Chapter Eight: Take It Back Yourself!

The Blackwood Forest is located south of Dali City, nestled in the canyon where the Black Gorge Mountains meet the Yue Ridge. The trees here appear as if scorched by a raging fire, their branches and leaves as black as charcoal. The entrance to the forest is a narrow mountain path flanked by jagged, pale gray boulders. The towering peaks on either side block the sunlight, leaving the area in perpetual shadow throughout the seasons, with only a few slivers of light reaching the center of the forest at high noon. Even before entering, a chilling wind whistles through the pass, whipping up gravel and sand in a frenzied dance. A cold, dead silence permeates the air, broken only by the occasional, eerie roar of a tiger.

The monsters roaming the wasteland outside the forest are Juvenile Mountain Tigers, ranging from levels 12 to 15. Without a scouting skill, I could not obtain detailed information. Not far ahead, a juvenile tiger lounged on the grass, enjoying a sunbath. Catching it off guard, I unleashed my Level 1 Sword Technique, the blade tracing a beautiful arc like a crescent moon toward the target.

The surprise attack caught the creature off balance, and the strike hit its flank, immediately depleting 126 HP. Seizing the opportunity, I combined the "Minor Moon Sword Technique" with the "Haoran Mental Cultivation," and in less than a minute, the young tiger perished under my brass sword. With the boost from skill damage and my improved equipment, I easily dispatched a tiger with decent offensive, defensive, and agility stats. Under my Primary Gathering skill, however, the tiger skin was left in tatters—if the creature knew of this in the afterlife, it would surely never want to be a tiger again. The tiger bones, thin as toothpicks, were far too delicate to be worth showing off.

It is daytime, but in this dim, light-starved forest, I had no idea what unknown monsters might lurk. I proceeded with extreme caution, my nerves on edge. Everything before me was a hazy, gray blur; it was difficult to distinguish between monsters and tree branches. I dared not advance recklessly, as death after level 10 would result in an experience penalty.

As I carefully scanned my surroundings, my leg suddenly tightened as if wrapped by something. Looking down, I saw strands of snow-white spider silk. The silk was incredibly tough; my struggle to break free was in vain. Just then, a pitch-black, basin-sized spider emerged from the dark tree beside me, spitting a stream of emerald liquid. My left foot was tightly bound, and I could not dodge the spray. The venom hit me, and a stinging itch spread instantly. A "-45 HP" floated up, and the residual toxin ruthlessly began draining my health at a rate of 15 HP per second. Panicked, I hurriedly channeled my internal energy to purge the poison, gave a forceful tug, and finally tore free from the silk. I darted to the side, gripping my brass sword, but found that the spider had vanished. No way—chameleon camouflage!

While staying on high alert, I continued to channel the Haoran Mental Cultivation to neutralize the venom. Fortunately, the poison's power was limited, and after a few cycles of internal energy, I successfully cleared it. The spider had just emerged from the tree right in front of me; it couldn't have gone far. I tentatively slashed and stabbed at the surrounding area. Moments later, the spider could no longer endure and revealed itself, launching another torrent of venom at me.

Ignoring the spray, I injected my Haoran energy into the brass sword and executed my Level 1 Sword Technique in a precise, masterful arc, striking the spider directly on its back. A bright red "-135" appeared. The Haoran energy successfully broke its camouflage, revealing the gray attacker to be a "Blackwood Guardian," level 16. With nowhere to hide, the spider lost its greatest advantage. Its venom attacks were ineffective under the protection of my internal energy, and its defense was poor; within a few rounds, I cut it down. Upon harvesting the spider, I found no materials, only 42 copper coins. Just as I was about to leave, I noticed the tough silk that had bound my foot was still intact. I picked it up and placed it in my pack; it only displayed the name "Blackwood Spider Silk," with no indication of its function or effects.

Continuing deeper into the forest, I was repeatedly ambushed by adult Mountain Tigers and Blackwood Guardians, all of which I dispatched. After more than an hour of fighting, I was only 31% away from level 12. Regrettably, there was no sign of the Black Tiger. I decided to search a little longer before calling it a day. After fending off two more Blackwood Guardians, a sharp "hissing" sound erupted. Suddenly, a massive swarm of spiders emerged, surrounding me from the front and back. The previous noise must have been a signal from a spider leader. The path was completely blocked by a sea of spiders; there was no way out.

The eerie sound of spiders crawling and the sight of their hairy legs were repulsive. I had lost count of how many I had killed; the pile of corpses beside me had been refreshed by the system twice already, yet their numbers did not seem to dwindle. They kept coming, wave after wave, fearless of death. If not for the dense trees preventing them from launching a full-scale assault, I would have long since been sent to discuss Das Kapital with Marx.

Damn it, this won't do. A big one has arrived: a "Blackwood Guard," level 17. It was so pitch-black that if it hadn't attacked first, I would have mistaken it for a tree. This spider stood as high as my waist, waving legs as thick as a human arm—a true test of my visual threshold. This must be the technology from the American company KTU; they simply transferred the techniques used to film *Alien* into the game!

