Tier 2 Breakthrough!

Four in the afternoon. After handing over the network administrator's machine to Sakura, I grabbed my jacket and prepared to leave work.

Lu Xiaobei was still furiously typing on her keyboard, seemingly in a one-on-one duel in the arena, her expression extremely serious.

"Lu Xiaobei, I'm off work."

"Oh."

She subconsciously replied, "Be careful on your way."

I didn't bother saying anything else and put on my jacket before heading out.

Just then, a call came in. I glanced at it and saw it was Milo's number.

"I'm awake."

"Damn it, you're awake, so what? Are you my girlfriend that you need to report in?" I was a bit speechless.

Milo chuckled, "What I mean is, buy some groceries when you pass the market and cook something. I'll go downstairs and buy a few bottles of beer, and we can have a drink?"

"That sounds great. I'll only have one bottle, don't buy too much."

So, I detoured to the market and bought some pre-prepared ingredients, like diced chicken and chili peppers. Even the oil and salt were already portioned out; I just needed to stir-fry them at home.

After returning to my place, I turned on the gas stove and started cooking.

Milo, meanwhile, was in the living room, holding his guitar, strumming and singing, exuding the aura of an artistic youth.

After the meal was ready, Milo put down his guitar, opened two bottles of wine, poured a glass for each of us, and said, "It's been a while since we ate together. Come on, the first glass has to be downed in one go."

"Alright!"

After draining our glasses, the atmosphere fell silent. Milo clearly had something to say.

I looked at him, "Luo'er?"

"Mm, Han'er."

Their terms of address sounded intimate, but in reality, they both wished they were each other's father.

"In a while, I plan to head north to pursue my dreams..."

Milo's mood seemed a bit low. "When I go, I'll leave this guitar at home for you. I have another one in the bar cabinet; this one is a bit old and goes out of tune easily."

"When exactly are you leaving?"

"In about ten days to half a month..."

Milo sounded a bit agitated. "I've already arranged to meet some friends who play music in Beihai. Once I get there, accommodation won't be a problem. After that, I'll form a band, practice for a while, and then start trying out various performances."

I nodded. "Then let's go over the lyrics and melodies again today. See if there are any other songs you want."

"Zhou Chuanxiong's 'Blue Flower,' Pu Shu's 'Those Flowers,' and 'The Ordinary Road.' See how many you remember, and we'll go over them. If we can't recall them, we'll improvise. I feel like your writing is a bit better than mine, you really need to help me with this."

"You're right, I do have a bit of a knack for writing."

"Awesome... you're getting a big head."

I chuckled, then turned serious. "Luo'er, are you planning to release 'The Ordinary Road' as your first album?"

"Mm..."

Milo continued, "As a literary youth, I actually lean more towards the style of 'The Ordinary Road.' So, after performing in BH City for a while, I plan to get a car and head northwest, to see the desert, and shoot a road MV for the song 'The Ordinary Road.' Do you think it has potential?"

"It'll probably blow up!"

I nodded. "The music standard in the Star Abyss world is really not something to brag about. The style of 'The Ordinary Road,' combined with the themes of breaking free from constraints and yearning for the distance, will resonate with many people stuck in their lives. But you also need to pay attention to promotion. Without capital behind you, even gold can't easily shine."

"I know."

Milo said, "I'll release a few songs on the popular Nine Heavens Music Network first to build up some popularity. Once I become a so-called popular online singer, then I'll plan my first album."

"Then there's no problem. I wish you success!"

"Thanks, brother!"

After finishing a bottle of wine, I was slightly tipsy but still quite clear-headed.

Milo went to work at the bar. He was reportedly singing a new song today, so he needed to rehearse beforehand. The bar owner relied on him heavily and specifically told him to get there early.

So, I sat alone in the empty living room for half an hour. After sobering up significantly, I decided I couldn't waste time and needed to complete my breakthrough quest!

Activate, launch quest!

[You have officially activated the quest 〖Proof of Courage〗 (Tier 2 Breakthrough Quest)! Quest Content: Enter the breakthrough quest map, complete the NPC's request. Quest Reward: Profession Promotion to Tier 2!]

The moment the quest was activated, a golden teleportation point "shone" onto the main map. This type of triggered quest map was the same as a dungeon, and the method of entry was identical.

The portal was only a few streets away, not too far.

Soon, I appeared in the night of Stream City. After turning a few streets, I found myself in front of a public restroom. I couldn't help but frown. What a place to choose! I endured the pungent smell that wafted towards me and stepped into the shimmering teleportation gate.

"Shua~~~"

The light flashed before my eyes, and the scene changed from night to day. A "ding-dong" sound came from my ear.

[You have entered the quest-specific map: 〖Bloody Slaughterhouse〗!]

What greeted my eyes was a map filled with blood, looking like a derelict factory. A foul, fishy stench assaulted my senses, and right at the entrance, a soldier completely covered in Power Armor turned to face me.

"Young man, this slaughterhouse has been overrun by damned bugs. If you clear out all the bugs, you'll get what you're looking for. Are you ready?"

A golden exclamation mark hovered above his head; he was clearly the quest giver.

"Mhm, I'm ready."

I nodded, entering combat stance, a submachine gun cradled in my arms.

"Go!"

He planted a chainsaw sword, its serrated gaps filled with blood and minced flesh, onto the ground. He gave me a nod and a smile, "Good luck!"

Time to kill some bugs.

