Chapter 1 A Close Call

That a player of level 156 actually managed to escape right under the noses of the five of them was utterly humiliating. If word got back to the guild, they’d never be able to show their faces again, even if it was Crazy Thief Nie Yan!

“Everyone, think! How exactly did that guy get away just now?” Mo Yin asked. He still couldn’t figure it out. They watched Nie Yan use the Doppelganger skill to split into two, each running in opposite directions. How could both clones be fake? Where was the real body?

“I don’t know. It doesn't make sense,” the Necromancer said, feeling dejected.

Everyone was puzzled.

“That guy has some tricks up his sleeve. No wonder so many people couldn’t kill him back then, allowing him to achieve his undefeated myth,” Mo Yin said gloomily. To be toyed with by a level 156 player was incredibly frustrating. With their current levels and equipment, even five of them working together couldn’t do anything to Crazy Thief Nie Yan. What would it have been like during Nie Yan's peak?

“I remember now! That’s when he ran!” the Swordsman suddenly exclaimed, as if struck by inspiration.

“How did he get away?” Everyone turned to look at the Swordsman.

“Remember the first doppelganger we killed earlier? Three spells hit him almost simultaneously, and my attack landed as well. The instant that clone was hit, it suddenly disappeared like a wisp of cloud. We all thought it was a fake!” the Swordsman explained, truly shocked. The guy had actually used such a method, with such godlike skill, to fool everyone.

“Are you saying he used a Potion of Vanish back then?” The Necromancer raised an eyebrow, finally understanding.

“That’s right, it must have been a Potion of Vanish!” the Swordsman affirmed. Crazy Thief Nie Yan’s doppelgangers were real, and being attacked caused a damage display. They had overlooked that detail, not having fought Nie Yan before and being unfamiliar with the Shadow Dancer’s specific stats. They didn’t know Nie Yan’s doppelgangers were real entities and hadn't given it much thought in the heat of the moment. Who would have considered so much under such pressure!

The others exchanged glances. So that was possible! Usually, they were confident that no level 156 Thief could escape their pursuit. But today, they had been completely outplayed, truly opening their eyes to new possibilities.

“Crazy Thief Nie Yan, well played. If we encounter him again, he won’t have a chance to escape!” the Necromancer said with admiration.

“Do you think he’ll give us another chance? He’ll probably hide far away when he sees us. Fortunately, he's dropped so many levels. It'll take him years to catch up. Otherwise, being targeted by a Thief like that would be no fun at all,” the Dark Priest said with feeling. Today’s encounter with Nie Yan offered a glimpse of Crazy Thief Nie Yan's former glory.

“Mo Tian, what do we do now? Crazy Thief Nie Yan used a Potion of Vanish. He must still be nearby. Should we search the area?” the Necromancer asked.

“Idiot! Even if Crazy Thief Nie Yan is only level 156, he's still the guild leader of the Niu Ren Tribe. Do you think he’s easy to provoke? With a single command, the tens of thousands of members of the Niu Ren Tribe in the Doomsday Canyon could drown us with their spit! Continue hunting Crazy Thief Nie Yan? Do you not value your life?” the Dark Priest Mo Tian scolded. “Today’s events are not to be mentioned to anyone. If others find out, we’ll be utterly humiliated!”

Mo Yin and the others could only leave in frustration.

As Mo Tian and his group disappeared into the depths of the jungle, Nie Yan emerged from the shadows, watching their retreating figures with a wry smile. If he hadn’t been inspired to come up with that method, he probably wouldn’t have been able to escape Mo Tian’s encirclement.

The attacks of players over level 180 were truly fierce. Nie Yan recalled the earlier attacks of the Magic Swordsman, still feeling lingering fear.

Thinking about himself, with his pitiful level of 156, he was truly trash in the eyes of those high-level players. Mo Yin, Mo Tian, and the others weren’t even considered top-tier experts. If Brilliant Sacred Flame, Watery Reflection, Tang Yao, or any of those people had been there, they could have easily crushed the five of them!

He wondered if they would spread the news of his reappearance. He had been too dazzling in the past. If others knew he had returned, who knew how many eyes would be watching him? And how many people would be waiting to see him make a fool of himself!

Those players outside, especially those who disliked him, would definitely ridicule him in every way possible. They would tell others, “Look, that’s Crazy Thief Nie Yan, but he’s no good anymore.”

As for the players within the Niu Ren Tribe, Nie Yan didn’t know how he should face them.

If he had quit the game back then and never reappeared, even more people would have mocked him: “Look, that’s the former Crazy Thief Nie Yan. He doesn’t even dare to log in anymore.”

