The grassy plains stretched out endlessly, the sun casting warm light over the waving green fields. Among the sea of grass, a large "rock" over two meters tall sat motionless in the distance. It looked like a boulder at first glance—massive, solid, unmoving.
But anyone with a keen eye would notice something strange.
Rocks don't grow legs. Or tails. Or a head with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
That wasn't a boulder at all—it was a Giant Rock Turtle, a Level 12 jungle monster, known for its terrifying defense and immense weight. Though it looked sluggish, it was anything but harmless.
At the moment, the beast moved slowly and peacefully through the plains, nibbling on lush grass, its heavy stone-like shell blending perfectly into the environment. It looked completely calm, almost serene—until Lucas and Mason entered its alert zone.
Suddenly, the "rock" twitched. Its head jerked upward, eyes glowing dark red as it turned its massive body toward them. With a deep growl, it charged forward like a landslide.
"Let's go, Mason! Time to test our strength!" Lucas clapped his chubby teammate on the back, grinning.
"ROAR!" Mason shouted, taking the encouragement like a battle cry. He raised his large hammer with both hands and ran forward without hesitation.
BAM!
Mason used his only active skill—Slam, a Level 1 warrior skill.
Slam: Strike the enemy with a hammer, dealing 180% physical damage.
Heavy weapon users like Mason got higher base damage than light weapon classes to balance out their slower attack speed. With full force, Mason slammed his hammer onto the Rock Turtle's shell.
A dull echo rang out across the plain.
A number floated up: 66.
"What the—so tough?!" Mason gasped.
The Giant Rock Turtle had 760 HP. Mason's hit barely scratched it. At this rate, he'd need over ten hammer strikes just to kill one turtle!
Before he could process the math, the turtle retaliated.
Like a rolling boulder, it launched a counterattack with brutal speed.
BANG!
It slammed into Mason like a battering ram, sending him stumbling backward. He barely managed to stay upright.
The Rock Turtle had just used its own skill—Crash.
Crash: Rush forward at high speed. A direct hit causes knockback and 150% physical damage.
"OOF! That hurts!" Mason groaned, holding his chest.
Above his head, a red number appeared—250 damage.
That was over half his total HP, gone in one hit!
If the turtle charged again, it could wipe him out with a second blow!
What made it worse was the Rock Turtle wasn't finished. It lumbered forward again, jaws opening wide, ready to bite down with its savage fangs.
Mason saw death in front of him.
"Lucas, save me!!" he screamed, his voice cracking.
"Relax," Lucas said calmly, stepping forward between his friend and the monster. In one fluid motion, he flicked his wrist and slashed with his dagger.
Swoosh!
A single clean strike to the turtle's neck.
BOOM!
A damage number over 800 floated above the Rock Turtle's head—a critical hit. The beast collapsed instantly, its health completely wiped out.
The terrifying predator had fallen with one swift attack.
It wasn't that Lucas was careless or trying to show off. He had a purpose.
All along the journey through the plains, Lucas had been testing wild monsters to find the optimal farming target. They'd walked for nearly ten miles, passing everything from Fanged Rats (Level 2) to Jackrabbits (Level 3), Grey Foxes (Level 7), and even Red-Eyed Wolves (Level 9).
Every time they encountered a new monster, Lucas held back, letting Mason attack first. He needed to see how much Mason could withstand before deciding if a monster was safe enough to farm repeatedly.
Mason's gear was good—but not invincible. Lucas didn't want his friend to get killed and lose a resurrection badge worth 50,000 yuan.
And now, with the Rock Turtle, they had their answer.
"Mason can survive one hit. Two would kill him. That's acceptable," Lucas muttered to himself, nodding.
He looked out across the plains. Several more Rock Turtles were scattered around, blending in with the terrain. Despite their slow appearance, their Crash skill made them deadly if underestimated.
Still, for Lucas, it was the perfect target.
With his Talent's 1000% damage bonus, he could one-shot Rock Turtles with regular attacks. No need for combos or special moves.
And Mason, as long as he stayed alert and healed between fights, could survive the occasional hit.
"This'll do."
Lucas checked his stats screen. His experience bar had jumped by 3% from killing that one turtle.
That was five times the EXP gained from a slime!
"Do the math," he said aloud. "Kill just thirty of these guys, and we're Level 2."
With a grin, Lucas spun his dagger between his fingers. "Let's go to work."
He approached another Rock Turtle, ready to begin farming in earnest.
"Uh… so, what exactly am I supposed to do?" Mason asked, guzzling a red potion to restore health. His hands were still shaking a little.
Lucas smirked. "Your job? Cheer for me. Say '666' every time I kill one."
Mason raised an eyebrow.
"…666," he muttered, genuinely impressed as Lucas cut down another Rock Turtle in seconds.
Watching Lucas fight was like watching a chef slice vegetables—smooth, precise, and effortless.
Every swing of his dagger was death for the turtle. Meanwhile, Mason's own hammer felt more like a rubber toy in comparison.
"How is he this powerful?" Mason whispered, amazed. "I deal 60 damage. He deals 800."
This must be the difference between S-Level Talent and everything else.
Even though Mason was a heavy weapon user with high output potential, he couldn't compare.
His respect for Lucas grew with each kill.
He glanced down at his hammer, then back at Lucas's blades.
"Two little daggers," he muttered, "and they're stronger than my entire hammer build? Man…"
Now it all made sense—why Lucas had confidently said he would carry him. He wasn't bragging. He was just that strong.
Mason sighed, accepting the truth.
But then he noticed his experience bar rising steadily. Even without doing much himself, he was gaining levels quickly.
"Wait… this feels amazing!"
He suddenly brightened.
"If my buddy's this powerful, why not just enjoy the ride?" he chuckled. "Cheerleader it is!"
"Lucas! You're amazing! 666! 666!!"
His yelling nearly startled Lucas, who turned and gave him a look.
Mason gave a goofy grin and two thumbs up.
Just like that, they continued hunting Rock Turtles.
Within half an hour, a golden light enveloped both of them.
LEVEL UP!
They had finally reached Level 2—together.
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