Chapter Thirty-One: Frenzied Leveling and Street Vending

He moved swiftly toward the nearest cluster of zombie rats, chuckling under his breath, “By the time everyone knows this method, grinding rats won’t even give experience anymore. But for now, it still works.”

Ahead, pairs of red eyes watched his approach intently.

“Come on, then!”

Right in that spot, Zhao Nan unleashed an “Explosive Fireball.” As the spell detonated, dozens of fireballs burst forth like fireworks, scattering in all directions.

Instantly, a surging horde of zombie rats surged from the darkness, a black mass like a raging torrent.

Zhao Nan quickly retreated, occasionally flinging a small fireball in another direction as he went. More zombie rats lunged at him in an instant.

Seeing the deep pit right before him, Zhao Nan braked just in time. When the zombie rats were about to pounce, he calmly jumped down.

He landed on the platform below, and at that very moment, the zombie rats, carried by their momentum, plunged headlong into the pit. One after another, the pursuing rats tumbled in as well, forming a writhing black mass of hundreds.

Each of these zombie rats was the size of a housecat, and their sheer number made for an imposing sight.

Looking at the pit full of undead rats, Zhao Nan pulled out several bundles of mana potions and handed them to Phinina. “Watch closely. If any rats manage to climb up, just kick them back down. Got it?”

Phinina finally understood what Zhao Nan intended, and it was no wonder he had asked if she was afraid of rats.

“You… how did you ever come up with this idea?”

Zhao Nan gave a dry laugh, thinking to himself that this grinding method had been invented by some leveling fanatic, benefiting countless players. Unfortunately, after reaching level ten, the experience gain dropped off sharply; otherwise, there would have been a flood of high-level characters.

“Come on, this is a feast of experience points!” Zhao Nan rubbed his hands together, silently counting the time. When the first wave of zombie rats began to climb up, he pressed his hands downward, sending an Explosive Fireball blazing in front of them, blasting them back down once more.

Wave after wave of zombie rats charged up, only to be swept back down by each fireball.

Eventually, the rats could barely make it up before being bombarded; they scurried about in the pit, unable to escape.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—

The air was full of crimson damage numbers, swirling like a dance of blood.

A few minutes later, the duration of his firestorm was up, and a series of explosions echoed harshly in the hollow building. Zhao Nan and Phinina’s experience bars soared like rockets. When the last rat had fallen, Zhao Nan had gained a whole level, and Phinina had reached level four.

“All right, let’s see if there’s anything good down there,” Zhao Nan said with a smile.

The two of them climbed into the pit, searching through the heap of bloody remains.

“Hey, there’s a longsword!”

“Not bad—green quality.”

The longsword naturally went to Phinina. Aside from the sword, there was only some money and a few minor healing and mana potions.

Finally, there was a thumb-sized orange crystal.

“What’s this?” Phinina asked curiously, noting that Zhao Nan was especially diligent in collecting these little crystals.

“That’s a Dawnlight Crystal. It’s a low-grade material for enchanting equipment—a favorite among enchanters.”

After gathering their spoils, Zhao Nan laid another set of “Explosive Fireballs” in ambush before climbing out to continue his great rat-herding enterprise.

After three more rounds, Zhao Nan had reached level ten, and Phinina had gained another level.

There they remained, gleefully grinding wave after wave of zombie rats, their purses filling steadily and the pile of Dawnlight Crystals growing into a small mound.

“Ding! Congratulations, player Zhao Nan, for successfully slaying a zombie rat. You gain 1 experience point. As you have reached level ten and have not yet advanced your class, you cannot gain more levels. Please advance your class as soon as possible.”

Zhao Nan closed the notification. Since they were here, he decided to power-level Phinina to ten as well. After all, her level was still low enough for bonus experience from each kill.

Upon reaching level ten, Zhao Nan immediately equipped the “Golden Sigh Staff” and, without hesitation, cast a “Meteor Shower.” This was a powerful area spell usually learned at level twenty, and even at base level, its might far outstripped his Explosive Fireballs.

Phinina’s experience surged at a terrifying rate.

