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MrFixIt likely wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon.

After that fight, he should have realized the sheer gap in stats. On top of that, he’d lost his boots, without the Windchaser skill, there was basically no way he could keep up with Starry.

Still, the fact that he was able to use Charge genuinely surprised Zane. According to an official post on the game’s website, Charge couldn’t even be learned before Level 50 unless acquired through a skill book.

So it seemed Zane wasn’t the only one who had managed to get it to drop. Unfortunately, without a class advancement, it couldn’t be used yet. He wasn’t sure whether Starry would be able to successfully advance her class, or if she’d even be eligible to learn it afterward.

Not to mention… these players’ reaction speed were fast. You could tell just from how MrFixIt avoided that first Icy Moon Slash, and how he used his pet to block Frost Claws. If it hadn’t been for the overwhelming gear advantage, it might have been a much closer fight.

And in the Chinese server, players like him definitely weren’t rare.

It was only the fourth day since the server had gone live. And their starting city, Wynwater, was only considered mid- to lower-tier in terms of overall player strength.

The Human race had five frontier cities, the Beastmen three, and the Elves three as well.

Once players hit Level 50, the true frontier cities would open up. After that, all three races would converge to fight against the Dark Faction. That’s when things would really get chaotic.

Zane wasn’t so arrogant as to think he’d always stay ahead. In the early game, it was crucial to take advantage of every edge to gather more resources, not just for himself, but for his party members too, so they could handle what was coming.

…

“Stupid Orange, have you decided which combat class to pick yet?” Starry was chopping away at Rock Golems while Zane and DumbCitrus sat on a boulder enjoying the view.

Admittedly, it was a little embarrassing, but if DumbCitrus joined the fight, she’d only slow things down. So the two of them shamelessly played the role of leeches.

“Is there any class that can make money?”

“Make money? High-level support classes should be able to earn gold, I think. Classes like Priest and Bard are always in short supply in pickup groups.”

“Hmm… then I’ll choose Bard! You have to help me level up though! Otherwise no one’s going to want me.”

“And who was it that said she didn’t want to be carried earlier?”

“Ahhh! Can’t you at least let a girl save a little face?!”

…

In the end, DumbCitrus logged off not long after. Apparently, her mom was really strict.

They agreed to continue grinding tomorrow morning.

After killing that many Rock Golems, there was still no sign of a Mindstone. Then again, if it were that easy to find, people would already be hitting Alchemist Level 4.

Most of the monsters in this zone had already been cleared out. Not a single piece of gear dropped, but the EXP gain was solid, nearly 50%. He’d probably level up tomorrow.

As a side note, Starmew had reached Level 16, and its stats had taken a significant leap!

‘Oh, I almost forgot! Time to head back to town and find Elna to learn some new skills.’

…

He walked into the estate like it was second nature, striding past the nervous guards and their whispering behind his back.

“Why is the young miss sneaking out again? If the general finds out, we’re dead!”

He pushed open the door. Inside, Elna stood gazing out the window, her expression tinged with melancholy.

‘Wow. She used to be such a cheerful girl…now she looked like something out of a sad novel.’

“Ahem, Little Nana? I came to see you!” Zane waved casually.
That voice… “Brother Zane!” Elna cried out, her eyes lighting up.
“Shhh! Keep it down!”
She giggled. “It’s fine. I told them they were getting on my nerves, so I made them all wait outside.”
“Good.” Zane let out a sigh of relief, he’d nearly had a heart attack.

“Zane, did you come here for something? Did you get the Saintbloom Water?”
“What, can’t I just stop by to see the adorable Elna?” Zane suddenly felt like being a little cheeky.
“…” Elna gave him a blank look, her clear eyes staring straight at him.
Zane’s face flushed under her gaze. “Alright, alright, yeah…I’ve got business.”

He paused briefly, then continued, “Saintbloom Village has completely fallen to the Death Knight. Even the Spring of Life has been severely tainted.”

