“How could it be him!” Nieyan murmured to himself. In his previous life, he hadn’t been particularly close with CuiCan DaoGuang (CuiCan Daoguang), but he knew of him because of his immense reputation. CuiCan Daoguang was one of the top three shield warriors in the entire server, and all three were considered equally strong, making it hard to determine who was truly number one. Nevertheless, CuiCan Daoguang was indeed a famous figure, and Nieyan had heard his name before.
There was also a story behind CuiCan Daoguang. He had a friend named Hei Zhuo, an elemental mage, and together they founded the guild ZongHeng TianXia (ZongHeng Tianxia), becoming very close. However, CuiCan Daoguang wasn’t heavily involved in managing the guild, and it eventually fell under Hei Zhuo’s control. Later on, CuiCan Daoguang discovered that his girlfriend had been having an affair with Hei Zhuo, a fact he had been completely unaware of. Proud and ambitious, how could he bear such betrayal? He left the guild in anger with a group of loyal followers, splitting ZongHeng Tianxia into two factions that became bitter enemies. More events followed behind the scenes. CuiCan Daoguang was indeed a remarkable individual—trustworthy and loyal, with great prestige among players. He was widely accepted as one of the top three shield warriors. Without him, ZongHeng Tianxia gradually declined and became a second-tier guild.
CuiCan Daoguang was currently holding off attacks from three lions when a chill crept up his back, and he sensed something unusual. He cautiously retreated while scanning the surroundings, but saw nothing.
However, his combat instincts told him he was being targeted by a rogue.
Despite having a perception score of six, he couldn’t locate the rogue, which meant this rogue was probably exceptional.
“Brother, since you’re already here, why not come out? I’m CuiCan Daoguang. If you decide to attack me, I won’t resist—I’ll just accept my fate. But if you’re willing to help me, I’ll be forever grateful. CuiCan Daoguang will remember this favor.” As CuiCan Daoguang spoke, the lion that had been hamstringed and the other two lions rushed forward with increased aggression.
Nieyan hesitated, surprised that CuiCan Daoguang had sensed his presence. If he killed CuiCan Daoguang now, he would gain only some equipment from a shield warrior, which wasn’t particularly valuable to him. Compared to that, gaining the favor of an elite shield warrior was far more valuable. Nieyan believed CuiCan Daoguang’s character was generally trustworthy.
Light and shadows twisted, and a figure appeared less than three yards from CuiCan Daoguang—it was Nieyan. Nieyan extended his foot and tripped one of the lions, sending it flying.
Stun!
His dagger flashed, and the only lion with low health was stunned. A quick assassination and slice followed by a critical strike took it down. Nieyan immediately stepped back, pulling out a crossbow and firing three bolts.
-37, -38, -32—three damage numbers floated above the lion’s head.
The two remaining lions redirected their aggro toward Nieyan.
Taunt!
CuiCan Daoguang knew exactly how to coordinate with Nieyan at this moment. Using his warrior’s taunt skill, he redirected the lions’ aggro back onto himself.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—Nieyan fired three bolts from his crossbow, taking down another lion with low health.
Nieyan holstered the crossbow and charged at the remaining lion.
CuiCan Daoguang leapt into the air and executed a cleave attack, drawing the lion’s attention. Nieyan circled behind it, launching a series of attacks. Rogues received a 30% damage bonus when attacking monsters from behind. -52, -50, -51—massive damage numbers floated above the lion’s head. Soon enough, the lion collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Nieyan’s high damage output and agile movements left CuiCan Daoguang secretly astonished. What a formidable rogue! Had this rogue ambushed him from behind earlier, he would have had practically no chance of survival.
Nieyan searched the corpses of the three lions but found nothing except a few copper coins.
“All done. Nothing dropped. If you still remember what you said earlier, you owe me a favor. I’m Nie Yan.” Nieyan said, glancing at CuiCan Daoguang. He appeared to be around twenty-three or twenty-four, with a square jawline and a bit of stubble, giving him a steady, mature look.
“I always keep my word. I’ll remember this favor. If you ever need help and it’s within my ability, I’ll definitely assist you.” CuiCan Daoguang was straightforward by nature, not the type to drag things out.
CuiCan Daoguang looked at Nieyan, surprised. He hadn’t expected Nieyan to be so young—looking no older than eighteen or nineteen. Nieyan wouldn’t have appeared here without reason; the rogue who had been hanging off the cliff and killing the lion king must have been him.
“How come you’re alone here?” Nieyan asked. It was very dangerous for a shield warrior to enter a high-level monster area alone, though a rogue could manage due to stealth and hiding abilities.
“I came here in a group with some friends, but we encountered a pack of lions. Everyone else died except me. If not for my thick skin, I probably wouldn’t have survived either. I never got a chance to use recall.” CuiCan Daoguang spoke calmly, but Nieyan could imagine how brutal the battle must have been.
“You’re lucky.”
“Luck? Yeah, I’m lucky to survive. It’s not easy. Let’s add each other as friends. ‘CuiCan Daoguang’ is too long. Just call me Dao Guang.” CuiCan Daoguang said.
Nieyan added CuiCan Daoguang to his friend list. Making friends with a powerful shield warrior was definitely something worth celebrating. At least next time he entered a dungeon, he wouldn’t have to worry about finding a good tank.
“This place isn’t suitable for you. You should return to the city as soon as possible,” Nieyan advised. Although he himself, as a rogue, could easily escape from a group of monsters, CuiCan Daoguang couldn’t. As a tank, he was too conspicuous and couldn’t hide effectively.
Though CuiCan Daoguang found Nieyan’s words a bit hard to swallow, he couldn’t refute them. Nieyan was indeed much stronger than him, and shield warriors were not as capable as rogues in wilderness survival.
“Alright, I’ll head back. I owe you a favor. If you need anything in the future, send me a message. As long as it’s within my ability, I’ll do my best.” CuiCan Daoguang nodded. This place wasn’t suitable for lingering, so he pulled out a recall scroll.
“Wait,” Nieyan called out to CuiCan Daoguang. He felt that CuiCan Daoguang was a decent person.
“What is it?”
“I’ve got a shield here that should be suitable for you. If you can offer a reasonable price, I might consider selling it to you,” Nieyan said. This item was too valuable to simply throw into the auction house. If someone he knew could pay a fair price, he might as well sell it to them. Selling the shield would also provide Nieyan with more resources for his other endeavors.
“Oh? Let me see.” CuiCan Daoguang looked interested. Nieyan was clearly the rogue who had been dangling off the cliff and killing the lion king. If Nieyan had come up with such a clever method for defeating bosses, he must have plenty of good gear on hand.
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