Chapter 9: Shield Badge

[Kill level 10 goblin patrols, gain +300 experience]

[Kill level 11 goblin soldiers, gain +350 experience]

[Obtain Goblin Bones]

...

Tips flooded in like swiping the screen, and the experience was also rising rapidly.

44 bronze-level skeleton warriors were killing monsters in the forest.

With the improvement of his skills, Lin Moyu once again enjoyed the thrill of instantly killing enemies.

These bronze-level skeleton warriors killed level 10 and level 11 goblin monsters with a single blow.

Efficiency had improved again. Starting from level 10, the experience requirement for upgrading had increased by nearly 3 times.

Upgrades were getting slower and slower.

According to this calculation, Lin Moyu had to kill at least 5,000 goblin monsters to advance to the next level.

The tireless skeleton warriors killed swiftly, but it was still a bit of a struggle.

Until night fell, Lin Moyu was 30% short of the experience needed for level 11.

Lin Moyu built a bonfire in the forest and ate food brought from home.

He didn't plan to go back, as time was limited and he couldn't waste it on the road.

"According to the current level-up speed, we can almost reach level 13 tomorrow, but it's unclear whether we can reach level 15 the day after."

"After level 15, the upgrade speed will drop further, and I will have to wait a day before going back. So I can upgrade to level 16 at most."

"How did my sister upgrade at that time?"

"Although my sister is a legendary professional sword dancer, she can't upgrade faster than me."

"I must have missed something."

Lin Moyu pondered his memories, thinking about the knowledge he had learned in school, and combined it with his sister Lin Mohan's actions at that time to make a judgment.

Suddenly, he realized something.

A copy of the West Sea Mine.

"Could it be that my sister teamed up with Ren to download the dungeon?"

"And at least it was a nightmare-level dungeon."

"Nightmare-level dungeons are full of enhanced elite monsters, and they must have a lot of experience."

"So my sister was injured when she came back that time and was treated."

"Yes, it must be so."

Lin Moyu shook his fist, thinking that his guess must be right.

"I'll go and see tomorrow."

He made up his mind.

The night was getting deeper, and the monsters within a 500-meter radius around him had been cleared out.

The skeleton warriors hid in the night, and he began to meditate.

With 44 skeleton warriors for protection, coupled with the existence of passive skills, there was no need to worry about safety issues at all.

The night forest was not completely quiet; occasionally, the howling of wolves could be heard from a distance.

There were also some rustling sounds of leaves being blown by the wind, which was a bit eerie.

The temperature in the area where Lin Moyu was located was lower than other places, and the existence of skeleton warriors turned the night wind into a chilly breeze.

In the middle of the night, a skeleton warrior suddenly issued a warning, and Lin Moyu woke up from his meditation.

The skeleton warrior had found that someone was approaching their location.

"Are you a professional who came to level up?"

"There aren't many people who come to the forest to level up in the middle of the night. Could they have gotten lost?"

Lin Moyu didn't move, but his heart had raised its vigilance.

Outside, nothing should be taken lightly.

The fire was the best guiding light at night.

Soon, someone appeared in Lin Moyu's sight.

"It's her."

Lin Moyu had seen her in the afternoon, the fleeing woman in black.

"Do you have anything to eat?" the woman in black asked in a nice voice.

A pair of big, bright, and clear eyes shone in the firelight.

Lin Moyu took out a piece of sweet potato and handed it over.

The only food he had prepared was sweet potatoes and some water.

The woman in black didn't seem disgusted. She took off her mask and started eating. It seemed that she was really hungry.

Behind the mask was a very delicate and youthful face, which looked about 18 or 19 years old, exuding a youthful atmosphere.

Lin Moyu did not use the detection technique. Using the detection technique on strangers is very impolite and may even attract hostility.

"Thanks..." Before she could say another word, she coughed violently.

She had choked on talking to Lin Moyu while eating the sweet potato.

Lin Moyu took out a bottle of water and handed it over.

The woman in black took a few sips before she calmed down.

"Thanks." She finally spoke clearly, and Lin Moyu just nodded slightly, expressing his gratitude.

The woman in black ate the sweet potato bite by bite. Lin Moyu was fine with the silence, and the atmosphere fell into a strange quietness.

She didn't eat fast; her movements were graceful.

While eating, her pair of beautiful eyes looked at Lin Moyu from time to time, with a shimmer in them, and he didn't know what she was thinking.

After eating, she finally said, "What's your name?"

Seeing that Lin Moyu didn't answer, she continued, "Don't you like talking? How about this? Let's use detection techniques on each other."

Lin Moyu thought for a while and nodded in agreement.

The fingertips of the two shimmered at the same time, and they used the detection technique towards each other.

Lin Moyu froze for a moment; the detection technique failed, and he didn't get any information.

The woman in black suddenly smiled coquettishly, as if she had succeeded in a trick, "Hee hee, there is nothing there."

"So your name is Lin Moyu, level 10, and your occupation is... Necromancer? I've never heard of this occupation, so strange."

"I saw a skeleton next to you this afternoon. Is that your summon? Undead summons are rare."

She suddenly spoke more, one sentence after another.

"Why don't you speak? Don't tell me you are mute; it doesn't look like it."

Lin Moyu looked at her and asked lightly, "Why?"

She seemed to have seen a new land; her small face was full of surprise, "So you really can talk."

"Why?" Lin Moyu looked at her and asked again.

