[Level: 4 (99.00%)]
Lin Moyu glanced at his stats. He was just moments away from leveling up again.
His 13 skeleton warriors were relentlessly hunting, gathering experience with every kill. This level-up came even faster than the last, taking only 50 minutes.
"The increase in skeleton warriors, the higher monster density, and the unchanged kill rate—that's why the leveling speed is accelerating," Lin Moyu mused as he analyzed his situation.
He had ventured deep into the novice dungeon, where level 6 and 7 monsters roamed. Only the level 8 monsters had yet to appear, but their presence was inevitable.
The dense population of monsters meant a faster gain in experience. His skeleton warriors, tireless and efficient, slashed through enemies with lethal precision, leaving nothing behind.
There was one drawback—none of the monsters in the novice dungeon dropped loot. This place was designed for beginners to acclimate to combat, not to collect treasures like in the wild.
Here, most monsters were weakened versions of their wild counterparts, with one exception: the level 8 monsters. These creatures retained their full strength, serving as a bridge for new adventurers to face the reality of the wild.
Just then, a familiar light surrounded Lin Moyu—he had finally reached level 5.
[Level 5 reached]
[All attributes increased]
[Skeleton warriors' attributes increased by 100 points each]
The skeleton warriors, now even more powerful, continued their massacre without pause.
[Kill a level 7 brown bear, experience +70]
[Kill a level 7 brown bear, experience +70]
Despite Lin Moyu's upgrade, his summons were tireless. They hunted down every monster in sight, their blades cutting through enemies like a well-oiled machine.
However, Lin Moyu quickly noticed a change.
"Wait, the leveling speed has slowed down."
At level 4, each level 7 brown bear kill had granted him 0.2% experience. He only needed to kill 500 to level up. But now, at level 5, each kill granted just 0.1% experience, meaning he needed to kill 1,000 monsters to reach the next level.
"The leveling difficulty just doubled," Lin Moyu thought. "For ordinary professionals, reaching level 12 within a week would be almost impossible."
Even if he left the dungeon and ventured to the outskirts of Xihai, time would still be tight. Xiajing Academy had high standards for admission, and Lin Moyu needed to reach at least level 12 to be eligible.
He calculated quickly: if he wanted to reach level 12 in one week, he needed to hit level 8 within the next three days. Then, he could move to the outskirts to hunt more dangerous monsters.
Thinking about it, Lin Mohan's achievement of reaching level 16 last year seemed all the more impressive.
Lin Moyu refocused, casting his summoning skill once again. Three more skeleton warriors joined his army, bringing the total to 16.
With more skeletons on the hunt, he hoped to offset the increased difficulty by sheer numbers. After all, finding the monsters took more time than killing them, but splitting the load among 16 skeleton warriors helped.
As he pressed deeper into the dungeon, the terrain shifted. The endless plains gave way to a dense forest.
Lin Moyu knew he had reached the end of the novice dungeon. This forest was home to the level 8 monsters he had been waiting for.
"It's been 6 hours and 42 minutes since I entered the dungeon. Less than seven hours, and I'm the only one who's made it to the end."
Most of his peers were likely still struggling at level 3. Even Xia Xue, who was talented, would likely be at level 4, or perhaps not even that yet.
Lin Moyu's confidence grew. He was progressing faster than anyone else.
He stepped forward into the forest, eager to test his skeletons against the unweakened level 8 monsters.
The skeleton warriors raced ahead of him, combing the dense forest for enemies. Soon, they disappeared into the trees, but Lin Moyu remained alert.
Something felt off.
The skeletons hadn't found a single monster.
"No monsters?" Lin Moyu thought, puzzled. He followed his skeletons deeper into the woods.
Suddenly, a thick branch whipped toward him like a lightning-fast strike. It lashed out with such speed that Lin Moyu barely had time to react.
The branch struck him, but instead of causing any damage, it felt as if an invisible shield was protecting him. Lin Moyu didn't even feel the impact.
[Passive Skill: Damage Transfer activated]
Lin Moyu smiled. His passive skill, Damage Transfer, automatically diverted any damage he received to his summoned creatures. As long as his skeletons were alive, Lin Moyu wouldn't take a single hit.
"This skill is a lifesaver," he thought. "Almost as powerful as a divine talent."
His skeleton warriors roared into action, quickly surrounding the source of the attack. Whatever was lurking in the forest would soon regret challenging him.