Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 39 - 35 Getting Beaten Up

Chapter 39: Chapter 35 Getting Beaten Up

Chu Ge looked bewildered.

He still hadn’t figured out what exactly had happened when the entire instance had already reset to its initial state.

And after Chu Ge had been beaten to a daze, he finally slowly got up, his buzzing head also gradually returning to normal.

"So... I’ve already died once?"

"If the whole instance hadn’t reset, I might not even have realized that I’d already bitten the dust."

"But come on, wasn’t this tough guy a bit too overpowered? One punch and I was instantly out!"

"In a normal game, the numerical planner would probably be lynched by players."

"Okay, if I have to make a forced explanation, that punch was him charging over and using all his strength, which can be considered a special move. I didn’t react in time and took a direct hit to a vital area - getting KO’d is pretty normal."

"Even so, this boss’s AI is quite ridiculous, who starts off with their special move? Like playing landlord with a trump card right out of the gate?"

"Phew... Calm down. I’ve just picked up a talent for proficiency in boxing."

"Think carefully about those moves in my muscle memory, dodging, parrying... In any case, counter move by move. It’s just a game after all. It’s normal to get instantly killed by a boss the first time."

Indeed, even with combat talents, one couldn’t be too confident.

Otherwise, the first boss would give you a lesson in humility.

Because although he had enhanced his combat strength with the combat talents, there were many weaknesses that combat talents simply could not make up for.

Like judgment and practical experience.

After taking his starting stance, there was still a considerable distance between Chu Ge and Xue Tianba, so in his mind, Xue Tianba would approach slowly and tentatively, just like in a kung fu film, until he got within a dangerous range before suddenly striking.

So, subconsciously, he let his guard down a bit.

But Xue Tianba did the exact opposite. He rushed over extremely fast with a heavy punch, which caught him completely off guard. His brain went blank, and before he could even raise his hands to block or dodge, he was hit.

This was a bit like in action games.

Any player knows how to press the attack button, but while new players get beat up by bosses, skilled players can turn the tables, using the same characters to very different effects.

This is the difference in judgment and practical experience.

Chu Ge had already cleared the scholar’s instance, and his current mindset was simply to experience the game, so this minor setback wasn’t enough to crush him.

After adjusting his mindset, he stepped forward again.

Xue Tianba once again took his opening stance, looking at him with provocation and scorn.

This time Chu Ge didn’t dare to be careless. He took his stance and kept a sharp eye on Xue Tianba’s movements, ready to block or dodge at any moment. With the boxing proficiency talent, these actions were all muscle memory, ready to be utilized at the right moment.

However, it seemed that Xue Tianba recognized his wariness, and instead of briskly approaching, he casually and slowly moved towards him.

Chu Ge was startled. Why the change in tactics now?

Just as he started to relax slightly, Xue Tianba seized the opportunity in an instant, rushing forward with rapid steps again!

Chu Ge cursed inwardly, thankfully he had only relaxed a bit. Although he didn’t respond instantly, there was still time. He quickly raised his hand to prepare to parry.

However, Xue Tianba’s right fist was just a feint - it didn’t actually hit his arm but pulled back, and the center of gravity suddenly dropped, as a sweeping leg kick hit his lower leg!

Chu Ge felt the world spin, and he fell face-up to the ground.

He was still trying to understand what just happened when his face solidly met Xue Tianba’s elbow strike.

"Bang!"

Chu Ge had an illusion that a great mountain had suddenly pressed down on him, and his head was about to be smashed into the ground by that elbow strike.

Fuck!

The instance reset to the beginning again.

Lying bewildered on the ground for nearly half a minute, Chu Ge slowly got up.

His body had actually recovered the moment the instance reset, but the reason he lay on the ground for so long was that the game had utterly confused him.

"This boss’s AI is ridiculously high!

"Seeing me relax, it will suddenly jump up for a sneak attack, but when I’m fully concentrated, it doesn’t rush and just circles me slowly, waiting for me to reveal a flaw.

"Moreover, it seems like it can even discern my intentions. When I focus all my attention on my upper body, it attacks my lower half.

"My martial arts haven’t even had a chance to be displayed before I’m instantly taken down.

"Let’s go again!

"I refuse to believe you have that many tricks up your sleeve. Once I can perfectly defend against your three-pronged attack, it will be my turn!"

Chu Ge rallied and charged forward again.

Ten minutes later.

Chu Ge picked himself up from the ground, looking at the instance that had reset again, feeling somewhat doubtful about life.

Thank goodness the game mercifully tuned the pain sensation very low; otherwise, being pummeled continuously would really make one’s morale collapse.

Chu Ge could clearly feel the hits and pain but it was all within an acceptable range. It didn’t interfere much with his thinking, and it wasn’t so painful that his brain went blank, completely losing the will to resist.

Yet even so, being tossed around like a punching bag was far from a pleasant gaming experience.

Chu Ge’s initial thought was simple: the boss probably only had three moves; if he could defend against all of them, then he could counterattack.

He was partially right.

Xue Tianba did indeed begin with just three moves, and if Chu Ge could defend against them, he really could fight back. The problem was, Xue Tianba could also parry or dodge!

Chu Ge’s confident punch was easily deflected, followed by Xue Tianba’s counter which made him stagger back several steps. Then Xue Tianba quickly stepped forward and swept him off his feet with a leg sweep.

In short, the game was indeed, as Chu Ge guessed, like playing turn-based combat; after defending against Xue Tianba’s attacks, one could think about countering. But the problem was each turn was too short and too rapid, and to really inflict damage on Xue Tianba might require dozens, even tens of rounds.

For a novice, this Xue Tianba was invincible.

He was fast, with high attack and defense, and his move execution and defense were akin to scripts; furthermore, there were no visible health bars on his head.

In the Scholar instance, a mere ten minutes were enough for Chu Ge to analyze many details and significantly advance the game process.

But in the Ranger instance, Chu Ge did nothing but take hits.

"Forget it, it seems I’m really not cut out to be a Ranger.

"I’ll just wait for the clear videos to come out and watch the videos directly.

"With this spare time, I might as well rerun the Scholar instance a few more times to see if there’s a better solution."

Chu Ge was not obstinate; he knew when to back down.

If he were a hardcore gamer like Zhao Haiping, he might still have a chance to clear the Ranger instance after persevering for a while, but he wasn’t. He excelled in using his brain to analyze and solve puzzles.

With such an understanding, there was no need to force it.

"Dark Sand" offered four identity choices and clearly hoped players would pick an identity that suits their preferences and strengths for the best gaming experience, not to be a jack-of-all-trades.

In that case, leave the task of clearing the Ranger trial to those more suitable players!

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