Kill All And Come Out

Lin Moyu finally saw the source of the attack: a massive tree, about three meters tall.

His fingertips glowed as he activated the Detection Skill. It was a basic ability, used by all to gather fundamental information about enemies.

[Long Whip Tree]

[Level: 8]

[Description: Typically dormant, it attacks passing life forms.]

The reason why his skeleton warriors hadn't been attacked became clear—they had no life force, unlike him. The tree only targeted living beings, which explained why it lashed out when he entered.

Though the tree's attacks couldn't harm him, thanks to his Damage Transfer skill, Lin Moyu wasn't going to stand there and let it keep hitting him. He quickly retreated, moving beyond the tree's attack range. The branches stopped their wild thrashing once he was out of reach.

The long whip tree's movements suggested vigilance, its branches still swaying aggressively. Lin Moyu chuckled. "Smart design."

He appreciated the intentions of the dungeon's creators. The novice dungeon had been carefully crafted to introduce players to real challenges while minimizing danger. The weaker monsters from levels 1 to 7 gradually built up to the stronger level 8 monsters, like this tree, which retained full strength but couldn't move. It was a clever way for newcomers to experience the dangers of the wild, while offering them a safe retreat.

Inexperienced professionals could easily flee from its attack range if things got too intense. Additionally, the attack range of the whip tree matched that of many long-range professions, preventing players from exploiting it for easy experience.

The dungeon fostered growth without unnecessary risk, offering a safe space for newcomers to hone their skills without major casualties.

Just then, Lin Moyu's skeleton warriors returned, their bony feet clicking on the forest floor. Sixteen of them now stood at attention, ready for his next command. With a mere thought, Lin Moyu sent one of his warriors charging toward the whip tree.

Unsurprisingly, the tree didn't react to the skeleton warrior. It remained dormant until the warrior attacked first, slashing with its sword. Immediately, the long whip tree countered, its branches whipping violently, striking the skeleton multiple times per second.

Despite the barrage, the skeleton held strong. With its immense physical stats, it barely flinched. The tree's powerful attacks left small cracks in the bones, but they quickly repaired themselves.

"Huh, it didn't go down in one hit," Lin Moyu mused. Every monster from levels 1 through 7 had fallen instantly, but this level 8 tree was different. It took more effort to kill, making it the first real challenge he had encountered.

"Let's see how many hits you can take," he muttered.

The skeleton warrior swung again. One slash, then two, three. Finally, after four strikes, the long whip tree stopped moving.

[Killed level 8 Long Whip Tree. Experience +160]

Lin Moyu noted the reward. Though the tree provided more experience than a level 7 brown bear, it wasn't as efficient. The bear only needed one strike to kill and gave 70 experience, while the tree required four strikes for 160 experience. On a per-hit basis, the level 7 monsters were still more rewarding.

However, when considering the time spent searching for monsters, the situation changed. Hunting low-level monsters took more time and effort, but here, the forest was filled with long whip trees. Hundreds of them, just waiting to be cut down.

Lin Moyu's excitement grew. This place was perfect for leveling up efficiently.

With renewed focus, he directed his skeleton warriors to fan out across the forest. Each warrior targeted a different tree, and soon, the rhythmic sounds of blades striking wood echoed through the forest. It was a straightforward process—four hits per tree.

His experience began to skyrocket.

While most professionals struggled to gain levels after reaching level 5, Lin Moyu's pace only quickened. What he had thought would take over an hour was done in 50 minutes—he reached level 6.

Outside the dungeon, the day was coming to an end. It was 7 PM, ten hours since Lin Moyu had first entered.

Lu Yun and the other school principals still waited patiently. Xia Dongyang, too, was standing by. He had missed his daughter's class transfer ceremony and didn't want to miss her first dungeon run.

Although accidents were rare in the novice dungeon, they weren't impossible. That's why the principals always stayed to monitor their students' progress on the first day.

Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the dungeon's entrance. Everyone turned to look.

"Someone's coming out."

"It's not time yet… Did something happen?" murmured one of the principals.

There were two exits in the dungeon: one deep within, past the level 8 monsters, and the other at the entrance, where adventurers could exit if they were in trouble.

To everyone's surprise, Lin Moyu stepped out of the light.

Lu Yun approached him quickly. "Moyu, why did you come out?" he asked.

Calm and composed, Lin Moyu replied softly, "I killed them all. So I came out."

His tone was so nonchalant that Lu Yun was momentarily confused.

But then he glanced at Lin Moyu's level and his eyes widened in disbelief.

[Lin Moyu, Necromancer, Level 7]