Chapter 21: Night Battle: Level 3 First Kill

"It has appeared."

Fang Shi watched the red light slicing through the night sky, realizing that the otherworldly creature, the Fire-Winged Bird, had already arrived on Blue Star.

Before his rebirth, the Fire-Winged Bird was one of the main monsters infesting Ancheng.

And the city where Fang Shi currently stood was Ancheng.

A typical Fire-Winged Bird has a creature level of 3, with 12 Strength, 17 Dexterity, 12 Constitution, 3 Natural Armor, and 19 Hit Points.

Its attacks deal 1D6 fire damage and possess feats such as Alertness, Flyby Attack, and Multiattack.

The threat this creature poses to surviving humans is far greater than that of the zombies.

A Fire-Winged Bird soaring in the sky can basically take a life with a single dive.

Its dive speed reaches up to 100 meters per second.

Its sharp claws can easily tear open a human's skull and pierce through a human's chest.

If one is lucky enough to dodge vital points, the fire damage attached to the Fire-Winged Bird will still scorch the injured area, reducing human combat effectiveness.

Even when using thrown weapons or bows, the Fire-Winged Bird's Dexterity of 17 allows it to dodge with ease.

Fang Shi dared to hunt the Fire-Winged Bird because he naturally had a method to deal with it.

In fact, once humans overcame their initial confusion, they could all find ways to deal with the Fire-Winged Bird.

To put it simply, one person ties up the Fire-Winged Bird while others attack in the opening.

Compared to the sturdy body of a level 3 zombie, the Fire-Winged Bird with only 19 Hit Points is truly fragile.

As long as one can withstand the Fire-Winged Bird's attacks and restrict its flight capability, humans can leverage the advantage of numbers.

Chop the Fire-Winged Bird to death with chaotic blades.

Fang Shi is alone, but relying solely on himself, he can easily withstand the Fire-Winged Bird's assault.

And without needing others to deal damage, he alone can kill it.

This is the power of a level 3 Martial Artist.

"Name: Fang Shi"

"Race: Human"

"Attributes: Strength 15, Dexterity 15, Constitution 15, Intelligence 14, Perception 19, Charisma 15"

"Class: Level 3 Martial Artist"

"Hit Points: 35/35"

"Experience: 2/6000"

"Attribute Points: 0"

"Survival Points: 410.2"

"Race Feat: Versatile I"

"Life Skills: Concentration 12..."

"Class Skills: Stealth 8, Hide 10, Listen 10, Spot 12, Tumble 15, Intimidate 6, Heal 10, Jump 14, Sense Motive 7, Swim 6, Climb 6, Spellcraft 5, Survival 10, Profession (Gambler) 12, Estimate 3, Balance 3, Bluff 3, Concentration 3, Craft 3..."

"Personal Feats: Iron Will I, Athletic I, Eidetic Memory I, Endurance I, Natural Armor I, Shi Breathing Method III, Divine Step I, Lightning Reflexes I"

"Class Feats: Gale Combo I, Unarmed Strike I, Iron Body I, Crushing Fist I, Evasion I, Improved Initiative I"

Upon reaching level 3, Fang Shi's combat power increased again.

The most obvious change was a one-third increase in Hit Points.

This allowed him to effectively reduce the damage received when facing the Fire-Winged Bird's beak and sharp claws.

Moreover, the two newly acquired feats are extremely powerful.

"【Lightning Reflexes I】: Your reaction speed is faster than that of ordinary people. (Reaction Speed +1)"

"【Improved Initiative I】: Your reaction to combat is fast, allowing you to respond to danger quickly. (Initiative Check +4)"

These two feats, combined with Fang Shi's Perception of 19, allow him to react quickly when facing the Fire-Winged Bird's attacks.

Even if ambushed or ganged up on, he can effectively counterattack.

This is the reason Fang Shi is confident in withstanding the Fire-Winged Bird's assault.

So next,

he must use the Law's power to attract the Fire-Winged Bird, lure a lone one down, and perform a solo kill.

Three years after the apocalypse, the powerful among humans had long figured out the reason why otherworldly creatures attack humans.

After humans undergo Law transformation, their bodies contain the power of the Laws.

This power of the Laws provides immense help to any creature, accelerating its own evolution.

The attribute panel is the manifestation of the power of the Laws, which is why humans can fight monsters, level up, and evolve rapidly after the apocalypse.

This is the reliance for human survival in the apocalypse, and also the reason that attracts otherworldly creatures to attack.

Therefore, powerful humans proposed a viewpoint: extract the power of the Laws from the weak to reduce the attacks of otherworldly creatures on the weak.

Simultaneously, pour the extracted power of the Laws into the body of the strongest human to forge an invincible supreme protector to shield all humanity.

This plan naturally failed; otherwise, the human gathering places before Fang Shi's rebirth would not have been breached by monsters.

However, it is strange; theoretically, zombies also retain residual power of the Laws in their bodies, yet otherworldly creatures are simply attracted to humans.

The rooftop, which was piled with debris during the day, was now completely empty.

Fang Shi held a fine steel sword, standing in the center of the rooftop, occasionally scanning the surroundings and watching the firelight in the sky.

He knew that relying on his level 3 status, the power of the Laws contained within his body far exceeded that of other survivors.

It would definitely attract the arrival of the Fire-Winged Bird.

On the street, a silver disc slowly unfolded, and a Fire-Winged Bird descended upon Blue Star.

Unlike its previous reckless kin, this was already its third time coming to Blue Star, and it knew the rules here very well.

