Chapter 484

【 APPRENTICESHIPANDTHE RED DRAGON 】

As the sun climbed above the eastern horizon, its golden rays bathed the land in its light, stirring the Elven Forest from its deep slumber once again.

Jiang Shang and Akai stepped out of their room and onto the bustling streets of Chosen City.

Seeing the steadily increasing number of players within the vicinity and breathing in the crisp morning air, tinged with the fresh scent of dew, earth, and wildflowers, Akai couldn’t help but exclaimed:

“Man, it really is four times the speed… I just took a nap, and an entire night went by in the game. Playing Elven Kingdom too much might seriously mess with my sense of time.”

“That’s what makes it so fun! We can have four hours of fun even though only an hour passes in real life! Plus, I heard we can even play while we’re asleep, like dreaming—how cool is that?” Jiang Shang said with a laugh.

“Man, this black magic tech is insane… If this game doesn’t blow up, then something’s definitely weird going on. Oh, by the way, I subscribed to the membership right after logging off at noon. This game is definitely worth it!” Akai exclaimed.

“Haha, me too!” Jiang Shang chuckled.

The two close friends exchanged a knowing look and said in unison, “Let’s go meet Boss Meng Zhihan.”

They ate the fruit they had saved from the restaurant they visited before logging off yesterday to fill their stomachs, then headed toward the agreed meeting spot.

Not long after the two rookie players arrived, Meng Zhihan also appeared.

Just like the day before, she was still dressed in an elegant druid robe, with a young bronze dragon named Katyusha following closely behind her.

“Good morning, Boss!” Jiang Shang and Akai greeted her eagerly.

Meng Zhihan nodded slightly.

“Good morning. Just call me Meng Zhihan.”

With that, she sent them a party invitation.

Seeing the system notification pop up in their field of vision, the two grinned and quickly accepted it.

The previous day, they had spent most of their time mining to help Meng Zhihan and according to their agreement, today she would help them hunt monsters up until their levels reach lvl 10.

Once their party was formally formed, Meng Zhihan led the way toward the teleportation array that connected to Florence while Jiang Shang and Akai followed closely behind her.

“Today, we’re heading to the northern part of the Elven Forest to grind some monsters,” Meng Zhihan explained as they walked. “The mobs in the central zone have been wiped out, so we’ll have to go further north to find anything worth fighting.”

“However, I wouldn’t recommend going there alone before you guys reach intermediate Iron-rank,” she continued. “The monsters up north are more numerous and generally stronger. Even the weakest ones are at the lower Iron-rank, and if you’re unlucky, you might even run into some Silver-ranked mobs.”

“Silver-ranked beasts are on a whole different level. Their physical strength and magical abilities far outclass those of Iron-rank monsters so when newbies like you run into a Silver-ranked magical beast, your options usually only boil down to either escaping or… not.”

“When you hit level 10, I’d recommend heading to the outskirts of the map called underground to grind,” she added. “The monsters there are plentiful but not as strong. Once you hit level 11, you’ll be able to enter the Shadow Dungeon.”

“In the Shadow Dungeon, you’ll be able to grind mobs up to intermediate Iron-rank. After that, you’ll have more choices like the northern part of the Elven Forest, the Dark Mountains, or even deeper areas underground. By then, you’ll have enough strength to protect yourselves.”

Meng Zhihan shared her insights as they walked, her voice steady and confident, while Jiang Shang and Akai listened attentively, hanging on every word.

Getting tips directly from a veteran like her was a rare opportunity, and both of them knew it. Jiang Shang had read many guides beforehand, but he quickly realized that no written guide could ever compare to the wisdom of a seasoned player.

Perhaps it was still early morning in the game, or maybe several hours had passed since the public beta launch, but the bustling crowds that had flooded Chosen City and Florence during the launch were nowhere to be seen, leaving the streets much quieter and less chaotic.

As a result, their group was able to easily teleport to Florence, heading straight to the northern border of Elven Forest.

There, Meng Zhihan came to a halt.

She gently patted the young dragon’s head and whispered something softly to it. The dragon, Katyusha, glanced back at Jiang Shang and Akai, then nodded with an air of pride.

Meng Zhihan turned to the two curious newbies and explained, “There’s some monster activity in this area, but their levels are pretty low. Our target is farther north in the Forest, about seventy to eighty kilometers from here.”

“Seventy to eighty kilometers…” Jiang Shang and Akai’s faces turned pale at the thought.

Are we seriously going to walk seventy to eighty kilometers?

