Chapter 159: Leveling Up in Game
Greenleaf Village...
For the first time in a very long time...
Shen Tian was completely ordinary.
No cultivation.
No Domain Initiation Realm.
No immense family wealth that could solve practically any inconvenience.
No supernatural physical strength.
No golden Qi.
No ability to casually leap across buildings.
Inside **Eternal Realm**...
He was simply...
**Level 1.**
Shen Tian stood outside Greenleaf Village with a wooden sword resting against his shoulder.
He stared at the weapon.
Then at his status.
-------------------------
**Player: ShenTian**
**Level: 1**
**Class: None**
**Health: 100**
**Mana: 50**
**Strength: 5**
**Agility: 5**
**Vitality: 5**
**Intelligence: 5**
**Spirit: 5**
**Weapon: Beginner Wooden Sword**
**Currency: 10 Copper**
-------------------------
Shen Tian remained silent.
Xu Ning floated beside him.
[Host.]
"..."
[You’re staring at the ten copper again.]
"I own less money than a homeless NPC."
[In here?]
"Yes."
[Outside you are absurdly wealthy.]
"That doesn’t help me buy potions."
Xu Ning covered her mouth.
[Are you upset because you’re poor?]
"I’m experiencing poverty for the first time."
[You have ten copper.]
"Exactly."
Shen Tian looked toward the nearby fields.
Hundreds of players were scattered across them.
Some chased giant rabbits.
Others fought slimes.
A group of four was currently being destroyed by a particularly aggressive chicken.
Shen Tian watched.
"..."
The chicken jumped.
PECK!
"OW!"
One player screamed.
"WHY DOES THAT HURT?!"
Another swung his sword.
"STOP MOVING!"
The chicken dodged.
It pecked him directly in the forehead.
"AH!"
Shen Tian slowly looked toward Xu Ning.
"These are the people I’m competing against?"
[Some of them.]
A notification appeared.
-----------------------
**FallenWind has progressed Hidden Quest: The Broken Sword.**
**Quest Progress: 31%**
-----------------------
Shen Tian’s amusement disappeared.
"Right."
He looked toward the distant forest.
"We have someone competent too."
Xu Ning nodded.
[Very competent.]
"Then let’s level."
. . .
The beginner hunting areas around Greenleaf Village were divided into several regions.
Closest to the village...
**Level 1 Horned Rabbits.**
Beyond those...
**Level 2 Green Slimes.**
Then...
Near the forest...
**Level 3 Wild Wolves.**
And deeper inside...
**Level 4 to Level 6 Goblins.**
Most players were still fighting rabbits and slimes.
Shen Tian had absolutely no intention of doing that.
He walked straight past them.
A player noticed.
"Hey!"
Shen Tian stopped.
The man pointed toward the forest.
"You’re Level 1."
"Correct."
"The monsters over there are Level 3 and above."
"Correct again."
The player stared.
"...You’ll die."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Probably not."
Then continued walking.
The player watched him leave.
"...Weird guy."
Ten minutes later...
Shen Tian entered the forest.
The noise from the beginner area disappeared.
Trees surrounded him.
Bushes covered the ground.
Sunlight barely passed through the canopy.
Shen Tian tightened his grip around the wooden sword.
Xu Ning floated backward in front of him.
[Host.]
"Hm?"
[Remember.]
"I know."
[Your cultivation doesn’t function.]
"I know."
[Your real-world combat strength doesn’t transfer.]
"I know."
[Your attributes are currently terrible.]
Shen Tian stopped.
"You seem weirdly excited about this in your own way."
[Extremely.]
"Why?"
[It’s rare that I get to watch you struggle.]
Shen Tian smiled.
"You think I’m going to struggle?"
Xu Ning smiled back.
[Level 1.]
She pointed at him.
[Wooden sword.]
Another point.
[Ten copper.]
"...You really like mentioning that."
Before Xu Ning could answer...
A branch snapped.
Shen Tian immediately turned.
Something moved between the bushes.
Small.
Fast.
Green.
A creature jumped.
"GYAAA!"
A rusty dagger came toward Shen Tian’s face.
He stepped sideways.
The blade missed.
Shen Tian finally saw it.
A goblin.
Approximately four feet tall.
Green skin.
Pointed ears.
Dirty leather clothing.
A crude dagger.
Red eyes.
A name hovered above its head.
**Goblin Scout**
**Level 4**
**HP: 180/180**
Xu Ning blinked.
[Four levels above you.]
Shen Tian smiled.
"Good."
The goblin charged.
"GYAA!"
Its dagger stabbed toward his stomach.
Shen Tian didn’t block.
He moved.
One step.
The blade passed beside him.
His wooden sword swung.
THWACK!
**Critical Hit!**
**-31 HP**
The goblin stumbled.
Shen Tian’s eyes narrowed.
"So critical locations matter."
[Of course.]
The goblin recovered.
It slashed horizontally.
Shen Tian ducked.
Another strike.
He stepped backward.
Another.
He turned his body.
Miss.
Miss.
Miss.
Xu Ning watched.
Then slowly glanced around it.
[Interesting.]
Shen Tian wasn’t faster than the goblin because of stats.
He wasn’t stronger.
But...
He knew how to fight.
His cultivation had disappeared.
His experience hadn’t.
Timing.
Distance.
Body movement.
Reading an opponent.
Those things remained.
The goblin lunged.
Shen Tian deliberately left an opening.
The monster took it.
Its dagger came forward.
Shen Tian stepped inside its reach.
His left hand caught its wrist.
His wooden sword slammed beneath its chin.
**Critical Hit!**
**-42 HP**
The goblin staggered.
Shen Tian followed.
Temple.
**-35 HP**
Throat.
**-38 HP**
Knee.
**-19 HP**
The goblin fell.
Shen Tian raised his sword.
Then brought it down.
**Critical Hit!**
**-44 HP**
The goblin shattered into particles.
A notification appeared.
-----------------
**You defeated Goblin Scout, Level 4.**
**Bonus EXP awarded for defeating an enemy 3 levels above you.**
-----------------
Shen Tian stared.
Then...
**LEVEL UP!**
Golden light surrounded him.
**Level 2 reached.**
Xu Ning stared.
[...]
Shen Tian looked at her.
"What?"
[That was significantly easier than expected.]
"I told you."
[You still took almost two minutes.]
"Level 1."
He pointed at his sword.
"Wood."
Then at his inventory.
"Ten copper."
Xu Ning rolled her eyes.
[Just keep grinding.]
And so Shen Tian did...
The next goblin took one minute and twenty seconds.
The third...
Forty-seven seconds.
By the fifth...
Shen Tian had completely adapted to their attack patterns.
He began moving deeper.
Two goblins appeared.
He fought both.
Then three.
Then four.
His health finally dropped.
**HP: 73/120**
Shen Tian stared at the missing health.
Xu Ning didn’t make eye contact.
[Host.]
"Don’t."
[You got stabbed.]
"It scratched me."
[You lost twenty-seven health.]
"A scratch."
[Would you like me to replay it?]
"No."
[From multiple angles?]
"Xu Ning."
[Slow motion?]
"Xu Ning."
Shen Tian continued hunting.
**Level 3.**
Then...
**Level 4.**
A goblin dropped an actual weapon.
**Iron Short Sword**
**Grade: Common**
**Attack: +9**
Shen Tian immediately threw away the wooden sword.
Xu Ning looked toward it lying on the ground.
[No sentimental attachment?]
---------
(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!