When they arrived at the next location, Nie Yan employed the usual method by popping a pouch of Smoke Powder near the Sub-Elite Scaled Frog. Then, after the smoke enveloped it and the immediate surroundings, he would hand over the reins to Tang Yao.
Aside from the impacts of Tang Yao’s spells, all was tranquil in the forest. Every so often, soft, rustling noises could be heard from the nearby underbrush as small animals passed through.
In the distance, the faint and almost indiscernible sound of flowing water softly reverberated in the background.
“Is there a lake or stream nearby?” Yao Yao asked. Akin to a zither, the gentle sound floated amidst the trees and stretched far across the forest.
“Lake?” Nie Yan’s mind trembled. He suddenly recalled that there was indeed a lake near the Scaled Frog zone. It was a small forest lake, hidden from view by tall, exuberant trees. At its very center was a small isle where rumours told was the location of an abandoned Dark Elf shrine. Supposedly, ancient crafting recipes could be found there.
It’s close by anyway… can’t hurt to go check things out. If there’s nothing there, I can just head back.
Not much later, server closing time approached. At this moment, Tang Yao killed his last Scaled Frog for the day, and as he did, a bright radiance enveloped Nie Yan followed by a crisp, system jingle.
Nie Yan checked his status bar. He was now Level 17, the same as Tang Yao; however, Tang Yao’s experience bar was nearly filled to the top, so he would soon be levelling up to Level 18.
“There’s still about eighteen minutes left. You guys should find a safe place, preferably hidden from view from any mobs, to log off from,” Nie Yan said. He looked at the day’s harvest; three pieces of equipment, a Level 30 Silver-grade Armour Blueprint, an Intermediate Potion Recipe, and several Fortune Gems.
He and the others currently received a huge increase in drop rate since they were hunting monsters far above their level. Furthermore, the Scaled Frogs they killed were all Sub-Elites, so the profits they reaped were immense. If they were hunting here in the previous timeline, then it would be very difficult for them to run into an Elite or Sub-Elite. Even if they did, many nearby players would attempt to snatch the kill away. It was a classic case of too many monks and not enough gruel. As such, the average yield from a day’s worth of grinding would merely amount to one or two pieces of Silver or Gold-grade equipment. Most of the time, any group that could secure even a Leader-class monster for themselves would be considered very lucky. However, Nie Yan and the others had gone far ahead of others by hunting in this map when most players would never yet dream to. Moreover, Nie Yan knew exactly where to find the Elites and Sub-Elites, so it was clear to see the advantage he held over others.
Sun was now Level 11 while Yao Yao had risen to Level 12; she was only a smidgen away from Level 13. Both were shocked by their levelling speeds. It was simply too fast!
“Big Bros, Big Sis, I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” Sun waved goodbye before logging off.
“I’m heading off as well. See you guys later,” Yao Yao said before going offline.
“You’re not getting off?” Tang Yao asked as he felt Nie Yan didn’t seem like he wanted to log out just yet.
“There’s still around fifteen minutes left. I’m going to explore around a bit. Here, take these five pouches of Smoke Powder. Also, these are the spawn locations of a few Sub-Elites, record them down. If I’m not back by the time you get back online tomorrow, give Sun the Smoke Powder and you guys can continue on without me,” Nie Yan said before handing over the items to Tang Yao.
After thinking for a moment, Tang Yao nodded his head and said, “Fine,” before taking the Smoke Powder. If Nie Yan didn’t wish to tell him, then he wouldn’t pry. Besides, he held complete confidence in him. After all, with his skill and elusiveness, there was no need to worry about him encountering any real danger.
“It’s about time you get off too.”
“Well, see you tomorrow,” Tang Yao said. His body gradually turned illusory before disappearing completely.
After Tang Yao left, Nie Yan followed the sound of flowing water, eventually coming across a small stream where he walked along its bank. He encountered many Scaled Frogs on his trek that he would avoid by stealthing and making detours around them.
Along his path, he stumbled upon a wooden treasure chest. After opening it, he retrieved a piece of Level 30 White-grade equipment. It was a disappointing find. Was his luck really that poor? Nevertheless, he could still receive 5 silver or more by selling it to an NPC merchant, and there was also the option of recycling it into raw materials. The latter might be a bit more expensive, but it was better than nothing.
As he travelled further down the stream, reaching the yet to be explored depths of this forest, he eventually exited the Scaled Frog area and arrived at an opening where he was greeted by the sight of a lake in the distance. It wasn’t all that large, covering maybe a tenth of a square kilometer, but still gave home to a very small piece of land.
You’ve discovered Forest Lake Stratyn.
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