Blue Silver Grass? Am I Afraid of You?

Having plundered the entire Minotaur tribe, Xu Kun looked at his new stat panel.

ID: Kun

Talents: Myriad Races Bestiary (F-Grade), Minotaur Strength (F-Grade)

Level: 5

Class: None

Strength: 53

Spirit: 40

Stamina: 40

Agility: 40

Willpower: 40

Luck: Max

Physical Attack: 190

Magical Attack: 140

Health Points: 875

Energy Points: 700

Physical Defense: 140

Magical Defense: 140

Health Regeneration: 8/S out of combat, doubled when meditating

Energy Regeneration: 8/S out of combat, doubled when meditating

Hit Rate: Based on target's evasion

Evasion Rate: Based on target's hit rate

Attack Speed: Normal

Movement Speed: 5.2M/S

Special Attributes: Fire Attribute Attack 160, Fire Attribute Resistance 60 (Dragon Body and Set immunity calculated separately)

Equipment: A-Grade (Supreme Blazing Spirit Set), E-Grade (Minotaur Gloves)

Skills: SSS-Grade (Unyielding Starfire), A-Grade (Explosive Fireball, Wildfire), B-Grade (Charge), F-Grade (Quick Strike, Spirit of Grass, Bleed, Paralysis Venom, Trample)

After clearing all the monsters in the Level 1-5 area, Xu Kun's stats had improved significantly, to say the least!

The blessings of the five basic gods granted Xu Kun the base stat bonus of a normal Level 10 trial participant upon reaching Level 5.

Although his original stats started from zero after reallocating points to Luck, the Supreme Blazing Spirit Set's powerful attributes were more than enough to compensate!

With a Physical Attack as high as 190 and Health Points reaching 875, it's clear that ordinary people wearing the newbie three-piece set would struggle to achieve such high stats before class advancement!

However, Xu Kun showed no joy at these figures, which far exceeded the basic stats of ordinary people!

All comparisons were based on the assumption that others didn't have talent bonuses!

He was well aware of his weaknesses. While the Myriad Races Bestiary had infinite potential, it currently only provided an all-stats +1 bonus, the same as what he got from reallocating his initial stat points!

It wasn't even as good as the Minotaur Strength bonus he had just obtained!

His math teacher had already explained the logical progression between normal talent grades!

In simple terms, after excluding some special talents and affixes, the difference between common talent grades could be divided by growth ratios!

F-Grade talent grants a 5% bonus, E-Grade 10%, D-Grade 20%, C-Grade 40%, B-Grade 80%, A-Grade 160%!

S-Grade is 320%!

SS-Grade is 640%!

The highest, SSS-Grade, is 1280%!

These bonuses can apply to the five basic stats: Strength, Spirit, Stamina, Willpower, and Agility, or to the panel stats like Physical Attack, Magical Attack, Physical/Magical Defense, and elemental attributes!

For example, a normal Level 5 Human Race member with a base stat of 10 that increases to 15 upon reaching Level 5, an SSS-Grade talent holder would have a stat of 15 * 12.8 = 192!

If this bonus applied to Strength, that person's Physical Attack would reach an astonishing 384!

Far higher than Xu Kun's current Physical Attack!

And this doesn't even account for the affix bonuses that begin with A-Grade talents!

Even an SSS-Grade talent holder in a full set of newbie equipment could easily take down the Minotaur Chieftain at Level 5, relying solely on their stat panel!

With the Supreme Blazing Spirit Set, Xu Kun's Physical Attack and Health Points could barely match the 640% bonus of an SS-Grade talent holder, and the gap would only widen with higher levels!

The advantage of A-Grade and above talent holders lies in the various affixes their talents carry, especially if those affixes are combat-oriented, making their monster-killing speed definitely not slow!

Xu Kun's advantage, however, lies in the special skills and set attributes of his A-Grade set!

Especially the Wrath of the Fire Dragon special skill, which provided unparalleled efficiency in clearing entire areas of monsters. Even SSS-Grade talent holders, in Xu Kun's estimation, couldn't match the terrifying monster-killing speed of Wrath of the Fire Dragon in the early stages!

The price to pay was the damage to materials that made Xu Kun's heart ache...

The remaining advantage lies in Xu Kun's arsenal of skills!

The SSS-rank skill [Unyielding Starfire] has certain limitations, so Xu Kun doesn't dare use it casually. After all, each release consumes all of his Starfire Imprints. If he hadn't encountered a boss, Xu Kun would have considered saving it as a trump card. If he wasted it on a small monster and then encountered a boss, that would just be a waste of time!

Just now, he killed the boss first, then used the cooled-down [Wrath of the Fire Dragon] to clear the screen, allowing the 100-layer Starfire Imprint to stack up again, giving Xu Kun confidence once more!

On the contrary, the two A-grade skills were the ones Xu Kun used most frequently to kill monsters, a single-target burst and a small-area clear, which Xu Kun used with masterful proficiency!

After fighting through five monster zones, each with monsters of increasing levels, Xu Kun had also gained quite a few other skills!

