12: Chapter 12: To get stronger, we also need to prepare to spend money!

The dagger thrust straight at his face, and Hu Jinsi's pupils constricted.

He had no time to think, raising his long staff horizontally—with a crisp "clang," the dagger in the left hand was blocked, but the red-masked man's right-hand dagger slid along the staff and plunged fiercely into Hu Jinsi's right shoulder!

[Defias Thief deals critical damage to you: -58]

[Health: 102/160]

"Hiss—" Hu Jinsi gasped. This damage was even worse than the explosives of an elite Kobold. He didn't have time to check his panel; acting on instinct, he kicked the thief in the abdomen, using the recoil to roll backward, finally putting some distance between them.

Only then did the sound of Su Wan's lyre ring out urgently—she had been caught off guard by the lightning-fast turn of events.

"Tashas Hideous Laughter!"

The mocking melody hit the Defias Thief with precision. The red-masked man's figure stiffened, the corners of his mouth turned up uncontrollably, and he fell into a 4-second fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Jinsi!" Lin Rui finally scrambled up from the grass. Hu Jinsi's staff swing earlier had sent him flying, and his waist had slammed into a tree root; now, every movement made him wince in pain.

"Don't worry about me! Focus on damage!" Hu Jinsi clutched his shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers. Without hesitation, he activated [Expel Harm]. The turbulent Qi within his body was forced out, and a warm current flowed through his entire body. A green [+32] flashed over his head, and the wound barely closed.

Looking at the greenish tip of the Defias Thief's dagger, it was a stroke of luck that he hadn't been poisoned. This little wound really was nothing.

Lin Rui also gritted his teeth and stepped forward with his spear, thrusting directly at the chest of the laughing thief. [-12], [-11]. After two thrusts, the thief's health bar had only dropped by a small fraction.

"This thing has so much health!" Lin Rui's pupils constricted.

The 4 seconds of laughter passed. A glint of cunning flashed in the Defias Thief's eyes. With a flicker of movement, he no longer pursued Hu Jinsi, but turned and lunged toward Su Wan—he had judged that Su Wan's crowd control posed the greatest threat!

"Su Wan, retreat!" Hu Jinsi roared, throwing his long staff at the thief's back. [-8]. The thief's figure faltered slightly, but his momentum didn't stop.

Su Wan retreated hurriedly, clutching her lyre, and fired her light crossbow repeatedly. The bolts pinned into the thief's shoulder [-5], but the opponent seemed not to feel the pain, aiming his dagger straight at her throat!

At the critical moment, Lin Rui slammed in from the side, raising his round shield. "Clang!" The dagger scraped sparks off the shield face. Lin Rui was knocked back two steps, his arm numb.

"This battle intelligence..." Hu Jinsi picked up his long staff, sweat beading on his forehead. In the game from his past life, Defias Thieves did indeed use stealth to ambush, but that was a fixed NPC script. This one in front of him could make on-the-spot judgments, switch targets, and target the backline; it was practically a real person!

When the thief failed to hit Su Wan, he immediately changed his move, backhanding the dagger toward Lin Rui's shield-wielding wrist, forcing Lin Rui to loosen his grip to dissipate the force. He was as nimble as a civet cat, maneuvering through the three of them, specifically targeting the weakest link.

"He's going for Su Wan!" Hu Jinsi saw through his intentions and swung his staff horizontally, attempting to Block the thief's path.

The thief feinted, rolled low to the ground, and actually passed between Lin Rui's legs, lunging straight at Su Wan! Frightened, Su Wan's playing went out of tune. She hugged her lyre and rolled on the ground, barely dodging, but a dagger scratch marred the lyre, making it look much uglier.

"My lyre!" Su Wan gasped in distress.

"Forget the lyre! Your life is what matters!" Hu Jinsi chased after him, smashing his staff at the thief's back of the head. The thief seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, dodging sideways and backhanding his dagger toward Hu Jinsi's wrist. Hu Jinsi couldn't pull back in time, and another bloody gash appeared on his forearm [-11].

"This guy can even parry!" Lin Rui gripped his round shield again and slammed in from the flank.

