Grinding? What Is That?

Ethan earned 5 stat points.

His MGC and DEX also raise by 1 point due to him being one of the demon race.

He distributed the available points to MGC, INT, and AGI by 1,2,2 respectively.

His four dexterity was good for now so he didn't add a point to it. He added two points to AGI instead.

His stats build was hybrid and he reasoned it was not bad to have better mobility.

Ethan also earned a spell point (SP). A player can earn one SP every time they level up. Quests and other events also had a chance to give more SP rewards.

One SP is equivalent to 10% spell proficiency. It can be used to gradually level up a spell.

Maximum spell proficiency was varied according to the rank and level of the spell.

The level one basic spell for instance needs 50%, intermediate has 100%, and the advance spells need 150% spell proficiency to upgrade.

Spell proficiency can be raised in three ways. One was allocating the SP, the second was to frequently use the spell, and the last way was to 'effectively' use the spell.

The third condition was slightly vague but Ethan knows what does it mean. It simply urges the players to use their spells in combat.

Sure, continuously casting the spell in safe practice can raise proficiency but it was much slower than using it during combat.

After all, the system doesn't want a lazy leveling.

For now, Ethan reserves his one SP and taps his newly acquired title.

«Title: Apprentice of the Witch (temporary)—a privilege for those nameless Witches. Allow the user to receive teachings from the most prominent Witches in this World»

It was just a simple title.

No attribute gains or anything like that.

However, for Ethan, it was the best title he could receive in the early stages of the game.

Being an apprentice could also mean a Witch like him had a chance to have a professional title just like the famous name Charcoal Witch and Night Witch that he knows previously.

The professional title was different from other titles found in the game. It was because it can aid the user by adding professional perks such as passive ability and bonuses.

Ethan was also elated after knowing the person who'll be going to teach him. It was Elaina—the Silver Witch.

In his previous life, she was a well-known Witch because she only took one apprentice, and that lucky (bastard) player rose through the ranks after completing the lessons.

Ethan was ecstatic while remembering these facts, but he quickly calmed down because he still had a top priority—earn and buy luxurious food.

It had been three weeks since he had eaten anything delicious. He couldn't hold his craved any longer.

Ethan decided to put aside the lesson class for the meantime.

After all, he was not in a race. Leaderboards? Fame? To hell with that.

'I missed the part where that's my problem.'

Ethan then closes his status window. He looks at his back and saw many people around him.

He tilted his head in confusion at what was happening and then realized that their gaze was upon him.

He looks back again to the burned-up tree and remembers that these people probably saw this kind of spell for the first time.

Considering it was still in the early stages of the game, it's more likely the truth.

For him though, this is a normal occurrence.

This kind of spell was only very tiny compared to the spell in the later stage of the game.

A spell that can annihilate a country, a spell that can even kill a thousand in an instant. Several spells have destructive abilities. That was pretty chaotic... isn't it?

But then, the game was still balanced. If there is an annihilation spell, there were also powerful defensive spells.

This world was created to be in yin and yang.

'Sorry, fans I'm a busy man. Later then.'

Ethan thought before walking through the crowd.

Their gaze was still on him, many were inquisitive about his identity.

"Who is he? Some part of the guild?"

"Dunno. He has no guild emblem so probably one of those rankers," said the elf person.

"Gehh, rankers were basically monsters right?" said the person in robe, trembling, probably he have some traumatic past involving the said rankers.

Rankers were independent people who achieved on the global leaderboard of every VR game.

These people have no guilds backing up to them so many people admire their skill.

But some of them have arrogant attitudes and bully others that's why the populace support was in half.

Ethan just give them a passing glance as he arrived in the hall and walk out of the place.

His purpose was already achieved so for now, he would run his first plan.

"Can I buy four basic Haste Scroll, miss?" he asked the woman tending the counter.

He was in the NPC shop that sells miscellaneous items like scrolls, talismans, shovels? and others.

"Yes, haste scroll is it? Here."

The woman handed him the four haste scrolls.

"10 copper each," she beams with a smile.

Other male players on the sideline saw this and began to clamor, someone got a nosebleed.

Ethan just stored the scrolls after handling all his remaining 40 coppers.

Every player in the game has starting wealth of 50 coppers. So using it just to buy an expensive scroll instead of stacking some potions was idiotic.

Yup, he was an idiot—for them.

He got out of the shop and trotted to a certain street.

After walking for several minutes, he arrived in the crowded place, and no, this was not a market trade or anything like that.

Ahead of him was just a forest but it was blanketed by a mysterious thin wave of mana.

The people in line were in groups and when their feet touch the thin wave, their bodies vanish in instant.

