Floating Divine Wolf slew the fire serpent before him and opened the video."Impressive damage," was his initial reaction.But then, he froze."At this stage, how is anyone capable of such fluid kiting?"Floating Divine Wolf was an archer himself, and one of the most skilled among them. He understood the difficulty of performing smooth kiting in Twilight of the Gods."Which guild is he from? We need to recruit him. Offer him a ten million annual salary," Floating Divine Wolf decided after a moment of stunned silence."Alright, Guild Leader, I'll ask," came the reply.…Meanwhile, Lin Tianhao was rapidly harvesting Twisted Treants.The drop rate in Twilight of the Gods was notoriously low. After killing so many Treants, Lin Tianhao had only obtained the Resurgence Ring.Ding…Suddenly, a crisp sound signaled a drop.Treant Shoulder Guard: CommonRequirements: Level 10, All ClassesEffect: +200 HealthDurability: 100"Want this?" Lin Tianhao asked Floating Mountain."Yes, but Snow Emperor, the price can't be the same as the ring, right?""Three thousand," Lin Tianhao stated simply.Shoulder guards were common drops, so they wouldn't fetch as high a price as the ring."Deal."Money was ultimately useless in the long run. Lin Tianhao only needed it to cover his immediate expenses. Once he had enough, he would consider trading equipment for in-game items.Just then, a system notification sounded."Server Announcement: Congratulations to player Berserker Blade for being the first to reach the main city! Reward: 10 gold, 1 Black Iron-grade equipment, 10 free attribute points. This announcement serves as a commendation. May all players strive for greater heights!"The announcement repeated across the server."Whoa!" Floating Mountain checked the time. "That kid Blade actually made it to level 10 this fast.""And there's such a generous reward for being the first to leave the newbie village," he added, his voice tinged with envy.Lin Tianhao remained indifferent. The reward was insignificant to him.The newbie village was a treasure trove. Leaving it with such limited strength was a waste, and a decision many would regret later, once they learned about the hidden benefits."Snow Emperor, let's pick up the pace," Floating Mountain urged. "By the way, Snow Emperor, someone as skilled as you must belong to a guild, right?""I'm a lone wolf," Lin Tianhao replied."A lone wolf?" Floating Mountain was surprised. Lin Tianhao's skill set didn't fit the profile of a casual player.But then, he realized the likely explanation.Lin Tianhao must be an ancient god!Many veteran players who once dominated in traditional online games possessed incredible game sense, skill, and strategic thinking. But due to age, their hand speed couldn't keep up, and they were gradually phased out.Twilight of the Gods, being a full-dive VR game, was different. Everything was data-driven, negating the impact of hand speed.Seeing Lin Tianhao focused on grinding, Floating Mountain wisely refrained from further questions."Ding! You have reached level 4. Free attribute points +5."Lin Tianhao allocated all his free attribute points to attack speed, increasing it by 0.1 to 0.93.His health also increased by over a thousand, further boosting his basic attack damage.-448.-448.…He still needed five arrows to take down a Twisted Treant, but he was getting closer to achieving it with four.Floating Mountain watched Lin Tianhao level up, a mixture of envy and awe in his eyes. The lion's share of experience went to Lin Tianhao, making his own leveling progress slow."Finally," Lin Tianhao murmured, a satisfied smile appearing on his face as he spotted a new target.Twisted Treant (Elite): Level 10Health: 5700/5700Attack: 49Skills: Resurgence, Vine Spin, Vine EntangleThe elite Twisted Treants had an additional crowd control skill."Snow Emperor, should I tank it for you?" Floating Mountain offered. As a pure tank build with some decent low-level gear, he felt his stats were quite impressive."No need," Lin Tianhao replied, launching his attack.-449.-449.…The damage output was consistent, but he still needed thirteen arrows to kill an elite Treant.However, with Lin Tianhao's kiting, the Treants barely got close before falling."Ding! You have defeated an elite Twisted Treant. Experience +321."Lin Tianhao smiled. Hunting elite monsters provided a significant experience boost.Even Floating Mountain, who was in the party, received thirty-two experience points.One, two, three…Lin Tianhao's health continued to climb.At that moment, server-wide announcements began to ring out.Players from various guilds, as well as some solo players, were reaching level 10 and entering the main city.Floating Mountain watched with envy, but there was nothing he could do."My loss is just too great," he lamented.Lin Tianhao maintained his aloof demeanor, ignoring Floating Mountain's complaints.Then, another piece of equipment dropped.Treant Armor (Elite): Level 10Effect 1: +10 Magic ResistanceEffect 2: +500 HealthDurability: 100"Awesome, Snow Emperor! Is this one of the set pieces you mentioned?" Floating Mountain asked excitedly.Lin Tianhao nodded, tossing the armor to Floating Mountain. "Yes. Killing enough elite Twisted Treants will get you a full Treant set."Floating Mountain's eyes lit up. "Snow Emperor, you're the best! When you logged off earlier, I thought you'd run off with the money."Lin Tianhao's face twitched, but he didn't reply, continuing his grind.They continued for an hour.One of the good things about the newbie village was the fast monster respawn rate, which was necessary to support Lin Tianhao's relentless farming."Ding! You have reached level 6. Free attribute points +5."In just one hour, Lin Tianhao had gone from level 4 to 6, and his attack speed had increased from 0.93 to 1.13.At the same time, Lin Tianhao had obtained three more Treant set pieces, all of which he gave to Floating Mountain.A player could equip a maximum of thirteen pieces of equipment: a main weapon, boots, a chestplate, armor, a helmet, a cloak, two rings, a necklace, two shoulder guards, and two leg guards.Floating Mountain now had four pieces. He still needed nine more.This set was arguably the strongest shield-tank set available before level 20.