The three of them skirmished with the thief for nearly three minutes. Hu Jinsi was fighting while injured, his movements a beat slower, and he nearly got slashed in a vital spot several times. Lin Rui's waist injury hadn't healed, making his movement noticeably stiff; he blocked half a beat slow several times, causing the dagger to spark against his shield. Whenever Su Wan's crowd control chain broke, the thief would try to leave combat and stealth, only to be forced out by Hu Jinsi's throwing knives.

Finally, Lin Rui landed a Heavy Strike that pierced the thief's chest, and the red-masked man finally dissolved into points of light.

After the battle, Hu Jinsi slumped onto the grass, panting heavily. Although the wound on his right shoulder had been mostly healed by Expel Harm, the pain was real, and the muscle was still twitching uncontrollably. He looked down at his panel; his health was at 87, and the passive stacks of his Golden Sore Medicine were one less.

"Are you okay?" Su Wan rushed over, her voice trembling. Her face was pale; the moment the thief lunged at her, she had truly smelled the scent of death.

"Won't die." Hu Jinsi grinned, looking at Lin Rui, "Captain Lin, sorry about that staff strike earlier..."

Lin Rui walked over clutching his side, his mouth twitching: "Desperate times call for desperate measures. If you hadn't swung that staff, I would be the same as those people from the Knight Squad right now."

Hu Jinsi forced himself up and used [Energizing Chi] on Lin Rui's waist. As the warm current flowed in, the bruised blood on Lin Rui's side slowly dissipated. He let out a long sigh: "Your healing... is more effective than bruise medicine."

Su Wan also rarely used her Healing Word to help the three of them recover some health.

Only then did the three notice that the Defias Thief's corpse had disappeared, leaving only a glaring piece of red linen in its place.

[Red Linen Mask]

[Armor Type: Cloth Armor]

[Equipment Slot: Head]

[Defense: 0]

[Item Description: This piece of rough linen is stained with a glaring crimson. It is not only a cover for the face but also a symbol of the Brotherhood's will for revenge. Faint traces of dried blood and Golden Sansam can be seen on the fabric. Wear it, and you can smell the scent of fear from the nobles of Stormwind City.]

"0 Defense?" Su Wan picked up the mask with disdain, "What is this thing good for besides cosplay?"

"Give it to me." Hu Jinsi took it and covered his face with it, leaving only his eyes exposed, "In the West, this is called a bandit; in the East, this is called a chivalrous woman... ah no, a chivalrous thief. Am I handsome?"

"Like an idiot." Su Wan rolled her eyes.

"Like a fierce bandit." Lin Rui was more direct.

Hu Jinsi pulled the mask down slightly, keeping only his eyes exposed: "Alright, just lightening the mood. It happens to be time for a short rest. Can you still fight, Captain Lin?"

Lin Rui didn't speak, just silently picked up his short spear, re-checked the straps of his round shield, and then walked to the front of the team—this was his answer.

...

The second Defias monster was one they chose themselves.

It was a sturdy man holding a short sword and a wooden shield, patrolling the outskirts of the farm. His steps were steady, his center of gravity kept very low; it was clearly a warrior's style.

"Go!"

Lin Rui raised his shield and approached, thrusting with his short spear. The Defias Bandit raised his wooden shield in a standard Block stance, "Bang!" parrying the spear tip. He backhanded his short sword in a diagonal slash, forcing Lin Rui to step back half a pace. The blade grazed Lin Rui's breastplate, leaving a shallow white mark.

Hu Jinsi cut in from the side, sweeping his long staff at the opponent's lower body. The bandit shifted his feet and easily dodged, his wooden shield following through to slam toward Hu Jinsi's face. Hu Jinsi raised his staff to Block, the impact making the webbing between his thumb and index finger numb, and he retreated two steps.

"This Block... is more proficient than the seniors in the third year of high school." Lin Rui gritted his teeth and thrust again.

The two of them surrounded him, yet the bandit seemed to have more than enough energy. Shield blocking, short sword counter-attacking, footwork—it was all fluid. Lin Rui's straight thrust was deflected by the shield, and the bandit followed through with a downward slash of his short sword. Lin Rui raised his shield to take it head-on, "Clang!" a muffled sound, and another dent was added to the round shield.

Hu Jinsi circled to the back, smashing his long staff at the bandit's back of the head. The bandit didn't even turn his head, carrying his wooden shield to his back in a standard rear Block, "Pa!" parrying the long staff, and turned to slash horizontally with his short sword, forcing Hu Jinsi to jump back in a sorry state.

