As Don straightened, his mind was already calculating.
In Realms Online, the currency system was simple, one hundred copper coins equaled one silver, and one hundred silver equaled one gold. Right now, he had a total of eighty-seven copper coins. Barely anything.
After collecting the loot, he didn't immediately rush toward the next target. Instead, he sat down. The motion was calm, deliberate, and experienced. In the early stages of the game, survival mattered more than reckless aggression. Without proper equipment, even a few consecutive hits from monsters could become fatal, and the death penalty was brutal. One lost level meant all progress gone in an instant.
He sighed quietly as his HP bar began to refill. Low-level regeneration was one of the few advantages players had at the start, and by the time he stood again, his health was already full.
The second grasshopper fell. Then the third. The fourth. The fifth. Each fight unfolded with the same disciplined rhythm, engage, deal damage, disengage the moment his HP dipped too low, sit, recover, and repeat. There was no panic, no wasted motion. Only efficiency.
Then, on the ninth kill, a sharp metallic clatter broke the rhythm. Something dark tumbled onto the ground, and Don's eyes lit up immediately. 'Finally, some equipment.*'
He stepped forward and picked it up, scanning its attributes.
[Field Leather Armor]
[Grade: White Iron]
[Type: Leather Armor]
[Level Requirement: 3]
[Physical Defense +10]
[Magic Defense +10]
[Additional Attribute:]
[Agility +2]
[Non-Soul Sealed]
A smile spread across his face upon seeing this.
In Realms Online, higher-grade equipment often came with sealed attributes that required special items to unlock. But White Iron equipment was straightforward, reliable, and for the early game, extremely valuable.
He equipped the armor without hesitation. The rough leather settled over his body, its texture simple, almost crude. He looked like a beginner. But the difference was immediate. His body felt more stable, more resistant, more secure. His survivability had just increased significantly.
As he sat down once more to recover, Don glanced behind him. The farmland was no longer empty. Players were arriving, groups, individuals, scattered across the fields. The main force was catching up.
His brows furrowed slightly. This wasn't good. The more players there were, the less efficient his farming would become. Fewer monsters, more competition, slower progress.
For a brief moment he remained still, thinking. Then a spark of an idea flashed through his mind, a possibility, and a grin slowly spread across his face. Risky. But effective.
The moment his HP fully recovered, Don stood and moved again. This time, his approach changed entirely. He didn't target a single grasshopper. Instead, he rushed forward, his fists striking out rapidly as he passed through the field. One punch, then another, then another, tagging multiple targets in quick succession. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Five grasshoppers, all aggroed at once.
Almost instantly, the field erupted into motion. The five creatures turned toward him simultaneously, limbs slicing through the air as they lunged forward.
Damage numbers began appearing rapidly, five, six, five, but the impact felt different now.
Thanks to the newly equipped armor, the incoming damage had been reduced significantly.
Still, five monsters at once was no joke. Their attacks overlapped, relentless and unforgiving.
Don gritted his teeth, enduring the strikes as his HP dropped rapidly. But he didn't retreat. His fists moved just as fast, one punch per target, precise, controlled, rotating between them and spreading damage evenly.
Then, when he reached the fifth, his body surged forward. Two consecutive strikes, fast and explosive. His HP plummeted into single digits. One more hit and he would die.
But the fifth grasshopper collapsed first.
A golden light erupted around him, warm, instant, overwhelming.
[Level Up! , Level 4]
His HP bar snapped back to full. The danger vanished in an instant.
Don didn't waste the opportunity. He turned immediately. The remaining four grasshoppers were already heavily damaged, their movements sluggish, their HP bars nearly empty. One by one, he finished them, clean, efficient, within seconds. All five lay dead, and the field fell silent around him.
Don exhaled slowly. A satisfied grin formed on his face. 'This method is insanely efficient. Almost like mob farming.'
The timing had to be perfect, one miscalculation and he'd lose a level instead of gaining one, but when it worked, it worked beautifully.
Not far away, a tall player stood frozen, staring at him in disbelief. "Holy shit… that guy is insane. He just killed five monsters alone."
Another player nearby scoffed, though there was less confidence in his voice than he probably intended. "Stop exaggerating. How can one person kill five mobs? What do you think he is, a Game Master?"
Don didn't even glance at them. Their reactions didn't matter. He simply walked forward, collecting the scattered coins before moving on to another grasshopper. Another strike.
But this time, the moment his attack landed, something changed.
[Critical Hit - 378!]
The impact was explosive. The grasshopper's body was sent flying violently into the air, its abdomen bursting open mid-flight as green fluid splattered across the ground. An instant kill!
Silence fell over the surrounding players. Even the one who had doubted earlier froze. "…Okay. That guy might actually be a Game Master."
Don felt a slight pang of awkwardness hearing that, but he didn't respond. Instead, he turned and walked back toward the edge of the field where Farmer Arnon was still standing, watching the destruction with weary eyes.
When Don approached, the old man looked up. A faint smile appeared on Don's face. "Old man, I've killed the fifteen grasshoppers."
Arnon nodded slowly, satisfaction softening his weathered features. "Well done, young man. This is your reward."
[Quest Completed , [Eliminate Field Pests]
[Rewards:] [+200 EXP] [+5 Reputation] [+5 Silver Coins]
[Choose one reward:] [Field Dagger] or [Field Wooden Bow]
Don's experience bar surged forward instantly, ninety-seven percent. Just a sliver more and he would level up again.
His gaze swept across both options. The Field Dagger offered thirty to thirty-five physical attack with three points of Strength, while the Field Wooden Bow carried twenty-five to forty-five physical attack with three points of Agility. There was no hesitation. He chose the dagger immediately.
He had already decided his path. At Level 10, he would become a Thief, and that meant close combat, precision, and speed. More importantly, for his build, it meant Strength. Three points of Strength translated into twenty-seven additional attack power, far more valuable than agility at this stage. He can make up for his speed easily with equipments later on...
He gripped the dagger lightly. The weight was balanced, comfortable, and deadly. A faint glint flashed in his eyes.
The early-game advantage he had been building was no longer small. It was beginning to snowball.