She still smiled, "Ask why the detection technique fails, because of this."

She took out a prop that looked like a badge, "This is called a shielding badge. As long as you wear it, people whose level is not higher than your 10th level will have their detection technique fail on you."

She put away the shielding badge, "I'll try using the detection technique on me now."

Lin Moyu nodded and cast a detection spell.

This time, it worked.

[Ning Yiyi, level 19, Shadow Assassin.]

A gust of wind blew, and Ning Yiyi's smile disappeared instantly, and Lin Moyu also looked to the side.

Lin Moyu had discovered the newcomers through his skeleton warriors' warning. In addition to the archers and mages he saw earlier in the day, there was now another knight with a sword and shield on his back.

Three people surrounded them from different directions. Ning Yiyi frowned, and her delicate face wrinkled. "It's endless, isn't it just an intermediate skill scroll? They've been chasing me for days and still haven't given up."

Ning Yiyi stomped her feet vigorously and said to Lin Moyu, "I'm leaving. I will play with you again when I have a chance."

Whoosh!

A sharp arrow shot from the darkness. Ning Yiyi reacted quickly and dodged sideways in an instant. The sharp arrow exploded with a bang, turning into two beams of light that landed on Lin Moyu and Ning Yiyi respectively.

A huge mark suddenly appeared above their heads, shining in the dark night, as if a bright headlight was on them.

"Oops, a marked arrow!" Ning Yiyi's face turned pale; she knew something was wrong.

Lin Moyu recalled the description of the marked arrow. This archer's skill marks the target, making them stand out and unable to go invisible. Marked arrows are very effective against assassin classes, limiting their stealth abilities. When raiding dungeons, they can also reveal invisible monsters.

Marked by the archers, stealth skills become limited, making escape very difficult.

"You can't escape this time," a sneer sounded as the mage Lin Moyu met earlier emerged from the forest. On the other side stood the archer in the tree. The knights had also arrived.

The mage held his staff, his cold eyes sweeping over Lin Moyu and Ning Yiyi. "I knew you were in the same group."

"A dirty mouse-like assassin paired with an evil and dark undead summoner is a fitting pair."

A faint blue light flashed in Ning Yiyi's hand as a glowing dagger appeared. "He has nothing to do with this. I'll give you the skill scroll, and we'll go our separate ways."

The archer chuckled, "It would've been fine a day ago, but now we think it's safer to kill you both."

The mage added, "The dead can't talk, so no one will know we have intermediate skill scrolls, saving us a lot of trouble."

Ning Yiyi whispered, "I'll hold them off for a while. You run away by yourself."

Lin Moyu looked at her. "What about you?"

"I'm a shadow assassin. Night is my home field; I naturally have a way out."

Lin Moyu knew Ning Yiyi was just talking big. If she could truly fight them off, she wouldn't have fled earlier. The opponents were clearly stronger. As a shadow assassin, she might've escaped before, but now marked by the archer, her stealth was negated, making escape difficult.

The archer said deeply, "The night is full of dreams. Don't waste time, let's do it."

The mage raised his staff. "Not only will you die today, but this little guy too."

His staff burst with brilliant light, and a huge ball of light rose into the sky, illuminating the area like daytime. Illumination! The mage's lighting technique could not only illuminate but also dispel darkness and improve spell accuracy. Most importantly, it could restrain assassins' stealth abilities.

This made Ning Yiyi even more uncomfortable. "It's going to get desperate."

A blue dagger appeared in her hand, and her body tensed up. Her narrowed eyes became sharp as she looked for opportunities.

The archer stood ready with his drawn bow. The knight had sword and shield at the ready to charge. The mage's staff shone brightly. The three surrounded them, leaving no escape route for Ning Yiyi.

At that moment, Lin Moyu raised his finger slightly, and a skeleton warrior appeared before him.

"Cut it out, it's a waste of effort!" The mage showed disdain and deep disgust.

"Big Fireball!"

A huge meter-wide fireball erupted from his staff, shooting roaring flames at them both. Mastering that spell required at least level 20 - its power would severely injure if not kill.

"Take cover!" Ning Yiyi's face changed as she pulled Lin Moyu back.

While casting the fireball, the mage instantly released a spiritual entanglement. As Ning Yiyi pulled Lin Moyu, she felt her body's weight increase, her speed slowing. Invisible threads of mental power extended from the staff, wrapping around their feet.

With Ning Yiyi entangled, the archer struck. His bowstring hummed as he loosed an arrow that split into three mid-flight. A split arrow volley!

The knight also charged at an astonishing speed.

"It's over!" Ning Yiyi's face went pale. She suddenly shoved Lin Moyu hard, pushing him out of the attacks' range.

Two skeleton warriors then appeared at Ning Yiyi's sides. The three formed a shield, firmly protecting her.

The fireball exploded on the skeletons in a burst of flames. The archer's split arrows struck with metallic impacts. The charging knight collided with the skeletal wall yet was sent flying back.

From the flames, the skeletons walked out slowly, their bodies glowing a bluish-white without any damage.

"How can this be!" The mage couldn't believe what he saw.

He had checked - Lin Moyu was only a level 10 necromancer. A summon's level could not exceed its summoner's. With his level 21 power, he should've destroyed the summon instantly!

The archers and knight were also stunned. What kind of insanely durable summon was this?

More grinding sounds echoed as 44 skeleton warriors materialized, surrounding the three attackers.