[Quick Strike] is a favorite among high-level melee classes, and it stands out among B-grade skills. Naturally, it has its unique advantages. The remaining 5 F-grade skills each have their own characteristics, and when coordinated well, they should not be underestimated!

"Currently, my greatest asset is this set of equipment. Whether it's the stat bonuses or the special skills, they're my biggest advantage when killing monsters!"

"But those high-level Awakened ones each have their own special skills, and their monster-killing speed is definitely not slow. It's still a long and arduous road to get into the SSS-grade Completion Heavenly Rankings!"

The value of low-level equipment diminishes as levels increase. The novice trial stage is the most glorious moment for the Supreme Blazing Spirit Set. Once the novice trial is complete and all races have changed jobs, the help provided by this level 10 set will be greatly reduced!

"Why think so far ahead? At least for now, I'm confident that my trial speed definitely won't be slower than an SS-grade talent. Even SSS-grade talents, unless they have powerful skill combinations like me, with the [Myriad Races Bestiary] in hand, I refuse to believe anyone can pull off more tricks than I can!"

Xu Kun said confidently.

Along the way, the 5 levels' worth of monster areas were cleared out, and it only took Xu Kun a few hours!

According to the records in the metal bracelet, even the three SS-rank clearers of the Mist Island map took at least a day or more when they stood where Xu Kun currently was!

Needless to say, those with even lower ratings are even worse. Imagine an F-grade talent holder whose stats are inferior to a monster of the same level. After exerting all their effort to kill a single monster, they have to disengage from combat and wait for their health to recover fully just to avoid risking their lives!

Many low-level talent holders failed to complete the novice trial, perhaps not because they died at the hands of monsters, but because the seven days weren't enough for them to achieve a completion rate of over 61%!

Some people, in pursuit of completion, would only kill 100 monsters of a single level. After reaching 6% completion, they would quickly move on to the next monster area, which led to them falling behind in levels later on. How could they be like Xu Kun, clearing out everything?

Even for Xu Kun, he was lucky to encounter a boss, which greatly increased his experience pool. Otherwise, the experience from the Level 6 monster area wouldn't be enough for him to reach Level 6!

"The time of that SSS-rank clearer from Mist Island is unknown, but comparing horizontally with other SSS-rank clearers from previous years' maps, the fastest took more than a day. As long as I ensure my safety, I'll clear it as quickly as possible. I refuse to believe I can't break into the Heavenly Rankings!"

Constantly checking the metal bracelet on his wrist for data about clearing levels, Xu Kun wouldn't have even considered the Heavenly Rankings in the past. It's only now, with his newfound confidence, that he's crammed on that kind of knowledge!

"For high-level Awakened, killing monsters from levels 1-10 to gain 60% completion is just a matter of time; there's no danger involved. What really delays completion and clear time is the final boss!"

Seeing this, Xu Kun pursed his lips.

"But this, for me, is not a problem at all!"

Thinking about the final boss still waiting for him, Xu Kun was filled with excitement!

By the time he checked the information, Xu Kun had already crossed the small river that had regained its flow, advancing step by step into the Level 6 monster zone.

"Strange?" Xu Kun looked in surprise at the vast plain before him. Apart from the "grass" that was taller than a person and swayed in the wind, he couldn't see a single monster!

"Could it be hidden in the grass right in front of me?"

His mind raced, and while he wasn't paying attention, the weeds crawling on the ground were growing wildly. Once they got close to Xu Kun's instep, they suddenly rose into the air and wrapped around the arm that was holding his sword!

"What the hell!" Xu Kun exclaimed in alarm.

But that wasn't the end of it. From all directions, just like that weed from before, taking advantage of Xu Kun's panic, his hands, feet, and waist were successively bound by weeds!

Xu Kun was momentarily unable to move!

These weeds entangling Xu Kun began to grow wildly, and before long, they had wrapped him up like a giant rice dumpling!

"Trample!"

Just as the weeds were about to completely entangle Xu Kun, he used his newly acquired skill, causing the earth around him to crack. This momentary pause in the wildly growing weeds gave Xu Kun a chance to breathe!

"Wildfire!"

Centered on himself, Xu Kun unleashed an area-of-effect skill. Soon, fire rained down, and the weeds entangling Xu Kun were instantly burned to ashes.

Xu Kun collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Just now, being enveloped by the weeds, he had felt a sense of suffocation. If he were trapped for too long, the inability to breathe would cause him to suffocate to death!

The data-driven world of the Haotian Pagoda is not divorced from reality!

But what surprised Xu Kun wasn't this inexplicable attack, but the fact that he had just used [Wildfire] to clear the weeds entangling him, yet he didn't receive any notification of a monster kill!

With a single sword strike, he severed the weeds in front of him that were eager to try again. Xu Kun took a step back, his brow furrowed.

The ones attacking him must be level 6 monsters from this area, but why didn't he receive a kill notification?

"Or is this just the attack pattern of a Level 6 monster?"

