The gigantic [ White Sack Spider Leader ] had fallen, leaving James with only a sliver of health, unable to withstand any more damage.
Despite his weariness, James's heart was still racing from the brutal battle. His once sharp personality might have been tempered, but the violent tendencies in his blood still influenced his character deeply.
Glancing at the spider's corpse, James noticed a faint glow emanating from it, indicating loot inside. In instances, unlike the wild, loot had to be scavenged from corpses, increasing the element of surprise. In the wild, loot dropped directly to the ground, posing more risks and making it easy to spot.
"Could it be the quest item?" James wondered, feeling a bit numb from disappointment. He hadn't seen any loot from the numerous elite monsters he'd slain, the drop rate being frustratingly low.
James squatted down and touched the corpse, causing a loot window to pop up, revealing several items.
He was immediately drawn to a skill book, though he wasn't sure for which class it was.
James retrieved the first item.
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Name: Armor-ChestPlate
Grade: Common
Requirements: Warrior Class-Level 5
Attributes: Defense +3
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Next, he picked up the second item.
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Name: White Sack Spider Ring
Grade: Green Rank
Requirements: Any class, Level 5
Attributes: Attack +5, Mana +20, Stamina +2, Crit. Rate +1
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Finally, he picked up the skill book.
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Name: Speed Healing
Effect: Instantly cast a healing spell that restores a base of 100 health, modified by the caster's attributes
Skill Tier: Tier 1 (Highest Tier 9)
Requirements: Priest Class, Level 5
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The loot was decent, especially the green-ranked ring. Accessories were hard to come by in the early stages, and this ring would be useful for a long time, making James quite satisfied.
Although the skill book was for Priests, it was a universal priest skill book, meaning any priest, regardless of their chosen specialization, could learn it. Universal skill books were rare and valuable because all subclasses within a class could use them. However, if a player sold such a book to an NPC, they'd get just one silver coin.
Skill books could only be acquired through four methods: monster drops, quest rewards, player trades, or the auction house. There was no fifth option; no city in [ Celestial Realm ] sold skill books.
James then took out the quest item.
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Name: Blue Demon Flower ×2
Description: Beloved by the herbalist elder. Give it to him for a generous reward.
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Seeing this, James's anticipation grew, eager to reach the level required for his class change.
He turned towards the spider's nest, where a treasure chest awaited. After looting the spider's corpse, it gradually disappeared.
Entering the nest, James moved slowly due to the sticky effect but eventually reached the chest emitting a faint glow. He chose to open it, and his hands moved automatically.
[ Opening Green Rank Chest... Progress: 10%... 21%... 56%... 79%... 93%... Success! ]
After two minutes, the chest lid opened, the glow fading away. James immediately took out the items.
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Name: Pure White Sword
Grade: Green Rank
Requirements: Warrior or Assassin class, Level 5
Attributes: Attack 11-17, Strength +3, Critical +5, Accuracy +2
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This was a great item. James was delighted, feeling that reaching Level 5 would be a small turning point.
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Silver Coins Obtained: 10
Minor Healing Potions Obtained: 10 (Restores 10 health every 3 seconds for 25 seconds)
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James drank a minor healing potion and headed back, intending to clear out the remaining [ White Sack Spiders ].
Using the same tactics as before, he eliminated the obstacles and eventually exited the dungeon.
The sudden transition from the dark environment to bright daylight made James squint momentarily.
In front of him, two players were conversing with the herbalist elder, oblivious to James's presence. The elder seemed better, standing up and gesturing, as if refusing their requests.
The two players, both Level 1, had ventured into a Level 4 area, showing some guts. One was a priest, and the other a mage, both magic classes.
James took a step forward towards the elder, ready to hand in his quest.
The two players noticed him then, and their eyes widened in surprise at seeing his Level 3 status. They prided themselves on their leveling speed, even as a duo sharing experience, but a warrior had surpassed them by two levels—how was that possible?
Ignoring their confusion, James approached the elder.
"Sir, I brought what you asked for," James said.
"Really? Show me!" The elder's eyes lit up with excitement.
The two players exchanged looks of astonishment. They had tried everything to trigger the elder's quest but were constantly rebuffed. Now, seeing the elder's enthusiastic reaction to James, they were even more shocked.
James retrieved the two [ Blue Demon Flowers ] from his inventory and handed them to the herbalist elder.
Upon seeing the flowers, the elder's hands trembled with emotion. "Young man, did you retrieve these from the dungeon?"
"Yes, I believed this was what you desired most," James replied, aiming to please the NPC for a potentially better reward.
"Ah, indeed... This is exactly what I needed. You must have sacrificed a lot to get these; that place is like a deathtrap," the elder said, his gratitude mixed with a hint of guilt.
Seeing the elder's reaction, James silently conveyed an expression of enduring great hardship, hinting at the difficulties he faced.
"Good, good!" The elder nodded, storing the flowers carefully. Then, he handed James a book. "This is a family heirloom. My great-grandfather became a general by mastering this manual. Now, I pass it to you!"
The two nearby players almost shouted in surprise upon recognizing the book as a skill book, their eyes filled with disbelief.
James was equally astonished but accepted the skill book calmly.
[ You have received the quest reward (Skill Book): Decapitation! ]
[ You have received 4000 experience points! ]
**System Prompt:** Congratulations, you have leveled up!
A glow surrounded James, signaling his level up to Level 4.
The two nearby players were stunned, having just marveled at his Level 3 status, now he was Level 4—a result of completing one quest.
The herbalist elder then handed James a letter. "Young man, after your class change, go to Wangshan City and find Captain Milo. He will be grateful for your help. This is a letter of recommendation."
"Is it for treating this man?" James asked, taking the letter and sensing another quest.
"Yes," the elder sighed. "Captain Milo is an upright man, poisoned secretly, and now crippled. Young man, you have a heroic aura. I hope you can assist him."
"I will visit him soon," James promised.
"Ah, the stars foretell great unrest. The Formidable Nation is declining, with traitors in the court. This is an ominous sign," the elder said before disappearing.
James then examined the skill book in his inventory.
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Name: Decapitation
Effect: Within a 10-meter range, consumes 100 mana to deal a lethal blow. Instantly kills targets with less than 300 health or deals 200 damage to targets with more than 300 health. Cooldown: 3 minutes.
Cast Time: Instant
Proficiency: 0/1000 (increases with use, making the skill stronger)
Skill Tier: Tier 3 (Highest Tier 9)
Requirements: All warrior classes, Level 5
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James noted his current mana, which was exactly 100 due to not investing in intelligence. Each level increased his mana by 10.
Having just leveled up, James had 5 free attribute points. He decided to save them until he could equip the ring, which would give him 20 more mana, totaling 130. The skill's short cooldown made investing in intelligence worthwhile.
He allocated all points to intelligence, raising his mana by 75 (15 mana per point), reaching 175 mana. His Attack Power increased to 54 from the level-up attribute boost.