Nie Yan touched his nose. People were mostly like that. When you’re powerful, many people will fawn over you, fear you, and envy you. But when you fall hard from a great height, the only ones who will still support you are your truly sincere friends. As for the others, they can’t wait to kick you again and again. The more miserable you are, the happier they’ll be.

Faced with the approaching storm of ridicule, would he shrink back? A flicker of determination flashed in Nie Yan’s eyes. He snorted coldly. You say I’m a washed-up expert? I’ll let you know that even if Crazy Thief Nie Yan hasn’t logged in for three years, he’s still someone you can never hope to surpass. One day, I will return to the peak!

A surge of ambition filled Nie Yan’s heart. Back then, relying on a strong sense of confidence, he gradually climbed to the peak and built the powerful Niu Ren Tribe. Although there was the support of his past-life experiences and elements of luck involved, his success couldn’t be summed up by luck alone. What he truly relied on was his strength!

One day, I will prove to everyone that Crazy Thief Nie Yan is still that Crazy Thief. No one can laugh at him. This is the Crazy Thief’s dignity!

He had originally just wanted to be an ordinary player, passing the time in the game, but he ultimately couldn’t bear the loneliness. Perhaps he was someone who was unwilling to be ordinary. Now that he thought about it, maybe he had been ordinary and suppressed for too long in his past life, so in this life, he wanted to enjoy a life of gratitude and grudges, and look down on the world.

Nie Yan clenched his fists. He had new goals. He glanced into the distance, activated Stealth, and disappeared into the jungle.

With his current level, engaging in PvP was definitely not a wise choice. He needed to level up as quickly as possible. However, after level 156, leveling up wasn’t easy. The experience points required for each level were astonishing. He needed to find a place where no one was around to grind his levels!

First, he should search for the Gem of Life Inheritance and see if he could get both inheritance gems. With improved equipment, leveling up would be easier.

Nie Yan entered Stealth and sped toward the depths of the Doomsday Canyon. He encountered many players along the way, all at least level 170 or higher. In general, players below level 170 entering the Doomsday Canyon were practically committing suicide. This place was a paradise for experts, many of whom frequently hung around here, engaging in PvP year-round. Their strength was extremely high. Some players over level 190, upon arriving here, might even be killed by experts over level 170. Those who leveled up by grinding monsters and those who frequently fought on the battlefield were not on the same level in terms of skill.

When he encountered players from the Dark Faction, Nie Yan dodged them from a distance. Being detected by those players from the Dark Faction earlier made Nie Yan aware of the current situation. His hiding ability was no longer enough to deal with them at his current level.

He went all the way to the depths of the Doomsday Canyon, where a vast open space appeared before him. This was the central area of the Doomsday Canyon, only two or three thousand yards away from the Underground Passage.

Looking into the distance, in the center of the open space was a gigantic demonic beast, five or six yards tall, completely black, with a bizarre appearance. It resembled a Minotaur with two pairs of huge fleshy wings on its back, holding a giant greatsword in its right hand, roaring with earth-shattering fury.

“Roar!” The giant beast let out an earth-shattering roar.

Looking down, a large group of players gathered on the open space. Because they were so far away, they looked like tiny black dots.

This Chaos Warden was actually a level 190 Demonified Lord! Nie Yan was dumbfounded. Such high-level monsters had appeared in the Doomsday Canyon? It was terrifying!

Unbeknownst to Nie Yan, in the three years he had disappeared, the number of boss-level creatures on the Atlantean Continent had increased. Not to mention level 190 Demonified Lords, even level 250 Demonified Lords were not uncommon!

It seemed to be the result of the opening of the Chaos Temple. Nie Yan smiled wryly. It seemed he had fallen too far behind.

He had originally thought about whether he could kill the Chaos Warden and obtain the Gem of Life Inheritance, but thinking about it now, he should forget about it. With his current level, not to mention the Chaos Warden, he couldn’t even deal with the players below.

Spells flew up one after another, landing on the Chaos Warden, exploding with a series of dazzling flashes.

Players from both factions were below, making the scene extremely chaotic. It wouldn’t be easy for either side to kill the Chaos Warden.

The Chaos Warden roared in fury, raised its greatsword, and slashed down, with a loud bang. The powerful blade energy engulfed hundreds of players.

The players below panicked, scattering in all directions. The Chaos Warden stepped forward in pursuit, slashing down again and again, killing several players with each slash, sending the players reeling.

Nie Yan couldn’t help but gasp. What a powerful monster!

It was estimated that only the top experts from both factions could kill the Chaos Warden, but the attention of the top experts from both factions was focused on the Chaos Temple and the Sword of the War God. It was unlikely that anyone would come here!