Chapter Eleven: The First Kill

At this moment, Lone Rider and Wind Chimes rushed over as well, and now both of them could see the BOSS's stats.

"Damn, are all BOSSes in the New World this strong? Even with full level ten gear, you'd never beat it. How many people would have to die to wear it down?"

Lone Rider was stunned by the stats of the Wild Boar King; the health alone was staggering, but more terrifying was its attack surpassing five hundred, not to mention the passive Heavy Strike. Who could withstand such blows? Only by sacrificing lives could they hope to grind it down.

"How could the BOSS get stuck? It makes no sense," Wind Chimes said, baffled.

"Maybe when the BOSS was chasing Six Barrels just now, it triggered the Enhanced Charge skill and couldn't stop. I saw the BOSS suddenly accelerate at the end, so it must have activated a skill. Never mind, let's just attack together. A stuck BOSS, no matter how strong, is nothing but a wooden dummy—easy pickings," Lone Rider analyzed as he hefted his axe, ready to strike.

"Wait, we melee players shouldn't attack directly. If aggro gets messed up and the BOSS moves back, we'll lose the advantage. Best to let Six Barrels attack alone, always staying right in front to keep the BOSS's attention. Only ranged attacks should hit it, pushing forward to tighten the block. That's safer," Wind Chimes stopped Lone Rider and explained.

"So what do we do? I can't solo it—my shots only do two or three damage each. With twenty thousand health, this would take forever. Plus, the BOSS probably regenerates. By the way, what classes are your brother and Secretary? Any ranged? Call them over," Zhang Shan urged. He knew soloing would take ages, and if the BOSS regenerated quickly, it might never die.

"My brother is a Fire Mage, Secretary is a Guardian Warrior. I'll call them over. When it comes to loot distribution, we three get priority since they're just helping out. Now that the BOSS is stuck, it's just a time investment to kill it. Hand me the leadership, I'll add them to the party," Wind Chimes said, contacting Wind Empire.

Zhang Shan quickly handed over the party leader role.

System: You have transferred party leadership to Wind Chimes.

System: Wind Empire has joined the party.

System: Wind Secretary has joined the party.

"They're a bit far, probably seven or eight minutes to get here. Also, I'll switch up the loot distribution. Random drops won't work for BOSS fights," Wind Chimes said.

"Yeah, random is so unfair—it always drops for you guys, never for me," Lone Rider complained.

System: Party leader Wind Chimes has changed party loot distribution. New mode: items allocated by leader via roll; gold split evenly.

Okay.

Leader-allocated rolls are the standard for BOSS fights, and everyone accepted this. Zhang Shan checked party levels: the three of them were level four, Wind Empire was already level five, and Wind Secretary was also level four, likely delayed by constant equipment and copper purchases.

After seven or eight minutes, Zhang Shan saw two figures running up from a distance. Though he had never stopped attacking the BOSS, he’d only knocked off less than a thousand health—barely a drizzle against the BOSS’s vast pool. Alone, even if he used all his ammo, he couldn't kill it. Thankfully, he’d bought plenty before setting out; over six thousand bullets remained. With a Fire Mage’s support, it should be enough.

Wind Empire and Wind Secretary arrived. Zhang Shan noticed Wind Empire’s staff glowed green—clearly a rare weapon, promising high attack. The rest of his gear looked complete, though lacking any shine—likely all common-grade. Good equipment was scarce; aside from thieves opening chests, only minor monsters dropped them. In the entire starter village, Zhang Shan’s own black iron ring seemed the only item with attributes.

Wind Secretary’s gear was also complete, probably all common-grade, but having a full set at this stage was impressive and showed dedication.

"Brother, these are Six Barrels and Lone Rider—the two I invited to join our guild," Wind Chimes introduced.

"Welcome to Wind Empire Guild. From now on, let’s play together. If you need help, just ask. For now, let’s focus on the BOSS," Wind Empire said directly, wasting no words.

He immediately launched Fireballs at the Wild Boar King, dealing -12, -16, -10, and applying a burning effect for -2, -2, -2 damage each second. Mage damage was truly superior, several times higher than Zhang Shan’s attacks. Even the Fireball’s burn effect alone outpaced Zhang Shan’s output; burn ticked every second, while Zhang Shan’s attacks came every two seconds.

