Chapter 2: Main Quest, Generous Rewards

Congratulations Host, you have activated the novice task, released the First Stage Main Quest. Please Host, within five days, behead five Ten-Soldier Captains, two Hundred-Soldier Captains, one Colonel, raise your Official Rank to Colonel, and raise your Martial Dao Realm to Three Pin Six Layers.

Upon completing the mission, you can obtain the following rewards: the supreme movement technique 《Wind Thunder Nine Turns》, the divine weapon Intermediate Dragon-Slaying Saber upgraded from the Initial Dragon-Slaying Saber, a bottle of ten Small Return Pills, the special skill 《Three Seconds Invincible》, and 50 taels of gold. If the mission fails, the Host will be erased!

Hearing the two successive task prompts, the Main Quest's rewards were especially generous, and Shen Tianxing was overjoyed—until the final line, 'If the mission fails, the Host will be erased,' felt like a bottle of two-liter Snow Sprite poured over his head: sparkling and chilling to the core.

What are you staring at? They're coming to kill us—run fast!

Shen Tianxing had been about to complain that the system actually had penalties, when Mingyue's voice came from beside him, her hand grabbing his, and she pulled him to run.

Why are you running? They aren't the troops of Great Wu? If we win, won't we be saved?

Shen Tianxing still had to kill enemies to complete the mission—how could he just run? He grabbed Mingyue, full of doubt.

How can you not know this? They won't care whether we prisoners live or die; if they win, we'll be tortured to death even if we don't run.

Mingyue's eyes were full of fear, showing she spoke the truth; Shen Tianxing frowned and released her hand.

Run far away and hide; wait for me to return.

System, equip me with the Dragon-Slaying Saber, wear the Black Tortoise Armor inside my clothes, and open the Character Attribute Panel.

After instructing Mingyue, Shen Tianxing gave the command to the System; shortly thereafter, a Dragon-Slaying Saber appeared in his hand, the Black Tortoise Armor was worn inside his clothes, and the Character Attribute Panel opened.

Host: Shen Tianxing

Martial Strength: 5+ (100)

Defense: 1+ (100)

Suodu: 3

Martial Skill: None

Internal Force: None

Martial Dao Realm: Unranked (equipment bonus equivalent to Second-Rank First Layer)

Equipment: Dragon-Slaying Saber, Black Tortoise Armor.

Killing Value: None

Looking at the attribute panel, having the feeling of a worthless nobody instantly becoming a big shot, Shen Tianxing instantly brimmed with confidence.

Captain, I'll help you! Kill!

The Great Zhou Ten-Soldier Captain Zhang Lei and the Great Wu Ten-Soldier Captain Wu Tao were locked in a hard-to-distinguish fight, their soldiers being pressed down; indeed the Great Wu troops outnumbered them by several, putting them at a disadvantage.

Shen Tianxing's roar attracted the gazes of the two captains, who immediately froze on the spot—was this new recruit cutting melons and vegetables?

Shen Tianxing brandished his blade and charged into the midst of the two armies; with a swing of his sword, a Great Wu soldier's head flew off, then another slash severed a Great Wu soldier's sword in hand, broke through his armor, and killed him on the spot.

Congratulations Host, you have slain a Great Wu soldier, Killing Value +1, first kill bonus adds 10 Killing Value, Martial Dao rises to First-Rank First Layer, Basic Blade Technique mastered—learn now?

Learn!

Although Shen Tianxing's first kill was still beheading and he felt somewhat unaccustomed, hearing the system's first-kill reward dispelled his unease, and he immediately learned Basic Blade Technique Proficient.

The moment Shen Tianxing mastered Basic Blade Technique Proficient, he swung again, breaking armor and killing a Great Wu soldier; drawing and sheathing his blade flowed like clouds and water, and then he launched into slaughter as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

Congratulations Host, slaying a Great Wu soldier adds 1 to Killing Value.

