After accepting the quest, Ethan checked his attributes. He then allocated the 15 free attribute points from the past three levels entirely to Agility. To defeat the Silver Wolf King, he needed to be faster than it; otherwise, he didn't stand a chance. His entire strategy relied on kiting, so speed was essential.g, so speed was essential.
After adding 15 points to Agility, his stat increased to 60, boosting his Movent Speed to 67 and his Attack Speed to 32%.
Ethan calculated his chances. "Alright, my speed is now 67. The Silver Wolf King only has 40. Even with a 50% boost from its skill, it'll only reach 60. I can outrun it. But that second skill—a 10-ter AoE dealing 130% defense-piercing damage—is impossible to dodge. That alone will shave off 715 health, leaving in critical condition. As long as I don't get hit by a follow-up attack before I can heal, I'll be fine. The real problem is if it combos a regular attack with [Ferocious Howl]. If I can't survive that, there's no point in trying."
He sighed, feeling frustrated. "I'm stuck in this novice village with no other way to power up. This is so annoying."
Looking at the equally troubled village chief beside him, Ethan had a sudden idea. "Chief, the Silver Wolf King is way too strong. What should I do if I can't beat it?"
To his surprise, the village chief actually pondered for a mont before replying, "Hmm, given the current strength of adventurers, it's indeed too difficult for you to handle. Here, take this letter to the apothecary. Ask the owner to bring out so of his hidden stock. It might help improve your chances of survival. But rember, whether or not you can defeat the Silver Wolf King still depends on your own abilities." With that, the chief handed Ethan a sealed letter.
Taking the letter from the chief, Ethan blinked a few tis, surprised by this unexpected turn of events. "Wait, this works?" Without wasting any ti, he grabbed the letter and dashed toward the apothecary.
Upon arriving, he handed the letter to the apothecary. "Hello, the chief sent to buy so life-saving potions. Can you show what you've got?"
The apothecary read the letter, sighed, and muttered, "That old man is still eyeing my stash, huh?" He disappeared into the back room and returned monts later with a small chest. Opening it, he revealed several rare potions. "Pick what you want, but I'll warn you—these potions aren't cheap. Even with the chief's letter, if you don't have the money, you're out of luck."
Ethan examined the potions, each accompanied by a floating description and price:
[Instant Recovery Potion]: Instantly restores 1,000 health. Cooldown: 10 seconds. Price: 10 silver coins.
[Attack Potion]: Increases physical attack by 30% for 30 minutes. Price: 50 silver coins.
[Health Potion]: Increases maximum health by 30% for 30 minutes. Price: 50 silver coins.
[Speed Potion]: Increases movent speed by 30% for 30 minutes. Price: 50 silver coins.
...
Ethan's eyes widened at the selection. These weren't the standard potions available at the novice village apothecary, which only sold small, dium, and large health and mana potions with gradual recovery effects.
However, seeing the prices made his face twitch. "So expensive! If I hadn't killed the Wild Boar King, I wouldn't even be able to afford these. Damn, this ga really knows how to drain your wallet."
Still, he had no choice. Without these potions, he couldn't defeat the Silver Wolf King, and without defeating the boss, he couldn't leave the novice village. If he waited for other players to catch up and join the fight, he'd lose his advantage.
Gritting his teeth, Ethan spent 5 gold coins on 50 bottles of [Instant Recovery Potion] and another 5 gold coins on 10 bottles of [Health Potion]. He figured these potions might not be available even in the main city, so it was better to stock up while he could. Watching his remaining 10 gold coins vanish from his inventory, Ethan felt a pang of regret. "Ugh, that's 10,000 dollars gone in an instant. So wealthy players are offering to buy copper coins at a dollar each, and I just burned through 10 gold coins, which is worth 10,000 dollars."
He also spent another 50 silver coins on 50 bottles of [Large Health Potions], which restored 100 health per second for 10 seconds. "I can't rely on instant potions all the ti. These regular potions will have to do for sustained recovery."
Feeling more confident after stocking up, Ethan thought to himself, "The [Health Potion] that increases max health by 30% is useless against the Silver Wolf King. Even with the boost, I still can't survive a regular attack followed by [Ferocious Howl], so there's no point using it. All I need are the [Instant Recovery Potions]. As long as I can instantly restore my health after taking a hit, I should be fine. Skills like [Ferocious Howl] must have a noticeable wind-up. If it didn't, the boss would be impossible to fight."
Just as Ethan was about to head toward Silver Wolf Valley, a familiar figure approached. It was a veiled woman exuding an ethereal, goddess-like aura.
Ethan's eye twitched. "Her again? Is she stalking ?"
"What a coincidence," Sophia Mueller said with a faint smile.
"You sure it's a coincidence?" Ethan asked skeptically.
Sophia didn't answer. Of course, it wasn't a coincidence. She had instructed her people to keep watch, and when they reported Ethan's location, she rushed over. His previous refusal had triggered her competitive spirit. How could soone like her, who had never been rejected, tolerate failure?
"What do you want?" Ethan asked, exasperated. He suspected she had figured out his identity. Though he wasn't sure what had given him away, her actions made it clear she was certain of who he was.
"I just want to get to know you," Sophia said calmly.
"Why do you keep trying to add as a friend? I'm not even that good-looking," Ethan sighed.
"I know who you are. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I just want to add you as a friend. Maybe we'll have opportunities to collaborate in the future. There's no need to be so wary of . Besides, having a beautiful friend isn't exactly a bad deal for you," Sophia said directly.
"She really knows," Ethan thought. Keeping his expression neutral, he responded playfully, "You say you're beautiful, but how do I know? You're wearing a veil. For all I know, you might have a great figure but an ugly face. I don't add random people."
"You!" Sophia was montarily speechless. After hesitating for a mont, she gritted her teeth and removed her veil, revealing a stunning face with flawless, delicate features. Her cold elegance was tinged with nobility, making her look like an untouchable goddess.
Ethan was montarily dazed. In Oracle, a player's appearance was fully replicated from their real-world looks, with no beauty filters or makeup. This ant Sophia's beauty was entirely natural.
Seeing Ethan's dumbfounded expression, Sophia couldn't help but smile slightly. Although she was used to people being srized by her looks, she felt an unexpected sense of satisfaction seeing Ethan's reaction.
Reapplying her veil, she asked, "So? Can I add you now?"
"Wow, I really lost my composure there," Ethan thought, embarrassed. Scratching his nose, he said, "Alright, your looks pass. I'll add you." Internally, he reasoned, "Since she already knows who I am, there's no point in dragging this out. Plus, having such a stunning friend isn't exactly a bad thing."
He sent her a friend request, as his settings prevented strangers from adding him first.
Ding! Player Sealed has requested to add you as a friend. Accept?
Hearing the system prompt, Sophia smiled inwardly. "It really is him," she thought as she quickly accepted the request. Her friend list updated, showing a new entry: Sealed (Lv 10). Her eyes narrowed slightly—Level 10?!
Despite having spent a fortune on top-tier gear and receiving help from over ten players, she had only reached level 8. The experience gap between levels 8 and 10 was enormous, far greater than the combined experience needed to reach level 8 in the first place.
"He really is ahead of everyone," Sophia thought, her competitive spirit flaring up once more.
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