C15 Collecting Divine Herbs in the Group
For his leveling-up journey, Rinn had made extensive preparations. He had specifically visited Aunt Judy's grocery store to purchase a large bundle, which was packed with her food items. Recently, Rinn had gotten a good grasp of Snakefield's layout. John's place was undoubtedly a weapon shop offering a variety of armaments to players. Cork's establishment sold meat, which not only served as a source of nourishment but also acted like a potion shop, boosting players' health points.
Aunt Judy's store was a treasure trove of miscellaneous goods. During his visit yesterday, Rinn discovered something unique about Aunt Judy's honey water. "Aunt Judy's Honey Water: Restores 20% health upon consumption and increases movement speed by 30% for three minutes, with no adverse effects..." Rinn mused, holding a glass bottle of the yellow concoction. Unscrewing the cap, he was hit by a pungent odor that made him recoil and stick out his tongue in disgust. "It's supposed to be honey, so why does it smell so foul? Could it be that Aunt Judy's stock is all this bizarre?"
Despite the off-putting scent, Rinn downed the drink. This honey water was a marvel, acting both as a health potion and a stamina booster. After struggling to swallow the peculiar liquid, Rinn felt a noticeable improvement in his condition, likely regaining some vitality. His personal interface lacked a health meter, but he could make a rough estimate based on how he felt. Having skipped breakfast, his health points were around eighty percent, but post-honey water, he was back to peak condition.
"Time to test the speed," he declared, eyeing the village entrance a mere five hundred meters away. With a determined gaze, he launched into a sprint. Rinn knew this path like the back of his hand, having run it countless times since childhood. Reaching the end, he was certain he had never moved this fast before. Considering he was still laden with his bundle and wielding the Chaos Hammer, his speed was astonishing. Without the extra weight, he mused, he might just take off.
"Wow! Aunt Judy's goods are top-notch! It was worth every penny!"
Rinn rifled through his pack, revealing an assortment of foods.
"Aunt Judy's homemade spicy meat pie: explosively flavorful, one bite and you're hit with extreme heat. It restores 50% of your HP and boosts your combat strength by 10%."
"Rotten mushroom canned food: restores 30% of your stamina, but causes diarrhea for ten minutes after consumption."
"Aunt Judy's special fruit salad..."
...
The pack brimmed with an array of bizarre edibles.
This was the result of Rinn's diligent preparation over the last few days.
He had no choice; battling monsters required well-managed supplies.
Rinn wasn't a player; a Devil Beast's attack was excruciating. To avoid accidental death, he stocked up on an abundance of "blood medicine."
Purchasing these potions had cost him a pretty penny—around ten silver coins, even after Aunt Judy's discount.
Truth be told, Aunt Judy's food tasted awful, and the side effects were bizarre, but the benefits were undeniable!
Percentage-based health recovery might seem trivial early on.
But in the game's later stages, it's a game-changer! Players would have health in the tens of thousands, and normal potions would only restore a set amount of HP, nothing like the percentage-based recovery available now!
Rinn had bought blood potions during the beta test in the novice village.
He recalled those potions only restored a few dozen HP each.
In comparison to percentage-based recovery, they were practically insignificant!
So, despite the hard-to-stomach side effects, Aunt Judy's wares were nothing short of perfect!
...
Feeling upbeat, Rinn quickly departed Snakefield and headed to a nearby plain.
It was here he had encountered the small Levan last time.
Town hunters said the plain teemed with animals, even some Devil Beasts—a place deemed off-limits to humans.
For Rinn, this forbidden territory was his leveling ground!
He was there to hunt wild monsters and Devil Beasts, after all!
"Rustle, rustle!"
As Rinn walked, a person-high bush ahead suddenly quivered.
He halted, spotting a fox over a meter long and more than half a meter tall darting out from the underbrush.
Typically, foxes are canines, known for being small and adorable.
But this one was different; its fur was pitch black, and it was hideously ugly, complete with a pair of menacing fangs snarling at Rinn.
"Well, that's just great, running into trouble so early in the day."
Rinn remained unfazed. After deploying his exploration spell, he felt even more at ease.
"Black-tailed civet, a wild and savage beast with a taste for human flesh. Level 1, Strength 1.1, Agility 2.6, Intelligence 0.3..."
He recalled the snow wolves from before had a strength of 1.5 and agility of 2.3...
By comparison, this black-tailed civet was practically a pushover, if not for its superior agility and quickness!
"Come and meet your end!"
Rinn swung his Chaos Hammer with gusto at the black-tailed civet.
Clang!
The hammer struck the ground with a resounding thud, but alas, the civet had nimbly dodged the blow.
It leaped to Rinn's left, baring its teeth in a ferocious snarl.
"Sure is quick on its feet," Rinn noted, hoisting the hammer once more with a smirk.
His agility was only 1.8, quite a bit slower than the civet's. He'd need a new tactic if he was going to take it down.
"Come on, you little pest! Your time's up!"
These creatures weren't the brightest, but they weren't exactly simpletons either.
The black-tailed civet, incensed by Rinn's taunting grimace, glared with eyes ablaze. It pounced and sank its teeth into Rinn's calf.
"Ouch!"
A jolt of numbness shot through Rinn's leg. By the time he swung his fist, the civet had already bounded away.
"Darn it! This critter is too quick! Is this really the first beast I've come across? Am I outmatched?"
Rinn eyed the bite on his leg with irritation. He had set out hoping to level up and slay his way to glory.
Little did he expect to encounter a wild creature that had the upper hand right off the bat.
The silver lining was that the black-tailed civet's strength left much to be desired, and its attack was notably feeble.
Rinn barely felt a twinge when it bit him.
He tested his foot, finding his pace unaltered—it was clear the injury was minor.
"Sha Sha!"
"Sha Sha!"
As Rinn was assessing his wound, the grass before him rustled, and suddenly, a swarm of black-tailed civets burst forth.
Rinn jumped, "Is this their den? There must be at least thirty or forty of them!"
His initial shock quickly turned to elation.
Thirty.
That meant a windfall of experience points!
"Again and again!"
"Again and again!"
The civets glared at Rinn with blood-red eyes, snarling and emitting grating noises as if they intended to shred him to pieces.
But Rinn wasn't frightened. Instead, he pulled out a glass bottle filled with purple liquid from his pack.
"Hehe! I wouldn't waste this on just one critter, but facing a whole pack? It's time to go all out!"
Rinn's eyes lingered on the bottle.
"Amethyst Poison Mist: Crafted by Judy herself from the horn of a musk rhinoceros, it's deadly to beasts, temporarily paralyzing them into a stupor..."
The information made Rinn's grin stretch from ear to ear.
"Aunt Judy, you're a visionary! I'm forever grateful!"
Aunt Judy had insisted on the Amethyst Poison Mist for Rinn's protection when she learned he was going monster hunting.
It was pricey, but after learning of its potent effects, Rinn didn't hesitate to purchase three bottles.
It was nothing short of a miracle potion for mob grinding.
Imagine encountering a pack of wolves.
Just toss the Amethyst Poison Mist, and he could take them down without breaking a sweat!
And so, the scene unfolded.
The civets were oblivious to the power Rinn held in his hands.
At the call of a particularly large civet, the entire pack charged at Rinn.
"Again and again!"
"Again and again!"
Suddenly, jarring noises assaulted the senses from every angle.
Meanwhile, Rinn, with an air of composure, watched the black-tailed civets that resembled dark phantoms and nonchalantly shattered the glass bottle on the ground.
