Of course, standing still didn’t mean doing nothing.

On the contrary, Lin Mo wanted to do everything he could — there was so much to do!

He didn’t rush into attacking. First he found the wounded among the adventurers, casting a Healing Art on each person as he went.

The team originally only had Finnie as a priest. Although Finnie improved very quickly, she was still a priest not yet at level 2;

her mana and spirit were limited. Even drinking mana potions, she couldn’t take care of so many people.

Hurt adventurers still mostly relied on Life Potions.

But basic life potions have limited potency, and the stronger an adventurer is, the more robust their qi and blood are, so the potion’s effect would be reduced to some extent.

As a result, many adventurers fought while wounded.

Lin Mo’s Healing Art, however, was far better than any life potion, and noticeably superior to Finnie’s Healing Art.

After all, he had the mana of a level 3 mage.

As Lin Mo kept casting Healing Art, those who had been unable to fight picked up their weapons again, and the lightly wounded were almost healed instantly.

They shot grateful looks at Lin Mo. They didn’t know why a man dressed as a warrior could use a priest’s healing magic, but with the battle urgent, there was no time to question it;

they quickly returned to the fight.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo’s Healing Art proficiency surged upward.

Healing Art proficiency +1

Healing Art unfamiliarity +1

...

In a short time, he accumulated seventy or eighty points of unfamiliarity.

Landon checked and saw he was only about seventy unfamiliarity points away from leveling up.

With that kind of gain, it was time to farm unfamiliarity for other skills.

Landon gripped his white sword, activated Vanish, and dashed straight toward the goblin guards in the rear.

Those unfamiliarity points were precious!

I slowly charged up to a goblin guard and thrust my sword out.

Consecutive Thrusts!

The unfamiliarity for that skill had been stagnant for a while.

I was only one Strength point away from being a level 4 Warrior, so I wanted to practice a Warrior skill while I could and get that promotion sooner.

Every profession-level increase brought stat bonuses, so prioritizing skills for the profession you want to level up is the correct choice.

It’s just awkward that the Warrior profession temporarily lacked skills that granted passive stats...

“Hmm, wait?”

I suddenly thought of a problem.

Just because the Warrior profession’s skills didn’t grant stats earlier, did that mean my skill wouldn’t either?

If I remember correctly, Great Shield Charge was a dual-attribute skill: at max level it gave Strength too.

Although its evolved form, Earth-Rending Slam, granted Constitution when acquired, Great Shield Charge originally worked the same way — at mid and max levels it gave two attributes.

So maybe Earth-Rending Slam would follow the same pattern?

Coincidentally, Lin Mo also wanted to try this newly acquired skill, so he stopped hesitating and used Rock Shield. Earth element condensed into a gray-white shield.

Holding the shield, Lin Mo looked toward the densest cluster of Goblin Guards, planted his right foot hard, and leapt high into the air.

Boom—!

The next moment, Lin Mo crashed down with the shield. With a tremendous rumble, the ground around him fractured;

the goblin guards within the area were knocked skyward, blood spraying.

But it didn’t stop there. A shockwave rapidly expanded from the impact point, enveloping nearby enemies. Every goblin guard hit by it was shaken so violently their organs ruptured;

they coughed up blood and died.

Some who were very close were literally severed in two by the shockwave. Limbs flew and blood rained down.

Earth-Rending Slam proficiency +8!

Earth-Rending Slam proficiency +9!

...

These goblin guards were profession-tier;

some individuals were slightly stronger and granted a point or two more unfamiliarity. Lin Mo watched the many notifications flash before his eyes.

All told, they added up to a total of 107 proficiency points!

“Skill Earth-Rending Slam Lv1 (10/10) upgraded!”

“Current skill Earth-Rending Slam Lv2 (20/20)”

“Skill Earth-Rending Slam Lv2 (20/20) upgraded!”

“Current skill Earth-Rending Slam Lv3 (40/40)”

“Skill Earth-Rending Slam Lv3 (40/40) upgraded!”

“Current skill Earth-Rending Slam Lv4 (37/100)”

Triple level-up!

That one burst pushed the new skill from level 1 straight to level 4.

Holy crap, it took off!

Lin Mo didn’t expect it to be so effective;

he couldn’t stop grinning.

Since transmigrating, this was the first time he felt such a satisfying leveling speed.

Partly it was because early skill levels require little experience, and partly because the environment was a once-in-a-lifetime training ground: abundant, strong monsters tailor-made for leveling.

Earth-Rending Slam reaching level 4 also, like prior skills, granted attribute points.

“Gained attribute points: Constitution +2, Strength +1!”

Lin Mo’s eyes lit up.

So Earth-Rending Slam, like its predecessor Great Shield Charge, was a dual-attribute skill.

That meant the single Strength point he was missing would finally be filled.

The exciting notification floated up next.

“Promotion conditions met. Profession Warrior (lv3) promoted — current profession Warrior (lv4)”

“Gained profession attribute increases: Strength +2, Constitution +2, Agility +1!”