This place was a beginner dungeon. It was the only dungeon in the village so it was very crowded here.

However, since the system separates the player who enters the dungeon according to their party, it could accommodate an infinite number of people.

He came here just to level up and get some materials to sell and earn money.

Take a unique quest? Nah, beginner village was true to its name. It was just a place to teach people!

How to train, how to take a quest from NPC, how to run a dungeon, how to fight monsters, and anything that teaches the basics of the game.

Quest was very simple—collecting herbs, capturing wild boars, lifting objects, a delivery quest...that was all.

Yeah, very simple.

No simple quest with a reward of legendary elixir nor hidden hideout of some sort of powerful entity. What kind of game master would put that in the beginner village?

The real game would only begin in the city, a place considered the outside world.

Ethan walks through the crowd. Many people were shouting selling their spoils, some were recruiting their members to party up.

It was preferable to create a team to raid this beginner dungeon. Aside from its natural difficulty, it was easy that way.

The only downside is a party need to split up their loots and experience points.

But for Ethan, he planned to take this one solo. Dungeon in beginner villages was all the same that's why he was already familiar with this place.

"Best regards to the guide I sold previously. I earned a lot that time," he muttered as he remembered the many newbies he had sca—helped.

Touching the wave of mana, his sight went black for a second then he arrived inside a forest.

[You arrive at the beginner Forest Dungeon]

The place was quiet, naturally because he was the only one here...and the monsters lurking in the trees.

Without waiting for a cue, he rushed through the woods. He lifted his staff and pointed it at one of the trees. "Magic Missile," he chanted.

Pew pew pew!

The three missiles trailed to the place he had aimed and a sudden cry erupted in that place.

A monster resembles a monkey plummets to the ground. Another damaged text appeared atop of its head because of the fall damage.

—————————

[Magic Missile]

Rating: I (1/50%)

Type(s): Basic • Arcane

Description:

• Release three streaks of light. Every missile can deal 5 (+50% Total MA) magical damage to enemies.

Activation Cost: 30 Mana

Cooldown: 20 seconds

—————————

Since the spell was considered to be an arcane spell, each missile was buffed for 10% by his race bonus.

The monster's 100 HP is quickly reduced to 35 HP.

It was enraged and tried to get up but Ethan had already prepared his next spell.

"Bind."

Four black chains simultaneously shot up from four different angles and coiled around the monster. It struggle but it was tightly rooted in its place.

In the end, he ended the monster through basic attacks.

+ 30 exp

Ethan received the experience points as he picked up the mana gem that the monster only dropped.

After that, he continued to traverse the forest dungeon. He occasionally saw some monsters roaming around.

They were called [Craze Monkey]. A level 3 normal monster in this dungeon.

Ethan aimed his staff and shoots basic attacks on them.

The mob follow afterward but they didn't catch up to his speed.

He was using the haste scroll that temporarily increase his movement speed by 30%.

These monkeys were classified as 'Roam'. Meaning they were not bound by system rules of range and aggro unlike the 'Den'.

So they continue to rush at Ethan without diffusing their aggro.

After a while, he gathered a large group of monkeys, literally.

About 30 monsters were now running behind him.

Seeing this, Ethan ripped the third haste scroll in his inventory, replenishing the temporary buff of speed, increasing the distance farther.

"Hop!" He skilfully jumps at the small boulder in the open area of the forest.

"Now, this is perfect!"

He exclaimed after seeing there is some distance needed for the monster to reach him.

Positioning himself, he started to chant.

"The representation of rage. You, who blossoms from the smallest intention were being caged. Now, with the desire of mine; I granted you liberation in time—Desire of Fire!"

The fiery cyclone instantly blossoms from the ground as if a volcano in rage.

The monsters that follow were perfectly caught by the cyclone, burning and writhing in pain.

They can't go out because of the cyclone force as they were trapped in the radius of fire.

Some force their way out but their life points were nearly zero so Ethan simply knocks them out by basic attacks.

+ 50 exp

+ 50 exp

+ 50 exp

.

.

.

[You have level up!]

A series of notifications flashed before his eyes.

.

.

[You have level up!]

+ 50 exp

+ 50 exp

.

.

.

.

[You have level up!]

[You have annihilated a group alone that should have been impossible given your current strength.]

[You have received 200 bonus EXP!]

[You have received 10 Spell Points!]

As the spell ended, Ethan had already annihilated all the monsters.

A series of notifications also runs through his vision.

His lever bar was quickly filled up and reached level four.

"Grinding? What is that?"

Ethan proudly said as he goes down from his spot and start collecting the drops.