Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Although the cave wasn’t small, it was pitifully cramped for the Golden Eagle’s massive frame. There was no room to dodge or maneuver—its only escape route was the entrance. Seeing Qin Han raise his bow again, the Golden Eagle’s eyes flashed red as it mustered the last of its strength and charged forward. Its only hope for survival was to break through!

Qin Han focused intently, his fingers moving like lightning as he loosed arrow after arrow at the Golden Eagle’s vital points—its eyes and throat. The Golden Eagle’s HP was already at rock bottom, and before it could even reach the entrance, its enormous body collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Clink!

The sound of Gold Coins bursting forth rang in Qin Han’s ears.

"You have slain the Elite Monster Golden Eagle. Experience Points +19,562."

"You have enough experience. Will you level up?"

At the same time, a notification appeared simultaneously in the Chat Areas of Beginner's Village 688 and Beginner's Village 110755:

"Congratulations to player Qin Han for achieving the First Kill of the Elite Monster Golden Eagle! Reward: Constitution +1. As Qin Han is the first player to slay an Elite Monster, an additional reward of Constitution +1 has been granted."

The announcement immediately set both villages’ Chat Areas abuzz.

Beginner's Village 688:

"Holy crap! An Elite Monster, killed by our village’s Qin Han? That’s gotta be a joke, right?"

"I remember an adventurous player who went deep into the wilds yesterday and spotted a high-level monster—a Gray Eagle. He estimated it was at least Level 11 or higher."

"Golden Eagle—just the name alone sounds intimidating. And it’s an Elite Monster, one that triggered a village-wide announcement. It must be even stronger."

"At this stage, being able to kill such a badass Elite Monster… Does that mean our Qin Han is the same one from the World Announcement?"

"No way. The Qin Han from the World Announcement already changed to a Divine-level Profession ages ago. His level must be sky-high by now."

"I checked the Level Ranking. Our Qin Han is still Level 0."

"My guess? The reason our Qin Han hasn’t leveled up is that he stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—some perfect spot where he could grind away at a high-level Elite Monster for days until it finally died."

"That would also explain why he’s been MIA among players these past few days and why he’s still Level 0."

"Wait, that doesn’t add up. The EXP needed to go from Level 0 to Level 1 is tiny. Even the dumbest player could level up by killing a few random mobs. An Elite Monster would give a ton of EXP—enough to jump several levels at once."

"But look, the announcement’s been out for a while, and he’s still Level 0. Is he suppressing his level?"

"If you refuse to level up, your EXP gets reset. That’s just shooting yourself in the foot."

"This is seriously baffling!"

"Ha! I get it now. This guy probably hasn’t changed professions yet, so he’s deliberately holding back his level."

"In my opinion, he’s still clinging to some fantasy about changing professions. No profession change, no leveling up. But at this point, all the Profession Tokens are probably gone. In the end, he’s just chasing after the wind."

"This guy is practically the opposite of Liu Kuang. Back then, Liu Kuang charged headfirst into leveling up, while this Qin Han just lurks at level zero, indulging in unrealistic fantasies."

"Don’t even bother watching, guys. This guy is definitely a lost cause!"

On the Ancient Tomb Third Floor, taking advantage of the absence of other players around, Li Hao said, "Brother Kuang, look, they’re bringing you up again. But these people are also painting the boss as your complete opposite."

Liu Kuang was no longer the lost and confused man he’d been when he first entered the game. Now, he felt much more grounded.

Pausing the sword in his hand mid-monster-slash, he uttered a profound remark: "Bold advancement and cautious prudence can both lead to success, but those who waver indecisively will only drift with the tide!"

"Though I started as the game’s discarded piece, following the boss means our future growth will undoubtedly surpass all of theirs."

Li Hao nodded. "You’re right. We’ll definitely be stronger than all of them."