042 Assassination Mission!

The actions of the assassination organization have sent shockwaves through the entire gaming world. Outless, likely aware that Chen Feng was nearing the completion of his synthetic weapon, felt spurred to accelerate his own plans. Though he initially lacked the speed to finish his project, the Storm Hammer fragments dropped by Crazy Virus in their last encounter provided the catalyst he needed to forge a powerful one-handed hammer. Once completed and used in synthesis, he believed he could obtain a weapon as formidable as Chen Feng’s.

Unlike Chen Feng’s complex process, Outless’s synthesis was straightforward; he simply needed to reinforce his legendary Storm Hammer. Chen Feng, however, was crafting a Rune Sword, which required transferring the legendary status of another two-handed sword while reinforcing it with a vast array of rare materials.

Outless began his collection efforts, leveraging his extensive network of contacts. While he didn't need as many materials as Chen Feng, finding the right purple, dark gold, and orange-tier items, even across the vast world map, remained a daunting task.

Meanwhile, Chen Feng had vanished from the Chinese server, disappearing from everyone’s sight. Aside from Outless, no one knew his whereabouts. Thanks to the Blood Demon Ring, tracking him was nearly impossible; even the Chamber of Vanishing could only provide a general location, never an exact point.

"Shorty, is your Storm Hammer finished?" Chen Feng asked, hearing that Outless intended to finish his god-tier legendary weapon at the same time as the Rune Sword.

Outless grew sullen at the mention of the fragments. "The last piece is in the hands of Crazy Virus. It won’t be easy to get."

"The Storm Hammer wasn't yours to begin with. You just snatched one piece and happened to find another," Chen Feng remarked. He felt that Crazy Virus had suffered a massive loss—after painstakingly collecting three fragments, he was inches away from completing a legendary weapon only to be undermined by Outless, losing two fragments in the process.

"It doesn't matter whose it was. From the moment I touched it, that hammer belonged to me," Outless insisted. He was determined to obtain the final piece, even if it meant confronting Crazy Virus.

If it were anyone else, Outless might have used money or trades to secure the item, but Crazy Virus’s personality made it clear he would never willingly let Outless complete the weapon. Dwarves possessed a natural affinity for hammer-type weapons; if Outless were to wield the Divine Light Shield in one hand and the Storm Hammer in the other, few players in the game would stand a chance against him.

After ending their call, both players returned to their hunts. The dynamic had shifted: now, it was Outless, Hidden, Shadow Corner, and Stan hunting Crazy Virus. They had an agreement: both parties would carry their fragments, and whoever secured the kill would claim the prize.

Chen Feng had been camping in the Deadwood Forest in Zone 1, a spot teeming with level 35 to 45 undead, perfect for a Retribution Paladin. Few knew of this spot, though Atlan did. For two days, Chen Feng patrolled the area, waiting for an opportunity.

The best environment for an assassination is where the target feels comfortable. If the target is in a familiar leveling routine, their guard is naturally lowered. If Chen Feng had tried to stalk Atlan elsewhere, the target would likely remain on high alert due to the dangers of the open world.

*Found you.*

Chen Feng had waited three full days, idling without leveling to avoid detection. He knew both the Acid Rain and Cobra organizations were hunting him, and he couldn't risk exposing his position—or alerting Atlan.

The Retribution Paladin wore a black robe and hood to mask his identity, but the moment he drew his legendary two-handed sword, he gave himself away. The Holy Light sword was devastating against undead, dealing 30% bonus damage.

*Don't rush.*

A true assassin must have patience. This was not the optimal moment. Atlan had just arrived, his skills were fully refreshed, and his stamina was at its peak. Chen Feng would wait for him to settle into his rhythm—that was when he would be most vulnerable.

Thirty minutes passed. Chen Feng observed Atlan’s skill rotation. The paladin was pulling ten undead skeletons at a time, relying on potions and occasional heals. In the thirty-second minute, a level 50 skeletal undead appeared, forcing Atlan to use Lay on Hands.

