035 Deep into the Forest, the Attribute Lecture Hall

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New Calendar Year 795, Fire 4. Weather: clear.

Although the sky was cloudless and brilliantly bright, the party led by Duan Qing was already facing darkness. They had ventured too deeply into the forest. The towering trees concealed almost the entire sky.

No player had ever come this far. The trunks, dark brown and far too broad to be described as something several people could encircle with their arms, stood like the skyscrapers of a modern city. Each was more than a dozen meters wide, and when one looked up, the top was nowhere in sight. Duan Qing had played countless virtual online games, but he had never seen trees so enormous. As for their names and species, those were utterly beyond his knowledge.

Because the light had grown so dim, everyone had begun using torches and similar objects for illumination. Duan Qing lit the small oil lamp he had extorted from the blacksmith and hung it from his waist.

As for Xueling Huanbing, she evidently had not expected the trees farther ahead to cease resembling trees and instead become as exaggerated as walls. She had made no corresponding preparations. When she saw Duan Qing and the others produce all sorts of lighting devices that looked like advanced technology, she was mildly astonished. After learning that the idea had come from the young Meng Zhu, her first reaction was puzzlement.

“Have you been this deep into the forest before, Meng Zhu?”

“No, but I asked around about the conditions here.” Seeing the admiration in everyone’s eyes, the girl grew a little giddy with pride, and her golden ponytail bounced from side to side. “I used to do business with the old lady at the herbalist’s shop quite often, and I chatted with her. She told me what the inside of the forest was like…”

As the girl proudly boasted about the contribution she had made to the party, Xueling Huanbing praised her as well, yet a trace of resentment suddenly rose in her heart.

When they had made their preparations, they had not possessed any information of this sort. They had been given so much time to prepare, yet not even intelligence like this had been mentioned. If their previous party had somehow made it this far, they probably would have been attacked by monsters while groping through the darkness and sent straight back home…

What made it even more infuriating was that the person standing before her had once been a member of their guild, only to be driven away by them later.

And so, this debt was once again charged to the account of the Infinite Illusory Deity.

The few sources of light did little to comfort Duan Qing and the others. At this point, the harsh environment was no longer their greatest concern. This was a primeval forest, and the true danger lay in all the bizarre creatures lurking within it.

Yet so far today, they had not encountered a single creature larger than that enormous serpent. Instead, the party had run into nothing but small creatures.

If those creatures could truly be called “small,” perhaps they would not have left everyone so terrified.

At first, they encountered a spider.

Eight legs, black in color, compound eyes at the front, its body covered in fine hairs—it looked exactly like an ordinary spider in every respect except size. It was nearly as large as a human being.

Duan Qing, who had been scouting ahead, walked straight into the enormous web it had woven. Even under illumination, the web’s strands were so transparent that they were almost invisible. His four limbs were immediately stuck fast, leaving him unable to move, and the vibration of the web soon drew the spider down from the high tree trunk.

The light was dim, and turning his head was difficult, but Duan Qing could still clearly see the eight red eyes above the spider’s hideous mouthparts, flashing with crimson light.

The spider was eventually frozen solid by Christine, but Meng Zhu had already been screaming in terror. Even Duan Qing himself had gone pale, true to his name.

Liu Qingniu, who prided himself on being as brave as an ox, mocked everyone and declared that he had never feared such tiny animals whose “models” had merely been enlarged.

Before long, however, he was fleeing for his life from a swarm of ants.

Each of the black ants was as large as a rat, and the swarm stretched beyond sight like an ocean.

Terrified out of their wits, everyone was chased a great distance before finally crossing a stream. Only after confirming that the ants dared not enter the water did they stop.

Duan Qing panted heavily as he listened to Ah Niu shouting with forced bravado that he had merely been afraid they could not defeat the ants. While reconsidering whether the decision he had made the previous night had been correct, he silently swore an oath.

I’m never coming back here again. This place isn’t fit for human beings…

In truth, after hearing Xueling Huanbing’s explanation the night before, Duan Qing’s resolve had already begun to waver.

Christine’s younger sister was no ordinary person either.

