Chapter 13 – Golden Electric Eel

Kalore City transfer point.

At present, a group consisting of twenty or so players were gathered together in a heated discussion.

“I definitely think that guy’s a swindler. How could he possibly know the strategy for the Fallen Shaman Camp!?”

“That person shouldn’t be a swindler. Otherwise, how was he able to correctly guess where our party was wiped? Only by having a deep understanding of this instance, could he have known where we would fall apart.”

Everyone had differing opinions. Hence, it was very hard for them to come to a conclusion.

“Stone, what’s up? Has he said anything?” asked a Warrior on the side. He was Sleepy Fox, the captain of the team.

Stone then proceeded to pass Nie Yan’s words on to them.

A Priest pondered to himself for a while, before looking at his teammates and asking, “Do you guys think his words are trustworthy?”

“Hard to say….” replied a teammate beside him. The several hurdles they had to pass in the Fallen Shaman Camp were too difficult for them. It was to the extent that they had all been wiped out before even having a chance to encounter the Fallen Shaman Priest.

“We can’t say for sure whether or not this Nie Yan (Nirvana Flame) has already beaten the Fallen Shaman Camp with a team.”

“He really is an expert. Remember the area where I was farming, near the Fallen Shaman Camp? It was he who had told me about it. He said that he used to have a Warrior account in the past, but he deleted it and made a new Thief account. I have a feeling his old Warrior account was around Level 4 at the very least. If not, how could he know so much?” Flying Stone said as he argued in Nie Yan’s defense. In regards to Nie Yan’s words, Stone held a firm belief in him.

“So we’re gonna try his method then?”

“Everyone! Begin your preparations. We’ll be setting off in ten minutes,” the Priest called out as he came to a decision.

“Big Brother Fox, are we actually going?” another Mage asked.

“I believe his words hold some degree of credibility. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so knowledgeable of the Fallen Shaman instance. Let’s give it a try. If that person ends up being a swindler, then I’ll make him pay the price,” said Sleepy Fox in a confident manner. Truth or lie, he was still able to distinguish the two. If it weren’t for them getting wiped at the instance prior to this, he wouldn’t have allowed Stone to contact Nie Yan for help.

...

Nie Yan was still killing Water Spiders and gathering Fine Silk. The whole process was rather mundane and boring.

He was in the middle of fighting against a Water Spider; one that was already on the verge of being defeated.「Hiss! Eee!」The spider let out an intense high-pitched cry.

In the distance, six Water Spiders were alerted by the noise. Their movements showed that they were heading to flank Nie Yan.

Simultaneously dealing with two spiders was his limit. Any more, and he had absolutely no chance of winning.

Nie Yan leapt forward. With a single Vital Strike, the lone Water Spider that had been surviving on low health was killed. As the spider fell, a single copper dropped from its corpse and floated into Nie Yan’s hand. By that time, the six charging Water Spiders had already neared him.

Without delay, Nie Yan dived into the water below and swam towards the lake floor.

Upon arriving at their destination, the six spiders skittered about on the water’s surface as they tried to find traces of Nie Yan.

However, Nie Yan continued to swim a fair distance away. After about a minute, he felt himself start to suffocate. He turned his head and looked up to the surface of the water. Unexpectedly, the amount of spiders roaming around his location had increased in number. If he were to go up at this moment, he would certainly die.

For the sake of not drowning, Nie Yan had no choice but to activate the underwater breathing ability of the Water Aversion Pearl. He prepared to resurface after finding an area with fewer Water Spiders.

A ray of light was cast down upon the lake, illuminating its serene depths. Near the lake floor, Nie Yan’s eyes noticed a faint flash of golden light. His heart skipped a beat.This… it couldn’t be some kind of treasure, right?

In any case, the duration of the Water Aversion Pearl’s ability is pretty long. Nie Yan continued his descent, diving deeper into the depths of the lake.

It was deep to the extent that one could not see the bottom, and the deeper he dove, the greater the pressure he felt bearing down on his body.

Strange rock formations were clustered around the surrounding lake floor. Between these rocks were dim narrow passages where one’s field of view would only extend to about two meters.

Nie Yan was able to see a few Black Iron Crystals and other types of ores covering the tops of these rocks. It was a pity he didn’t have the Mining skill. Thus, he could only leave them be.

A stream of cold water flowed between the strange rocks, battering Nie Yan’s body and causing him to feel a cold chill.

Suddenly, a huge gold-coloured eel came out from the rocks and swam pass Nie Yan’s side.

The sudden appearance caused Nie Yan to jump out in fright. When he was finally able to see it clearly, he discovered that it was a Golden Electric Eel!

Just a while ago, that golden flash of light he had seen from above was actually this eel!

