"System, how many magic crystals will the next simulation require?"
"The next simulation will require 25 first-order magic crystals."
Hearing this, Gobulo felt a bit frustrated. He'd hoped to exploit a loophole: by increasing only his skill levels and not his overall level, he thought he could save magic crystals for the next simulation.
It seemed the System had anticipated this. As long as his strength increased, the cost for the next simulation would rise. How ruthless.
However, collecting 25 magic crystals wasn't a daunting task for him now.
Reflecting on how he died in this simulation, Gobulo felt speechless. If he hadn't formed the scouting party, perhaps the valley wouldn't have been discovered. Maybe doing nothing was the best choice.
He glanced at the Troll's cave, a hint of greed in his eyes. With his current strength, taking down the lazy, gluttonous Troll and claiming all his magic crystals seemed feasible with just a small trick.
Yet, Gobulo quickly suppressed this thought. Despite his high chance of success, this was real life, not a simulation. There was no room for error. It would be wiser to eliminate the Troll after the next simulation. For now, he should adapt to his body's new abilities.
With this in mind, he left the camp, curious to see how he fared hunting alone. Though his level hadn't increased, he had gained new skills, and his Critical Strike level had improved. He expected a significant boost in efficiency.
Outside the camp, Gobulo found his vision much clearer. The Azure Vision talent, though described as a slight enhancement, made a noticeable difference. The world appeared sharper, and he spotted many small magical beasts hidden in the tall grass with ease.
Normally, he would hunt these small creatures, but now he aimed for stronger prey to test his strength.
He set his sights on a magical beast resembling a wild dog. At 1.3 meters long, it was large for a low-level magical beast, and as a carnivore, it promised a decent challenge.
Approaching quietly, Gobulo felt his body was much lighter, likely due to his Fortitude and Combat Instinct. He moved with minimal noise. It wasn't until he was ten meters away that the wild dog sensed danger.
But by then, it was too late. As it looked up, Gobulo struck with a Lv.9 Critical Strike, hitting the wild dog's neck. The force shattered its neck, and the dog's head slumped to the side.
Watching this, Gobulo compared himself to the Troll. The Troll could flatten a Goblin with a punch, but those were newborns with fragile bones.
The wild dog was different, an adult magical beast with strong bones. Though he targeted the neck, it was still sturdier than a newborn Goblin.
His Lv.9 Critical Strike gave him more power than the Troll, but it had a cooldown and couldn't be used constantly. Overall, his strength was comparable to the Troll's.
Deciding to continue hunting, Gobulo opted not to bring Jerry or Liam. Solo hunting with his current strength was swift, and he prioritized quickly increasing his strength over gathering magical beast meat.
Three hours later, Gobulo surveyed the five magical beast corpses before him, feeling satisfied. His Fortitude had improved his stamina, but he noticed a problem: why were the valley's magical beasts so weak?
Since his birth, besides the Troll, the strongest beast he encountered was the wild dog he dispatched with one blow. Was it just luck, or was there something unusual about this valley?
Pondering this, he enjoyed his spoils. His Fortitude had increased his appetite, accelerating his level growth as he consumed more magical beast meat.
As he ate, he wondered why the valley was this way. He considered the Troll. Compared to other valley creatures, the Troll seemed disproportionately strong. Perhaps the Troll knew why.
Deciding to observe the Troll before his next simulation, Gobulo planned to uncover why the Troll thrived here.
That night, he refrained from hunting, conserving his stamina after a long day. He kept watch on the Troll's cave, hearing only snores until midnight.
For the next three days, he hunted by day and staked out the Troll's cave by night, resting minimally. He accumulated 19 first-order magic crystals, needing only 6 more for the next simulation.
Tonight marked his final surveillance of the Troll. If nothing changed, he planned to confront the Troll after collecting the remaining crystals.
As midnight approached, and Gobulo prepared to leave, the Troll's snoring abruptly ceased.
'Is he waking up? At this hour? Something's off.'
The Troll emerged from the cave, cradling a pile of magic crystals. Gobulo's eyes widened at the sight of over a hundred crystals. He nearly rushed to take them but restrained himself, curious about the Troll's intentions.
If the Troll intended to hide them, Gobulo might discover his stash. Excitement surged as he anticipated uncovering the Troll's hidden treasure.