First Kill in the Game (Page 2/2)
Glancing at the clock, Jack realized it was already 4 AM. Normally, he'd feel sleepy by now, but thanks to the adrenaline rush from killing the boss, he was wide awake. Add in the thrill of acquiring the Bison Sword, and sleep was the furthest thing from his mind.
Deciding that staying up all night wouldn't make much difference at this point, he decided to embrace the grind fully. Armed with his shiny new sword, he strutted through the bison territory like John Wayne entering a saloon, cutting down every beast in sight without a second thought.
-270! -255!
The triple-digit damage numbers made Jack's blood boil with excitement. Thanks to the Bison Sword's 25% bonus damage against bovines, it took just two or three swings to take down each bison. And when one went down, it often dragged its buddies along for the ride, skyrocketing Jack's leveling speed.
Despite reaching Level 7 and suffering reduced XP gains due to level disparity, his efficiency soared. By 6 AM, he hit Level 8!
By then, the initial euphoria of obtaining the Bison Sword had worn off.
"Ah, right!"
Just before logging off, he remembered something. Opening his inventory, he muttered, "I think I still haven't checked my system rewards..."
Sure enough, nestled among his items was a shimmering blue orb—the reward for being the first player to slay a Bronze-Class Boss—
[Heaven's Blessing Pearl] (A-Rank Item) Effect: Unconditionally upgrades any Silver-Class or lower equipment by one tier. Description: A mysterious pearl imbued with precious yet subtle power, rumored to have formed from the tears of a mighty warrior.
"Whistle!"
Jack sucked in a sharp breath, his mind racing.
For players at this stage of the game, this thing was nothing short of a miracle worker! Imagine getting a Silver-Class item, upgrading it with the Heaven's Blessing Pearl, and bam—you'd have yourself a Gold-Class masterpiece!
Of course, using it on the Bison Sword would be like using a Ferrari to deliver pizzas—utterly wasteful.
Ding! System Notification: Congratulations to Da Han Region player [First Assassin] for becoming the second to defeat a Bronze-Class Boss! This is a proud moment!
It hadn't taken long for someone else to follow in his footsteps. But Jack wasn't surprised; the game was full of talented players. Luck had played a huge role in his success.
Come to think of it, he owed part of his victory to Qing Yun, whose sneaky antics inadvertently set him up for glory.
"The rewards for taking down a Bronze-Class Boss were insane—free attribute points and the Heaven's Blessing Pearl. Just imagine what awaits for slaying a Silver-Class Boss!" Jack cracked his knuckles eagerly.
Thanks to his head start, he now had a significant edge over other players. The next big milestone was within reach, and he intended to grab it with both hands.
Removing his VR headset, Jack exhaled deeply, feeling like he'd just stepped off a rollercoaster. After washing up briefly, he collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep instantly.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Some indeterminate amount of time later, the incessant ringing of the doorbell jolted him awake.
"Who is it?"
Groggy and disoriented, Jack stumbled out of bed, threw on his pajamas, and shuffled to the door. Standing outside was a delivery guy holding a package.
"Hello, here's your package!"
"Thanks."
Taking the parcel inside, Jack opened it to find a large bag of dried mustard greens and a few sesame seed pancakes. Instantly, he recognized his mom's care package.
Grabbing his phone, he started dialing her number but paused halfway through.
"First things first—I need to sell that Soldier Iron Sword and Soldier Leather Armor!"
Cash was tight, and selling those items seemed like the smart move. Most players were still stuck in the newbie village, so even mediocre gear could fetch a decent price. Once he had some money, he'd call his mom and assure her that he was doing fine—and maybe even send some cash home.
Whether she accepted it or not was another matter, but at least she'd know he was okay.
(End of Chapter)