Out of Danger

The Fine Iron Short Sword measures two and a half feet, gleaming with its sharp blade that emits a cold radiance. The Fine Iron Two-Handed Axe is over four feet in length, bathed in a shadowy hue with a solid metal construction, its blade being both thick and weighty. At this moment, the duo was leagues ahead of their fellow players.

Swinging the axe effortlessly, a gust of wind lifted the ground dust. The plump guy couldn't hide his ecstatic expression, exclaiming, "What a great axe! I love it!"

Outside the iron gate, hordes of monsters roamed, waiting for the mysterious merchant to leave before launching an attack.

After surveying the surroundings, Zhang Mu handed a container of gasoline to his companion, pointing at several minibuses, instructing, "This one, that one, and those over there. Quickly open their fuel tanks and pour the gasoline in."

His hefty friend complied, while Zhang Mu got busy with the newly acquired skill books.

Assassinate Lv1: F+ skill, max level at Lv3. It increases the attack speed by 50%. Suitable for targeting attacks and can be combined with other skills. Consumes 2 mana points with a 10-second cooldown.

Quick Slide Lv1: F skill, max level at Lv3. Boosts the movement speed by 25%, allowing a slide of up to 100 meters. Compatible with other skills. Uses 2 mana points with a 10-second cooldown.

F-tier skills are the most basic, and most would be phased out in a few months. However, these two skills, without fixed values and working on percentage bonuses, remain useful even in the later stages. While they don't directly amplify damage, one enhances the speed of striking, and the other the progression speed, thereby indirectly boosting performance.

Subsequently, Zhang Mu used a skill enhancement scroll, raising his "Divine Blessing" from level 1 to level 2.

Divine Blessing Lv2: A-tier skill, maxing out at Lv9. It consumes 45% of the mana value, granting invincibility for 1.5 seconds. All skills below the color tier have their cooldowns reset, and for the next 140 seconds, all attributes are amplified by 30%. Cooldown: 57 minutes.

This upgrade added 0.5 seconds of invincibility, reduced mana consumption, increased attribute enhancement duration by 20 seconds, increased the amplification by 5%, and shaved off 3 minutes from the cooldown.

This skill holds immense growth potential, capable of reaching a maximum level of 9. It's hard to imagine its eventual prowess.

The plump guy poured the gasoline in front of them, emptying the two containers that Zhang Mu had prepared.

"The time has come for me to leave," the mysterious merchant declared with a smile. "I enjoy dealing with warriors from other realms who possess potential. However, sometimes luck plays a significant part. If you cross paths with me again within thirty days, I'll have a small gift waiting for you."

Random Quest **Lucky Reunion** activated!

- **Quest Objective**: Encounter the mysterious merchant within 30 days.

- **Success Reward**: +40 favorability with the mysterious merchant and a mysterious prize.

- **Failure Penalty**: -20 favorability with the mysterious merchant.

After speaking, the mysterious merchant slowly began to fade. Outside the bus station, all the monsters let out terrifying roars.

Shaken to his core, the plump guy's legs trembled, "Boss, things aren't looking good!"

Calmly, Zhang Mu pulled out a lighter. "Once the mysterious merchant departs, the monsters will swarm us."

"What do we do?"

"We fight our way out."

The hefty fellow nearly collapsed in fright, stuttering, "You're joking, right, Boss? Can just the two of us really make it?"

"As most of the monster horde enters the parking lot, I'll ignite the gasoline on the ground, setting off a chain explosion from the vehicles. The combined force of a dozen car explosions isn't trivial—it'll kill or injure a large number. Hide in the waiting room to avoid being caught in the blast. Once the initial explosion subsides, come out and use the aftermath to break through. Remember, don't dawdle. The blast will attract monsters from afar, and we need to break out before they arrive. Be swift, efficient, and don't rely on me to save you."

"What about you? Will you be safe when the cars explode?"

"I have a skill that grants me temporary invincibility. The explosion won't claim my life." Zhang Mu clicked the lighter, its flame reflecting in his dark, intense eyes. "Get ready. I'm about to ignite it."

The mysterious merchant was nearly transparent, with only a few seconds left before vanishing completely.

In a frantic scramble, the plump guy cried out, "Wait, don't light it yet!"

The ground was drenched in gasoline, with the fuel tanks of nearby vehicles opened and splashed with petrol. As soon as Zhang Mu ignited the gasoline on the ground, the ensuing flames would cause all the nearby vehicles to explode, unleashing an immense force!

About six or seven seconds later...

*BOOM!*

A thunderous explosion resonated from the bus station! 

Emerging from the station, engulfed in roaring flames, Zhang Mu, wielding a short sword, leapt over a wall with the hefty fellow, clutching a double-handed axe, trailing right behind him. Both of them looked completely soot-covered. No sooner had they cleared the wall than they encountered three goblins.

The goblins made frog-like noises and charged straight at the duo.

**Slide Dash!**

Activating his new skill, Zhang Mu glided effortlessly, as if on an invisible skateboard, racing towards one goblin at a surprising speed. A cold glint flashed from his right hand. The goblin had barely raised its club when its throat was slashed open, green blood spurting several meters into the air. Its health plummeted to 25%. Zhang Mu swiftly reversed his grip on his sword, delivering a finishing blow.

Another goblin lunged from the side.

**Assassinate!**

With lightning-fast reflexes, Zhang Mu thrust his blade, its tip phantasmally piercing the goblin's heart. With his current attack strength of 16 points, this critical hit dealt massive damage, causing the goblin's health to drain instantly. With a swift swipe, Zhang Mu slashed its throat, leaving the creature lifeless on the ground.

