After picking up the four copper coins and a horn dropped by the crimson-eyed water buffalo, Mysterious plopped down on the ground. He pulled out a loaf of bread, took a bite, and waited for his health to regenerate.

Once out of combat, players’ health and mana regenerated automatically at set percentages: slowest while moving, faster while standing still, and fastest when seated.

Besides natural regeneration, consuming food and drinks boosted recovery speed. Bread was the cheapest, most cost-effective option for health regen. The in-game store sold pricier foods too—while they offered faster recovery, their real appeal was flavor.

As a hyper-realistic full-dive VR game, *EndlessHorizon* didn’t skimp on taste simulation. Aside from not filling real-world hunger, eating in-game felt nearly identical to reality. Masterfully cooked dishes not only tasted exquisite but also granted temporary buffs.

The bread in Mysterious’s hand was a quest reward. It wasn’t gourmet, but he wasn’t picky.

He sat patiently mainly because of the crimson-eyed buffalo’s **Stomp** ability.

That buffalo was just a common monster—any of its kin could use the same skill. With his fragile build, Mysterious couldn’t survive a second hit. He had to wait until his health fully recovered… or dying to a same-level monster would be utterly humiliating.

Losing **Reaper’s Mercy** was trivial compared to that shame.

Initially, Mysterious had only logged in because Han Ge recommended it. But after nearly getting first-hit killed, he felt a flicker of genuine interest. Even this lowly level-6 newbie monster posed a real threat.

If a mere beginner beast could endanger him through carelessness, he wondered what horrors awaited in the game’s advertised high-level zones.

His mind shifted to countering **Stomp**. He couldn’t afford to pause between every fight.

Standard AoE tactics applied: escape the skill radius. For a level-6 BeginnerVillage monster, the range couldn’t be huge. Judging by the shockwave’s spread, it covered a circle roughly three meters wide—even mid-panic, Mysterious had noted that detail.

The skill’s name and animation suggested ground-based tremors. In some games, jumping at the right moment dodged such attacks.

Guesswork wasn’t enough. Action was the only proof. Once his health bar refilled, Mysterious strode toward another buffalo, Novice Sword in hand.

He controlled the fight precisely: nicking the buffalo’s neck to manage aggro and health, then driving his blade deep to finish it. Having done this once, repetition was effortless.

Just as before, when his sword plunged into the buffalo’s neck and drained its health, the beast reared its front hooves.

This time, Mysterious released the hilt and leaped backward.

The gap was too short—three meters vanished in a single jump. The shockwave erupted, but he stood untouched outside its ochre ring.

His theory held: beyond three meters, **Stomp** couldn’t reach him.

But a new problem surfaced—his sword remained embedded in the buffalo’s neck.

Seizing the monster’s post-skill stun window, Mysterious darted forward, gripped the hilt, and yanked the blade free. A swift **Fierce Strike** ended the beast.

Unscathed, he immediately targeted a third buffalo. This time, he tested jumping *over* the shockwave.

Success. As long as he avoided the ground ripple, he took no damage.

With its only lethal skill neutralized, the crimson-eyed buffaloes stood no chance.

For efficiency, Mysterious leaped onto a buffalo’s back mid-**Stomp**, straddling it like a rider. As hooves slammed the earth, he wrenched his sword free and drove it home again.

No damage taken meant no downtime. He moved from corpse to corpse with machine-like precision.

Had anyone witnessed this, jaws would’ve dropped. Fortunately, no other players roamed this level-6 zone yet.

*Or so he thought.*

To the north, five players battled another crimson-eyed buffalo. Their seamless coordination marked them as a fixed team: three physical fighters (two melee, one Archer), and two mages—a male and a female.

Their strategy was textbook: two melee tanks drew aggro while the targeted player kited the buffalo in wide circles. The three ranged DPS unleashed attacks from safety. The untargeted female melee sat nearby, munching bread to heal. Though the kiter dodged wildly, he never got hit.

Normally, monsters didn’t fixate so stubbornly. *EndlessHorizon*’s AI prioritized high-threat targets, but these buffaloes were different.

Village livestock had grown unnaturally aggressive lately. Already ill-tempered, the water buffaloes had mutated into crimson-eyed rage machines. Once provoked, they’d chase a single target relentlessly.

Judging by their damage output, all five were below level 5. Fighting a level-6 monster with level suppression felt like a boss raid. Their deep position in the spawn zone meant they’d been grinding here awhile.

Mysterious understood level-scaling hardship better than anyone. For him, it was merely time-consuming—but he knew others struggled far more. That’s why he watched instead of ignoring them.

Under his gaze and their coordinated assault, the buffalo’s health dwindled steadily to a quarter.

Then it suddenly swung its bovine head toward the nearest mage.

No panic flashed on the team’s faces. Spells and arrows kept flying. While physical fighters often dismissed **Fierce Strike**, mages relied heavily on their starter skill: **Magic Bolt**.

As the buffalo changed targets, the bread-munching girl sprang up. Sword raised, she charged—not with a novice’s clumsiness, but with trained precision. Mysterious’s eyes lingered on her stride. Not attraction. Recognition. *She’s practiced.* Her slash was clean, economical.

**[-4]**

Level suppression minimized her damage… but it still pierced the buffalo’s hide—unlike Mysterious’s early attempts years ago.

The buffalo halted, hooves rising for **Stomp**. The girl anticipated it. After her strike, she deliberately planted her iron sword into the earth.

The ochre shockwave rippled outward. It clanged against her embedded blade, shearing 61 HP from her bar—halving it instantly.

During the buffalo’s stun, the original kiter rushed back, slashing its face.

***"MooOOO—!!!"*** The enraged beast charged him instead.

Slowed by **Stomp**, the girl plopped down to sit. But this time, her gaze locked onto Mysterious.

He met her stare.

Her gear was all starter-issue, missing the level-5 quest bracers. Her weapon differed from his Novice Sword. Most striking was her vibrant crimson hair, spilling like liquid fire to pool on the ground—natural or dyed, it was impossible to tell.

While they silently sized each other up across the field, her team finished the buffalo.

"Whoa! Green-quality dagger drop!" The looter who’d drawn aggro whooped.

Greens were valuable this early. Smiles broke across the team’s faces.

Mysterious slipped away unnoticed. He’d only been curious about players bold enough to grind here. Teaming up? Not his style.

"Yo, Youyang! Still sitting?" her teammate called.

"Coming!" The crimson-haired girl—Youyang—jumped up, dusted off her pants, and jogged toward them. "Saw another player over there. He’s already gone."

"Eh? Others are farming here too?" the male Archer mused.

"Let’s move that way. No need to compete," suggested the other female player, pointing elsewhere.

"Agreed."