Shen Mo perused the forum, where he discovered that the normal cooldown for Blade Storm was five minutes, lasting only three seconds.
Although it appeared impressive, in reality, it was of little practical use. Compared to other warrior-class abilities, it was practically useless.
D*mn! He'd gotten quite the bargain.
Nonetheless, Shen Mo's mind began to churn, realizing that he needed to visit the various professional forums more frequently, keeping an eye out for these seemingly "useless" skills.
After a full day of activity, Shen Mo was exhausted. He turned off the light and quickly drifted into a peaceful slumber.
Before dawn the next day, Shen Mo was abruptly woken by Jiang Yixian's relentless calling.
Still half asleep, he picked up the phone and groggily muttered, "What's up with you? Why are you so hyper at this hour?!"
Jiang Yixian's excited voice rang out, "Hurry up! The monsters in the newbie dungeon are much easier to kill now, and there's no one else around! Just use your beacon and come here!"
Shen Mo had intended to go back to sleep, but before he could say another word, Jiang Yixian had already hung up.
"D*mn!"
If the monsters in the newbie village were easy to kill, then it might be a good opportunity to grind for attributes. It was also a perfect chance to try out his new skill.
Still not fully awake, Shen Mo staggered toward the newbie dungeon.
He took out his beacon, activated it, and placed his hand on the obelisk.
A dizzying sensation swept over him, and he found himself in an unfamiliar area.
Shaking his head, he thought, Maybe my portal is more reliable. Sure, it might drop me into a pit... but at least it doesn't make me dizzy!
"Shen Mo! Over here!"
Following the sound of the voice, Shen Mo soon spotted a tall figure.
"Did you take some kind of stimulant? Why are you up so early?!"
Jiang Yixian pointed toward a spot not far off. To Shen Mo's surprise, there were several students stationed by a monster nest.
"They've already taken over that place. The noble families got here first. Us common folk... well, we have to wake up early."
Shen Mo peered at the group of students guarding a hole leading downward. There were three or four of them, some sitting, some standing, with only a few patrolling. It seemed they had been there all night.
"So, what do we do? Go back to the Goblin world? Why squeeze in here with them?"
Jiang Yixian sighed. "That place is too dangerous. When the Goblins show up, it's like an entire army. Who can handle that?"
After a moment's reflection, Shen Mo realized that Jiang Yixian had a point. He activated his investigative skill and surveyed the strange beasts scattered nearby.
Their sleek bodies resembled those of leopards, but their heads were like giant flowers, four-petaled and with spiral serrated edges when fully opened. They were pure white, resembling dry bones, and as adults, they grew double tails that could shoot bone spikes. These were known as "Skeleton Flower Demons."
In the newbie dungeon, it was rare to see adults; most were at the juvenile stage, no higher than level 2, and easily defeated with minimal attention.
"One, two, three..." Shen Mo plotted a course, then took a step back and instructed Jiang Yixian, "Don't move. Let me handle this."
He cleared his throat and pulled out his large shield and one-handed hammer.
Jiang Yixian stared, dumbfounded. What's he up to now?!
His outfit was completely different from last night. What exactly was this "Universal Master" class?
Shen Mo's strategies seemed to change on a whim.
However, Jiang Yixian guessed that it might be something akin to a Paladin class.
Paladins were support-oriented, with strong defensive and offensive skills, as well as the ability to use some magic spells. But most Paladins specialized in providing buffs for their teammates.
Hmm, maybe Shen Mo found another skill scroll? If that's the case, his efficiency will go up a lot with those buffs.
But instead of buffing himself like a typical Paladin, Shen Mo suddenly cleared his throat and shouted, "Blade Storm!"
Blade Storm?! What the hell is this?! He's holding a one-handed hammer, not a sword! How is he even going to use Blade Storm...
To Jiang Yixian's astonishment, Shen Mo spun, and a whirlwind of blades appeared around him.
Wait—what?! It really worked?!
Though the skill lasted only three seconds and had a long cooldown, it seemed like a useless gimmick. It was one of those "useless" skills he had read about.
But then, two seconds later, Shen Mo shouted again, "Blade Storm!"
What?! Did he just reset the cooldown?!
"Blade Storm!""Blade Storm!"...
Shen Mo spun, leading the Skeleton Flower Demons in a chase behind him.
Normally solitary creatures, the Skeleton Flower Demons were now trailing after him in a pack. Thankfully, they were all still in their juvenile forms, level 1.
If even one adult with double tails had appeared, Shen Mo could have been pierced by bone spikes and turned into a pincushion...
Jiang Yixian was stunned. Who exactly is the tank here? This guy is clearly mocking me!
"Xian'er, grab the aggro!"
Shen Mo made a wide circle, gathering about ten monsters.
One by one, the pale skeletal bodies of the demons lunged at Shen Mo, their jagged mouths opening wide.
But as they charged, Shen Mo continued to spin...
Each time they tried to bite at his shield, they were either blocked or struck with the hammer.
Jiang Yixian, watching in awe, was learning a new way of fighting, but facing such a large group of monsters, he didn't dare to feel as carefree as Shen Mo.
"Shield Wall!""Defensive Boost!"
A faint yellow glow enveloped Jiang Yixian's body, making him appear even more imposing than before. His armor now glinted with metallic brilliance.
"Taunt!"
A deep, resonant sound wave spread out, causing the demons to momentarily falter before they swarmed toward Jiang Yixian.
Seeing this, Shen Mo put away his shield and pulled out his Thunder Beam Staff.
"Blade Storm!""Thunderbolt Beam!"
As he spun, lightning crackled around him, and the Thunder Beam rained down.
The sound of thunder clashed with the hammer's strikes on the demons, and within moments, the fragile level 1 demons were eliminated with ease.
[Killed: Skeleton Flower Demon][Mimic's Touch Activated][Attribute Gained: Agility +1]
Hmm, the Skeleton Flower Demon is both Strength and Agility-based... not bad!
[Killed: Skeleton Flower Demon][Mimic's Touch Activated][Attribute Gained: Strength +1]
Ah, another boost! This creature is surprisingly useful!
[Killed: Skeleton Flower Demon][Mimic's Touch Activated][Gained Talent: Night Stalker: S-level Passive: Grants night vision and increased movement speed in low-light environments.]
Huh? This is pretty good! Now I won't need to worry about night ambushes. I can just make a quick escape!
The haul from this round was impressive. Shen Mo once again admired his attribute panel:
Name: Shen MoLevel: Lv. 2Experience: 47%Strength: 30Agility: 23Mind: 8Physique: 6Class: Universal MasterClass Level: SSClass Rarity: Unique Hidden ClassClass Category: LifestylePassives: SS-level: All-Knowing, S-level: Night Stalker, E-level: Basic Goblin Combat TechniquesSkills: SS-level: Mimic's Touch Lv. 1, E-level: Greedy Plunder Lv. 2, C-level: Blade Storm Lv. 1
Given normal progression speed, my Strength and Agility are already at a level 20+ range... this is happening too fast...
Moreover, Blade Storm benefits from both Strength and Agility. The higher the Strength, the greater the attack; the higher the Agility, the better the skill's efficiency during its duration.
But honestly, efficiency doesn't matter much to me...