The group of players departed quickly, leaving Kael to camp the spawn point alone. Before long, he had collected the necessary ten rabbit teeth and returned to the village to find the Chief.
"Chief, I’ve brought the items you requested."
The Chief examined the teeth. "Excellent work. Thank you for your contribution to the village. Here is your reward."
Two notifications chimed on Kael’s interface.
[System: You have delivered the Rabbit Teeth to the Village Chief. Rewards: 50 Copper Coins, 50 EXP.]
[System: Lucky Bonus triggered! Additional Rewards: 50 Copper Coins, 50 EXP.]
[System: You have reached Level 2! You have gained 5 attribute points.]
Early progression was rapid: 100 EXP for level 2, 200 for level 3, 400 for level 4, doubling with each subsequent level up to 21.
Kael allocated two points to Strength and three to Agility. In the early game, Strength provided a direct boost to raw attack power, whereas Agility’s scaling wouldn't shine until after the first class advancement. Furthermore, high-tier bows required a significant Strength stat just to draw, making the investment mandatory.
After confirming his stats, Kael asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
The Chief nodded. "A friend is visiting soon, and I need to prepare a hearty dinner. Can you acquire some high-quality beef for me?"
[System: Quest Accepted: Find high-quality beef for the Village Chief.]
[Rewards: 200 Copper Coins, 200 EXP.]
[Note: Providing beef of superior quality will yield additional rewards.]
Kael headed to the Weapon Shop next to the Apothecary. The owner, a goblin, greeted him with a grin that displayed a mouthful of surprisingly pearly white teeth.
"What sort of weapon do you need?"
The shop interface opened, displaying various Level 1-5 equipment. For a novice, The prices were daylight robbery—even a basic Level 1 Common Sword cost 100 copper coins.
Kael switched to the ammunition tab.
[Basic Arrow]
A crude wooden arrow. The tip doesn't look particularly sharp.
+0 Attack Power
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Price: 2 Copper Coins each; 40 Copper Coins per bundle (20 arrows).
Kael purchased 50 arrows and exited the village, heading west. He traveled much further this time, not stopping until he reached the foot of the mountain range.
Steep peaks rose to meet the sky, and a river wound south along the base of the mountains. Kael followed it until the water disappeared into a low-hanging cave. The level was dangerously high, leaving almost no gap between the surface and the cavern ceiling.
He plunged into the rushing water, took a deep breath, and dove. Godpath utilized realistic swimming mechanics tied to character stats. A low-level character couldn’t hold their breath for long and would eventually take drowning damage.
But Kael knew from his past life that this passage concealed several air pockets. As long as you knew where to surface, the journey was safe.
Ten minutes later, the water around him brightened. He broke the surface, gasping for air, and found himself on the other side of the mountain range. A sprawling grassland stretched out before him, the scenery breathtaking.
He pulled himself onto the bank and scanned his surroundings. Not far ahead, several massive beasts were grazing.
[Adult Water Buffalo]: Level 5
HP: 451
Physical Attack: 41
Physical Defense: 16
...
[Strong Gray Bull]: Level 5
HP: 505
Physical Attack: 35
Physical Defense: 22
...
Given their health pools, Kael calculated he could drop one in two shots.
He drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and took aim at a lone Gray Bull.
Thwack!
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The beast’s eyes turned bloodshot. It lowered its massive horns and charged, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
35 yards…
34 yards…
Kael raised his bow again and let another arrow fly.
-278
The bull’s legs gave out, and it tumbled to the ground, skidding to a halt.
[You have slain a Strong Gray Bull. Due to the level gap, you gain a 20% EXP bonus: 120 EXP awarded.]
[System: Lucky Bonus triggered! Loot drop: Beef x 2.]
Kael walked over to the corpse, retrieved his two arrows, and collected the meat. Arrows could be recovered within 15 seconds of a kill, and each could be reused twice. In the early game, every arrow was precious currency.
He inspected the meat and found its quality higher than expected.
[Beef]
Quality: 5
Typically, meat from the wild cattle outside the village was only Quality 1 or 2. This high-quality drop was another gift from his Luck stat.
Loot secured, Kael set his sights on the next group of mobs. About thirty yards away, three buffalo grazed side by side. He drew his bow and sent an arrow into the broad flank of one.
-265
All three buffalo turned hostile, charging at four yards per second.
When they were 31 yards away, he fired his second shot.
-272
One buffalo went down.
[You have slain an Adult Water Buffalo… 120 EXP awarded.]
[System: Lucky Bonus triggered! Loot drop: Beef x 2.]
The remaining two were at 27 yards. He fired his third arrow.
-262
They closed another four yards.
By the time he loosed his sixth shot, all three beasts were dead. The closest had fallen just fifteen yards from his position. The fight netted him 360 EXP, enough to level up again.
[System: You have reached Level 3! You have gained 5 attribute points.]
After allocating his points, Kael ran to retrieve his arrows and loot from the first two kills. However, he couldn’t reach the third corpse. It had fallen too close to a herd of more than a dozen wild bulls.
With his meager HP, getting mobbed by two or three of them would be a death sentence. He watched as the two arrows lodged in the final beast faded away.
Damn, what a waste. If only I had someone to tank for me.
Learning his lesson, Kael decided to pull the mobs closer before killing them. As he took aim at a distant group of four, a voice called out from behind.
"Excuse me, do you need some help?"
Kael went on high alert. How did another player get here?
