Because of frequent spell detection magic, Yu Yu's detection magic skill level actually upgraded, changing from beginner to proficient. The spell consumption dropped from 3 to 2, which was cause for celebration. With 36 points of spirit, she could use it 18 times, covering a ten-meter radius each time, which was actually quite a large area.
However, this was in the mountains and forests after all, with rugged terrain that wasn't easy to traverse. During her 17th detection spell, Yu Yu sensed something different. "Be on guard."
Ke Ya gave her a surprised look, then also ordered everyone to be vigilant. The next second, guided by magical aura, Ke Ya's eyes turned cold. [Assault Stance] [Charge].
Yu Yu: ?
Why can NPCs charge so far?
Shu Tu came riding on a tiger, "Will they leave the equipment for us?"
Yu Yu: "I don't know, but it shouldn't be hard to get a share. Quick, follow them! If the monsters die by their hands, we won't get experience."
When they first spotted the monsters, it appeared to be only a small team of four, but when Captain Ke Ya charged in, Yu Yu discovered that there were actually sixteen enemies—four teams.
"...Good thing we didn't rush in."
Shu Tu remained silent. Yu Yu had already conjured an Acid Ray, ready to release. Shu Tu also nocked an arrow. In the gap between the guard's heavy sword strikes, a sickly green ray flashed across, instantly turning the opposing warrior green.
The guard was delighted and continued to hack away fiercely. The warrior's iron armor seemed to have weakened a bit. Yu Yu noticed a problem—the guards didn't seem to have the upper hand.
Among the four enemy teams, there were two spellcasters. One supported the monster that was withstanding Captain Ke Ya's assault, while the other supported the main force. Every time the guards were about to kill a monster, one of the spellcasters would cast a spell, undoing all their progress.
If Captain Ke Ya wasn't strong enough to handle four opponents at once, the outcome would be uncertain. Shu Tu also seemed to notice this problem. "This isn't going to work."
Yu Yu frowned, "I haven't had time to buy new spells yet."
The battlefield situation was deadlocked. So far, no one had died yet, but if they continued like this, the outcome was unpredictable. Most of the guards were warriors, with only two rogues and two rangers. Because they outnumbered the enemy by a few, the warriors held the monsters in place, while the rogues and rangers moved freely on the battlefield.
It was precisely because of this that they hadn't shown signs of defeat yet. A rogue guard floated over like a ghost. "You two get out of the combat zone. You," she looked at Shu Tu and commanded, "go back to the military camp and tell the deputy captain to bring people to support us."
Before Shu Tu could speak, the task bar updated: [Mission: Battlefield Support (The City Guard Camp is in a tough battle, the rogue needs you to return to the city and request support from the deputy captain)]
Shu Tu exchanged a meaningful glance with Yu Yu, then responded seriously, "I understand."
She rode away on her tiger.
"You stay far away. I'm afraid if you get hurt here, we'll have a hard time explaining to the academy." Her tone toward Yu Yu instantly became kind, making Yu Yu feel flattered. "Alright."
She retreated another distance, hiding among the leaves, but feeling it wasn't safe enough, she climbed up a tree.
Securing the high ground.jpg
Her spiritual power was too depleted. Even if she wanted to join the battle now, it wouldn't be easy, so she might as well save up for something big. Shu Tu had gone for reinforcements, and this was her only chance to gain experience—she couldn't give it up.
As time flowed, some guards were injured, bleeding all over yet still heroically swinging their swords. Their constitution must be at least 10. Yu Yu's spiritual power was almost restored to 30, but Shu Tu still hadn't returned. Based on their earlier pace, shouldn't the reinforcements have entered the forest by now?
She felt a bit uneasy and decided to cast Rain Summoning behind herself. The rain fell for quite a while, leaving puddles of water all over the ground. Yu Yu wanted to check the forum to see what was happening, but she was afraid of being ambushed by invisible rogues from the other side, feeling extremely conflicted.
Just a peek, just one peek.
Sure enough, there was a problem. Players had spotted NPCs in a mixed battle at the border between the rocky terrain and the forest. The humanoid monsters had actually circled behind them and ran into the reinforcements, and were also discovered by players...
