"Spit!"Shen Mo spat out the dirt in his mouth and slowly rose to his feet.The ground was a vast pit, surrounded by decaying leaves, and the sky above was minuscule...No! This was a trap!"Ah..."Suddenly, there was movement nearby!Shen Mo, ever alert, drew his wand and aimed it at the dark shape beside him, carefully examining it. "Jiang Yixian?!""Where are we?" Jiang Yixian rubbed his eyes, standing at nearly two meters tall, surveying the trap, then rising...Only to realize the pit was just up to his neck. With ease, he vaulted over it and escaped."Hey, hey, help me out!"Jiang Yixian scanned the surroundings but saw no immediate danger, and extended a hand down.After helping Shen Mo out, the two of them prepared to arm themselves.Their starting equipment consisted of E-grade armor—Jiang Yixian, a shield warrior, was clad in iron plate.As for Shen Mo, he wore leather armor, wielded a longsword at his side, and held an iron shield and a wand...This combination made it impossible to tell what exactly he was...Hmph! Were it not for Shen Mo's lack of attributes, he'd have definitely opted for heavy armor!"Shh!"Jiang Yixian crouched, alert, and immediately ducked into the nearby grass, pulling Shen Mo with him.Before long, a group of goblin-like creatures appeared.They were short, hunched, with sharp ears and long faces, their bodies a sickly green, reeking of rot.Seeing these creatures, Shen Mo immediately cast Detect.[Goblin][Level: 1]Shen Mo grinned wickedly. Level 1?No wonder they were so weak! Brothers, it's time for slaughter!He drew his wand, the tip crackling with lightning.Crack!A lightning bolt struck down from the sky, hitting one goblin square on the head.The creature staggered, then collapsed to the ground, lifeless.Shen Mo let out a hearty laugh, placing his hands on his hips as he emerged from the grass.The goblins, seeing the sudden attack, drew their short knives and surrounded the two of them."Ahhh..."The goblins muttered in their guttural tongue, but none dared to charge forward.Shen Mo decided to strike while they hesitated and take their lives.Crack!Another lightning bolt fell, and the second goblin fell.No wonder mages were so sought after! Shen Mo was starting to understand why.With magic, a group of goblins was hardly a challenge.Jiang Yixian, shield raised, stood back-to-back with Shen Mo, on high alert, his eyes scanning the surroundings.Shen Mo opened his status panel:[Name: Shen Mo][Level: 1][Experience: 10%]Level 1 was easy to gain—each kill gave him 5% experience, not bad!"Do you have any experience?"Jiang Yixian nodded, indicating that the experience was shared.But soon, Shen Mo realized something was off. "Why aren't these goblins retaliating?"This was too strange; their comrades had just been killed, yet they were only on guard...Shen Mo remained cautious, "There must be traps around. These might just be a scout patrol, probably..."A deep, mournful horn sounded, echoing through the forest...Boom! Boom! Boom!"It's the war drums!"Shen Mo quickly stowed his wand and drew his longsword. Though the wand was powerful, there was a delay in casting the lightning bolt, just long enough for enemies to strike.If a larger force arrived, that one second could cost him his life!"Break through!"Jiang Yixian shouted and charged forward, shield raised, with all his strength. The goblins, weak in stature, were no match for his ferocity.Shen Mo, instinctively, swung his sword at the goblins closing in on them.They fought their way through, leaving countless goblins fallen behind them.[Experience: 40%]A goblin army was now hot on their heels.They rode strange hounds, wielding jagged swords, barking orders as they gave chase.Shen Mo glanced back and cast Detect again.[Goblin Warrior][Level: 3][Rock Hound][Level: 3]This level was enough to earn him an upgrade with just one kill.He had heard that leveling up could grant new abilities."Shall we take a gamble?""What are you up to now?!"Shen Mo pointed to a dilapidated wooden hut ahead. "Over there."Jiang Yixian glanced back, seeing the goblin army closing in. He knew that fleeing aimlessly would only tire them out."Go!"Jiang Yixian charged, smashing his shield into the face of a rock hound. The creature staggered, crashing into a goblin knight beside it.Shen Mo, by chance, knocked a goblin knight off his mount with his shield.The two reached the hut without further incident, scrambling up the stairs to the second floor. They knocked over some clutter, turning the staircase into a narrow, defensible bottleneck.With the hut as cover, the goblin knights lost their speed advantage. Shen Mo grinned and pulled out his lightning wand again.Crack!The lightning struck, but a goblin warrior dodged it.Sure enough, level 3 was much quicker than level 1.Clang!A few long swords clashed against Jiang Yixian's shield, but Shen Mo decided to switch tactics. He stowed the shield, drawing his longsword in one hand and his wand in the other.He took advantage of a momentary lapse in the goblins' focus, stabbing the lead warrior in the right leg. The goblin stumbled and tumbled down the stairs.Shen Mo raised his wand again.Crack!Another bolt of lightning struck, killing the goblin.[Name: Shen Mo][Level: 2][Experience: 0%][Skill Gained: Mimic's Touch][Mimic's Touch Lv. 1: SS-class Skill: Upon defeating or killing an enemy, randomly copy one of their skills, traits, passives, or attributes. Only one effect can be copied from a single target.]He had leveled up? Mimic's Touch—this was a powerful skill![Goblin Warrior Killed][Mimic's Touch Activated][Skill Gained: Greedy Plunder Lv. 1][Greedy Plunder Lv. 1: E-class Skill: After defeating an enemy, gain a chance to loot additional resources or equipment.]Shen Mo's eyes lit up!He had heard that in the new player dungeons, most players would only gain experience, with little to show for it otherwise.But this... this was fantastic! The new skills were stacking—one skill building upon another!He grinned widely, shouting, "Let's wipe them out!"Taking advantage of the terrain, the goblin riders lost their edge.All the goblins rushed to climb the stairs, while the rock hounds were eager to avenge their masters.The narrow stairs became even more crowded, and this worked to Shen Mo and Jiang Yixian's advantage.They used their shields to block attacks, then seized the opportunity to counterattack.With Shen Mo wielding his A-grade weapon, level 3 enemies were no match for them.[Rock Hound Killed][Mimic's Touch Activated][Attribute Gained: Agility +1]...[Rock Hound Killed][Mimic's Touch Activated][Attribute Gained: Agility +1]...[Goblin Warrior Killed][Mimic's Touch Activated][Attribute Gained: Strength +1]...[Goblin Warrior Killed][Mimic's Touch Activated][Attribute Gained: Strength +1]...[Goblin Warrior Killed][Mimic's Touch Activated][Attribute Gained: Strength +1]...