Lay on Hands restored the paladin’s health but triggered the "Forbearance" debuff for one minute, preventing the use of Hand of Protection or Divine Shield. This was the moment.

*Charge!*

Chen Feng activated God Mode immediately. His Bloodthirst crit, granting him a second opportunity for Mortal Strike, followed by a burst of Tiger Strike and Thunder Strike.

"Duan Chen Feng?"

Atlan immediately switched to his shield and one-handed sword to defend, but Chen Feng used Intimidating Shout to fear him, then blinked behind him to land a Titan Strike, shredding his armor.

*Shockwave!*

Atlan used "Every Man for Himself" to remove the fear, but was immediately stunned by the Shockwave. After a follow-up Mortal Strike, Atlan’s health dropped below 2,000. Chen Feng expected the next strike to be a kill, but Atlan activated his Soul Demon Ring, converting the damage of Chen Feng’s second Mortal Strike into health. Because of the crit, his health bar instantly refilled.

*Thunder Strike!*

Surprises were inevitable. Chen Feng hadn't expected the ring to possess a survival skill. After the Thunder Strike and another Mortal Strike, Atlan was down to 46% health. With the armor-shredding effect of Titan Strike now on cooldown, Chen Feng had to rely on raw burst damage.

*Hammer of Justice!*

Atlan jumped back, raising a magically conjured hammer to stun Chen Feng. Chen Feng leaped, activating his flight skill to dodge in mid-air. He had only his Intercept skill left for a stun, and Atlan was clearly looking for an escape.

The paladin began channeling Repentance, a 12-second paralysis effect. Chen Feng, still in the air, couldn't interrupt it with a Pummel. He was stuck; running away wasn't an option, and the air left him with no terrain for a Heroic Leap.

*Miss!*

To Chen Feng’s surprise, the Repentance missed. Landing, Chen Feng activated Intercept, slamming into Atlan. The paladin blocked, taking only minimal damage, but the stun failed. Chen Feng continued his relentless assault. He had to kill Atlan within the minute; once Forbearance faded, the paladin would regain his invincibility and protection spells.

Atlan held his shield, frantically healing himself to stall.

*Berserker Rage!*

Gaining three chances for Mortal Strike, Chen Feng unleashed everything. Even with the shield blocking, the damage was immense. As Atlan raised his shield to block the final strike, he suddenly realized Chen Feng was gone.

*Critical hit.*

Chen Feng had activated Spatial Shift, reappearing behind Atlan to land the final Mortal Strike. The critical damage was lethal. The first two strikes had been a feint; the last was the true blow.

Chen Feng knelt to retrieve the ring, then saw the orange two-handed sword hit the ground. He had struck gold—both of Atlan’s most important items had dropped. Luck was on his side; without that sword, another assassination attempt would have been incredibly difficult.

With four charges of Spatial Shift remaining, Chen Feng teleported away, vanishing before any nearby thieves could track him. Back in the city, he sent the orange sword to Stan to analyze the success rate of his upcoming synthesis.

The assassination organization had finished gathering the materials and mailed them. When Chen Feng went to the warehouse to collect them, he found a god-tier skill book as well. He sent it to Stan and Outless to evaluate. Turning into an Undead Lich didn't seem particularly powerful on its own.

"Turning into an Undead Lich? Undead are immune to fear. You’d gain anti-fear capabilities for 12 seconds. Combined with Berserker Rage, you’d have two ways to break fear," Stan noted, though he was skeptical about labeling it "god-tier."

*Another anti-fear skill?*

Chen Feng felt the skill was mediocre, as he already had Berserker Rage. Furthermore, a god-tier skill occupying two hero-tier slots seemed like a waste. Recalling that the Steel Gray Dwarf clan hadn't even learned this skill when the Orcs conquered their kingdom, Chen Feng sensed something ominous about it and decided to set it aside.

For now, the focus was the Rune Sword. The materials consumed for this blade were likely the most expensive in the history of the game.