After browsing the forums for a while and finding nothing particularly interesting, Ethan logged out of the interface and returned to grinding. Not long after, a global announcement echoed across the game:
"Global Announcement: Congratulations to the player Jeremy for successfully transferring to the Archer class. As the first player to transfer to the Archer class, the system rewards 500 Prestige, 20 Gold Coins, and one class-specific skill book. This announcement is hereby broadcast!"
"Hmm, someone transferred already? Aren't people struggling with the Silver Wolf King? Could it be from my novice village?" Ethan thought. "This is the first player besides me to hit the announcements. Finally, someone to help share the heat!"
Barely ten minutes later, another announcement rang out:
"Global Announcement: Congratulations to the player Sophia Mueller for successfully transferring to the Mage class. As the first player to transfer to the Mage class, the system rewards 500 Prestige, 20 Gold Coins, and one class-specific skill book. This announcement is hereby broadcast!"
"Not bad, that girl," Ethan remarked, slightly surprised. "Even with the teleportation array fixed, there aren't many level 10 players across the server yet. For her to claim the first Mage transfer shows she's got some serious skill."
Shortly after, yet another notification came through:
"Global Announcement: Congratulations to the player Bobby Smith for successfully transferring to the Warrior class. As the first player to transfer to the Warrior class, the system rewards 500 Prestige, 20 Gold Coins, and one class-specific skill book. This announcement is hereby broadcast!"
Hearing the consecutive announcements, Ethan chuckled to himself. "Maybe I should start charging them teleportation fees."
Meanwhile, players in other novice villages couldn't hide their envy:
"Ah! Why wasn't I born in the same novice village as the pro Ethan?"
"This is so unfair! We're busting our backs trying to take down the Silver Wolf King, and they've got a free ride."
"Man, this is just depressing. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound!"
At that moment, Dominion's Elite, under the command of Sovereign, was battling the Silver Wolf King. Following Ethan's advice, they had spent a fortune on potions, including the 30% Health Boost Potion and Instant Recovery Potions. The situation stabilized, but the cost was astronomical. They had nearly bought out every available currency in their novice village, driving the value of copper coins up to two dollars each.
Behind the main battle group of Dominion's Elite, over a thousand players stood ready to intercept the summoned wolves. Their job was to ensure that the reinforcements wouldn't interfere with the main team's fight. After over an hour of grueling combat, the massive Silver Wolf King finally fell.
Sovereign quickly gathered the loot and barked orders: "Absolute and Lonepeak, you both leveled up just now, right? Hurry to the village! The first transfer rewards for Shieldbearer and Cleric are still up for grabs!"
After returning to the novice village, they found the village elder busily repairing the teleportation array, an expression of intense focus on his face. At that moment, another global announcement rang out:
"Global Announcement: Congratulations to the player Celestial Bloom for successfully transferring to the Cleric class. As the first player to transfer to the Cleric class, the system rewards 500 Prestige, 20 Gold Coins, and one class-specific skill book. This announcement is hereby broadcast!"
"Celestial Bloom isn't from 8365 Novice Village, is she?" Absolute asked, puzzled.
"No, it seems another guild beat us to it," Sovereign replied, frowning.
Celestial Bloom was a name well-known across the gaming world. She was the leader of Ethereal Blossoms, a renowned all-female guild that consistently ranked in the top ten gaming guilds globally. Despite its exclusivity, the guild's members were highly skilled.
"I never expected the famed Celestial Bloom, known as the first Grand Mage, to choose the Cleric class. I wonder if it's for the first-transfer rewards or if her talent suits the role," Lonepeak mused.
The village elder completed the teleportation array just as they finished their conversation. The trio immediately stepped into the circle and selected Golden Ridge City as their destination. Shortly afterward, another global announcement resounded:
"Global Announcement: Congratulations to the player Lonepeak for successfully transferring to the Shieldbearer class. As the first player to transfer to the Shieldbearer class, the system rewards 500 Prestige, 20 Gold Coins, and one class-specific skill book. This announcement is hereby broadcast!"
With this, all six first-transfer rewards had been claimed. To the astonishment of players across the server, 8365 Novice Village accounted for four of the six slots. Apart from Jeremy, the other three players were previously unknown figures. It was a stark reminder of how advantageous it was to share a starting point with a powerhouse like Ethan.
"Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up. Health +40, Mana +20, Agility +2. You have gained 10 free attribute points. Please allocate them wisely."
While most players were grinding relentlessly to level up, Ethan sighed upon hearing the notification. "Already leveled up? These level 16 mobs give ridiculous amounts of experience." Even with 20% of his experience shared with Silverfang, Ethan was still gaining levels at a breakneck pace. Each Goblin granted 216 experience points, meaning he had leveled up after defeating just 129 of them, including the first three kills.
"Guess it's time to find stronger mobs again," Ethan muttered, leaving his attribute points unallocated for now. "No rush—I'll figure out what I need later."
Killing 129 Goblins had brought his poison damage to a terrifying 152 points per second, capable of draining over 9,000 health in a minute. Immortal Physique had boosted his health by 129 points, bringing his total HP to 2,079. His Agility had reached 120, and his experience bar now showed 86/40,000.
The loot from the Goblins was unexpectedly generous, yielding eight pieces of equipment. The drop rate seemed significantly higher than in the novice village, possibly due to higher monster levels, his increased Luck, or both. The most astonishing find was a piece of Black Iron gear:
[Wolf Fang Club]
Quality: Black Iron Tier
Physical Attack +60
Ignore Defense +4%
Bonus Attributes: Strength: +15
Class Requirement: Warrior
"Great stats! With no level requirement, just a class restriction, this will fetch a high price for sure. I'll wait until more players arrive in the main city before listing it for sale."
The remaining seven items were level 16 white-tier gear. They were useless to Ethan and would likely only sell to the system's NPC shops. He suspected only white-tier equipment had level requirements, while other gear might only have class restrictions.
What thrilled Ethan even more was the progress of his pet, Silverfang. Despite receiving only 20% of the shared experience, it had reached level 8 after killing just over a hundred Goblins. Its attributes had grown significantly:
[Silverfang] Pet
Aptitude: A
Level: 8
Health: 8,200
Mana: 900
Physical Attack: 260
Physical Defense: 186
Magical Defense: 93
Speed: 40
While Silverfang's stats were decent, it couldn't yet join battles due to the large level gap between it and the mobs Ethan was fighting. For now, it remained a passive experience sponge.
Just as Ethan prepared to push deeper into the Goblin Plains, his phone rang. Sighing, he reluctantly logged off to answer it. If only he had a gaming pod, he could connect his phone directly without interruptions.
After removing his headset, Ethan checked the caller ID. Seeing the name, he smiled—a rare expression for him these days. He answered the call.
"Hey, big brother…" came a hesitant voice from the other end.
"What's wrong, Ziyin?" Ethan asked gently.
"Um… Could you send me some money? I know you don't have much, but I…"
"Sure, I'll transfer it right away," Ethan interrupted before she could finish, his tone firm and decisive. He didn't need an explanation.
Since their parents had passed away, Ziyin was his only family. Back then, he could only manage to send her 1,000 dollars a month from his meager salary. She had always been frugal, often taking on part-time jobs to make ends meet. This was the first time she had ever directly asked him for money.
After hanging up, Ethan immediately transferred 20,000 dollars to her account. He'd wanted to send more but worried it might make her overthink things.