[Kill level 10 Goblin Patrol, experience +300.]
[Kill level 11 Goblin Soldier, experience +350.]
[Obtain Goblin Bones.]
Notifications flooded his vision, and the experience points were rising rapidly.
Forty-four Bronze-level Skeleton Warriors swept through the forest, slaughtering goblin monsters like a scythe through wheat. With each blow, the level 10 and 11 goblins fell instantly. The boost in Lin Moyu's skills made him revel in the thrill of quick kills once again. Efficiency had increased dramatically, yet the experience needed to level up had tripled since reaching level 10.
"Upgrading is slowing down," he thought. "I'll need to kill at least 5,000 goblins to hit the next level."
Though the Skeleton Warriors showed no signs of fatigue, endlessly cutting through the goblin hordes, by nightfall, Lin Moyu still found himself 30% short of reaching level 11.
He set up a small campfire in the forest, consuming some food he had brought from home. With time being his most precious resource, he didn't plan on returning to the city.
"At this rate, I can probably reach level 13 by tomorrow," he calculated, chewing absentmindedly on a piece of sweet potato. "But pushing for level 15 the day after might be harder."
His thoughts drifted to his sister. "How did she manage to level up so quickly back then? Even though she was a Sword Dancer, a legendary class, there's no way she was faster than me."
Something nagged at the back of his mind, as if he was missing a crucial detail. Then it hit him: the West Sea Mine Dungeon.
"Of course! She must've teamed up with others to clear the dungeon, probably at nightmare difficulty. No wonder she got so much experience, and that's also why she was injured when she returned." His memory of her recuperating at the healer's confirmed his suspicion.
A determined smile crossed his lips. "I'll check out the dungeon tomorrow."
With that resolution, he prepared to meditate. His Skeleton Warriors stood as silent sentinels around him, hidden in the darkness. He had no fear of surprise attacks, thanks to their protection and his passive skills. The forest wasn't entirely quiet, though. The distant howls of wolves and the occasional rustle of leaves broke the eerie stillness, but Lin Moyu remained undisturbed.
In the dead of night, a Skeleton Warrior issued a warning, pulling Lin Moyu from his meditation. Someone was approaching.
"Who would come to the forest to level up at this hour?" he wondered, his senses sharpening.
A figure appeared within the glow of his campfire, and to his surprise, it was the man in black he had encountered earlier—the one who had fled during the day.
"Do you have any food?" came a soft, melodic voice, now unmasked by the darkness.
The man in black was no longer a mysterious figure. She was a young woman, her bright, clear eyes reflecting the flames as she approached.
Without a word, Lin Moyu handed her a sweet potato, the only food he had prepared. She removed her mask and started eating, clearly famished. Her delicate features were striking in the firelight, revealing her to be no older than eighteen or nineteen.
As she took her first bite, she choked, coughing violently. Lin Moyu quickly handed her a bottle of water, which she gratefully accepted. Once she recovered, she gave him a soft, "Thanks."
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken questions. She ate slowly, her movements graceful as she cast occasional glances at Lin Moyu, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
Finally, she spoke. "What's your name?"
Lin Moyu remained silent.
"Not much of a talker, huh? How about this: let's use detection on each other. Fair game." She smiled, her face lighting up mischievously.
Lin Moyu hesitated but then nodded. The two of them cast their detection spells simultaneously.
To his surprise, Lin Moyu's detection spell failed. The woman in black giggled, clearly pleased with herself.
"Hee hee, looks like you didn't get anything. But I did." Her smile widened. "So your name is Lin Moyu. Level 10, huh? Necromancer? That's a rare class—I've never heard of it."
She glanced at the skeletons lurking nearby. "Undead summons, huh? Interesting. You're quite the anomaly."
Her words spilled out rapidly, curiosity bubbling over. "Why don't you talk much? You're not mute, are you?"
Lin Moyu finally spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "Why?"
She looked at him, surprised. "You can talk after all! Why what?"
"Why did my detection spell fail?"
Her face lit up with another playful grin. "Because of this." She pulled a small badge from her cloak. "It's called a Shielding Badge. Anyone whose level is lower than mine by ten or more can't use detection on me."
She twirled the badge before putting it away. "Try again now."
Lin Moyu nodded and recast his detection spell.
[Ning Yiyi, Level 19, Shadow Assassin.]
As soon as he read the result, a sudden gust of wind blew, the fire flickered, and both of their expressions shifted. Something was out there, lurking in the shadows beyond the reach of the firelight.