Chapter Thirty-five: Frenzied Leveling Up

Leveling up, leveling up, and more leveling up—right now, that's the only thing I can do. The reason I'm grinding so hard isn't for a spot on the pointless Heavenly Ranking, but because earlier today, before I logged in, I saw on the official website that there would be a PK tournament next month, on the first. According to the announcement, it's just a warm-up before the real tournament, as well as a celebration for the one-month anniversary of Second World's launch. I've decided I must reach level 30 and complete my second job advancement before the competition begins. So today, I accepted every quest from the Hall for levels 25 to 30, determined to give it my all.

I stocked up on over ten days’ worth of food and rations, spent every last coin I had on potions, and prepared to spend my days in the monster-infested wilds until the tournament started. Just me and my two beasts, plunging deep into the Death Forest for a frenzy of training. During this time, I even obtained my third summoned beast.

Name: Mud Serpent
Type: Animal
Race: Reptile
Quality: Intermediate
Evolvable: Yes
Health: 150
Attack: 8
Defense: 8
Skills: Dissolving Fluid, Earth Burrow
Description: A monstrous snake living in the swamps, capable of burrowing underground to evade predators. Its mouth can spray dissolving fluid that poisons and slows any intruders.

Meanwhile, my Back-blade Lizard has evolved and is now called the Giant-horned Lizard.

Name: Giant-horned Lizard
Type: Animal
Race: Dinosaur
Quality: Intermediate
Evolvable: Yes
Health: 2000
Attack: 100
Defense: 450
Skills: Ten-thousand-ton Pressure, Charge, Melee Punch
Description: The Giant-horned Lizard, clad in heavy armor, can withstand any attack. It's the strongest meat shield for its master.

Just as the description says—over 400 defense and 2000 health. With these two new partners, I’m more confident than ever about winning the tournament. So began my insane leveling spree. In these dozen days, how many times have I skirted death? I still remember vividly when I encountered a terrifying level-40 elite monster, the Frost Wraith. That thing possessed strength rivaling a level-30 boss. I battled it for three hours, nearly losing half of my head in one bite—my brain matter nearly splattered out. But in the nick of time, the Gale Wolf King finished it off with a Rending Claw, saving me and even netting me a level-up.

After so many continuous battles, I lost track of time and nearly forgot why I came here in the first place. How many days have I spent in this forest? All I know is my equipment is tattered, my bronze knuckles bent out of shape, and my whole body reeks of blood. Even the food in my backpack is dwindling. But I’m content, relishing every moment leveling up surrounded by monsters.

A new day dawned. I rode atop the Gale Wolf King, the Giant-horned Lizard patrolling at my side. The Giant-horned Lizard is unlike other lizards—it stands on two legs, its forelimbs and hindlimbs clearly differentiated like hands and feet. If not for its massive reptilian body, it would almost look human.

Crossing the meadows, I entered a river valley. The flowers were in full bloom, grasses lush and green—a truly enchanting sight. With nothing pressing to do, I opened the rankings to pass the time and was surprised to see some dramatic changes in the Level Ranking.

1. Illusory Moon, Level 32, Phantom Knight
2. Sword Alone on the Horizon, Level 30, Swordsman
3. Rampage on Main Street, Level 29, Warrior
4. Silent Drizzle, Level 29, Mage
5. Silver Moon, Level 29, Archer
6. Flames Across the Land, Level 29, Warrior
7. Yanhuang Heavenly Soldier, Level 28, Warrior
8. God of War on Snowy Night, Level 28, Warrior
9. Heart Moon, Level 28, Priest
10. Mighty Dragon, Level 28, Summoner
...

First place was still held by Illusory Moon. That guy is truly a monster—not only at an unbelievably high level 32, but he’s also managed to unlock the legendary hidden class. Absolutely insane. What’s even more frustrating is that after all my efforts to get on the leaderboard, I’m still ranked below a Priest. That just puts me in a foul mood.

