Thin Dog, the demon fox, and Lin Tang were already far stronger than when they had first entered the "game."
Each of them could now display at least twice their previous combat power.
There was no need to mention their weapons. They were all high-quality spears crafted by Xiao Xiao.
On top of that, Thin Dog had three accessories inlaid with Boiling Blood, reaching the maximum ability boost accessories could provide.
Lin Tang had also received a ring and a skull necklace, granting 4 points of Health Recovery Speed per second, 13% Radiation Resistance, and a small Physical Damage bonus.
All three wore one or two pieces of clothing dropped by Raiders. They had no attributes besides armor, but they were fairly tough. Ordinary weapons could not pierce them, effectively preventing bleeding.
As for experience, Thin Dog currently had the most, a full 198 points!
The demon fox came next with 182 points. Lin Tang had killed four fewer Skeletons than the other two and had only 150 experience points.
The three rested for a while, taking turns wearing the ring. Then they ate two handfuls of beans, restoring both their Physical Strength and health to full.
"Let's go! Back down into the Cellar! Time to farm Skeletons!"
The demon fox left the four skulls from the Skeletons they had killed earlier behind the boulder.
The three of them crept back down. As soon as they entered, they saw two standing Skeletons in the dark Cellar.
"Fuck 'em up!"
Thin Dog handed the aura-equipped weapon to the demon fox and took the chance to recover some of his depleted mental energy.
Actually, if they held the Rune Bone while fighting, their mental energy recovery could offset the mental energy consumed by the aura. But Thin Dog had tried it, and it was far too inconvenient. Using a two-handed weapon like a spear while constantly holding a bone as thick as an adult's arm in the other hand was extremely cumbersome.
So, the three of them took turns using the aura-equipped weapon. That way, mental energy consumption and recovery could more or less remain balanced.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The three of them first stabbed a wounded Skeleton to death. It was the one they had left half-finished last time.
Cooperatively killed Skeleton Warrior. Experience +6.
"With three people splitting the experience, everyone only gets 6 points. But in terms of total experience, it's still more profitable for all three of us to kill together."
With two people killing, each got 8 points, for only 16 experience in total.
With three people killing, each got 6 points, for 18 experience in total.
A small profit of 2 points.
The other Skeleton still tried to resist, relying on its slightly higher speed than the players to maneuver.
But the attacks of three spears were too dense to dodge. It only managed to slash each of them once before being stabbed to death by the barrage of spears.
The three each lost around 80 health. It was negligible.
"Lin Tang, give me your skull necklace. I want some extra healing too." The demon fox held out his hand.
Lin Tang covered his chest. "Why mine? Thin Dog has three pieces of equipment. Make him hand one over!"
"He's the strongest fighter on our team. Of course he needs to be fully equipped. We'll need his moves at critical moments. Hurry up and give me one. Stop dragging your feet!"
"Fine." Lin Tang reluctantly handed the necklace to the demon fox.
Both of their health recovery speeds increased by 2 points.
Eighty points of damage would be fully recovered in forty seconds.
The demon fox picked up two intact skulls from the ground and put them together, planning to take them away when they went back up.
Thin Dog continued watching the surroundings.
A moment later, two Skeletons emerged from a cell.
"Here they come! Keep killing!"
Crack! Crack!
Cooperatively killed Skeleton Warrior. Experience +6.
Cooperatively killed Skeleton Warrior. Experience +6.
Three people against two Skeletons was just right. They took them down without any danger, gaining 16 experience points each despite sustaining a few injuries.
"Let's go! Back up to heal!"
The three humans, covered in bloody cuts yet wearing mysterious smiles, happily ran out of the Cellar carrying four skulls.
The sight was more than a little bizarre.
For ordinary wastelanders, injuries and blood loss like that would mean that even if they did not die immediately, tetanus and bacterial infection would finish them off later. They could basically start preparing their funerals.
But the three did not care in the slightest.
As they ate beans, the wounds on their bodies scabbed over, and their condition rapidly improved.
"The Raiders' drops are so damn useful. Their Recovery Power is making me cry!"
At their feet, they had accumulated four Raider corpses and eight skulls.
Their experience gains had been substantial.
Next, the three went back in for two more rounds. The Cellar then fell completely silent, and no matter what they did, no more Skeletons spawned.