"This guy can tell position by sound!" Sweat appeared on Hu Jinsi's forehead.

Lin Rui took the opportunity to thrust, the spear tip aiming straight for the opponent's ribs. The bandit lowered his wooden shield, blocking precisely, and the short sword thrust out from the edge of the shield, nearly slashing Lin Rui's wrist. Lin Rui broke out in a cold sweat; this person's weapon control was far more seasoned than his.

"Control him!" Hu Jinsi shouted.

Su Wan plucked her strings, Tashas Hideous Laughter!

The Defias Bandit's movements stiffened, the corners of his mouth turned up, and he fell into a fit of laughter; his movements were no longer as fluid. Lin Rui and Hu Jinsi seized the chance to attack fiercely, spear and staff falling like raindrops. But 4 seconds was only enough to take off a third of his health. As soon as the laughter ended, the opponent immediately set up his shield wall again, his short sword defense becoming impenetrable.

"Again!"

Su Wan followed up with a second Tashas Hideous Laughter. This time, Lin Rui switched to [rixats elegy], the dark blue short sword thrusting straight into the gap in the opponent's shield—[-14], special effect triggered! [-25% current health]!

The bandit's health bar dropped sharply, and he noticeably stumbled when recovering from the laughter.

"It's working!" Hu Jinsi's long staff tapped repeatedly, specifically knocking at the opponent's knees and wrists, attempting to break his shield-wielding stance.

The bandit, however, displayed superior defensive skills. Even with only half his health left, his shield remained impenetrable, and his short sword counter-attacks became increasingly fierce. He would even use the shield face to feint, luring Hu Jinsi to attack, then ambush from below with his short sword, forcing Hu Jinsi to use Misty Step to escape.

"This thing is still the most reliable." Lin Rui seized an opening, thrusting his short sword into the gap under the bandit's shield, [-16], special effect triggered again!

The blue light flared, and the bandit finally couldn't hold on, dissolving into points of light.

On the ground, he left behind a red linen mask identical to the one on Hu Jinsi's face, and 2 pieces of linen.

"Whew..." Lin Rui leaned on his short sword, panting, his forehead covered in sweat, "This guy is ten times harder to fight than a wild boar."

"It's not that he's hard to fight; it's that he's persistent." Hu Jinsi rubbed his shoulder, "He knows how to Block, how to position himself, and knows how to protect his vital spots. If it weren't for rixats elegy draining his health, we could have been fighting him for five minutes."

The three retreated behind the bushes on the outskirts of the farm and began a short rest again.

Su Wan took out dried meat and a water skin, her hands still trembling slightly: "Are these humanoid monsters... really just dungeon projections? How come I feel they are even smarter than real people?"

"Memory projections remaining from world fragments, retaining their combat instincts from when they were alive." Hu Jinsi gnawed on the dried meat, "General education said that humanoid monsters have the highest AI. I didn't believe it before, but now I do. They understand tactics, know how to make trade-offs, and even feign openings to lure us into a trap."

"The tactics have to change." Lin Rui suddenly spoke. He put his short spear back into his backpack and took [rixats elegy] into his main hand, switching to a left shield, right sword stance, "I'm switching to this. Close-quarters combat, trading health for damage."

"Are you sure?" Hu Jinsi raised an eyebrow, "The short sword's range is half that of the spear; you have to get right in their face."

"Our combat skills aren't superior; you saw that just now. This is our most efficient health-draining plan right now." Lin Rui said in a deep voice, "Now it's just a matter of who is braver. Can your healing keep up?"

"Yes." Hu Jinsi nodded, "As long as the monster's attention is drawn to you, I can output and trigger Healing Mist, and Energizing Chi once per fight. Su Wan also has Healing Word as a backup."

"Then that's how we'll fight." Lin Rui gripped the short sword, the dark blue shimmer reflecting on his face, "I'll be the primary damage dealer. You guys focus on control and healing."

Su Wan bit her lip, stroking the scratches on her lyre with both hands: "I'll keep a close eye on the health bars."

...

The short rest ended, and the three sneaked into the farm again.

The next three lone Defias Bandits were fought exceptionally smoothly for the first two.

