I am the Arcane Archer, and all my skills are self-created.

The two returned to the starting village, number 101.

This time, the sensation they caused was even greater than the last.

Almost all the players in the village looked at them as if they were monsters.

"Look! It's them! 'Seeing Flowers Through the Mist' and 'Searching for Mist Among Flowers'!"

"Holy crap! It really is them! They've actually come back!"

"Master! Please carry me! I need a powerful player!"

"Hey guys, how did you beat that Hydra? Could you share your strategy?"

Countless players, like sharks smelling blood, instantly surrounded them.

Various questions, mixed with voices of envy and flattery, made Li Wu's head ache.

"Get out of the way!"

Hua Zitong gave a cold shout, and an aura of power emanated from her.

When she glared at them, the ordinary players instinctively took a few steps back, making way for her.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the two squeezed out of the crowd and quickly walked towards the trading area.

"Being famous is such a hassle," Li Wu said, frowning.

"You'll get used to it." Hua Zitong seemed quite calm. "When your name resounds throughout all the servers in the future, this will be nothing."

Li Wu didn't speak; he couldn't imagine what that scene would be like, nor was he interested.

All he wants now is to sell the skill books he has as soon as possible, turn them into money, and then challenge the next BOSS to continue grinding for stats.

The two arrived at the trading area and found a relatively quiet corner.

"How much are you planning to sell this book, 'The Breath of Hydra,' for?" Li Wu asked.

"Not for sale." Hua Zitong's answer surprised him.

"Not for sale?" Li Wu was stunned. "We can't use this thing, what's the point of keeping it?"

"Keep it; it'll be useful later." A meaningful glint flashed in Hua Zitong's eyes. "We don't lack money right now. But this skill book might prove more valuable than money in a crucial moment."

Although Li Wu didn't understand what she meant by "critical moment," he chose to believe her.

This woman may seem unreliable at times, but she always makes the right judgments when it comes to the big picture.

Since the skill books weren't for sale, they went straight to the apothecary.

"Boss, 50 bottles of basic mana restoration potions and 50 bottles of basic health restoration potions," Hua Zitong said with practiced ease.

Another 10 silver coins were spent.

Li Wu felt another pang of pain in her heart.

He felt that the money he had worked so hard to get from defeating the BOSS had turned into a pile of bottles and jars before he could even enjoy it.

"Don't worry about it." Hua Zitong saw through his thoughts. "Sharpening your axe won't delay your work. The next boss we're going to face is even more troublesome than Hydra. These preparations are necessary."

"The next boss?" Li Wu's curiosity was piqued. "What is it? Where is it?"

Hua Zitong didn't answer immediately. Instead, she led him to a more secluded corner. After confirming that no one was around, she lowered her voice and spoke slowly.

"The ancient altar atop the Blackrock Mountains."

"There, a level 15 elemental wild boss lies dormant—[Heart of the Rock]."

"Heart of Rock?" Li Wu repeated the name.

"Yes." Hua Zitong's expression turned extremely serious. "It was a monster made of the purest earth elemental energy, a giant stone golem."

"Its physical and magical defenses are outrageously high. Ordinary attacks are like tickling it."

"Very high defense?" Li Wu frowned. "How high?"

"Let me put it this way," Hua Zitong thought for a moment and gave an example, "A level 15 warrior, wearing a full set of excellent equipment, might only be able to take away a double-digit amount of its health with a single, all-out sword strike."

Li Wu's eyelid twitched.

This level of defense is truly abnormal.

"But that's not the most troublesome part," Hua Zitong continued. "Its most disgusting aspect lies in one of its core mechanisms."

"What mechanism?"

"Energy absorption and conversion," Hua Zitong said, enunciating each word clearly. "Any area-of-effect attack, what we commonly call AOE skill, will not only fail to damage it upon hitting it, but will instead be completely absorbed by it and converted into its own health!"

"What?!" Li Wu was genuinely shocked. "AoE skills can heal it?"

"That's right." Hua Zitong nodded. "Moreover, it's percentage-based healing. A large-area fire wall spell can bring it back from near-death to full health. That's why players jokingly call this boss the 'AOE Forbidden Zone'."

Li Wu frowned slightly.

No group attacks allowed...

Does that mean his most crucial damage-dealing skill, [Explosive Burning Arrow], is completely useless now?

The reason he was able to deal such high damage before was because of the large-area explosion effect of [Explosive Burning Arrow].

Now that this skill is disabled, his only source of damage is the single-target skill [Burning Arrow].

"Ordinary fire arrows probably won't be very effective either." Hua Zitong shook her head, ruthlessly shattering his illusions. "That stone golem's fire resistance is also very high."

Li Wu was completely speechless.

It has high physical defense, high magic defense, high fire resistance, and prohibits the use of area-of-effect attacks.

This boss completely countered him.

"Could it be... that I should just give up like this?" Li Wu felt very unwilling.

"Who said we're giving up?" Hua Zitong glanced at him, and the corners of her mouth suddenly turned up, revealing a mysterious smile.

"You forgot, you're not just any ordinary archer."

"You are an arcane archer."

"Your core is not the flame, but the understanding and creation of the 'secret text'."

Her words, like a bolt of lightning, cleaved through the fog in Li Wu's mind.

Yup!

He's an arcane archer!

His strength never stemmed from any single, fixed skill, but rather from his ability to create the most suitable skill for different situations!

If [Explosive Burning Arrow] can't be used, then he'll create an even stronger single-target skill!

A single-target burst skill with extreme penetration, specifically designed to deal with such high-defense targets!

As soon as this thought crossed Li Wu's mind, he felt the blood in his body begin to boil.

A burning fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes.

"I understand." He took a deep breath, looked at Hua Zitong, and nodded heavily.

"I need some time."

"No problem," Hua Zitong said with a smile. "I'll take you to a quiet place."

The two left the noisy village and headed east until they arrived at a small grove of trees on the edge of the beginner village.

This place is secluded and very quiet, perfect for Li Wu to calm down and study new skills.

"You can think about it here slowly. I'll protect you." Hua Zitong drew her longsword and stood guard around the area.

Li Wu nodded, found a clean rock to sit on, closed his eyes, and immersed all his mind in the vast sea of ​​secret texts in his mind.