Yu Yu: "..."
Following her usual habit, at this point she would return to the camp to secure all the loot, then come back to participate in the battle to gain experience. This way, even if she died, she would still have the spoils and wouldn't feel bad.
But the NPCs in this game were too smart; if she disengaged from battle to go get things... it clearly wouldn't work.
Yu Yu sighed, thinking she should be content with what she had. With a downward glance, Yu Yu caught a glimpse of something flashing in her peripheral vision. She immediately rolled off and ran toward the combat zone.
"Rogue!" she shouted.
All the rogues on the battlefield instinctively looked over, then saw the cold gleam of a dagger behind the little spellcaster. At this moment, Yu Yu had no time to chant and could only release instant spells, such as Gust.
When actually being chased by someone with a knife, Yu Yu even forgot this was a game. Her heart pounded like a drum, and all her previous gaming experience seemed useless. She clumsily stepped into a puddle, then rolled behind a tree.
No, this won't work. She needed to calm down. In an instant, she recalled her spells: Gust, Flash, Acid Ray, Self-Ignition, Lightning Arrow...
But she had no time to chant now, which Yu Yu deeply regretted. Without chanting time, she only had Gust and... Mage Hand?
It was worth a try. While casting Gust, Yu Yu noticed that the earlier Rain Summoning had left dew on all the vegetation in the forest. When she released Gust, the rogue was blasted with water all over his face.
[Mage Hand.]
A semi-transparent hand suddenly appeared, blocking the rogue for a moment, allowing Yu Yu to scramble to her feet. Perhaps the forest was truly unsuitable for rogues, or perhaps it was because Yu Yu had made the ground wet everywhere. Even though the stealthed rogue was careful, Yu Yu still heard his movements, leading him in circles around this rainy area without giving him a chance.
The thick trees blocked the rogue's projectiles, and the constantly dripping leaves made him irritated. How was it so difficult to kill a mere apprentice spellcaster?
How annoying. The tough battle was still ahead, and he didn't want to waste energy on an apprentice, but...
The rogue's eyes turned cold, and his entire body transformed into a shadow, disappearing. Yu Yu knew this was bad and rolled on the ground. Shadow Jump—the rogue instantly appeared beside her, his dagger descending.
"Clang."
A flying dart shot toward the rogue's chest. The rogue had to withdraw his dagger to block it.
Yu Yu: "..."
She felt like she was about to have a heart attack. This sense of pressure was as if someone was actually chasing her with a knife—she truly thought she was going to die. Taking advantage of the guard rogue holding off the enemy, Yu Yu scrambled out of the combat range.
Her limbs felt weak, and her heartbeat was so loud it almost burst her eardrums, unable to calm down even now. She hated rogues!
If she were a warrior, she would at least be able to fight back. Scaring her with a little dagger—it was terrifying. Rogues were very fast; the two rogues engaged in rapid combat in this open area, while Yu Yu had retreated back to the combat zone. I'm waiting for my spiritual power to recover—what are you waiting for?
Yu Yu stared at the two entangled rogues, waiting for an opportunity.
28...29...30...
Yu Yu checked the main battlefield and found that the battle had intensified. Both enemy spellcasters were far from her and couldn't interfere.
So...
Obscure incantations were uttered softly, and a deep purple Lightning Arrow formed in front of Yu Yu. It was surrounded by domineering electric arcs, each strand displaying its formidable power. At this moment, the two rogues habitually separated, and just as they were about to entangle again, the Lightning Arrow arrived in an instant.
The deep purple arc exploded on the black rogue's chest. His movements stopped for a moment, and in that instant, the guard rogue suddenly accelerated, his dagger creating an emerald phantom as it sliced across the enemy's throat.
[Kiss of Death]
Blood sprayed out, and the rogue instantly fell. The guard rogue gasped for breath, looking at Yu Yu with extreme shock. Aren't you just an apprentice spellcaster?
Yu Yu was also excited.
Level 4 (471/10000)
Four hundred experience points from one kill—what was this?
This was a walking experience pack!
