Chapter 1 The Wind Stops

The wind died down, and Nie Yan stopped.

Seeing Wei Kai approach, Nie Yan slowly circled behind him until Wei Kai could no longer see him. Then, he moved with slightly larger steps, slowly approaching Wei Kai's back.

Wei Kai turned his head, looking around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The bushes rolled like waves in the wind.

Where was Nie Yan?

This was the first time Wei Kai had encountered a Gale Thief who could use Stealth to such a refined degree. Logically, the dense bushes underfoot should have easily revealed the thief's location, but Nie Yan showed no openings whatsoever while in Stealth.

Wei Kai held his greatsword in front of his chest. In his view, Nie Yan's Stealth speed must be extremely slow to avoid giving himself away, so he should be somewhere in front.

However, what he didn't know was that Nie Yan had already circled behind him.

Only three yards separated Nie Yan from Wei Kai's back. A gust of wind swept by, howling.

In that instant, Nie Yan suddenly accelerated. The dagger in his hand was as fast as lightning, aiming straight for Wei Kai's heart.

The sounds of the wind and footsteps mixed together, becoming chaotic and indecipherable, making it difficult to distinguish. The strong wind also greatly reduced Wei Kai's perception.

"Assassinate!"

Nie Yan's dagger plunged into Wei Kai's back, dealing 35 points of damage.

Wei Kai didn't expect Nie Yan to appear behind him. He raised his greatsword and swept it towards Nie Yan.

Nie Yan rolled to dodge, remaining behind Wei Kai. He leaped up, and the dagger in his hand once again stabbed into Wei Kai's back, knocking off 23 health points.

With only a little over a hundred health left from his original one hundred sixty, Wei Kai still couldn't keep up with Nie Yan's speed.

The Berserker's speed lay in straight-line charges, while the Thief's speed lay in agility. Each excelled in different areas.

Nie Yan moved quickly, keeping himself behind Wei Kai, attacking three times in a row.

This guy was as agile as a monkey! Wei Kai roared and rotated his greatsword clockwise, sending sword energy in all directions.

"Whirlwind Strike!"

Wei Kai spun like a top.

The moment Wei Kai swung his sword, Nie Yan judged from his movements that he was using Whirlwind Strike. He quickly retreated two yards.

The greatsword howled through the air, brushing past Nie Yan's chest. It almost hit him. -9, a damage number floated above Nie Yan's head.

The Whirlwind Strike's sword energy still dealt some damage to Nie Yan.

Wei Kai spun three times before stopping, panting. Nie Yan had dodged so quickly!

The instant Wei Kai stopped his greatsword, Nie Yan pounced on him. The dagger in his hand struck straight for Wei Kai's throat. A critical hit!

Tang Yao, Li Yang, and the others watching from outside were dumbfounded. Nie Yan's movements were simply a perfect art. From dodging Wei Kai's Whirlwind Strike to the critical strike at the end, every opportunity was seized with peak precision.

From Nie Yan, they understood what PK (Player Killing) truly was. It wasn't just hacking at each other with swords, but a matter of awareness, a matter of skill.

A realization flashed through Tang Yao's mind. He understood why Nie Yan had said his spellcasting timing was off. Whether the timing of an attack was correct or not could lead to two completely different outcomes.

He never expected Nie Yan, who he had grown up with, to have this skill. It opened Tang Yao's eyes. There was a saying: "A scholar who has been away three days must be looked at with new eyes." This phrase perfectly described Tang Yao's current feelings.

Nie Yan's dagger slashed across Wei Kai's throat. -96!

Critical hits were still so sharp. After only a few moves, Wei Kai had only 7 health points left. Nie Yan's health was still nearly full. The difference was obvious.

Only then did Wei Kai understand the gap between them.

"Flame Slash!"

Wei Kai was unwilling to accept defeat. Taking advantage of Nie Yan's attack ending, he swung his sword at Nie Yan. The greatsword transformed into a blazing flame as it slashed down, sending out sparks.

The flames rushed towards him.

Nie Yan knew the power of the Berserker's Flame Slash well. He decisively retreated, avoiding its brunt.

Wei Kai suddenly accelerated, catching up to Nie Yan. The Flame Slash struck Nie Yan's chest.

-56, a damage number floated above Nie Yan's head.

Nie Yan had barely stabilized himself after taking a Flame Slash when Wei Kai raised his greatsword. He charged like a heavily armored tank, crushing forward.

Linear Slash!

Wei Kai's sword energy formed a straight line as it slashed down.

The charge had a brief stunning effect. Nie Yan had only half his health left. If he was hit, the Berserker's explosive power would be enough to kill him in seconds.

Nie Yan retreated rapidly. As Wei Kai's greatsword came within inches of his forehead, his pupils suddenly contracted. He sidestepped, dodging Wei Kai's attack, and reversed his grip on the dagger, slashing it across Wei Kai's throat.

Nie Yan was grazed by Wei Kai's charge, sending him flying backward.

Wei Kai's health reached zero, and he fell to the ground. Nie Yan staggered to a halt, checking his health. He had twenty-five points left.

Level Two against Level Three was indeed a bit difficult.

Seeing Wei Kai killed, Nie Yan sheathed his dagger.

The two were teleported out of the PK map.

"I'm convinced. I didn't expect it. You're awesome," Tang Yao said, welcoming Nie Yan as he came out.

"It was a bit of a lucky win," Nie Yan said. He was only a hair's breadth away from being killed by Wei Kai. Ultimately, he hadn't had time to equip himself with skills. If he had a few more skills, he could definitely win more easily.