Freya Ocelis, the younger sister of Christine the water mage, was one of the members of the Mage Council—the Seven-Member Council—and a grand fire mage. Because she excelled in fire magic and possessed formidable strength, she was even recognized throughout the Free Continent as the embodiment of the fire element in the present age.

The martial world had bestowed upon her the fearsome sobriquet “Ice-Edged Flame.”

After observing Freya’s elder sister and hearing that title, Duan Qing could roughly infer both the woman’s strength and her personality.

That raised the question: for the ruins hidden deep within the Emerald Forest, the Mage Council had actually sent two members of the Seven-Member Council to lend support. Was this truly only because of the dangers of the Emerald Forest itself?

Could there be other enemies? Hostile forces? Were they comparable in strength to these two grand mages? How powerful would such people have to be?

Were they about to face enemies on the same level as these two sisters?

How was anyone supposed to play this game?

When Duan Qing had asked the question in all seriousness, the woman had admitted without concern that the sisters had indeed heard rumors that certain people were also coveting the things within the ruins and intended to use them for even more sinister schemes.

In fact, while entering the forest, they had discovered a number of “traces.” Thus, they had split up. Freya, the younger sister, had followed those traces in pursuit, while Christine continued toward their intended destination, hoping to arrive there ahead of time.

Later, through a twist of fate, she rescued many adventurers, including Duan Qing and Xueling Huanbing. The events that followed were more or less known to them.

As for how the sisters were progressing now, or how dangerous things would become in the future, the woman had said nothing.

Reason told Duan Qing that players like them could never interfere in a conflict on that level. Even Xueling Huanbing would be unable to do so.

Therefore, after the meeting ended and the others had taken turns resting, Duan Qing and Xueling Huanbing held a private discussion.

Having reached a mutual understanding that if they did not take this seriously, they would die miserably, they exchanged information and prepared for the great battle that might come in the future.

Duan Qing knew everything there was to know about himself and the other two members of the party. In truth, there was not much to know. They were all beginners, and they had only so many skills and pieces of equipment. There was hardly anything worth mentioning.

The only thing Duan Qing needed to understand was the true strength of Xueling Huanbing, the high-level player who currently represented the party’s greatest combat power. Otherwise, in the fierce battles they might soon face, it would be difficult for everyone to coordinate properly.

After Duan Qing sincerely brought this up, Xueling Huanbing readily agreed. Not only were they now genuine teammates, and not only had Duan Qing once defeated her before they entered into a series of agreements, but after everything that had happened, she had come to recognize his character—for the time being, at least.

However, the Free World had no chat system, and something as virtual as an inspection system was even less likely to exist. Only the owner could see equipment attributes and skill descriptions. Xueling Huanbing could hardly hand her equipment directly to Duan Qing for inspection, so she had no choice but to read out the descriptions of her equipment one by one.

As for anything she might conceal, Duan Qing had no way of knowing.

[Shelly’s Embrace (Fine) (Upper Body)]

[Defense: Strong]

[Strength +2, Agility +2]

“No matter how carefully one dresses for warmth, nothing warms the heart like an embrace.”

[Shelly’s Resilience (Fine) (Lower Body)]

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[Defense: Average]

[Strength +2, Agility +1]

“Those who walk again and again through ice and snow will eventually stand eternal, like the frost and snow themselves.”

[Shelly’s Footprints (Fine) (Feet)]

[Defense: Strong]

[Strength +1, Agility +2]

“No matter how fierce the wind and snow, they cannot conceal the traces she has left behind.”

Duan Qing listened with his eyes wide. Yes, he was listening—but his eyes truly had gone wide. He had expected Xueling Huanbing’s equipment to be excellent, but he had never imagined it would be this good.

The equipment actually increased attributes!

“Judging from your expression, I suppose you’ve never seen equipment that adds attributes before?” Xueling Huanbing smiled faintly, though the darkness was so deep that her breathtaking smile vanished into the night.