However, Mage casting was slower—about three seconds per Fireball—but the burst damage was impressive. Mages really were the chosen ones of games, the same everywhere.

So, two attacked the BOSS while three watched.

Wind Empire then said, "You three melee, clear the nearby monsters to avoid accidental aggro later."

Okay.

The two warriors and one Taoist quickly cleared the surrounding monsters. It didn’t take long, and as each spawned, they dispatched it, leaving only the Wild Boar King.

"You guys are talented! How did you get the BOSS stuck? Any strategy? If you clip the gameplay and post it on the forum, you could make a tidy profit," Wind Secretary asked curiously.

"Six Barrels did it—he hit the BOSS, then ran between two rocks, and the BOSS got stuck. Simple as that," Lone Rider replied with a laugh.

"No way it’s that easy. How could a bug like that exist in New World?" Wind Secretary was skeptical.

"Six Barrels really did it that way, but it was probably a rare event. When the BOSS chased to the rocks, it suddenly triggered Enhanced Charge, rushing straight into the gap and couldn't stop. If it triggered earlier, Six Barrels would have died; later, it likely wouldn’t have gotten stuck. Only at that exact moment did the skill activate and trap the BOSS. It's not something you can control," Wind Chimes analyzed.

"So if you try enough times, there's still a chance," Wind Secretary mused.

"No need to test—it's not a bug, just a rare event influenced by many factors: Six Barrels' movement speed, his position, timing, even the direction he faced. It’s almost impossible to replicate. You’d need a hunter with identical gear and agility, standing in the same spot, facing the same way, moving at the same moment—not to mention other unknown mechanics. Basically, it’s pointless to try," Wind Chimes explained.

Still, posting the video on the forum for some game coins could be worthwhile. Once we kill the BOSS and the announcement goes up, people will be curious. Upload the video, set a cheap fee, and plenty will pay to watch," Wind Empire analyzed sagely.

"Heh, Six Barrels, once we're done, send me the video. I'll use a side account to handle it, and we'll split the profits," Wind Secretary laughed.

Although the New World forum was tied to game characters, and technically side accounts weren't allowed, there were always ways around obstacles—just more hassle. First, you needed a helmet, and most importantly, someone to use it. Big guilds kept such tricks, so Zhang Shan wasn’t surprised.

"Sure, add me to your contacts later."

Time passed slowly. Zhang Shan kept attacking the BOSS, while Wind Empire alternated between casting and sitting to regenerate mana. He had enough mana potions, but cooldowns prevented constant casting.

After nearly an hour, the Wild Boar King’s health dropped to 4,000. As its health fell, it entered a berserk state—not only did its eyes turn red, but its skin flushed and it swayed violently.

Once berserk, the BOSS became even more terrifying, but its defense seemed much lower. Zhang Shan’s attacks now dealt over ten damage, and Wind Empire’s hit for more than forty. Barring any incidents, it would be dead in a few minutes.

"Will the BOSS break free? If it escapes now, we’re doomed—no one can hold it," Lone Rider worried as the BOSS thrashed in rage.

"It shouldn’t—it's too tightly trapped. Unless it lifts those two rocks, which is impossible; they’re part of the game environment, and even if you hack at them with an axe, nothing happens," Wind Empire replied confidently.

"Could someone steal the BOSS? Should we keep watch?" Wind Chimes asked anxiously.

"Good idea, mainly to guard against thieves. You three patrol nearby—if a thief tries to sneak up, they’ll be detected," Wind Empire instructed, assigning the three melee to patrol.

Once berserk, the BOSS’s health dropped rapidly: 3,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500. In a few minutes, the Wild Boar King let out an unwilling howl and collapsed, never causing any real trouble. Several beams of colored light fell into Wind Chimes’ party inventory.

System Announcement: Congratulations to Wind Chimes, Wind Empire, Six Barrels, Lone Rider, and Wind Secretary for slaying the Demonized Wild Boar King, completing New World’s first BOSS kill, sweeping the demons and ushering in a new era for humanity. Each member is awarded the Demon Nemesis title, one skill point, and 100 merit points.

System: Your passive talent, King of Passives, has triggered by killing the Demonized Wild Boar King. You have automatically acquired the Heavy Strike (Passive) skill.

System: Congratulations, player Six Barrels, you have reached level five. Skill point +1, all attributes +2, free attribute points +5.