As soon as the wind stopped, Nie Yan halted and stood firmly.
Seeing Wei Kai approaching, Nie Yan slowly moved behind Wei Kai. Only when he was out of Wei Kai’s line of sight did he increase his movement slightly, gradually approaching Wei Kai’s back.
Wei Kai turned his head to look around. Nothing seemed unusual. The grass swayed like waves in the wind.
Where exactly was Nie Yan?
This was the first time Wei Kai had encountered a Wind Stalker who could use stealth so masterfully. Normally, thick grass would easily expose a rogue’s position, yet Nie Yan showed no sign of his presence at all while stealthed.
Wei Kai held his greatsword in front of his chest. In his opinion, Nie Yan must have been moving extremely slowly to avoid detection, so he should be somewhere ahead.
However, what he didn’t know was that Nie Yan had already circled behind him.
At a distance of only about three yards behind Wei Kai, a strong gust of wind blew past, howling loudly.
At the exact moment the wind blew, Nie Yan suddenly accelerated. His dagger moved like lightning, aiming directly at Wei Kai’s back.
The wind mixed with his footsteps, creating chaotic noise, making it hard to distinguish sounds, and greatly reducing Wei Kai’s perception.
“Assassinate!”
Nie Yan’s dagger stabbed into Wei Kai’s back, dealing 35 damage.
Wei Kai never expected Nie Yan to appear behind him. He swung his greatsword horizontally at Nie Yan.
Nie Yan rolled to dodge, staying behind Wei Kai. He jumped up and stabbed his dagger into Wei Kai’s back again, reducing his health by another 23 points.
Out of over 160 health, only about 100 remained. Yet Wei Kai still couldn’t keep up with Nie Yan’s speed.
A Berserker’s speed relies on straight-line bursts, while a Rogue’s speed depends on agility. Their strengths differ.
Nie Yan moved quickly, staying behind Wei Kai and attacking him three times in a row.
“You agile as a monkey!” Wei Kai roared, swinging his sword clockwise, releasing sword energy in all directions.
“Whirlwind Slash!”
Wei Kai spun like a top.
The moment Wei Kai started swinging, Nie Yan recognized the move and quickly retreated two yards.
The greatsword sliced past Nie Yan’s chest, narrowly missing him, displaying a -9 damage number above Nie Yan’s head.
Still, the Whirlwind Slash’s sword energy caused some damage.
After spinning three full circles, Wei Kai stopped, panting. Nie Yan dodged so fast!
The moment Wei Kai’s sword halted, Nie Yan lunged forward, dagger aimed at Wei Kai’s throat—a critical strike!
Watching from outside the arena, Tang Yao, Li Yang, and others were stunned. Nie Yan’s movements were nothing short of perfect artistry. From dodging Wei Kai’s Whirlwind Slash to delivering the critical attack immediately after it ended, every timing was executed flawlessly.
From Nie Yan, they finally understood what true player combat (PK) was. It wasn’t just two people hacking at each other with swords; it was about awareness and technique.
A sudden realization flashed through Tang Yao’s mind. He finally understood why Nie Yan had said his spellcasting timing was off. The timing of an action could lead to completely different outcomes.
He never imagined Nie Yan, who he had grown up with since childhood, could be this skilled. Tang Yao was truly amazed. There’s a saying: “After three days apart, regard someone with new eyes.” This perfectly described Tang Yao’s current feelings.
Nie Yan’s dagger slashed across Wei Kai’s throat, dealing -96 damage.
Critical strikes remained devastating. After only a few moves, Wei Kai had only 7 health left, while Nie Yan was nearly at full health. The difference was clear.
Only now did Wei Kai realize the gap between them.
“Flame Slash!”
Refusing to accept defeat so easily, Wei Kai swung his sword at Nie Yan while he was recovering from his attack. His greatsword transformed into a blazing flame, radiating fiery sparks.
The flames surged forward.
Nie Yan was fully aware of the formidable power behind a Berserker’s Flame Slash. Without hesitation, he swiftly retreated to evade the direct attack.
Suddenly accelerating, Wei Kai chased Nie Yan and landed the Flame Slash on his chest.
A -56 damage number floated above Nie Yan’s head.
After taking the Flame Slash, Nie Yan had barely regained his footing when Wei Kai swung his sword again, charging forward like a heavily armored tank.
“Linear Slash!”
Wei Kai’s sword energy descended in a straight line.
The charge had a brief stun effect. Nie Yan was now at half health. If hit, the Berserker’s burst damage could kill Nie Yan within seconds.
Nie Yan quickly retreated. As Wei Kai’s sword approached within inches of his forehead, Nie Yan’s pupils constricted. He sidestepped at the last moment, dodging the attack. With a reverse grip on his dagger, he slashed across Wei Kai’s throat.
Nie Yan was grazed by Wei Kai’s charge and sent flying backward.
Wei Kai’s health dropped to zero and he collapsed to the ground. Nie Yan staggered to his feet, checking his health: only 25 points remained.
A level 2 versus level 3. Definitely a bit challenging.
Seeing Wei Kai fall, Nie Yan sheathed his dagger.
Both were transported out of the PK map.
“Respect, I didn’t expect this. You’re amazing, kid,” Tang Yao said as Nie Yan emerged.
