Chapter 4: Leveling up

[Your Angel, Virginia, has slain a level 1 wild boar. As Virginia's Lord, you receive a trace of primal force as a reward.]

[Your Angel, Janet, has slain a level 1 wild boar...]

[Your Angel, Virginia, has slain a level 2 wild boar...]

[Your Angel, Janet, has slain a level 2 wild boar, earning one gold coin...]

[Your Angel...]

A flurry of notifications appeared.

In just a short while, Virginia and Janet had taken down over twenty wild boars of various levels, showcasing their formidable combat prowess.

Being level 5, top-tier units, they found it quite easy to dispatch these lower-level creatures.

Meanwhile, Edward was also reaping numerous rewards of primal force.

If you were to compare the Worlds' Floating Isles to a video game world, then the primal force gained from slaying monsters would be akin to experience points, which could help troops, Lords, and professionals advance to higher levels.

As a Lord, Edward didn't need to personally slay enemies like combat professionals.

His troops were his weapons.

The enemies slain by his troops meant that Edward could also share in the rewards of primal force.

This highlighted just how crucial troops were to a Lord, forming the core element of a Lord's growth and the expansion of his domain.

"I can feel it..."

"Just a few dozen more wild boars slain by Virginia and Janet, and I'll level up."

In the Worlds' Floating Isles, a real-world setting, there's no such thing as an experience bar.

However, Edward could sense his own progress toward leveling up, a 'gift' bestowed upon professionals by the Worlds' Floating Isles.

"More than twenty level 1 and level 2 wild boars slain, and only two gold coins dropped."

"And no other items have dropped."

"This indicates that the drop rate for monsters in the Worlds' Floating Isles is quite low."

"Moreover, both gold coins were dropped while slaying level 2 wild boars. Clearly, the higher the level of the monster, the better the drop rate for gold coins and other items."

Through these insights, Edward gained a deeper understanding of the Worlds' Floating Isles.

…

As time ticked on, the notifications of kills in Edward's mind kept popping up non-stop. Virginia and Janet weren't just taking down wild boars now; they had started encountering a few wolves as well.

Regular wolves were level 3 creatures.

Elite wolves, on the other hand, were level 4.

But neither stood a chance against Virginia and Janet. Judging by the frequency of the kill notifications, taking on a level 4 elite wolf was a piece of cake for them.

Suddenly, a surge of warmth exploded in Edward's lower abdomen. Quickly, this warmth spread from his core to his entire body. In that moment, Edward could clearly feel his physical strength enhance—his hands grew stronger, he could jump higher, and his vision became sharper and clearer.

He had leveled up.

From a level zero ordinary person, he had ascended to a level one professional. It was from this moment that Edward truly embarked on the path of a professional, aiming for the lofty goal of becoming a deity.

"Leveling up took almost two hours."

"That pace should be considered pretty fast."

Edward was keenly aware of his leveling speed because he aimed to surpass other Lord professionals, striving to be the fastest-growing and strongest among them. This was crucial because the main quest given to Lord professionals in the [Worlds' Floating Isles] was to conquer the current isle and become its lord.

The isle Edward was on was unnamed and unclaimed, known only by its number, 014569. He didn't know how many other Lord professionals were on this island, but like all Lord professionals, the quest was the same: defeat the others and conquer the isle to become its ruler.

Once someone became the lord, they could freely use all the resources on the island. And to become a lord, strength was non-negotiable. Thus, Edward needed to grow as quickly as possible to become the most powerful Lord, ensuring he wouldn't be defeated in the future battles for the island.

…

While Virginia and Janet were busy hunting, Edward was strolling around his domain. There wasn't much to see in the three small wooden cabins; his main interest was in the nearby spirit fields.

Spirit fields were where Spirit Grain was cultivated. Not only did this grain provide the basic sustenance for his troops, but it was also a hot commodity back on Earth. The reason was simple: consuming Spirit Grain genuinely enhanced physical fitness.

Rumor had it that some tycoons on Earth had managed to reach the physical level of a level one professional by regularly consuming Spirit Grain, and were thus exceptionally admitted as professionals within the Worlds' Floating Isles. Of course, whether this was true or not, Edward didn't know.

But this led to a frenzy for Spirit Grain on Earth, with the wealthy sparing no expense to purchase it from Lord professionals. Hence, becoming a Lord professional was a surefire way to strike it rich.

...

Stepping beyond his domain, Edward caught sight of his spirit field. The whole area was a perfect square, roughly 328 feet on each side, enveloped in a soft white glow. As Edward's gaze settled on it, details of the spirit field emerged:

[Spirit Field]

[Level: 1]

[Special Attributes: None]

[Upgrade Requirements: 200 gold coins]

[Note: Level 1 Spirit Field can only grow Level 1 crops, including but not limited to grain, demon plants, magic potions, etc.]

"The lord's spirit field can grow more than just Spirit Grain; it can also support demon plants and magic potions," Edward mused. "But it seems like Spirit Grain, being a grain, is pretty basic."

"I've never heard of demon plants or magic potions before, but I guess these crops are fancier and harder to come by than Spirit Grain."

In the Worlds' Floating Isles, there's no option to top up or access a store. If professionals want to get something, apart from trading with other professionals, they can only hope to get lucky by defeating monsters. Seeds for crops, equipment for professionals, blueprints needed for domain construction—all these can be looted from wild monsters.

"Let's see what's on the trading platform," Edward said, lifting his right hand. On his wrist, there was a striking red brand. This was the mark of a professional. To the left of the brand, an energy progress bar showed 3.4%.

When the bar was full, professionals could activate the mark to return to Earth. The way to gain energy was by defeating enemies on the Worlds' Floating Isles, including but not limited to wild monsters.

Then, Edward touched the red brand. A row of virtual buttons appeared in his view, including [Island Chat Channel], [Professional Trading Platform], [Honor Contribution Leaderboard], [Friends Channel], and more. Additionally, there were [Inter-World Chat Channel], [Inter-World Trading Platform], and other such 'functions' that were still not activated.

Once Edward became powerful enough, he would unlock these features and 'communicate' across worlds.