Chapter 30: Leveling Up by Following NPCs—Is This Really How the Game Works?

It wasn't just the ordinary players who were excited.

Even the leaders of Snowfall Guild and The World Guild couldn't help but feel a spark of interest.

To form a guild, players needed to purchase a guild token from the Adventurers' Association using reputation points.

They had been racking their brains on how to accumulate enough reputation points. 

But now this main city quest had appeared at just the right moment!

"A main city quest triggered, huh." Luca paused for a moment as he read the notification, though he wasn't too surprised.

Main city quests could typically only be initiated by the city lord.

It seemed Sophia had already headed to the city lord's mansion to gather Riverfall City's strongest warriors, which was why this quest had been triggered.

This realization brought a sense of relief to Luca.

He had done everything he could—expecting a Bronze Grade player like him to go toe-to-toe with a Hydra was unrealistic. The rest was up to the big shots; his job was just to rack up experience and grab whatever benefits he could.

With that in mind, Luca's attacks became even more ferocious.

Double experience was rare, and he was also quite interested in the quest rewards.

These exclusive rewards typically included equipment for the player's primary class, skill scrolls, and special items.

Securing them would undoubtedly boost his power.

So, if he had a chance to get on the leaderboard, Luca wasn't about to let it slip away.

Under Luca's relentless assault, the health bars of several Goblins quickly plummeted.

Luca Dodge another round of their attacks. 

He seized the opportunity. A faint white glow enveloped his Black Steel Spear.

And his attack speed surged dramatically.

Turbulence!

In an instant, the Black Steel Spear thrust forward repeatedly like a torrential downpour!

The spear's shaft left behind afterimages in the air, accompanied by a series of sharp, whistling sounds.

The Goblins didn't even have time to react before they were pierced through on the spot!

[Ding! You have slain "lv11 Archer Goblin (Normal)," gaining 2813 experience points!]

[Ding! You have slain "lv13 Blade Goblin (Normal)," gaining 3609 experience points!]

[Ding! You have slain "lv15 Spiked Goblin (Normal)," gaining 4833 experience points!]

...

Luca's experience points surged rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, a golden glow enveloped him.

[Ding! Your level has increased to lv11, earning 20 free attribute points!]

Every 10 levels, the amount of free attribute points awarded to players would increase.

Now, with each level-up, Luca gained 20 free attribute points.

He allocated all his points to Spirit, boosting his Spirit attribute to 295 points.

With the Black Steel Spear in hand, Luca charged at the remaining three Goblins.

"Screech! Screech! Screech!!!"

The three Goblins clearly had no intention of going down without a fight. They brandished their weapons and charged at Luca, screeching all the while.

Luca didn't slow down; a green magic rune quietly appeared in his hand.

In an instant, the spear was covered in green runes!

Vinewood Magic Rune!

A thick vine, resembling a giant serpent, shot out from the spear.

Instantly binding the Goblins who hadn't had time to react.

The sharp wooden thorns on the vine dug deep into their flesh, making it impossible for them to escape, no matter how much they struggled.

"Screech! Screech! Screech!!!"

The Goblins, now tied up like helpless bundles, shrieked in fear as Luca approached.

Their cries were a mix of desperate threats and pleas for mercy.

Luca's expression remained indifferent as he raised his spear.

With a swift and forceful thrust, he brought it down!

Thud!

Blood splattered several meters away!

-1339!

The damage indicator flashed!

Luca showed no mercy.

In just a few breaths, he had dispatched all the Goblins.

Ding!

A bronze-glowing item dropped to the ground.

An equipment drop!

Luca quickly stepped forward and bent down to pick it up.

[Goblin Long Belt: lv10, Bronze Grade, Usable by All Classes, +20 Strength, +20 Stamina when equipped!]

"Not bad, this will come in handy!" A smile appeared on Luca's face as he equipped the Goblin Belt.

His Strength attribute increased to 160 points, and his Stamina rose to 190 points.

Feeling the surge of power coursing through him, Luca glanced at the pile of Goblin corpses on the ground.

He couldn't help but marvel, "No wonder the Demonic Rune Mage is considered the strongest DPS class—this power is absolutely ridiculous!"

In his previous life, at this level, he was still struggling against the rabbits on Wind Plain. He could never have imagined casually wiping out a squad of Goblins.

And this was just a low-tier temporary magic rune.

It already allowed him to cast instant spells, a feat typically reserved for high-tier mages, and even added attribute damage.

Luca was eager to see what high-tier fixed magic runes would do for him!

With this thought, Luca felt a surge of motivation.

He gripped the Black Steel Spear tightly and charged toward the front lines where the monsters were thickest.

With Cassman and Catherine around, these monsters posed no real threat to them.

Now was the perfect time for him to follow the powerhouses and level up!

At that moment, Cassman and Catherine were wreaking havoc among the monsters.