“Equipment is divided into different qualities. Generally speaking, anything Fine or above will grant additional attribute points. Otherwise, it will possess exceptionally good bonus effects…”

Xueling Huanbing raised one finger and began lecturing like an expert. Duan Qing, meanwhile, dutifully played the part of an earnest student and asked, “Your equipment wouldn’t happen to have a set bonus too, would it?”

He stared seriously at her, then covered his face.

“This world is terrifying…”

“The world outside is full of wonders,” Xueling Huanbing said with a laugh. “So hurry up, level up, leave the beginner’s village, and venture into the vast world beyond.”

She then revealed the final attribute, though she had only one listener.

[Shelly’s Roar (Set Bonus)]

[Effect: Your slashing skills have a certain chance to knock the target away.]

What was that chance? What did it depend on? Level? Attributes? Luck?

A host of questions instantly appeared in Duan Qing’s mind, but he no longer felt like asking them.

As expected, this game was not simple.

“I obtained this set while completing a quest in the Andachil Mountains. It should still be considered fairly good equipment for now.” Xueling Huanbing looked rather pleased with herself, but then her expression fell. “Unfortunately, the monsters in this forest are simply too abnormal. I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do…”

She sighed for a while, then stretched. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something.

“Oh, right. There’s also this.”

She drew her longsword.

[Holy Light Longsword (Epic)]

[Weapon Power: Strong]

[Strength Requirement: 30; Agility Requirement: 10]

[Strength +3]

[Effect: Your attacks have a certain chance to unleash the Light of Judgment.]

“The Holy Light shall judge you!”

Duan Qing stood there, dumbfounded.

“Then… that enormous sword of light that day…” Only after a long while did he manage to ask.

Xueling Huanbing smiled. “Yes. But that was the result of my own research—or rather… an advanced application.”

“Ridiculous…” Duan Qing clenched his teeth for a long moment before finally forcing out, “A skill that powerful is actually attached to a weapon… Wait.”

He suddenly realized something and looked at the face concealed beneath the black cloak.

“Your attributes… you actually have thirty points of Strength?”

“Yes. With the various bonuses from my equipment, I barely managed to gather a little over thirty. I believe I mentioned it before?” Xueling Huanbing brushed back her hair. “I’m a Strength-oriented player. But to use this sword, I added a little Agility as well, though Agility is quite useful in its own right…”

Under her explanation, Duan Qing gained a more systematic understanding of the purpose of character attributes. This was first-hand information from a player in the front ranks of the Free World.

“The design of the Free World is actually quite simple. The functions governed by each attribute can be understood according to the literal meaning of the word. If your Strength is high, your attack power will naturally be strong. The explosive force granted by Strength will also give you an advantage in instantaneous speed, physical endurance, and so on. Of course, the system will not explain these hidden effects to you. We had to experiment for a long time before drawing our own conclusions…”

“Agility naturally concerns skill and technique. Your movements become more flexible, and you gain greater control over your body. The time required to begin and end an attack or defensive move becomes shorter—in other words, your recovery time is reduced. Your techniques will have more room for variation. And most importantly, your accuracy will improve.”

“Of course, we high-level players have sufficient reason to believe that if certain conditions are met during actual combat, your attack will become a skill. The system will then acknowledge it, and… you will comprehend it.”

“But there must be other factors involved as well. They may be related to your condition while attacking or defending, the degree to which a technique is completed, the result of receiving an attack, and so on. Perhaps even your state of mind and the environment matter. Maybe if you leapt from dozens of meters in the air while attacking, you could comprehend a palm strike that descended from the heavens…”

“Pfft. Has anyone actually learned this… descending-from-the-heavens palm strike?”

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“How would I know? No one’s ever tried it…” Xueling Huanbing curled her lips. “As for Intelligence and Spirit, you’re a melee player. Explaining them to you probably won’t do much good…”

“Hey, don’t say that. Maybe one day I’ll have a fit of inspiration and decide to play a mage…”

“You’ve already invested so much in Strength. Playing a spellcaster now would be pointless… Fine, fine. Intelligence affects spell power and one’s ability to comprehend spells. Spirit probably concerns control over spells, as well as casting speed and status…”

Xueling Huanbing suddenly thought of something, and her voice gradually lowered. After hesitating for a moment, she said, “By the way, earlier, you… you…”

“Hmm? What about me?”

