It's hard to imagine that a Level 3 Professional, just entering the Otherworld, already possesses an A-quality skill!
Due to the psionic energy in the Otherworld, it cannot be transferred or traded.
So, under normal circumstances, it would take a new Professional at least three to four months to upgrade a skill to A-quality!
However, looking at the skill's consumption, Zhang Yue was troubled: "45 points of mana consumption, with my current 216 mana points, that's only enough for four Fireball Spells!"
At this moment, Zhang Yue remembered the 12 free attribute points he received from leveling up from Level 1 to Level 2, and then to Level 3, which he hadn't yet allocated.
So, Zhang Yue added 5 of those points to [Spirit], gaining 90 mana points due to the First-rank Necromancer's 18-star mana growth!
"Hmm, now I can cast two more Fireball Spells…"
Next, Zhang Yue allocated the remaining 7 points, adding 4 to Intelligence and 3 to Agility.
Zhang Yue looked at the ground ahead, where the corpses of Venomous Spiders hadn't yet been refreshed by the System.
He couldn't help but complain: "The drop rate in the Otherworld is so low, it makes you question life."
He had killed over a hundred monsters and hadn't seen a single piece of equipment drop!
However, he did get some miscellaneous materials.
For example, two [1-star Equipment Blueprints], one [Level 1 Magic Crystal], and one [Level 1 Meat Chunk].
These materials were useless to Core Professionals themselves.
But they could be sold at the Otherworld Marketplace for money.
For Life Profession Practitioners, these materials were like hotcakes!
Because Life Profession Practitioners couldn't enter the Otherworld to kill monsters and level up like Core Professionals, they could only use the materials dropped by Core Professionals to craft equipment, potions, and food to gain experience points and level up!
Then they would sell these crafted items back to Core Professionals.
The two types of Professionals complemented and supported each other!
After upgrading his skill, Zhang Yue left the Abandoned School.
With his current strength, he could totally go kill higher-level monsters!
The Level 5-7 Ironclad Scorpions were Zhang Yue's first choice!
He still had only one piece of equipment on him.
Looking at the Flame Pioneer Staff in his hand, Zhang Yue couldn't help but sigh: "I need to find a way to get more equipment!"
He couldn't possibly go fight the First World's boss with just a Level 0 Magic Wand!
In the Otherworld, although the drop rate for equipment from monsters was low, there was a certain way to definitely get equipment, and the equipment obtained this way was usually better than what dropped from monsters!
Leaving the Level 3 map [Abandoned School], Zhang Yue continued forward, heading to a higher-level monster area!
***
Before long, Zhang Yue arrived at an abandoned factory.
The Level 5 Doomsday Factory was a paradise for Level 5 monsters, the Ironclad Scorpions!
Countless giant scorpions crawled inside and outside the factory.
Zhang Yue didn't provoke them but deliberately avoided the scorpions and entered the factory.
Inside, Zhang Yue saw a middle-aged man with a broken leg, lying in a corner and wailing!
The blue ID [Carl] above his head confirmed his NPC status.
In the Otherworld, there were both monsters and NPCs. Except for players who would really die if they died in the Otherworld, all other settings and rules were just like an online game!
Above Carl's ID, there was also a yellow "?"
Zhang Yue approached and talked to him.
"Hello, do you need help?"
NPC Carl saw Zhang Yue and weakly said, "My wife and children were all killed by those scorpions outside. Adventurer, can you help me kill those hateful scorpions?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a System Notification sounded:
"Ding~ Do you accept the quest [Eliminate the Scorpions]?"
Zhang Yue accepted the quest.
[Eliminate the Scorpions] (Common Quest)
[Difficulty: 10]
[Description: Please kill the Ironclad Scorpions in the Doomsday Factory]
[Progress: 0/30]
[Reward: Experience Points +500, Silver Coin +1, Psionic Energy +300, Random 1-star Equipment +1]
***
With the quest in hand, Zhang Yue returned outside the factory.
His gaze locked onto the group of giant scorpions.
Using Scouting—
[Ironclad Scorpion] (Physical Type · Common Monster)
[Level: 5]
[Physical Attack: 40]
[Physical Defense: 28]
[Magic Defense: 25]
[Health Points: 290]
[Skills: Iron Armor, Charge]
[Description: Scorpions mutated due to environmental pollution, their hard iron armor can withstand a lot of damage…]
"30 scorpions for a 1-star piece of equipment, worth it."
With that, Zhang Yue raised his Flame Pioneer Staff and targeted a nearby Ironclad Scorpion.
Casting the skill.
Super Fireball Spell!
Boom!
With a wave of the staff, a scorching fireball blasted onto the Ironclad Scorpion!
-151!
The Ironclad Scorpion's health bar dropped by more than half instantly!
The damage of an A-grade skill was quite impressive!
Roar!
The attacked Ironclad Scorpion, with 20 (equipment burn) and 18 (fireball burn) points of dual burn damage per second above its head, charged at Zhang Yue.
Charge!
The Ironclad Scorpion activated its skill, accelerating towards Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue quickly sidestepped, dodging the scorpion's attack while swinging his staff to launch a normal attack fireball, dealing a critical hit of 81 points, striking the Ironclad Scorpion.
Combined with the 38 points of burn damage per second, the Ironclad Scorpion soon met its end!
"Ding~ You killed a Level 5 Ironclad Scorpion, Experience Points +15, Psionic Energy +!"
Roar!
As the Ironclad Scorpion's massive body fell to the ground with a thud.
With a "clatter," a pair of black leg guards dropped from its corpse.
"Oh, it actually dropped equipment?"
Zhang Yue's eyes lit up, and he walked over to pick them up.
[Iron Leg Guards] (Level 5)
[Quality: 1-star]
[Attributes: White] (Refinable)
[Physical Defense: +7]
[Magic Defense: +6]
[Profession: None]
[Description: Sturdy leg guards that provide some protection for Professionals…]
Equipment below Level 10 mostly had no profession requirements and didn't need identification.
Unfortunately, Zhang Yue's level wasn't high enough to use them yet.
However, this didn't stop Zhang Yue from refining them first!
As usual, one-click refinement.
"Ding~ One-click refinement used 158 times, consuming a total of 2985 points of Psionic Energy. Congratulations on obtaining a piece of golden attribute equipment [Iron Armor · Hero Guard]!"
The higher the level of the equipment, the more it costs to refine.
From white to green, blue, purple, orange, and red, directly to golden attribute leg guards, the defense increased from 7 and 6 to 28 and 25!
Additional attribute: Endurance +3.
And it gained a trait: Guard (Reduces 30 points of damage taken by the wearer each time they are attacked).
"Let's put it aside for now, I'll use it when I reach Level 5." Zhang Yue stored the [Iron Armor · Hero Guard] in his inventory.
At this moment, another pleasant System Notification suddenly sounded—
"Ding~ Congratulations on triggering the Necromancer profession effect [Soul Harvest] while killing the [Ironclad Scorpion]. Do you want to absorb the [Ironclad Scorpion] as a pet?"
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
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