Chapter 107: Tier 2 Skills

After I recounted my leveling experiences to Qing Yu, she cleared up the confusion that had been lingering in my mind: boss-level monsters do not have a single, fixed respawn timer.

Beyond the standard three-day respawn interval, a boss can also be triggered to respawn suddenly due to external interference. Such interference typically occurs at night, manifesting as large-scale player incursions or the intrusion of other monster packs. These events can force an early respawn.

This phenomenon is common in "Magic Era." Not long ago, a video circulated on the forums: several small mercenary groups joined forces to occupy a mid-to-high-level grinding spot for an all-night leveling session. The news leaked, attracting many others to join in, and eventually, disaster struck. Within an hour, a level 35 high-level boss appeared, accompanied by two level 32 sub-bosses. The outcome was predictable: aside from a few who managed to escape, most players not only failed to level up but actually lost a level.

Similarly, the Kodo Beast Valley was packed with too many Tier 1 players and civilians tonight, which effectively stifled the natural respawn rate within the valley. This in itself was an abnormal factor. When the Gale Demon Wolf King suddenly raided the valley with its pack, the double stimulus made it inevitable that the Magic Kodo Beast would appear.

Hearing this, I felt my understanding of "Magic Era" grow a little more.

Qing Yu hadn't expected us to chat for half an hour, especially with a newcomer who had just reached Tier 2—and, most importantly, a brat who was the first to openly flirt with her in the game. Noticing the suspicious and teasing glances from her sisters and subordinates, a flush crept across her delicate skin. She decided it was time to end the conversation to avoid further misunderstanding.

"Alright, I shouldn't keep you. I'm out leveling... tell me what level of gear you need, and I'll have Zi Lei prepare a set for you. High agility, I assume?"

I understood immediately. After a moment of thought, I replied, "Yes, have him prepare a level 20 set for me."

"Level 20?" Qing Yu paused, then said, "You should know that this set will be yours permanently, and this is your last chance to swap gear for a while. Wouldn't it be better to stick with your level 15 gear for now and grind in the Forgotten Ancient Castle until you hit level 25, then get a higher-level set?" She knew that higher-level gear held more value; if I took level 20 gear, I'd likely outgrow it by level 30, whereas level 25 gear could potentially be worn even after promoting to Tier 3.

Although providing level 20 gear would save her money, for some reason, after learning that I had informed her about the Magic Kodo Beast immediately after leaving the valley, she felt I was a decent person. Unconsciously, she found herself standing in my shoes, considering my best interests.

Sensing the shift in her tone, I felt a warmth in my heart and sighed, "I don't think I'll be going back to the Forgotten Ancient Castle to level up anymore." It was true. After causing the Supreme Mercenary Group such a massive loss of face today, they might let those who helped me escape go, but they would certainly not let a "lone wolf" like me off the hook. I feared I wouldn't be able to stay in Xuanshuang City anymore.

"Why?" Qing Yu asked curiously.

I hesitated, but ultimately decided not to tell her. After all, she was a group leader; neither publicly nor privately could or should she help me fight the Supreme Mercenary Group, as she had to protect the interests of her own members. Moreover, I didn't want to sound weak or cowardly by complaining to a woman. I immediately changed my tone.

"Oh, nothing much. I just feel that killing skeleton mages all the time is getting boring. Besides, my Archer-Warrior friend told me about a better grinding spot with a faster leveling rate, so I'm planning to try it out with a level 20 set." (Sigh, there was no such thing as a better spot; Falcon had leveled in the Forgotten Ancient Castle until level 27!)

Although Qing Yu sensed my tone had shifted too quickly, she had no reason to doubt me. "Alright then! How about this... since you can't go out leveling tonight, I'll have Zi Lei transfer it to you when it's light out, and you can give him the old set then." Qing Yu certainly trusted me; she wasn't worried I’d keep both sets. Heh, I’d heard this Tier 1 set was worth two or three hundred gold coins on the market. (Of course, I wouldn't take advantage of her like that—if I were to take advantage of anyone, it would be the beautiful Qing Yu herself.)

"Great! See ya, and hope you get some good drops!"

"Hehe... you too!" Qing Yu replied with a laugh.

I broke into a sweat. Given how much the Supreme Mercenary Group must hate me now, there was no chance of me going out to hunt for treasures. I’d be lucky if I could even leave the gates of Xuanshuang City for a long time!

Shaking my head, I closed the voice channel and walked slowly toward the north gate. My promotion quest was complete; it was time to find Hoz and learn my Tier 2 Archer-Warrior skills. Once I mastered these, even if I faced a Tier 3 player in the future, I believed I wouldn't be completely defenseless.

"You completed the promotion quest so quickly... not bad!"

Seeing Hoz again, he maintained his usual stern expression. After speaking, he gave a flat wave of his hand, and a light screen appeared before me. "These are all the skills for an Archer-Warrior. Choose the ones you want and pay the fee to learn them." This time, he didn't offer me any freebies.

Fortunately, I had scavenged quite a bit from the skeleton mages in the Forgotten Ancient Castle during the day. After accounting for arrow costs, I still had nearly a hundred gold coins left. The price of four gold coins per skill was nothing to me.

Without hesitation, I selected three archery skills and one close-quarters combat skill from the dozens available: Slowing Arrow, Piercing Arrow, Triple-Bow Combo, and the warrior skill—Rupture.