[-0!]
Seeing that white damage number, the scene went completely silent.
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Is he really wearing the same Novice Robe as us?"
"Damn, sparks even flew—are you kidding me calling that cloth armor?"
"This guy is definitely cheating!"
Among all present, none were more shocked than Sein.
He stared at John, completely unharmed, with a face of pure disbelief.
"How is this possible?"
Only John knew how insanely overpowered the defense of the robe had become after the stat modifications.
Forget a simple dagger—
even an F-grade weapon might not have broken through it.
Woo!!!
At that moment, a sharp warning sound rang in John's ears.
[Detection: You have suffered malicious attacks from another player. The attacker has been marked with a red name. You may retaliate freely!]
[Player "Sein" has been marked with a red name and will be hunted by NPCs!]
In his view, Sein's name turned bright red at a visible speed.
The game mechanics in Zone 5 were unique compared to the other four zones.
Zone 5 was a haven for non-faction players.
PK in the wild was unrestricted, and no red name would appear.
That was why John could kill twelve players in the wild without being marked red.
However, in Novice Village or any main city, using weapons to attack other players was strictly prohibited.
Violators would be pursued and punished.
Regardless of which main city you went to, the city guards would surround and hunt you.
So why wasn't John penalized with a red name, even though he struck first?
Because he used a mechanism known to only a few players.
In Novice Village or main city, as long as no weapons were used, fist fights did not count as PK.
Of course, it also meant you couldn't kill other players there.
The attacked player's HP would lock at 1.
Why did John know this so well?
He owed that knowledge to his previous life with the Opportunists guild.
Every time trouble arose, John was made to take the fall.
He had been pushed forward, beaten, and humiliated countless times.
Over time, he became intimately familiar with these mechanics.
"For thanking you guys… it's time you felt the pain you inflicted on me."
John sneered.
The next moment, he took a single step forward and kicked Sein square in the chest.
Sein staggered back and fell to the ground.
John pressed the advantage, stepping on Sein's chest with one foot while crouching and clenching his fist.
Thwack!
A heavy punch smashed into Sein's face, sending several teeth flying.
His HP immediately dropped to 1, entering HP lock status.
"I'll teach you how to stop pretending to be a good guy!"
Bang!
Sein's cheek swelled grotesquely.
"Not bad at acting—keep it up!"
Thwack!
Another punch.
Thwack!
And another.
John was relentless, like a machine, pounding Sein's face repeatedly.
His features were almost obliterated, blood and flesh mashed.
The in-game pain simulation was incredibly realistic.
Sein screamed in agony, "Stop! How dare you… ah! Don't hit me, stop hitting me!"
John had no intention of stopping.
Even with Sein's face unrecognizable, he maintained his rhythm and power.
Sein finally broke down.
He barely managed to roar at the rest of his guild, "You bastards! Don't just watch! Help me! Use your fists too!"
The guild members looked at each other, suddenly realizing it was their own guild leader being beaten.
"Bastards! Let go of our guild leader!"
Vice leader Hansen shouted, about to intervene.
Suddenly, from the back of the crowd, a series of precisely synchronized footsteps sounded.
Rumble, rumble!
The crowd parted immediately, clearing a path.
A squad of guards in uniform armor strode forward.
Their spears glinted with cold steel, exuding intimidation.
Leading them was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed female knight.
Her voice was sharp and commanding:
"Everyone, step back!"
At her command, the crowd immediately retreated.
John stopped his assault at that moment, releasing Sein, whose face was already beaten beyond recognition.
The female knight stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the fallen Sein and the short sword beside him.
In front of everyone, she announced:
"Player Sein, you have violated Apocalypse Newbie Rules, Articles 1 and 2:
Using weapons to attack other players in Novice Village's safe zone.
Stealing NPC-held weapons, an additional offense.
Both violations are hereby penalized."
She continued, declaring judgment in her knightly authority:
"As a knight, I sentence player Sein to 72 hours in the dungeon.
Upon release, a red-name status will remain for 48 hours.
Execution begins immediately."
As her words fell, two fully armored guards approached and dragged Sein away.
Sein's eyes went wide at the punishment.
Seventy-two hours in the newbie dungeon?
He could do nothing there.
Seventy-two hours was more than enough for him to fall far behind everyone else.
The worst part: Sein was still level 1.
By the time he emerged, others might already be tackling dungeons!
"No! I don't plead guilty! You can't do this! He attacked first—why am I the only one punished?"
Sein roared in a futile Berserk, hoping his guild members would save him.
He turned… only to see that when the guards arrived, his guild members had scattered like birds.
The Opportunists guild's selfish nature was laid bare.
The female knight snorted coldly:
"Take him away!"
Sein's screams gradually faded as he was hauled off.
For the next seventy-two hours, he would endure the dark, damp dungeon alone.
John watched expressionlessly.
He knew Sein's temper.
Once out, he would stop at nothing to take revenge.
But so what?
John could kill him once, he could kill him countless times!
Moreover, after seventy-two hours, whether Sein would even remain the Opportunists guild leader was uncertain.
"Too bad, this time I only avenged myself on Sein."
John scanned the crowd, finding no other guild members in sight.
He felt a twinge of regret and clapped his hands, preparing to leave.
"Wait!"
A clear, cold voice called out.
John stopped and turned.
It was the female knight.
Her sharp eyes studied him intently, scanning the dagger at his waist and the cloth armor on his body.
Given the intelligence of NPCs in the world of Apocalypse, she clearly recognized the extraordinary attributes of his equipment.
"Your strength… is remarkable."
Her tone softened.
She stared directly at John:
"Recently, the village has encountered some trouble, and we need someone strong like you to handle it.
Would you be interested?"
John's pupils constricted slightly.
This… is the trigger for a hidden quest?