Eiranta, like the Rest Stop, is a small town that serves as a supply station. However, due to the surrounding high-level monster areas, such as the Valley of Death and the Rockface Ruins, it's famous for producing monsters above level 50. With the highest level players yet to change classes, Eiranta in the morning light appeared desolate and incredibly mysterious.

On my way here, I excitedly tested out the appraisal skill and several other spells. As expected, the skills attached to the Medusa Staff didn’t increase proficiency. However, the appraisal skill easily identified the levels and HP of monsters, truly an essential skill for leveling up and farming treasures.

In Eiranta, which was only populated by NPCs and a few tourists, I replenished my health potions. This time, I remembered to buy a teleport scroll back to town—even though the Valley of Death is very close to Eiranta, I still spent that one gold coin.

As I stepped into the Valley of Death, a heavy sense of death overwhelmed me. The ground was littered with decaying corpses and white bones, while a thick fog hung over the canyon. Even the rising sun's rays couldn't penetrate the accumulated fog of many years.

Despite my current brave demeanor, the sight still secretly scared me. I cursed the game company in my heart; it's just a game, is it necessary to make it this terrifying? Carefully scanning my surroundings, I confirmed there were no other players around. I took out the Medusa Staff and rings from my backpack, instantly bathing myself in a rainbow of lights. Looking at my attributes and the spell called Divine Word, known as the Bane of the Undead, I gained a bit of confidence. Gripping the staff tightly, I slowly walked deeper into the valley.

As if sensing my presence, the corpses and bones on the ground slowly rose, staggering towards me in an attack stance.

Damn! I thought these things were just scene decorations!

I quickly retreated and cast an appraisal spell on the nearest skeleton. "Mutated Skeleton.??" Great, it's at least ten levels higher than me, otherwise, my master-level appraisal skill wouldn't show question marks.

Since I confirmed it was ten levels higher, there was no point wasting time. The Pause spell wouldn't work either, but I wondered if a powerful skill would be effective. With this in mind, I raised my staff and chanted, "All who behold my visage shall be forever sealed in stone, Medusa's Gaze!"—a rather ridiculous incantation. It sounded more like a curse than a spell.

A thin white beam shot from the eye of the staff towards the mutated skeleton. Ineffective!

I retreated and tried again after the cooldown period, but it was still ineffective!

Could this skill also have a ten-level limit? Whatever, since petrification was ineffective, I had to resort to the Divine Word.

Divine Word, a skill allegedly possessed by high-level combat priests, has a deadly effect on undead creatures. Although there are no priests in Fate, players can learn the skills through skill books and other means. Moreover, the advanced classes of sorcerers, priests, and bishops have skills far surpassing those of priests.

"O holy spirit of light, grant me boundless divine power. Let the light pierce the darkness and condemn the creatures of darkness! Divine Word."—In Fate, all advanced class skills must be chanted aloud to be used.

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As I finished chanting, a thin white line rose into the sky, then exploded, forming patches of milky white light. Each patch carried a holy aura, descending upon the skeleton. When the first patch hit the skeleton's head, it visibly shuddered! The rest of the patches rapidly followed, enveloping the skeleton in a holy glow. A wisp of black smoke rose, and the skeletal frame crumbled to the ground.

I was stunned. Incredible! It was indeed a one-shot kill! If every monster could be dealt with this efficiently, it would be amazing!

I retreated again and used the skill after the cooldown. This time, however, it wasn't a one-shot kill. One skeleton stubbornly stood amidst the white light, slowly following me as the glow faded.

So, there's a success rate... After using it several times, I found that this Divine Word... how should I put it? Due to incomplete data, I wasn't sure if it would have an area-of-effect after advancing. But for now, it seemed inferior to the advanced skills of mages. No area-of-effect, super long cooldown, and extremely MP-consuming.

After discovering this, I adjusted my tactics, luring them one by one. Despite the success rate, statistics showed I could one-shot kill about four out of five... I wondered how the ultimate mage skill—Life Drain—would compare. Based on the general principle of mage skill damage, a mage could usually finish off a monster in three hits at the same level, even in four hits for higher levels. But their cooldowns were much shorter than my Divine Word, and it seemed like...

Sigh! Having meat and complaining about hair, that's probably describing people like me.

Mechanically repeating the tedious monster-killing actions from morning till noon, I only gained 8% experience. Compared to the constant chimes of level-ups... Sigh~! This was simply an insult to a mage with a magical experience...

By noon, the vast canyon was empty except for me wandering around. Of course, I only stayed near the entrance. Further in were liches and lord-level monsters, powerful beings that could exhaust me in a magical duel. Given the huge level gap and my intermediate-level magic shield, going in would be courting death.

Climbing up the barren hill on the edge of the canyon, I lay lazily in the noon sun, examining the few pieces of equipment I had just obtained. They were all trashy blue items. The appraisal skill proficiency had only increased by a pitiful 0.01%. At this rate, even with Carter's Focus pretending to be a master appraiser, I'd never reach Grandmaster proficiency in my lifetime.

With leveling being extremely difficult and no good equipment dropping, I lost interest in continuing. Lying on the hill, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, the fatigue from last night's all-night action hit me. My eyelids heavy, I barely managed to remove a few key pieces of equipment before drifting into a deep sleep.

I slept soundly until the fatty's message woke me up. By the time I woke, it was already quite dark. Before parting ways last night, the fatty had asked me to keep my messages and private chat open for practice. They had gone to communicate with the company's higher-ups immediately after logging off. It seemed they were now online with Wanxin's response.

"How's it going?" Too lazy to message, I directly sent the fatty a private chat.

"Huh? I thought you weren't there, your friend list is dark." The fatty was slightly surprised before joyfully continuing, "The company has decided to cooperate with you. However, they propose a joint operation for the auction house. They want to give you 40% shares, with the land ownership belonging to the company."

"Get lost! Dream on, I want the land. Tell your higher-ups that if they don't lease it, I'll rent it to someone else, or I'll do it myself if they piss me off." Hmph, trying to tie me down? No way. But it seems... it seems I don't even know when the land will be in my name. Is this strategic overdraft?

"Hehe, as I said, we are in the same boat. When I showed them your full family photo, they all shut up." The fatty's voice sounded proud and sly, "So they agreed to cooperate according to your terms. Hehe, and the gold coins will be available by tomorrow morning. I'll give them to you then."

"OK!" After hanging up the chat, a burst of excitement surged within me. Money... that's money! Buoyed by the good news the fatty brought, I felt elated, waving my staff as I quickly ran down the hill to level up!

Just then, the message alert sounded again, and the icon was actually from Ziyi?!