Chapter 11: Advancement

As Song Qi, the summoner, reached level two, Lu Bu’s level also increased to two in sync. In the midst of fierce combat, Lu Bu’s eyes gleamed. He could feel his body heating up; part of his original strength was returning.

In Song Qi’s view, Lu Bu’s status panel now read:

Summoned Spirit: Divine Lu Bu
Level: 2
Quality: Mythic
Strength: 149+149 (Peerless)
Constitution: 149+149 (Peerless)
Agility: 149+149 (Peerless)
Spirit: 149+149 (Peerless)
Equipment: [Divine Sky Halberd (Sealed)] [Divine Red Hare Steed (Sealed)]
Status: [Sealed: Restricted by the summoner’s power, Lu Bu has not yet displayed his full might. Until his power is fully unleashed, his level will increase in step with the summoner.]
Talents:
[Peerless: Lu Bu’s might knows no equal, growing fiercer the longer he fights! In battle, all attributes increase by 1% per second, to a maximum of 100%!]
[Reckless: Lu Bu enters a berserk state, increasing all attributes by 500% instantly! Lasts ten minutes. Afterwards, he becomes weakened for thirty minutes, all attributes drop by 20%, and there is a thirty-minute cooldown.]
[Desperate Strike: Lu Bu abandons all defense, pouring his entire strength into his weapon for a devastating blow!]
[Divine Awe: Having obtained a seed of divinity, any being of lower level than Lu Bu will have their attributes reduced by fear when facing him. The reduction scales with level difference and proximity, up to a maximum of 50%.]
Evaluation: A single general can turn the tide of battle; seizing victory is as easy as reaching into a pocket!

“One hundred forty-nine to all attributes—is it fifty points per level, or only this time?” Song Qi pondered. His current knowledge was still too limited. He didn’t truly understand what level of growth Lu Bu’s attributes represented.

“Kill!” A thunderous roar came from below, and the Sky Halberd in Lu Bu’s hand glowed faintly red. Already a whirlwind of slaughter, Lu Bu, now empowered further, became a true god of war! The zombie horde, which could previously offer some resistance, was now as fragile as paper before him. The entire street of zombies melted away like ice before fire.

With a single sweep, dozens of zombies fell. Lu Bu, in this moment, resembled a tireless farmer, reaping the lives of monsters in great swathes.

[EXP +119]
[EXP +96]
[EXP +104]
...

The rate at which experience notifications popped up increased by countless times, leaving the pair dazzled.

Swish!
After a short while, a golden light shone above Wang Zihao’s head. He had leveled up! And it had only been half an hour.

Under their gaze, the street once packed with zombies had already thinned significantly.

“I hit level two in just half an hour? That’s insane!” Wang Zihao laughed. “At this rate, I bet we can clear the dungeon in an hour!”

The reputation of the experience dungeon was well deserved. It didn’t drop equipment or skill books, but the experience it gave was truly generous! With only half the run completed and the boss still alive, he had already leveled up. By the end, he might even reach level three.

“Song, I’ve caught up to your level...” Wang Zihao tried to boast, but as he turned his head, his words stopped abruptly. He saw a golden glow appear above Song Qi’s head as well.

“What did you say?” Song Qi turned and asked calmly.

“Nothing...” Wang Zihao deflated instantly. He had just reached level two, and Song Qi was already level three? Weren’t levels supposed to get harder to attain as you progressed? Forget it, there was no point comparing himself to someone with a super S-grade talent.

He composed himself and looked down, continuing to enjoy Lu Bu’s violent rampage.

...

Another dozen or so minutes passed.

Swish!
Song Qi leveled up again. He took a quick glance at Lu Bu’s attributes.

Summoned Spirit: Divine Lu Bu
Level: 4
Quality: Mythic
Strength: 249+249 (Peerless)
Constitution: 249+249 (Peerless)
Agility: 249+249 (Peerless)
Spirit: 249+249 (Peerless)
...

“As expected, every level adds fifty points to all attributes.” Song Qi could now confirm the pattern of Lu Bu’s growth after leveling up.

A short while later, the street had become almost completely devoid of zombies. Lu Bu walked down the road and could barely find any left, so he began searching the buildings on either side, clearing out any stragglers.

“Song, I think we can clear the dungeon now. There’s not much experience left to gain.” At these words, Song Qi checked his experience bar.

Level: 4
EXP: [30085/40000]

Each run of the Zombie Tide dungeon spawned about a thousand zombies at random. Assuming one hundred experience per kill, there couldn’t be more than a hundred or so left. There was no need to waste more time. Better to save time on the triple experience card and start the next cycle quickly.

“You’re right,” Song Qi nodded, moving to the edge of the rooftop. “Lu Bu, no need to hunt down the stragglers. Head to the basement of the convenience store on the far right corner—Mother of Zombies is there. Kill her.”

The Mother of Zombies was the dungeon boss. Once she was slain, they would clear the dungeon. These runs had been explored by countless professionals; Song Qi knew every strategy by heart. He’d known the boss’s hiding place from the moment they entered.

“At your command!” Lu Bu’s voice rang out from below, followed by a tremendous sound as he smashed through walls like an armored chariot, then shattered the floor with a stomp.

Boom!
The convenience store collapsed, and an enormous, bloated mass leapt from the basement, attempting to flee. Though massive, the Mother of Zombies moved with surprising speed. Behind her, dozens of powerful mutant zombies drooled as they lunged at Lu Bu, trying to block his pursuit.

But in the next instant...

A scarlet arc flashed through the air. The Mother of Zombies and the mutant zombies were all cleaved in two.

[EXP +8008]

A four-digit surge of experience instantly filled the pair’s progress bars to the brim.

Ding! Ding!

Twin shafts of golden light descended—Wang Zihao and Song Qi leveled up again! Song Qi jumped straight to level five, and thanks to him, Wang Zihao became a level three mage.

The scene before their eyes began to blur; the ruined city faded away. A familiar voice sounded in their ears.

[Congratulations on clearing the dungeon.]
[Calculating rewards for this run...]
[Congratulations! You eliminated over 95% of monsters! Your clear time surpassed 90% of challengers. Overall rating: S!]
[Congratulations! Based on your rating, you receive: Credit Points +1000!]
[Credit Points will be deposited into your account within three working days. If there are any issues, please check with the Professional’s Hall.]
[Keep up the good work to achieve even better records.]