Two days of leveling flew by in no time.
Sterl and the two beauties have already blended into the crowd of newbie players and returned to the base.
Normally, once players are leveled up to level three, they're kicked out of the leveling squad. They either head back to the base or go solo, hunting down random mobs in the wilderness.
This ensures the base's leveling efficiency and gives players fresh out of level three a taste of life-and-death battles with monsters.
So, with no witnesses around, the trio's return to the base was seamless.
"Sterl, are you really in such a rush? You just got back and now you're already gearing up for the pioneer player assessment?" Rayna gently grasped Sterl's hand, clearly worried.
Pioneer players hold an esteemed position within the Earth's human forces, true to their namesake - Pioneers.
They venture into the [Transcendence]for humanity's future and development, collecting precious items, various equipment blueprints, potion formulas, inheritable skills...
They dive into dungeons to gather materials desperately needed by the human forces of Earth.
It's thanks to the tireless efforts of countless pioneer players that humanity has managed to gain a foothold in the [Transcendence].
Therefore, the perks of being a pioneer player are outstanding.
Even the lowest-ranked pioneers enjoy a fixed income of 200,000 credit points per month and can join exclusive guilds for pioneers, which offer various high-level buffs for free.
Pioneer players can also take on various pioneering missions issued by the major bases on Earth, earning substantial rewards for each completed task.
No exaggeration – pioneer players are the real powerhouses of Earth's human forces!
But such a prestigious position and wealth of resources naturally don't come for free.
Becoming a pioneer player is straightforward: first, you must pass a basic test at the base.
This test is challenging, and many reach at least level 10 before they can pass.
But with such strength, joining any guild would secure a high status, at the very least as one of the top members with the best treatment.
So, why bother becoming a pioneer player?
Moreover, passing the basic test is just the beginning. Players need to participate in pioneering missions published jointly by multiple bases.
Success means becoming a pioneer.
However, pioneering missions are life-threatening, involving collecting rare items, defeating bosses, and even dungeon diving, with a high mortality rate!
Facing Rayna's persuasion, Sterl merely shook his head lightly, "You know, with 'that mission' I have now, staying in the base is even more dangerous."
"Don't worry, if the pioneering task is too tough, I'll drop it. Priority one is staying alive."
Danger? Not an issue.
Sterl's real combat strength was already on par with a level 30 professional player. Pioneering tasks would be a breeze.
"In a couple of days when I'm not here, you two need to keep leveling up," he added.
"Remember to use the meditation technique I taught you."
Rayna and Linna both nodded.
During this 48-hour leveling spree, Sterl's second round of mob farming was much more efficient. The two beauties each gained about 3600 experience, enough to reach level 7.
Such a level was considered quite skilled within the base, ensuring at least a bully-free, comfortable life.
Chatting and laughing, the trio headed home.
Sterl meditated, refining and absorbing the scattered experience he gained – Despite his best efforts to leave monsters on their last breath for the girls to finish off, his Flame Storm was too powerful, often killing them outright, so he still gained some experience.
Once home, Sterl took out the offering, the "Blood Demon's Sin," and silently commanded it to "evolve."
Instantly, the blood-red liquid encased in glass seemed to ignite, boiling over, while the glass shell melted instantly. Glass and solution merged into a pentagon-shaped glowing crystal.
A prompt appeared before Sterl's eyes.
[Bloodstone" + "Category: Offering]
[Effect: …" (Unchanged)]
[You can use blood force to break through the limits of skill proficiency. One blood force can break through the limit from competent to master level, ten blood forces can break through the master level to grandmaster level.]
"Nice find!"
Sterl couldn't hide his excitement. Every level of skill proficiency you break through is a game changer!
It looks like the Bloodstone's abilities are super practical!
If those higher-ups in the base saw this, they'd probably be itching to use this thing to collect blood energy too!
It's just a shame, though. I mean, I'm not some moral purist who refuses to use the Bloodstone... But I'm also not crazy enough to go after other players with it.
I guess if someone decides to mess with me, instead of just taking them out, might as well make some use of them, right?
But there's a catch.
Relying solely on enemies to collect blood energy isn't gonna be very efficient.
Lucky for me, the Bloodstone can evolve further. I can only hope it grows even more powerful... Over the next three days, instead of evolving high-level XP potions, I head out to level up in the wild. After evolving my item three times, I finally max out the Bloodstone.
[Blood Diamond]
[Category: Offering]
[Effect: Born from Sterl's power and evolved from the creation of the Blood Duke, it accumulates blood points (equal to the basic experience of the unit killed) through killing any unit. Every ten thousand blood points can be exchanged for a blood force. ]
[Using blood force, you can choose from the following effects:
Break through the limit of skill proficiencyEnhance any target's talent level Learn specific skills using blood force Create specific set equipment using blood force Create an invincible shield or corrosive damage beam using blood force.]
[Note: When you have used fifty blood forces, this item will be upgraded. ]
"Holy cow! That's a lot of effects!" Sterl was dumbfounded seeing the maxed-out offering.
He never saw anything with so many properties in textbooks back in base.
And looking at the Blood Diamond's effects, Sterl was drooling.
First off, accumulating blood force just got a whole lot easier, and the functionalities are freaking amazing. I can break through proficiency limits, learn a whole set of skills, craft armor sets, create shields, and direct output.
There's even an ability to boost others' talents.
That gets me pumped.
I've tried, but it seems like I can't boost others' stats since my cheat is based on the game's system. I can only 'add points' to things I can see on a panel...
But I can't see Linna and Rayna's stat panels, can I?
I'm trying to keep my cheat a secret for now, but when I'm stronger, I still couldn't boost my family's mental or physical talents.
This offering solves my worries.
Now I just need to rack up blood points, and my specialty is farming mobs!
By the way, in these three days, I've also gathered enough XP to hit level 9. ...
An hour later, I'm standing outside the Pioneer Hall in Base's Eighth District.
This building is as massive as the city hall.
And I'm a bit excited inside. Back when I was just a player in other games, what was it really about? Roaming the game world, taking on quests, diving into dungeons, facing bosses, not just hanging around some so-called base where you barely see any NPCs!
The gear, pets, titles... everything a player needs to truly become strong has to be earned through exploration and risking it all in [Transcendence].
And besides, aside from evolving my abilities, I'm thinking I can also evolve some items and gear to sell. Those high-level goods? They're not something a small base can handle.
Becoming a pioneer player? I'm all in!
"Welcome, player."
"We're glad to have you join the ranks of pioneers."
Just as I step into the building, a pleasant female voice greets me through the PA system.
And what I see is a crowd of serious-looking players, their energy and vibe a whole notch above those of the Blood Mist Guild members.