Walking along the paved road in the city of Deadbay, Broken carefully held Polly in his arms. The buildings in the town were composed of rectangular white stones with roofs primarily made of red bricks. Small rivers flowed through the city, dividing it into sections and eventually emptying into the sea. Vines adorned several buildings, adding to the pleasant aesthetic of the small town.
Broken strolled to the outskirts of town with Polly, intending to ask her to change to her larger form away from prying eyes. He knew that revealing Polly's appearance as a spirit beast would draw too much attention.
The bustling streets of the city gradually gave way to grassy and bushy plains near the outskirts.
"Okay, let's head to the cave to meet the miners, Polly," Broken smiled and set Polly down.
Polly lifted her head and stared at Broken, remaining silent for a few moments. "Master…" she said quietly.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm hungry," Polly explained slowly, her voice tinged with worry. "I'm afraid that if I continue to change into my battle form, I will disappear and be forced to return to the spirit world."
"Ah, I understand," Broken replied, compassion in his voice. He reached down and gently ruffled Polly's fur. "I'm sorry. You should never be afraid to tell me what you need. It's my responsibility, okay?"
"I don't want to burden you, Master."
"No… we're allies, okay? We need each other. So next time, please tell me anything you're worried about before it's too late."
"Yes, Master… thank you…"
"Let's go back to town and get you something to eat. Then we can head to the cave." He smiled reassuringly.
But then another frown appeared on his forehead. "Wait," he said, a hint of confusion in his voice. "I've never fed spirits before. Do you eat something like what humans eat?"
Polly shook her head. "No, Master, we are spirits that consume other spirits."
"Huh?" Broken was bewildered by her response. "What do you mean? Are you saying you guys are cannibals?"
"No, Master," Polly said calmly, her small eyes gazing at Broken. "Spirits encompass various forms, ranging from plants, monsters, events, places, elements, and more. To put it simply, outside the spirit world, we spirits can satisfy our hunger by feasting on the spirits of the monsters we defeat. Furthermore, we are especially fond of Monster Cores."
"Monster Cores?" Broken paused, nodding slowly. "So, by killing monsters, you can get your stomach filled. But what else do you get out of consuming Monster Cores? I mean, it's not exactly easy to get them since the chance of a monster dropping one is slim."
Polly nodded eagerly. "Monster Cores are highly valued among us spirits. They not only provide sustenance but also grant us stat points and the potential to evolve into more powerful forms.""
"I see now. Consuming Monster Cores can also make you stronger."
"Correct, Master…"
When players hunted monsters, they could obtain a variety of rewards, such as experience points. These experience points were a reliable source of progression, so players were always on the lookout for monsters to hunt. However, the amount of experience points they received diminished if the level of the monster they were hunting was too far below their own. Therefore, players often sought out higher-level monsters to maximize their experience point gain. The higher the level of the monster, the more experience points they earned.
Apart from that, monsters also dropped various items, such as meat, skin, bones, skill scrolls, recipes, blueprints, and the highly sought-after Monster Core. This core was a crystalline structure usually found at the heart of the monsters, giving them the ability to live, fight, and use skills. However, when they died, there was only a small chance that these Monster Cores were left behind, making them a rare and valuable find for anyone who managed to defeat them.
But then, there was an even rarer form of Monster Core: the Monster Soul Stone, a more powerful version.
Monster Cores could be used to craft and upgrade weapons and armor, as well as for various other purposes. Meanwhile, a Monster Soul Stone was essentially a Monster Core containing the monster's soul, making it much more valuable. In some cases, its price could be tens or even hundreds of times greater than that of a Monster Core.
"Alright," Broken nodded slowly. "We have plenty of time, so I think we can spend it hunting some monsters. I'm not in a rush."
Then, remembering something, he asked, "Oh, by the way, Polly, let me see your current stats."
Polly's eyes gleamed, and she replied, "Of course, Master. Here are my current stats."
[Name: Polly
Level: 97
Race: Nine-Tailed Fox
Health: 1570 Mana: 1896
Strength: 212 Agility: 380 Intelligence: 158 Constitution: 157 Stamina: 170]
Oh, it seemed Polly's level had skyrocketed since she first made a contract with him. Could it be because of the Unique-grade class he'd unlocked back then? Is it possible that it also had an effect on her?
"You've got more stat points than me, Polly! You're way ahead in terms of stats. Don't worry, though. We'll find plenty of monster cores and soul stones for you," he assured her. "We'll keep leveling you up so you can become even stronger."
"Yes, Master… I want to become stronger so I can be more useful to you."
"You're already very useful to me, Polly," he said, rubbing the little fox's head affectionately.
Polly had a combination of stats that were perfect for her role. Her Agility stat was extremely high, the highest among all her stats, allowing her to move swiftly and nimbly. Her Strength was also substantial, giving her significant physical damage output. To support these two stats, she had a decent Constitution and Stamina.
The stat that was least developed was Intelligence, as she didn't rely heavily on magic for her set of skills. Even so, her overall stats surpassed those of players above level 100 or even higher. When facing a level 100 player one-on-one, she had a very high chance of winning, especially against mages. Mages would struggle against Polly due to her high Magic Resistance.
Broken then scanned the area for a while, searching for the group of players he had seen heading toward the hunting ground. There were three of them, and they appeared to be in one party. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be around Level 50. He cautiously trailed them from a distance as they made their way across the expansive meadow toward a forest on the other side.
As Broken walked past the trio of players, consisting of a male warrior, a female mage, and a female archer, all of whom seemed to be in their early twenties, he paid them no heed, not even sparing them a glance.
"Look at that," the male warrior scoffed, pointing at Broken. "There's a solo player; I think he's too dumb to find any allies. Hahaha!"
The two girls next to him chuckled as their friend joked and teased Broken.
"Let him be; don't disturb him," the archer girl advised.
"Woah, he has a cute spirit beast," the mage girl added, pointing at the little fox following behind Broken.
"Ch," the male warrior scoffed. "But still, he's too foolish. Do you see his shabby clothes? I'm sure he's not even level 10 yet. He's walking into the forest like that? He's going to be dead before long."
When Broken heard the jeering, he stopped and raised his eyebrows. A vein of annoyance appeared on his face as he turned to the trio. "What's the problem if I'm a solo player?" he asked.
"Hahahaha," the warrior man guffawed. "Look at him. This foolish player is annoyed. How about we test how strong he is? Duel me, you buffoon!"