The instant the trident struck Soulshadow Tianyou, she leaned slightly left, dodging the spear with minimal movement and maximum precision. The spearhead sliced through the air just before her chest plate.
*If only her chest weren’t so big,* Soulshadow Tianyou thought, *I could’ve dodged with even less effort.*
The Fangblade Shortsword spun once in her grip before she reversed her hold with a flourish—
A flash of cold steel. The blade plunged precisely into the Beachcomber’s wrist, spraying foul blood.
"As long as I don’t touch your weapon," Soulshadow Tianyou muttered coldly to the game monster, shaking her head with a wry smile, "the system shouldn’t count it as a blocked attack." She summoned a Poisonous Mushroom in her free hand and slapped it point-blank onto the Beachcomber’s face.
***Boom!*** The mushroom exploded on impact. 5x weak point damage—but no critical hit.
The Beachcomber’s health bar plummeted by one-third!
The fishman shook its head, snapping back to alertness. Its razor-sharp teeth bared as it twisted its trident mid-swing, sweeping horizontally at Soulshadow Tianyou from point-blank range.
She yanked the Fangblade Shortsword free from its wrist. Facing the dual threat of fangs and spear, her mind raced through solutions—
But she chose the riskiest, most极限 maneuver.
Soulshadow Tianyou arched backward into a bridge pose, her body bending like a drawn bow. The sweeping trident grazed the very top of her leather chest plate—barely containing her ample chest—as it sliced through empty air.
Her hands and feet braced against the ground, belly exposed, silver hair dripping with water.
The Beachcomber, missing again, raised the trident high with both hands and thrust downward toward her abdomen.
Soulshadow Tianyou pushed hard off the ground with her right hand. Her body spun horizontally mid-air, water spiraling around her like glittering petals. Her left hand summoned another Poisonous Mushroom and whipped it upward in a blur.
The mushroom streaked upward, slamming into the Beachcomber’s fish head before it could react.
***Boom!*** Another face-slap explosion. 5x weak point damage—and a critical hit doubling the damage.
The Beachcomber froze mid-retaliation. Its health bar emptied. It dissolved into white light, dropping several items.
Only then did Soulshadow Tianyou flip upright, landing firmly. Her boots sent rippling concentric circles across the water’s surface. Nothing remained but her, the loot, and the silence.
***CRASH!*** A deafening bang erupted from inside the wooden cabin.
Her experience bar surged after killing the Beachcomber—then surged again, overflowing halfway.
She leveled up to 14.
"Guess Little Monkey took out the other fishman inside," Soulshadow Tianyou grinned, scooping up health potions, coins, and a piece of gear.
**[Fishscale Leggings]**
**Equip Level:** 15
**Quality:** Blue-tier
**Physical Defense:** 354
**Strength +9**
**Intelligence +7**
**Stamina +5**
*Description: Leather armor crafted from the scales and hide of the legendary Sea Tyrant tribe.*
...
Level 15 requirement. No special effects. But it was part of a Blue-tier set—collecting the full [Fishscale Armor], [Fishscale Boots], and other pieces would multiply stats. Not worth farming, though. Low-level sets get obsolete fast.
"Master! All clear in here!" Loli Monkey’s voice rang out from the cabin.
"Copy that!" Soulshadow Tianyou called back before stepping inside.
Blue sunlight couldn’t penetrate the gloom. The cabin reeked of death, stripped of its azure glow.
Splintered wood littered the first floor. Loli Monkey stood on the edge of the half-collapsed second floor, waving.
Soulshadow Tianyou waved back, scanned the ground floor—nothing salvageable—and climbed the stairs toward her.
"Master, there’s a treasure chest!" Loli Monkey darted over, grabbing Tianyou’s hand. "Watch your step—there’s a pit!"
Sure enough, a gaping hole yawned before the chest at the far end.
"Little Monkey," Soulshadow Tianyou eyed the Little Golden Staff in her companion’s grip, "did *you* make this pit?"
"Eh… Master, what are you talking about?" Loli Monkey pouted and looked away.
Soulshadow Tianyou ruffled her hair, carefully skirted the pit, and approached the chest.
"Be careful, Master! Chests can be trapped!" Loli Monkey gripped her Golden Cudgel tightly, poised behind her.
"I know." Soulshadow Tianyou swallowed hard. Her fingers found the chest’s seam. She braced herself—
Loli Monkey held her breath, ready for anything.
*This better not be a trap—*
Soulshadow Tianyou wrenched the lid open. Inside lay a contract scroll and a pulsating red orb. She spun around, shouting:
"Duck! **Fireball!**"
