Chapter 1 "Zi Yan, all the materials are here. The boss has something to do and won't be back for five days. During these five days, try to make as many area-effect magic bombs as possible for the boss, especially the intermediate ones." Niao Bu Sheng Dan said. He had his people collect a large number of materials, totaling several thousand portions. The terrifying price of these items startled him. The price of one portion of raw materials for a low-level area-effect magic bomb was around one gold coin. The most crucial were the intermediate ones, at 15 gold per portion. He only managed to get thirty portions, which cost him fifteen hundred gold. What a waste, especially at such a financially tight time. However, Nie Yan said it was worth it, so he would naturally execute the order strictly.

As players' levels increased, more and more people were using area-effect magic bombs. Tesoy Town was already well-known to players, and the low-level area-effect magic bombs there would occasionally be out of stock.

A low-level area-effect magic bomb could definitely sell for more than five gold in the auction house. An advanced alchemist could make more than two hundred low-level area-effect magic bombs a day, earning 800 gold after deducting costs!

What could be more profitable than this? Nie Yan naturally wouldn't be stingy with raw materials for making such profitable items. Selling some of the area-effect magic bombs and using the rest himself would still be profitable!

Zi Yan's exclusive laboratory was filled with materials everywhere.

"Zi Yan, work hard. If you do well, I'll talk to the boss and get you a raise," Niao Bu Sheng Dan said to Zi Yan.

"Okay, I'll work hard." Zi Yan nodded. With so many materials, she would be busy for the next few days.

She focused on crafting, her nimble fingers moving non-stop, producing one area-effect magic bomb after another.

Seeing Zi Yan's focused expression, Niao Bu Sheng Dan nodded. Zi Yan was quite talented in alchemy. As long as she could complete the task assigned by the boss, he would be relieved.

The war between the Ni Ren Tribe and Zhan Dao Shi Xue had affected players in countless cities. More and more players were participating, mostly powerful experts, who were the main force. Most ordinary players were self-aware enough to know that they would be sending themselves to their deaths if they encountered people from the Ni Ren Tribe or Zhan Dao Shi Xue.

Battles usually occurred in maps for level 40+ players, making it difficult for ordinary players to participate.

Some individuals even achieved over a hundred kills, which was extremely rare, with only two or three people managing it. These individuals were immediately sought after by major guilds, who offered them high prices.

This chaotic war was expected to last for a long time.

In the western district of Carol City, seven players gathered in a small, narrow house. Their equipment was quite tattered, with only the leader having slightly better gear, a set of silver armor.

"Boss, are you sure you want to go to Guanghui City? Why don't we stay in Carol City to deal with the Ni Ren Tribe?" a player next to him asked, looking at the player in silver armor.

The player, about thirty years old with short hair, looked very capable. He was a Thief, wearing grayish-white leather armor, holding two short, unremarkable daggers in his hands. His name was Wang Zhe Tian Xia.

"Yeah, going to Guanghui City requires a 1 gold coin teleportation fee. It's too uneconomical."

"We don't have much money in total. We've already sold all the equipment in the warehouse, only managing to scrape together two gold coins, just enough for round-trip travel expenses," said a player in his twenties with a slightly childish face.

"Losing 2 gold coins on travel expenses, what if we fail to assassinate someone from Zhan Dao Shi Xue? Won't we go bankrupt?"

"Yeah, if we assassinate a player from the Ni Ren Tribe, we can get 3 gold coins, without taking any risks," the players urged Wang Zhe Tian Xia to be calm.

Wang Zhe Tian Xia looked at the Priest next to him and said, "Old Third, do you know why I want to target Zhan Dao Shi Xue?"

"Why?" the Priest asked.

"Because the Ni Ren Tribe has Kuang Zei Nie Yan. I've been constantly studying Kuang Zei Nie Yan's videos, and I've gained some insights, so Kuang Zei Nie Yan can be considered my half-teacher. I won't attack the Ni Ren Tribe. Also, the Ni Ren Tribe is much stronger than Zhan Dao Shi Xue. Considering the risks, it's better to go to Guanghui City to assassinate people from Zhan Dao Shi Xue. Even spending two gold coins on teleportation fees is worth it!" Wang Zhe Tian Xia said, having his own views on the matter.

Hearing Wang Zhe Tian Xia say this, they stopped arguing.

"Since you've decided, we won't say anything."

"Brothers can't go with you, be careful."

Wang Zhe Tian Xia smiled confidently and said, "Although we can't make any big waves, killing a few people from Zhan Dao Shi Xue is still possible. As long as we kill more than two, we'll make a profit, and this operation won't be in vain."