“How did you… defeat me?”

The night was pitch-black, but Duan Qing could still imagine the woman’s face flushing crimson.

He gave a couple of smug little hums. “I told you. You’re weak…”

“What?”

“A player in their teens defeating a level-thirty player would be pure fantasy in most games. But from what I’ve observed, the Free World isn’t one of them.” Duan Qing began to laugh as well. “Besides, you’re weak…”

Xueling Huanbing was just about to argue when Duan Qing reached out and pressed a hand against her.

“Don’t rush. I’m not saying your character is weak. I’m saying… you are weak.”

“Having good attributes alone doesn’t make you strong. Combat technique, battle awareness, experience under pressure, even small habitual details—all of these determine victory or defeat. I can tell that you are… weak in those areas.”

“Combat in the virtual world is far deeper than it looks.”

Duan Qing raised his head toward the sky, his gaze profound, as though he could see the beautiful stars above the green sea through layer upon layer of branches. He subconsciously reached into the pocket of his coat, only to find it empty. Then he suddenly remembered that he was in a game world. The bewilderment in his eyes vanished, replaced by clarity.

He shook his head and looked toward the cloaked figure staring fixedly at him. Perhaps realizing that he had been caught looking at her, she hurriedly lowered her head.

“Um…”

“What?”

“Ahem. Nothing. Nothing at all…”

Xueling Huanbing seemed to want to say something, but in the end she remained silent.

Tch. Women…

Duan Qing looked up helplessly, then said solemnly, “In any case, thank you.”

“Huh?”

The other person was clearly bewildered by his sudden gratitude.

“What kind of reaction is that?” Duan Qing laughed. “Thank you for teaching me so much. Most people wouldn’t explain so many things to someone else.”

“Oh…”

The other side fell silent for a moment before stammering, “I… I should be the one… who ought to…”

“Hmm?”

“No, nothing…”

I can’t withstand this tsundere act of yours…

Duan Qing tilted his head upward in resignation, then lowered his voice and said, “I have a feeling that woman Christine wasn’t telling us the truth.”

“Huh? Oh, yes, yes, I think so too…”

The change of subject brought some relief to the woman, but she had not yet adjusted to Duan Qing’s question and merely agreed perfunctorily.

“At the very least, she didn’t tell us everything… But forget it.” Seeing that Xueling Huanbing did not intend to continue, Duan Qing reluctantly brought the discussion to an end.

“Ahem. We’re getting sidetracked. Let’s continue introducing our respective strengths. By the way, during my battle with you, I learned the Boxing skill…”

“Oh, that…” Seeing that he had returned to normal, the black cloak did not pursue the matter. “I learned it too. Perhaps anyone with enough Strength will eventually learn it…”

“Huh? Then with my attributes…”

“How would I know?”

Deep into the night, Duan Qing and Xueling Huanbing continued talking until morning. Though they were somewhat weary in spirit, they felt there was still much they could summarize and plan.

But by daylight, at that very moment, they felt that none of it would be useful anymore.

If they were stung to death by a swarm of bees as large as fists, then they would be dead, and nothing more could be said.

Faced with such a massive horde of monsters, even Christine would have found it difficult to cope. Moreover, the situation ahead was unclear, and conserving their strength was the most sensible course of action.

Thus, the only option left was to run.

After using several water-based spells to hold the swarm back briefly, the group once again began what they had no idea was perhaps their umpteenth escape.

Duan Qing even maliciously guessed that the grand mage had probably never expected their party to become like this before reaching its destination. The dangers they had encountered so far definitely fell outside the range she had mentioned earlier.

The Emerald Forest truly was no place for ordinary people.

After another series of twists and turns, the swarm still refused to fall behind. These monsters were unlike the ants they had encountered earlier. They were flying creatures, and escaping their pursuit was far more difficult.

Just as everyone was racking their brains for a solution, a figure suddenly leaped out from the side ahead of them.

“W-wait!”