Thin Dog said, "Huh? That's it? They're all gone already?"
Lin Tang said, "Damn it! I haven't farmed enough yet! That's all?"
The demon fox walked through each Dungeon and came to a conclusion. "They should be gone. Look, there used to be a lot of corpses on the ground, but now even the skeletons from those corpses are gone. They were probably all catalyzed into Skeleton Warriors to attack us. Since there are no more corpses, I guess no more Skeletons can spawn."
"Ah? We finally found a leveling spot we could handle, and it was limited. Damn it."
"Huh? What's this?"
While exploring the Dungeon, Thin Dog returned to the room where he had searched for loot last time. Another black box the size of a vibrating egg had appeared inside.
"Isn't this Radiated Material? I clearly took it away last time. Holy shit! This thing respawns?"
Thin Dog was stunned.
Energy was not only the key to reviving their Clones, but handing it over to the lord could also earn them plenty of Merit Points and Iron Coins.
The demon fox slipped the black box into his pocket.
"Since no more monsters are spawning, let's leave. We can come back tomorrow after logging in and take another look."
"Yeah, makes sense. We're also running low on beans. We'll have to bring more food when we head out in the future. Otherwise, we won't be able to heal our health back up."
Lin Tang said, "Right, we still need to hunt a few more prey animals and bring them back so everyone can complete their daily quests."
The three loaded the four Raider corpses and twelve skulls onto the cart and began searching everywhere for prey.
Inside the Raiders' Cellar, an old man emerged from the wall. Looking at the pile of shattered bones all over the ground, he threw back his head and wailed:
"What a sin!"
The Mutated Hyenas that Four Mountains hunters feared most were the trio's favorite prey. These creatures did not run away. They chased people on sight and would not let go unless killed. They were classic high-speed, low-health monsters.
Once caught, they could be stabbed to death in just a few strikes.
And even if the three were bitten, they could recover from the injuries.
The toxins and radiation that ordinary humans feared most were like tickles to them. As long as they could not kill them, they could heal back up.
Of course, serious injuries such as fractures and severed limbs could not heal naturally.
After staying busy for quite a while, the three finally gathered five prey animals.
"Damn, these five things barely gave any experience, and they took so much time. Farming these is way too inefficient."
"They definitely can't compare to Skeletons. Let's check again tomorrow."
"Let's go! Back to the base!"
The three happily returned to Calamity Base, pushing a cart piled high with loot.
In a concealed spot along the road, two veteran hunters from the Four Mountains settlement hid behind the trees. When they saw them, they secretly clicked their tongues.
"Just three people, using cold weapons, yet they killed this much prey. Should we pull a mantis-stalking-the-cicada move?"
"Don't be stupid! Did you see that green stuff under their cart? That's not fucking waterweed—it's four Raiders! Take a look at what we're made of. You dare provoke people ruthless enough to slaughter Raiders like chickens? I'd bet there are three good guns hidden under that cart. The moment we show ourselves, they'll pull them out and rattle us full of holes!"
"But we're in the dark, and they're out in the open. If we shoot first, won't they lose people first too?"
"Did you see the green clothes they're wearing? They look thick. I'm guessing they might be bulletproof underneath. Anyway, something strange is always afoot. There's no such easy score in the wasteland. You don't seriously think we can take out those three just by firing our guns a few times, do you? A hunter's most important trait is a sharp nose. Learn something! Retreat!"
"Hiss... You learn as long as you live!"
The two hunters carrying hunting rifles quietly moved away from the trio and their cart, feeling very relieved that they had avoided another deadly temptation.
By the time Thin Dog and the other two pushed their cart back to Calamity Base, it was already five in the afternoon.
Thin Dog said, "Another day of massive gains!"
The demon fox said, "It was a little tiring, but worth it."
Lin Tang said, "With this much loot, I can't wait to show off to Forgiveness Hat and Xiao Xiao! If I make big money and can't tell anyone about it, it feels like ants are crawling all over me!"
The demon fox waved his hand. "No need. We're Combat Players, and they're Life Players. It's normal for us to get more. There's no point comparing that. Keep a low profile and show the bearing of veteran closed-beta players!"
"Huh? Look, what's that big patch of green above the base? Virginia creeper?"
Before you continue