"Dropped from killing monsters."
Lin sent the reply.
Almost immediately, a system notification followed.
$9,000 credited to your account.
A second message came in right after.
Damn, Snow Emperor—do you know any spots where you can kite level-10 monsters without taking damage?
Floating Shield Mountain's shock was understandable.
Lin was only Level 3.There was no world in which he should be fighting Level-10 mobs head-on.
"No."
Lin replied simply.
Then he muted the chat and continued farming.
On the other side of the screen, Floating Shield Mountain stared at the Revival Ring in his hand and smiled slowly.
"Not talking, huh?"
"Fine. I'll find you myself."
The Treant Fields
Level-10 monsters in the Novice Region were rare.
But the Floating Guild's scouting team had already mapped one location:
Twisted Treants.
Floating Shield Mountain arrived quickly.
And what he saw made him freeze.
An archer.
Standing alone.
Arrows flying with surgical precision.
—426—426
Each hit chunked nearly a quarter of a Treant's health.
"That's impossible…"
Lin was fighting monsters seven levels above him.
And winning.
"Snow Emperor!"
Floating Shield Mountain didn't hesitate.
He dropped straight to one knee.
Real life had delayed his entry into the game, putting him behind for the first time in years. For someone who dominated every MMO he touched, this gap was unacceptable.
"Snow Emperor," he said quickly, "team up with me."
"Carry me to level up. I'll pay."
Lin didn't answer right away.
Normally, he would've ignored him.
But then an image crossed his mind—
His sister, lying unconscious in a hospital bed.
"…Alright," Lin said.
"But I want three hundred thousand."
Floating Shield Mountain nearly choked.
"Three hundred thousand?!"
"For carrying me to Level 10?"
"I can hire gold-farming teams for twenty thousand!"
"I'll get you to Level 10 today."
Floating Shield Mountain stared at him.
It was already 4 a.m.
Even with twenty hours left, that was absurd.
"…Your price is insane."
"I know," Lin replied calmly.
"What if I add a full Level-10 Elite equipment set?"
Floating Shield Mountain's breathing hitched.
"…You're serious?"
"Yes."
Elite Treants could drop full sets.
The odds were terrible—but not impossible with enough kills.
"…Fifty thousand deposit," Floating Shield Mountain said cautiously.
"No," Lin replied. "Full payment. Up front."
Floating Shield Mountain hesitated.
Then he looked at Lin's damage.
His positioning.
His calm.
"…Fine."
A moment later—
$300,000 credited to your account.
The money was secured.
Lin sent one last message.
Wait here.
Then—
He stepped behind a massive tree.
And logged out.
Offline Panic
Floating Shield Mountain stared at the empty field.
"…?"
Five seconds passed.
Ten.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
"Did I just get scammed?"
Rage surged.
"Damn it! I trusted you!"
He wasn't short on money—but this felt like swallowing glass.
The Hospital
Lin didn't disappear.
He went straight to the hospital.
The moment he saw his sister, Kara Lin, lying motionless on the bed, his fists clenched.
Not this time.
He paid the surgery fee in full.
Every cent.
The regret of his previous life…
He would erase it here.
Back Online
Lin returned to the rental house.
Logged back in.
Novice Village #10086.
Floating Shield Mountain was grinding Level-4 Wind Wolves, being dragged along by random players.
A message suddenly popped up.
Level-10 Twisted Treants. Come.
Floating Shield Mountain froze.
"…He's back?"
Despite everything, he accepted instantly.
Lin sent a team invite.
Loot: Lin only.
Floating Shield Mountain hesitated.
Then accepted.
And immediately noticed something horrifying.
EXP Distribution:90% → Snow Emperor10% → Floating Shield Mountain
"…Snow Emperor," he said carefully,"Is the EXP split… wrong?"
"No."
Lin didn't explain.
He just fired.
—426—426
Five arrows.
One Treant.
Less than ten seconds.
Six Treants per minute.
Three hundred and sixty per hour.
And Lin's HP continued climbing.
Floating Shield Mountain watched in silence.
If it were only damage, he'd assume hidden gear.
If it were only stats, he'd assume a broken talent.
But this—
This was pure technique.
The Treants never got close.
Positioning. Timing. Angle. Distance.
Every movement flowed.
Kiting in full-sensory VR wasn't a simple mechanic.
You had to:
reposition
draw
aim
fire
Miss one step and the rhythm broke.
Even Floating Guild's elite archers struggled with it.
"This…" Floating Shield Mountain whispered, turning on recording,"…is art."
He sent the clip directly to the guild leader.
Archer Philosophy
"Kiting?" Lin replied casually when asked."Isn't that just basic movement?"
Floating Shield Mountain didn't know what to say.
In the era of the Great Cataclysm, this level of kiting was standard.
What truly separated archers back then wasn't movement—
It was:
Infinite critical chaining
Vital-point targeting
Crowd control under pressure
A five percent crit rate was enough—if you aimed correctly.
Tree cores.Hearts.Heads.
As for crowd control?
That was the true nightmare for archers in large-scale battles.
But Lin wasn't here to lecture.
He kept moving forward.
Normal Treants weren't enough anymore.
To power-level efficiently, he needed—
Elite Treants.
Floating Guild Headquarters
Floating Divine Wolf was mid-grind when the video arrived.
"…Why are you sending me clips instead of leveling?"
Floating Shield Mountain replied instantly.
Boss. Watch it.There's a surprise.
Floating Divine Wolf sighed.
Then hit play.
And slowly—
His expression changed.
"…Pause that."
He replayed it.
Once.
Twice.
"…Who is this archer?"
Floating Shield Mountain's reply came immediately.
Snow Emperor.Level 3.
The guild leader went silent.
Then stood up.
"…Find him."
.