Player Chapter 25. Leveling Spree
Half a day has passed.
And the valley no longer looked like a scenic travel brochure location.
It looked like someone had aggressively farmed it.
Riven stood on a slope overlooking the lower basin, clothes streaked with drying blood that was, importantly, not his. His coat had gained new patterns. Organic. Violent. Artistic, if one squinted hard enough. His boots were caked in mud and monster ichor, and somewhere under all of that was still the same guy who this morning had been sulking about rock paper scissors.
Now?
Level 30.
He flexed his fingers slowly. The air felt thinner around him, not physically, but energetically. Mana responded faster. His reflexes snapped cleaner. The difference between 15 and 30 wasn't linear. It was exponential.
Three monster-killing quests cleared.
Three.
And none of them beginner-tier.
Which was exactly why his clothes looked like a crime documentary reenactment.
He exhaled slowly and rolled his neck once.
"The fact that I doubled my level in half a day is either impressive," he muttered, "or concerning."
[Statistically impressive, sir.]
"Thank you."
The valley stretched below, rocky outcrops, scattered trees, patches of golden foliage in the distance. Far from Dawn Haven. Far enough that normal adventurers wouldn't casually stroll here.
That was intentional.
Because Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea wasn't going to brew itself.
He glanced at his inventory panel.
-Amber Veil Leaves (Oolong substitute) acquired.
-Honey acquired.
-Golden Flower (Osmanthus substitute) pending.
Yes. This entire leveling spree?
Fueled by tea.
He rubbed his temple.
"I can't believe I climbed a hill and fought a Level 25 Mad Bear because it liked the smell of tea leaves."
[Correction: The Mad Bear was guarding the aromatic leaf cluster. It displayed territorial behavior.]
"It charged me three times."
[It did not survive the third charge.]
Fair.
He had created twin glaives for that one.
Spun under its paw swipe. Slid along its flank. Drove both blades upward beneath its ribs while pivoting on one heel like he was auditioning for an action trailer.
The bear had roared.
He had twisted.
And then silence.
Level up notification.
Then the Lovely Bees.
He snorted softly.
Level 15 Lovely Bees, but the shape was not really lovely.
They had been aggressive, swarm-based, mildly suicidal creatures with stingers that injected paralytic toxin. He had responded accordingly, using his Mana Manifestation, Ice Wave.
Frozen air blasting outward in a circular burst, crystallizing wings mid-flight. The sound of tiny bodies hitting the ground like brittle hail.
He had walked through them afterward, casually smashing the hive to collect honey while being mildly offended that they tried to kill him over sugar production.
Which brought him here.
Golden Flower.
He stepped forward carefully, boots crunching over loose gravel.
[Golden Flowers are 150 meters ahead. Proceed straight.]
"Hey, System," he said quietly. "I wanna ask something."
[Yes, sir?]
"You've given me three killing missions. I'm Level 30 now. Why haven't I unlocked new skills?"
There was a pause.
[It has not even been a full day, sir. You are strong enough as you are.]
He stopped walking.
"…Bruh."
"I need crowd control skills," he continued, gesturing vaguely at the valley like the System could see his frustration physically. "Teleportation. AOE nukes. Something flashy that screams 'Riven was here.'"
[You already scream that without assistance.]
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I want style points."
[You already pose mid-combat.]
"Flashier."
[You are dangerously close to becoming insufferable.]
"Too late."
He resumed walking.
The wind shifted slightly, carrying the faint scent of something sweet. Floral. Warm.
He slowed.
Golden Flower territory.
He crouched slightly, eyes scanning the terrain.
There, across the lower ridge, patches of bright yellow blooms growing in clusters along the stone wall.
Beautiful.
Which meant guarded.
Of course guarded.
He stepped down the slope quietly, boots barely disturbing loose stones. His Mana sense flared instinctively.
Movement.
Left flank.
Large.
He didn't sigh. He just adjusted his posture.
From behind a boulder emerged something roughly wolf-shaped, except too large and with crystalline growths along its spine.
Level 32.
He grinned faintly.
"Okay."
The beast lunged.
He didn't summon immediately. He pivoted first, letting its claws scrape across the stone where he had just been. The force cracked rock.
Fast.
Good.
[Summoned: Twin Longblades]
Mana condensed into longer, heavier blades than usual. He slid forward instead of back, slicing low across the beast's foreleg. Sparks flew where mana met crystal.
It roared and snapped at him.
He ducked. Twisted. Brought the second blade down along its neck.
Not deep enough.
It spun, tail whipping toward him.
He leapt, barely clearing it, and landed behind the creature.
[Summoned: Ice Bind]
Frost shot from the ground, locking around its hind legs for half a second. Not enough to freeze solid. Just enough to interrupt momentum.
He closed the distance instantly.
One blade drove upward under the jaw.
The other pierced between crystalline ridges along its spine.
He twisted both.
The beast collapsed with a heavy, shaking thud.
He stepped back calmly as its body dissolved into particles.
[Quest Progress: 1/5 Valley Predators Eliminated]
He exhaled slowly.
"Crowd control would've been nice there."
[Your reaction time was sufficient.]
"Not the point."
The wind shifted.
Then came the second howl.
Longer. Closer.
Riven didn't turn immediately. He just adjusted his footing slightly, weight shifting to the balls of his feet. His fingers flexed once, mana already humming under his skin.
Third howl.
Fourth.
Fifth.
He finally looked up.
Across the ridge, shapes emerged. Four of them. Larger than the first. Crystalline ridges jagged along their backs like broken glass fused into muscle. Eyes glowing faint blue.
He clicked his tongue softly.
"Oh. Party mode."
They didn't wait.
All four lunged at once.
Good.
He stepped forward instead of back.
[Summoned: Dual Blades (Extended Form)]
Longer. Heavier. Wider arc potential.
The first wolf came from the left, jaws open wide enough to snap his arm clean off. He pivoted inward, not away, sliding along the side of its skull as he drove a blade down into its eye socket. The impact was wet. Immediate. The beast didn't even finish its snarl before its momentum carried it past him and into the dirt.
He didn't look back.