Chapter 22: Gibbs the Reaper

“Damn it, get him!”
“This guy is way too arrogant. I’m going to kill him back to level one!”
“You’ve got to be kidding me...”
In an instant, the quiet Starlight Camp erupted with furious shouts and curses, filling the air with all manner of expletives. Moonlit Meteor’s face grew even darker as he gritted his teeth and issued an order in the team channel: “Go! If you see Old Deer, kill him on sight. Second squad, guard the entrances.”
“Got it!”
With the guild leader’s command, the twenty-man team immediately split into smaller squads and moved toward the central hall of the camp.

Meanwhile, Lu Kuan was squatting on a tree branch, counting the herbs in his backpack.
After parting ways with Qian Duoduo a short while ago, he had taken a shortcut around the edge of the camp, where he bought several bundles of herbs from some life-skill players foraging nearby. These herbs would play a crucial role against the members of Glory Guild.
Peering through the foliage, he watched as the enemy cautiously climbed up the slope. Perhaps still shaken by Lu Kuan’s deadly archery, they advanced warily, always seeking cover.
But Lu Kuan was in no hurry. Casually dispatching two freshly spawned bandits, he waited until the Glory Guild members drew close enough. The corner of his mouth lifted in a cold smirk, and he strode boldly through the wooden doors of the great hall.

The hall was built around a tree—a massive, nearly hollow oak whose lush crown spread overhead. Inside, the space was adorned with exquisite druidic decorations.
At the very center stood a tall human clad in blue chainmail, downing bowl after bowl of ale.
His thick beard obscured his features, and the two-meter-long greataxe resting beside him broadcast that this was not a man to provoke lightly.
This formidable figure was called Gibbs, a wild boss with a fascinating design. What made him unique was that, under normal circumstances, he was impossible to kill; within this camp, Gibbs was invincible.
Only by picking the violet-capped mushrooms growing in the corners of the hall could players trigger the boss event. Gibbs would then enter an invulnerable state and, with astonishing speed, “loot” every player in the camp.
Each player would lose three stacks of herbs and fall into a brief stupor, waking to find Gibbs in a “berserk” state. Then the fight would begin anew. Repeat this cycle a few times, and the boss could finally be brought down.
If a player didn’t have at least three stacks of herbs, Gibbs would instantly kill them. So, to defeat this boss, not only did you need enough potions, but plenty of cheap herbs as well.

Silently eliminating two bandits near the entrance, Lu Kuan crept into the hall.
The slanting rays of the setting sun filtered in through a gap at the top, making every mote of dust visible in the air. The boss, who could kill him in a single blow, loomed just ten meters away. Even with full confidence, Lu Kuan couldn’t help feeling a twinge of anxiety.
But nothing went awry. He tiptoed to the corner, where his eyes quickly found the beautiful violet-capped mushrooms growing from the rotting wood.

Outside the hall, the muffled voices of the Glory Guild drifted in. Lu Kuan smiled faintly and reached out to pick the largest mushroom.
“Who dares touch my mushrooms?!”
A thunderous roar exploded from inside, startling the Glory Guild members outside the door. All eyes turned in shock toward the hall.
Moonlit Meteor’s expression twisted with confusion and alarm, but before he could react, a cyclone of black wind erupted from within, engulfing the entire team in the blink of an eye.
“What the hell is that?!”
“Aaaah—!”
Everything happened so quickly. In just a few seconds, the cries of alarm went silent. Streaks of white light flashed through the black mist, and when the cyclone finally howled away, only corpses remained where the team had stood.

Instant annihilation.

“Oh my god...”
On a hillside outside the camp, Qian Duoduo stared in shock at the chaos unfolding below, mumbling to himself as his face shifted through a wild array of expressions.
He didn’t know the exact details, but there was no doubt who had orchestrated this—Old Deer!
One man, outmaneuvering an entire team and wiping them out! Though there wasn’t even a real fight, the way Old Deer used experience and cunning to toy with his enemies was even more thrilling than a head-on battle.
“Incredible!”
Qian Duoduo clenched his fists in excitement, his eyes shining. He’d hired pro players before to run dungeons or complete quests, but compared to this, those jobs were nothing.
He remembered his uncle was searching for a true expert in “Echoes of the Gods”—and here was one right before his eyes.

Around the camp, the life-skill players gathering herbs had heard the commotion as well. Those nearby soon spotted the black whirlwind rampaging through the camp.
“Damn, who triggered Gibbs? Run for your lives!”
“Damn it all, which idiot had nothing better to do than mess with that boss...”
Panic spread through the crowd, and everyone scrambled to flee. In less than a minute, the once-bustling Starlight Camp was deserted.

A short while later, inside the druidic great hall—

Lu Kuan awoke from his stupor, his whole body aching. Red system warnings flashed ceaselessly across his vision, alerting him to his current danger.
Checking his character status, he found his health had dropped to just over thirty points, and most of his stamina was gone. He couldn’t help but shudder. Good grief, Gibbs really was the hand of death—just a single touch had left him half-dead.
As expected, the herbs in his bag had been stolen. After clearing out the camp, Gibbs had returned to his original spot, greataxe in hand, eyes wide and alert, ready to face any challenger.
Lu Kuan slowly got to his feet and slipped out of the hall. Not far away, the corpses left by Glory Guild were turning translucent, leaving behind a few items that glimmered softly.
“A bunch of fools—so used to bullying others, it’s about time you learned what humiliation feels like.” Lu Kuan smirked, striding over to collect the loot.
Most of it was junk—basic health potions, simple bandages—but one item stood out: a pair of chain bracers.

“Weathered Bracers (Superior Bracers, 1)
Wrist
Level Requirement: 9
Armor +10
Defense Rating +2
Durability: 63%
Weight: 2”

Though only green quality, the bracers boasted the key attribute “Defense Rating,” making them one of the better items of their kind.
Defense Rating reduced incoming physical damage, increased the chance to block or dodge, and affected shield mastery—a core stat for tank classes.
As for bracers in the game, some were part of sets, but most were standalone pieces like this one.
Lu Kuan was sorting through his loot when a party invitation popped up in his interface. Not far off, Qian Duoduo was waving frantically and sprinting toward him.