NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Start Of Round 2 (2)
Ryu Min’s current goal was to reach level 10 as soon as possible to advance to the next job.
That was why he had come into the forest.
“If you go deep into the forest, Hobgoblins appear. They sometimes drop items and other useful things.”
Both hobgoblins and their larger cousins, hopgoblins, were better for experience and stronger than goblins. However, they were still not much of a challenge for Ryu Min.
“I wasn’t thrown into this bloody game to chit-chat for hours with people.”
The forest itself was a good hunting ground, and if he wasted his time discussing the election, he would gain nothing.
“Only those who step up to gain something will discover the existence of sub-quests.”
As he wandered through the forest, he would encounter monsters, and as he hunted, he would gain experience points and eventually reach level 10.
The sub-quest window will only appear if they enter the forest, and then they would realize that discussion was not the answer to this round.
“Of course, the position of district representative looks good, but it’s a position that only 1 out of 5000 people can get. It’s better to give up early.”
Furthermore, since it was a poisoned chalice from the beginning, it was better not to even consider it. Ryu Min believed that the key to this round was to hunt and become stronger as soon as possible.
“Keet, keet, kweeet.”
Suddenly Ryu Min saw a hopgoblin emerge from behind a tree, holding a hunting knife in its hand. The hopgoblin was slightly larger than a hobgoblin and looked somewhat intimidating, but it was nothing more than a toy in Ryu Min’s eyes.
“Come to me.”
“Keet!”
Tap-
When Ryu Min snapped his fingers, the hopgoblin rushed towards him, apparently insulted. But Ryu Min didn’t stand there.
Taat-!
As Ryu Min moved, the distance between him and the hopgoblin rapidly decreased. Before the startled hopgoblin could react, Ryu Min’s stiletto plunged into its throat.
“You have defeated the hopgoblin!”
“Experience point buff x3 is currently in effect.”
“Experience point +9%.”
“Gold +15.”
“Current kill count: 1/100.”
“The Rune of Slaughter increases all stats by 1%.”
With the experience point buff x3 and the effect of the Rune of Slaughter, Ryu Min’s stats were boosted. However, he didn’t have time to check the messages.
“Where there is a hobgoblin, there is another hobgoblin nearby.”
Ryu Min quickly surveyed the area, as expected, there was another hobgoblin nearby.
“Heeit!?”
Hobgoblins never roam alone.
Ryu Min grinned and ran towards the hobgoblin.
***
“You have defeated the hobgoblin!”
“Experience point buff x3 is currently in effect.”
“Experience point +7.2%.”
“Gold +15.”
“Current kill count: 50/100.”
“The Rune of Slaughter increases all stats by 50%.”
“Your level has increased!”
As Ryu Min killed more hobgoblins, the experience he gained from each one decreased. This was a natural progression, as it required more experience to level up the higher he got.
The Rune of Slaughter displayed Ryu Min’s current kill count.
“There are 3 hours and 30 minutes left until the vote.”
Ryu Min had raised his level from 5 to 9 in just 30 minutes of hunting.
Before he knew it, Ryu Min had reached the level where he could change his job if he gained just 10,000 more experience points.
As he scanned his surroundings, Ryu Min cautiously allocated his stat points.
“Agility is still the way to go for stats.”
In the beginning stages, agility is the only stat that matteres.
In order to survive, one must dodge enemy attacks and wait for a chance to counterattack.
Unless one was a fool, most people would understand the importance of agility.
“Although it would be efficient to invest in strength runes as Hwang Yongmin did, it’s a rookie mistake to stubbornly focus on increasing physical strength.”
Even if one’s strength was powerful, it was useless if he got stabbed by a sword.
Eventually, the situation would arise where agility was necessary.
“It’s not just agility; all stats are important.”
A player’s stats consist of four categories: strength, intelligence, agility, and luck.
Strength increases physical damage, health, and defense, while intelligence increases magical damage, mental power, and thinking speed. Agility increases attack speed, movement speed, and dodge rate. Luck increases critical hit rate, item drop rate, and additional gold.
“There is no stat that is unnecessary.”
It’s important to evenly distribute stat points across all four categories.
“This is especially true for Reapers since they’re hybrid jobs.”
While most jobs are divided into physical or magical damage dealers, reapers use both. Increasing intelligence is just as important as increasing strength for damage output.
“It’s ideal to just increase all stats evenly.”
After dozens of tests, Ryu Min reached this conclusion without a doubt.
If he could also obtain the [Balance Rune], which gives bonus effects for evenly distributing stat points, then he’d be on fire.
“Like the Rune of Inner Thoughts, the Balance Rune is a must-have.”
For now, clearing the sub-quest quickly is the top priority, especially since there are additional rewards for being the first to achieve it.
Since he moved first and has the experience point buff, it won’t be difficult to clear.
As Ryu Min prepared to resume hunting, he heard a rustling sound.
“Hmm?”
Ryu Min stopped moving, and the rustling sound stopped too.
“Is someone following me?”
It could be someone who followed him from the open field or someone who followed the corpses of scattered monsters.
“I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings because of hunting. Did I pick up a stalker?”
Ryu Min’s expression wasn’t good since there hadn’t been any stalkers in previous regressions.
As a regressionist, this was the scariest outcome, he couldn’t be sure if such a thing would change the future.
“Whoever you are, come out and state your purpose. Otherwise…”
Ryu Min pointed his bloodstained dagger towards the direction of the sound.
“Be prepared to die.”
Was the threatening tone effective?
Crack-
The stalker revealed himself from behind a tree.