The Challenging Prerequisite

The prerequisite quest for the Level 15 dungeon matched the difficulty of its hard mode. Unlike the Level 5 dungeons, this one boasted three formidable bosses. Yet, the quest’s objective was merely to reduce the first boss’s health by one-third.

Despite seemingly straightforward, completing this task was far from simple.

After their class changes, Level 15 players experienced attribute growths that significantly boosted their combat prowess, far surpassing what they had at Level 5. For instance, a mage might find that one point of Intelligence, which previously granted one point of magic attack, now provided 1.2 points.

Moreover, their professional skills had become more refined compared to Level 5. Without a corresponding increase in monster attributes, players would have overwhelmed them with ease.

Consequently, even the regular mobs within the Level 15 dungeon possessed double the attributes of their counterparts at the same level outside. Take, for example, the creature currently before them:

Molten Golem (Level 15 Common Monster):

Health: 100,000/100,000

Attack: 600-700

Its attack power, while only slightly higher than other monsters of its level, was due to the Molten Golem being a tank-type monster. However, its health was truly terrifying. It was twice that of a normal monster; typically, a Level 15 monster, no matter how much its attributes increased, would only have around 30,000 health and 400+ attack.

Concurrently, player attributes had also surged. For example, Ye Jue, serving as the team’s tank, now commanded 2,500 health, 200 physical defense, and 150 magic defense.

Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze, the main damage dealer, had fairly average equipment, yet his magic output reached over 350. Lin Shenyue’s damage was even higher, exceeding 420.

Divine Wind’s physical output soared past 370, largely owing to his prolonged association with Ye Jue and their group, which meant his weapons and accessories far outstripped Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze’s.

As for Xu Linglong, the Berserker, her current physical attack hovered around 350. Even with such impressive attack power at this stage, their hits on the current monster barely scratched it, dealing a mere 150 damage, and that was Divine Wind’s highest.

Xu Linglong could only manage around 120 damage per hit. Fortunately, her attack speed surpassed Divine Wind’s, making their overall damage output comparable.

Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze, however, found himself in a rather difficult position. Even his newly learned Level 15 skill, Blazing Fireball, only inflicted a little over 100 damage. It was crucial to remember that Blazing Fireball dealt double damage but had a long cooldown, preventing sustained output.

Thus, Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze’s damage barely edged out Ye Jue’s. After the first class change at Level 10, players’ attribute growth altered, and the emergence of class sets signified a severe polarization among professions.

Ye Jue, for instance, now had abysmal attack power, only reaching 150 even with the best equipment. This starkly illustrated the monster’s high resistance to fire-attribute mages.

Yet, because fire-attribute mages boasted the highest early-game output, the other three mage types—wind, water, and earth—were rarely seen. It wasn’t that fire mages were inherently stronger, but rather that they were simply more favored by players.

Though their progress was slow, Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue ensured the front line remained secure, allowing their teammates to unleash damage without worry. Even so, a single minor monster consumed nearly five minutes of their time, causing Ye Jue to frown.

In his previous life, at Level 15, numerous high-level players already existed, making high-quality Level 15 equipment less sought after. His own attack power had been significantly higher.

Furthermore, most of his teammates back then were nearing Level 20, making battles naturally easier. Things were different now; everyone had only just scraped by to Level 15. While their attack power was decent, their kill efficiency against the monsters was simply too slow.

If not for the promise of valuable drops, they would likely prefer to farm skeletons. Nevertheless, despite the difficult kills, the experience gained upon completing the dungeon should prove substantial.

After twenty grueling minutes clearing the first wave of minor monsters, the group arrived at the second wave. Unlike the stone golems they had just faced, these mobs were massive pythons.

From the presence of one conspicuously larger python, it was evident that elite monsters lurked among them.

Fire Serpent (Level 15 Elite):

Health: 90,000/90,000

Physical Attack: 900-1050

Fire Serpent (Level 15 Common Monster):

Health: 60,000/60,000

Physical Attack: 700-850

While the elite monster’s attributes hadn’t increased drastically, its unpredictable skill posed a much greater threat to the party. Moreover, unlike the unintelligent, low-aggro stone golems that didn’t link up, the Fire Serpents had a much larger aggro range, creating considerable trouble for the group.

Of course, to Ye Jue, these issues were entirely avoidable. However, he had decided to let Lin Shenyue take command, and even if her initial formal leadership led to mistakes, as long as they weren’t catastrophic wipes, he would remain silent.

Fortunately, despite her lack of experience, Lin Shenyue displayed strong adaptability and learning capabilities. She quickly grasped the rhythm, finally settling down after an initial flurry of confusion.

Observing Lin Shenyue’s rapid growth from the side, Xu Linglong was utterly astonished. She had never imagined that the once timid and soft-spoken Lin Shenyue would awaken such talent in the game.

In her memory, Lin Shenyue’s talents, apart from academics and music, were practically nonexistent. ‘Perhaps I just never noticed it, but did this person named Peerless Karma Fire discover it?’ Xu Linglong murmured to herself, her gaze lingering on Ye Jue with a scrutinizing intensity.

With the minor monsters already slain by the group, Ye Jue, who was currently tanking the Fire Serpent, suddenly felt a chill on his back. A quick, surreptitious glance revealed Xu Linglong staring at him with that same appraising look. He couldn’t help but inwardly chuckle bitterly, wondering how he had offended this esteemed lady.

His momentary distraction led to a lapse, causing the Fire Serpent to shift out of position. Xu Linglong, whose aggro was already relatively high, instantly became the primary target. Thankfully, Xu Linglong reacted swiftly, dodging the attack with a quick sidestep. Otherwise, given her frail physique, she would likely have been incapacitated after merely two hits.

Ye Jue snapped back to attention, reacting instantly. He charged forward, positioning himself between the two, and immediately unleashed a taunt, drawing the aggro back to himself.

Apart from Lin Shenyue, the three individuals in the rear had all witnessed the peculiar incident. Divine Wind and Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze exchanged a glance, their expressions a mix of amusement and surprise. Yet, as distinguished gaming experts, they wouldn’t stoop to gossiping about others’ affairs, though they silently praised Ye Jue’s clever tactics.

Ye Jue, however, remained oblivious to the fact that, in Divine Wind and Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze’s eyes, he had already successfully charmed Xu Linglong. If he had known, he would have been utterly speechless. While Ye Jue was far from a saint, he was fiercely loyal in matters of the heart. Unless he ended a previous relationship, he would never entertain a new one. It was probably for the best that he remained unaware; otherwise, he would undoubtedly have confronted the two of them.

****