13: Chapter 13 Aoba Guild

"Hoo."

Mo Bai let out a long breath. The lake surface before him, mirror-like, reflected the sky and mountains, utterly mesmerizing.

Having been here for so long, he felt as if he had already merged with this place.

His full Spiritual Power and the more than twenty experience points gained indicated another successful contact with the wind element.

Or perhaps no explanation was needed; Mo Bai knew it the moment he woke up.

These past days, during clear weather with calm water, he had the chance to enter that peculiar state and perceive the true wind element.

On average, it happened about once every two to three days. Combined with his daily training, his Spiritual Power growth rate doubled, allowing him to gain over twenty experience points almost every day.

In just five days, his experience points had astonishingly reached two hundred and seventy.

"Experience: 270/300."

"If all goes well, I can level up by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

Mo Bai stretched and immediately started running laps around the lake.

He never neglected physical training during his free time, especially strength training.

What?

Thinking you don't need to allocate points to strength just because you're preparing to be a mage?

"You kidding? Being a mage is exactly why you *should* allocate points to strength."

Mo Bai grinned slightly and casually hoisted a log to begin his workout.

However, he heard some sounds not long after starting.

"Players?"

Mo Bai murmured quietly, but didn't pay it much mind.

Although this area was deep in the forest, players with an exploratory bent naturally ventured in, and some went even further.

Players had passed by many times before, but since this was a small lake tucked between two mountains, relatively hidden, no one had actually come here.

But after a while, he paused.

Because those players were heading in his direction.

"Swish... swish..."

"Swish... swish..."

Mo Bai continued his training as usual. About ten minutes later, a player carrying a backpack pushed through the bushes and entered.

"Wow, what a beautiful lake."

Upon entering and seeing the small lake, this player showed an expression of awe.

However, he then noticed Mo Bai training in a clearing.

"Hey, there's someone here."

"Bro, have you settled down here?"

"I'm from the Green Leaf Guild, just scouting the area. Didn't expect to find such a pretty lake here."

"I'm really envious of you casual players sometimes. Finding a beautiful spot, building a little cabin, clearing some land, planting some vegetables—nothing beats that."

"Let's get acquainted. I'm Ye Qing."

As soon as he saw Mo Bai, Ye Qing began speaking without prompting.

But obviously, he had misunderstood Mo Bai.

"Yeah, the scenery's nice. Staying a while."

Mo Bai said while still lifting the log in his hands.

He occasionally gained some experience from training, but he funneled it all into the ink box, keeping none for himself.

The entire experience bar was filled solely by experience generated from cultivating Spiritual Power.

"Bro, you really love working out, huh? I haven't seen you stop."

"Want to take a break?"

Ye Qing fetched some water from the lake and remarked casually.

Mo Bai responded sporadically, but Ye Qing didn't mind the lack of replies, mostly just talking to himself.

After chatting for a bit, Ye Qing waved goodbye to Mo Bai.

"Bro Mo Bai, let's talk again next time. I've got a mission, so I'm heading out now."

"See you."

Mo Bai continued his training, while Ye Qing disappeared back into the bushes, leaving the small lake behind.

Not long after leaving, he rendezvoused with someone.

"Bro, there's a really beautiful small lake over there. A casual player named Mo Bai has settled there. Sometimes I'm quite envious."

"It looks so comfortable."

Ye Qing said with a hint of longing, while the man beside him, Ye Ye, looked at a map without a flicker of emotion.

"Comfort is only temporary. You can relax, but others might not let you."

"Without strength, relaxation is nothing. If you really want a break, I'll give you a long vacation after this operation."

"But you'd be better off spending that time figuring out how to change classes."

Ye Qing opened his mouth but was momentarily at a loss for words.

But when he saw Mo Bai, he felt there was something extraordinary about him, unlike an ordinary casual player, more like a... hermit, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Have all the other squads of players caught up? Be careful not to alert the target."

"Also, ask Old Li for his current coordinates..."

The voices in his ears gradually faded away. Hearing this, Mo Bai smiled slightly.

He didn't take the man's evaluation to heart, as he wasn't one to hold grudges.

The players from the Green Leaf Guild were like a flash in the pan; he didn't see them again until the next day.

After waking up this day, with his Spiritual Power fully restored, Mo Bai glanced at the notification.

"Experience +10."

"Experience: 280/300."

"Just twenty left."

Mo Bai stretched, took out the crystal core already refilled with wind element, and began practicing again.

The wind element within the crystal core was guided by Mo Bai's Spiritual Power to form Spell Nodes or spell pathways, as if by instinct.

Without stopping for a moment, after about an hour, Mo Bai felt a slight twinge in his head, and the wind element within the crystal core was also completely exhausted.

"This crystal core is getting a bit insufficient; it can't even fully utilize my Spiritual Power anymore."

Mo Bai put away the bone pen, stretched a little, and immediately hoisted a log to start frog-hopping laps. That is, holding the log as thick as a rice bowl, squatting, jumping, squatting, jumping.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

"..."

"Ninety-nine."

"One hundred."

"Thud."

After finishing the frog hops, Mo Bai, exhausted, dropped the log and casually sat cross-legged on the ground.

"Hoo."

At this moment, there was no wind, and the lake surface was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the world, mountains, and water.

Exhausted, Mo Bai relaxed his entire body, gazing at this mirror-like surface. He himself became as tranquil as the lake water, gradually immersing in it.

"Hoo~"

A gentle breeze blew, and the light, free wind element was imprinted on Mo Bai's heart.

Mo Bai's mind seemed to drift with this gentle breeze, soaring to the heavens.

He didn't know how much time had passed when Mo Bai gradually awoke, his Spiritual Power completely restored.

And at this moment, as if breaking through a critical threshold, Mo Bai felt his Spiritual Power had significantly increased all at once, and the world seemed to become even clearer.

He could vaguely see a mysterious world—the lightness of wind, the explosiveness of fire, the heaviness of earth, the moistness of water, the nourishment of wood.

However, there still seemed to be a membrane, faintly visible but untouchable.

Additionally, his perception became increasingly sharp. Even through the forest, the chirping of insects nearly a hundred meters away was still clearly audible.

At the same time, the experience notification followed.

"Experience +20."

"Your level has increased."

"system panel."

"level: 3."

"Experience: 0/400."

"constitution: 9."

"Strength: 8."

"agility: 8."

"spirit: 13."

"charisma: 7."

"free attribute points: 1"

"Sure enough, there's still one extra free attribute point!"

Mo Bai took a deep breath and eagerly allocated it to his spirit attribute.

"spirit: 14."

The moment the allocation was complete.

"Boom~"

Mo Bai's mind trembled slightly as a tangible power slowly emerged from its depths.