Amidst the early stages of Heaven's Arrival, the dilemma of a player's fortune—or the lack thereof—becomes apparent. With most adventurers boasting a mere 0 in luck, competing against someone like Guan Ren, who already sits at a fortunate 23 points, borders on the tragic.
Left with no choice, Guan Ren crafts anew, sending forth a red packet filled with 20 Sea-Blue Coins into the digital abyss. This time, opting not to partake himself, his fellow adventurers find themselves richer by three to five coins each.
"Ha ha, I'm flush again! Chat later, leveling calls! Roar!" Light Crimson Feifei exclaims with unfettered joy.
"Once we're offline, I'll transfer you the market equivalent," promises Fluttering Snow.
"There's no need," Officer Guan interjects, "We're all part of the same studio; aiding each other is but a given. I've got leveling to attend to. Let's leave discussions for later."
Exiting the chat, Guan Ren is left solitary in the private room, whilst Violet and the rest hurried off to grind levels.
Venturing back from the tavern to the secrecy of Fang's estate, Guan Ren is met with anticipation. "You're here. The ingredients are prepared; all that's missing is your spark."
Fang's eyes gleam with excitement upon seeing Guan Ren return.
"Right away!" With a lift in spirit, Guan Ren finds himself back at the forge, focused entirely on the refinement of sparks. Armed with the success of his inaugural attempt, his progress leaps significantly.
With bated breath and attuned senses, he captures the rhythm of the flame, achieving harmony in his technique.
"Indeed, my eyes did not deceive me," Fang observes, stroking his beard with satisfaction as he watches Guan Ren's diligent craftsmanship.
Time flies, and within two hours…
"It's done!" Guan Ren collapses onto the ground, breath heavy from exertion. The nine sparks required by Fang have been meticulously crafted.
These are nine grains, each the size of a soybean, radiant with scarlet light, their fiery essence palpable, brimming with a wild aura.
Bronze Tinder: Suitable for forging Bronze quality gear and tools. It also serves as a weapon, inflicting real damage upon foes.
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"Well done. With this, my affliction can be fully cured," Fang declares, inserting the nine Bronze Tinders into the purple-marked cauldron before him. He sits in meditation, melding the sparks into a singular flame.
Then, meticulously grinding the ingredients, he commences a solemn alchemy.
"For the coming day, my focus lies solely on potion crafting. Feel free to wander; return this time tomorrow."
Nodding, Guan Ren prepares to leave—yet not before refining three additional sparks, consuming a half-hour more of his time. His delay in leveling, however, is soon apparent as other players gradually catch up.
Checking the leaderboard finds another in Sunward Town reaching level 8, pressing Guan Ren to hasten his pace or forfeit the first to level 10 reward—an outcome far from desirable.
Now at level 8, the cumulative experience offered by Sunward Town's tasks proves insufficient for reaching level 10. The most efficacious strategy for leveling now involves exploiting the Ultimate Acceleration System to steal experience through defeating other players in the wilderness.
"Let the Slaughterworld Syndicate serve my ascent!" With a grin, Guan Ren sets his sights on an old rivalry, unbothered by the prospect of deepening their mutual enmity.
Upon contacting Violet for the syndicate's whereabouts, he rushes to their grinding spot with zeal.
"Heh, filled with ambition, isn't he?" A mysterious figure, shrouded in a vast cloak, chuckles as he watches Guan Ren depart from the ancient well.
…
Clearwind Plains—nestled between Boar Forest and Blue Ox River—serve as the prime leveling ground for players above level 5 from Sunward Town, packed with wolf packs and plentiful monster resources.
"Let's push through, aiming to rally with the main force beyond Sunward Town!" the division of Slaughterworld, now leaderless with Slaughter Charge's temporary ban, perseveres despite a gloom.
"Think Officer Guan will come knocking for a reckoning?"
Silence follows.
"Unlikely. Amid the game's infancy, swift leveling reigns supreme; he's got better concerns than us."
"Right, with Charge's ban and his forum apology, Guan's probably appeased by now," the group consensually relaxes, organizing themselves to efficiently fell the wolves surrounding.
Suddenly, a peculiar scent raises alarm amongst them, "Do you catch that... scorched smell?"
As confusion sets, all eyes draw skyward—to a bead of golden-red descending rapidly among them.
Boom!
An explosive roar follows as the engulfing flames claim every last one of Slaughterworld there, their demise swift.
[Ding, plunder successful! Congratulations, you've earned 500 experience points!]
[Ding, plunder successful! Congratulations, you've earned 400 experience points!]
[Ding, plunder successful! Congratulations, you've earned 600 experience points!]
With each system prompt, the total experience surges by over a hundred thousand points, showcasing the Bronze Tinder's devastating might.
Guan Ren, witnessing the inferno's devastation, marvels at the potential unleashed.
Having explored the Bronze Tinder's capabilities, he acknowledges its formidable 2000 damage points and extensive coverage—truly a weapon of assault.
With his current level now at 9 and the promise of further growth within reach, only one thing remains uncertain: Why has his experience been locked at 99% towards level 10?