To continue, David Carter has accumulated 2000 experience from reading, and is about to reach level 4. Now is definitely not the time to mess things up. Anyway, there’s no rush to get information or anything else—leveling up is the top priority. Besides, if the main skill level of Scouting is too low, the effects of its sub-skills will also be limited. It’s better to wait for David Carter to level up and upgrade Scouting to Intermediate before doing anything else.

So, David Carter kept fighting, and finally, with a flash of golden light, leveled up!

—System prompt: Congratulations! You have reached level 4. Your HP +2, you have gained 1 strategic attribute point, 1 skill point, and your leadership +1.

No need to think about it—upgrade Scouting!

—System prompt: You have used 1 skill point to learn Intermediate Scouting!

—Intermediate Scouting: Your field of vision +40%. You can view enemy numbers, morale, and supply information. There is a certain chance to discover hidden enemies within your field of vision, and you can receive early warnings of attacks from discovered hidden enemies, increasing your chance to dodge attacks.

At that moment,

—System prompt: Scouting has detected a powerful hidden enemy lurking nearby. Please stay alert!

A legendary hidden BOSS! David Carter was stunned on the spot! The effect of Intermediate Scouting is really immediate!

At this time, a large red box on David Carter’s mini-map was flashing continuously, indicating that the threat was within that area! The world seen by a player with Scouting is indeed different from that of ordinary players.

Now the question is, what to do? Facing a hidden BOSS, what can a weak spearman like himself do? But this question only lingered in David Carter’s mind for half a second before he shook his head and dismissed it!

Of course, find it! How would you know if there’s a chance if you don’t check it out? It’s like how David Carter often buys lottery tickets—even though he’s never won, as long as you buy, you have a one-in-several-million chance to change your fate. But if you never buy, you’ll never have a chance to change your fate!

Chapter 9: The Venomous Sea Anemone King

David Carter advanced cautiously along the area where the red box on the mini-map was flashing wildly. Actually, there was no need to look around—right ahead on the ebbing beach, a large sea beast skeleton half-buried in the sand had already given it away! After all, this was the only unusual sight on the entire beach!

David Carter advanced step by step, getting closer and closer. Now he could clearly see the skeleton, as big as a whale, and also noticed several barrels half-buried in the sand nearby. Did these barrels fall from a ship?

If the death of this giant whale is related to the BOSS, just how powerful is this BOSS? Looks like there’s little chance of winning, but as long as he can gather information about the BOSS, that’s enough. The more unknown and powerful a creature is, even if the information collected is incomplete, just letting the world know of its existence is a huge gain in reputation!

So, even if it means certain death, its value is extraordinary! Learning Scouting was definitely worth it, hahaha! The key is, where’s the BOSS? Hiding in the whale’s skull? Or under the sand?

With a mix of nervousness and excitement, David Carter circled to the back of the whale’s skull, advancing while poking the sand ahead with his spear. The red box on David Carter’s mini-map was flashing even more frequently and intensely! The BOSS was right ahead!

Getting closer! The huge, house-sized skull was empty inside. So, it must be in the sand?

David Carter took a deep breath and took another tense, heavy step forward.

—System prompt: Warning! Scouting has detected a hidden enemy about to appear!

Crap! David Carter was startled and instinctively turned and ran without thinking! He heard a loud “whoosh” behind him as a thick, foul-smelling gust of wind swept past the back of his head! Mud and sand splattered everywhere! A big “Miss” floated above his head!

Only then did David Carter come to his senses! Why am I running? Wasn’t I here to die and gather intel? He immediately turned around, and was instantly stunned!

Tentacles! More than a dozen thick, long sea anemone tentacles emerged from the sand! So it was a sea anemone BOSS! And it was precisely because Scouting gave an early warning and his quick reflexes that he narrowly escaped! The early warning function of Intermediate Scouting, combined with the character’s running state, both increase the chance to dodge attacks.

Looking at the dozen giant tentacles waving in the sand, David Carter shook his head helplessly in shock.

A BOSS is truly a BOSS! These tentacles are twice as long as my spear—there’s no way to fight! It’s a pity I’m a spearman. If only I were an archer! Looks like I’ll just have to go up and die to get some intel.

Wait! Archers wouldn’t work either! How could the system send archer players to this godforsaken deserted island? Once you run out of arrows, who do you buy from? Go pick them up in the ship’s hold? Even that god-level hero couldn’t fight his way in after leveling up several times! How many levels could a newbie archer gain with the arrows he brought?

So this BOSS is still meant for melee players!

Thinking this, David Carter shifted his gaze to the obviously promising giant whale skull next to the tentacles!

As a pro, you have to understand: BOSSes are meant to be taken down by players. If a BOSS seems impossible to defeat head-on, there must be another way! Making good use of terrain is the unbreakable rule for conquering any game!