As expected, the jump from level 3 to 4 gave one more attribute point than the jump from level 2 to 3.

Keep going!

You can’t miss such an opportunity. Lin Mo skipped through the messages and charged forward with his shield again, using Earth-Rending Slam once more.

Boom—!

Again there was an explosion-like crash as Lin Mo smashed out another crater;

the surrounding ground split, and goblin guards — including Mutated Goblins — were sent skyward.

The shockwave spread and killed another big wave of goblins.

Earth-Rending Slam proficiency +8!

Earth-Rending Slam proficiency +9!

...

Another string of proficiency gains rolled in. Not as many as before, but still 89 points.

“Skill Earth-Rending Slam Lv4 (100/100) upgraded!”

“Current skill Earth-Rending Slam Lv5 (26/180)”

This progress was insanely fast!

However, the kills by Earth-Rending Slam didn’t seem to increase Rock Shield’s proficiency;

perhaps because the kills were caused by the impact and subsequent shockwave, not the shield itself...

Also, this skill’s consumption was truly significant.

It cost more than any of Lin Mo’s previous superb-grade skills.

Understandable — a large-area AOE with control effects naturally consumes a lot.

They’d rushed from Silverstream City and immediately thrown themselves into battle, fighting nonstop. Even though Lin Mo’s qi and blood were higher than most adventurers, they’d been heavily consumed.

This was the problem the adventurer side now faced.

Many adventurers were nearly out of qi and blood.

Among the mages, only Landon still had some reserve;

the others’ mana was almost gone.

Fortunately, the number of Goblin Guards had been greatly reduced, and since Lin Mo had already taken care of the annoying archers, the adventurers weren’t under too much pressure. They could conserve some qi and blood and just use normal moves to fight the goblins.

Now it was a matter of who could hold out longer.

Clearly, although goblins had evolved special intelligent forms, these lower-tier ones still lagged behind humans in intellect.

The sharp reduction in Goblin Guard numbers made the commander behind the scenes uneasy.

The level-4 ranger and mage goblins who had stayed quiet reappeared, and from deeper within the underground pit came heavy footsteps from the darkness.

Is it finally coming!

Lin Mo’s expression turned serious;

the real opponent was about to appear.

Thump—thump——

The dull sound made the adventurers tense, glancing forward from time to time.

At last, that massive body appeared in the firelight.

It was dark green all over, much deeper in color than ordinary goblins, resembling the Giant Goblin that had fought Torren earlier but larger — nearly four meters tall!

Clearly stronger than that previous Giant Goblin.

Level 5?

Lin Mo examined the huge silhouette and guessed its strength.

We’ll find out soon enough!

But he wouldn’t charge in rashly. He circulated mana and first fired a Flame Arrow at the opponent.

Lin Mo had rarely used this skill before.

As a single-target spell, it had decent power, but for siege and breakthrough he had better warrior and assassin skills. Mage spells were mainly for clearing crowds and AOEs, so Flame Arrow’s role was awkward;

it had remained at level 1.

However, as Lin Mo’s mana rose, the spell could still be useful against strong enemies.

At least it was stronger than base spells like Wind Blade or Ice Spike for ranged engagements.

The Giant Goblin, seeing the flaming missile, showed a surprisingly human-like sneer, then slapped the Flame Arrow down with a huge palm.

But Lin Mo was a level 3 mage close to level 4;

his spells weren’t easily swatted aside.

Although the Flame Arrow was dispersed, its intense heat left visible burns on the goblin’s palm.

“—”

It growled discontentedly and lunged at Lin Mo the next moment.

It remembered this human well;

its impression of him was deep.

This guy had killed so many of its kin;

if not for him they wouldn’t have had to fight — the humans would have already been wiped out.

Angry, the Giant Goblin aimed all its fury at Lin Mo. Lin Mo didn’t flinch. He applied Fortitude and Lightness buffs, then stood calmly in place and watched the approach.

3, 2, 1...

He counted silently. When the blade in its hand was less than three meters away, he suddenly sidestepped, perfectly evading the attack.

At that distance, the Giant Goblin couldn’t adjust its angle in time. The slash missed, and three sword energies shot toward Lin Mo’s face the next moment.

The Giant Goblin raised its hand to block, but was half a beat slow and only managed to block the last energy blade;

the first two left bloody cuts on its face.

It was pretty tough...

If its Strength was about level 5, its Constitution, while not fully level 5, was around level 3.5–4.

Tank-bruiser and spell-assassin types are the hardest to deal with.

Though injured, the Giant Goblin acted as if unharmed and continued its furious assault on Lin Mo.

Lin Mo furrowed his brows slightly and again used his speed advantage to kite.

Although he had just become a level 4 Warrior with many boosted attributes, he could only approach the opponent in Strength;

there was still a gap.

