Other people, when faced with a sudden situation,
would first stay alert and take defensive measures, putting their safety above all else.
Chen Ming, on the other hand, struck first.
[-1!] [-55!]
After the attack, the two sides pulled apart.
Chen Ming took a closer look and realized it was a strange creature.
It seemed to have no fixed shape, its body twisting in midair.
All in all, it looked rather... ridiculous.
Like a ragged strip of cloth, floating aimlessly in the wind.
[Wind Demon]
[Level: lv.7]
[Ability: Howling Yin Wind]
[Description: An exceptionally troublesome 'Trick Beast' that wields powerful wind-element abilities]
Chen Ming wasn't surprised to see an exotic beast from the dungeon appear.
This was a dungeon for both treasure hunting and challenges.
And the dungeon's completion conditions also included killing exotic beasts.
By the looks of it, this Wind Demon was the so-called 'Treasure-Guarding Exotic Beast.'
"Trick Beast?"
Chen Ming narrowed his eyes.
He had heard of them before.
They weren't a single species, but a collective term for certain exotic beasts.
Generally speaking, people liked to give especially savage and powerful exotic beasts special names.
For example, Fierce Beasts, Trick Beasts, and the like...
Clearly, this Wind Demon was no pushover.
That much was obvious from the sneak attack it had just launched.
With Chen Ming's mental strength, an ordinary level 7 exotic beast couldn't sneak up on him.
"Graaah—!"
Just then, a piercing shriek rang out.
The Wind Demon let out a wail like a ghost howling and a wolf crying.
With a rustle of wind, one blade of wind after another, almost solid, shot toward Chen Ming.
[-1!][-1!]...[-1!]
A rare look of surprise crossed Chen Ming's face.
The Wind Demon attacked at an extremely rapid pace, and its attacks were difficult to dodge.
It was also level 7, but it was far stronger than the exotic beasts in the forest outside.
Still, it was only somewhat stronger.
It was no concern for Chen Ming.
The piercing howl rang out in the canyon again as the Wind Demon unleashed its ability.
It suddenly accelerated, its blurred form stretching into an invisible afterimage.
The air gave a brief, explosive crack.
Thin, transparent needles formed in midair and shot toward him.
Grass and trees snapped wherever they passed.
At the same time, the wind carried an eerie wail.
It set the mind on edge.
If Chen Ming hadn't had such powerful mental strength, he would probably have been affected too.
Even so, he was still somewhat influenced, and his movements slowed a little.
[-1!][-1!]...[-1!] [-55!]
"This Wind Demon's strength is probably close to that of a level 9 exotic beast."
It really was worthy of being called a 'Trick Beast.'
If someone else had come here, even an level 8 Class Changer would probably have been in trouble.
Sure enough, wherever there was good loot, greater danger came with it.
In the canyon.
Yin winds rose on all sides, and blades of wind whirled everywhere.
The Wind Demon was incredibly fast, dancing through the wind with its body swaying unpredictably.
Facing the countless blades of wind, Chen Ming kept his eyes locked on the Wind Demon from start to finish, paying no heed to the attacks striking him.
[-1!][-1!]...
After putting on the [Feather Boots], his Agility had reached 66 points.
He was already faster than some A-rank Assassins of the same level.
But even so, he still struggled to keep up with the Wind Demon.
If he didn't have to worry about defending and could focus solely on attacking whenever he got the chance, the Wind Demon would have worn him down to death.
Suddenly, Chen Ming's eyes lit up, and he fixed his gaze on the Wind Demon.
The next moment, a streak of light flared around his legs, forming a swirling vortex.
[Swift Dash]!
The [Feather Boots]'s enchantment increased the wearer's Agility by 100% for one minute. Cooldown: one hour.
Chen Ming's Agility instantly surged past 132!
He shot forward with a whoosh, as if riding the wind.
His figure flickered as the long blade in his hand struck several times.
[-55!][-55!][-55!][-55!]
After the attack, Chen Ming didn't stop.
He landed on the rock wall, pivoted, and charged at the Wind Demon again at a speed like a gale.
Half a minute later.
[-55!] [Wind Demon (lv.7) killed, experience +150!]
Chen Ming let out a long breath of relief.
"This Trick Beast was so hard to kill."
He hadn't found the Wind Demon's weakness at all, even by the time the battle ended.
He had worn it down to death through sheer force.
He wondered if the Wind Demon simply had no weaknesses.
[Obtained: Wind Demon - Beast Core (lv.7)] [Obtained: Agility Rune Stone*2] [Obtained: Tier 1 Crystal*1]
"Hm?"
Chen Ming's expression shifted, and delight appeared in his eyes.
The Wind Demon had dropped so much loot?
Not only had it given more experience than a normal level 7 exotic beast when killed,
but its drops were different too.
It had dropped not only two Agility Rune Stones, but even a Tier 1 Crystal!
Crystals were treasures that could upgrade equipment's tier. They were even more valuable than some rare resources.
Generally speaking, crystals could only be obtained as dungeon rewards.
He hadn't expected to get one from killing an exotic beast.
He wondered whether it was because this dungeon was special or because of the Trick Beast.
With this crystal, Chen Ming could give the Tier 1 equipment he had to his guild and have it upgraded to Tier 2.
He would only need to pay the processing fee.
But naturally, he couldn't do that right now.
Only Class Changers above level 10 could wear Tier 2 equipment.
Chen Ming added the two Agility Rune Stones he had obtained to his equipment.
[Feather Boots, Agility +18!]
Only then did he pick the [Wind-Breath Orchid] and put it into his mental space along with the Tier 1 Crystal.
The [Wind-Breath Orchid] contained wind-element abilities.
That wasn't something Chen Ming was considering for now, so he wasn't in a hurry to absorb it.
After he finished everything, he checked the dungeon information.
[Completion Conditions]
[2. Challenge: Successfully kill at least 5 Treasure-Guarding Exotic Beasts!]
[Progress: 1/5]
"Going by the progress, I can still harvest five more waves at minimum."
Besides, he felt that this dungeon was probably far from over.
He just didn't know whether the Treasure-Guarding Exotic Beasts further in would all be special beasts that might drop some good loot.
Full of fighting spirit, Chen Ming continued deeper into the canyon.
Today was destined to be a sleepless night.
After breaking through 20%, his mental strength had improved tremendously.
He could go several days and nights without rest, no problem.
So he wasn't planning on going back today.
While Chen Ming was madly harvesting rare resources in the Cloud Hidden Ravine dungeon,
elsewhere,
on the outskirts of Cloud Sea City,
the sky was gradually growing dark.
Class Changers were returning from the safe zone one after another.
After the first day of getting used to things,
everyone was much more practiced at leveling up on the second day.
"Haha, I finally leveled up today!"
"Being level 2 feels amazing. I feel like I'm full of strength—I could punch a cow to death!"
"Ah, we're already behind. It's the second day, and we're only level 2. The real geniuses might already be level 4 today."
"I'm so jealous. Level 4! Just one more level and they can challenge dungeons and get all kinds of rewards."
Before you continue