[A/N: Before starting this chapter I want to thank you all for your support!... I finally got offered contract thanks to your great support... I need more collections to rise I'm currently ranked No. 39]
—
With a flash of light, Han Jingzhi appeared in the room he had rented within the tavern in his purple robe. He stood up from the bed, Exactly at that moment, Lilith opened the door and entered, her smile warm and welcoming.
"You're back, Brother Jingzhi... Let's hurry today, we have a lot to do," she urged, her voice filled with a quiet energy. Han Jingzhi, caught off guard by her sudden arrival, nodded in agreement.
Soon they left the tavern, the bustling marketplace a whirlwind of sights and sounds. Han Jingzhi, still buzzing from his recent post he had seen on the forum, shared his plan with Lilith.
"I'm thinking of conquering the Skeleton Graveyard," he said, his voice filled with a newfound confidence. "It's a dangerous place, but I think it's the perfect way for me to advance my Soul Power."
Lilith listened intently, her eyes sparkling with a mix of amusement and approval. "It's a good idea, Brother Jingzhi. It's a challenging place, but the rewards are worth the risk. However, if I were to join you, you wouldn't gain as much from the experience. You need to face these challenges head-on to grow."
Han Jingzhi nodded, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I already have another plan regarding that."
Opening his virtual map, Han Jingzhi searched for the location of the Skeleton Graveyard. It was located on the other side of the Gresham Kingdom, meaning they needed to pass through the Gresham Kingdom gate and then travel to the other side.
Walking through the bustling crowd, Han Jingzhi and Lilith, who was still in her mask to avoid unnecessary attention, strolled through several shops like a couple buying street foods. They passed several players and adventurers who just ignored them, their eyes focused on their own quests.
As they continued, they arrived at the city gate and used a teleporter after paying a couple of gold coins. They were teleported to a location close to the Skeleton Graveyard, and as they walked along the path, they were suddenly ambushed by Shadowfang Wolf wolves.
The wolves snarled, their eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. They lunged at Han Jingzhi, its teeth bared in a vicious snarl.
"Han Jingzhi, be careful!" Lilith warned, her voice sharp with concern.
Han Jingzhi, however, was ready. He drew his Shadow Sword, its blade shimmering with a dark energy. "Shadow Movement!" he shouted using the power from the shroud, his voice filled with power. He dodged all of the Shadowfang Wolves attack as he activated multiple skills from the shroud, immediately he disappeared from the Shadowfang Wolves view and began to slaughter them as several notifications rang in his head
[System Message: Killed Copper rank stage 2 Shadowfang Wolf. Obtained 4,830 Soul Power....]
[System Message: Killed Copper rank stage 2 Shadowfang Wolf. Obtained....]
[System Message: Killed Copper stage 2 Shadowfang Wolf. Obtained....]
[System Message: You've leveled up...]
[System Message: You've...]
The Shadow Sword sliced through the air, moving with incredible speed and precision. It pierced the Shadowfang Wolf's heart, killing it instantly as the wolf's corpse plummeted to the ground, but Han Jingzhi didn't stop his sword movements. He continued to dance, slaying the two wolves that were trying to run.
[System Message: Killed Copper rank stage 2 Shadowfang Wolf. Obtained 5,254 Soul Power. +2 STR]
[System Message: Killed Copper rank stage 2 Shadowfang Wolf. Obtained 5,592 Soul Power. + 3 AGI]
Lilith, who was close by, smiled and cheered. "Brother Jingzhi's growth is simply astonishing! He's could now handle copper rank stage 2 while he's still iron rank stage 5"
[A/N: Do not forget Lilith can see his stats since they were bond partners]
Her gaze softened, tinged with a touch of regret, as she thought of what Hermes said. "If only Brother Jingzhi had started in a place rich with more Soul Power..."
She soon shook it off...
***
After slaying the last Shadowfang Wolf, Han Jingzhi felt a surge of Soul Power flowing through him. He had absorbed a significant amount from the battle and had leveled up.
"That was a good fight," Han Jingzhi said, his voice filled with satisfaction. "I feel much stronger already."
"You're progressing quickly," Lilith said, her voice filled with admiration. "You're a natural prodigy."
Han Jingzhi smiled. He was enjoying the challenge of this new world, and he was determined to become stronger.
Suddenly, Lilith turned her head, and her gaze narrowed. "Brother Jingzhi, there are people near us..."
"Hm? Are they players or NPCs?" He wondered. Probably maybe they're had the same goal as him.
"Three people... they seemed to be dressed in Gresham Kingdom knight's Armour, and they are fighting a Copper peak-level Crimson Blaze Wyvern."
"I am interested," said Han Jingzhi. "Let's go take a look."
"Alright... keep your guards up even though they don't seem dangerous"
...
Three knight, two male and a female with a crossed sword insignia belonging to the kingdom of Gresham, stood a few meters away from a giant Wyvern with red scales that had black lines spread across like burn marks from a lightning strike. Their gaze flickered continuously with fear and nervousness, and underneath their armours was a body covered in sweat. They have been fighting this Crimson Blaze Wyvern for many minutes, yet none of them was able to break through its defenses.
"Damn it! This thing's scale is as hard as steel! We need to leave now before we exhaust our Soul Power!"
"Wang is right! We cannot beat this beast with our current abilities! Let's leave before it's too late!"
The strongest among the three knight, Zhao Zhou, bit his lips as he stared at the Crimson Blaze Wyvern before him. He has already exhausted all his techniques on this beast, yet there were only scratches on the surface of its scales. "I refuse!" he suddenly shouted.
"Zhao!" The other two became anxious when they saw the stubbornness on his face.
"You two can leave, but I will stay here until either one of us dies! My life depends on defeating this Crimson Blaze Wyvern!" Zhao Zhou bit his lips until it bled, but he continued to look at the beast with narrowed eyes filled with determination. "Either I die here or I return to the Gresham Kingdom and die there! Since I will die either way, I might as well put everything on the line at this moment!"
"Then die here! I only helped you out of pity!" said the male knight before he turned to run away from the fight.
"This wouldn't be happening if you didn't offend Da Bai!" The female knight also abandoned the fight. Neither of those two was willing to risk their lives for him despite being friends for many years.
Zhao Zhou sighed at his sister's words. "Ling is right... but I couldn't ignore my heart no matter what... not even knowing that I will be offending Crown Prince Da Bai by doing so..." He lifted his sword once again to face the Crimson Blaze Wyvern. "Come, you trash!"