Elna’s expression dimmed. “So it really came to that…”

“But!” Zane said, looking pleased with himself. “After we defeated the Death Knight, we used a Wishkeeper’s, specifically your invocation spell: Blazing Fire, to purify a good portion of the spring water and brought some back.”

“What? You actually defeated a Death Knight?!”

“Well, barely. We had a lot of help. Anyway, after we got the Saintbloom Water, I handed it to Zenn, the Master Brewer from Oceanrise Village. Pretty famous guy; you probably know him.”

Elna’s expression froze.

“What’s wrong?”

Suddenly, she grew flustered. “Zenn? That guy’s a total drunk! If you gave him the Saintbloom Water, there’s no way even a tenth of it will survive! Why didn’t you come to me first!?”

“Uh…??” Zane stood there, completely baffled.

“I can make Saintspring Ale too!” Elna declared with full confidence.

“…”

…

On the way to Oceanrise Village…

Zane was sprinting at high speed in Gray Wolf form, carrying Starry on his back. As for the reason… If Elna’s guess was right, then Zenn was probably already raising his glass and singing drunkenly by now!

“But I heard him say earlier that he was going to work late into the night…” Zane didn’t want to believe it.
“That’s what he wanted you to hear. It’s one of his usual tricks,” Elna replied, as if recalling something unpleasant.
“Doesn’t matter, I still have 49 barrels of Saintbloom Water!” Zane said, laying out barrel after barrel of purified spring water.

Elna stared in shock. “Zane… did you drain the entire Spring of Life!?”
“Uh… I guess I did it unconsciously… Anyway, let’s not talk about that. Can you make Saintspring Ale with these?”
Elna paused to think, then shook her head. “We’re still missing one ingredient, Rainlily. It’s incredibly difficult to preserve. Once uprooted, it spoils within an hour.”
“You’re kidding. I gave Zenn three stalks this afternoon.”

“Three!?” Elna looked exasperated. “That’s way too much! Rainlily has a very potent flavor. You only need a tiny sliver to brew with it! He’s clearly planning to make more than just Saintspring Ale!”

Zane felt like he had been struck by lightning. His face turned pale. ‘That old drunk… he had played me like a fool.’

“I’m heading over right now!” he shouted, immediately crushing a Return Scroll.

“Za—” Elna slowly lowered her raised right hand, letting out a soft, disappointed sigh.

If that old man drank it all, it would be a disaster. That Rainlily had been harvested at great risk, he’d nearly been one-shotted by a Deepsea Behemoth!

Zane was burning with anxiety. At this point, all he could do was pray the guy drank slowly. The wolf was driven as if whipped…well, not that it actually needed one. Starry simply sat behind him, worry clouding her eyes.

…

Not all wolves were created equal. In a state of pure rage, Zane made it to Oceanrise Village in just three minutes.

He charged straight toward Zenn’s cottage. Even before he opened the door, the rich aroma of alcohol had already saturated the hallway. Just breathing the air was enough to make one feel drunk, the scent was that thick and intoxicating.

“A golden goblet of wine worth ten thousand coins, a jade plate of rare delicacies fit for kings…”

On the other side of the door, two drunkards were chatting away.

‘Still had the nerve to share it?’ Zane was fuming. ‘This damn old man!’

He pushed open the door. The heady, sweet fragrance immediately overwhelmed them, momentarily making Starry feel light-headed. She shook it off, forcing herself to stay clear-headed. Then she looked toward the stone table in the courtyard, with glasses of wine neatly arranged in a triangular formation.

Both stone chairs were already occupied. On the left sat Zenn, swirling a glass of wine, his face flushed red with pleasure. “Brother, how’s this Saintspring Ale?” he asked with satisfaction.

“Haha! I haven’t tasted this in half a year!” said the man on the right. His face was obscured by the moonlight and the shadows cast by the wall, his features couldn’t be seen clearly.

Zane immediately inspected his attributes.

‘It’s him!?’