The thrill of real money far surpasses that of a "Snickers." As Lu Chen looked at the monsters around him, it was as if he was seeing colorful bills.
"Farming here all by myself is like picking up money..." Lu Chen licked his lips.
Of course, while making money, he also needed to focus on his own growth. After all, being far ahead in strength was the prerequisite for him to monopolize the wild area.
"The gains from Level 1 monsters are too low now. It seems I need to go further."
Strangely, although the monsters here were of a higher level, more than two hours had passed, and yet no other players had shown up.
"What are the players doing... haven't they leveled up yet?" Lu Chen wondered as he walked deeper into the forest, casually opening a streamer's video.
***
Inside the S433 Starter Village, the vast area was packed with people, crowded together like sardines.
Not only was it cramped, but there was also a cacophony of complaints.
"Skywalk, can't you create more starter villages? I logged in at 10:20, and two hours later, I'm still stuck in the starter village!"
"This is your excuse for pointing a gun at me! You dead fat nerd, touch me again, and I'll make you practice the Sunflower Manual!"
"Hurry up and get out of the way in front! How am I supposed to get out? I need to level up!"
"Someone else is coming back? The village is already packed!"
"Damn it, I have to switch to Spirit Cultivator at level 10, or I'll die of old age in this starter village without Sword Flight!"
"Even if you switch to Spirit Cultivator, dreaming of Sword Flight at level 10? Let me tell you, three starter villages share one level 1 main city, and it'll be even more crowded then!"
Some who managed to squeeze out of the starter village looked back, and those with claustrophobia would surely have a fit.
A middle-aged uncle shivered; the scene was terrifying.
"Our starter village has at least 100,000 people... everyone, be careful. It's okay if you can't grab a monster, but don't die. If you respawn in the village center, you won't get out for hours..."
After dying, characters respawned in the village center, and given the current situation, they'd be stuck for hours.
Many who left the village early held this mindset, determined not to stray too far while leveling up.
Of course, the competition outside the village was just as fierce as inside.
"Finally out, ah, solo player looking for a group! Begging for a team!"
"Three spots open, looking for experienced players, must join squad voice chat and follow commands!"
"Any big brothers to carry me? I have a Lolita voice..."
"Studio seeking patrons, two spots available, 300 per spot, guaranteed level up, apply quickly!"
Every Gnoll on the nearby map had at least a dozen people around it, all vying for the final blow to gain monster experience.
As the Gnoll's health neared zero, a squad voice channel was filled with the frantic shouts of the squad leader, sounding particularly tense.
"Everyone, pay attention, health is about to hit 20. We have four people who can attack now. Monkey, it's okay if you can't squeeze in, just block the people behind! Everyone else, seize the opportunity and strike together! I'll command! 3, 2, 1! Attack!"
"Beautiful! We got it! Awesome! 3 experience points in the bag!"
Teaming up provided an extra experience bonus, turning the original 10 experience points from a weak Gnoll into 15, with each of the five members getting 3 points.
The key was that teaming up greatly increased the chances of securing a monster; any team member killing a wild monster granted experience to nearby teammates.
At that moment, a squad at the village entrance caught everyone's attention.
"Damn, it's the Yunding Guild! Azure Dragon of Yunding is already level 2?"
"A squad with two weapons, damn, who can compete with them!"
"Yunding is taking off, we need to hurry." The people with the "Red Sun" prefix looked a bit envious.
"Easy for you to say, you know the Gnoll drop rate, unless someone lists something on the trading platform."
"I know, I've already got Lili and the assistant team watching the trading platform."
Even though the club was a level 1 weapon, it provided an additional 3-6 attack, which often determined who got the final blow on a wild monster.
"This starter village is a fucking hell..."
Lu Chen watched the live stream, finally understanding how terrifying the starter village was.
Grinding monsters to level up? Impossible!
3 experience points could already make someone ecstatic!
"No wonder level 1 weapons sell for so much..." Lu Chen shook his head, feeling deep sympathy for the players' plight.
Back in the game, Lu Chen looked at the monsters around him. These guys wandered around in small groups in the open forest, but not a single player was in sight.
Now, Lu Chen's attributes were enough to handle any wild monster below level 4. All three of his attributes were 50% higher than normal, allowing him to even take on higher-level monsters.
"The levels are just right, ranging from 3 to 6, but there are too few, not even thirty." Lu Chen complained.
Who knows what other players would think if they knew about Lu Chen's current situation.
"But with higher levels, there seem to be more special monsters. There are four special monsters here... Alright, since I don't have any area attacks, I'll just farm here."
Starting with the special monsters, so they would respawn sooner.
[Killed Burly Gnoll (Level 4), captured 38 Ambient Spiritual Qi, obtained 1 Tier-1 Talent Shard, gained 1 1-Star Quality Evolution Point.]
[Killed Strong Gnoll (Level 3), captured 28 Ambient Spiritual Qi, obtained 1 Tier-1 Talent Shard, gained 1 1-Star Quality Evolution Point.]
***
The last special monster was a level 5 Agile Gnoll, and Lu Chen charged at it without hesitation.
-16!
The Gnoll quickly counterattacked with a club, -13!
Judging by the damage and health, it was in the bag!
[Killed Agile Gnoll (Level 5), captured 50 Ambient Spiritual Qi, obtained 1 Tier-1 Talent Shard, gained 1 1-Star Quality Evolution Point.]
The experience was quite good, 50 points!
[Ding, obtained item "Worn Gnoll Club" (Gray)]
With the system's special notification sound, Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat.
Another 300 bucks? He quickly checked it out.
"Check equipment!"
[Worn Gnoll Club (Gray Remnant)]
["The surface is somewhat worn, looks like it's been used for a long time"]
[Attack: 4-7]
[Strength +2 Constitution +2]
Seeing this, Lu Chen's heart started pounding.
It's a small epic!
Not only does the base attack exceed a regular club by 1 point, but it also adds extra attributes!
The Nine Heavens' three primary attributes each have their uses.
2 points of strength can add 2 extra attack points and 1 defense point! 2 points of constitution can add 40 health points and 40 stamina points!
These attributes might not mean much to Lu Chen, but for the average player, they're incredibly significant.
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A level 1 player's attack is only 6, with 120 health!
Even leveling up to 2 adds just 2 base attack points and 50 base health points, making the attack only 8 and health 170.
For a level 1 player, this equipment's attack is higher than their base attack and adds almost half their health.
If this isn't a godly item, what is!
Most importantly, no weapon with added attributes has appeared in the national server yet!
Clearly, this drop is worth far more than just three hundred bucks! And much more beyond that!
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan