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墨書 Inktalez
Waking up from a deep sleep, she checked her wrist communicator, but still no messages from Strict Language. She wasn't in a hurry; instead, she slowly got up and stretched her body, performing a few sets of basic exercises. Once her mind cleared and her body felt ready, she put on her Game Helmet and entered the game.
The night was nearing dawn, with a hint of pale light on the horizon. The stars had vanished from the sky, leaving only a deep blue before sunrise. Breathing in the cool morning air, she could almost hear the distant chirping of insects and smell the wood smoke from the inn.
Tightening her grip on the Bronze Longbow, she jogged towards Zhao Hunter's house as the morning light began to brighten.
Zhao Hunter had just opened the gate when he spotted Yan Yan, still slightly out of breath.
"Girl, you're up early," he remarked before turning to head inside.
"Good morning, Senior."
In the yard, tools for their forest expedition were already laid out. Seeing the neatly packed supplies, Yan Yan felt a sense of relief at her early arrival.
She took the full quiver of arrows from Zhao Hunter's hands and glanced at the Dark Black Longbow slung over his shoulder. The bow's sleek lines shimmered with a dark sheen, and its string hummed in the wind, producing a low buzzing sound reminiscent of a beast's roar. After briefly admiring it, she quickly shifted her focus and maintained a careful distance as they entered the forest together.
As they reached the edge of the forest, a wave of damp, chilly mist enveloped them, mingling with the fresh scent of grass and trees—a unique experience that invigorated her senses.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the air.
With that sound, a gray shadow lunged toward them!
Almost instinctively, Yan Yan sidestepped as her body reacted. A surge of alertness coursed through her as she thrust her Longbow forward. A powerful force shot up her arm; she stepped back with her left foot to absorb the sudden attack. A bright red Damage Value appeared above her head: -7, nearly draining two-thirds of her health in an instant.
Without thinking further, she quickly leaped to the side and took shelter behind Zhao Hunter.
Zhao Hunter swiftly drew his bow and nocked an arrow. "Whoosh!" An arrow shot forth like lightning.
"Thud!" The arrow struck flesh, followed by a piercing howl that echoed through the trees.
"It's a Gray Wolf!"
Gray Wolf: Level 6
Type: Normal Monster
Health Points: 5
Attack: 8
Skills: Wolf Fang Bite, Rending Claw
Attack Range: 1 yard
Zhao Hunter moved like lightning, releasing arrows that left afterimages in their wake. Faced with this fierce assault, the Gray Wolf halted and growled lowly at them. Its eyes glimmered with an eerie green light, radiating bloodthirsty ferocity.
"Step back," he commanded, his movements unceasing as he charged forward. Yan Yan seized the opportunity to retreat twenty yards, her Longbow drawn tight, the arrow's cold gleam locked onto the approaching Gray Wolf. Her eyes remained calm, showing no signs of panic despite the sudden attack.
In just a few breaths, Zhao Hunter took down the Gray Wolf. Turning around, he noticed Yan Yan poised and ready, a fleeting look of appreciation crossing his face. He skillfully began to skin the wolf and said, "The forest is like this; danger lurks everywhere. A moment's carelessness can cost you your life. Stay in this state of readiness." His words brought a sense of relief to Yan Yan; it seemed she was making progress with this NPC.
Unable to team up with the NPC, she watched as Zhao Hunter took down one Gray Wolf after another, her Experience points slipping away. She could only follow behind cautiously, remaining vigilant.
After nearly twenty minutes of walking, the dense forest suddenly vanished, revealing a vast expanse of open ground. On the half-meter-high grass lay several Wildcats, lazily sprawled in various directions, flicking their tails languidly. When her gaze landed on a particular spot, Yan Yan's attention sharpened; ten yards ahead lay a Plantago Seed beneath one of the Wildcats.
Wildcat: Level 4
Attributes: Normal Monster
Health Points: 8
Speed: 1
Attack: 15
Skill: Rending Claws
Attack Range: 8 yards
Comparing her attributes to those of the Wildcat, she realized that a single attack from it could easily kill her. Previously, she had allocated all her attribute points into Strength and Agility, leaving her Health Points at a level that was practically negligible for her current level. She couldn't afford to let the Wildcat touch her; one hit would mean death.
Both speed and attack were strong suits for the Wildcat. For an average player, they would likely be killed before even realizing what was happening. In her past life, many players reached levels five or six before attempting to hunt Level 4 Wildcats in the novice village, primarily due to the Wildcats' high attack and speed testing players' skills.
Furrowing her brow, several thoughts raced through her mind. With her low health against a Wildcat, she was at a disadvantage in both attack and speed. Even though the Wildcat had low Health Points, it was still a Level 4 monster; as a Level 1 herself, her chances of winning were slim. Fighting above her level without confidence would lead to an easy defeat—she couldn't let all her hard-earned progress go to waste. Her gaze shifted from one Plantago Seed to another as her fingers unconsciously stroked her Longbow.
After surveying the surroundings and confirming there were no Level 6 Gray Wolves nearby, Zhao Hunter turned to Yan Yan and said, "Stay alert and help Old Chen gather herbs here; I'll be back shortly." With that, he turned and headed deeper into the forest.
Anticipating that Zhao Hunter wouldn't come to assist her and watching his departing figure made Yan Yan's frown deepen.
The area around her was open with no chance for cover; the Wildcat was agile and quick. Being one level lower meant she would definitely be at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation.
The sun had risen high in the sky, casting warmth over the scene. The Wildcats appeared even more lethargic in the distance as long grasses brushed against her ankles, sending a tingling sensation through her body that sparked an idea in her mind.
