"Ugh..."
The twentieth Demonic Energy Villager collapsed, and a crisp notification sounded. Li Xunsheng leveled up again.
[Copper Coin +10 Experience +20] [Level Up!] [Current Level Lv.4 EXP: 12/410]
"Hmm... I'll assign the points the same way as before... Wait, what did it drop?"
After allocating his points in a three-to-two Strength-to-Agility ratio, the youth's attention was drawn to a strange necklace on the ground.
He had defeated twenty Demonic Energy Villagers. Aside from two common shovels and a common cleaver, they had dropped about a hundred and seventy Copper Coins. These low-level monsters had not dropped a single blue item, let alone consumables like healing potions. They were truly a bunch of cheapskates.
If not for the generous experience rewards, which had let him gain three levels in a short while, Xuan Sheng would have considered going somewhere else to see whether there was a problem here.
However, after the twentieth Demonic Energy Villager fell, a piece of jewelry that glittered with light appeared on the ground for the first time...
[Someone's Necklace. Specific information can be obtained after identification.]
That was the description provided by the game system. However, Xuan Sheng had the Eye of God and did not bother with that. He simply stared at the accessory.
[Linke's Necklace (Quest Item): Perhaps you can find related clues in a temple somewhere in Lone Star City?]
"Quest item?"
Considering that these Demonic Energy Villagers had once been healthy humans... perhaps this necklace was related to their ordinary lives before they were infected by demonic energy.
After putting away the necklace, Li Xunsheng glanced at the field corrupted by demonic energy and prepared to leave.
After reaching level four, the monsters that had once provided more than twenty experience each could now only provide around ten. They were hardly worth farming for levels anymore.
However, just as the youth turned around, a flash of white light passed by. A villager clad in light armor and holding a Refined Longsword appeared not far away.
[Demonic Energy Villager (Elite!) A retired warrior from the village. Even after being corrupted by demonic energy, he still possesses combat ability surpassing that of ordinary villagers.] [Lv.7 Attack Power 80–100 Defense 30 HP 1500/1500 MP 0/0 Strength 30 Agility 20 ...] [Charged Slash: Swings the longsword in hand down at the target in front, dealing Attack Power + Strength × 3 damage.]
"Heh... an Elite Monster."
Seeing this special Demonic Energy Villager, Li Xunsheng instantly remembered the Elite Wild Boar that had slaughtered everything in the beginner village.
That level-five Elite Wild Boar had dropped the level-five blue item, [Tusk].
In other words, with a little luck, Li Xunsheng might be able to wring a blue item out of this Elite Monster too!
However... its Attack Power and Defense were more than twice those of an ordinary monster, while its HP had reached five times as much. It also possessed an explosive skill...
Xuan Sheng was level four now. Aside from the increases in HP and Constitution that came with leveling up, he had no defensive boosts whatsoever.
As a result, he had only 280 HP, 8 Defense, and 8 Constitution.
If his luck was bad and he took the monster's skill and a normal attack head-on, his HP would probably hit zero immediately and trigger invincibility.
But this was his last battle of the day anyway. It did not seem so bad to trigger invincibility.
Raising his Small Round Shield, Li Xunsheng swung his dagger and quickly attracted the Elite Monster's attention.
This villager was different from the others. His beard had already turned gray-white, and he wore chainmail-like light armor over his body. He even had a leather helmet on his head. Only his legs and neck were unprotected—clearly his weak points.
"Hmph!"
After noticing the youth's provocation, the transformed old man strode over, venting his angry displeasure with a snort.
The pristine longsword rose high before sweeping down in an instant, moving more than thirty percent faster than an ordinary Demonic Energy Villager's attack!
If Li Xunsheng had still been level one, he would have struggled to withstand an attack at such speed, even with [See Through].
However, Li Xunsheng now had 15 Agility, and his physical reaction speed had risen considerably. He raised his round shield, lowered his body with the motion, then suddenly surged upward and slammed into it with the shield!
[Perfect Block!]
The Gray Dagger was like a venomous snake springing into action, instantly biting into the Elite Monster's weak point.
[-77!]
Even though the opponent's Defense was as high as thirty, the simple and brutal Weakness Damage ignored its armor and easily dealt extremely considerable damage.
The old man adjusted his stance and was about to swing his weapon again when Xuan Sheng stepped forward and struck his right arm with the shield first.
"Again!"
A strange force suddenly surged from within his body, making the already swift dagger even more vicious!
[Critical Hit! -116!]
Crimson characters sprang into view, and the Elite Monster's HP bar instantly shortened by a segment.
"Whew..."
Red light flashed wildly in the old man's dark eyes. He raised the sword high with both hands as power began gathering throughout his body...
"Goodbye!"
The moment his opponent raised his hands, Li Xunsheng had already detected the skill's activation.
With the opponent's Strength higher than his own, he would probably be unable to interrupt the Charged Slash, much less perform a Perfect Block.
However, with his decent Agility, he could completely retreat before the opponent finished charging!
"Heh!"
The powerful strike came crashing down, but could only stir up waves of mournful whistling in the air...
"Tsk tsk, what a pity."
Taking advantage of the opponent's inability to recover his strength, Xuan Sheng charged forward again. The Gray Dagger swept across, bringing with it a string of damage numbers.
The 1,500 HP had not been as durable as expected.
The final slash passed mercilessly through him. The old man pitched forward, his entire body turning into dust and scattering with the wind...
However, the longsword in the old man's hand did not vanish together with the chainmail. Instead, it shimmered with blue light and remained on the grass.
[Copper Coin +80 Experience +200!] [Weapon Acquired: Refined Longsword!] [Refined Longsword: Advanced (Blue) Attack Power +100 Strength +8 Required Level: Lv.7 Durability: 90/90]
The plain and unremarkable panel concealed almost twice the Attack Power of the Gray Dagger.
After picking up the longsword from the ground, Xuan Sheng could barely suppress the smile on his face.
What he had been most worried about was having no suitable one-handed weapon to continue rapidly farming levels with after the Gray Dagger's durability ran out. But now, it seemed that problem had been solved.
[Congratulations! You are the first person to achieve a Flawless Victory Against an Elite Monster Above Level. An achievement has been triggered. An announcement will be made across the entire continent. Would you like to hide your nickname?]
"Huh?"
The smiling youth froze for a moment, then blinked.
When he had chosen his game nickname, he had not given it much thought. Since his talent was Golden Shovel, he had subconsciously chosen that as his name.
There did not seem to be any harm in revealing it... He used his real name anyway, and the only person who knew his name was Golden Shovel was Yi Qing, since they had added each other as game friends...
Oh right, there was also Zhao Jun.
"Announce it. No problem."
Before you continue