Lin Rui had a short sword in one hand and a round shield in the other. Although it looked unconventional, rixats elegy was simply too violent. He completely abandoned the defensive space provided by distance, sticking to their faces and trading health. When the bandit's short sword slashed him, he would use his round shield to take it head-on, then stab back with his sword. The special effect triggered frequently, blue light flashing repeatedly. Often, when Su Wan controlled them with Tashas Hideous Laughter, Lin Rui could whittle away most of the opponent's health bar in two or three strikes.

"This short sword can almost be called a newbie artifact." Lin Rui shook the blood off the blade.

However, an accident happened with the third bandit.

That guy was cut to half health by Lin Rui, then suddenly took a step back, put his fingers in his mouth, and blew a sharp whistle.

"Oh no!" Hu Jinsi's expression changed drastically.

In the shadows at the other end of the field, a transparent silhouette rapidly approached—it was another Defias Thief!

"I'll lure it away!" Hu Jinsi switched his long staff to a one-handed grip and threw a flying knife toward the thief. [-5], successfully drawing aggro.

"Quickly finish off the one in front with half health!" Hu Jinsi shouted while running.

Su Wan plucked her strings rapidly, and Tashas Hideous Laughter hit the half-health bandit. Lin Rui seized the opportunity, his short sword stabbing frantically, [-15], [Effect Triggered: -25%], [-12]!

The half-health bandit turned into specks of light amidst his wild laughter.

"Rescue Jinsi!" Su Wan turned, holding her lyre.

Hu Jinsi was being chased in a sorry state by the newly appeared thief. His old injury on his right shoulder hadn't healed, so he couldn't engage in 1v1 close-quarters combat with the Defias Thief and could only rely on his long staff's reach advantage to keep the enemy in check. Fortunately, the Monk's base agility and perception were high enough that there was no major issue for a short while.

Noticing that Lin Rui and Su Wan had already finished the fight, Hu Jinsi's spirits lifted: "Just in time!"

He performed a wide-range sweep, forcing the thief back. Lin Rui and Su Wan arrived, the three of them surrounded it, and quickly ended the battle.

"Phew…" Hu Jinsi slumped onto the grass. "It even calls for backup? That's not sporting!"

"We were careless." Lin Rui checked the wounds on his body. The chest armor issued by the school after his awakening was covered in scratches and looked like it was about to retire. "Next time, CC them at half health; don't give them a chance."

In this way, the three of them needed a short rest after eliminating every few Defias monsters. Su Wan's spell slots, Hu Jinsi's skills, and Lin Rui's stamina all needed to recover. By nearly four o'clock, they had only cleared out over twenty Defias monsters.

The loot was piled all over the ground: over a dozen red masks, nearly fifty pieces of linen cloth, and a few white-grade leather armor pieces.

[Rough Leather Tunic] [Defense: +3] [Rough Leather Leggings] [Defense: +2]

Lin Rui's round shield and chest armor were already tattered, so he simply switched to this set of white-grade leather armor and slapped a red mask on his head. Su Wan looked at him and couldn't help but tease: "If you walked out now and said you were a cadre of the Defias Brotherhood, people would believe you."

"At least it can take a hit." Lin Rui pulled at the leather armor expressionlessly. "Better than running around naked."

Hu Jinsi stuffed the remaining masks and linen cloth into his backpack in categories; his inventory slots were indeed almost full. He weighed a piece of linen cloth; it felt rough, but the texture was quite sturdy. "If we take these fabrics out, the classmates in the Tailoring department will probably fight over them. They can be used for making bags, bandages, and low-level armor."

...

Considering that Lin Rui had taken too many hits that afternoon, the three decided to call it a day early.

"Head to the Tower of Azora." Hu Jinsi glanced at the map. "While it's still light, let's get tonight's campsite sorted."

On the way to the stone tower, the beasts in the forest seemed to smell the scent of blood, and howling wolves could be heard one after another in the distance. The three quickened their pace and finally reached their destination before sunset.

The Tower of Azora was located on the edge of the forest, a three-story stone tower with deep green vines climbing up its outer walls. The tower's spire was wreathed in a faint magical glimmer, making it particularly conspicuous in the twilight. Like Goldshire, the tower was empty, and even the books and magical devices were just illusory projections.

