The Graveyard.
Amid a chorus of mournful wails, one rotting corpse after another burst from the earth. Decayed coffins shattered and scattered, fragments flying in all directions. In the chaos, a cold glint flashed like lightning—swift, sharp, deadly.
Thwack!
A corpse leapt high into the air and suddenly crashed to the ground, an arrow buried between its brows, the fletching trembling with eerie elegance.
Liu Weian moved steadily through the graveyard, his every step measured, deliberate. His eyes scanned the surroundings as his feet met the ground, and in the same breath, an arrow flew. It was as if the moon sliced through clouds—silent and swift.
One after another, the corpses fell before they could even fully emerge. Many were struck down the instant they broke through the soil, never glimpsing the archer who killed them.
Three days had passed since Liu Weian purchased the triangular arrows. He had been obsessing over a single question: What if stronger monsters appeared—ones even the triangular arrows couldn't pierce? There was no perfect defense, no unbreakable fortress. Perhaps relying on arrows alone was the wrong path. Yes, part of his reasoning was to save money—but deeper down, he was searching for a way to enhance his archery.
With no teacher and no manuals to consult, he had only trial and error. It was a slow, lonely road. After three days, he still had no answer—but he wasn't without progress. His accuracy had improved dramatically. Previously, he had to stand perfectly still to shoot. Even the slightest movement disrupted his aim. But now, he could shoot mid-step with pinpoint accuracy. Running shots were still a challenge, but he was getting closer.
A piercing screech split the air.
Five meters away, the ground exploded. A rotten coffin launched seven or eight meters skyward—only a walker could make such an entrance. Though Liu Weian kept his gaze on the corpses, most of his focus was on detecting walkers. Unlike the howling, mindless rotters, walkers were cunning. They appeared silently and only when least expected.
Fortunately, they liked to make a scene when they emerged. Otherwise, Liu Weian would never dare venture into the graveyard alone. The moment the earth stirred, he began retreating—five meters per second. By the time the walker burst out of the ground, he was already ten meters away.
Whizz—!
A silver streak sliced through the air, cutting through the dust and striking the walker.
Shlk—!
The triangular arrow hit flesh. But Liu Weian's face darkened. He suddenly leaned back, his right foot kicking out.
Whoosh—!
The walker had crossed the ten-meter gap in a blink, its claws grazing past his throat, the chill making his muscles tighten. Though an arrow jutted from its face, it had avoided a fatal shot. Liu Weian didn't know how, but he knew one thing:
He was in serious trouble.
Boom!
His foot slammed into the walker's stomach—it felt like kicking solid iron. Pain shot through his sole. But his goal wasn't damage—it was recoil. Using the rebound, he slid three meters back, loosing two arrows in the process. One missed. The other struck the walker's raised arm, piercing straight through.
It didn't flinch.
Crash—!
The dirt to his left erupted. A second walker appeared. At the same time, five or six rotters came charging from the distance. Their mouths—some only half-intact—opened and closed mindlessly. Viscous slime dripped from their teeth, burning into the ground with a hiss, releasing trails of white smoke.
"Damn it," Liu Weian cursed. When did these bastards learn to ambush?
He leapt up, releasing a hurried shot mid-air. The arrow struck the second walker in the chest just as it rose from the earth. The sheer force of the impact slowed its movements.
As it landed, a second arrow followed—another hit to the chest of the first walker. Not lethal, but enough to disrupt its charge. Liu Weian dashed forward, straight into the rotters.
He didn't hesitate.
A brutal kick sent the nearest rotter flying, the rotting, maggot-filled flesh squelching under impact. He had been strengthening his body every night with a power seed—he was no longer the same as before. His strength now surpassed the rotters. Another kick launched a second corpse into the air, smashing into the second walker and halting its approach.
Two more rotters closed in from the sides. One second before contact.
Liu Weian didn't hesitate. He drew his bow. As he pulled the string taut, the ground nearby exploded.
Another screech. Louder than before.
A third walker.
They're trying to surround me! The thought flashed through his mind.
In one smooth motion, Liu Weian spun, relying on instinct more than sight. The arrow screamed through the air, slicing a path through the airborne soil, revealing a rigid, corpse-like face.