By the end of the day, using this almost exploit-like grinding method, Phinina had also reached level ten. Her experience bar was now full, and she too could not progress further. Only now did Zhao Nan realize that as a humanoid pet, Phinina actually followed the player progression system, needing to undergo class advancement as well.

Their haul was extraordinarily rich. Though they hadn’t encountered any elite monsters, Phinina now had a full set of gear, including four green items.

Zhao Nan handled Phinina’s stat allocation personally. He was very familiar with the swordsman class and had no hesitation about where to put her points, unlike the uncertainty he felt about mage builds.

He planned for Phinina to be a high-agility, high-attack swordsman.

So, he split her free attribute points evenly between Strength and Agility. Now, her agility surpassed his own, and once she mastered the “Swift Step” skill, her speed could rival an ordinary rogue of the same level.

“It’s time to head back. The zombie rat quests are all complete,” Zhao Nan said, surveying their loot with satisfaction.

Phinina, likely uncomfortable with the place, rewarded him with a sweet kiss at his words.

The two of them left the way they had come, laughing together, unaware that in the depths of the pit, the monster blood seeping into the soil was slowly flowing in a certain direction.

…

With their levels raised and Zhao Nan now wielding the Golden Sigh Staff, their return was no longer a cautious crawl. Phinina’s strength was beyond doubt, and they strode homeward confidently.

By the time they returned to Dongyuan City, dawn had broken, and players were gathering in groups to venture out.

Phinina, masked, felt a bit awkward, but nothing untoward happened along the way. Zhao Nan chose not to turn in their quests yet; since they couldn’t gain experience without advancing their classes, it would be a waste to submit them now.

He planned to complete his class advancement. Although he hadn’t found a hidden class, he couldn’t let his progress stagnate. Advancement required a thousand gold coins—a staggering sum for most players at this stage.

Phinina’s advancement fee was, of course, covered by him as well.

“All right, Phinina, let me borrow your mask for a bit. There’s an inn over there—go rent a room. I’ll be back before dark.”

Though puzzled, Phinina obediently entered the inn. Zhao Nan donned the mask and hurried off in another direction.

When a player reaches level five, they can unlock a secondary profession. There are countless options—far more than there are combat classes—but only about a dozen are truly popular.

Alchemist, Blacksmith, and Enchanter are the most sought-after of all. Once players begin forming factions, every group values these three professions immensely.

In an open space within Dongyuan City—formerly a night market, now a player-run bazaar—Zhao Nan found a modest stall and spread out a white cloth.

With a clatter, he poured out over a hundred Dawnlight Crystals onto the cloth.

“Ding! Player Zhao Nan has successfully purchased a ‘Prominent Signboard.’ Duration: six hours. Please enter your advertisement.”

“Large quantities of Dawnlight Crystal for sale—essential for enchanter training!”

Giant text instantly appeared above the market, shining as bright as the full moon and capturing everyone’s attention.

“How much are these each?”

After a few minutes, a black-robed mage approached his stall, testing the waters.

“Five gold coins apiece.”

“So expensive? I saw them for two coins each elsewhere!”

“Those are just Dawnlight Crystal shards—you need three to make a whole crystal, and there’s a chance of failure. Mine are complete stones. Think it over,” Zhao Nan replied calmly.

“Then… if I buy three, can you give me a discount?”

“Sorry, fixed price—no matter how many you buy.”

Since he was the only one with such a large stock, and all were full crystals, Zhao Nan had a virtual monopoly and wasn’t worried about a lack of buyers.

“All right, I’ll take them!” The mage gritted his teeth and made the purchase.

Enchanter was an expensive profession but could be equally lucrative—current rates were ten gold per enchantment, yielding a hundred percent profit. Low-level enchantments rarely failed, so three attempts would almost always ensure a profit.

Once the first sale was made, more enchanters began flocking to Zhao Nan’s stall, and business boomed.

“How many of these crystals do you have, boss?”

Suddenly, the crowd at the stall parted as several burly men pushed their way forward, and a strikingly handsome young man stepped up to Zhao Nan.

His race was… elf.