Isn’t this… a bit too hardcore?

Were here to play a RPG game not some wilderness survival simulator!

Noticing their uneasy expressions, Meng Zhihan chuckled and quickly reassured them, “Of course, I won’t make you guys walk there. With the dense forest terrain, it’d take us three to four days on foot just to make it.”

“Then… how are we getting there?” Jiang Shang asked curiously.

Meng Zhihan pointed to the young dragon beside her.

“I’ve already spoken to Katyusha, and she’s willing to carry you there. We’ll be there in about half an hour.”

Jiang Shang and Akai turned to look at the bronze dragon, roughly the size of a small bull as the female dragon lifted her head with a proud “rawr!”

Riding this dragon?

Does that mean we’ll be flying instead?

The two players’ eyes lit up with excitement.

However, when they saw the young dragon’s rather unimpressive build, they hesitated.

It looked like this little creature could probably only carry one person, but two of them at the same time?

That seemed like to much for this little guy.

Not to mention, their party is composed of three person.

Can this one little dragon handle three people riding her?

It wasn’t just a question of how cramped it would be—could this small dragon even manage it?

Jiang Shang and Akai exchanged glances, their expressions skeptical.

“Let’s go. The sooner we leave, the sooner we return,” Meng Zhihan urged them.

Noticing their doubtful looks, she added with a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry. Katyusha is stronger than she looks! she can easily handle it.”

“Rawr!” Katyusha puffed out her chest with pride.

Uh… well, if she could really manage it, that didn’t sound too bad.

Jiang Shang and Akai swallowed nervously and carefully climbed onto the young dragon’s back, sitting one in front of the other.

But to their surprise, Meng Zhihan didn’t join them.

“Uh…Miss Meng Zhihan, aren’t you coming?” Jiang Shang asked, puzzled.

He had already made space for her, though it would be a tight fit.

Still, squeezing in was still possible… probably.

To be honest, he was a bit excited about it.

Even if it was just in a game, the thought of sharing a dragon ride with a rare female player, especially an expert veteran like Meng Zhihan made his heart really beat fast in excitement.

However, Meng Zhihan simply shook her head.

“Katyusha is too small for three people,” she replied.

“Then… what about you?”

“I’ll handle myself,” she said calmly.

…Handle herself?

Jiang Shang and Akai blinked in confusion, but they quickly realized what she meant.

Meng Zhihan suddenly began chanting a spell, before her body glow with a soft, radiant light.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though her druid robe vanished—but before they could get a proper look, the light had already engulfed her entirely.

The light expanded outward, growing brighter and more intense. As it did, Jiang Shang and Akai felt a powerful aura emanating from Meng Zhihan, a presence so overwhelming it made their hearts race.

It was a feeling difficult to put into words, akin to something primal that struck a chord of awe and fear deep within them.

When the light finally faded, the two were left speechless, their mouths agape.

The Silver-ranked player who had stood before them was gone.

But in her place was a huge majestic prehistoric flying creature.

Her body was covered in shimmering, scale-like plates, her form sleek and elegant. She stood over two meters tall, with wings spanning six to seven meters wide.

Yet, above the her head floated three green Chinese characters: Meng Zhihan.

“Holy crap! For real!? She can transform and has a beast form? That’s insane!” Akai couldn’t stop himself from cursing in amazement.

Jiang Shang, equally stunned, exclaimed excitedly,

“A Shapeshifter! That’s the [Shapeshifter] skill which is a skillset of the Feral Specialization for Archdruids!”

He had plans to become a Druid in the future, so he had thoroughly studied this specific class.

The [Shapeshifter] skill was one of the most iconic abilities for Feral Archdruids and was well-known amongst players.

“You’re quite knowledgeable,” Meng Zhihan, now in dragon form, remarked, glancing at Jiang Shang.

Her voice, while still recognizable, now carried a beastial quality to it, making her voice even more imposing.

“Alright, let’s get going,” she said.

With a powerful beat of her wings, she soared into the sky like a giant bird, the wind roaring in her wake.

“Rawr!” Katyusha let out a triumphant cry and followed, carrying the two newbies as she also took flight.

༺⟐༻

Exhilarating.

Absolutely exhilarating.

Although Jiang Shang and Akai had flown in the sky before over the past ten years or so, that had all been in a tin can-sized airplane.

But this?

Riding on the back of a dragon, while personally feeling every gust of wind upon their faces and seeing the world stretch out below in breathtaking detail?

Even if it was just a game, this was an entirely new and surreal experience.

