Chapter 4: Reaping the Benefits of Others' Labor
1401 Words
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for killing a wild rabbit and earning 15 experience points and 10 silver."
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for obtaining a low-level spiritual herb, Flamegrass."
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for leveling up! Current level: Level 3 (Tier 3 Martial Apprentice)!"
"…"
Wu Tian had plunged into the Misty Forest two days ago, and his level had risen from a Level 1 Warrior to a Level 3 Warrior. At Level 3, the experience gained from killing these low-level monsters was minimal, so he had no choice but to venture deeper into the Misty Forest. However, in the past two days, Wu Tian had gathered quite a few spiritual herbs, and with his alchemy skill, he could now craft some basic low-level elixirs.
Alchemy was a rare profession in the Kingdom of Kuangwu and even the entire Shenlong Continent, especially at the higher levels. Alchemists were scarce, making elixirs very expensive. Wu Tian’s alchemy skills had effectively opened up a new source of income.
Of course, his main focus now was leveling up, so Wu Tian continued his journey deeper into the Misty Forest. Along the way, he killed every low-level monster he encountered, as they all provided experience, and there was no reason not to take advantage of it. However, after half a day of walking deeper into the forest, the atmosphere around him began to change.
There were almost no monsters in sight. The dense forest canopy blocked out the sunlight, and a chilling wind swept through the air. Then, a low growl echoed in the distance.
"I must have entered the territory of demon beasts. Only in their domain do wild monsters with no levels disappear," Wu Tian thought, his senses sharpening to their peak.
Suddenly, a swish sound came from behind him, and Wu Tian felt a chill. He instantly spun around and swung the iron knife that had dropped earlier.
Clang! The sharp sound of metal meeting metal rang out. A Level 2 Windwolf had sunk its sharp teeth into Wu Tian’s blade.
"Damn! Why do I always get such tough opponents? A Level 2 demon beast right off the bat? Only a Level 5 Martial Apprentice could handle this!" Wu Tian cursed inwardly, staring at the blood-red eyes of the Windwolf in disbelief.
"Roar!" The Windwolf clenched its jaws around Wu Tian's weapon while its claws viciously slashed at him.
Wu Tian was forced to retreat. Suddenly, with a thud, he stumbled and fell to the ground, dropping his knife. The Windwolf pinned him down, its bloody mouth open wide to bite at his neck.
"Don’t think I’m an easy target. Unstoppable, instant kill! Die!" Wu Tian roared in anger, activating his instant kill skill. A surge of immense power erupted from his body.
Boom! The Windwolf’s body was sent flying, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. It let out a few final spasms before falling silent.
Ding!
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for killing the Level 2 demon beast, Windwolf. You have gained 8,000 experience points, 500 silver, and a Windwolf Armor (Mystic grade)."
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for leveling up! Current level: Level 4 (Tier 4 Martial Apprentice)."
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for leveling up! Current level: Level 5 (Tier 5 Martial Apprentice)."
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for leveling up! Current level: Level 6 (Tier 6 Martial Apprentice)!"
After the Windwolf was defeated, Wu Tian heard a continuous stream of system notifications in his mind.
"Haha! Demon beasts give a lot of experience. Killing one has pushed me all the way to Level 6, and I even got a Mystic grade armor, the Windwolf Armor. Mystic grade, wow... the equipment ranks from low to high are: Yellow, Mystic, Earth, Sky, Divine, Super Divine, and Heaven-defying. This Windwolf Armor is Mystic grade, which is already pretty great!"
Now that Wu Tian was a Level 6 Martial Apprentice and had a Mystic grade defensive armor, even Level 3 demon beasts were no match for him. If he used his instant kill skill, even Level 4 beasts would fall quickly. However, the instant kill skill had a cooldown of half an hour, so Wu Tian chose to keep it for emergencies while exploring deeper into the Misty Forest.
After leveling up, Wu Tian wasn’t satisfied and pressed on deeper into the forest. Now that he had leveled up, it felt just like playing a game, something Wu Tian thoroughly enjoyed. Back when he played games, he could go without rest for three days straight, and now, the situation was no different.
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for killing a Level 1 Wild Boar Beast. You have gained 300 experience points and 200 silver."
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for killing a Level 1 Flame Tiger. You have gained 600 experience points, 300 silver, and a tiger pelt."
"…"
Three days and nights passed, during which Wu Tian hunted all the Level 1 and Level 2 demon beasts around him, leveling up to Level 8 Martial Apprentice. Of course, he didn’t waste his instant kill skill. Every half hour, he used it to increase his proficiency and gather better loot.
Now, Wu Tian was no longer satisfied with just Level 1 and Level 2 demon beasts. Once his instant kill skill was ready again, he pushed further into the forest.
Unknowingly, Wu Tian arrived at the foot of a mountain, where a refreshing fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
His heart skipped a beat. He muttered to himself, "This scent... Could it be... the legendary Hunyuan Spirit Fruit?!"
The Hunyuan Spirit Fruit was said to be born from the purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The more abundant the spiritual energy in an area, the more likely it was to appear. However, the location of its appearance was unpredictable. Every time it appeared, it was a priceless treasure. The fruit contained immense spiritual energy that could significantly boost one's cultivation. But once it bloomed, it would only exist for half an hour before dissipating into spiritual energy.
Thus, before the fruit could form, high-level demon beasts would often guard it, and whoever could protect it until the end would be able to claim the fruit.
Indeed, after walking a bit further, Wu Tian spotted a huge cave at the base of the mountain. The surrounding area was littered with the rotting corpses of demon beasts, and many others were lurking nearby, waiting around the entrance of the cave.
"Damn! So many demon beasts, and they're all high-level. It looks like I can’t get any closer!" Wu Tian thought, maintaining his distance since his level was still too low.
"Should I leave now, or should I wait here and seize the opportunity?" Wu Tian pondered. Leaving felt unsatisfying, while waiting for an opportunity carried some risk.
In the end, temptation won over rationality. Wu Tian decided to stay and wait for the right moment to reap the rewards.
"Roar!" A deafening roar echoed from the cave, and three demon beasts shot out, flying several dozen meters before crashing down near Wu Tian.
"Level 5 Sawtooth Tiger, Level 6 Rampaging Bull, Level 6 Bloodthirsty Rat... These three must have failed in their attempts to claim the fruit. What kind of demon beast is guarding this cave?" Wu Tian stared in shock at the three near-death beasts.
But after the shock, there was excitement. Damn, these three were almost done for, their health already depleted. Even if no one attacked, they would perish soon. Rather than let them die like this, it was better to finish them off himself.
Without hesitation, Wu Tian charged forward with his great sword, and the three demon beasts, too weak to fight back, barely managed to raise their heads.
Slash! Wu Tian swiftly struck at their vital points.
Ding!
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for killing the Level 5 Sawtooth Tiger. You have gained 20,000 experience points and 2,000 silver."
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for killing the Level 6 Rampaging Bull. You have gained 50,000 experience points and 5,000 silver."
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for killing the Level 6 Bloodthirsty Rat. You have gained 50,000 experience points and 5,000 silver."
Ding!
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for leveling up! Current level: Level 9 (Tier 9 Martial Apprentice)!"
"Congratulations to Player Wu Tian for leveling up! Current level: Level 11 (Tier 1 Martial Master)!"
- Writer
