The factory grounds were swarming with low-level monsters, their glowing yellow names marking them as Level 1. None of them met the requirements for Ethan's current quest.
Guided by his memories of the past, he headed straight to the entrance of the underground facility. Blocking the way was a massive rat, its bloated body wedged in the corridor like an oversized trash can.
[Giant Rat]
Type: Rare (Unique)
Level: 3
Physical Attack: 25
Physical Defense: 10
Magic Defense: 5
Health: 300
Skills:
1. Gnaw – Bites the target, dealing 200% physical damage three times.
2. Charge – Dashes forward, dealing 100% physical damage to all enemies in its path and stunning them for 3 seconds.
Description: This rare gatekeeper monster blocks access to the underground plant. It won't attack unless provoked. Its forelimbs are weak and nearly useless, but its sheer body mass and powerful jaws make it a formidable opponent.
Ethan grimaced as he sized up the rodent, its bulk reminiscent of a compact car. In his previous life, this creature had already been defeated by the time he arrived. He'd heard stories of players being obliterated by its relentless gnawing attacks.
After scouting the surroundings, Ethan found a collapsed section of the building nearby. Among the debris, two slabs of reinforced concrete formed a narrow triangular gap, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through. Crawling inside, he noted the passage grew tighter as it went.
"Perfect. I can escape through this in my panther form," he muttered, crawling out the other sid
With his plan in place, Ethan circled behind the enormous rat. Staring at its shiny fur and twitching tail, he couldn't help but feel small in comparison.
"Alright, big guy. Let's dance."
Ethan lunged forward, slashing at the rat with his claws.
Shred.
-8 HP!
The beast squealed in pain, its massive head snapping around to locate its attacker.
Wasting no time, Ethan bolted.
His passive skill, Panther's Agility, increased his movement speed by 30%, giving him just enough of an edge to dodge the rats relentless charges. Each time it prepared to charge, its back legs dug furiously at the ground, which was a clear warning Ethan had learned to recognize.
Other classes would've been crushed into paste by now. But for Ethan, evasion was second nature to him
After leading the beast through a series of twists and turns, Ethan finally maneuvered it toward the gap he had scouted earlier. The rat's hind legs scraped against the ground, signaling another incoming charge.
This time, Ethan didn't dodge. Instead, he dove headfirst into the narrow crevice.
The rat followed, its bulk slamming into the debris. The ground trembled, and the concrete slabs above groaned ominously.
Finally, the rat's charge came to an abrupt halt. Its enormous front teeth hovered mere inches from Ethan's face, but it was well and truly stuck.
Exhaling a shaky breath, Ethan locked eyes with the rat's bloodshot gaze. It hissed and snapped its jaws, but its stubby forelimbs were useless in this position.
Backing out of the crevice, Ethan circled around to the trapped rat's exposed rear.
"Time for payback."
He launched a flurry of attacks: Shred, Swipe, Shred, Swipe.
-8 HP, -1 HP, Miss, -1 HP…
The damage numbers floated above the beast's head. They were pitifully small, but consistent. Occasionally, the rat's health would tick upward as it regenerated, but the overall trend was in Ethan's favor.
Despite the repetitive nature of his strikes, Ethan's mind began to wander. He pondered his next steps. Should he go after Zachary alone, or build a team to back him up? Revenge was tempting, but for now, leveling up took priority.
At Level 15, he could access the main city map and join other players from other regions. Until then, he'd have to make do with solo grinding.
But grinding in the usual spots? No, that would be a waste of his second chance. His memories were filled with forgotten glitches and terrain exploits. He could outsmart bosses and rare monsters that others would struggle to defeat.
And… there was Lyla. She'd make an excellent partner, especially with her ranged abilities.
A grin spread across Ethan's face as he opened his friend list and searched for her username: 'Moonbeam'.
As soon as her profile popped up, he sent her a friend request.
[You have become friends with Moonbeam. Communication is now possible]
Surprisingly, it didn't take more than a second for her to accept.
"Lyla, which starter Region are you in?" Ethan sent her a message.
"I'm in Region 1370! What about you, Ethan?"
