GTA Chapter 147

Qin Feng reviewed the results of his third class advancement.

In terms of attributes, while the percentage increase wasn’t as significant as the second advancement, the raw numerical gains surpassed those of the previous tier.

The real game-changer, however, was the new passive skill: Shadow Arc.

“I’m sure that none of the players who chose the Shadow class in the past ever reached the third advancement,” Qin Feng mused.

“If they had, with the effect of Shadow Arc, their mortality rate—both in the game and real life—would have plummeted.”

Even with his permanent stealth and ability to remain hidden while attacking, Qin Feng still lost his stealth if hit, unless he had damage-absorbing shields in place.

Shadow Arc’s first effect changed everything: it delayed the loss of stealth and the application of damage by 1 second after being hit. This gave Qin Feng ample time to reapply his stealth skill and negate the effect, granting him true permanent stealth.

“One second of reaction time might seem short,” he thought, “but as levels increase, reaction speeds and skill execution speeds become much faster.”

“In that one second, I can easily cast several skills—more than enough to counter the incoming damage or status effects.”

The second effect of Shadow Arc, however, was truly overpowered: healing, life-drain, or shields could completely negate the delayed damage.

Qin Feng’s current maximum health was 19,000, meaning he’d die from taking 19,000 damage at once.

That was the old reality.

Now, even if he were hit for 100,000 damage, the damage would be delayed for 1 second. In that time, any healing, shield, or life-drain would counteract the damage.

“For example,” he considered, “my Shadow Slash generates a shield equal to 100% of my health on each hit. If I land all nine strikes, that’s a 171,000 shield.“

“Even crazier, my ultimate skill, Crimson Blade, has a 600% life-drain effect. If I deal 300,000 damage with it, I’ll heal for 1.8 million HP!“

In other words, as long as Qin Feng had skills ready, he could shrug off even 1.8 million damage with a single Crimson Blade. His durability was approaching that of an emerald-tier boss.

“This is ridiculous,” Qin Feng thought, even as he marveled at the absurdity of his own power.

While the 1-second window required precise timing, Qin Feng was confident. The only challenge was ensuring he had a target to attack or a shield ready.

“Before this, fighting high-tier bosses made me a little cautious,” he thought. “But now, I can even consider taking on epic-tier bosses.”

Eager to test his newfound abilities, Qin Feng turned back to the Skull Ruins. There were still corners he hadn’t fully cleared, and a few monsters remained.

Deactivating his stealth, Qin Feng strode openly through the ruins, bathed in the eerie, dim white light that filled the area.

—-

In a narrow alleyway formed by pale brick walls, Qin Feng found a small creature.

It was a juvenile monster—a humanoid figure with pale white skin and a spinal tail. It curled up in a corner, trembling as if frightened.

Unlike most grotesque monsters, this one looked almost pitiful in its juvenile form, lacking the usual terrifying features of its adult counterparts.

Qin Feng’s expression remained impassive.

In his previous life, he had heard stories of naive players, especially women, who had spared such creatures out of pity—only to be ambushed and killed the moment they turned their backs.

In this era, pity was a luxury. Mercy often led to disaster, even among humans, let alone monsters.

Dressed in his Black Flame Regalia, Qin Feng approached the juvenile monster step by step. Squatting down in front of it, he watched as the monster’s demeanor shifted instantly.

With a sharp screech, the monster lunged at him, its claws and tail-spine aiming for his face.

Qin Feng didn’t flinch, allowing the attacks to land. His instinctive reflex was to blink, but the damage was laughable—1,758 and 2,278 points.

Despite hitting a “weak spot,” the monster’s attacks barely dented his 19,000 HP. A faint gray bar appeared on his health bar, representing the delayed damage that would take effect in 1 second.

Without hesitation, Qin Feng activated Shadow Slash, a short-range teleporting strike.

One hit was all it took—the juvenile monster fell instantly.

At the same moment, the gray portion of Qin Feng’s health bar vanished. In its place, a shield bar representing 75% of his total health appeared.

“One strike from Shadow Slash generates a shield equal to 100% of my max health, or 19,000 HP,” Qin Feng calculated. “After negating the 4,000 damage, I still have a 15,000 shield remaining.”

The test had gone exactly as expected. Satisfied, Qin Feng looted the monster using Greedy Hand, gaining 1 Evolution Point and a Level 19 mage skill book, Fireball.

While useless to him, Qin Feng noted that it could be exchanged later using Buffich’s Equivalent Exchange Agreement for better items or skills.

—-

With his test complete, Qin Feng turned toward the pitch-black chasm leading to the core of the ruins. This was where the legendary flying mount awaited.

Before entering, he received a private message from Chen Wuming, guild leader of Knights’ Temple, codename: Radiant Valor.

Radiant Valor: “Boss, I heard you’ve partnered with the officials to kill platinum-tier bosses. If we find platinum or emerald-tier bosses, can we collaborate?”

Qin Feng chuckled. This guy always found a way to exploit opportunities—a trait that aligned perfectly with Qin Feng’s impression of him from his previous life.

After some thought, Qin Feng replied, “Sure, we can even use the same terms as the officials. But for each boss, you’ll need to prepare some Slayers for me. That way, we can collaborate long-term.”

Radiant Valor: “Uh… fine.”

Though hesitant, Chen Wuming agreed. Partnering with Shadow to kill bosses was an opportunity too good to pass up. Even sacrificing a few Slayer guild members was worth it for the chance to secure better gear and skills.

In Knights’ Temple, contribution points could be exchanged for boss loot. While dying to Shadow would cost non-tradable lifespan, the chance to claim rare items was too enticing.

Chen Wuming and Qin Feng quickly reached an agreement:

–Platinum-tier bosses: 50 Slayers required.

–Emerald-tier bosses: 200 Slayers required.

–Diamond-tier bosses: To be negotiated upon discovery.

“Unbelievable,” Qin Feng thought. “My old rivals, Knights’ Temple, have now become my Slayer farming guild.”

Back at the dark chasm, Qin Feng merged into the shadows.

With stealth activated, he leapt into the void.

—-

[You have entered the ‘Core of the Skull Ruins’! This area is a disaster zone!]

[Lifespan loss rate: 1,000x normal.]

—-

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