Chapter Eighteen: The Pet Card

In the depths of the Blazing Sun Mountains, during the afternoon, Ye Chen moved with utmost caution through the undergrowth, deliberately straying from the main mountain paths. The Blazing Sun Mountains were, in fact, one of the most popular leveling grounds for players in the current phase of Lishan City, yet it was a sanctuary specifically for solo adventurers. The experience points gained from the monsters here were indeed generous, but the creatures roamed sparsely, making it inefficient for parties to hunt together. Thus, most who trained here were lone players—archers, hunters, rogues—classes well-suited for solitary combat. Few magic users ventured in, and as for Holy Light Priests, there was not a single one to be found.

The deeper one journeyed into the Blazing Sun Mountains, the richer the rewards, but the dangers increased exponentially. The Scarlet Beauty Flower grew at the very heart of these mountains, perched on the legendary Eaglefall Cliff.

Following the winding, treacherous mountain trail, Ye Chen advanced with nervous vigilance, eyes glued to his minimap, scanning the little red dots marked by the omniscient system. Whenever one of those red dots approached, he would instantly retreat, doing his best to avoid them, only proceeding when the threat moved off.

Those red dots represented the greatest obstacle for anyone seeking Eaglefall Cliff—the Savage Gorillas. These level 21 monsters weren’t exceedingly high in level, and their attack and health stats were fairly ordinary, not far superior to the level 18 bandits. But the gorillas possessed a truly fearsome skill: Savage Charge. Once they spotted a target, they would relentlessly close in, launching barrage after barrage of Savage Charges. The mountain path was already perilously steep; a single blow from them could send an unwary player plummeting off the mountainside.

In the world of Divine Advent, falling from a certain height meant instant death. Players caught by a Savage Gorilla on this path rarely survived. This was the reason no one had yet discovered the Scarlet Beauty Flower. Ordinary players didn’t have Ye Chen’s advantage—a personal radar that allowed for effective avoidance of the prowling gorillas.

It took more than half an hour of cautious stop-and-go for Ye Chen to traverse a stretch of mountain road that wasn’t long by any measure. Only after stepping onto Eaglefall Cliff did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Eaglefall Cliff was not vast, but roughly the size of a basketball court. Sweeping his gaze across the verdant grass, Ye Chen immediately spotted a small crimson flower swaying brilliantly in the breeze. Joy surged in his heart and he hurried over, reaching out to pluck the Scarlet Beauty Flower—when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a sudden flash of green in the grass beside him. It shot toward him like lightning—a snake!

Phosphor Serpent (Common Monster)
Level: 23

Health: 1600
Skill: Venomous Fangs—prey bitten by this attack is poisoned, losing 10 health per second for a duration of 1.

Seeing the serpent’s attributes, Ye Chen’s expression changed drastically. He tried to retreat, but it was too late—a sharp pain flared in his arm as the serpent’s fangs sank into his forearm.

-86, -10, -10, -10, -10...

A string of damage numbers floated above his head, and his health dropped rapidly. He dared not attack; instead, he quickly cast a Dark Healing Spell on himself. +151. His health surged back up, almost fully restored. This was the advantage of his class—versatile in both offense and healing; with decent gear, solo grinding was more than viable.

Before the Phosphor Serpent could attack again, Ye Chen retreated swiftly, chanting under his breath as he swung his staff, launching a Black Fireball.

-433. A blood-red damage number floated above the serpent’s head, its health bar plummeting by more than a quarter.

Such high damage was thanks to Ye Chen’s level 5 Black Fireball—a spell far more potent than that of an average level 19 player. For most, Black Fireball wouldn’t even reach half his power. Black Fireball was a starting skill for Dark Priests, dealing 110% damage at level one and gaining 10% more with each level. Short on funds, Ye Chen had focused on leveling only this skill, raising it to level 3 by the time he was fifteen, outstripping even most level 20 players. Two pieces of his equipment further increased its level, bringing his Black Fireball’s damage to a formidable 150%.

Retreating as he attacked, Ye Chen unleashed several Black Fireballs, draining the level 23 serpent’s health in no time. Another Dark Healing Spell topped off his own health. The serpent, as thick as his wrist, collapsed in front of him with a dying hiss. Moments later, the dead serpent dissolved into motes of white light, and two items dropped from the glow.

One was a pair of silver coins; the other, an emerald-green card.

Serpent Pet Card (Universal, effective on monsters level 30 and below): Use on a white-named serpent-type monster whose level is not higher than your own to seal it as a pet.

Ye Chen’s heart skipped a beat. A pet card—these were valuable, essential for hunters craving new companions. Serpents weren’t especially popular, but a universal serpent card was still worth seven or eight gold coins—a modest but welcome profit.

If he was lucky enough to catch a pet himself, he could sell it to a hunter for a tidy sum. Unfortunately, his level was too low; even if a white-named Phosphor Serpent appeared, it would be level 23, beyond his current reach. Unless fortune smiled and a level 1 Phosphor Serpent cub appeared—which was nearly impossible—there was little he could do.

Stowing away the pet card, Ye Chen hurried to the Scarlet Beauty Flower. Gazing at its pink petals dancing in the wind, he smiled with satisfaction, carefully digging out the flower with a silver trowel from his pack.

“Ding, congratulations! You have obtained a Scarlet Beauty Flower.”

He placed the flower in his backpack and scanned the area. Not far off, he spotted another Scarlet Beauty Flower. Wiser now, he carefully checked the surrounding grass for hidden serpents before moving forward to dig up the flower.

Having secured a second bloom, he looked out at the remaining flowers, noticing that most were guarded by Phosphor Serpents. Since there was no way to harvest the Scarlet Beauty Flowers without fighting, Ye Chen chose his next target and prepared for battle.