Congratulations Host, slaying a Great Wu soldier adds Killing Value......

With the System Prompt sounding repeatedly, Shen Tianxing had already slain ten Great Wu soldiers, arrived beside Zhang Lei, brandished his blade to block Wu Tao's attack, and even shook him, causing him to stagger back repeatedly.

You little brat, hiding your strength—with at least Second-Rank First Layer ability, no wonder you enlisted and didn't run; you're here to earn military merit by slaying enemies, right?

Zhang Lei's shock was understandable; after all, he himself was only First-Rank Sixth Layer, while the minimum requirement for a Ten-Soldier Captain is First-Rank Fifth Layer, and one still needs to kill fifteen ordinary enemy soldiers or behead an opposing Ten-Soldier Captain to be promoted.

Someone like Shen Tianxing, already possessing Second-Rank First Layer strength, with sufficient military merit could directly become a Ten-Soldier Captain; this starting point already surpasses Zhang Lei.

Damn, we've hit a tough spot—brothers, retreat!

Wu Tao knew he couldn't win, ordered a retreat, but Shen Tianxing wouldn't let him escape; without wasting words with Zhang Lei, he brandished his blade and charged forward.

Sir, we'll talk later—don't let these military merits slip away, kill!

In the midst of speaking, Shen Tianxing had already reached Wu Tao's front, raised his hand and slashed diagonally from top to bottom.

Wu Tao was also only First-Rank Sixth Layer; facing Shen Tianxing's strike, he could not block it, hastily raising his sword to resist, but he never expected his battle sword to be split in two—this was the Dragon-Slaying Saber triggering the Broken Blade skill.

Before Wu Tao could react, Shen Tianxing swung and severed his head.

The enemy captain is dead, brothers, quickly kill the foes—don't let the Great Wu dogs escape!

See Shen Tianxing kill Wu Tao, Zhang Lei immediately shouted; the remaining ten Great Zhou soldiers, inspired, went berserk in pursuit and in moments annihilated the enemy forces.

Congratulations Host, first beheading a Ten-Soldier Captain earns 50 Killing Value, drops a Second-Grade Red Gem, and ten taels of silver.

Congratulations Host, completing the novice beheading mission, slaying the Great Wu Ten-Soldier Captain Wu Tao, reward: 100 Killing Value, Martial Dao Realm rises to First-Rank Sixth Layer, one initial random draw, twenty taels of silver.

With the System Prompt sounding, the upgrade of his Martial Dao Realm made Shen Tianxing feel completely refreshed; the stamina he had just consumed instantly recovered, even giving him a sense of inexhaustible vigor.

The reward's not bad—I didn't expect this person to drop items as well. System, what is this Second-Grade Red Gem?

The Second-Grade Red Gem is a type of inlay gem; when inlaid in a weapon it adds 100 points of Martial Strength. Red Gems come in ten grades: a First-Grade Red Gem adds 50 points, Second-Grade 100 points, Third-Grade 200 points, and so on.

Moreover, gems can be synthesized: five gems of the same grade can combine into a higher grade; the higher the weapon's grade, the more gems it can inlay, reaching the Supreme Divine Weapon tier allows inlaying five Red Gems.

After hearing the System's explanation, Shen Tianxing's face lit up with delight—this Red Gem is absolutely a treasure. If we make it a tenth-grade, the Martial Strength would increase a bit, and that strike would surely be stained with death.

Suppressing his excitement, Shen Tianxing opened the System panel to check the attribute increases after his Martial Dao Realm rose.

Host: Shen Tianxing

Martial Strength: 65+ (100)

Defense: 31+ (100)

Suodu: 33

Martial Skill: Basic Blade Technique Proficient

Internal Force: 30

Martial Dao Realm: First-Rank Sixth Layer (equipment bonus equivalent to Second-Rank Fourth Layer)

Equipment: Dragon-Slaying Saber, Black Tortoise Armor.

Killing Value: 170