Zhou Xiaopang scrambled to his feet. "Manager Li, Hao Ge is just checking the promo video to understand the game better.""Plus," he added quickly, "I found two silver coins in-game today. I can give one to Hao Ge. How's that?""No." Li Haitao's voice was icy. "In this game, if you fall behind even a step, you'll never catch up. How will you keep pace later?"Xiaopang opened his mouth to argue, but Lin Tianhao raised a hand to stop him."Forget it, Fatty.""But... your sister's surgery money... Without this job...""Don't worry. I'll earn the surgery fees."Lin Tianhao stood up and walked out.Stepping out of the Dream Chaser Club, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. In his past life, he'd wasted too much time here, pouring all his energy into grinding for in-game currency.
Zhou Xiaopang chased him out onto the street. "Hao Ge, here." He thrust a card into Tianhao's hand. "There's twenty thousand yuan left on this. Use it for now. Once I start earning in-game, I'll send you more. We will get the money for Qingqing's surgery."Lin Tianhao was deeply moved. Fatty, Skinny Monkey, Specs – these were his three best brothers. The same three who, even at his lowest point in his past life, had never stopped trying to help him."Fatty," Tianhao said, his voice firm, "Quit the Dream Chaser Club. Come work with me. We'll set up our own studio. Be our own bosses."Xiaopang blinked, surprised. "Hao Ge, you know I'd do anything you ask. But your sister...""I know what you mean. Give me three days. Just three days in the game, and I'll have the surgery money." Lin Tianhao's gaze was unwavering. Even without his god-tier talent, the memories of his past life held the key to earning what he needed within the game."Alright." Zhou Xiaopang didn't question him. "I'll call Skinny Monkey and Specs. Get them in on this too.""Good."
Zhou Xiaopang marched back into the Dream Chaser Club and quit on the spot.Immediate resignation.He wouldn't get a single cent of severance.But it didn't matter.He trusted Lin Tianhao.That's what brothers were for.Skinny Monkey and Specs weren't in Binhai City right now, but Xiaopang messaged them immediately. Their replies were unanimous: "No problem."
They headed straight to a Godslayer's Twilight terminal vendor. Using the twenty thousand yuan, Lin Tianhao and Zhou Xiaopang invested in two premium gaming pods.Back at the rented apartment...Lin Tianhao knew his sister was safe at the hospital. He didn't go to see her.Not because he wasn't worried, but because he knew the priority now was earning money – fast."Fatty, get in the game and focus on leveling. When you hit Level 10, don't rush off to a main city just yet.""Got it."
Logging back into the game...Godslayer's Twilight used iris and DNA binding, so switching terminals didn't create a new account. It was the same character.Back in the verdant fields, Lin Tianhao resumed his grim task: hunting Crimson-Eyed Rabbits.Five hours slipped by."9998.""9999.""10000!!""Finally."
Ten thousand rabbits. It was finally time to turn in the quest.Returning to the starting village, Lin Tianhao sought out the Elder.First, he accepted the standard "Collect Crimson Eyes" quest. Then, he submitted his colossal haul of ten thousand pairs."Great adventurer," the Elder beamed, his wrinkled face showing genuine surprise. "Your perseverance is truly extraordinary. You deserve a special reward."Ding! You have completed the Crimson Eye Quest! Reward: 1000 EXP, 5 Silver Coins, Skill: Basic Attack Enhancement +1."Learn Skill."Lin Tianhao selected it instantly.
Basic Attack Enhancement (Passive Skill): ★☆☆☆☆
Effect: Increases your basic attack range by 5%.
Cooldown: None
Mana Cost: None
Proficiency: 0/1000
Just as I remembered."Brave adventurer," the Elder continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "Your resolve is unmatched in all my years. Should you manage to slay ten Bosses within these lands... I shall grant you a reward beyond imagining."Lin Tianhao blinked. Ten Bosses? What kind of insane quest chain was this? He'd expected a follow-up, but nothing this extreme.Ding! The Village Elder offers you a new quest: Slay 10 Bosses in the Newbie Zone.Quest Penalty: Lose the skill [Basic Attack Enhancement].Quest Reward: ???Accept?"Accept!"Slaying Bosses... it aligned perfectly with his next move. To make real money, Bosses were the prime targets.
Leaving the safety of the village, Lin Tianhao headed straight for the Level 10 Twisted Treant territory.He needed to level up first. His current attack speed wouldn't cut it against a real Boss.
Twisted Treant (Common): Level 10
HP: 1900 / 1900
Attack: 32
Skills: Vine Whip, Renewal
Thwip!Lin Tianhao drew and loosed an arrow in one fluid motion.-424 (True Damage)His relentless rabbit genocide had pushed his max HP over 21,200. While his raw attack power couldn't pierce the Treant's thick bark, the relentless true damage from his passive ability was another matter.Nineteen hundred HP vanished in just five arrows.Ding! You have slain a Twisted Treant. EXP +90.A satisfied smile touched Lin Tianhao's lips. The EXP bonus for killing higher-level mobs was substantial. Normally, a common Twisted Treant yielded only 10 EXP. Ninety was a massive boost. Combined with the 1000 EXP from the quest, he only needed to slay twenty more Treants to level.Moreover, killing higher-level mobs also meant better drop rates.Ding! You have slain a Twisted Treant. EXP +90.Ding! You have slain a Twisted Treant. EXP +90....Ding! You have reached Level 3! +5 Free Attribute Points.Without hesitation, Lin Tianhao dumped all 5 points into Attack Speed. His rate of fire jumped from 0.73 to 0.83 attacks per second.On the twentieth Treant, luck finally struck.Ding! Item Obtained: Ring of Renewal!
Ring of Renewal: Common
Requirement: Level 10
Effect: Restores 2 HP per second.
Durability: 100/100
A Ring! Lin Tianhao was genuinely surprised. Rings were among the rarest drops in Godslayer's Twilight, even common ones. The effect, however, was pitiful for him. Two HP per second? Meaningless. But someone out there would want it, especially early on.He immediately listed it on the in-game Auction House.Item: Ring of Renewal (Common)Type: Bid (Starting Price: 500 Copper Coins | Duration: 5 Mins)Five minutes later...Ding! Player 'FloatingPagoda_ShieldMountain' has purchased your item: Ring of Renewal.Ding! Player 'FloatingPagoda_ShieldMountain' wishes to add you as a Friend.Floating Pagoda Clan? Lin Tianhao raised an eyebrow. They were a top-ten guild in the Dragon Nation. Shouldn't their core members have been in-game much earlier?He accepted the request.A message popped up instantly:FloatingPagoda_ShieldMountain: "Snow Emperor, mind if I grab that friend slot? Quick Q – paid answer! – was that Renewal Ring from a specific quest chain? We're hunting for info."