Each Death Sand Crab gave Ryan a modest 140 experience points. That was far less than the bulkier level 24 monsters, but these crabs were also slower, weaker, and easier to kill.
On average, he could wipe out a cluster of them every fifteen seconds, netting about 1,800 experience. That meant over 7,200 experience per minute, an absurdly fast pace for grinding.
To jump from level 21 to 22, he needed only 250,000 experience. At this rate, it would take just over half an hour—barely thirty-four minutes of steady killing—to hit his goal. It was light-years faster than slogging through dungeons or running tedious quests.
He already had a good chunk of experience saved up, so it took barely twenty minutes before the golden flash of level 22 lit his screen. The Bloodfang Stone Forest, where the Guardian's epic battle still sat frozen in time, remained untouched.
Shaking off the level suppression that had been slowing him down, Ryan opened his talent window—then groaned.