His eyes widened—
Thump!
The triangular arrow punched through the walker's brow, the force slamming it back into the earth.
Killed before it even had a chance to attack.
Half instinct, half luck—Liu Weian had no way of seeing through flying dirt. Unless he had X-ray vision, he could only hope his gamble paid off.
But luck or not, the result was all that mattered.
Thump! Thump!
Two rotters flew sideways, again blocking the walkers' path. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Liu Weian loosed another shot. His strength was greater than a rotter's, but their flesh was tough—like hardened leather.
The arrow grazed a rotter's cheek, slicing off an ear, and continued on to strike a walker in the eye socket. It twisted its head just in time, and the arrow ripped away one of its eyes along with a chunk of flesh. Hideous before, the walker now looked truly grotesque.
With a roar of fury, the walker swatted aside the rotters in its way. Their bodies tumbled over ten meters like ragdolls.
Then, the walker surged forward.
Thwang!
The sound of a bowstring reverberated.
Just as the walker leapt, an arrow struck its left foot, pinning it to the ground. The creature stumbled, nearly falling. It growled in rage, trying to balance—another arrow flashed.
Crack!
Straight through its brow. The impact nearly blew its skull open.
As Liu Weian loosed the fatal shot, a shadow collided into him from the side. Too fast to dodge.
Crash—!
The force sent him flying like he'd been hit by a freight train. It was a rotter—the same one the walker had tossed aside earlier. It must've been furious after being used as a meat shield.
Snap! Snap!
Ribs cracked. At least two.
The walker, still alive, slammed a foot into the ground and soared after him, leaping over ten meters in a single bound.
Claws glinted in the moonlight—mere centimeters away.
Liu Weian's eyes turned cold.
No fear. Just fury.
Ignoring the searing pain in his chest, he pulled an iron arrow from his quiver. The bow, usually easy to draw, now felt heavy as a mountain. Sweat rolled down his face. Every movement brought fresh agony.
He said nothing. Just gritted his teeth.
The claws touched his skin—
Thwang—!
The arrow flew like a flash of lightning.
It passed cleanly through the walker's head, leaving a hole the size of an egg. Black blood gushed from both ends. The walker hit the ground, lifeless.
Thud!
Liu Weian crashed onto his back. For a moment, his vision dimmed, but his grip never loosened on the bow. Biting his tongue, he forced himself awake just as more rotters approached.
Thank the heavens for his spatial ring. If he had to reach behind him for arrows now, he'd be dead.
Gritting his teeth, he loosed four more shots.
Four rotters collapsed—skulls shattered, blood and bone spraying.
His vision blurred. His strength nearly gone.
One more arrow. Then another. A final shot——then darkness.
He collapsed to the ground, his trusty bow falling from his grasp for the first time.
Five minutes later, Liu Weian forced himself up. The graveyard was too dangerous to rest long. He dug out a power seed from one of the walkers and swallowed it. His stamina recovered about eighty percent.
No more fighting tonight.
He began clearing the battlefield.
The most exciting part of hunting was opening the flesh sacs. Rotters rarely had anything good—his best find today was worth 36 copper. But walkers…
Three walkers. Three sacs.
The first one: Empty. His face fell.
The second: Three copper coins. Liu Weian almost vomited blood. Seriously? A walker, and this is all?
He hesitated. Then opened the third sac.
A book dropped out.
A skill book.
Liu Weian's jaw dropped. Disappointment turned into shock—and then into pure joy.
Getting a piece of equipment from a flesh sac was like winning the lottery.
Getting a skill book?
Like winning the super jackpot.
The title read:
"Chain Arrows."
Liu Weian forgot his pain instantly.
As a bowman, what could be more exciting than finding a new archery technique?
Just hours ago, he was wondering how to improve his skills.
Now, the path was suddenly clear.
He channeled his consciousness into the book.
Within minutes, the characters dissolved into a stream of glowing symbols and vanished into his mind. The book turned blank, but Liu Weian's mind now held detailed knowledge—how to train in Chain Arrows.
He studied it closely.
A look of astonishment slowly spread across his face.
Chain Arrows... was truly incredible.