**Barbaric Charge!**

The hefty fellow radiated a fierce red glow, enveloping him in flames akin to a blazing inferno. Pushing off the ground with such force that cracks formed, he barreled into the last goblin like an unstoppable train. The sheer force of the impact was too much for the small creature, sending it soaring through the air like a kite with its string cut. It crash-landed ten meters away, its bones shattered. After a few feeble twitches, it lay still.

The ground bore marks spanning several meters, with faint red energy still lingering in the air. The plump guy, shocked by his own power, stood frozen.

"Hey, tubby! What are you gawking at? Move it!" Zhang Mu shouted.

The hefty fellow hastily matched Zhang Mu's pace. After the initial shock, his perspective started to shift. For the first time, he felt that maybe this apocalyptic disaster... wasn't entirely a bad thing.

The explosion had been so loud that monsters from the surrounding areas would undoubtedly be drawn to the noise. Blindly running wasn't the best course of action since monsters would be flocking from all directions. The smart move would be to find a sturdy place to hide.

The two turned into a narrow street, spotting a medium-sized hotel up ahead. Though it didn't occupy a large footprint, it stood three stories tall.

"Into that building, we'll take cover there!" Zhang Mu commanded.

The pair made a dash for the small hotel. Zhang Mu's eyes fixed on a tree just outside the hotel. With a few nimble moves, he clambered up the branches, leaping a good ten feet like a monkey, and landed on the third-floor window ledge of the hotel. He swiftly used the hilt of his sword to shatter the glass, preparing to crawl inside.

Behind him, a distressed shout rang out, "Boss, boss! Wait up, help me out here! Ouch... my butt!"

Turning around, Zhang Mu saw the hefty fellow dangling precariously from a tree branch, nearly snapping it due to his weight. He struggled to climb, his double-handed axe in tow. Directly beneath him, a goblin armed with a shortbow took aim. *Whoosh!* An arrow promptly lodged itself into the plump man's rather sizable behind.

"Idiot! Stow your axe in the backpack!"

He hastily shoved his axe into his backpack. Whether it was the relief from the weight of the axe or the painful motivation from the arrow in his rear, the hefty fellow surged upwards with unexpected agility. Emulating Zhang Mu, he made the jump. With over 200 pounds behind him, he slammed into the window like a cannonball.

"Get in!" Zhang Mu shouted, assisting the hefty fellow in first, who tumbled onto the floor. Sharp shards of glass pierced into him, causing him to cry out in pain. Just as Zhang Mu was about to join him, three cat-people appeared, climbing the building. One leaped onto the tree and lunged straight at him.

Deploying his "Assassinate" move, Zhang Mu's blade struck with the precision and speed of a striking viper, biting into the cat-person's throat. Blood sprayed as the creature screamed, tumbling downwards.

Almost instantly, another cat-person, nimble as ever, launched itself from the left. Before Zhang Mu could react, the creature's claws raked deep gashes into his back. It then lunged for his throat. In a split-second decision, Zhang Mu twisted his body, dodging the lethal bite which instead found purchase on his shoulder, its sharp fangs digging deep, numbing his entire arm.

In this perilous moment, Zhang Mu hurled his short sword with his right hand. After a few mid-air spins, he caught it with his left, driving it into the cat-person's eye. Before he could yank the blade out, a third cat-person, descending from the rooftop like a bird of prey, lunged at him.

Suddenly, a bloodied and fierce-faced hefty fellow roared from inside the room, brandishing his heavy axe over Zhang Mu's head. The sheer force of his swing cleaved through the stainless steel window frame, striking the oncoming cat-person, ripping its belly wide open. Blood and entrails scattered everywhere.

Using his uninjured left arm, Zhang Mu swiftly vaulted into the room.

The hefty fellow, panting, voiced his concern, "Boss, your wounds..."

"I'm alright," Zhang Mu interrupted, "Still at 42% health. Far from dead."

Without even sparing a glance at his injuries, Zhang Mu briskly moved to the center of the room and upturned a round table, barricading the window.

With the hefty fellow's assistance, they stacked up a dozen solid wooden chairs against the entrance. Most of the monsters below couldn't climb, and if they couldn't spot the duo for a while, they'd likely disperse.

"At least we're safe now," the hefty man sighed with relief, but as he touched his rear, he yelped, "Wait, why can't I feel my butt?"

"The arrow was coated with a numbing toxin," Zhang Mu explained, reaching over and extracting the wooden arrow from the man's behind. "You're lucky. A tad off, and it would have been... quite the unfortunate place."

Fear crept into the hefty fellow's voice as the numbness spread, "Poisoned arrow! Am I going to be paralyzed?"

"It should only last a few minutes," Zhang Mu replied, discarding the bloody arrow. Suddenly, his sharp ears picked up faint noises coming from outside the private room they were in. His expression darkened, "Careful, there's something outside."

Without warning, the room's door burst open, revealing several tall figures.

Leading the group was a bald, muscular man in his late thirties to early forties, his face etched with scars. The men accompanying him looked equally thuggish, their appearance just short of having "I'm a bad guy" tattooed across their faces.

Upon realizing they were just men, the hefty fellow's tension eased a bit.

However, the young toughs quickly advanced in anger. With the lower half of his body still numb, the hefty fellow couldn't dodge and was swiftly knocked to the ground. Another thug lunged at Zhang Mu, but before his fist could connect, Zhang Mu deftly delivered a swift kick to the attacker's knee, followed by a fierce uppercut to his chin. In a fluid motion, Zhang Mu twisted the thug's arms behind his back and pinned him down, neutralizing the threat.

"Stay the hell still!" 

The bald leader brandished a black pistol, its ominous barrel pointed squarely at Zhang Mu.