I continued on toward the final destination for my quests. Suddenly, a massive black-skinned rhinoceros appeared before me—Killer Rhino, level 35, ordinary beast, a regular monster. Daring to block my path? I'll use you for training! I commanded the Gale Wolf King to unleash Devastation Ray. Instantly, an orange energy beam shot from its mouth, piercing through the monster’s body. A damage number—2732—popped up above its head. The attack is powerful, but I tried to use it again and found it was on cooldown; I couldn’t fire twice in a row.

Still, I was greatly satisfied with that damage output. No player at this stage could withstand such an attack—not even Illusory Moon could survive it. The monster charged at me, but I sent the Giant-horned Lizard to intercept. The rhino’s attacks barely did 100 damage to my lizard, while my lizard’s blows hit for 200. The Gale Wolf King followed up with Double Claw Rush, dealing 1670 damage.

In less than a minute, the monster crashed to the ground, giving me 780 experience and three silver coins.

I locked onto the next Killer Rhino and pounced. The Giant-horned Lizard grabbed hold and wouldn't let go, while the Gale Wolf King unleashed a flurry of skills, rapidly draining the monster’s health. I finished it off with an Energy Blast.

Suddenly, something struck me hard. I spun around to see a giant flower, reminiscent of the man-eating blossom used by that female summoner I met before.

Overlord Flower, level 30, elite beast—an elite monster! The experience reward would surely outshine the rhino’s. I dodged its next vine swipe and ordered the Gale Wolf King to unleash Spiral Hurricane. A tornado erupted from the wolf’s mouth, battering the Overlord Flower and draining its health. I then commanded the Giant-horned Lizard to use Ten-thousand-ton Pressure. It leapt high, then slammed its body down, flattening the flower completely. That skill is basically the legendary “Mount Tai Presses Down.”

After crushing the Overlord Flower, a sudden explosion sounded ahead. I hurried over and saw a graceful priestess healing herself. What was a priest doing here? Solo grinding, perhaps?

At that moment, a gigantic black turtle lumbered into view. Its back resembled a smoking volcano, and red gas spewed from its nostrils. It launched a fireball at the priestess, who failed to dodge—the magical shield flickered violently and dimmed. One more hit and the shield would collapse. The turtle spat another fireball, shattering her shield, and was already gathering energy for a third.

I shouted, “Hey beauty, need a hand?”

She hesitated, then sent a party invite: “Please, I’d appreciate it.”

The Giant-horned Lizard charged, much like a warrior’s dash, but with added offensive power. On impact, it knocked the turtle over, interrupting its fireball and sending it flailing on its back, legs kicking. However, the volcano on its shell belched smoke, flipping the beast upright again.

Volcano Turtle, level 37, elite monster.

True to its name, the Volcano Turtle carried a volcano on its back. I ordered the Gale Wolf King to attack with Rending Claw—1,400 damage flashed overhead, forcing the turtle back. The Giant-horned Lizard circled around, pummeling the beast with Melee Punches. I joined in—Crushing Blow, Energy Blast, and an Over-the-Shoulder Throw to flip it again. This time, the turtle spat a fireball that struck me, sending me flying and dropping over 600 health. The priestess immediately cast a healing spell on me—a warm sensation filled my body as my health restored to full. Having a priest around really is a blessing.

The Giant-horned Lizard hammered away at the turtle’s belly while the Gale Wolf King bit down on its neck and yanked hard. With a final rip, the volcano turtle fell, defeated, and became our experience points.

“Oh, so you’re that top-ranked summoner, Mighty Dragon. No wonder you’re so strong,” the priestess remarked.

I laughed, “There are plenty of people stronger than me.” But when I checked the party info, I was instantly deflated—the lovely priestess before me was Heart Moon, the very priest who had outranked me on the leaderboards. For a moment, I felt an urge to PK her right then and there, but I suppressed it.

The Volcano Turtle’s defeat granted me over 1,700 experience—better than an elite beast. Most of the loot was basic white gear, which I ignored, but a black token caught my eye.

“What’s this?” I wondered aloud.

Just as I was about to pick it up, Heart Moon said, “That’s my quest item. I almost died for it. Thank you for your help just now.”

Since it was a quest item, it was of no use to me. Smiling, I handed it to her. “No problem, it was good experience anyway.” Looking at her, I realized this priestess was a rare beauty—on par with Little Moon herself.