Its physical attacks were impressive, and combined with acidic venom, they caught me off guard. I had to consume several small health potions just to kill four of them. But I was outnumbered, and they were endless—even if the venom didn't kill me, I would eventually collapse from exhaustion.

During a leaping strike, just as I was about to fell a spider, two hairy legs slammed into my back. I lost my balance and crashed into a Blackwood tree that would have required two people to wrap their arms around. A searing pain radiated from my head, and stars danced before my eyes. In reality, a mild concussion would have been inevitable. I clung to the tree with my left hand, burying my brass sword two inches into the trunk to steady myself. That was close; I was down to 1/3 of my HP. Below, the spiders frantically waved their front legs, their spit falling mostly back onto themselves—unfortunately, it caused them no damage.

Oh! I hadn't realized it before, but the trees were climbable. In previous games, they were always just static props! If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered fighting on the ground. Now, let's see what you can do! I sat leisurely on a branch, watching the Blackwood Guards gather below. My experience had quietly climbed to 53% of level 12. In my pack, I had 6 medium health potions, 4 small ones, and 5 small mana potions left. The annoying part was that I hadn't had the time to collect my loot, and the system had already cleared away most of the corpses that refreshed every half hour.

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Could it be?! My heart sank as I watched the spiders slowly crawling up. With their slender legs supporting their sack-like bodies, they could actually climb trees. In a narrow passage, the brave shall win! Although my offensive capabilities were greatly hindered in the trees, the same went for them, and I only had to face two at a time.

The dense foliage blocked most of the venom, and they couldn't launch physical attacks while climbing. I slashed wildly, knocking spider after spider to the ground. By the time I killed the last two, I had reached level 13. Unfortunately, my "Azure Edge Sword" was in the bank. As I slid back down to the ground, before I could even harvest the corpses, two spider legs as thick as bowls whistled through the air toward me. How insidious! They had been lying in wait just for me to land.

The "Guard Leader" was level 22, a massive creature that occupied at least 15 square meters, looking like a jellyfish with a skeleton. Its iron-like legs were covered in black, barbed bristles, like tiny iron hooks. Its body was actually smaller than those of the guards, making it more agile and harder to hit. A boss, indeed, is something extraordinary.

A deluge of venom poured down like a rainstorm. It was hard to imagine such a volume coming from that narrow black maw, yet it surged out with every movement. Its steel legs attacked from both left and right. I parried with my sword, but I couldn't avoid being drenched in venom. 125 HP vanished instantly, and the residual poison damage drained half my remaining health in seconds. I swallowed a small potion, and with the Haoran Mental Cultivation in effect, the health loss finally stabilized. I swung my sword in a fierce, three-strike combo. With a piercing shriek, the boss spider lost a large chunk of a steel leg and retreated rapidly, spitting another massive wave of venom. Damn it, are you ever going to stop?! Why can't you just spit it all out at once?! The sticky liquid made me feel incredibly uncomfortable—it was malicious pollution that ruined my image. Enraged, I swallowed another potion and gave chase.

Oh no, it was a trap! I collided head-on with a giant spider web. The strands stretched between two trees were also jet-black. As I struggled, the silk wrapped tighter and tighter; I couldn't even lift my legs. Just then, the spider crawled right up to me, covering my entire body in a thick, slimy, semi-solid mucus. This was unforgivable—for someone with a touch of mysophobia like me, it was absolutely disgusting, even if it was just a game!

My rage burned white-hot. My brass sword, infused with Haoran energy, sliced through the resilient silk. I quickly downed a medium health potion, and under the influence of the Haoran energy, the green, slimy substance gradually sloughed off and vanished. The spider, expecting its prey to be helpless, clearly hadn't anticipated that its "seasoned" meal could escape its trap. My cold blade met little resistance as it pierced the spider's mouth just as it was about to spit more venom— -165! A horizontal slash, a rapid stab, and an upward lift: -185, -212, -236. My four-hit combo was unleashed in a fit of fury. The dying spider thrashed wildly in a final struggle. Die! Pushing against its steel leg, I plunged my blade into its abdomen. The Guard Leader twitched in frustration and then expired!

"Congratulations to player Blue Bat for being the first to successfully kill a boss. Reputation +100."

Strange, why was I the first? Perhaps the monsters in the starter village, like the White Wolf, didn't count as bosses? Maybe only those above level 20 counted. Enduring my intense disgust, I searched through the thick, viscous spider corpses and found a silver ring, a silver-white vest, and over 8 silver coins. Not bad loot. I let you off the hook; I won't desecrate your corpse. I also tossed the "Black Spider Silk" that had trapped me into my pack; it didn't weigh much, anyway.

Checking my skill bar, my Level 1 Sword Technique had reached Intermediate level. Experience 83/1000. It increases sword damage by 10% and critical hit rate by 3%. The next level will increase sword damage by 15% and critical hit rate by 5%.

