The heat intensifies as I venture deeper towards the heart of the desert. Despite the harsh conditions I inch forward. At one point the navigation map loses signal and shuts down and I am now left with no choice but to keep venturing further with my little memories from my past life of the land ahead.
Finally, I see a row of obelisks covered in cryptic runes and faintly glowing symbols towering above the sand which signals I am now at the heart of the desert. As I approached, I encounter a group of players scattered around, attempting to solve the mystery of the runes and symbols. They must be yet another group of idiots fooled by the myth and are now trying to find the "hidden reward" from this desert. I recall in my 4 years of playing Realmshaper III past life that no one has ever managed to find a single clue on the mysterious item that was apparently hidden in this desert. There's no point in wasting time here.
Ignoring the other players I focus on the creature lurking on the shifting sand. Sand scorpions, as vicious and stealthy as they seem, never attack unless provoked. This protective mechanic only appeared in the beta version where players were still exploring the map and familiarizing themselves with the features.
And this is exactly why I chose to grind levels here. With the 250% attack boost from Dark Strike, I could easily one shot most of the lower-leveled sand scorpions with 100% accuracy, given it's a lock-on skill. The 30% health cost can also be made up with the health potions I stocked from the equipment store. The only minor drawback is the 2 minute cooldown, but I can use this time to locate my next target to ensure no time is wasted.
*Reference for readers who may have skipped previous chapters (Dark strike: Sacrifice 30% of current health. Next attack will be a single target lock-on strike dealing 250% of your attack. If the target player/creature/boss is slain, player will receive 3 additional dark orbs in addition to the dark orbs dropped based on their level.)
I took a deep breath and activate Dark Strike, feeling the drain of health. I lock onto a lvl 5 sand scorpion. With a swift motion I strike at it. Without time to react, the sand scorpion disintegrates into 4 dark orbs which I collect instantly. The adrenaline from the successful kill pumps through me as I quickly drink 2 health potions restoring all my missing health.
System Notice: Player UwUE-kitten has slain creature Sand Scorpion (lvl 5) and gained 545 exp. Level increased from 5 → 6
Other players who were previously staring at the obelisks are now glancing at me nervously whispering among themselves. My ability to one-shot the sand scorpion of the same level as me clearly intimidates them as they keep their distance.
Looking around I see roughly 200 sand scorpions scattered around me at all different directions. Well then, let the fun begin, I exclaim with a smirk on my face.
And with that, the cycle continues: activate Dark Strike, eliminate a sand scorpion, collect dark orbs and restore health with potions. Each strike brings me closer to the goals that I am determined to achieve this life.