After getting everything that he wanted from the library, Axel walked out; back onto the streets of Vain.
After that, he walked around and found a small alley. Here, Axel pulled out the skill book from his inventory and opened it, slowly reading it. The words inside were basically gibberish for all players, but just by passing your gaze over every character within the book, the skill would be learnt.
It took a good 5 minutes to finish reading the book, after which there was a flash of light, and the book turned into a ray of white light and entered into Axel's body.
[System: You have learned the skill Intermediate Burn]
With this in hand, Axel directly left the shop, and went to the alchemist shop and purchased a gathering skill, so that he could complete the [Go's Request] quest, for a total of 80 copper, leaving him barely with 5 copper.
However, Evolution Online was a game just like this. Money was earned, and money was spent. Those who did not spend money, trying to save it with a closed mind would never be able to see the bigger picture, and would be stuck in their position like a frog in a well.
After leaving Vain, he entered the Lv 0 map, and began running once again.
[System: You have entered Vain Grasslands Lv 0 map]
But this time, he did not stop, and continued to run past the location of the Lv 1 Variant Slime. 2 minutes later, he finally received a system notification.
[You have discovered a new map: Vain Forest Lv 5 map]
[You have gained 5 Fame in Vain]
[System: You have entered Vain Forest Lv 5 map]
Maps in Evolution Online had Level suggestions, which was the suggested level for a player attempting to farm or clear in that map. However, there were no restrictions.
Without wasting any time, he equipped his dagger, and looked around, searching for mobs, and within a moment, he located his prey. They were a group of 3 goblins, wielding tiny clubs. The hideous little critters might be too much for some people, but Evolution Online did not have any features that reduced gore or ugliness, almost as though it wanted everyone to experience it.
Axel sneaked up behind the creatures, and ungracefully swung his dagger in a round motion, barely drawing blood. Thankfully, he successfully hit all three of the goblins, resulting in a [-2] appearing above each of their heads, along with a health bar. Although Axel's current attack was at 6, he was not able to actually hit the goblins, such a small cut was bordering on the definition of an attack.
However, it was counted as one, and therefore some damage had been done to them. What was more important was that the durability of his dagger was completely unaffected by this sort of attack.
Without thinking anymore, Axel turned around and began running away from the goblins, with a grin on his face that looked even more hideous than the goblins themselves.
As he was running, the goblins behind him were being burnt, with a [-5] appearing above their heads every second, but since they had been aggroed onto Axel, they did not notice it until it was too late and the three perished together within 10 seconds of being hit by Axel.
Within these 10 seconds, Axel was not just running away, but towards other goblins, and since his speed was slightly faster than the Lv 5 goblins, he was able to keep his distance from the ones chasing him as he cut tiny wounds into the new goblins.
Then, he turned around and rushed to the dead bodies of the goblins, and picked up the loot that had fallen before continuing to run, all amid the system notifications.
[System: You have killed Goblin – Lv 5]
[System: You have gained 250 exp. + 500% exp for 5 level difference.]
[You have levelled up]
After killing the first goblin, along with the exp from the variant slime he had killed quite a few times, he had finally levelled up. However, he still continued to get more notification of killing goblins, since he had just killed 3 at once. But he did not stop to look at his status window or the notification, just immersed in the pleasure of grinding away with no worries like the good old days.
[System: You have killed Goblin – Lv 5]
[System: You have gained 200 exp. + 400% exp for 4 level difference.]
[System: You have killed Goblin – Lv 5]
[System: You have gained 200 exp. + 400% exp for 4 level difference.]
[System: You have killed Goblin – Lv 5]
[System: You have gained 200 exp. + 400% exp for 4 level difference.]
[System: You have killed Goblin – Lv 5]
[System: You have gained 200 exp. + 400% exp for 4 level difference.]
[You have levelled up]
[System: You have killed Goblin – Lv 5]
[System: You have gained 150 exp. + 300% exp for 3 level difference.]
[System: You have killed Goblin – Lv 5]
[System: You have gained 150 exp. + 300% exp for 3 level difference.]
[System: You have killed Goblin – Lv 5]
[System: You have gained 150 exp. + 300% exp for 3 level difference.]
[System: You have killed Goblin – Lv 5]
[System: You have gained…