Chapter 7

In the battle, Li Yalin was a complete novice. If it weren't for Carmel's patient explanations of combat techniques and the forced training he received back in Blood Alliance City, Li Yalin wouldn't even know how to hold a sword.

However, even though his foundation was almost nonexistent, it was still better than knowing nothing at all.

On his first battle, facing those level 1 monsters, Li Yalin took a while to gradually figure out the tricks of the trade.

For example, the simplest of these, the frenzied mountain boar, which only charged headfirst and wasn't very fast, still gave Li Yalin a hard time. He was knocked down several times before he could finally kill one.

Whether due to his enhanced body or passive skills, Li Yalin's focus in battle was very concentrated, and the more he fought, the more he felt at ease.

After a few hours, the initial awkwardness had long disappeared. When facing the frenzied mountain boar again, Li Yalin could easily and gracefully dodge its attack, and with a quick slash, finish it off without a trace.

Could he have a natural talent for combat?

The more he fought, the smoother it became, and even Li Yalin himself began to think that he might be a genius!

It's worth mentioning that while slaughtering these frenzied mountain boars, Li Yalin finally felt like he was playing an online game. Although the monsters would bleed when injured, their bodies would disintegrate into countless fragments after being killed.

Moreover, after the battles, Li Yalin could obtain some loot, such as kor, the universal currency in this world, and some basic life recovery potions.

However, the loot was truly... pitiful. After killing so many monsters, Li Yalin had only gathered less than 100 kor and three bottles of basic life recovery potions. Truly, these were the lowest-level monsters, with a drop rate that was a real letdown.

Although the loot was minimal, it was enough for him to live on. When he left the city, Li Yalin had already inquired and found out that the cheapest inn only cost 50 kor, and the remaining money could buy him a hearty dinner.

So, he decided to spend all his money tonight! On this point, Li Yalin firmly believed in the saying, "Money spent, peace of mind." He had worked hard today, and he deserved to treat himself.

As for tomorrow? He would deal with it tomorrow. After all, the wild monsters outside would keep respawning, and if he needed money, he could always earn it.

With this in mind, Li Yalin eagerly returned to the Starting Town, found an inn, and booked a room. Then he went to a bar he had already scoped out, ready to enjoy himself.

The bars in Starting Town were essentially a combination of restaurants and taverns. Although the prices were not cheap, there were many customers. Li Yalin chose to eat here not only because he had heard that the signature dishes were excellent but also because it was a crucial place for gathering information!

Since ancient times, bars and teahouses have been important places for gathering information. Although Li Yalin had learned a lot today, he didn't mind gathering more to ensure his safety.

"Did you hear? Hank from next door had another son."

"Really? We should celebrate. By the way, did you hear that Aunt Sim's orchard on South Street is hiring workers. Should we try?"

Well, the food in the bar was indeed good, but the information gathering was making Li Yalin very frustrated.

What the heck! I'm not here to listen to your gossip! Why are you guys more gossipy than women? What does it matter to you if someone has a baby?

Feeling depressed, after listening for a long time without any useful information, Li Yalin could only turn his frustration into appetite, viciously stabbing the roasted meat in front of him and feasting.

Forget it, I'll go back to sleep.

Since he didn't get any useful information, he might as well go back to the inn to rest and replenish his energy. However, just as Li Yalin was about to pay and leave, a conversation from the next table caught his attention.

"Did you hear? A group of outsiders will appear soon. I wonder what this town will become."

This was just a casual complaint from the next table, but Li Yalin immediately perked up his ears.

Outsiders? What does that mean?

"Heard it, heard it. But even if outsiders come, it won't affect us. No need to worry."

"You're right. Maybe I'm overthinking it. Cheers!"

Overthinking? No, you're not overthinking at all! Give me more information!

Desperately wanting to know about these outsiders, but the drunk uncles at the next table were only interested in gossip, which made Li Yalin very anxious.

"Hey... If you don't mind, can I buy you all a drink?"

In desperation, Li Yalin called the bartender and ordered a mug of ale for each of the uncles at the next table, spending his last kor. Finally, he got the information he wanted.

According to the uncles' accounts and Li Yalin's deductions, these so-called outsiders were likely referring to the game players. Otherwise, how could over a thousand outsiders suddenly appear?

But this world was already very different from the SAO Li Yalin knew. What would be the situation of these game players about to enter this world?

And the main and supporting characters from the original story, would they also appear before him?

With this curiosity, Li Yalin gradually fell asleep, dreaming that he was back in his warm home, living a carefree life.

It's only when you lose something that you truly appreciate it. When Li Yalin woke up, he found that everything was just a dream, and he felt a deep sense of loss.

But this was only temporary. One day, he would realize his dream of returning home and seeing his family and friends again!

A new day began!

Stretching lazily, Li Yalin started a new battle.

After yesterday's trial, Li Yalin had already noticed his combat talent and was prepared to make good use of it.

He no longer needed to fight the mountain boars, as they provided little experience and poor loot. Most importantly, Li Yalin felt that if he only fought mountain boars, he would never grow.

Therefore, Li Yalin quickly set his sights on a higher-level monster—the wild wolf!

With the experience of fighting mountain boars, Li Yalin did not feel fear towards this fierce-looking monster. On the contrary, he saw it as a source of kor and experience.

Die!

Kill! Kill! Kill!

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. During this month, Li Yalin had made significant progress. He had almost killed all the monsters on the first floor of SAO, accumulating a large amount of experience and even obtaining some weapons and equipment, further enhancing his strength.

The only regret was that during this month, Li Yalin did not see any game players appear, nor did he officially break through the first floor dungeon and defeat the first floor's guardian boss.

Regarding this, Li Yalin had his own plan.

Although he felt that with his current strength, defeating the first floor's boss should not be difficult, Li Yalin also knew that his weakness was his lack of solid fundamentals. This might not be obvious now, but it would become more apparent as he progressed.

Adhering to the principle of caution and harmony, Li Yalin continuously trained himself. Or, to put it another way, his collecting habit had kicked in.

For Li Yalin, grinding for experience and loot was a minor matter, but his main hobby was collecting various game items, from weapons and equipment to materials and potions. He loved to collect everything he could and would often take them out to admire, which was his greatest pleasure.

Thanks to this, Li Yalin had filled his inventory with row after row of items over the past month. Fortunately, the inventory had no weight limit, or Li Yalin would have been crushed by his collection.