"Well..."
After a while, the blacksmith pondered, then said, "Brave warrior, I truly need your help."
Su Bai's eyes lit up, and he immediately responded, "Just tell me!"
"Well, my quenching liquid is running low. I need some red-eyed rabbit eyes to make more. They're in the red grassland, not far from the village."
"Will you help me?"
As soon as the blacksmith finished speaking, a system prompt appeared before Su Bai, asking if he wanted to accept the quest.
Of course, the answer was yes!
"Ding! You have accepted the quest from the blacksmith in Novice Village: [Hunt red-eyed rabbits]"
[Hunt red-eyed rabbits]
Difficulty: F
Objective: Collect 20 red-eyed rabbit eyes.
Progress: 0/20
Reward: Experience +300, Silver Coins +3
No equipment reward this time, but the quest offered decent experience and silver coins.
After receiving the quest, Su Bai left the blacksmith's shop and went to the tailor's, where he received another mission: kill 20 demonic cats corrupted by dark energy and collect their skins. This was an E-level difficulty quest, with rewards of 500 experience points, 3 silver coins, and a piece of Cat Demon Armor.
His next stop was a dilapidated bar where only a few villagers sat drinking. There, Su Bai received yet another task: kill goblins and collect 10 Goblin Hearts. The rewards were decent, including intermediate potions and 500 experience points.
With all these tasks in hand, Su Bai realized the gravity of what lay ahead. Despite his growing excitement, there was a flicker of doubt. He wasn't just doing this for rewards; every monster he faced was a step in his evolution as a warrior.
Su Bai spent 10 silver coins on potions. He bought 10 bottles of energy and 10 bottles lower life potions.
[ Life Potion]
Grade: Low Common
Quality: Common
Effect: Restores 50 HP over 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 15 seconds.
[Energy Potion]
Grade: Low Common
Quality: Common
Effect: Restores 30 Energy over 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 15 seconds.
A few minutes later, he arrived at the red grassland, where numerous red-eyed rabbits wandered. They were about half his height, each carrying a large stick. Su Bai couldn't help but smile nervously. It was his first real test outside of village confines, and he could feel the tension in his muscles.
"Time to see what I'm really capable of," he muttered to himself, as if reassuring his resolve.
To be cautious, Su Bai decided to test the waters by using the explore skill on one of the rabbits.
[Despicable Red-Eyed Rabbit]
Grade: LV3
Type: Normal Monster
HP: 1000
Physical Attack: 43
Skill: Rabbit Hits Peach
Affix: A despicable creature. Watch out for its stick!
"43 attack? That could one-shot me!" Su Bai whispered, now fully alert. Clicking on the skill description, his eyes widened in disbelief.
[Rabbit Hits Peach]
Grade: LV1
Cooldown: 20 seconds
Effect: 250% normal attack damage with a chance for critical. Aims for lower body.
Su Bai swallowed hard. "This rabbit really fights dirty."
Despite his nervousness, Su Bai decided to proceed. He grabbed a nearby stone and threw it, catching the attention of a red-eyed rabbit. The creature roared and charged at him, eyes glowing with fury. Its large stick swung toward him, aiming low.
"Here we go!"
Dodging to the side, Su Bai avoided the initial strike and countered with a sword thrust. His instincts kicked in, and his blade found a weak spot on the rabbit's neck.
-178 Weakness Crit!
The rabbit froze, then let out a shrill cry as it swung again, though its movements were sluggish. Su Bai dodged with ease, landing another critical hit.
As he fought, Su Bai noticed how much smoother his movements were compared to before. It wasn't just luck anymore. He was adapting, learning to anticipate the enemy's attacks. With each successful dodge and strike, his confidence grew, but so did his awareness.
The Final Blow
After a few more exchanges, Su Bai landed a final blow.
-179 Weakness Crit!
The red-eyed rabbit collapsed, awarding him 60 experience points and some loot. Picking up two rabbit eyes and a few copper coins, Su Bai let out a deep breath.
"Not bad… but I need to be more cautious moving forward," he whispered, glancing at the remaining rabbits in the field.
With each rabbit slain, Su Bai's proficiency grew.
his movements became more fluid, his attacks more precise. After defeating five more rabbits, a golden light enveloped him—he had leveled up to LV2.
With 5 free attribute points to spend, Su Bai forcefully added them all in. "As long as I kill everyone before they kill me, I'll be fine," he mused, smiling.
At this moment, Su Bai began to feel the excitement of the journey that awaited him from now on. There was a subtle understanding growing within him: the stakes were real. He couldn't depend on game mechanics forever. He knew that good players depend on the game mechanics, but the best ones form their own fighting style.
Su Bai knew that this was just the beginning. The real battles were yet to come and he would need to improve much more than just his stats to survive them.