Zane didn't dwell on it too much, nor did he envy those who had rushed to level 10 ahead of him.
Personal level was just one part of strength—it wasn't everything.
His skill levels were far beyond what ordinary players could achieve.
Back to training!
A new day began with relentless grinding.
Time passed, and the first thing to run out in Zane's inventory was his poison supply.
Mana potions continued to dwindle—400 bottles left, then 300…
[Skill Mutation: Steal!]
[Skill Mutation: Backstab!]
Throughout the process, Zane occasionally heard skill mutation notifications.
Whenever he felt a bit bored, he would peek at the chat channel.
"Big news, everyone!"
"The three major guilds have regrouped! This time, they made it close to the mountaintop—but they were violently slaughtered by the Silver-tier boss, the Blazing Winged Tiger! Total wipeout!"
"Lonely Wind Mountain, 800 meters up—held back by a single tiger, lol!"
"What is it that drives people to throw themselves at that mountain over and over? What secrets lie hidden there?"
"Stay tuned for our ongoing documentary: The Temptation of the Mountain!"
Through the chat, Zane learned that Lonely Wind Mountain remained unconquered.
Apparently, a Silver-tier boss resided up there, making it unsurprising that the guilds got wrecked.
But knowing them, they wouldn't give up so easily—they'd definitely try again.
"Doesn't matter. I'll keep training until I run out of potions!"
And so he did.
Zane remained in his secluded patch of forest, surrounded by Bouncy Rabbits.
At this point, he had robbed almost every single rabbit in the area.
With his upgraded Steal, the success rate had skyrocketed, to the point where he was looting them dry—even when successful, sometimes there was simply nothing left to steal.
But that didn't matter. He wasn't here for the loot. He was here for skill levels.
Like a man possessed, Zane became a cold, mechanical skill-training machine, heartlessly tormenting the adorable Bouncy Rabbits.
No one knew how much time had passed.
"Damn it, that wolf ran into the trees—DON'T RUN!"
A player, chasing a wounded wild wolf, dashed into the small forest.
"What the—!?"
What he saw was horrifying.
Corpses of Bouncy Rabbits lay scattered across the ground, not yet despawned.
And at the center of it all—
A sinister-looking man, expression eerily vacant, reached out to gently stroke a Bouncy Rabbit, as if petting a dog.
The rabbit flinched, startled—then lashed out in self-defense.
MISS.
The man's face twisted slightly, as if annoyed.
With a sudden, graceful step, he pivoted behind the rabbit—and stabbed it through the back, instantly killing it.
"…Oh my god. What kind of freak—?!"
"Petting rabbits… and then murdering them if they resist? That's terrifying!"
Horrified, the player turned and bolted.
"GUYS, THERE'S A PSYCHO IN THE WESTERN PARTS OF TOWN!!!"
"HE'S OBSESSED WITH PETTING RABBITS—BUT IF THEY FIGHT BACK, HE KILLS THEM! I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING SO DISTURBING IN MY LIFE!!"
The moment the message hit the chat, it exploded.
"Again?! What the hell is up with Maple Leaf Town? Why does it have more weirdos than any other starter zone?"
"Petting rabbits? Dude, that has to be Rabbit Beater!
"Jesus Christ, it's already the second day of the game, and he's STILL petting rabbits?! Is this the distortion of human nature… or the collapse of morality?!"
"Absolute freak. I can't believe I have the privilege of spawning in the same town as this lunatic."
"Between Rabbit Beater, Invisible Assassin, and the secrets of Lonely Wind Cliff, Maple Leaf Town is truly a land of wonders…"
At this point, Zane had completely tuned out the chat.
He had entered a state of pure focus, an unshakable trance.
Even skill upgrade notifications, even mutation alerts—he barely acknowledged them anymore.
His mind was utterly still.
He just repeated his actions, over and over, again and again.
Until—
A different notification appeared, breaking his concentration.
[Steal Successful! Skill Proficiency +10.]
[You obtained: Rabbit Fur ×1.]
"…Wait. Why did I only get 10 proficiency points? Wasn't it 20 before?"
Something was off.
Zane snapped out of his trance.
How long have I been doing this?!
He opened his inventory—his mana potions were nearly gone.
A heavy mental exhaustion crashed over him.
It wasn't physical fatigue—Ascension Online simulated gameplay like a lucid dream, making it much less taxing than traditional gaming. Even casual players could go for ten hours straight without feeling tired.
But mental repetition—doing the same thing endlessly—could wear down even the strongest will.
"It must be because my Steal skill is too high now. Low-level monsters barely give any proficiency anymore!"
Excited, he immediately opened his skill panel.
Steal Type: Active
Tier: Rank 1, LV42 (220/4200)
Effect 1: 70% chance to steal 1-2 random items from a target (cannot steal bound items). Effect 2: +4 meters skill range.
Mana Cost: 20
Cooldown: 20 sec
Stealth
Type: Active
Tier: Rank 1, LV35 (820/3500)
Effect 1: Enter stealth with near-perfect concealment (invisible, scentless, silent, undetectable by energy waves). +80% movement speed. Lasts 120 seconds. Effect 2: First attack out of stealth deals 1800 + 150% ATK damage. Effect 3: +300 dodge while in stealth.
Mana Cost: 40
Cooldown: 40 sec
Backstab
Type: Active
Tier: Rank 1, LV30 (210/3000)
Effect 1: Instantly blink behind the target and stab, dealing 1500 + 150% ATK damage (must be within 2 meters). Effect 2: Guaranteed 100% critical hit.
Mana Cost: 50
Cooldown: 30 sec
Poison Coating
Type: Active
Tier: Rank 1, LV15 (500/1500)
Effect 1: Apply poison to a weapon, lasting 10 minutes (or remove poison with expert technique). Effect 2: +30% poison damage.
Cost: Requires poison materials.
Cooldown: 30 sec
"HELL YES! Worth every second of grinding!"
Zane exhaled deeply, feeling incredibly satisfied.
Every single skill had undergone multiple mutations—their effects were on a completely different level now!