“Skeleton Staff, Requirements: Class: Mage, Agility: 8, Spirit: 20; Attributes: Damage: 22~35, Magic Damage: 18%, MP Recovery 3/sec, Additional Skill: Curse of the Undead, Additional MP Recovery 2/sec. Socket: 1”

Great stuff! Absolutely great! A green weapon with an additional skill and a socket, that's really something. In Destiny, equipment grades follow certain rules. For example, blue gear usually has only one additional attribute, which is often an increase in HP/MP or extra attack/defense. Green gear, on the other hand, has at least two additional attributes, usually including a percentage increase in attack/defense and sockets, or a percentage increase in HP/MP and sockets. Of course, red and gold gear have even more.

The fact that Sister Shui's Skeleton Staff has an additional skill is quite unexpected. Skills in Destiny are notoriously hard to learn. Even finding all the skill books for your own class can be a challenge, let alone other classes' skill books. The most convenient are skills attached to equipment, which, although they cannot be upgraded, are still quite handy. Even a basic magic skill can be a game-changer.

Judging by its name, Curse of the Undead likely belongs to the necromancy category. Since there is no necromancer class in the game, the exact attributes are unknown. However, just the word "curse" is enough to give any opponent a hard time.

"Not bad! Barely usable." A green light flashed, and the staff went into my bag. It was satisfying to see the envious expressions of the crowd outside the door. Green gear drops are quite rare, while blue gear is more common.

"Friend, would you consider selling it?" A mage stepped forward, having noticed the green light when the staff was appraised.

Sell it? That's a joke! What would I use then? "Haha, no, you saw it, I'm a mage too."

Seeing the disappointed look on his face as he walked away, I felt a bit smug. This guy refused to party with me earlier, thinking he was something special at level 20. It was nice to bring him down a peg.

I couldn't use it just yet, still short of three agility points. Time to level up.

Leaving the crowd, I followed a group of players heading out of the rest stop and onto the mountain path leading to Lion Valley.

"Armored Beetle, level 20 monster, close-range physical attack, slow speed." A warrior explained to a young sorceress behind him while tanking four Armored Beetles. "Actually, these monsters are more suitable for mages. Their skin is very thick. Let's go somewhere else and fight zombies."

No need for him to say that, I already knew Armored Beetles were good for mages. Just look at the swarm of people here—how many of them are warriors? Damn, they're all mages.

I was just wondering where to go, and now these beetles were enough for me once they left. The sorceress was cooperative and left with the warrior after he dealt with the beetles.

No more words, just get to work! As expected, the Armored Beetles could be taken down in two hits, occasionally three. Overall, it was quite safe.

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The benefits of fighting higher-level monsters are obvious: faster leveling and the chance to drop future equipment. Especially at lower levels, my gear had been completely replaced in just a few hours, and I even got a small ring that added 15 HP.

Finally, I reached level 18. My red potions were almost gone, and my bag was full of equipment. Time to head back to town.

Rushing back to the rest stop, it was now late at night. The once bustling place had quieted down, as players still weren't used to the night life. I first went to the store to discard some junk white gear, then went straight to the appraisal office to get the remaining equipment appraised. Unfortunately, the total appraisal fees didn't exceed ten gold, and all the gear was blue. I kept two pieces that added health for mages and spent five gold to painfully rent a storage space, where I dumped the rest of the blue gear to sell later in the newbie village.

I bought more medium red potions and advanced skill books from the damned book vendor, leaving me with little gold. Equipped with the glowing green Skeleton Staff, I headed into Lion Valley. I wouldn't return until I reached level 20!

As soon as I entered Lion Valley, a timid voice called out from behind.

"Hey, can you help me out? I'm a level 15 sorceress."

Turning around, I saw a frail-looking girl with wide eyes staring at me. As she raised her hand, a warm feeling enveloped me—another sorceress specialty, Courage. Too bad I'm not a warrior, so the attack and defense boosts weren't much use.

"Buddy? Haha, that's the first time I've heard a girl greet someone like that."

Amused, I teased her, "Haha, buddy, I'm a mage too, you know. We're not exactly a perfect match."

"Don't be ridiculous, mages need healing too. Even basic healing spells can save your life with your low health." She rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you don't use Dark Power!"

"Haha, alright, alright. As long as you don't mind me being slow." I've always said that in Destiny, helping others is beneficial with no downsides. Of course, loot stealing is another matter. "But let’s be clear, you can have the gear you need, and the rest is mine. Deal?"

"Of course. Do you think I'm a newbie who doesn't know the rules?" She rolled her eyes again.

Originally, I planned to visit higher-level monsters, but seeing this level 15 girl, I decided to stick to the current area. It wasn't bad, after all.

Having a sorceress healing me was great! The costly medium red potions were mostly unnecessary. Plus, with her Courage buff, I could survive even when surrounded by Armored Beetles. The sorceress had good timing, always casting her healing spell just after I used Dark Power to convert MP.

"Hey, can I take a break?" Having a healer was great, but it also meant working harder. Without an AoE spell, I had to use a strategic method to fight monsters efficiently. This method was simple: minimize shield time, shorten running time, and forgo dodging. My backup was the healing light from above.

"No way! I'm about to level up. Let's rest after that." She glared at me. "And don't call me 'little girl'. Call me Zi Yi or Sister Zi Yi."

"Oh, so Zi Yi Little Granny, is that okay?" I continued teasing her.

"..."

Caught off guard, an Armored Beetle hit me hard, -57 HP. Damn! One more hit and I'm done for. I scrambled away, shakily downing a red potion.

"Damn it! Why didn't you heal me?" I was furious. I'm a mage with no added constitution!

"A small punishment, that's all. Besides, you wouldn't die." She looked indifferent, as if daring me to challenge her.

Speechless and helpless, I waved my staff and cast Curse of the Undead on the Armored Beetle. It turned gray, its already slow pace becoming snail-like.

"What skill is that?" The girl asked in surprise, seeing my new spell.

"A skill just for dealing with you!" I cursed inwardly, imagining her turning into an Armored Beetle.

Though not detailed, my initial tests showed that Curse of the Undead lived up to its name. It significantly reduced the beetle's speed, attack, and defense while causing it to lose 10 HP every 5 seconds. Unfortunately, it had no effect on magic defense, which was a bit disappointing. However, it didn't lessen my fondness for it. It was the perfect support skill for warriors.

"Hey, buddy, you've hogged my spot for long enough. Isn't it time to leave?" A voice full of disdain and challenge coldly interrupted my thoughts.