Pushing open the heavy stone door, the first floor was a circular hall with a human-sized crystal ball standing in the center, inside which nebula-like specks of light were slowly rotating. Su Wan curiously reached out to touch it, her fingertips passing through the surface of the crystal ball, stirring up ripples; those specks of light scattered like startled insects.

"So amazing…" Su Wan widened her eyes.

"Like a museum." Lin Rui cautiously checked the stairs and corners.

"Like a haunted house." Hu Jinsi added, though he couldn't help but pull out his phone and snap pictures of the spiral staircase and the orrery at the top of the tower. "Come on, let's take a group photo. 'Jack-of-All-Trades Squad was here'."

The three crowded in front of the skylight at the top of the tower, with the mist-covered forest and the vaguely visible Blackwell Farm in the distance as the background, taking a few crooked group photos. This was probably the first time since entering the dungeon that they felt like tourists rather than warriors.

Going up the spiral staircase, the walls of the second floor were covered with glowing runic murals depicting scenes of humans holding staves fighting green-skinned orcs. The pigments seemed to have a life of their own; the robes of the figures in the paintings seemed to sway gently.

The third floor was an observatory, the dome made of transparent glass—or rather, some kind of transparent magical barrier—through which the darkening sky could be seen. In the center of the room stood a huge brass telescope, its barrel covered in dense runes. Su Wan leaned into the eyepiece and discovered that it wasn't the starry sky inside, but a real-time view of the forest outside the tower; she could even clearly see the Defias bandits patrolling the distant farm.

"This thing… is magical surveillance!" Su Wan exclaimed.

"Good stuff." Lin Rui immediately leaned in. "We can use this for night watch tonight."

Hu Jinsi discovered a row of bookshelves in the corner, filled with illusory magical tomes. He reached out through a book titled "Basic Enchanting," and the pages scattered like smoke, only to re-condense a few seconds later. He tried a few times, but finding that these projections couldn't be taken away, he gave up.

The Tower of Azora wasn't tall, only three stories, but the conditions for night watch were excellent—there was only one stone door entrance on the first floor, and the spiral staircase was narrow and easy to defend. The three blocked the stone door tightly with the desks and cabinets inside the tower, leaving only a gap large enough for a person to pass through, and set up a bell-and-string trap.

The third floor had a wide view, and the movements in the direction of the farm could be clearly seen through the arched windows. Tonight they had learned their lesson; they only chewed on jerky and compressed biscuits and absolutely did not light a fire.

The camping lamp was lit, and a warm yellow glow filled the top of the tower. The three sat in a circle, silently maintaining their weapons. Lin Rui wiped rixats elegy with a fine cloth, Su Wan maintained her hand crossbow with wood oil, and Hu Jinsi wrapped linen strips around the cracks in his long staff.

The silence lasted for a long time.

The two tough battles this afternoon broke the smooth sailing they had enjoyed for the month since they formed the squad. Lin Rui had nearly been forcibly teleported out of the dungeon several times, and the wound on Hu Jinsi's right shoulder was still throbbing with pain. That illusion of "we are strong" was shattered completely in the face of the humanoid monsters' refined combat techniques.

"Actually," Hu Jinsi suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, "at this level—Level 5—is exactly when we are at our most awkward."

Lin Rui and Su Wan looked up at him.

"Levels 0-1 are when we awaken, gaining talents, classes, and our first skills; the next qualitative change is at Level 6." Hu Jinsi counted on his fingers. "Unless you have a burst of luck like Yi Chun and get a skill stone drop, or spend money to buy one, we just have to grind it out. I believe that once we reach Level 6 and get new skills, these Defias lackeys won't be a threat at all. But right now, the chasm of 3200 experience points between Level 5 and Level 6 lies before us."

He looked at Lin Rui: "You got nearly 800 class experience yesterday, right?"

Lin Rui nodded.

"Before we come in next time, we have to spend money." Hu Jinsi said word by word. "Buy stamina potions. Grind for three days at yesterday's intensity, and before next week ends, we'll at least pile up one Level 6. With the qualitative change of Level 6, we will have the ability to break the deadlock."

"Even the lowest-level stamina potions aren't cheap." Su Wan frowned. "The cheapest bottle that can relieve fatigue and restore stamina costs 200 credits."