Cassman's golden Battle Will surged around him, and every swing of his massive sword carried overwhelming power, instantly annihilating several monsters at once.

Meanwhile, Catherine's tall figure moved gracefully through the horde, her red hair flowing behind her like a flame.

Her spear danced like a silver dragon, each strike sending a spray of blood blooming among the monsters!

Cassman was Gold Grade, and Catherine was Silver Grade. Both were knight classes specializing in close combat, and the ordinary monsters couldn't withstand their attacks. Even a rare monster was heavily wounded by one of Catherine's spear thrusts.

The rare Scorchfire Lynx, terrified and panicked, turned tail and fled.

Catherine was momentarily tangled up with other monsters and couldn't give chase.

She could only watch as the Scorchfire Lynx tried to escape.

Just then, a shadow suddenly flashed across Catherine's field of vision.

He moved swiftly, his black spear striking out like lightning.

In one fluid motion, he pinned the fleeing Scorchfire Lynx to the ground with a single thrust!

[Ding! You have slain lv16 "Scorchfire Lynx (Rare)," gaining 8103 experience points!]

As Luca slowly pulled the spear from the lifeless creature, Catherine looked at him in surprise. "Luca the Witch Doctor, aren't you supposed to stay in the back?"

She had assumed Luca would stick with Kaman and the others, fighting from a safer position.

After all, being on the front lines, facing the brunt of the monster's assault, was incredibly dangerous.

"I'm just here to pick up some experience points. Don't worry about me," Luca replied with a smile as he withdrew his Black Steel Spear.

Grinding solo was too slow; if he could ride on the coattails of stronger players, why wouldn't he?

Cassman, with a hint of exasperation, said, "You're really taking the easy way out. If something happens to you, we're the ones who'll have to answer to Miss Sophia."

That was indeed Cassman's concern.

If anything happened to Luca here, they wouldn't just have to answer to Miss Sophia—his two mentors would likely never forgive them.

Catherine, however, didn't seem too bothered. She smiled and said, "Don't worry, Captain, I'll keep an eye on him. Luca the Witch Doctor, make sure you stick close to me."

Once players built up a certain level of rapport with NPCs, the NPCs would give them special attention.

By the later stages of the game, it was common for NPCs to help players grind for experience. It wasn't even unusual for NPCs to be "romanced" by players.

This was nothing new to Luca, but the other players watching were stunned.

Is this really how the game is played?!

A few bold players, clearly itching to try their luck.

They hesitated only a moment before rushing over to stand behind Cassman, wearing ingratiating smiles. "Captain Cassman, we were wondering if maybe we could…"

Cassman's expression remained cold as he cut them off, "Scram. If you get in my way while I'm killing monsters, I'll cut you down myself."

The players froze in disbelief.

What the heck?! Why does Luca get a free pass to level up with them, but we can't?!

Are we even playing the same game?!

Meanwhile, on the other side of Beast Forest...

In stark contrast to the fierce battle on Luca's side, the scene under Matthew's command was a different story.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! A filthy rat dared to humiliate me in public! And Cassman and that wench Catherine—one day, I'll kill them all!"The sound of crashing objects and Matthew's furious shouts echoed from within his tent. Fine wine and exquisite food were strewn across the floor, having been hurled in his rage.

The tent was in complete disarray, with debris scattered everywhere. The surrounding soldiers stood in silence, too terrified to even breathe loudly, fearing they might provoke Matthew's wrath.

After venting his anger. 

Matthew slumped into a chair, still seething with rage.

Not only had he failed to avenge his previous humiliation. 

But this time, in front of everyone, Luca had sent him flying with a single spear thrust.

The embarrassment was unbearable.

The mere thought of it made Matthew feel like he was about to explode with fury.

What made it even worse was that Luca was now sticking close to Cassman, making it impossible for Matthew to act against him. 

It only fueled his frustration further.

Just then, Freeman, who had been silent until now, spoke up, "Baron Matthew, getting rid of Luca isn't that difficult."

"I have a method, though I'm not sure if you have the guts to use it."

"However, the potion I'm thinking of is extremely potent. The Iron Mountain army might suffer significant losses…"

Hearing this, Matthew hesitated.

It wasn't because of concern for the Iron Mountain soldiers.

They were just lowborn peasants, after all. If they died, so be it—whether they were from the Iron Mountain army or not didn't matter to him.

As long as Freeman kept quiet, who would know it was his doing?

What made him hesitate was Catherine.

She was a rare beauty, and he hadn't had the chance to enjoy her yet.

If she died, it would be a real waste.

But then he thought about how Catherine had been treating Luca.

The hatred in Matthew's heart flared up again, and his expression turned vicious.

With a twisted grin, he snarled, "Ungrateful wench! If she refuses to be mine, then she can die alongside him!"