6. Experience

Beyond the city of Baturia, Liu Han found himself surrounded by vast stretches of grasslands and rolling hills, instead of the tall and aesthetically pleasing buildings he had grown accustomed to. Marietta Farm lay in the neighboring village, a considerable walking distance away.

At the entrance stood a Horse Stable, offering transportation services. However, Liu Han hesitated, aware of his dwindling finances. While taking the ride would shorten his journey, he knew it would also mean missing out on valuable opportunities to gain experience by facing enemies later on.

"I must save," he convinced himself, determined not to be wasteful. "Besides, walking won't hurt."

[You have left the safe zone. Be cautious!]

The unexpected notification popped up as Liu Han ventured a few steps beyond the gate, officially commencing his adventure. Along the way, he encountered other players engrossed in various activities such as collecting herbs, engaging with NPCs, and hunting animals.

In the Realm of Axian, a clear difference was made between monsters and wild animals. Both contributed to crafting materials for equipment, but defeating wild animals fell under the Hunting Life Skill, which impacted the experience gained from life skills.

In contrast, defeating monsters provided character experience points, but not instantly. Unlike wild animals, which had far longer respawn times, monsters quickly revived within a couple of seconds. Thus, repeatedly slaying monsters wouldn't directly add to the experience but rather contributed to the player's knowledge.

This knowledge broadened a player's Wisdom Points, influencing their MP/SP. Moreover, knowledge served as a determinant for granting experience to a character based on their level. The wider the level gap between the monster and the player, the more knowledge's experience they would acquire.

"There you are!" Liu Han exclaimed as he searched for some kind of Stone Crab hiding beneath the soil.

When Liu Han was about to take a closer look, the monster flinched in the air with a sudden move, frightening him to the point where he almost shouted.

The Stone Crab was anything but small; it was rather oversized and incredibly heavy due to being primarily created from rock. The lad quickly rolled ahead, evading the attack that fell so hard it even made the ground scatter.

Liu Han pulled out the Iron Blade from his inventory and instantly realized that the weapon might not be of much use due to its fragile shape. Especially against the formidable monster before him, the Stone Crab.

The young man was once again startled by the creature's sudden attack, its two hardened claws barely missing Liu Han as he managed to dodge just in time. It was at that moment he decided to showcase his abilities and unleash his skills.

His right hand clenched tightly, his muscles tensed, and a trail of steam emanated from it. Letting out a mighty roar, Liu Han delivered a powerful blow right to the vulnerable head of the Stone Crab, which wasn't protected by its shell. The attack inflicted significant and fatal damage, causing the monster's HP bar to decrease by half.

As the force hit, Stone Crab was slightly pushed back, but it didn't stop there. With its pincers, the monster lunged forward again toward Liu Han. Employing the same technique, Liu Han leaped over the monster's jagged pincers that stuck in the ground and retaliated with a powerful strike right to the monster's face.

As a result, Stone Crab groaned in pain until it finally lay motionless. Suddenly, a piece of information caught Liu Han's attention:

[You obtained Stone Crab Knowledge]

[Stone Crab Knowledge Lv. 1/3 EXP: 0%]

[You gained 150(-50%) experience points]

[Congratulations, you have reached level 6!]

Liu Han gasped for breath; the stamina-consuming skill had proven worthwhile. However, this victory brought a smile to his face, realizing that Stone Crab was no common monster due to its rare tier list. Leaving it there without collecting its spoils would be a loss for Liu Han.

[Obtain Shell of Stone x2]

[Obtain Red Pincer x2]

[Obtain Crab's Meat x3]

[Obtain Stone Crab's Venom Essense x1]

Interesting, as what he thought. Based on the description he had read about the venom essence, it had the potential to be used as a lethal poison for both swords and arrows, causing a paralyzing effect that lasted up to three seconds.

The other loot from the creature could be sold at a reasonable price. As for the creature's meat, it could prove valuable if Liu Han possessed the latest device from Xaindan Cooperation.

Even though the food in Axian provided various beneficial effects, it also furnished a sense of satiety in the real world. To experience this sensation, one needed the latest and quite expensive gadget.

Nevertheless, the machine offered excellent protection against external disturbances, allowing players to spend lengthened time in the gaming world.

Deciding to keep everything to himself, Liu Han witnessed the monster's corpse vanishing into thin air like specks of dust. However, as he resumed his journey, he couldn't shake the feeling of something being amiss. His bag had become unbearably heavy!

