Chương 17

The main road leading north out of Seabreak Town was safe and well-patrolled. Naturally, Rudra completely ignored it. The second the town gates were out of sight, he cut east through the brush until his boots hit the sandy beach. If he was going to Port Nereus, he wanted to be efficient. The [Tide-Cured Ration] recipe needed Fish Meat, Seaweed, and Rock Salt. All three were sitting right here on the coast. Why buy them when he could just harvest them for free?

Plus, the guards said there were Level 20 monsters out here. Rudra was itching to test out his 91 Strength and new skills. He didn't have to wait long. A couple of miles up the coast, loud, ugly screeching echoed over the waves. Rudra crept up a sand dune and peeked over the top. Down by the water, five [Coastal Goblin Raiders (Lv. 25)] were fighting a massive [Armored Sand Murloc (Lv. 28)]. The goblins were poking it with rusty spears, trying to drag it out of the surf for dinner.

They were more than ten levels higher than him. In Satisfy, that kind of level gap triggered a heavy penalty. His damage would be reduced, and they would dodge a lot more easily. A normal Level 12 player would run away screaming. Rudra just smiled and tightened his grip on his staff. He didn't try to sneak. He simply slid down the dune, walking straight into the chaotic fight. A scrawny goblin with a rusted helmet spotted him and shrieked. The whole pack turned their yellow eyes toward the lone human. [Warning! You are engaging monsters significantly higher than your current level!] [Due to the level gap, your physical damage will be reduced by 10%, and your evasion rate has dropped!]"Let's test that," Rudra muttered. The first goblin lunged, thrusting its spear right at Rudra's chest. Thanks to his 90 Agility, the monster looked incredibly slow. Rudra didn't even use a skill. He just pivoted on his heel, letting the spear miss by inches, and swung his heavy staff like a baseball bat. CRACK!

The iron-banded wood slammed into the goblin's ribs. His massive Strength and the 12% boost from his Mastery completely ignored the level penalty. The goblin's chest caved in, and it flew backward into the surf, turning to grey ashes before it hit the water. The other four goblins froze. Their primitive AI couldn't figure out how a low-level human just one-shotted their buddy. Then, they rushed him. Two goblins charged from the front with cutlasses. A third tried to sneak around behind him.

Rudra gripped the center of his staff with both hands. [Iron Guard (Lv. 1) has been activated!] The two rusty cutlasses hit his staff at the same time. Sparks flew. The heavy impact that should have knocked him over was absorbed by the skill. He didn't budge an inch. While their swords were stuck against his guard, Rudra kicked the left goblin in the knee. He raised his staff to smash it, but the goblin on his right lunged forward, trying to tackle him inside his weapon's reach.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Polearm users hated when enemies got too close. It ruined their leverage. But Rudra wasn't a normal polearm user. He remembered how good it felt to hit that guy back at the guild. Instead of stepping back, Rudra let go of the staff with his left hand. As the goblin lunged into his personal space, Rudra's empty hand whipped forward. SLAP! He caught the Level 25 goblin completely flush across the jaw.

The sharp crack echoed over the beach. The goblin's eyes rolled back in its head. The hit spun it around like a top, and it face-planted into the wet sand. [You have struck a critical blow outside of conventional weapon forms!] [The target has been temporarily afflicted with the [Stun] status effect!] Rudra laughed out loud. It wasn't a real martial art, but the sheer disrespect broke the monster's attack pattern perfectly.

"My turn," Rudra said. He aimed the tip of his staff at the third goblin charging from behind. [Minor Tidal Push!] A blast of pressurized water shot from the iron tip. It slammed into the charging goblin's chest, launching it backward into the sand dunes. With the crowd controlled, Rudra went on the offensive. He gripped his staff with both hands, pivoted his hips, and channeled his stamina. [Crushing Strike (Lv. 1) has been activated!] The staff came down like a meteor, smashing into the stunned goblin.

The 150% damage multiplier obliterated its health bar instantly. He didn't stop moving. He danced across the sand, swinging the heavy staff to break their weapons. Whenever a goblin managed to slip past his guard, he simply slapped them across the face, stunning them just long enough to land a fatal blow. Within two minutes, the beach was dead quiet. The goblins and the Sand Murloc were all just piles of ashes. [You have defeated a Coastal Goblin Raider.] [You have defeated an Armored Sand Murloc.] [Due to hunting monsters significantly higher than your level, bonus experience is awarded!] [Your level has risen!] [Your level has risen!] Rudra exhaled, resting the staff on his shoulder. He had taken almost zero damage. He spent the next few minutes looting copper coins and a rusty dagger. More importantly, he used his hunting knife to carve thick slabs of raw Fish Meat from the Murloc. He walked further down the shoreline, pulling dried seaweed off driftwood and chipping rock salt from the tidal pools.

With his inventory full, his stomach growled violently. Rudra gathered some dry driftwood and started a small campfire on the sand. [Would you like to craft 'Tide-Cured Ration'?]"Yes," Rudra said, his mouth watering. He carefully followed the system's instructions. He cured the meat in the salt, wrapped it tightly in the seaweed, and lightly smoked it over the fire. With his [Basic Cooking] skill, the process felt entirely natural. [You have successfully crafted a Tide-Cured Ration!] [You have cooked a Rare-ranked Dish!] [You are the first person to cook a Rare-ranked Dish!] [The 'Basic Cooking' skill has leveled up to Level 2!] [All Stats +2!] [Reputation throughout the continent +30] The result was a dense, dark-green brick of meat. It looked awful, but the system seemed to love it. Rudra took a massive bite. To his surprise, it tasted amazing—like rich, high-quality beef jerky with a hint of ocean salt.

An icy, refreshing feeling bloomed in his chest, spreading through his tired arms and legs. [You have consumed a Tide-Cured Ration.] [For the next 2 minutes, Stamina consumption is reduced by 50%.] [Health and Mana regeneration increased by 20%.] Rudra watched his stamina bar quickly refill. If he ate one of these right before a boss fight, he could swing his staff forever. He looked down the endless stretch of coastline toward Port Nereus.

The beach was crawling with dozens of high-level goblins, murlocs, and giant crabs. Rudra grinned, pulling his staff off his shoulder. With cheap, tasty food and infinite stamina, this was going to be a slaughter.