Chapter 4

"Wait."

Lar, who was scouting ahead, suddenly turned back. He made a gesture, and the three of us immediately stopped.

"There's a camp of Fallen Ones ahead. You guys wait here, I'll go check it out."

Fallen Ones are common monsters in this land, with their bright red skin and short, goblin-like appearance, which looks particularly comical. This isn't the first time we've encountered such a situation. After all, Fallen Ones are abundant here. In the past few days, we've come across many of their camps. Several times, hard-skinned rats suddenly emerged from the bushes, their necks retracting as they shot needles at us. Yesterday at noon, we found a few corpses not far ahead, swaying leisurely. Although I have a deep aversion to these corpses, which have almost given me nightmares, the other three were delighted. Compared to other monsters, corpses not only provide high experience but are also easy to deal with. Their slow movements make it easy even for a Barbarian to dodge them. As long as you're not surrounded, they are practically synonymous with experience.

Lar, with a mysterious look, told me his exclusive secret: corpses have a high drop rate in the Blood Moor. The only ring he has is from a corpse—though after they killed these few corpses, not even a coin dropped.

Since our party doesn't have an Assassin or Amazon suitable for reconnaissance, it fell to Lar, the Paladin, to scout. At least in this aspect, Paladins are better than Barbarians. As a Druid, I should have taken the lead in the absence of an Assassin or Amazon, as Druids have advantages in natural magic and summoning for reconnaissance. However, since I'm only level 1 and haven't even learned to summon crows, Lar kindly took on the task, not wanting to send me to my death.

To be honest, I still don't understand if I'm really a Druid. In the past few days, I've become familiar with my body and found that my strength and agility have increased several times over. In my previous life, I wouldn't have had the stamina to keep up with Lar and the others, who travel for almost ten hours a day.

But even so, can I, as a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越者" in English, but in this context, it means "a person who has traveled through time or dimensions"), really master the skills of this dark world? I don't want to make a mistake. I think I need to ask Lar and the others for advice after the battle. After accepting the reality of my穿越 (穿越 means "穿越" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越" in English, but in this context, it means "time or dimensional travel"), the thing I fear most is my own abilities.

Soon, Lar returned, his face beaming with joy. "It's a small group of Fallen Ones, and there's an Elite Fallen Mage among them."

From my observations over the past few days, a "small group" of Fallen Ones usually means 7 to 12. As for the Fallen Mage, anyone who has played Diablo knows what it is: a little old man with a skull staff, casting fireballs and raising corpses. An "Elite" likely refers to a monster with special attributes.

Seeing their excited faces, it's clear that encountering an Elite monster is rare. Even if they do, they might not necessarily be able to kill it. This isn't a game where you can respawn after dying and go back to loot your body. Without a 100% guarantee, it's best to cherish life and stay away from Elites.

However, this Elite Fallen Mage and a small group of Fallen Ones are exactly what they can handle. The odds of such a good opportunity are lower than winning the lottery. Even Goff, who usually has a sour face, broke into a smile. It seems his cool act isn't as polished as he thinks. If Lar had said Andariel was coming, I would still be able to stand firm, though I might faint straight away...

The four of us slowly bent down and followed Lar, who moved like a Chinese 007. My position in the group is quite awkward. On one hand, even if I follow, I can't really help—though I've noticed that with my gradually increasing strength, I could easily deal with a Fallen One if I had a decent weapon, even a rusty iron sword. However, I won't take any risks until I understand this world better. The triangular venomous snake we encountered this morning taught me that this isn't exactly the same as Diablo, just similar in some aspects.

On the other hand, I have to stay close to them. Who knows what monsters or creatures might appear if I leave the small forest.

Even with their average level of 11 or higher, they don't dare to walk around freely in the Blood Moor, where 1-4 level monsters roam. How much more so for me, a kid who has never killed a monster?

I asked Lar if being near them would split their experience. His answer was both reassuring and disappointing. In this real world, there's no such thing as sharing experience or being carried by a high-level player. You get what you earn. Sigh, what a pity. I once thought I could find a high-level player to farm experience for me when I had money, and I even drooled all night thinking about it. Bah!

The camp of Fallen Ones slowly came into view, about 200 meters away. My eyes, which were slightly nearsighted from long hours of internet use, have improved significantly in this world. I can even see a large pot in the camp, with boiling liquid in which human skulls, bones, and ribs occasionally surface. It seems another careless adventurer wandered into their territory and was captured for a stew.

A few days ago, I would have fainted at the sight of this. Now, though I feel a bit uncomfortable, I seem to have become somewhat numb. The strange postures of the skeletons, the half-eaten corpses, and the sudden appearance of corpses from the ground have all tested my nerves. It's terrifying how quickly humans can adapt. In this environment, my nerves have become incredibly resilient. Even if a corpse suddenly appeared in front of me, I'm confident I could punch it down and then run away.

One, two, three, four... I carefully counted nine Fallen Ones, who were dancing around the pot in a strange, African-like dance, their white knives gleaming. I couldn't help but swallow hard—poor me, a future great Druid, still unarmed!

However, taking their knives isn't practical—unless they drop them, they will disappear with the Fallen Ones' bodies.

The nine Fallen Ones were dancing and making strange sounds, while the Elite Fallen Mage, with his dark red skin, sat nearby, looking particularly vivid among the blood-red Fallen Ones. His still, mountain-like posture and the calm demeanor of a high monk were impressive. His eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp light, then returned to a calm state. He looked at the dancing Fallen Ones with a hint of disdain, as if they were novices showing off their skills to a master.

"Wait," I whispered. The three, who were about to attack, turned back, looking puzzled.

Hmph, are you puzzled? This is the unbridgeable gap between you and me—my sharp eyes, honed from years of internet use, tell me that this seemingly ordinary old Fallen Mage has the strength of Andariel, but for some reason, he is hiding in this obscure place. I thought to myself, at least our group has served some purpose.

Just as I was about to tell them the unchanging law that great masters hide in the city, the Fallen Mage suddenly moved. He lifted his head, and a sharp gaze shot towards our hiding place.

I was startled. He had been looking down the whole time. Could he have sensed us from hundreds of meters away just by our aura? My judgment was right. Fortunately, I stopped them in time. Running now might still be possible.

The old Fallen Mage, gripping his skull staff with his right hand and waving his left, exuded a powerful aura. The Fallen Ones, who were just dancing around the pot, quickly gathered behind him, ready for battle, transforming from lazy thugs to seasoned warriors in an instant.

It's clear they've detected us. They're about to charge. I was about to pull Lar and the others to run away when the Fallen Mage moved to the side.

"Hum hum ha ha, hum hum ha ha..."

The Fallen Mage danced, humming a strange tune, stepping in a pattern like a shaman's dance or a seizure. He circled the pot, his buttocks moving rapidly like a charged drill. The small Fallen Ones behind him looked at him with admiration, like devoted fans meeting their idol.

"Hum hum ha ha, hum hum ha ha..." The mage's tune echoed through the wilderness, slowly reaching our ears.

"What's wrong, Wu?" Lar asked, looking puzzled.

"Ugh... Make sure to cut that Fallen Mage into pieces..." I said, my face dark and my teeth gritted.

---

Page Break

---

Page Break