[Xu Qing casts Battle Inspiration on you, Attack +18.]
[Xu Qing casts Rejuvenation on you, Health +6 per second.]
With just one level up, Xu Qing's abilities have improved significantly.
Xiao Chen's attack has finally reached 150, but it still takes two arrows to kill a small monster.
Sun Jian has leveled up twice, and with his previous experience, his efficiency in luring monsters has greatly increased.
He can now lure six or seven monsters at a time, speeding up the clearing process significantly.
By the second dungeon run, their experience was close to level four.
It wasn't until they completed the sixth dungeon that all four of them reached level five.
In total, it took less than three hours.
"This leveling speed is really fast!"
It took Xiao Chen a whole month to reach level five.
Of course, there's nothing much to say about it, since they paid for it.
Each dungeon run costs ten silver coins, and six runs have already cost them thirty silver coins.
"You're all at level five now, how about we take down the BOSS this time?"
Sun Jian's health is at 1,400, and Xu Qing's healing is quite substantial. Even if the damage output isn't enough, they can still wear down a BOSS.
"Alright, I'll change my gear."
With that, Sun Jian took out a black iron-grade shield.
"You had this gear all along and didn't bring it out earlier?"
"I was just testing my strength."
Another piece of black iron equipment, it seems Xiao Chen is the only one who's broke.
"That's great, we can finally take on the BOSS."
"Brother Xiao, you can attack from a distance, I can hold the aggro steadily."
Sun Jian was extremely confident in himself, eager to give it a try.
"Mm, but be careful."
If they fail, it could be fatal; this is a matter of life and death.
"There are still a dozen small monsters left, let's clear them first."
As they were killing the last few small monsters, a broadcast suddenly sounded.
Not too early, not too late, it came at just the right time.
[Ding, kill count reaches 10,000, gain +1 Strength attribute.]
The "One in a Million" achievement was finally completed, and Xiao Chen had put in a lot for this attribute point.
[Ding, you successfully killed 10,000 small monsters, achievement unlocked: Butcher.
All attributes +2, Silver Coins +10.]
"What?"
Seeing this reward, Xiao Chen jumped up in excitement.
The achievement reward was much stronger than his meager one attribute point.
All attributes increased by two, which is a total of ten attribute points.
"To unlock the next kill achievement, you need to kill 100,000 enemies."
The sudden achievement notification was more exciting than anything else.
Even more surprising for Xiao Chen was the reminder of the next achievement.
It seems the system really wants Xiao Chen to kill more enemies.
With an additional 10 silver coins, Xiao Chen's total silver coins now reached 31.
Xiao Chen stopped attacking and said to the group:
"Wait for me a moment."
Preparing to fight the BOSS, Xiao Chen decided to enhance his abilities a bit more for safety.
The health of a level 1 BOSS is actually only 1,600, and even if its defense is 25, Xiao Chen only needs a dozen arrows to kill it.
His attack speed is 0.2, so he can finish the fight in about one to two minutes.
The regeneration speed of a level 1 BOSS isn't that fast, making it not too difficult to fight.
With a bit of money now, Xiao Chen really wanted to spend it, having held back for too long.
"Ordinary Power Grass, 3 silver coins each, each person can consume 10."
Xiao Chen bought ten at once, finally graduating from ordinary Power Grass.
[Strength +1.]
[Strength +1.]
Upon consuming the herb for the first time, Xiao Chen felt a comfortable sensation throughout his body.
With an increase of 10 points in strength, Xiao Chen's total attributes finally broke 200.
Base attack increased by 20, and without considering Xu Qing's skill bonuses, Xiao Chen's attack power reached 153.
"Sun Jian, I'm ready, go ahead."
Sun Jian held a large shield and charged directly at the BOSS.
"Reflect damage!"
"-148"
Seeing the damage numbers pop up, Xiao Chen was at a loss for words.
After deducting defense, his output was only 113.
"Damn, who's carrying whom?"
"Block!"
"Guard."
Xiao Chen fell completely silent; how many skills did this guy have?
In comparison, Xiao Chen's lone Triple Shot seemed a bit lacking.
With such high health, Sun Jian could withstand the BOSS's attacks for a dozen hits.
Xu Qing's healing was very effective, keeping Sun Jian's health nearly full.
"Sister Qing, I told you our teamwork is perfect."
"Brother Jian, you're the toughest."
"My shield is always ready for you."
Only now did Xiao Chen realize that Sun Jian and Xu Qing were actually a couple.
They were a perfect match, though this world wasn't really suited for romance.
What if one of them suddenly died?
Alright, he shouldn't think like that; he should be wishing them well.
But these two were flirting while fighting the BOSS.
Xiao Chen couldn't stand it anymore, so he increased his attack intensity to quickly take down the BOSS.
"-117"
"-146"
[Ding, killed Blood-Devouring Boar, Experience +160, Copper Coins +400.]