As they ascended higher and higher, the ground below them shrank until only the vast expanse of greenery filled their entire view.

The Elven Forest unfurled beneath them like a living, breathing carpet of vibrant green, with occasional patches of rolling hills and distant mountain ranges breaking up the sea of trees.

Above them, the sapphire-blue sky stretched endlessly, dotted with soft, fluffy clouds drifting lazily by. The roar of the wind rushing past their ears sent a thrilling rush through their bodies, and the gusts whipped through their hair, adding to the thrill of the moment.

As they gazed at the majestic, otherworldly scenery below, accompanied by the game’s serene and melodious background music, the two couldn’t help but laugh and shout in sheer exhilaration.

“Hahaha! Flying like this is so amazing! I never thought my childhood dream would come true… even if it’s in a game!”

“This is incredible! The view looks sooo stunning!”

“Ahhhhhh!”

“Woohoooo!”

Their gleeful cries echoed through the sky.

The little dragon was fast, and after just half an hour, the minimap indicated they had already flown over 60 kilometers.

“We’re almost there. Who’s going to take the EXP first?” Meng Zhihan’s voice suddenly rang out in the party chat, breaking their trance as they continued marveling at the world below them.

The two of them blinked in surprise.

“Uh… Ziya can go first,” Akai offered.

“Alright,” Meng Zhihan replied with a nod.

Without further warning, Meng Zhihan abruptly dove toward the ground.

“Huh?”

Both Jiang Shang and Akai were caught off guard, glancing down at the direction of her descent. It was then they noticed something moving in the dense forest underneath them.

Meng Zhihan’s dive was swift and precise, and whatever was hiding in the undergrowth seemed to sense the incoming danger.

The forest suddenly shook, and a massive brown bear emerged from the trees.

Even from their elevated vantage point, Jiang Shang and Akai could feel the oppressive aura emanating from the creature.

Feeling relatively safe in the air, Jiang Shang boldly cast an Appraisal spell on the bear, but all he got back was a string of question marks.

This meant the bear was at least two major ranks above them, likely at Mid-Iron or even High-Iron rank.

But despite its strength, the bear looked utterly terrified, as if facing a natural predator. It began fleeing in a panic, desperate to escape Meng Zhihan.

However, she was much faster.

With a slight parting of her jaws, Meng Zhihan in her beast form let out a soft growl and unleashed a stream of Frost Breath.

The icy beam shot forward like a concentrated ray, striking the bear directly. The creature howled in terror as patches of frost rapidly spread across its body, encasing it in a thin layer of ice.

Its movements slowed drastically which was a fatal mistake.

Meng Zhihan closed the gap in an instant, her claws extended as she performed a deadly dive towards the monster.

With a swift slash, blood sprayed into the air.

Before the stunned eyes of Jiang Shang and Akai, the colossal brown bear was rendered incapacitated in mere seconds.

It was to say the least, a near-instant kill.

Moments later, Katyusha gracefully descended, carrying the two newbie players down to the ground.

When they approached the downed bear, its HP was already on its last legs, barely breathing and twitching weakly.

The heavy stench of blood permeated the air, making both Jiang Shang and Akai wrinkle their noses in disgust.

They had never even killed a chicken in real life, and now, faced with such a gritty, visceral scene in the game, they couldn’t help but feel a bit squeamish.

Meng Zhihan, however, seemed entirely unfazed at all.

Evidently, she was pretty used to this.

With a casual flick of her claw, she produced a peculiar firearm from her inventory. It resembled a flintlock musket from the industrial era, but its surface was intricately adorned with magical runes and ornate carvings.

Under the curious gazes of the two newbies, she tossed the weapon to Jiang Shang.

“Finish it off with this magic gun.”

Jiang Shang froze for a moment.

“Huh… with this?”

“You’re too weak,” Meng Zhihan explained. “This Forest Bear is a High-Iron rank creature, maxed out at level 40, with incredibly high defense. Even if I beat it within an inch of its life, you still wouldn’t be able to pierce its armor in direct combat. But with this gun, you’ll easily deal it some damage. Just aim for its head and pull the trigger. The gun will absorb your MP automatically.”

“Oh, and set your EXP gain ratio to maximum first,” she added. “That way, you won’t get any loot from the kill, but you’ll absorb all the experience points.”

“Uh… got it.”

Jiang Shang hesitated but eventually nodded. Slowly, he approached the massive bear and pulled the trigger.

But instead of the loud bang he expected, there was only silence.