Yu Yu looked at the log and found that this rogue had 59 health points, most of which had been cut down by the guard. But the Lightning Arrow had dealt 17 points of damage in an instant, and even applied a brief paralysis effect. A first-level spell could actually deal such high damage?
If her spiritual power increased in the future, and her Lightning Arrow proficiency improved, could she instantly cast Lightning Arrow?
That would be so powerful. The guard recovered from the paralysis after a while and was also excited. "You can use first-level spells?"
Yu Yu came back to her senses and nodded readily, "But I only know one. I haven't had time to learn other spells yet."
The guard seemed thoughtful. "I remember now, you academy folks need money to buy spells."
Yu Yu blinked. The guard came to her senses and smiled kindly. "How long would it take you to cast another big one?"
Yu Yu regretfully said, "About twenty minutes, I suppose."
The guard didn't show disappointment but instead patted her shoulder kindly. "Take your time to recover, then throw it when you see an opportunity, just like before."
"I wonder why the deputy captain hasn't arrived yet..." she muttered as she prepared to rejoin the battle.
Yu Yu: "They've been intercepted."
The guard paused. "?"
Yu Yu briefly described the situation.
Guard: "?? How do you know?"
Yu Yu pointed to the battlefield. "All the original rogues are here. Where else would this extra one come from?"
The guard's expression didn't look good, but after a while, she still rejoined the battle. Yu Yu went to loot the corpse.
[Stealth] [Shadow Jump]—two skills, [Scroll: Shadow Meld]—one scroll.
[Shadow Jump] looked like an expensive skill at first glance. Yu Yu's lips curved upward uncontrollably. She decided to keep the scroll for herself.
[Stealth] should also sell well; every rogue would need it. Yu Yu rummaged around and found nothing else. She returned to a spot not far from the battlefield, remaining vigilant of her surroundings while waiting to recover.
Looking cool for five seconds, but needing twenty minutes to recover—too ridiculous. If this were a mainstream game, it would probably be heavily criticized. As Yu Yu crouched there, she suddenly had another idea. She went back to strip the rogue's clothes.
[Rogue's Mask] [Rogue's Hood] [Woodheart Camp Leather Armor] [Woodheart Camp Leather Boots] [Woodheart Camp Leather Pants]
Yu Yu wasn't sure what motivated her to strip the corpse. It was disgusting. In the future, she would let others loot the spoils; it was too gross.
Why did they have to make such trivial matters so realistic? Ugh.
She would sell these as soon as she got back. She believed the lovely players wouldn't mind. She disgustedly stuffed the items into her waist pouch, out of sight, out of mind.
Woodheart Camp?
Was that another faction?
Otherwise, why would they have standardized equipment?
Yu Yu's Lightning Arrow was gradually ready, but the guards who saw her movements looked at her with somewhat strange expressions. Yu Yu was already accustomed to the NPCs' intelligence and continued shaping her arrow indifferently. What did Yun Lun say last time? First-tier summoning had a spell to summon a bow and arrow. Wonder if it could provide unlimited arrows? If so...
The lightning gathered, and a beautiful Lightning Arrow appeared again. Yu Yu had already calculated the opportunity and fired!
Enemy rogue -1.
The rogue class was very special: low health, thin skin, and once paralyzed, they would be quickly beheaded. Their advantage was speed; they could turn invisible, and their attacks should be high. However, in a melee, they died easily. This time, the kill was snatched by a quick-handed warrior.
However, Yu Yu also attracted the attention of an enemy ranger, and arrows flew toward her. Not wanting to waste spiritual power, Yu Yu dodged behind a tree. This battle lasted an entire day, a pure bladder-testing endurance match.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
Yu Yu would check the forum occasionally to observe the situation downhill, then return to fire a Lightning Arrow when her spiritual power recovered. She successively dispatched the enemy rogues and warriors. Like the straw that broke the camel's back, the enemy gradually weakened and collapsed. The rear battlefield also performed well; because players were fearless of death, they didn't let a single enemy escape. Despite Yu Yu's day-long concern, no enemies appeared behind her again.
By the time Captain Ke Ya called for assembly, the sky was pitch black. If the battle didn't end soon, Yu Yu estimated she would be kicked offline. Looking at Yu Yu dozing against a tree, all the guards showed some affection. Someone actively asked, "Miss Yu, can you still walk? Do you need me to carry you?"
