Chapter 168-2: Player Corridor, Faith Divinity (2) |
Colorful Mist Coast region.
Tong Xin carried on his left arm a shield generated by the Inherited soul Rock Shield, walking slowly through the rainforest to the southeast.
His Gargoyle Inherited soul was now level 21.
Acting alone was a choice made out of necessity.
Today the Kindergarten team brothers were extremely unlucky, all drawing the Weakness roll, and a severe one at that. They planned to eat, drink, and rest for a day along the Colorful Mist Coast.
But though the brothers rested, he had no intention of resting at all. Those two words had already been erased from his life’s dictionary.
His average Inherited soul level was already far behind the brothers of the Kindergarten team. Only by putting in more effort could he have a chance to catch up.
He would become the grind king while the brothers lay flat to rest.
Thirty eight bottles of nutrient canisters had already been delivered to his home and connected to the game pod.
He had now opened three star vein slots.
He had embedded Gargoyle, Rock Shield, and Blood Rebound.
He planned to open a fourth star vein slot as soon as possible, then embed the Inherited soul Qi Eater to improve his recovery and sustain.
Before long, Tong Xin discovered a group of monsters.
These monsters were only the size of a finger. Their bodies were covered with fine fuzz, and there was a green venomous stinger on their tails. They clung to an ancient tree, gnawing at the sap that flowed from it. Their bodies squirmed continuously as they sucked, like a tiny wave undulating from head to tail.
Through analysis and observation, he found that these bugs were all weak monsters at hunt level 2.
But no matter how small a mosquito is, it is still meat.
He did not have the strength to play with the Earthmind bully, so he could only grow by hunting alone.
As for the Ecstasy Evil Entities in the Rimewinter Snowfield region, their sacrificial power yield was pitiful, even poorer than Black Tide Evil Entities of the same level, and in group charge combat they were extremely prone to being surrounded, unable to retreat, leading to death.
For a technique-focused player like him, the obvious choice was the Colorful Mist Coast region, where there were many wealthy monsters.
As thoughts surged, he raised the Rock Shield and charged up to smash the ancient tree.
Just one strike from the Rock Shield was enough to smash the venomous bugs into splattering sap.
Kill prompts sounded in his mind continuously, sweet to the ear.
Before long, a dozen-odd stingers on the tree were slain. Tong Xin collected the shriveled bug remains into his spatial pack and continued exploring into the unknown depths.
Unknown regions carried higher exploration risks but also higher potential returns.
To create a stronger immersive experience, the game Monster World removed the mechanism by which monsters respawn after death.
In regions players had explored, the number of native monsters would grow fewer and fewer.
Only by exploring into unknown regions could one gain good hunting returns, and might even encounter opportunity events that brought windfalls.
Just like the Wall of Blood Souls discovered last time by Explorer, which had let him make a tidy sum as well.
There was even a post on the forum where a player compiled an Opportunity Encounter Guide based on a series of opportunity events.
In summary: when you see a cliff, jump; when you see mystery, investigate; when you meet a strange person, help them; when you encounter a secret message, solve it; when you see an anomaly, pursue it; when you see a cave, crawl in.
According to this, there was a top-liked reply in the thread. He condensed the thread owner’s long text into a doggerel poem:
‘See cliff then leap with valiant heart, at the valley’s bottom peerless treasures lie in part.’
‘When mystery appears, explore with all your might, rare wonders and treasures before your sight (Ecstasy).’
‘If a strange person is met, aid them with true zeal, rich rewards come often, good fortune made real (God of Wealth).’
‘When secret words arrive, ponder and break the seal, insight gained and the road ahead revealed (Serpent Ancestor).’
‘When anomalies arise, chase swiftly without delay, chances and joys await just up the way.’
‘All caves deep and dim must be crawled, for immortal fate and blessed fortune invite here.’
These are all the approaches that, in the eyes of players, are likely to gain opportunities during exploration outside.
They are an opportunity guide compiled by guide-makers based on what has already happened and on the characteristics of other games of the Lunar Eclipse race.
Before obtaining qualification for the game Monster World, Tong Xin read a large number of guide contents.
He kept all these words in his heart.
In short, when in doubt, charge ahead. Better to die than to retreat.