Ethan frowned. Different starter Regions meant they couldn't team up until Level 15 when players could leave their zones.
"I'm in Region 1314. I was hoping to help you level up, but I guess that'll have to wait. Get to Level 15 quickly, and we'll meet up in the main city."
"Alright! I'll do my best!"
"Good. See you then."
Closing the chat, Ethan turned his attention back to the massive rat he'd trapped earlier. Thirty minutes of relentless attacks later, the beast let out one final squeal before collapsing in a heap.
Ding...
[System Alert:
You've slain [Giant Rat]. Overlevel kill bonus: +200% EXP. Gained 1200 EXP (including 300 bonus EXP and 600 EXP from Divine Ability multiplier).]
Ethan checked his stats. He'd jumped straight to Level 3, sitting at 8% progress. Rare monsters truly lived up to their reputation for rewarding massive experience points. Even better, his Divine Ability doubled his kill rewards. This was a indeed game-changer for rapid leveling.
With the rat dead, its enormous body shrank to the size of an ordinary rodent. Ethan rummaged through the loot it dropped, pulling out a few items:
Two Silver Coins
Reinforcement Gem Pouch (Medium)
Bronze Appraisal Scroll
Random Teleportation Scroll
Two-Handed Hammer (Unidentified)
The silver coins alone were a treasure at this stage of the game. But the standout was the Random Teleportation Scroll. It was a lifesaver in dangerous situation
Random Teleportation Scrolls had an abysmal drop rate, usually crafted by high-level Inscription Masters with even lower success rates. In the game's later stages, desperate players paid absurd amounts of gold for these one-time-use items. Ethan recalled a time when a single scroll sold for over 8000 gold at auction which wasa small fortune, even by late-game standards.
Turning to the warhammer, Ethan inspected its stats:
Heavy Warhammer
Grade: Bronze (Unidentified)
Ethan's eyebrows rose. Bronze-grade equipment was a rare find in the early game. In the world of Ethereal, gear was divided into several grades: Common, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Dark Gold, Artifact, Legendary, and Set Gear. By the time he was reborn four years into the game's lifespan, most players were still wearing Common Iron gear. Anything above Bronze required appraisal to unlock its hidden attributes.
Fortunately, he had picked up a Bronze Appraisal Scroll. Without hesitation, Ethan used it on the warhammer.
Ding...
The Heavy Warhammer glowed.
[Heavy Warhammer (Bronze)]
Required Level: 3
Attack: 12–16
Special Attribute: Has a chance to deal +7% bonus damage per attack.
Usable by: Warrior, Paladin, Druid.
Ethan's lips curled into a smile. A weapon with bonus damage was considered top-tier at this level. It might not have the highest base attack, but its attribute made it far more valuable.
Excited, he opened the reinforcement gem pouch and extracted seven reinforcement stones. He reached into his inventory for the item that had been his curse and salvation in his past life: the Wishbound Relic.
The relic hummed with energy as Ethan began reinforcing the warhammer. Each attempt consumed one reinforcement stone, accompanied by the mechanical whir of the relic and a cheerful chime.
Ding...
[Congratulations! Your Heavy Warhammer (Bronze)] has been reinforced to +1.]
Ding...
[Congratulations! Your Heavy Warhammer (Bronze)] has been reinforced to +2.]
…
Ding...
[Congratulations! Your Heavy Warhammer (Bronze)] has been reinforced to +7.]
Ethan couldn't help but laugh, basking in the thrill of success. There was nothing quite like the rush of a successful gear upgrade. It was a joy only gamers could understand.
With the last of his reinforcement stones used, Ethan examined the final stats of his upgraded weapon:
[Heavy Warhammer +7 (Bronze)]
Attack: 20–27
Holding the warhammer in his hands, Ethan felt like a new man. His base attack had skyrocketed from 2–6 to 20–31.
Druids, known for their adaptability, automatically adjusted their attack stats depending on their current weapon and form. While long spears were the preferred choice for their accuracy bonuses, this warhammer would do nicely for now.
Ethan grinned, gripping the weapon tightly. "Alright, let's see if any monster can stand up to this."
If one strike didn't finish them off, two certainly would.
___
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