
【Hunting Simulation Ability: Weakness Investigation】
"..."
Lin Sai pouted, opening the task system first. Two tasks immediately appeared before him.
【Cultivate New Cold-Resistant Crops】
【Continue the work of the plant scholar and cultivate new cold-resistant crops.】
【Task Reward: Survival Construction Module Upgrade, Attribute/Skill Experience Points.】
---
【Investigate the Truth Behind the World's Changes】
【The Edge of the World has become an ice-cold dead zone, while the world below is scorching hot. The abnormal temperature changes hint at a hidden crisis, investigate and uncover the truth.】
【Task Reward: Hidden Map at the World Boundary】
】
...
Task!
As a gamer, Lin Sai's excitement was palpable. However, the task system, inheriting the characteristics of a gamer, didn't simply present a random task but transformed his current experiences into a meaningful goal.
Lin Sai was quite satisfied with this.
The former clearly indicated the direction for skill module upgrades.
The latter, despite initially offering no rewards, had somehow produced a so-called hidden map.
As for the other skill unlocked today...
This one... probably wouldn't be immediately useful.
All monsters around Mirror Lake at the World Border had already fled after the recent battle, leaving Lin Sai with no opportunity to test out his newly acquired Weakness Probe skill.
Then, Lin Sai spotted An Rui.
"..."
"What am I thinking about?"
Lin Sai quickly shook his head, dispelling the inappropriate thoughts from his mind.
After this 'hunt' involving numerous monsters, his Hunting Journal had gained many new entries.
Three new achievement rewards were waiting for him to claim.
Lin Sai had only one thought—upgrading with the help of a pro was indeed easy and enjoyable.
Although his combat participation was minimal, and thus, he didn't gain any experience points, his current gains were already impressive.
What truly concerned Lin Sai was the future development of these two game modules.
After being forcibly upgraded by An Rui, he wondered what challenging tasks lay ahead that would allow him to continue upgrading these modules.
At that moment, An Rui, walking ahead, asked, "Lin Sai, what are you doing?"
Lin Sai naturally replied, "I'm gathering materials. Some of these monsters have useful items on them."
An Rui nodded. He wasn't particularly interested in the materials from these monsters; as a learner of Combat Core, he focused on his own skills.
"Good, then hurry up."
"This place isn't safe; other monsters might surround us soon."
Lin Sai acknowledged the wisdom in An Rui's reminder.
However, he felt a sense of absurdity as he looked around.
The mirror lake was littered with the corpses of monsters.
The calm surface of the lake was disrupted by countless dead beasts, their bodies like abandoned puppets, silently floating on the murky, lifeless waters. The corpses mingled with the turbid lake, and among them were streaks of fresh blood, symbolically marking death.
A gentle breeze blew across the lake, causing the corpses to stir slightly, as if life was feebly struggling within them.
A faint wail seemed to emanate from the lake, but it was soon engulfed by the darkness of the night, along with the intricate scent of death that permeated the air.
The area around them bore witness to a massacre! Yet, the perpetrator of this carnage was warning others about the dangers of monsters.
As the one being warned, Lin Sai pulled out a broken arrow from a corpse and looked at the arrowhead, feeling a sense of absurdity and surrealism.
Lin Sai's expression caused An Rui to misunderstand, and he began to explain earnestly:
"Lin Sai, every battle must be approached with utmost seriousness. You can't afford to be careless, no matter how weak the opponent may seem."
"We are all living, breathing flesh and blood."
"This body, though powerful, cannot withstand unexpected accidents, especially in the midst of a real battle."
"..."
"You're right."
Lin Sai smiled bitterly in agreement and quickly gathered the materials, not wasting a moment.
The two didn't linger.
In just over a minute, they left the boundary between the two worlds.
Beyond the mirror lake lay a hilly region with undulating terrain.
The low-lying areas were covered by dense forests, with only a few high points peeking through the canopy. The entire landscape resembled a sea of undulating tree clouds, with some hilltops serving as isolated islands.
Just as they stepped out, the sun rose.
In pursuit of the truth behind the strange changes, the two ventured into this region.
Their figures soon disappeared into the shadows of the trees and the morning's first light.
(End of Chapter)
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