The goblin patrol let out a scream as the skeleton warrior's sword slashed through its flesh. Enraged, the goblin swung its mace even harder, trying to fight back. It was a brutal back-and-forth: the goblin's mace versus the skeleton's blade.
But no matter how hard the goblin struck, its attacks only caused the skeleton to tremble slightly. The mace hits, though powerful, couldn't inflict any real damage. On the other hand, each swing of the skeleton's sword cut deep, leaving the goblin worse off after every strike.
After five brutal slashes, the goblin patrol collapsed into a pool of blood, its scream echoing in the air as its life slipped away.
[Killed Level 10 Goblin Patrol: Experience +300]
[Obtained: Goblin bones]
A new material appeared in Lin Moyu's storage space. Every professional gained a personal storage space upon job advancement, and as their level increased, so did the storage capacity. It allowed for easy storage of items, materials, equipment, and even food. Unfortunately, Lin Moyu had tested whether his skeleton warriors could be stored there, but they couldn't.
With the goblin defeated, Lin Moyu now understood the strength of a Level 10 monster. In general, monsters of the same level didn't differ much in power, so he was ready to unleash his full army.
With a single thought, all 28 skeleton warriors emerged from the summoning space. Just like in the novice dungeon, they spread out and began hunting monsters on their own. The wilderness, far more densely packed with monsters than the novice area, became the perfect hunting ground. Lin Moyu's experience points began to skyrocket once again.
[Killed Level 10 Goblin Patrol: Experience +300]
[Obtained: Goblin bones]
[Killed Level 10 Terrifying Grey Wolf: Experience +280]
[Obtained: Wolf pelt]
The notifications flooded his interface like a bullet train. Watching the endless stream of kills, Lin Moyu felt slightly overwhelmed. At this rate, he estimated he would hit Level 8 within the hour.
"Perfect," Lin Moyu muttered, clenching his fists with excitement. If this pace continued, reaching Level 15 before the major exam seemed within reach. Beyond that, however, the increasing experience requirements after Level 10 would make further advancement uncertain.
As the skeleton warriors continued their rampage, Lin Moyu noticed that other adventurers had started to take an interest in them. From a distance, they had mistaken the skeletons for wild monsters. But upon closer inspection, using detection spells, they realized these were summoned creatures.
The sheer strength of Lin Moyu's summons was astonishing—dispatching Level 10 monsters as if it were child's play. Some adventurers even tried to trace the skeleton warriors back to their summoner. Sensing this, Lin Moyu recalled the warriors remotely, leaving no trace behind.
After recalling his warriors, Lin Moyu left the open wilderness and ventured into the forest. The terrain here was more challenging, the dense foliage obstructing vision, and monsters often launched ambushes. It was a dangerous place, which is why most adventurers avoided it. But not Lin Moyu.
The skeleton warriors moved through the forest effortlessly. Lin Moyu could sense the terrain through their movements, and a mental map of the entire forest began to form in his mind. Every tree, every bush, and every lurking monster became visible to him.
An hour later, the familiar light of an upgrade enveloped Lin Moyu—he had reached Level 8. His skeleton warriors, relentless in their attacks, continued killing without pause, bringing in both experience and materials. No one else could level up as quickly or efficiently as Lin Moyu.
Most professionals needed to rest. Mages would exhaust their mana; knights would tire from prolonged battles. But skeleton warriors required no rest. As long as they remained intact, they could fight endlessly.
"No wonder..." Lin Moyu mused, looking around the now-empty forest grove. In just over an hour, his skeleton army had wiped out every monster in the area. Lin Moyu had to venture deeper into the forest, pushing further from Xihai City.
Soon, he wasn't just facing Level 10 monsters anymore. He encountered beasts at Levels 11, 12, and even 13, but none posed a significant threat. At worst, his skeletons would need a few extra slashes to bring them down.
The strategy remained simple: the skeletons had high defense and couldn't be easily cut down, while they mercilessly slaughtered any monster that crossed their path.
By afternoon, Lin Moyu's experience bar was at 99%, just shy of reaching Level 9. He now had 40 skeleton warriors, moving like a terrifying, tireless army. Wherever they went, nothing survived.
"You can learn new skills at Level 10," Lin Moyu thought, "but I don't have a skill scroll yet. For now, I'll have to rely on my innate abilities. Thankfully, they're powerful enough."
Every 10 levels, professionals could learn new skills, either from instructors, skill books, or skill scrolls. But for someone like Lin Moyu, who belonged to a hidden class, there were no instructors. And being a unique profession, no skill books existed for him. His only option was skill scrolls.
Skill scrolls were available for purchase at the exchange, but even the most basic ones for professionals under Level 20 cost 100,000 gold coins—a staggering amount. And the process wasn't without risk. The skills learned from scrolls were random, and it was possible to acquire a skill you already knew, wasting the scroll entirely.
Further down the line, there would be intermediate and advanced skill scrolls, each more expensive than the last. Yet, if Lin Moyu wanted to progress, this was the only viable path for him.
As he contemplated his next steps, the light of an upgrade appeared once again. Finally, he had reached Level 10.