The Golden Electric Eel was a type of rare monster that ranged from Level 0 to 20. Their temperaments were gentle and docile, so they never attacked the player first. However, if a player attacked them first, they would retaliate by using the back of their tails to release an intense electric shock. In the water, this was a powerful killing move.

Though, Golden Electric Eels would normally drop some good equipment when killed. At the very least, it would be Bronze-grade.

Golden Electric Eel: Level 0

Health 80/80

Fortunately, it was only a Level 0 Golden Electric Eel. If the level were a little higher, Nie Yan basically wouldn’t stand a chance.

Nie Yan swam beside the eel and followed it closely. He was trying to find weaknesses as he observed its three-meter long body.

The eel didn’t seem to mind Nie Yan’s existence in the slightest. To the point where it even swam a few laps around his body.

It had been reported that the Golden Electric eel’s weak point was its neck. Nie Yan swam over to check and discovered red-coloured scales covering its neck.

That’s the Golden Electric Eel’s weak point!

Nie Yan swam with the Golden Electric Eel until they finally reached a narrow crevice between the rocks. Raising his dagger, he swiftly stabbed towards the eel. Dark red blood gushed forth as Nie Yan activated Assassinate while the dagger entered the eel’s neck.

−11

The Golden Electric Eel never expected that the player beside it would attack. It struggled violently, wanting to break free from its attacker.

Nie Yan firmly held onto the eel. However, its entire body was covered in a slippery mucus—making it very difficult to hold onto.

The Golden Electric Eel swung its tail and a powerful electric shock bombarded Nie Yan’s body.

−32

When the electric current struck, it felt as if ten thousand ants were stinging him all at once. He was unable to move as he felt his whole body go numb.

The Golden Electric Eel’s attacks have a paralysis effect!

In his absentmindedness, Nie Yan noticed that the Golden Electric Eel was trying to escape. Once again—with dagger in hand—he stabbed into the eel’s body. The dagger was imbedded near the eel’s spine.

He tenaciously held onto his dagger.

The Golden Electric Eel swam forward, dragging Nie Yan with it. Once again, another electric shock blasted his body, causing a damage value of twenty-three to float above his head.

Golden Electric Eels were a special class of monster. They were even a bit stronger than Leader monsters. If the Eel’s level had been just a little higher, then Nie Yan would have already lost his life a long time ago.

Feeling himself almost lose consciousness, Nie Yan forcefully shook himself awake.

The eel swam at an extremely fast pace as it moved through the narrow crevices between the rocks. Blood kept gushing forth from its wounds, dyeing the surrounding water red.

After a while had passed, the Golden Electric Eel once again let loose an electric shock, battering Nie Yan’s body and dealing sixteen damage.

The amount of electricity within the Golden Electric Eel’s body was limited. Consequently, the more times it released an electric shock, the weaker its power would become.

The eel dragged its attacker along, unceasingly attacking him as it swam about for five or six minutes. Nie Yan’s health continued to drop until he was left with only twenty-three health remaining. With great strain, he managed to use a Basic Health Potion.

The repeated electrical shocks had paralyzed his whole body. Even making the slightest of movements was incredibly difficult.

After finally becoming exhausted, the Golden Electric Eel stopped. Nie Yan quickly seized this opportunity. Using the dagger in his hand, he activated Vital Strike and stabbed into its neck.

The Golden Electric Eel continued to struggle by wrapping itself tightly around Nie Yan. He felt himself start to suffocate with the eel completely coiled around his body.

−5, −5, −5 One by one, these damage numbers floated above Nie Yan’s head; his health had only fifteen percent remaining.

Seeing his health continuously drop lower and lower, Nie Yan quickened his attacks. The dagger in his hand unceasingly stabbed at the eel’s neck.

−8, −8, −8 The Golden Electric Eel’s health appeared to have finally reached zero. It gradually loosened its coil, then flipped over and revealed its white belly.

Nie Yan finally broke free from the eel’s hold. Using his right hand, he caught a piece of equipment that the eel had dropped—a pair of gloves.

Soft Leather Gloves (Bronze)

Properties: Unidentified

A Level 0 Golden Electric Eel should drop Level 0 equipment. As for the properties, I still need to go back to the city to get it appraised. However, since it’s leather equipment, a Thief can definitely use it.

Nie Yan placed the Soft Leather Gloves in his bagspace. Gradually, the paralysis effect on his body wore off. He also didn’t know where the Golden Electric Eel had dragged him off to, so Nie Yan began swimming towards the surface.

As he swam through the dark narrow crevices between the rocks, Nie Yan discovered a small plant in the distance. It danced and fluttered about as it followed the movements of the currents, lying firmly planted atop the rock.

This small plant was half an inch in length, with three tile-shaped green leaves that were as soft as silk.

