First kill (edited)

An audible crack rang through the air.

The War Hunchback Beast stood firm, unfazed.

Beef Noodle, however, wasn't so lucky.

Pain exploded in his leg. He barely had time to register what had happened before the beast stomped down, launching him through the sky like a ragdoll.

The surrounding players winced.

"…Did he really just break his own leg with that kick?"

"How does one acheive this?"

But despite the crushing defeat, the players weren't discouraged. If anything, Beef Noodle's failure ignited a reckless energy in the group.

One after another, challengers stepped forward.

"Brother Hunchy, wait! I think… I think I'm your long-lost cousin!" One player, half-kneeling, activated his mouth-moving technique.

The War Hunchback Beast blinked. Then, without hesitation

Bang!

A hoof to the face sent the "cousin" flying.

"Eat my gravel darts!" Another player resorted to long-range tactics, pelting the beast with small rocks before sprinting away.

The War Hunchback Beast snorted. Two legs couldn't outrun four. The player barely made it five steps before he was crushed.

And then...

"Look at this shovel!" A new challenger charged forward, wielding a rusted shovel like a divine artifact.

His war cry lasted exactly three seconds before he tripped, rolled under the beast's hooves, and met his end.

One hour later…

The players gathered at the sect's revival square, their expressions hollow.

"I feel… let's go back," someone muttered.

No one disagreed.

Fuck. Even the starting-zone monsters were impossible to beat. How was anyone supposed to progress?

But just as they were about to retreat in despair, a figure stepped forward.

Indomitable Bear.

"The War Hunchback Beast has a one-second delay before it tramples." His voice was steady, his eyes sharp. "And its weakness… is its lower abdomen. That's the only place the Accumulated Energy Kick will actually work."

Silence fell.

Then

"Wait, you actually analyzed its attack patterns?"

"Bro… did you take notes?"

Indomitable Bear ignored them. His focus was solely on the beast.

He moved in.

The War Hunchback Beast charged.

A flash of motion—then a sharp kick struck its underbelly.

The beast shuddered. For the first time… it faltered.

A moment later, Indomitable Bear respawned at the sect's square, bloodied but grinning.

"Too slow. Need to be faster." He muttered, already preparing for another attempt.

Again and again, he charged in, refining his movements with every death. Each failure carved his resolve deeper. Each loss brought him one step closer.

Meanwhile, the other players slowly backed away.

"What kinda of fetish is this??."

"Ill cheer you on from the hotpot big bro"

"Same."

The sun dipped lower in the sky. Some players logged off to research strategies. Others gathered in the square, waiting for a miracle.

And then there were those who… embraced the situation differently.

A player named Sarcastic-chan had, somehow, found a massive pot. With expert efficiency, he threw slabs of War Hunchback Beast meat into the broth, stirring with exaggerated flair.

"This hotpot… this is peak cultivation," he declared.

The surrounding players didn't argue. They simply grabbed their chopsticks, drooling as they dug in.

"Damn, this meat is incredible."

"The thigh part's the best!"

"Forget fighting. Who needs battle when you have this?"

Meanwhile, He Yiming opened his eyes, stretching after a night of meditation. His injuries had fully healed.

"This mission's impossible," he muttered. "Even with the players, killing a hundred of those things in two days…"

He sighed. Forget it. May as well check his sign-in reward first.

Ding!

[Sign-in successful!]

[New Building: Hall of Resurrection unlocked!]

[Hall of Resurrection: Players will now revive here after death. However, their cultivation will reset to the First Stage of the Body Forging Realm. Experience and knowledge will remain, but all progress must be regained.]

He Yiming's eyes lit up.

"This… is actually useful."

Now, even if the players died repeatedly, they wouldn't need to remake their characters. They'd just restart their cultivation each time.

Like a brutal soul-crushing game.

Perfect.

Just then, a system notification rang in his ears.

Ding!

[Player "Indomitable Bear" has successfully slain a War Hunchback Beast. Mission completed!]

[Reward: 100 Contribution Points]

"…"

He Yiming froze.

Wait.

A player had actually… killed one?

How the hell did that happen?

He immediately rushed outside,only to be met with the sight of a cheering crowd.

At the center stood a single blood-drenched figure, towering over the fresh corpse of the War Hunchback Beast.

Indomitable Bear.

The players erupted into excitement.

"Holy shit! He actually did it!"

"That's our big boss!"

"Teach us your ways, oh wise one!"

Indomitable Bear wiped the blood off his face, his expression unreadable.

"This beast was strong." He exhaled slowly. "The key… is not getting hit."

"…"

The players stared.

Not. Getting. Hit?

No sh*t.

Yet… hearing it from him somehow made it sound profound.

He Yiming, watching from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes.

A player at the First Stage of Body Forging Realm… had just defeated an Early Stage Spirit Vein Realm beast.

That shouldn't have been possible.

And yet—

He was looking at the proof right in front of him.

"…How the hell did he do it?"