Yu Yu only thought about the spoils from the camp earlier—scrolls, potions, sleeping bags...
She stood up. "I'm fine. The battle downhill should be over too."
Someone showed a confused expression. "What downhill?"
But Ke Ya had already guessed, snorting coldly, "These evil cultists, a bunch of vermin, we'll kill them all sooner or later."
Seeing that they were about to head down the mountain, Yu Yu had to restrain herself and remind them, "There are still things in the camp."
The guards paused, then held back their laughter. "Evil cultists are like little mice, they don't have much money..."
The previous rogue guard came forward, coughed and said, "I heard academy spells cost money. Miss Yu just arrived and doesn't have much wealth..."
After saying this, she patted Yu Yu's chest reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'll have someone collect everything for you. It's all yours."
Ke Ya, who was already far ahead, surprisingly called back loudly, "Rest assured, I'll definitely request a commendation for you tomorrow."
Yu Yu's face turned red with embarrassment. You bunch of NPCs!
Can a spellcaster's poverty be called true poverty?
Yu Yu returned to the city and discovered that players could also borrow rooms to stay in. She logged off in the little rogue sister's dormitory. As soon as she exited the game, Yu Yu started humming a tune.
Today, the common folk are truly happy! Not to mention the spoils, she had gained a large amount of experience this time. The previously distant experience bar had already progressed by more than half. She might be the player to reach level five the fastest in the entire server.
"Deng deng~ deng deng deng~~"
Yu Yu hummed while making instant noodles. She saw on the forum that everyone was also very excited; they had received a wave of spoils as well, though many had experienced blackouts. A post caught Yu Yu's attention—it was from the player who had deleted his character.
He was expressing his suffering in the post: [After deleting my character, my other attributes didn't change, but both my spiritual and willpower attributes were reduced by one. Fellows, give me some advice! Should I continue deleting and starting over?]
[Strangely, ever since I deleted my character these three days, I haven't been well. I inexplicably developed a fever, went to the hospital but they said I was fine, came back and got a fever again. It's been going back and forth for three days, and my parents are scared...]
FreedomLittleBird: [Delete it. Why not? If the randomly generated attributes are even lower than before, wouldn't you have deleted your character for nothing?]
—Original Poster: [That makes sense.]
Yu Yu replied: [Didn't you say you were deleting your character? Have you done it?]
—FreedomLittleBird: [Yes, I have!]
——Original Poster: [Have you been sick at all?]
——FreedomLittleBird: [No, I haven't.]
——Original Poster: [Seems like it was just my imagination. Anyway, I'll delete once more.]
With that, he posted another screenshot of deleting his character.
Yu Yu: "..."
Forget it.
[7788]: [Good advice is wasted on someone determined to die. I'm out of here.]
—Original Poster: [Hey? What's with that attitude? I]
The original poster didn't reply anymore.
Both Yu Yu and 7788 had already left the thread.
Because Yu Yu received a phone call. "Hello?"
"What? No." Yu Yu's expression wasn't good. "I don't want to contact them. If you give them my number, I'll change it."
"But..."
Yu Yu: "I said no."
The other side could only sigh, and Yu Yu hung up. Back then, not a single person believed her, and now they're pretending?
Hmph.
Yu Yu opened a rental app. She still had to work during the day and wanted to take the opportunity to look for an apartment.
Sigh, the working life was too tiring.
She happened to look up and noticed that the fog outside had grown thicker. City transportation had almost come to a standstill, but fortunately, she lived close enough to ride a bike to work. Two colleagues at her company were already unable to come to work on time. Thinking about the thick fog, Yu Yu also became worried.
"Hmm? Someone died there? That's fine with me! I'm not afraid!" Yu Yu suddenly became cheerful. After checking the address, she decided to visit right after work.
Making a decision early would bring peace of mind sooner. If only she could buy her own house. Yu Yu checked the clock and headed out to work. With this dense fog, she had to leave much earlier than usual. Fortunately, it was still August. If it were winter...
Yu Yu felt suffocated just thinking about it.