"Huh?"
Looking at the prompt that popped up in front of him, a look of surprise flashed through Yu Zhun's eyes.
"Demon Sheep Nightmare? Shouldn't it be Demon Sheep Slayer?"
According to the guide Yu Zhu gave him, killing fifty little Demon Sheep and then the hidden level 5 monster, the Black Demon Sheep, would reward the white title [Demon Sheep Slayer], which increased Life by 5%. But now, he had received the higher-tier green title [Demon Sheep Nightmare], and its effects were completely different.
"Could it be because I insta-killed the Black Demon Sheep?" he wondered.
Yu Zhun silently equipped the title above his head. The four bright green words for [Demon Sheep Nightmare] came with decorative visual effects and looked pretty flashy. Moreover, the effect of this title was much better than [Demon Sheep Slayer]. Not every Demon Beast would wait for him to attack first like the little Demon Sheep. When encountering other Demon Beasts, a higher Life stat would let him survive longer, even though this was a far cry from Yu Zhun's original intention when he chose his Profession upon entering the game.
After equipping the title, Yu Zhun immediately began checking the Equipment dropped by the Black Demon Sheep.
[Black Demon Sheep's Cursed Necklace]
[Equipment Description: A necklace containing the Curse of the Black Demon Sheep. Harboring the resentment of the atrocious Demon Sheep Race, it will turn the wearer into a docile lamb, leaving them at the mercy of others!]
[Equipment Level: Lv5]
[Equipment Quality: Outstanding Level (Blue)]
[Equipment Slot: Accessory]
[Equipment Durability: 100]
[Equipment Attribute: Life +200]
[Equipment Effect 1 (Sheep Transformation): Upon wearing, decreases own Physical Attack and Magic Attack by 50%, and increases own Life by 100%, up to a cap of 1,000 points.]
"Hiss..." Yu Zhun drew a sharp breath, nearly choking on his own spit.
"What a vicious Curse!" he thought.
Every player initially had three Equipment slots: weapon, Armor, and accessory. As they leveled up, new Equipment slots would be unlocked. Previously, Yu Zhun only had one piece of Equipment. It was the class-specific weapon gifted after choosing his Initial Profession, completely devoid of any attributes or effects. The Cursed Necklace he just got could finally be considered his first true piece of Equipment.
Although the Equipment description sounded quite ominous, Yu Zhun carefully reviewed the attributes and effects and determined that this item was actually great for him. The attribute increased Life, while the effect halved Physical Attack and Magic Attack but doubled his Life. This piece of Equipment would turn the wearer into a meat shield that only dealt tickle damage.
But hitting like a wet noodle didn't seem to be an issue Yu Zhun needed to worry about. He only needed to assassinate Open and Aboveboard, and he could secure a One-Hit Kill. Therefore, his only concern was staying alive long enough to step in front of his opponent.
As he gradually accepted his absurd talent, Yu Zhun suddenly felt that, despite it being a far cry from his expected path, it was actually kind of thrilling when he thought about it.
However, the Cursed Necklace's equipment level was Lv5, meaning players needed to reach Lv5 or higher to equip it. Yu Zhun was only Lv3 right now. To equip it, he still needed to level up two more times.
Temporarily tossing the Cursed Necklace into his inventory, Yu Zhun opened the stat panel he hadn't had the chance to check since leveling up.
[Character Name: Yu Zhun]
[Level: Lv3 (50/250)]
[Profession: Assassin]
[Profession Talent: Open and Aboveboard (SSS-Rank)]
[Wearing Title: Demon Sheep Nightmare (Green)]
[Attributes:
Life: 220 -> 264 (Title +10%)
Mana: 85 -> 90
Physical Attack: 130 -> 140
Magic Attack: 0 -> 0
Physical Defense: 50 -> 55
Magic Defense: 50 -> 55]
[Skills: 1/4]
[Skill 1: Lurking (Lv1)]
[Equipment: 1/3]
[Weapon: Dagger (White)]
"The experience required to level up is getting higher and higher. To level up quickly, merely killing Demon Sheep is no longer enough," Yu Zhun mused thoughtfully. "I need to hurry and find the second type of experience-yielding Demon Beast, the Gray Demon Dog."
The Gray Demon Dog was another type of Demon Beast in the Newbie Area. Unlike the weakest little Demon Sheep, their levels fluctuated between Lv3 and Lv5. Killing them granted more experience, but they were also much more dangerous. The Gray Demon Dog was a sharp and sensitive Demon Beast. It would actively attack any player within a ten-meter radius. If it stood completely still, its detection range would continuously expand over time. Therefore, it was impossible to easily kill a Gray Demon Dog using the same methods he had used against the little Demon Sheep.
"Even though my Life Attribute has received a bonus boost from the title's effect, it still isn't high enough before I hit Lv5 and equip the Cursed Necklace," Yu Zhun said, opening his inventory. "Just to be safe, I need to buy a Skill Book."
Skill Books were essential items for acquiring new skills or upgrading existing ones. Yu Zhun's current starting skill couldn't synergize with his talent, rendering it practically useless. This meant that if he faced a Gray Wolf Dog, he would be forced into hand-to-hand combat. Getting a new skill would make things much safer.
"I killed thirty little Demon Sheep today, which dropped four Demon Sheep Horns. Combined with the leftover money from selling Demon Sheep Horns yesterday, I still have over a thousand," Yu Zhun muttered, counting on his fingers.
"The price of a Skill Book is directly tied to the popularity of the skill and the rarity of the drop. A cheap Basic Skill Book might only cost a few hundred bucks, while an expensive one could sell for tens of thousands.
"I'll head back to Newbie City to take a look first." He turned around and began the trek back.
As it happened, the Gray Ruins where the Gray Demon Dogs resided was on the opposite side of Newbie City, meaning he would have needed to pass through the city anyway.
Returning to the bustling streets of Newbie City, that newbie who was looking for a handsome master still hadn't found one. Yu Zhun maintained his expressionless facade and walked straight up to a stall selling Skill Books.
"How much for the Skill Books?"
"You've got a good eye, brother. My stall has the most complete collection of Skill Books on this entire street." The young stall owner, sporting small round glasses perched on his nose, swept his gaze over the title hovering above Yu Zhun's head and immediately broke into a wide smile.
To obtain a green title at a mere Lv3—if he didn't have the superpower of wealth, he had an actual Superpower. It seemed he was a major client. He whipped out a folding fan and flicked it open with a SNAP, revealing the four large characters for "Honest Prices" written across it, before his eyes darted to the dagger at Yu Zhun's waist.
"Brother, you're looking for Assassin Skill Books, right?"
"I can take a look at the universal ones, too," Yu Zhun replied calmly.
Skill Books were divided into Profession-exclusive and universal categories. Profession-exclusive meant that only specific Professions could learn them, while universal meant they were available to all Professions. The latter had broader applicability, but they rarely contained anything good, so their prices were generally cheaper.
Thus, upon hearing that Yu Zhun was also interested in universal Skill Books, a flash of disappointment flickered in the youth's eyes behind his small glasses.
"Did I misjudge him?" he wondered.
Still, a customer was a customer. He quickly plastered his smile back on and expertly fished out a stack of the Skill Books Yu Zhun needed. "They're all right here!"
"I'll take a look first."
Yu Zhun nodded and crouched down, flipping through them one by one.
The stall owner watched him for only a moment before his gaze soon drifted away from Yu Zhun, looking out over the bustling street.
"Whales are hard to find, and business is slow~" he mused.