Hearing the kill announcement, Xiao Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After defeating a BOSS for the first time, everyone couldn't help but cheer.
"Haha, I got a piece of equipment."
"I also picked up an ordinary herb."
"This dungeon not only paid off but also made a profit."
Seeing his teammates' abundant harvests, Xiao Chen was also happy.
Everyone benefited, so the cooperation could continue.
By killing one more BOSS, Xiao Chen also gained an additional 400 copper coins, which made him very satisfied.
Earning one silver coin per dungeon run felt almost unreal to Xiao Chen.
"Sun Jian, completing nine level 1 dungeons can earn an achievement with good rewards.
Let's go through them one by one in order."
"Is there really such a good thing?"
"It's a pity I awakened a life class; otherwise, I'd be running dungeons every day."
"Brother Xiao, if you need to forge equipment in the future, you can come to me."
As they got more familiar with each other, they talked more.
The team's strength was increasing, and the atmosphere was becoming more relaxed.
***
As a result, time passed much faster.
Each dungeon could kill about a hundred small monsters, and completing a hundred level 1 dungeons could trigger a "One in a Million" once.
Each run guaranteed at least one silver coin in profit.
If lucky, getting a piece of equipment could earn ten silver coins.
Before they knew it, dusk had fallen.
The four newcomers ran the dungeon at maximum intensity every time.
From morning till late at night, they grinded for sixteen to seventeen hours straight.
Sun Jian finally realized that shouting for unlimited runs was not feasible.
After 32 runs, Sun Jian finally couldn't hold on anymore.
"Brother Xiao, the girls can't stay up all night like this, let's call it a day."
Xiao Chen naturally had no objections; he had made a huge profit today.
"Alright, next time we have the chance, let's tackle a level 2 dungeon together."
When it comes to level 2 dungeons, it's really uncertain who will carry whom.
These big shots usually only interact with low-level professionals when they're at low levels.
It's certain that Xiao Chen won't be able to keep up with Sun Jian's pace in the future.
"Alright, let's work hard to reach level ten."
Not all talented individuals are arrogant.
People like Sun Jian or Su Ming have great personalities and are easy to get along with.
"Brother Xiao, thank you so much for today.
If it weren't for meeting you, we couldn't have reached level seven in a day."
Though it was exhausting, the efficiency was truly high; reaching level seven in a day was an impressive leveling speed.
"There's no need to thank me; you paid for it.
Honestly, this money helped me a lot, so I should be thanking you."
For Xiao Chen, this was a rare opportunity.
Finding tolerant teammates is not easy, and finding tolerant and wealthy teammates is even harder.
After Sun Jian and the others left, Xiao Chen took stock of today's gains.
Now, Xiao Chen was wearing five pieces of equipment, with one more in his backpack.
"The four pieces of equipment obtained are worth 30 silver coins, and today's earnings exceeded 60 silver coins."
[You have Silver Coins: 36 Copper Coins: 453.]
Even Xiao Chen felt a bit wealthy now.
[Xiao Chen LV:9 (15000) (13,000 experience needed to level up.)]
From level nine to ten, the experience required was surprisingly high.
As the level increased, the experience gained from small monsters decreased significantly.
Each dungeon run only provided 500 experience, so at this rate, 26 more runs were needed.
Leveling up was much harder than originally thought.
However, Xiao Chen was no longer worried about leveling up.
With money in hand, he had enough to support himself to level ten.
If he wanted to level up quickly, he could even run a dungeon with just two people, gaining more experience.
"If I could find more teams like Sun Jian's, that would be amazing."
Xiao Chen believed there would be such people.
"I need to level up to ten first; having a higher level means having more combat power."
With this experience, Xiao Chen was inspired.
Yes, he could help some newcomers level up.
For newly awakened professionals, the beginning is very tough, something Xiao Chen deeply understands.
While others charge silver coins for leveling assistance, Xiao Chen could offer it for free, only requiring them to cover the dungeon entry fee.
Even the poorest newcomers could afford to run a dungeon once or twice, easily gaining two levels.
After level ten, level 1 dungeons would no longer provide experience.
Xiao Chen didn't mind this; he needed money and kill counts.
As long as someone was willing to pay, he was more than happy to help.
Earning one silver coin per run, he had no reason to refuse.
"Running about a hundred dungeons can increase the kill count by ten thousand."
Even if it took killing ten thousand to gain one attribute point, it was worth striving for.
Xiao Chen opened his panel:
[Total Attributes: 225, Attack: 197, Health: 480, Defense: 21]
The equipment had significantly boosted Xiao Chen's overall strength.
Unfortunately, the whiteboard equipment didn't provide any attribute bonuses.
"After reaching level ten, the Plane Treasury will reward 10 silver coins.
By then, maybe I can get a better bow."