My Basic Sword Technique had also reached Intermediate level. Experience 254/1000. It increases sword damage by 10% and accuracy by 10%. The next level will increase sword damage by 15% and accuracy by 15%.

The Haoran Mental Cultivation remained at the Primary level, with 88/100 experience. The main issue was that mana potions were too expensive, forcing me to use them sparingly.

The decent harvest helped fade the unpleasantness brought on by the spiders. My hunger was at 40; I ate a cold steamed bun and decided to wander a bit before heading back. After all, there's always another day.

I was now nearing the center of the forest. A ray of orange sunlight slanted through a few sparse Blackwood trees, forming a distinct beam of light. The contrast between light and shadow made this area brighter than the entrance. This interplay of light and dark was limited to a small area, where the silence was filled with invisible danger, making it seem particularly eerie. Driven by curiosity, I approached the circle of light with caution.

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A piercing tiger roar echoed through the forest, making the whole woods seem to tremble. A yellow-skinned, black-striped tiger stood majestically under the sunlight, roaring toward the heavens. Its black, shining eyes emitted a piercing light, and the clear "King" character on its forehead, combined with its massive body—as tall as a man—exuded an overwhelming aura! What a beast! I checked its information, but it only displayed "Black Tiger, Level ??". Without a scouting skill, I couldn't see its level if it was more than 10 levels higher than mine.

"Seek and ye shall find!" But with only 5 medium health potions, 1 small one, and 3 mana potions left, whether I would be the winner was hard to say. Just as I was considering whether to fight or flee, the Black Tiger noticed me and launched its attack. It leaped high into the air toward me; the 7 or 8-meter distance meant nothing to it. Even from half a meter away, the wind generated by its pounce cut into my face, stinging like a blade.

Avoid the sharp edge, strike at the return. I dodged! But the Black Tiger reacted with incredible swiftness, its speed far exceeding mine. Its two-meter-long tail followed like a shadow, slamming into my stomach and draining 212 HP. I gulped a small potion and drew my sword. I unleashed a side-slash, but the agile Black Tiger dodged it with ease.

I gripped my brass sword with full focus, watching the tiger closely to avoid being ambushed. I moved constantly to disrupt its line of sight; standing still to face it would only make me a stationary target for its practice. As expected, the Black Tiger adjusted its direction as I moved, but I kept my guard up, neither attacking nor revealing an opening. As time passed, it grew impatient. With a thunderous roar, it crouched and swept its steel-like tail at me, covering a massive range.

I took a giant step, narrowly avoiding the tail, and swung my sword at its head. It reacted with keen agility, immediately lunging forward with its front paws. I quickly pivoted 180 degrees, switched the sword to my left hand, and thrust straight at its throat. I had practiced martial arts with my father since childhood, learning the moves he was taught during his service; these basic motions were familiar, and they worked just as well in the game as they did in reality.

The Black Tiger retracted its front paw, parrying my sword. Though I couldn't land a full strike on its throat, it was enough to make it suffer. The injured tiger was furious and charged fiercely. I had no choice but to play defense, using Tai Chi-like movements. When its attacks were too fierce, I dodged; when I couldn't dodge, I protected my vitals and traded blows. When it lost momentum, I seized the opportunity to channel the Haoran Mental Cultivation combined with my Level 1 Sword Technique to strike with full force. Without long-range attacks, it seemed easier to deal with than the spiders—perhaps it was just psychological, as the filth of the spiders was more irritating.

After nearly an hour of maneuvering, all my potions were exhausted, and the Black Tiger had lost its initial ferocity, gasping for air. The decisive moment had arrived. I had only half my HP left, and my MP was bottoming out. I activated the "Dragon Shield," taking a gamble. In the next ten seconds, it would be either me or the tiger. The sharp blade traced a fluid path toward the dying beast, piercing through its defensive paw, ignoring the right claw raking at my chest. The brass sword plunged into its throat, and I followed through with a downward cleave. The Black Tiger's final counterattack was narrowly blocked by the Dragon Shield. Exactly ten seconds. I ended the Black Tiger's stubborn life, and I myself was exhausted to the point of collapse.

Taking heavy steps, I collected the loot. There seemed to be only a silver-white bracer on the ground—it looked like a Silver Bracer—along with a dozen silver coins. Damn, how stingy! Such a big beast, yet so little reward! But then again, the two silver items dropped by the spiders were likely partially reward-based. I harvested the Black Tiger's corpse, and indeed, I found "Black Tiger Bone." As my gathering skill improved, this piece was now as large as the "little brother" of a six-year-old! Unfortunately, the tiger skin was still riddled with holes and in poor shape. In this sunlit area, I found a few medicinal herbs: Black Ganoderma, Black Chrysanthemum, and Black-Tail Grass—herbs I had never heard of before.

I recovered my stamina and cleaned out my pack. Even though I was only 18% away from level 14, I had no desire to stay in this godforsaken place to grind. With a happy heart, I headed back to see the cute and respectable old appraiser who had saved me 50 gold.

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