As I descended the blood-stained steel stairs to the first floor, the "jeet-jeet" cries of bugs immediately filled my ears. Then, at least dozens of Nest Bugs burrowed out from the underground crevices of the slaughterhouse and charged at me without hesitation!

"Bang bang bang~~~"

The Roarer began to spray flames continuously. I held down the trigger, sweeping the swarm, while slowly retreating to avoid being surrounded. Fortunately, although these bugs were numerous, they were only level 15 with just 750 HP. Under the Roarer's barrage, they fell one after another!

"Shuuaa--"

Suddenly, my body shifted, activating Step Slash. A protective aura appeared around me as I switched my main hand weapon and cleaved into the swarm with Ground Spike Slash. The dense swarm let out squeaking sounds, and a flood of damage numbers erupted!

"873!"

"844!"

"802!"

All one-hit kills. As expected of Ground Spike Slash, its 250% damage is truly a god-tier skill for the early game. Furthermore, it's an AOE that instantly killed over a dozen Nest Bugs, also giving me time to reload.

"Kach!"

After inserting the new magazine, I continued firing, keeping the swarm at bay. Whenever I felt like I was about to be surrounded, I'd use Explosive Charge or Step Slash to break free, always maintaining my health above 80%.

A few minutes later, a pile of Nest Bug corpses lay before me. After gaining a large amount of experience, I began reloading, filling each empty magazine. It's a shame I don't have an auto-loader item; that would be awesome, at least doubling my monster-killing efficiency!

Of course, the most important thing is the weapon.

The Roarer submachine gun in my hand is currently only a Tier 1 green weapon, with a pitiful firepower of 55-70. This damage value is fixed, but if I could get a better weapon, like a Tier 2 purple Roarer, my firepower would significantly increase. Then, I could use the same amount of bullets to deal even more terrifying damage!

However, submachine guns, as primary combat weapons, are extremely rare and a source of anxiety for all players. Most players are currently wielding white or even gray submachine guns. Being able to hold a green one like me is already a rarity.

Otherwise, the average level of the top ten players on the regional level leaderboard wouldn't be so low. Someone would have likely already rushed to level 30 to challenge their Tier 3 class advancement.

Evening, 8:30 PM.

"Beep!"

A WeChat message arrived from Lu Xiaobei: "Ding Han, I'm planning to go check out the night market and grab some barbecue. Want to come?"

She sent a pitiful-looking emoji.

I replied with a hint of helplessness, "Although I'd love to come mooch off you for food and drinks, I really don't have the time. I'm busy right now."

"Fine..."

Lu Xiaobei sent a cleaver emoji and said, "What are you busy with so late at night? Don't tell me you're out partying?"

"What do you think? With the meager salary you pay me, how could I afford to party? And with my tolerance for alcohol, how could I party? I picked up a second job tonight, for survival, you know?"

Lu Xiaobei was silent for a long time before finally replying, "Once the internet cafe scales up a bit more, I'll give you a raise. Then you won't have to work two jobs."

I glanced at it, but I was busy killing bugs, so I didn't reply.

Around 11 PM.

After a long night of fighting, I finally killed all the bugs in the slaughterhouse. The quest progress bar filled up. Unfortunately, the consumption was too great; I had used up almost all of the 4,000 bullets I had just acquired throughout the night!

"Not bad!"

The unknown warrior, clad in Power Armor and wielding a chainsaw sword, with his level displayed as "???", said with a smile, "Young man, you haven't disappointed me. Not bad, quite good. Come, this is your reward!"

[Congratulations, you have completed the quest: 〖Proof of Courage〗(Tier 2 Breakthrough Quest). Your class has successfully advanced to Tier 2. Level cap increased to: Level 30!]

I made it!

I felt immensely gratified. The efforts of the entire night had finally yielded the expected results.

At this moment, the text on my character panel had changed.

[Shadow Chaser] (Starry Sky Super Weapon · Sword Specialization · Tier 2)

Finally, I'm a Tier 2 player!

My heart fluttered slightly, and I immediately opened my skill list. I saw that many skill icons were flashing with a golden "upward arrow icon." After confirming, I could upgrade my skills!

The skills that can be upgraded are all basic skills that have reached level 10. A quick glance revealed that the skills I currently possess that can be upgraded are: Basic Repair, Throwing Skill, Basic Shooting, Basic Swordsmanship, and Basic Programming. These five skills can break through their tier to increase their level.

As for Dragon Blade, Explosive Charge, Ground Spike Slash, etc., these are fixed skills and will never be upgraded.

The next moment, I started clicking to upgrade, and immediately a series of ding-dong bells rang in my ears.

[Congratulations, your skill [Basic Repair lv10] (Tier 1) has been successfully promoted to [Advanced Repair lv1] (Tier 2)!]

[Congratulations, your skill [Throwing Skill lv10] (Tier 1) has been successfully promoted to [Advanced Throwing lv1] (Tier 2)!]

[Congratulations, your skill [Basic Shooting lv10] (Tier 1) has been successfully promoted to [Advanced Shooting lv1] (Tier 2)!]

[Congratulations, your skill [Basic Swordsmanship lv10] (Tier 1) has been successfully promoted to [Advanced Swordsmanship lv1] (Tier 2)!]

[Congratulations, your skill [Basic Programming lv10] (Tier 1) has been successfully promoted to [Advanced Programming lv1] (Tier 2)!]

The instant my five major skills were upgraded to Tier 2, a vast amount of knowledge flooded my mind. In just a moment, I gained many new "poses" for various skills!