"Darn it, I didn't realize that the Shell of Stone weighed so much!" Liu Han ranted as he forced himself to press on.

While walking, which should not have been draining Liu Han's stamina, began to decrease bit by bit due to the excess load. He would run out of energy before reaching his destination, making it extremely difficult to face any potential enemies ahead and carry on the task.

Taking a deep breath, Liu Han reluctantly placed one Shell of Stone on the ground and murmured, "Whoever finds you later is in for some luck."

With that, his inventory now had some breathing space, allowing Liu Han to move freely without being encumbered. He could even run at full speed without hindrance, eager to reach Marietta Farm and complete his Bounty Mission.

Not long after passing through the plantation area, he came across a large wooden house and a tower with a massive windmill nearby. Liu Han wasted no time and headed straight there, discovering two individuals engaged in conversation.

Upon closer observation, Liu Han recognized that one of them was an NPC named Marietta, while the other was a woman standing before her. The woman's tight brown clothing accentuated her well-defined figure, and she had shoulder-length black hair—a familiar face to Liu Han.

His hunch proved right. When the woman noticed Liu Han's presence, she turned around, revealing a look of surprise on her beautiful face. She was someone who had been on his team before. She is Mei Li.

Liu Han found himself unable to utter a single word; even a simple greeting felt challenging to articulate. Unexpectedly, Mei Li broke the silence and initiated the conversation.

"Are you also taking this bounty?" Her melodious voice was filled with curiosity.

Liu Han nodded awkwardly, he then replied, "Uh... yes, I never imagined we would meet in a place like this."

"I think this mission is good enough than the others," Mei Li explained her reason for choosing this assignment. "Besides the substantial EXP rewards, the bonuses are quite decent too."

Liu Han immediately felt guilty and blurted out, "About the EXP issue, I apologize!"

The man in front of her bowed his head. Mei Li remained silent and did not respond. She then asked, "Wait, do you know about the Dandelion Latex Potion?"

Liu Han was taken aback, looking up instantly. "What potion?"

"The Dandelion Latex Potion," she pressed a button on the transparent screen, revealing a potion in her hand. "I guess you haven't heard of it."

Mei Li's smooth, tanned hand extended the potion toward Liu Han, offering it to him. He was bewildered and asked, "What's this for?"

"To increase the EXP rate by 10%," Mei Li replied with a cheerful smile. "It's better if we drink it before starting this task."

"But... but why?" Liu Han still couldn't believe what Mei Li did. "Even after everything I've done for you, for the team?"

"I admit, I was a bit frustrated at not being able to conquer the first floor," Mei Li said, looking down with a disappointed expression. "What the leader did was cruel, but he had strong reasons behind it."

"Yet, life must go on, right?" Mei Li added, handing over the Dandelion Latex Potion to Liu Han again, who still seemed hesitant. "We have to keep doing our best."

Liu Han was speechless, surprised by the sudden change in the woman he initially perceived as quiet and reserved. Slowly, he accepted the potion and said, "Thank you so much, Mei Li."

"Then let's combine this mission," she suggested, tapping the transparent screen.

"What do you mean?" Suddenly, an unfamiliar notification popped up in front of Liu Han, a feature he had never encountered before.

[Do you want to merge the mission with Mei Li?]

[Yes]

[Merging missions]

[You and Mei Li are now on the same team]

[Reward for (Bounty Quest: Save the Marietta Farm from Deadly Boars!) has increased!]

Liu Han quickly reviewed the quest details again.

[Save the Marietta Farm from Deadly Boars!

Experience: 700 (-50% for 7 days)

Reputation: +100 Baturia

Coins: None

Food: Tomatoes & Corn

Gears: None

Others: Corn Seed

Abandon: Yes/No?]

[No]

The man was astonished; he had no idea such a possibility existed. It was clear that Mei Li had a deep understanding of the Axian world, evident from her level that had already reached nine.

"Don't forget to drink it first!" She exclaimed, seeming excited about the task.

Liu Han hurriedly drank the potion, a bit bitter but feels relieved later on as he noticed a message in front of him.

[Reduce the EXP debuff from -50% to -40%]

The rare potion sure has much usefulness.

"Ready?" Mei Li asked that was about to start the mission.

Liu Han amassed all his might. He take a deep breath and all of a sudden his expression changed to serious. "Let's do this!"