"A win is a win, and it was a Level Two winning against Level Three. Do you know how to play Arcane Mage? Teach me how to use Arcane Mage when we get back," Tang Yao said, rubbing his hands together. It seemed Nie Yan really knew a lot.

"I don't know much about Arcane Mage. Different skill combinations lead to different tactics, but I'll teach you everything I know," Nie Yan said. He wouldn't hold back from Tang Yao.

"That's great." After watching Nie Yan's PK, Tang Yao was completely convinced of his skills.

Nie Yan checked his bank card. The number displayed six thousand. He transferred three thousand to Tang Yao and said, "Sixteen hundred is what you lent me, and twelve hundred is what I helped you win back."

"It's just a few thousand dollars. Why are you being so formal between brothers?" Tang Yao said unhappily. He didn't care about the money at all, but Nie Yan's meticulousness made him unhappy.

"Clear accounts make long friends. You're treating tonight," Nie Yan said with a smile.

"You made so much money today, and I just broke even. You still have the nerve to freeload off me? You're treating, no discussion."

"Okay, I'll take the loss," Nie Yan said.

"What are we eating tonight? Let's at least go to a restaurant."

"Five yuan a bowl of wonton noodles, enough to fill you up," Nie Yan said, putting his bank card back.

"I'd say you're being too stingy."

"Tit for tat." Nie Yan laughed. He and Tang Yao were kindred spirits.

Wei Kai and his group came over from the other booth. Tang Yao's expression became serious. Wei Kai and the others had lost money. Were they going to become angry out of shame?

Nie Yan was still smiling, much calmer than Tang Yao.

"Hei Ren, you wouldn't be thinking of welching on the bet after losing, would you?" Tang Yao subconsciously stood in front of Nie Yan. Subconsciously, he still saw Nie Yan as the timid, easily bullied youth.

"How could I? Losing is losing, and winning is winning. Wei Kai has that much honor. We can consider this meeting a way of making friends. If Young Master Nie and Young Master Tang ever have time, come visit my bar," Wei Kai said with a smile.

Wei Kai had been mixing around outside for so many years, so he had learned how to behave. He understood what kind of people were best left unprovoked. He didn't mention the previous grudges at all.

"We'll go if we have time," Nie Yan nodded. This Wei Kai knew how to advance and retreat.

"Then Wei Kai will take his leave first. Young Master Nie and Young Master Tang, enjoy yourselves," Wei Kai said cheerfully, leading his group away.

"What's wrong with him? Why did he suddenly become so polite? This is too abnormal! I'm really not used to it," Tang Yao said, bewildered.

"Who knows," Nie Yan said with a faint smile.

Wei Kai and the others left the PK bar.

"Boss, why were you so polite to that kid? Young Master Nie, is he worthy?" Li Yang came up and asked, puzzled.

"There's a saying, 'Don't bully a young man for being poor,' you know? In the future, when you look at people, don't just look at the present, but look further ahead," Wei Kai said. He could tell that Nie Yan was a dragon who would soar to the skies sooner or later. It was best not to make an enemy of him.

Although Li Yang was a bit confused, the boss always had more experience than them. Listening to the boss was the right thing to do.

Nie Yan and Tang Yao got into the car and drove towards the restaurant.

"What's your name in the game?" Tang Yao asked. Nie Yan was a human Thief, so he must be from the same Grante Empire as him.

"Nie Yan. The 'Nie' of nirvana, the 'Yan' of flames," Nie Yan said.

"I'll look for you when we get back," Tang Yao said. He couldn't help but get excited at the thought of leveling up with Nie Yan.

"I'm doing a quest. I can't go back right now," Nie Yan said. He still had to turn in the Archmage's quest, and he had made arrangements for the future. He couldn't level up with Tang Yao.

"Oh, well, never mind. Teach me how to play Arcane Mage now. I'll practice more when I get back," Tang Yao said, feeling slightly disappointed, but he quickly perked up again.

"Arcane Mages are basically divided into three types. The most common is the Firepower type, which equips items that increase spell damage and learns high-damage skills like Arcane Fire Blast. This type of Arcane Mage is the most popular in groups. Another type is the Agility type, which equips items that increase speed and agility, has high movement speed, and is good at PK because Arcane Mage spells generally have shorter casting times. The remaining type has a balance of both attributes. Which route are you planning to take?" Nie Yan asked.

Tang Yao thought for a long time, then smiled awkwardly and said, "Which one requires less skill?"

"That would definitely be the Firepower type. As long as you have good equipment and high spell damage, groups will want you. When participating in team battles, you just have to focus on output, but that means you won't be able to PK," Nie Yan said. He could tell that Tang Yao wanted to slack off. This guy wasn't stupid, he was just too lazy to move.

"No PK? That's no fun." If there was less of something as exciting as PK, at least half of the fun in life would be gone. Tang Yao was unwilling.

"Let's go with the balanced type then. Ask me every time you need to add points in the future," Nie Yan said. The setting in Faith was that every five levels from Level One to Level Thirty, you would get five attribute points, one feat point, and one skill point, so every five levels before Level Thirty was a small watershed.

"Okay, got it," Tang Yao said happily. With Nie Yan helping him add attribute points, he could save a lot of trouble. He hated thinking about such complicated things the most.

"I have something to do when we finish eating. Let's contact each other in the game tonight," Nie Yan said.

"Okay."

After the two had eaten, Tang Yao drove Nie Yan home and then went home himself.

He had wasted a lot of time playing. When Nie Yan returned home, he immediately focused on studying and training.