Looking at its features… this should be Waterscale Grass!

Nie Yan’s eyelids jumped. There were six recipes for creating mana potions. Among these recipes, Waterscale Grass was the main ingredient out of the raw materials required to make them. Generally, the lowest tier of Mana Potion was worth around thirty coppers. Therefore, this Waterscale Grass—as the main ingredient—would be valued at around twenty coppers.

Not far from where the Waterscale Grass was located, two red-coloured water snakes emerged.

Flowerscale Water Snake: Level 3

Health: 100/100

Nie Yan lingered by the side for a moment, waiting for the water snakes to swim away. Only after they moved away, did he swim over to the area where the Waterscale Grass was growing. The plant resembled a gecko as it sat firmly atop a rock. Nie Yan finally plucked it and placed it in his bag.

This ought to be an area where Waterscale Grass grows. Nie Yan began searching around the area, eventually finding two more Waterscale Grasses. Heh… pretty good harvest.

Nie Yan swam up towards the surface until his figure broke through the water. Spending such a long time within that dark underwater environment was truly oppressive. At last, he could breathe a sigh of relief.

His location was still within the Water Spider’s territory. So, Nie Yan continued farming Water Spiders. By the time the game servers were about to shut down, Nie Yan had managed to pick up a Paladin skill book—Divine Light Slash. This was one of the beginner skills for a Paladin. At the moment, its price should be about thirty coppers.

His luck wasn’t bad. The drop rate for the Divine Light Slash skill book didn’t exceed one in ten thousand. Some people could end up killing Water Spiders for several days, and they still wouldn’t find this skill book.

「System: The servers will be shutting down in three minutes. We request that all players prepare to go offline.」

Nie Yan found an area that seemed safer than others and concealed himself within. After three minutes passed, his vision went dark.

By the time he logged off the game, it was already nine in the morning. A new day had begun, and people were getting ready for work. Due to the implementation of a three hour work day—one hour of work in the morning and two in the afternoon—their schedules were fairly relaxed. Students, on the other hand, were beginning the day’s summer recreation.

After finishing breakfast, Nie Yan began to exercise. His old man—having a military background—had harsh and strict expectations for Nie Yan. Thus, his foundations were pretty good. Back then, he persisted for two years in tempering his body for the sake of assassinating Cao Xu. He employed special forces training that he had gotten from the internet. The training methods were extraordinarily abnormal. Due to being too old at the time, he missed the optimum period of time to train his body. Thus, the results weren’t that amazing. However, he still had the ability to easily knock out two or three grown men.

When referring to two or three grown men, Nie Yan was referring to adults who had at least some training. The increasing productivity had liberated people from the toils of hard labour. Thus, the modern man placed an increasing importance on elite—martial and intellectual—education. Beside the core academic courses, electives such as kickboxing, taekwondo, and boxing could also be taken. Since people studied martial arts from a young age, everyone’s physical fitness was pretty decent. At the very least, they would know a few martial arts techniques. Today, there was a never-waning abundance of huge martial arts tournaments of all kinds. Speaking precisely, the present society is one that promotes the martial spirit.

He didn’t have any equipment at home, so he could only do a few basic exercises. In the future when his family would have more money, he could buy equipment and body enhancing medicines; the effects would be much more distinct.

He exercised for an hour and did twenty minutes of martial arts training. Afterwards, Nie Yan began to review his schoolwork. In this day and age, making use of one’s knowledge was of the utmost importance, and the knowledge contained in textbooks covered just about everything. Starting from small—such as simple physics and chemistry—to the large—such as manufacturing polymers, aircrafts, small scale nuclear batteries, etc… all of these were covered. If he managed to put all of the knowledge within these textbooks to use, let alone manufacturing aircrafts, even constructing a mecha wouldn’t be a problem at all.

People in this age—with advancements of bio-electric stimulation in medicine—had an average IQ of a hundred and sixty or higher. On the higher end, a person’s IQ was even capable of reaching two hundred and sixty. However, throughout their wholes lives, these people would still be completely unable to master all of the accumulated knowledge left behind by their predecessors.

During high school, scoring fifty or sixty percent on a test paper could already be considered not bad. There wasn’t a failing grade in these tests. However, every test mark would be recorded and entered into an individual’s overall evaluation.

Nie Yan—when he was in his first and second year of high school—was ranked among the top three in terms of academics. However, after he transferred from his school to a high-class one in the city, his achievements could only be ranked at the bottom. In this world, perhaps you could do plenty of things if you had money. However, knowledge is what secured a person’s position indefinitely. Perhaps Nie Yan’s father, using his money, could pave a future of brilliant prospects for him. Though, whether or not he was able to walk down this path… Nie Yan was still required to rely on himself.