Chapter 15: Dark Gold Quality Tang Sword! The Blood Moon Rises—A Dangerous Night
Time passed slowly as Jack became engrossed in hunting mutant giant lizards. The thrill of gaining experience points and loot kept him going.
Before he realized it, the sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow over the horizon.
Just as he landed the final blow on another mutant giant lizard, a sudden cold announcement echoed through the world:
"Announcement: Night is about to fall, and the Blood Moon will rise in one hour!"
"Under the Blood Moon, all monsters in Novice Village will have their overall strength increased by 50%. However, the rewards for killing them will also increase by 20%. Additionally, Boss monsters will be able to leave their territories and appear anywhere except the wooden house area."
"The Blood Moon will last for 8 hours. All warriors, please prepare accordingly!"
Chat Channel:
> "Monsters becoming stronger at night? Are they forcing me to hide in my cabin and sleep?"
> "I spent my whole life working overtime in the corporate world. I thought I'd grind hard in the Killing World too, but now… I think I'll just call it a night!"
> "But the increased rewards at night… kinda tempting. What do you think, old scroll king? You still grinding?"
> "Nope. I'll let the younger ones take the risk this time!"
> "Young people shouldn't be taking these kinds of risks!"
> "Come back soon, Yanzi. It's dangerous out there. I'll keep you warm..."
As messages flooded the chat, it became clear that many players had already decided to return to their cabins and sit the night out.
Jack, on the other hand, felt a mix of surprise and unease.
"So this world even has events like this?"
On one hand, grinding at night would mean 20% more rewards, essentially like having a permanent experience booster active.
But on the other hand, the announcement stated that Boss monsters could roam freely at night.
Jack wasn't too concerned about fighting a Lv3 Violent Cat Demon even with the 50% power boost. If necessary, he could take it down with some extra effort.
But what if a higher-level, stronger Boss appeared?
After careful consideration, Jack made his decision.
"It's only the first day. There's no need to take unnecessary risks—I'll have plenty of chances later."
Jack decided to head back to his cabin before the Blood Moon rose.
His current location was quite far from the safe zone, so he couldn't afford to waste time.
He would only stop if he encountered a monster that could be instantly killed.
It was time to invest his experience points.
Spending Experience Points Wisely
"I've spent over three hours grinding mutant giant lizards. In total, I've killed nearly 400 of them and gained almost 65,000 experience points!"
Of course, Jack had already spent over 20,000 points strengthening his Strength, Agility, Spirit, Endurance, and Stamina along the way.
Now, he had a solid 40,000 experience points left.
"I'll set aside 20,000 for emergencies and use the rest to strengthen my Tang Sword."
Experience points were limited, but there were many ways to invest them.
Should He Upgrade His Attributes or His Weapon?
Upgrading his attributes?
Jack had already boosted his core stats over 15 times, and each upgrade now required 4500 experience points—a steep price for a small boost.
Instead of that, upgrading his weapon would yield far greater combat benefits.
"Strengthening the Tang Sword is the best option."
It was already at +5, and each enhancement had a chance to improve its quality. If it upgraded to the next tier, the benefits would be game-changing.
As for his other equipment?
Jack quickly dismissed the idea.
"They're all low quality. Sooner or later, I'll have to replace them anyway."
Even the Crossbow wasn't worth heavy investment—just enough to keep it useful.
With his decision made, Jack immediately started strengthening his Tang Sword.
Strengthening the Tang Sword
"Tip: You have consumed 3500 experience points. [Exquisite Tang Sword +6]. Attributes slightly improved."
No quality upgrade.
"Tip: You have consumed 4000 experience points. [Exquisite Tang Sword +7]. Attributes slightly improved."
Still no luck.
"Tip: You have consumed 4500 experience points. [Exquisite Tang Sword +8]. Attributes slightly improved."
Failure again.
"Tip: You have consumed 5000 experience points. [Exquisite Tang Sword +9]. Attributes slightly improved."
Four failed upgrades in a row.
Jack gritted his teeth in frustration.
"33% success rate, and I failed four times?! This is robbery!"
17,000 experience points had vanished in the blink of an eye.
But he wasn't about to stop now.
Jack bet everything on one final attempt.
"Tip: You have consumed 5500 experience points. [Exquisite Tang Sword +9] has upgraded to Dark Gold quality! The enhancement count has reset, and attributes have greatly improved!"
Jack's eyes widened in excitement.
"It worked!"
His Tang Sword had transformed into a Dark Gold-grade weapon.
The sword's color shifted to a deep, gleaming gold, exuding a powerful aura.
Jack couldn't wait to check the new stats.
---
Equipment: [Top-Grade Tang Sword]
Quality: Lv1 Dark Gold
Type: Light Weapon (+10% Attack Speed)
Durability: 100/100
Requirements: Level 1, Strength 30+
Attributes:
Physical Attack: +268
Strength: +52
Agility: +14
Special Abilities:
1. Attack Speed +11%. When hitting an enemy's weak spot, 5% chance to weaken all enemy attributes by 30% for 3 seconds.
2. Normal attacks release a 2-meter-long energy slash.
Evaluation: "As the name suggests, this is the best among Tang Swords!"
---
"Insane!"
Jack could hardly contain his excitement.
His attack power had more than doubled, and the new special abilities were amazing.
Without hesitation, Jack tested his new weapon on a nearby Lv3 mutant giant lizard.
He swung.
-393!
The lizard died in two hits.
If he hit its weak spot, it would die in one strike.
More importantly, the 2-meter energy slash allowed him to attack from a distance.
"This changes everything. My combat potential just skyrocketed!"
Jack wasn't done yet.
Since the enhancement counter reset, he could strengthen the sword again.
---
"Tip: You have consumed 5000 experience points. [Top-Grade Tang Sword +1]. Attributes slightly improved."
"Tip: You have consumed 6000 experience points. [Top-Grade Tang Sword +2]. Attributes slightly improved."
---
His sword's base attributes grew even stronger:
Physical Attack: +298
Strength: +62
Agility: +21
Jack smirked in satisfaction.
Then, a special announcement popped up.
---
"Tip: You have obtained the Dark Gold Equipment [Top-Grade Tang Sword]. The Village Equipment Ranking List is now open."
1st: [Top-Grade Tang Sword]
2nd: [Top-Grade Crossbow]
7th: [Wind Necklace]
10th: [Exquisite Leather Boots]
"Do you wish to hide your name?"
Jack chuckled.
"Of course."
It was too early to reveal his true strength.
For now, he would remain a shadow in the ranks—until the time was right.
---
End of Chapter 15
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