She rummaged through her backpack and spotted the flint that Zhao Hunter had given her before she left. A plan began to form in her mind.
On the edge of the grass, a small figure darted away nimbly, followed by a long brown tail. Upon closer inspection, it was a dozen Wildcats!
“Whoosh—whoosh—”
Heavy breathing came from her chest, beads of sweat rolling down her pale cheeks. The veins on her hand, gripping the Bronze Longbow tightly, bulged as she sprinted, leaving a trail of crushed grass behind her.
Damn! The Wildcats were faster than she had calculated. She could see the nearest Wildcat's claws almost reaching her. Suddenly, she twisted to the side just in time to dodge the attack. Wiping the sweat from her eyes, she fixed her determined gaze on a tall pile of grass twenty yards away, gritted her teeth, and charged forward once more.
Twelve yards, ten yards, five yards—
Now! She struck the flint together, sparks flying towards the dry grass pile with an overwhelming force. “Whoosh—” The pile ignited, blinding flames making it hard for her to open her eyes. Relying solely on instinct to find her direction, she leaped over the grass pile. The dozen Wildcats that followed crashed into the fire with loud thuds, instantly engulfed by the flames. The smell of burning fur wafted through the air, mingling with their shrill cries and the sound of crushed grass echoing in the silent woods.
With a taut bowstring, arrows flew out in rapid succession. As they glinted in the light, damage values floated up: -5, -1... Along with the fire's attack, the Wildcats were taken down within minutes.
A burst of leveling-up light flashed past Yan Yan as she defeated enemies beyond her level; her experience doubled—she was now Level 4!
She approached the battlefield and looked at the dropped equipment and some Copper Coins. Swiftly gathering them into her backpack, she used her Gathering skill to collect the pelts from the Wildcats before turning her attention to two pieces of equipment she had just acquired.
Wild Lynx Set (1/4): Armor
Level: Bronze Level
Required Level: 4
Defense: +8
Health Points: +6
Set Bonus: Collecting all pieces of Wild Lynx Set grants a 5% boost to all attributes.
Wild Lynx Set (2/4): Greaves
Level: Bronze Level
Required Level: 4
Defense: +7
Set Bonus: Collecting all pieces of Wild Lynx Set grants a 5% boost to all attributes.
Excellent!
Without hesitation, she equipped the two new pieces of gear. Combined with her Rabbit Fur Wristguards and Rabbit Fur Pants, her strength nearly doubled. She allocated the attribute points she had just gained from leveling up in a 2:2:1 ratio to Strength, Agility, and Stamina. With one point added to Stamina, her Health Points limit finally broke past one hundred.
With three minutes until the Wildcat respawned, she quickly gathered Plantago Seeds. In a flurry of movement, she collected over a dozen herbs into her backpack. Throughout the process, she swiftly gathered the herbs while keeping a vigilant eye on her surroundings. As she counted down in her mind to the last five seconds, she grasped a Plantago Seed in her right hand while her Bronze Longbow was already drawn in her left. Four, three, two, one!
With a quick sidestep, she pulled up the grass to avoid the previous position where a Wildcat's Phantom was beginning to form. At the same time, she stuffed the Plantago Seed into her backpack and drew an arrow from behind her. She took a wide stance and aimed! Shoot—
“Thud—” The arrow struck true in the newly spawned Wildcat's right eye.
“Roar—” A piercing cry echoed in response.
She leaped several times, agilely darting out of the bushes. Watching the Wildcat charge at her, she halted abruptly and turned as she aimed once more at its right eye with an Arrow Tip. “Whoosh—” The arrow flew through the air, “Thud—” embedding itself again in that right eye, its quivering fletching radiating a chilling intent.
-85
The Damage Value floated above the Wildcat's head. Yan Yan couldn't afford to check; she quickly retreated while drawing arrows one after another, repeating the fluid motion of nocking and drawing as she kept her gaze fixed on the Wildcat's eyes with calmness. Only her slightly labored breathing betrayed her thoughts. As she continued to back away, each arrow struck true in the Wildcat's right eye; such precision was something few Regular Players could achieve. After five shots, the Wildcat entered a berserk state with a Continuous Bleed Debuff.
Yan Yan felt a tightening in her chest but showed no signs of faltering. Her movements remained as smooth and swift as before; within moments of dodging, the Wildcat's right eye was filled with arrows before it collapsed.
Having dealt with the Wildcat she had just attracted, she glanced at the dozen Plantago Seeds in her backpack and calculated that using fire would be quicker.
A few minutes later, as the flames began to subside after their initial surge, this time, having learned from her previous experience and upgrade, attacking the engulfed Wildcat was much easier. Before long, all were dispatched.
Looking at the pile of corpses and meager Copper Coins on the ground reminded her of Zero Point's terrifying drop rate. Previously, when grinding with Jiang Wulang for five rounds, they had each killed over a hundred beasts but only received five pieces of equipment between them. Now that it was her first time grinding Wildcats, she had already received two pieces; it must have been a stroke of luck. Yet this wave yielded nothing but a handful of Copper Coins.
For this Wild Lynx Set, she estimated she'd need to grind several more waves.
In the remaining hour, she continuously ground three more waves of Wildcats and obtained the last two pieces of equipment.
Wild Lynx Set (/4): Boots
Level: Bronze Level
Required Level: 4
Defense: +8
Health Points: +6
Set Bonus: Collecting all pieces of the Wild Lynx Set grants a 5% boost to all attributes.
Wild Lynx Set (4/4): Wrist Guard
Level: Bronze Level
Required Level: 4
Defense: +8
Health Points: +4
Set Bonus: Collecting the Wild Lynx Set grants a 5% increase to all attributes.
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