"Spending money to buy experience." Hu Jinsi grinned. "Treat this stage as an investment. We haven't even finished clearing the Murlocs in Crystal Lake for this dungeon CD, let alone the fact that there is a bigger lake to the east of the map—Stone Cairn Lake. There are plenty of monsters; the key is whether we can hold out."

"And," Lin Rui suddenly interrupted, "at Level 6, I not only get Tactical Fortification, but also a random skill. If I can roll [Cleave] or [Charge], my output will go up a level."

"Su Wan also gets a new spell slot at Level 6." Hu Jinsi added. "With one more control or AOE, we won't be in such a sorry state fighting the Defias."

"We also need more backpacks." Lin Rui sheathed his polished short sword. "Too much loot this time, and the inventory slots are almost full. Leather armor, masks, linen cloth, plus ingredients and materials; we can't fit it all."

"Trade with classmates in the Life Skill department." Hu Jinsi gathered the linen cloth and masks on the floor. "We dropped so many materials this time, plus headbands; we'll sell them to them. Just trade for a few 6-slot bags."

"Can't I just have my mom make a few?" Su Wan asked.

"No need to bother Mother Su." Hu Jinsi shook his head. "This kind of 6-slot bag has a maximum lifespan of 3 months. At our intensity of use, these backpacks we're preparing to buy will only last us until Level 10 at most. The classmates in the Life Skill department also need to grind class experience; maybe the price of the finished product is lower than the materials. Let them earn some experience, and we save on processing fees; it's a win-win."

"Should I prepare some grenades?" Lin Rui suddenly asked.

"Yes. Prepare plenty." Hu Jinsi nodded. "Su Wan has to take a short rest after casting Thunderwave four times; you can use grenades to fill the gap. You're a Soldier, and you can gain class experience by using grenades. Don't worry about the cost; treat it as spending money to buy experience. As long as we can pile up one Level 6 before the end of the next dungeon, the rest will be a snowball effect."

Su Wan did the math: "Six bottles of stamina potions for 1,200, one long-handled grenade costs 100 points, arrow replenishment is 200, plus backpacks and repair fees… I'm afraid all the proceeds from the Rogue Awakening Stone will be dumped into this."

"Dump it." Hu Jinsi made the decision. "Early investment, later returns. Once we're Level 6, our monster-grinding efficiency will double, and these investments will be earned back in a few days. It's better than being anxious every time we enter a dungeon like now."

"I think we can replace the long-handled grenades with Molotov cocktails," Lin Rui added. "Anyway, we use them to burn the downed wild boars, and a Molotov cocktail only costs 50 credits. If we find Li Hao to buy them, it might be even cheaper. Don't forget we plan to tell the Gunpowder Squad about the plan to deal with wild boars."

The more the three discussed, the more energized they became, and the outline of the pay-to-win plan gradually became clear: stamina potions to maintain endurance, grenades/Molotov cocktails to fill AOE gaps, using materials to trade for backpack capacity, with the goal of at least one person breaking through to Level 6 before the end of the next Goldshire dungeon.

"The strength of the monsters in Stone Cairn Lake isn't clear yet." Lin Rui reminded.

"We'll go scout tomorrow." Hu Jinsi said. "If it's similar to Crystal Lake, then it's our treasury of experience. If it's too strong, we'll retreat back to Crystal Lake and play it steady."

"What about tomorrow's plan?" Su Wan asked.

Night had already shrouded the forest, and wolf howls could be heard occasionally in the distance.

"No monster grinding tomorrow." He turned off the camping lamp, and the top of the tower darkened. "Wake up early and go to Stone Cairn Lake to confirm the monster types and strength. If there's no problem, the final piece of our map exploration will be complete. When we come in next week, it will be the beginning of the pay-to-win experience grind."

Lin Rui leaned his round shield against the wall and placed his short sword by his side: "We'll take turns on watch. I'll take the first half of the night."

"I'll take the middle of the night." Su Wan hugged her lyre tightly.

"I'll take the second half of the night." Hu Jinsi sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his Qi flowing slowly through his meridians.

In order to become stronger, in order to cross this damned Level 5 chasm, they were finally preparing to pay to win.

They just didn't know if they were facing the reality of "If you don't pay, how can you become stronger?" or the outcome of "Even if you pay, you might not necessarily become stronger."