Chapter 31: The Many-Beast School of Magic
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Under the night sky, the Kodo Beast Valley resembled a wild beast crouching in the shadows east of Frostshade City. Seasoned players dismissed it with scorn, while novices dared not venture too close. Yet tonight, in a secluded corner deep within the valley, a faint glow flickered from amidst the shifting shadows of countless Kodo Beasts. The glow was accompanied by the occasional roars and agonized cries of adult Kodo Beasts, echoing through the darkness above the valley.
The shrill screams pierced the stillness of the night, so harsh and far-reaching that even two leveling parties outside the valley could clearly hear the commotion. At first, there would be brief lulls in the Kodo Beast Valley every ten or twenty seconds. But as time passed, the whimpers and howls of the Kodo Beasts became a continuous cacophony, persisting for a full half hour without respite.
Players outside began to speculate irresponsibly: Perhaps it was just some bored first-tier classes grinding inside... or maybe they were waiting for a boss to spawn? But the truth was far different.
...
"Healing Waters!"
With Tea's soft chant, a sphere of deep blue light, gentle and luminous, appeared above my head, floating softly before swiftly enveloping me. The water element was cool and refreshing, instantly covering my body. In the next moment, as my HP slowly climbed, my wounds rapidly healed.
I slowly withdrew the bronze dagger lodged deep in the eye of the adult Kodo Beast, savoring the soothing, encompassing embrace of the water element. The healing lasted a full four seconds, restoring me to peak condition.
By then, another adult Kodo Beast had already respawned.
The instant Tea withdrew the Healing Waters, I had already engaged another adult Kodo Beast, our coordination flawless.
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In just half an hour of grinding, I had mastered the nighttime respawn cycles of the monsters: though the refresh rate of the Kodo Beasts wasn’t fixed, the interval was short—no more than half a minute to a minute. Once the time elapsed, three new adult Kodo Beasts would spawn, regardless of whether the previous trio had been slain. Of course, this pattern only held during the night—one of the reasons Kodo Beast Valley was always teeming at this hour.
However, every area had its saturation point. Once the number of monsters reached a certain level, some would break off in small groups and wander into other monster zones. This was why high-level monsters often crossed into new territories at night.
...
I dispatched the first charging adult Kodo Beast in just ten seconds, though at twice my previous effort. Still, with Tea’s healing, I had nothing to fear. I quickly turned to another adult Kodo Beast that was mauling "Poet Saint"—who now served as nothing more than bait, drawing monsters.
Of the three adult Kodo Beasts, I dealt with two while Little Love handled the third—perfect teamwork! Clearing two adult Kodo Beasts in thirty seconds to a minute doubled my efficiency.
As for Fox Girl Little Love, when she first arrived, she watched my every move in silence. Only after the fifteenth adult Kodo Beast fell did she begin to imitate my attacks. Though she couldn’t immediately replicate my precise techniques, she cleverly exploited her own strengths—the bronze sword’s power and her superior gear.
She would strike the adult Kodo Beast with a couple of normal attacks, then move in for close combat when it grew cautious. Her approach was chaotic at first, but gradually she mastered movement and the importance of striking first. Slowly, she gained control of the fight—no longer needing Poet Saint’s help, she could handle everything on her own.
Honestly, watching her methodical attack rhythm, even I had to admire her. She was the most dedicated female player I’d met since entering the game, and possessed real potential as a warrior.
Unfortunately...
If she truly chose to pursue the warrior path, she wouldn’t surpass her other protector, Big Bear, by much. After all, among all the mecha infantry cadets, her potential was only above average. Now that more and more people from various academies across the planets were pouring into "Era of Magic," experts were everywhere. Her ultimate path should not be the warrior class.
At that moment, I suddenly thought of my old friend—Lin Xuefeng.
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Back at the academy, his abilities were no worse than mine. Yet now... a month had passed, and he was still lost among the twenty billion players. Any fourth-tier class from a noble academy could easily trample him, even suppressing all his friends at the academy.
Thinking of this, I sighed inwardly:
I was still too young, too impulsive. The moment I heard the news, I rushed in headlong—yet I still had my real life to consider...
I could only stay in the game for two months; I had no idea if I’d be able to help. What’s more, it seemed the other side was backed by a noble academy and a horde of professional players. Was I being reckless?
I wondered if I could return my game pod...
Lost in these thoughts, my concentration slipped. An adult Kodo Beast seized the chance and bit into my unprotected thigh.
Damn! That hurt! Reflexively, I lashed out, driving my bronze dagger like lightning into the beast’s eye socket.
The wounded Kodo Beast instantly released me, and I quickly pulled free, only to see two bloody rows of punctures left on my leg. Damn it, you think you can bully me? Courting death!
Before the heavily injured Kodo Beast could react, I drew a breath, wrenched my bronze dagger free, and thrust it into its remaining healthy eye.
Ding!
At last, I leveled up...
As I reveled in the joy of leveling up, I suddenly caught sight of firelight rising in the pitch-black valley. Glancing over, I saw three fireballs, each the size of a face, floating above the heads of countless Kodo Beasts—when had they appeared?
They hung silently in the air. In the dim glow, a humanoid monster with the head of a Kodo Beast stood among the herd, staff raised and pointing toward us.
"Not good! It’s a Magical Kodo Beast!! Everyone, be careful!!!"