From the game background, it is known that Monster World is vast and boundless. In the long years after the death of the Emperor’s Sign, countless races rose and fell in succession, together composing a grand chronicle of ages.
Every region may hide secret wealth left behind by a race before its extinction, or wealth left behind during an emergency retreat when they had no time to take it away.
It could also be a treasure brought by some descending force.
It might even be that a certain strong individual, grievously wounded, fled with a supreme treasure to a safe area, only to die there, with the treasure buried along with the corpse.
Any possibility exists.
This also makes exploration in the game very interesting, with anticipation at every step.
In the words of an explorer: the opportunity treasures of Monster World are witnesses of history, relics of war. They wait for those with fate to witness them. Every discovery may unveil a forgotten history, the Serpent Ancestor’s struggle, the fear that shrouded the village. The sealed opportunities are like brilliant stars, dotting this world full of mystery and danger, and they make us adventurers yearn.
Although the comments below this sentence were all mocking, the explorer replied with only four words: battle record verifiable.
This is also why Tong Xin chose to explore unknown regions.
The unknown represents more possibilities.
As for danger, if as a player you do not even have the courage to face danger head-on, you might as well go back to the village to mine.
Along the way he specifically chose weak monsters to kill. Through the precise activation of the two Inherited soul traits, Petrification and Blood Rebound, Tong Xin’s damage output was not low.
Watching the sacrificial power balance in his pack keep increasing filled him with a sense of happiness.
Just then, a sharp screech came from not far away.
Immediately after, a gale howled past and the leaves rustled, as if playing the prelude to the danger that was about to arrive.
The commotion grew louder and louder, and the target was drawing ever closer.
Tong Xin decisively turned to face the direction of the sound. His body lowered slightly, ready to withstand the impact.
The screeching monster revealed itself at that moment.
It was a monster nearly two meters long, its whole body covered with spikes, like a magnified hedgehog. It charged madly along the way. Blood-red eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty gleam, as if taking him for prey.
Analysis ability activated:
[Thorn Beast]
Hunt Level: 32
Target Analysis: A relatively common creature in Monster World. Each Thorn Beast has its own territory. Except during the breeding season, it usually acts alone, and uses firing steel quills from its body as its main hunting method.
Just after he finished reading the analysis, the revealed Thorn Beast shook its body and let out a muffled “huff hiss.” A steel quill suddenly shot straight at him.
Tong Xin raised his shield to predict the quill’s trajectory and leaned forward.
Bang.
After the dull thud, Tong Xin’s body slid back a bit.
At this moment the Thorn Beast closed in, its massive body like a heavy tank rolling over.
Seeing this, Tong Xin decisively activated the Petrification trait.
One second before the collision occurred, the Blood Rebound trait activated. His body and the shield in his hand were simultaneously shrouded in a layer of blood light.
The instant the collision happened, his vitality plunged by nearly half. The retaliatory energy wave instantly flung the Thorn Beast several meters away.
“Damn, half my HP just gone like that.”
Glancing at the HP bar, Tong Xin clicked his tongue inwardly.
The retaliatory effect of Blood Rebound, besides requiring good timing, consumes vitality depending on the determination of the damage taken.
The higher the damage, the more vitality consumed, and the stronger the Blood Rebound effect.
This time nearly half his HP was gone. Without Petrification’s protection, he would have been sent straight into the little black room.
Seeing the Thorn Beast shaking its head and about to get up, Tong Xin quickly took out a bottle of Primary Restoration potion from his spatial pack and drank it, then decisively turned and sprinted away.
Overlevel challenges in Monster World are very hard. A level 32 monster was not something he could contend with right now.
If he did not want to enter the little black room, running was the best choice.
Hearing the noise behind him and the shrill calls of the Thorn Beast, the Rock Shield on Tong Xin’s left hand turned into starlight and dissipated. He adjusted to a two-handed alternating running mode to increase his speed.
Listening to the heavy breathing of the Thorn Beast behind him, his mood was at its tensest.
“Exhilarating.”
Monsters in Monster World never deviate from their predefined rules; and there is no logical rule to judge how long a monster will chase.
All he could do was choose to sprint toward areas with dense trees as much as possible, using his small body size to open distance from the Thorn Beast.
But the distance was still closing.