In that moment, Jiang Shang felt a strange sensation, like something was being rapidly drained from within him.

He realized his MP was being consumed at an alarming rate.

Only when he released the trigger did the gun finally roar to life.

Bang!

A brilliant blue beam of light shot from the barrel, striking the bear’s head and bursting into a spray of blood.

The massive creature convulsed a few times before going completely still.

Moments later, its body began to wither and decay at a rapid speed, before crumbling into ashes in just a matter of seconds.

At the same time, Jiang Shang felt an overwhelming surge of heat flow through him. His experience bar skyrocketed, filling up instantly and overflowing within an instant.

“Hurry! Choose to level up! If you don’t, the excess experience will go to waste!”

Meng Zhihan urged.

Snapping out of his daze, Jiang Shang quickly pressed the level-up button repeatedly.

Golden light enveloped him as his levels began to soar:

Level 3… 4… 5…!

His level continued to ascend until it finally stopped at Level 10.

Feeling the newfound power coursing through him, Jiang Shang was overcome with excitement.

“Alright, now it’s your turn,” Meng Zhihan said, turning to Akai, who was waiting eagerly.

The process repeated itself.

After another flight, they located a second High-Iron ranked beast in the forest and brought it down with the same efficiency.

This time, Akai leveled up, also jumping from Level 2 to Level 10 in one go.

Feeling the rush of their new strength, both newbies felt very ecstatic.

Incredible!

Absolutely incredible!

The experience of leaping eight levels in one shot was beyond satisfying.

This proves the fact that latching onto a pro is the fastest way for newbies like them to level up!

They couldn’t help but marvel at their luck.

Out of tens of thousands of newcomers, the two of them had stumbled upon Meng Zhihan, who is actually one of the rare Silver-ranked players within the game.

“Thank you, boss!” they said, bowing gratefully.

Meng Zhihan shook her head.

“No need to thank me. If you can help me out in the future, then I’d be happy to take you along again.”

Hearing this, their eyes lit up.

The two exchanged glances, as if silently reaching a decision.

Then, to Meng Zhihan’s surprise, they both clasped their hands in front of them and declared in unison:

“Boss Meng Zhihan! Please take us as your disciples!”

“…Disciples?”

Meng Zhihan blinked, caught off guard.

Unlike the NPCs, the players didn’t have a mentor-student system, but having played other MMOs in the past, she was familiar with the concept.

Initially, she intended to refuse.

But when she saw the eager expressions on their faces, she hesitated. Their enthusiasm reminded her of her own early days in the game, struggling to figure everything out alone.

Maybe having a guide really would help them integrate into the game much faster.

Besides, taking on some disciples could actually be fun.

“I’ll think about it,” she said with a faint smile.

Overjoyed, the two didn’t waste a second before shouting:

” Thank you Master!”

“I said I’d think about it,” she replied, shaking her head wryly.

“Don’t worry, Master! We’ll work hard to make you proud!”

“Enough with the jokes,” she said. “Eat something and rest while I wait for my transformation cooldown to reset. Once it’s ready, we’ll head back to the city.”

Meng Zhihan’s beast form required a cooldown before it could be used again. While waiting, she rested alongside the two newbies.

But just as her cooldown finished and she prepared to transform again, a sudden unease washed over her.

Meng Zhihan frowned.

Her instincts told her something was wrong.

At the same time, Katyusha, who had just lifted Jiang Shang and Akai onto her back, suddenly threw them off.

She then quickly turned to face Meng Zhihan, baring her fangs with an expression that was equal parts fierce and adorable.

“Rawrrr~!”

“Katyusha? What’s wrong?” Meng Zhihan asked, confused.

Before she could process the situation, a massive shadow loomed over them as the air suddenly grew heavy with the scent of sulfur and scorched stone.

Then, a deep, rumbling voice echoed behind her:

“Oh what’s this? a young bronze dragon… and a couple of elves?”

The voice carried a tone of curiosity, laced with arrogance.

Jiang Shang and Akai looked up in astonishment before inadvertently falling down onto the ground.

“A..a….d-dragon?!”

Their eyes widened in shock.

A dragon?!

Meng Zhihan’s heart sank.

Slowly, she turned around to face the source of the voice.

Towering over her was a colossal figure, easily 30 or 40 meters tall.

It was a massive red dragon, its scales glowing like molten lava. White smoke billowed from its nostrils, and its piercing amber eyes studied them with an unsettling mix of interest and amusement.

— 484 —

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep