Absolute Death Game

Scar-faced Li: "What are you looking at, keep staring and I'll chop you to death."

Looking at Scar-faced Li, Xia Zuowei thought he didn't seem like an easy target, but considering he had nothing to lose even if he died, he wasn't afraid.

He had already learned how to communicate with NPCs from Qin Dahai and immediately typed: "Go ahead and chop, who's afraid of you?"

To his surprise, Scar-faced Li's avatar turned red, and he came at him with a knife. Xia Zuowei swung his stick to fight back, but he was no match and was quickly knocked to the ground. Yet, he didn't die; he just fell into an On the Verge of Death state and couldn't move.

Scar-faced Li stood over him triumphantly. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

Scar-faced Li: "Kid, you think you can take me on with those skills? I'm in a good mood today, call me 'Grandpa' and I'll let you go."

Damn it, call your own damn self Grandpa! thought Xia Zuowei, and he typed, "Your grandpa! You should be calling me 'Grandpa.'"

Scar-faced Li seemed surprised: "Not bad, kid, you've got guts. Aren't you afraid of dying?"

It's just a crappy game, what's there to be scared of? If I die, I die, Xia Zuowei thought, and he typed: "To die is but to die, I'm not afraid; in eighteen years I'll be back as strong as ever."

He even laughed at himself after saying it, thinking what's the point of arguing with an NPC.

But Scar-faced Li seemed a bit confused, "You're really not afraid of death?"

Come on, quit your bullshit, if you're going to kill me then do it quickly, so I can respawn and level up, Xia Zuowei typed irritably.

Scar-faced Li: "You can respawn?"

"No kidding."

Scar-faced Li's expression fluctuated between light and dark, and after a long hesitation, he put on a kindly face, which, paired with the vicious scar on his face, still made him look anything but kind.

Scar-faced Li: "Heh, I admire men of character and guts the most, kid, I like your style. Most people would've been scared stiff by now, but not you. So, how about it? Are you interested in joining me?"

System prompt: The Hidden Profession 'Hoodlum' has been triggered, do you wish to switch professions?

Hoodlum, a profession? Xia Zuowei snickered inwardly. He was about to decline but then reconsidered. After all, it was a Hidden Profession, which might have hidden benefits, and since he had nothing left to lose, why not just join them? Besides, it's just a level one account; if it really didn't work out, he could always start a new character.

Plus, he was very confident in his own skills; even if it was the lousiest profession, he could make it awesome in his hands, Xia Zuowei thought narcissistically. So, he confirmed decisively, Yes!

System prompt: Job change to Hoodlum successful.

He checked the profession description—

Hoodlum: A person of idle habits who bullies the weak for fun, can advance to become a ronin, assassin, bandit, and other underground professions.

After Scar-faced Li applied some medicine, his health points were fully restored. Then he said, "To survive in our line of work, you need lots of skills. I'll teach you some today."

Then Scar-faced Li went straight to a farmer NPC and said, "Hey, Old Bao, how was work today? You must have made a nice sum of money." Then he extended his hand toward him.

Old Bao seemed both scared and disgusted but obediently placed a few copper coins in Scar-faced Li's outstretched hand.

Scar-faced Li walked over to Xia Zuowei: "See that? That's how it's done."

System prompt: You've learned the professional skill 'Extortion.'

Extortion: Using this skill, you have a chance to get money or items from the target. If you fail, the target may attack you. The success rate depends on the difference in strength between the two parties.

Xia Zuowei thought to himself, this skill isn't half bad.

While farmers could level up by farming, lumberjacks by Lumbering, and blacksmiths by forging, how did a hoodlum level up?

The answer was, of course, collecting protection fees. After a chat with Scar-faced Li, he was given a quest.

Scar-faced Li: "Kid, now that you're a hoodlum, you gotta have the awareness of one. Go collect today's protection fee."

Although Xia Zuowei found it hard to imagine how a newbie in rags with a wooden stick could demand money from all those muscular NPCs, he set off immediately after getting the task from Scar-faced Li.

First, he found the blacksmith and activated the skill, Extortion!

The blacksmith immediately went berserk, swung his hammer, and Xia Zuowei's health points halved instantly. He was so scared that he turned and ran.

The blacksmith didn't seem keen on causing more trouble and, although cursing, did not chase after him.

Although he had failed miserably at first, Xia Zuowei was unfazed. The blacksmith was all muscles and clearly not to be messed with, something Xia Zuowei had anticipated. He decided to target someone weaker. At the eastern end of the village, he finally spotted a candidate: a middle-aged woman standing outside a chicken coop, picking up chicken feed with a basket, probably a chicken farmer.

He used the Extortion skill, and sure enough, the chicken farmer didn't dare to resist.

System prompt: Extortion successful, item obtained: egg, your Prestige in Black Stone Village has decreased by 10 points.

Success at last, Xia Zuowei thought, as he opened his inventory and indeed, there was an egg.

Raw Egg: Restores 30 Stamina Points, cooking it before consumption yields more Physical Strength.

With his first spoils of war, Xia Zuowei felt somewhat invigorated. Most importantly, the experience points for his Extortion Skill had increased.

He could probably repeat the Extortion, he thought, and once again he used it on the woman.

System prompt: Extortion successful, item obtained: egg. Your Prestige in Black Stone Village has decreased by 10.

Haha, just as he thought, Xia Zuowei continually used Extortion. Each time he gained a little experience and one or two eggs. After a dozen or so eggs, his Extortion Skill was close to leveling up when suddenly, just as Xia Zuowei was about to use the Extortion Skill again, the system prompt dramatically changed.