Unfortunately, knowing the rules inside out was useless.

The prey here was far too cunning — at night they simply wouldn't go out, and over these past days it hadn't gained a single thing.

And during the day it would be driven out by the force of the Laws, forced to return to the other world.

But even so, the Fire-Wing Bird still couldn't resist the lure of the Law's power, and every day it still came to Blue Star tirelessly.

Today it had thought it would be another ordinary day; after the Fire-Wing Bird poked out of the spatial rift, it didn't rush to go look for prey.

Instead, it slowly preened its own feathers with its beak.

But suddenly, the Fire-Wing Bird's gaze hardened, and it directly took wing.

In an instant its speed reached 30 m/s.

Unlike before, this time it clearly sensed that above the building ahead there was an intense aura of the Laws.

Far denser than anything it had sensed before.

None of that was the point — after all, no matter how dense, as long as it couldn't capture it, it was the same as nothing.

But this time the aura was right above this building.

The Fire-Wing Bird had been to this place before — it was an uncovered terrace.

This meant that spot didn't belong inside the building, and also meant this place wasn't under the protection of the gods.

As long as the Fire-Wing Bird went over, it could capture the first prey of these past days.

How could it not be excited?

"It's coming." Fang Shi said inwardly.

Although he hadn't yet seen any firelight, he had already heard the wing-beats of the Fire-Wing Bird in flight.

That thrumming wing-sound was so familiar in the ears of Fang Shi, who had slain countless Fire-Wing Birds.

And now that sound was right below the building.

Fang Shi moved his feet, and in a few strides he charged straight to the edge of the rooftop.

Without a second thought, he brought his sword down in a slash.

"Kraa!"

A bird cry rang out — under Fang Shi's anticipated strike, even a Fire-Wing Bird couldn't dodge.

It could only rely on its 17 points of Agility to dodge the vital spot of its head as best it could.

But even so, a wound deep enough to expose bone appeared on the Fire-Wing Bird's shoulder.

A crack even appeared on its shoulder blade..

"Slash Attack activated."

"You dealt 5.5 damage to the target 【(Strength 15/10)/2 + Fine Steel Sword 6 (1d8) − Natural Armor 3)】."

The Fire-Wing Bird lost a third of its HP from this strike.

Its left wing suffered a serious wound and could no longer maintain a flying posture.

But the Fire-Wing Bird wasn't willing to give up — 20 meters up in the air was no joke.

Even though it was a bird, if it fell to the ground, broken bones and torn tendons would be the result; and if it hit a vital spot, it would die on the spot.

It flapped its wings as hard as it could, struggling with great effort.

Even though its left wing was in agony and couldn't exert any force, it still refused to give up.

The Fire-Wing Bird felt a bit of regret — it had been far too careless and complacent.

It shouldn't have charged straight at the rooftop, leaving itself no room to dodge.

Its underestimation of Blue Star humans' strength, and its desire for the power of the Laws, had blinded its reason.

Causing the Fire-Wing Bird to lose the judgment it should have had.

If it had first shot up high, observed the enemy's situation, and then dived down, it absolutely wouldn't have fallen to such a state.

Just as despair welled up in the Fire-Wing Bird, a large hand firmly gripped the edge of its left wing, steadying its body.

The one who struck was none other than Fang Shi.

This wasn't out of mercy — unable to bear seeing life and death — in the apocalypse there were no merciful people.

It was because the Fire-Wing Bird's body had great use.

Fang Shi didn't want to have to go downstairs next to clean up the Fire-Wing Bird's shattered flesh and blood.

"Thud!"

A violent crash rang out — Fang Shi grabbed the Fire-Wing Bird and slammed it straight onto the rooftop.

Doing such a thing with 15 points of Strength was effortless.

Don't be fooled by the Fire-Wing Bird being two meters long, with a wingspan of fully 5 meters — bird bones are hollow, so its weight is extremely light, only 30 kilograms.

The Fire-Wing Bird, already injured in its left wing, under Fang Shi's throw —

The area of its left shoulder blade suffered an even greater tear.

Wound upon wound — the entire left half of its body had already lost the ability to move.

Added to the damage from the collision with the rooftop, the Fire-Wing Bird had already lost the ability to fight.

Reduced to a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

Fang Shi charged at the Fire-Wing Bird again, wanting to lop its head off with a single sword stroke.

The Fire-Wing Bird refused to die just like that — it used its hind claws to struggle upright, flapping its wings.

Enduring the searing pain, it shook its bird-head, and its nimble beak stabbed forward rapidly.

Its 17 points of Agility reacted extremely fast, and moving later but arriving first, it caught the trajectory of Fang Shi's attack, pecked at the blade, trying to knock the Fine Steel Sword away.

But Fang Shi's reaction was even faster — his base 15 points of Agility, aided by Lightning Reflex I and Reflexive Dodge I, gave him a total of 2 points of reaction-speed bonus.

Already equivalent to an agility reaction speed of 19 points.

At the same instant the Fire-Wing Bird attacked, he shifted his move at an even faster speed, slashing backhand toward the bird's beak.

"Aaargh!"

As the beak flew into the sky, the Fire-Wing Bird no longer had any strength to resist.

"Piercing Attack activated."

"Target received fatal damage."

"You dealt 24.5 damage to the target."

"Target dead."

"Absorbed target's soul energy; you gained 60 experience points and 6 survival points."

"After continuous combat, you have obtained partial information on Weakness Insight."

In the end, the Fire-Wing Bird was stabbed once by Fang Shi; the longsword pierced through its eye socket into the brain, ending its life completely.