Wang Zhe Tian Xia looked at the brothers around him. They had sold all their valuables to get him a decent set of equipment. Even just for these poor brothers, he had to give it his all. He had accepted a mission from the Assassin Alliance. His goal was to assassinate at least two people from Zhan Dao Shi Xue.

The group headed towards the teleportation array.

Six of them were only in their twenties, and only Wang Zhe Tian Xia was level 37. Their levels and equipment were considered shabby. The players passing by glanced over, revealing expressions of disdain.

Daring to wear such tattered equipment in public.

"I'm leaving," Wang Zhe Tian Xia smiled at the group and stepped into the teleportation point.

"Goodbye, Boss."

"Good luck, Boss."

As they spoke, Wang Zhe Tian Xia's figure disappeared into the teleportation array. They felt a sense of loss. The future was bleak and unknown. There was only a glimmer of hope ahead. If Wang Zhe Tian Xia failed, what awaited them was likely to be eternal decline.

After a distortion of light and shadow, Nie Yan arrived in a completely new area.

There was no sunlight here, only darkness. Looking around, it was a wilderness covered with rubble, with only some small, black plants growing. Looking upwards, it was dark and gloomy, with no sky visible, giving a feeling of oppression.

Nie Yan had the Eye of Fina, granting +12 Dark Vision, allowing him to see clearly within a range of about ten yards. Beyond that, it was hard to see.

This place was perpetually dark, so monsters in the underground had a very high drop rate for equipment that increased Dark Vision. Equipment with the Dark Vision stat was as common as equipment that increased Strength or Agility on the surface. Basically, every piece of equipment would increase one or two points of Dark Vision.

Equipment that increased Dark Vision was very common underground, but extremely valuable on the surface.

Wealthy players in human kingdoms would usually buy one or two pieces of equipment that increased Dark Vision and keep them in their backpacks for emergencies, which drove up demand. However, equipment that increased Dark Vision was extremely rare on the surface. Therefore, equipment that increased Dark Vision in human kingdoms was almost priceless.

One could imagine how high a price equipment with +7 or +8 Dark Vision could fetch if transported to the surface! This was a profit of hundreds of times! At the same time, some other stats were common underground but very expensive on the surface, such as Focus.

I wonder where the nearest underground city is!

Nie Yan walked forward in the wilderness, encountering some porcupines covered in thorns. They were silver-gray all over, like giant hedgehogs.

Nie Yan crept towards one of the porcupines and cast a Detect on it from behind a rock.

Bloodthirsty Porcupine: Level 45, Health 2000/2000.

Level 45 monsters. This area only had level 45 monsters. The landing point of the Dark Teleport was random. Fortunately, he hadn't been teleported to an area with monsters of extremely high levels, or Nie Yan would have been in trouble.

Ahead, there were groups of Bloodthirsty Porcupines, many in number, wandering around the wilderness.

Nie Yan thought for a moment, chanted a spell, and summoned the Golden Earth Dragon.

The Golden Earth Dragon's towering body appeared before Nie Yan, it moved around and exhaled a blast of hot air.

Nie Yan raised the Headless Horseman Doro's Repeating Crossbow in his hand and shot at a porcupine in the distance. The group of porcupines was immediately alarmed by Nie Yan's arrow, and they charged towards Nie Yan.

The ground shook violently as dozens of porcupines charged over, which was quite a sight.

The Golden Earth Dragon breathed a blast of dragon breath, which exploded among them with a boom, causing damage numbers of over 700 to appear above the porcupines.

The Golden Earth Dragon's area-of-effect attack covered all the dozens of porcupines.

Nie Yan circled around behind a porcupine, used a Garrote, followed by an Assassinate and Eviscerate, causing continuous damage numbers to appear above the porcupine's head.

The porcupine was left with low health, so Nie Yan ignored it and immediately pounced on another porcupine.

The porcupine woke up and charged at Nie Yan, but after only a few steps, Bleed and Poison damage numbers appeared above its head, its health depleted, and it collapsed to the ground.

The Bloodthirsty Porcupine's hundreds of pounds of body slammed heavily on the ground, and a white light shone on the Bloodthirsty Porcupine, its body quickly evaporated and disappeared.

Nie Yan had a certain chance to purify the corpses of evil creatures around him, and the Bloodthirsty Porcupine was one of them.

Purification Count: 1.

In a moment, Nie Yan felled another Bloodthirsty Porcupine, and the Golden Earth Dragon breathed another blast of dragon breath, turning the nearby Bloodthirsty Porcupines into low health. The group of Bloodthirsty Porcupines crashed into it, causing it to pause, and it swept a claw, knocking a Bloodthirsty Porcupine to the ground.