Lixiang had his own ideas. How could someone who hadn't even learned to walk expect to run, let alone run faster?
He was determined to fully understand the game mechanics first and learn skills based on his specific needs. It was like building a pyramid: the stronger the foundation, the higher one could build.
Mastering the Path of Light granted Lixiang a significant benefit: equipping the special book "Path of Light" increased his Intelligence by 30 points, reduced casting time by 3%, and provided a daily knowledge bonus of 30.
Checking his character, he saw that the experience reward from a completed quest had pushed him to Level 4. Looking at his additional 20 attribute points and 4 skill points, Lixiang didn't hesitate to invest them all into Stamina.
Survival was the absolute priority. The heroes he read about in books were always the ones who survived until the end; their common trait was high health and strong defense, allowing them to endure.
Lixiang hadn't checked the forums, so he was unaware that suggestions for new player builds were already circulating. For instance, since Priests stayed at the back of a group, a "Full Intelligence" Priest was considered the most desirable, followed by a "Full Agility" Thief-Priest. As for a Stamina Priest, the consensus was that they would run out of mana after a few heals and couldn't restore enough health to be worth including in any party.
However, Lixiang’s build was the result of his own careful deliberation and comparison. He was quite satisfied with his 800 Health at Level 4. Of his remaining 4 skill points, he allocated 3 to Healing Art, saving the last one for an offensive skill he planned to learn later.
Gathering his things, Lixiang had barely stepped outside when he heard a crisp voice call out with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Hey, you big liar! I’ve been waiting for you to come out."
"It's you. Hello." Lixiang remembered the girl who had asked him questions that day; she had large, expressive eyes and a round face that made her look quite cute.
"Didn't you say that the Draenei Bishop was easy to talk to?" she demanded, pouting. "He gave me a quest that’s completely impossible to complete!"
The truth was, that day, the girl had tried to kick the door open but was caught red-handed by Draenei. She had immediately claimed she was just looking for the Bishop to offer her services, adamantly insisting she was a devout Light Apprentice.
Draenei had looked her up and down and handed her a quest: "Eliminate 100 Dark Creatures. Reward: 50 silver coins. Penalty for failure: None."
Lixiang asked, "What quest is it? Bishop Draenei can be strict at times, but he is usually very accommodating to us apprentices."
"See for yourself." The girl shared the quest directly with him.
Looking at the girl, whose name was Yueseyiran, Lixiang asked, baffled, "What level are you?"
Yueseyiran tilted her chin, looking rather proud. "Level 8. A proper High Priest." Then, she remembered the quest and glared at Lixiang, frustrated. "Don't you know the lowest-level skeleton soldier in the Undead Graveyard is level 35? Even a full party probably wouldn't touch a hundred of those!"
In truth, Yueseyiran was convinced that the old man Draenei was just retaliating for her trying to kick his door in, deliberately giving her an impossible task. Even if she could complete it, fifty silver coins wouldn't even cover the cost of the potions.
"What are you laughing at?" Yueseyiran noticed Lixiang grinning in a way she found irritating, his expression suggesting he thought she was incredibly ignorant.
Lixiang patiently explained, "Dark Creatures doesn't just refer to monsters like skeletons or zombies; it refers to creatures of the Dark faction. Those Level 3 and 4 Slimes outside the city are Dark Creatures. Fifty silver coins for a hundred Slimes is actually a very high reward."
"Slimes are Dark Creatures?" Yueseyiran was incredulous. Those little green things that hopped around, spitting and leaving behind gross, corrosive liquid—how could they possibly be considered Dark Creatures? "Are you trying to trick me?"
Yueseyiran had already sent a friend request to Lixiang, thinking to herself, "If you're lying to me again, you're dead. Am I really that easy to fool?"
Lixiang, oblivious to her inner monologue, said earnestly, "Of course Slimes are Dark Creatures. Don't you check the faction and race classifications?" Disregarding Yueseyiran's blush of embarrassment, he continued:
"The name 'Slime' refers to their mud-like, gelatinous state. They inhabit dark areas and survive by devouring small creatures like mice. Their primary attack method is spitting acid to corrode their targets. Because they live in foul, damp environments, their acid often contains unknown impurities that can damage metal and transmit disease to living beings. They are typical 'cannon fodder' training monsters. How could you not be able to defeat them?"
Yueseyiran stared, surprised, at this persistent, earnest boy who was lecturing her so seriously about why Slimes were Dark Creatures. She felt a bit helpless—it was enough to just tell her; he didn't need to be so thorough as to cite the origin! But it seemed he knew quite a lot.
By then, Lixiang had already left. Why would one need a party for such monsters? Even at Level 4, he was confident he could handle it on his own.
Draenei was not around, so Lixiang visited the Light Instructor in the ground-floor hall. He discovered that below Level 4, only two skills were available to learn: Healing Art and Holy Light Strike.
Holy Light Strike was barely stronger than a basic attack, much like the entry-level Fireball spell for mages—the only difference was the color.
Holy Light Strike: Basic skill, deals 100% of base attack damage, plus additional attack power.
After adding the point, Lixiang felt a surge of excitement. It was the same feeling he’d had back in school when trailing behind a crowd headed for a fight—anticipatory, excited, and just a tiny bit afraid.
"Heartless Parting, since the quest is shared, let's go together." Yueseyiran had followed him down and was now standing by his side.
"Sure, it’ll be faster with two people." Lixiang smiled. After inviting him to the party, Yueseyiran caught sight of his level and immediately felt a sense of superiority. *No matter how much you talk, your level is still lower than mine.*
The road was filled with players heading in and out of the city. Along the sides of the streets, some had already set up stalls to sell items they had scavenged, while others gathered near the gates, looking for teammates.
"Hey, what are you laughing at again?" Although Yueseyiran hadn't spoken to Lixiang on the road, she had been subconsciously observing him. Seeing the corner of his mouth quirk up, she assumed he had discovered her secret thoughts and immediately demanded an answer.
Lixiang pointed at the crowd of people standing or sitting cross-legged by the gate and smiled. "I was just looking at them and thinking of the labor market outside my house. I never expected to see the same thing in a game. If a high-level Priest were to shout out for a party, I bet all these people would rush over at once."
Yueseyiran looked, and indeed, they looked exactly like people waiting for a job. When they saw someone with decent gear, one or two would inevitably walk over to ask them questions. Just as Lixiang had said. She couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Her laughter was like a blooming flower, and for a moment, Lixiang was distracted, a strange tugging sensation in his heart. He quickly regained his composure.
Yueseyiran hurried forward, her face flushed, though it was unclear why. The two of them walked one after the other, soon exiting the gates of Sun City.
Once outside, the world turned green. The lush grass was as flat and tidy as an artificial lawn, looking vibrant and full of life in the sunlight, and it felt soft and comfortable underfoot.
Every few dozen or hundred meters stood massive banyan trees, wide enough that five people would struggle to encircle them. Their dense leaves formed huge canopies, and flocks of nameless white birds could be seen flying busily through the branches.
With Yueseyiran leading the way, they soon spotted the little green creatures—Slimes—hopping about in the shadows of the banyan trees.