“It was a bit lucky,” Nie Yan replied. He had barely escaped death. Ultimately, he hadn’t equipped any skills yet. If he had a few more skills, the fight would have been much easier.
“Still a win, and a level 2 beating a level 3. Do you know how to play an Arcane Mage? Teach me later,” Tang Yao rubbed his hands together eagerly, realizing Nie Yan indeed knew a lot.
“I’m not very familiar with Arcane Magic. Different skill combinations create different tactics. But I’ll teach you everything I know,” Nie Yan replied. He wouldn’t hold anything back from Tang Yao.
“That’s great.” After watching Nie Yan’s fight, Tang Yao had full confidence in Nie Yan’s skills.
Nie Yan checked his bank balance: 6000. He transferred 3000 to Tang Yao. “1600 was your loan, and another 1200 was your winnings.”
“Just a few thousand yuan. Brothers shouldn’t be so formal,” Tang Yao said somewhat displeased. He hadn’t cared much about the money, but Nie Yan’s meticulousness upset him.
“Blood brothers settle accounts clearly. You treat tonight,” Nie Yan smiled.
“You earned so much tonight, while I just broke even. You dare to mooch off me? You treat, no discussion.”
“Fine, I’ll be generous.”
“What should we eat tonight? At least go to a restaurant.”
“How about five-yuan bowls of wonton noodles? Enough to fill you up,” Nie Yan said, putting his bank card away.
“You’re too stingy.”
“Reciprocal,” Nie Yan laughed. He and Tang Yao indeed shared similar tastes.
Wei Kai and others approached from the other room. Tang Yao’s expression turned serious. After losing money, would they become disgruntled?
Nie Yan remained smiling, much calmer than Tang Yao.
“Hey man, you’re not going to renege on the bet, right?” Tang Yao instinctively stood in front of Nie Yan, still subconsciously viewing Nie Yan as the timid, bullied teenager.
“Of course not. Losing money is losing money, winning money is winning money. Wei Kai has enough sportsmanship. We might even become friends after this fight. If Nie Shao and Tang Shao have time in the future, please visit my bar,” Wei Kai smiled.
After years of experience outside, Wei Kai had learned how to behave, recognizing who was worth respecting. He didn’t mention past grievances at all.
“We’ll visit when we have time,” Nie Yan nodded. Wei Kai indeed understood when to advance and retreat.
“Then Wei Kai will take his leave first. Enjoy yourselves, Nie Shao and Tang Shao,” Wei Kai said cheerfully, leaving with his subordinates.
“What’s wrong with him? Why suddenly so polite? This is so unusual! I really can’t get used to it,” Tang Yao muttered beside him, puzzled.
“Who knows,” Nie Yan smiled faintly.
Wei Kai and others exited the PK Bar.
“Boss, why are you so polite to that kid? Does he deserve it?” Li Yang asked, puzzled.
“There’s a saying: ‘Never underestimate a young man in poverty.’ Remember, when evaluating people, look not only at the present but also into the future,” Wei Kai replied. He could see Nie Yan was a dragon destined to soar. Better not to make enemies.
Though somewhat confused, Li Yang knew his boss was wiser. Following his boss’s judgment was always right.
Nie Yan and Tang Yao got into the car, heading toward the restaurant.
“What’s your in-game name?” Tang Yao asked. Since Nie Yan was a human rogue, he must be from the Greenlan Empire like him.
“Nie Yan. ‘Nie’ as in Nirvana, ‘Yan’ as in flame,” Nie Yan replied.
“I’ll find you in the game later,” Tang Yao said excitedly, anticipating playing together.
“I’m on a quest now. I can’t return,” Nie Yan replied. He still needed to complete the Archmage’s task and had future plans, making it impossible to level up with Tang Yao.
“Oh, then forget it. Teach me the Arcane gameplay later. I’ll practice more at home,” Tang Yao felt slightly disappointed but quickly became excited again.
“Arcane Mages generally fall into three categories. The most common is Firepower Arcane Mages, who use equipment that boosts spell damage and learn high-damage skills like Arcane Flame Blasts. This type is the most popular in team play. The second is Agility Arcane Mages, who use gear that enhances speed and agility, enabling rapid movement. Combined with the Arcane Mage’s short casting times, this type excels in PvP. The third type balances both attributes. Which path do you plan to take?” Nie Yan asked.
Tang Yao thought for a while, then awkwardly smiled. “Which one requires less skill?”
“Definitely firepower for Arcane Mages. With good gear and high spell damage, teams will always want you. In team battles, you just focus on dealing damage. But that means you won’t be good at PK,” Nie Yan immediately knew Tang Yao wanted to take the easy route. The guy wasn’t dumb, just lazy.
“No PK? That’s boring.” PK was such an exciting thing. Without it, life would lose much fun, making Tang Yao reluctant.
“Then choose balanced. Ask me before allocating points each time you level up,” Nie Yan said. In Faith, every five levels up to level 30 grants five attribute points, one feat point, and one skill point. Thus, every five levels before 30 is a minor milestone.
“Got it, understood.” Tang Yao happily replied. Having Nie Yan help allocate points would save him much trouble. He hated dealing with complex things.
“After dinner, I still have things to do. Contact me in-game tonight,” Nie Yan said.
“Fine.”
After dinner, Tang Yao drove Nie Yan home before heading back himself.
After wasting much time playing, Nie Yan immediately focused on studying and training upon returning home.
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