Chapter 27: The White Tiger’s Allure: A Race Against Time

The story truly began on the fourth day, during daylight hours.

Under Xue Hu’s experienced guidance, the four players diligently farmed monsters within the Magical Forest, their progress smooth and unhindered.

Having unearthed numerous precious ores over the past few days, Kabasiji’s efforts allowed Hank to forge complete sets of level 130 blue-grade armor for all four of them.

Clad in this new blue gear, the quartet instantly exuded an air of sophistication, and Xingxing no longer grumbled about their equipment looking unfashionable or crude.

Though more luxurious purple-grade equipment, and the pinnacle orange-grade gear, existed, these were clearly not items that could be crafted in a short span of time, demanding immense luck besides.

Moreover, considering they were currently only equipped with level 130 gear, defeating the Azure Dragon would necessitate at least level 180 equipment.

Equipment primarily offered defensive attributes, dictating how much damage a player could mitigate when struck by a monster.

While the precise formula for defense remained unknown, it was evident that a higher value was always superior, naturally making higher-grade equipment more coveted.

In stark contrast, the dishes prepared by Xingxing seemed to have little impact; players rarely bothered to use them while grinding, rendering them incomparable to the utility of proper gear.

This disparity explained why “Miner” and “Blacksmith” were distinct professions, whereas a “Fisherman” single-handedly encompassed both fishing and cooking.

Given the paramount importance of equipment, if mining and crafting belonged to the same profession, a few individuals might monopolize it, or everyone would switch to that profession, leaving no one to take on the role of a “Fisherman.”

To be more pragmatic, even if a fisherman’s culinary skills were mediocre, they would at least prepare dishes using seafood, living off the land, as it were.

However, miners who dug for ore didn’t necessarily possess crafting abilities, nor did blacksmiths need to personally extract raw stones.

Returning to the main point, thanks to Xue Hu’s precise guidance and the players’ newly luxurious equipment, they began dedicating half their time to grinding in the forest starting from the third night.

With their enhanced gear and a vast array of supportive items, the “Forest at Night” no longer seemed quite so terrifying.

Furthermore, since the monsters at night were significantly more powerful, the experience points and item drops were consequently more abundant and superior.

Consequently, the players embarked on an explosive leveling spree.

On the first night, Hank and Kabasiji were level 110, while Xue Hu and Xingxing lagged behind at level 105.

Yet, by the daytime of the fourth day, Hank and Kabasiji had soared to level 153, with Xue Hu and Xingxing reaching level 150.

It was crucial to remember that higher levels demanded exponentially more experience points, making this accelerated pace, which defied the usual slowdown, something none of the players had initially anticipated.

On this particular night, Hank resolved to lead the group to level 160, after which they could venture into deeper maps, thereby elevating their monster-grinding and leveling speed to unprecedented heights.

Just as everyone prepared to follow the grinding route meticulously laid out by Xue Hu, Xingxing, who rarely vocalized her opinions, suddenly interjected with a suggestion:

“That, um, I heard there’s a ‘White Tiger Forest’ to the west, home to a monster called the ‘White Tiger,’ which is a Gold-attribute creature that can be captured as a battle pet.

“Should we perhaps give it a try?”

“It can be captured at level 150. A White Tiger should be a pretty good battle pet, right? The Azure Dragon is Wood-attribute, and the White Tiger would be a perfect counter.”

Hank glanced at Xingxing, a hint of confusion in his eyes, but he didn’t press the matter further.

Instead, he turned to Xue Hu and inquired, “Hmm? A White Tiger? How did you know there were White Tigers over there? Capturing one? It’s not out of the question. Xue Hu, what do you think?”

“You’re the one who devises all the grinding plans. Have you ever encountered this so-called White Tiger? Is it worth our time to hunt it now?”

Xue Hu pondered for a moment before writing, “The White Tiger is a divine beast, just like the Azure Dragon. While its capture level is slightly lower, that doesn’t imply it’s weak.”

“Personally, I wouldn’t recommend seeking out the White Tiger’s trouble at this juncture. Whether we can even defeat it right now is secondary; even if we did, it would be extremely time-consuming.”

“Rather than spending time trying to capture a White Tiger, it would be better to use this period to quickly level up. We still have half our levels to gain, and half our allotted time has already passed. We truly cannot afford any delays.”

“Alright, then we’ll follow your advice. We won’t go after that White Tiger. Leveling up is our priority right now,” Hank said, nodding.

He then looked at Kabasiji and Xingxing, adding, “You two don’t have any objections, do you? This is for everyone’s benefit. After all, we’re currently in a race against time, not leisurely playing a game.”

“I have no objections,” Kabasiji said, shrugging his shoulders to indicate he had no demands or suggestions to offer.

Xingxing glanced at the three of them, finally letting out a helpless sigh.

“Fine, I just really like kitties. If we’re not going, we’re not going!”

The quartet spent the entire first half of the night battling monsters.

Both Hank and Kabasiji advanced to level 161, while Xingxing and Xue Hu reached level 159, just a hair’s breadth away from level 160.

However, unwilling to neglect their life skills, the group returned to the village to practice their respective professions.

Yet, that day, Xingxing’s figure was conspicuously absent from the fishing village.

Meanwhile, at the entrance to the Magical Forest, two girls stood, their long shadows stretching out, hinting that something extraordinary was about to unfold.