Watching the tall weeds swaying in the distance, Kun suddenly had an idea.

"Plant-type monster?"

While swinging his sword to keep the weeds away, Xu Kun held out the [Myriad Races Bestiary] in his other hand, aiming it at the tall weeds in the distance.

Soon, a blank page appeared before Xu Kun, and with each stroke, he depicted the appearance of the tall weeds in the distance!

[Blue Silver Grass]

Talent: F-Grade Fission Growth (A new branch can be split off for every 5% of health.)

Level: 6

Physical Attack Power: 0

HP: 880-900

Physical Defense: 50-55

Magical Defense: 30-33

Evasion: Unable to evade Kun's attacks

Movement Speed: 0

Skills: [Blue Silver Entanglement]: Blue Silver Grass can tightly entangle the target, causing it to lose the ability to move and attack. After 10 seconds, the target enters a state of "suffocation"!

[Blue Silver Devour]: The Blue Silver Grass steals life from targets in a "suffocated" state, causing them to lose 5% of their HP per second, which is used to restore the main body's HP!

Branch Attributes:

HP: 44-45

Physical Defense: 20

Magical Defense: 20

Movement Speed: 2M/S

Description: A worthless plant-based alien creature. Who knows what kind of brain-dead person introduced it. It frantically plunders the habitats of other creatures and steals the lives of creatures that venture into its territory in an extremely disgusting way. Be careful of its branch entanglements. Once entangled, unless your physical attack is greater than the number of branches * physical defense, you will not be able to break free and will become food for the main plant!

So it's Blue Silver Grass, a plant-based race infamous among the Myriad Races!

There were at least a dozen branches entangled around him just now, and the stacked physical defense was as high as 200 or more. With his physical attack power of 184, it was indeed difficult to break free!

Blue Silver Grass, a low-level plant race, is familiar to everyone, including Xu Kun, and even the Myriad Races!

Because this thing can be seen everywhere in the world, it is a race that can never be killed or burned out!

Its reproduction speed is staggering!

The key is that this race has no value whatsoever. Xu Kun clearly knows that the only material that can be obtained from this race is its son Tang... ah, no, spores!

Blue Silver Spores don't need water, soil, or light. Just throw one anywhere, and a Blue Silver Grass will grow!

Although it is a low-level race, it has a great reputation and is known as the "shameless plunderer" by the Myriad Races!

Its appearance is deceptive. If you don't identify it carefully, it's just a harmless weed, but its way of obtaining nutrients is different. It likes some weak plants to take root and sprout next to it, and after they mature, it will devour the lives of the weak plants to speed up its own growth!

For creatures of flesh and blood, it will lie quietly in ambush, waiting for the prey to enter, and then entangle them with branches and devour them completely!

Its barbaric growth makes it impossible for other living things to survive in the surrounding area. For this reason, the Myriad Races have carried out several "weeding operations" over the centuries, and even hundreds of high-level fire-type experts have personally burned tens of thousands of hectares of Blue Silver Grass habitat!

But even so, after a spring breeze, the Blue Silver Grass, which scattered its son Tang... no, spores all over the world, will breed wildly again, making people annoyed!

Kill it, you can't kill it all no matter how you kill it!

If you don't care about it, this disgusting thing will expand unscrupulously, and in a few years, it will turn a territory of tens of thousands of square kilometers into its slaughterhouse!

Xu Kun was glad that he hadn't gone deep just now, otherwise, if 200 Blue Silver Grasses split and entangled him at the same time, he wouldn't be able to escape no matter how capable he was!

This is also the terrifying thing about Blue Silver Grass. It does not have attack power, and only the thick HP of the main plant is worth mentioning, but once a creature approaches, even if you are an SSS-grade talent, you can only die on the spot!

It is said that the high-level fire-type expert who personally carried out the "weeding operation" back then had an SSS-grade offspring that he had painstakingly cultivated devoured by the Blue Silver Grass army before he could grow up!

Although it is an F-grade race, it can make the Saint Races and the Royal Races, the pinnacle races, feel overwhelmed. Blue Silver Grass is probably the only one of its kind!

Fortunately, Blue Silver Grass is only an F-grade race. If it were to rise a few more levels, even the S-grade races would probably have to retreat!

All because this race expands too quickly, and its reproduction speed is amazing. Under the huge base, the probability of a final boss being born will also greatly increase!

The higher the level, the more and faster it reproduces. This is what the biology teacher emphasized when explaining Blue Silver Grass!

"Hehe, a mere Blue Silver Grass dares to show off its skills in front of an expert. I've seen through your tricks. Do you think I'm afraid of your Blue Silver Entanglement?"

Knowing the characteristics of the level 6 area monsters, Xu Kun no longer had any worries.

Let him be strong, the breeze caresses the hills. Being trapped in the Blue Silver Grass territory is indeed a terrifying thing, but as long as you don't go in, it's undoubtedly a fool's dream to think of doing anything with a few branches!

"Can't move? Isn't that a sitting duck?"

"Watch me burn your Blue Silver Grass to ashes!"