A Strategic Recruitment and a Hidden Advantage

Ye Jue’s initial plan was to form a complete five-person team before attempting the quest. However, assembling such a team proved to be quite challenging.

He adhered to a strict principle of ‘quality over quantity’ when selecting his members. With Lin Shenyue and Divine Wind already in the party, he had no need for a healer or an archer.

His primary requirement was a mage, as their current lineup completely lacked magical damage output. Without one, they would undoubtedly struggle against monsters possessing high physical defense.

Lin Shenyue watched Ye Jue lost in thought. After a moment, she decided to send a message to Xu Linglong.

[Linglong, are you there?]

Xu Linglong was currently grinding monsters with Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze. Her level had already reached eight and a half, and if all went well, she expected to hit level nine today.

Seeing Lin Shenyue’s message, she paused, then replied happily, “I’m here! What’s up, Yue’er?”

Lin Shenyue’s lips twitched slightly at the familiar address. She replied, somewhat speechless, “What profession do you plan to transfer to?”

Given that the forum had already announced the level 10 transfer professions, she wanted to confirm her old friend’s chosen path. If suitable, she hoped to recruit them into her team.

As for their skill, she held an inexplicable confidence that her friend wouldn’t be lacking.

Xu Linglong quickly responded, “I plan to transfer to a Berserker. Why do you ask, Yue’er?”

Lin Shenyue felt a pang of helplessness. The ease with which Xu Linglong called her ‘Yue’er’ clearly indicated it was a long-standing habit. She shook her head, casting off the slight discomfort.

“Our team is currently missing a warrior and a mage,” she explained. “Would you be willing to join us?”

Upon hearing this, Xu Linglong enthusiastically agreed. “Of course! As long as I can be with Yue’er, that’s enough for me.”

Lin Shenyue felt a touch of exasperation. It seemed Xu Linglong truly was this body’s best friend, yet she found Xu Linglong’s current behavior a little unsettling.

Lin Shenyue reined in her thoughts and asked, “Our captain has quite high standards. Do you have confidence?”

Xu Linglong retorted indignantly, “Hey, hey, Yue’er, how dare you doubt me? Just wait until I find you; I’ll punish you!”

Her words caused Lin Shenyue’s body to shiver involuntarily. Clearly, even without memories, her body reacted to the mention of Xu Linglong’s ‘punishments.’

Still, Xu Linglong added, “Don’t worry, Yue’er. I can definitely meet your captain’s requirements. Not only that, but I just met someone who seems decent, and he happens to be a mage.”

Fortunately, Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze was unaware that Xu Linglong’s assessment of him was merely ‘decent.’ Otherwise, he would surely have confronted her. If he was only ‘decent,’ then who else would ever catch her eye?

Lin Shenyue simply uttered an “Oh,” unsure how to continue the conversation. Lacking her past memories, she genuinely struggled with such interactions.

Xu Linglong understood that Lin Shenyue, without her old memories, wouldn’t know what to say. She sighed softly, realizing she would have to rebuild their friendship from scratch. Breaking the awkward silence first, Xu Linglong said, “I’ll reach level 10 tomorrow. I’ll come find you then.”

Lin Shenyue hummed in acknowledgement. Xu Linglong’s leveling speed alone suggested their skills were quite high. After ending the private chat with Xu Linglong, she turned to Ye Jue.

“I have a friend,” she explained. “She’s a warrior, and she has a mage teammate. Their skills shouldn’t be a problem, and they can fill the two vacant spots perfectly.”

Ye Jue looked a little puzzled. “Can they come now?”

Lin Shenyue shook her head. “They haven’t reached level 10 yet, but they should be able to arrive at Vermilion Bird City tomorrow.”

Ye Jue hesitated. Not reaching level 10 now meant not only slower early-game leveling but also missing out on the crucial first few days of progression. They might struggle to keep up with their team’s leveling pace.

When their team reached level 15 and prepared to enter dungeons, there was a risk that some members wouldn’t meet the level requirement and thus wouldn’t be able to join. For instance, Lin Shenyue had already reached 30% of level 12 experience, and by the end of today, she would be over 50%.

It was highly probable she would reach level 15 in another two days. However, newly joined level 10 players would need at least four days to catch up. This two-day gap meant they wouldn’t be able to tackle dungeons as a full team. Ye Jue voiced his concerns.

Lin Shenyue also felt a touch of helplessness. After all, Xu Linglong had only entered the game on the third day, which inevitably put her at least two days behind those on the front lines, like them.

Ultimately, Ye Jue conceded, “If their skills truly meet the standard, then we can indeed bring them along. However, we’ll likely miss out on the dungeon’s first clear.”

The dungeon’s first clear primarily awarded players with skill points, which were incredibly valuable. Therefore, if possible, Ye Jue genuinely hoped to secure the first clear. Due to the significant increase in difficulty for level 15 dungeons, even a normal run would require Ye Jue’s full effort. Although the level 15 dungeon in his previous life was only cleared three days after its release, Ye Jue dared not gamble. After all, with his arrival, some things in this life had already changed.

Suddenly, Ye Jue’s eyes lit up. He had thought of a place. Within Vermilion Bird City, there was a monster spawn point originally intended to help players complete a small quest with ease.

However, because players within the city did not consume their normal experience gain time, this spawn point was accidentally discovered by a player to provide experience. They leveled up frantically, once dominating the top ten of the ranking board. It was important to remember that this player was merely an ordinary player.

As it was the first bug in Divine Realm, the forum post about it became incredibly popular, and Ye Jue had happened to see it. However, this bug was discovered and fixed within just one day of its appearance. Despite the fix, the player’s level was not reset.

According to the official statement, if a player genuinely discovered a bug and profited from it, the Divine Realm officials would not reclaim those gains. However, if the bug’s impact was too significant, the officials would still use appropriate measures to penalize the exploiting player. But for a minor bug used simply for leveling, the officials would not punish the player.

The monster spawn point generated level 12 groundhogs. The experience points given by the groundhogs were not high, only 500 points each, but their sheer numbers made up for it. Furthermore, groundhogs had relatively low health and defense, making them easy to kill.

Having suddenly recalled this, Ye Jue immediately declared, “I’ve thought of a way to farm experience. Once your friends arrive, we’ll use this method to level up.”

Lin Shenyue also breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. She had been unsure if they could join, given their somewhat lower levels. With Ye Jue’s approval, she finally felt at ease.

Since they had to wait for the other two members of the team, Ye Jue decided against tackling the BOSS for now. Instead, he continued to call Divine Wind and Dark Demon to grind against the Skeleton Warriors.