By then, he could really kill a small monster with one arrow, and with a healer, he might even tank a BOSS.
***
The next morning, Xiao Chen found another team.
This time, they couldn't run 32 rounds; after six rounds and reaching level five, they called it a day.
After level five, they could handle it themselves, and for these low-level professionals, saving even one copper coin was good.
Compared to yesterday, Xiao Chen's strength had increased significantly. This time, they started killing the BOSS in the third dungeon.
"The dungeon expenses are still a huge burden for ordinary professionals."
Without finding a team, Xiao Chen had to randomly team up with other professionals for a dozen runs.
With a team of three, he gained a lot more experience.
***
By ten in the evening, Xiao Chen successfully reached level ten.
[Ding, Level +1, All Attributes +1, Free Attribute Points +5.]
[Ding, Bow Multishot +1, Attack Range +5 meters.]
[Ding, you've reached level 10, you can join a guild.]
[Ding, you can enter level 2 dungeons.]
[Opening a normal dungeon costs 100 silver coins, a hard dungeon costs 200 silver coins.]
[You've reached level 10, Plane Treasury rewards 10 silver coins, Free Attribute Points 10.]
Reaching level ten brought significant changes, and it took Xiao Chen a while to go through all the messages.
Getting money and attribute points was really rewarding.
Reaching level ten meant a substantial increase in strength.
[Xiao Chen LV:10 (18000), Total Attributes: 251, Attack: 220, Health: 560, Defense: 35, Attack Speed: 0.25]
With a powerful weapon, he could one-shot small monsters in level 1 dungeons.
If he replaced the whiteboard equipment with black iron-grade gear, it would be possible.
Ordinary weapons cost around 40-50 silver coins, but black iron-grade weapons were ten times more valuable.
Level 10 black iron weapons were even more expensive, definitely unaffordable now.
Honestly, Xiao Chen wanted to upgrade directly to a black iron weapon.
"With my current strength, running level 2 dungeons is still a bit challenging."
For now, he could only continue helping others level up while looking for suitable teams.
Most teams required a total attribute of 300, and archers needed an attack of 250.
If Xiao Chen had a C-level talent, he'd meet the requirements.
"The difficulty of level 2 dungeons will increase significantly, so higher requirements are normal."
Unable to handle level 2 dungeons, level 1 dungeons became easy.
To improve his efficiency in helping others, he not only advertised at the dungeon entrance but also posted on the Tiannan City forum, occasionally getting some clients.
On unlucky days, he might only get one client, running a dungeon once.
On lucky days, he could run a dozen times.
Occasionally, he spent a whole day in the square without any clients.
Every hundred dungeon runs could complete a "One in a Million" once.
In about a month, he could finish a hundred dungeon runs, earning one free attribute point each month.
***
Half a year later, Xiao Chen saw that Su Ming had reached level 16, and Sun Jian was at level 15.
Some teammates he had run dungeons with now had dimmed names, soon to be deactivated and become untraceable.
After working hard for more than half a year, Xiao Chen's wealth finally accumulated to 500 silver coins.
"The kill count should be two to three thousand away from ten thousand!"
With money in hand, Xiao Chen wasn't worried about being teleported to the wilderness.
This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
Now, he finally felt a bit relaxed.
Helping newcomers every day, even without leveling up, wasn't bad.
Just as Xiao Chen was feeling good about himself, a line of golden text suddenly appeared before him.
It was a Plane Broadcast, visible to all Awakened on Blue Star.
[The World Fusion Rate has reached 60%, and the fusion speed will greatly increase from now on.
The number of World Abyss Rifts will increase significantly, and the number and strength of monsters will greatly increase.]
[The energy of the major Main Cities has been mostly consumed, and the Energy Barrier will disappear within ten years.
All major cities are urged to take the initiative to reduce the number of beast attacks on the protective barrier.]
[If all Main Cities fall, the Blue Star Plane will be completely destroyed, and all life on Blue Star will be extinct.
All professionals must do their utmost to kill more monsters, run more dungeons, and level up quickly.]
"Survive!"
Seeing these broadcasts, the joyful mood instantly plummeted.
"So it's not getting better day by day; it's heading towards destruction day by day?"
"From now on, even the city won't be safe, and staying in the city won't be possible."
Instantly, Xiao Chen felt a sense of crisis.
Not just Xiao Chen, but the entire plane's Awakened experienced a huge change.
More and more professionals ventured out of the city gates to fight various terrifying monsters.
Many were seriously studying strategies, preparing to attempt hard-level dungeons.
Xiao Chen also made a decision to quickly level up.
With 500 silver coins, he could already do some things.
Finally, Xiao Chen could replace that broken wooden bow.
Everyone's strength was increasing, and the price of refined iron equipment had dropped compared to six months ago.
"Black Iron Bow, black iron-grade, 443 silver coins."
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan