[Hidden Option Selected: The "Pro-Gamer" Tutorial]
Lysandra stared at the back of the rookie in the cheap hoodie. He wasn't trembling. He was... stretching?
"Are you insane?" Lysandra hissed, clutching her bruised ribs. "That's a Level 10 Variant! My attacks bounced off its hide!"
"That's because you were aiming for the chest," Asher said, checking the durability of his knife. [Durability: 12/20]. "This mob type has calcified skin. You have to hit the joints."
ROAAAAR!
The Mutated Sewer King ripped the streetlamp from the ground and swung it like a baseball bat.
WOOSH!
The air pressure alone cracked the walls.
Lysandra flinched—but Asher was gone.
[Skill: Shadow Step]
He reappeared in mid-air, directly above the monster's left knee.
"Nova, timer."
"On it!"
Asher slashed.
SHINK!
The blade didn't cut deep, but it severed the tendon. The Sewer King buckled, roaring in confusion.
Asher landed, rolled, and threw the knife again.
[Skill: Dagger Throw (E)]
The knife curved in an impossible arc, guided by the System's aim assist, and embedded itself in the monster's elbow.
"Now!" Asher shouted at Lysandra. "Freeze the weapon! It's conducting mana!"
Lysandra didn't question him. Her body moved on instinct. She scraped the bottom of her mana pool.
"Frostbite!"
CRACKLE!
A layer of ice coated the metal streetlamp.
The Sewer King tried to swing, but the ice had fused the weapon to its own hand, throwing off its balance. It stumbled.
Asher smirked. "Pattern 3: The Stumble Animation. 2.5 seconds of vulnerability."
He dashed forward.
[Agility: 45]
To the viewers on the stream, he was a blur. To Asher, the world was moving in slow motion.
He jumped off the monster's knee, ran up its chest, and grabbed the Dull Knife sticking out of its eye.
"Game over."
He ripped the knife out and plunged it into the brain stem. Once. Twice. Three times.
THWACK! THWACK! SQUELCH!
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
[Fatal Strike!]
The massive beast shuddered, its HP bar dissolving from red to black. It crashed to the floor, shaking the entire sewer.
[You have defeated the Mutated Sewer King!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 3]
Asher landed gracefully. He didn't cheer. He immediately walked to the corpse and placed his hand on it.
"Loot," he commanded.
[System Message:]
[Drop: Sewer King's Fang (Dagger - Rare)]
[Drop: Monster Core (C-Rank)]
[Coins: 500]
"Jackpot," Nova squealed, doing a backflip in the air. "A Rare Dagger! Equip it, quick!"
Asher equipped the fang. It was a jagged, green-tinted blade dripping with toxin.
[Weapon: Sewer King's Fang]
[Attack: 45]
[Effect: Poison (Deals 5 HP/sec for 10s)]
Finally, he turned to Lysandra. She was staring at him, wide-eyed, her mouth slightly open.
"Who..." she stammered. "Who are you? Which guild sent you?"
Asher checked his stream interface. The viewer count was spiking.
[Viewers: 12 -> 450]
[Chat is going wild.]
Simp4Queen: WHO IS THAT GUY?
GamerGod: Did he just animation-cancel the boss's attack?
RichBoiii: Donated 500 Coins: Tell me his ID!
Asher looked at Lysandra and offered a hand.
"I'm a freelancer," Asher lied smoothly. "And that assist cost you 50% of the stream revenue for this dungeon run. Transfer it, or I leave you here for the respawns."
Lysandra blinked. Most men tried to woo her. This guy was robbing her.
"You..." A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "You're an asshole."
She opened her menu.
[Transfer Received: 2,000 Gold]
"Pleasure doing business," Asher said.
Suddenly, the dungeon entrance shook. Heavy, armored boots marched in rhythm.
"Secure the perimeter!" a loud, arrogant voice boomed. "The Silverwing Guild is taking over this zone!"
Jax Silverwing had arrived. And he saw the boss corpse.
His face turned red. "Who killed my Boss?"
Asher stepped into the shadow of a pillar, activating [Stealth]. He whispered to Nova.
"Time to leave. We have Gacha to pull."
Asher has returned to the Safety Zone with 3,600 Gold (Loot + Transfer + Starter Cash).