There was no need to trade hits. Lin Mo’s total Agility was 40, and with Lightness he reached roughly the level of a 3.5-grade assassin — an advantage against the Giant Goblin.

So he easily dodged the next attack, then stepped back and disappeared instantly.

The Giant Goblin froze for a second. In that second a blood-colored energy blade had already struck from the rear, nearly grazing its neck!

At the critical moment, an invisible barrier appeared around it. The blood blade hit the shield and rippled.

That half-second pause reduced the Blood Qi Blade’s power and gave the Giant Goblin time to react, averting a fatal strike.

The barrier shattered, and the blood blade flew on, cutting into its shoulder and leaving a mangled wound.

It still dealt damage;

without the shield, even a non-lethal hit might have sliced off half a shoulder, crippling its combat ability.

But there’s no “if”...

The next moment a sharp arrow whistled through the air, heading for Lin Mo’s back.

Lin Mo frowned and used Rock Shield to block it.

Although blocked, the arrow left a dense web of cracks on Rock Shield. Lin Mo grunted and took a half-step back;

fortunately his Constitution was high and Fortitude mitigated much of the impact.

Can’t beat one, so you gang up?

Lin Mo looked annoyed, but his actions stayed calm. He retreated quickly to open distance, denying a follow-up.

However, the opponent’s level-4 ranger and mage were targeting Lin Mo, which meant Lute and Landon were freed.

Split Shot!

Lute fired an arrow wrapped in powerful qi and blood that split into many small arrows, piercing through numerous Goblin Guards’ vital spots.

Wind Cyclone!

Landon unleashed his wind magic. Even level-2 goblins couldn’t withstand its force and were torn apart.

The battlefield’s situation cleared up.

Lin Mo watched everything and didn’t rush to attack. He even had enough energy to toss out an Ice Crystal Fall, smashing a group of goblins.

Ice Crystal Fall proficiency +68

Not bad. One more!

Ice Crystal Fall!

Ice Crystal Fall proficiency +59

The goblin density had clearly dropped;

Landon’s single spell now only killed seven or eight.

Still, the two casts netted 127 unfamiliarity points, instantly leveling Ice Crystal Fall again.

“Skill Ice Crystal Fall Lv5 (180/180) upgraded!”

“Current skill Ice Crystal Fall Lv6 (Max)”

“Gained attribute points: Mana +2, Spirit +1”

It’s coming, it’s coming — finally!

Lin Mo’s spirits lifted.

Ice Crystal Fall was an excellent-grade skill;

level 6 was max level, meaning it would evolve into Lin Mo’s first true superb-grade magic!

He already had others, but Primary Meditation Technique couldn’t be used in combat;

it was functional only.

What would it evolve into?

While watching his surroundings warily, the notification drifted up.

“Automatically evolved into new skill — Blizzard!”

“Learned skill Blizzard! Mana +2, Spirit +1!”

Blizzard: Summons an ice-storm area lasting 5 seconds. Enemies inside take continuous damage and gain the “Frost” effect (slowing and frostbite).

Blizzard sounded extremely powerful.

A new skill in hand — of course he’d use it.

At that moment an arrow flew at Lin Mo. He flashed to avoid it and activated Vanish, quickly lunging toward the arrow’s origin.

That goblin ranger was crafty, hiding in a dark patch beyond the firelight so his position was hard to pinpoint.

But Lin Mo didn’t need an exact spot, only a general direction.

Blizzard!

Mana surged wildly inside him;

the speed and volume amazed even Lin Mo the caster. At the same time, he clearly felt the structure of the skill’s circuits.

Common-grade magics have two circuits;

excellent-grade have four;

superb-grade magic doesn’t have six or eight but a full twelve magic circuits!

Many of these circuits weren’t simple basics but complex intermediate circuits.

The mana cost of this move far exceeded Lin Mo’s expectations — equal to three or four Ice Crystal Falls — instantly tightening his already scarce mana.

Yet such massive consumption produced an equally stunning effect.

The accumulated ice element coalesced into an ice-blue ring, covering more than ten meters!

The next moment countless tiny ice shards rained down with tremendous force.

Also superb-grade, Lin Mo’s Blizzard looked even more outrageous than Landon’s Wind Cyclone.

And because Lin Mo cast it while invisible, the goblin ranger was caught completely off-guard and struck by the falling blizzard.

It did react quickly and tried to flee toward the edge of the magic, but Blizzard’s slow effect reduced its speed by a quarter and kept stacking.

By the time it nearly broke free, the slow had stacked to almost 40%!

The goblin ranger was riddled with wounds;

fragile parts were pierced by ice hail, blood poured out, and its body stiffened from the cold.

Just when it almost escaped the Blizzard’s range, a figure suddenly appeared before it.

Lin Mo sneered and punched, knocking it back into the Blizzard.

The goblin ranger fell with a face of helpless resentment.

Blizzard proficiency +25

This level-4 Bronze Goblin yielded the same 25 proficiency as the ones Lin Mo had killed before.

Blizzard was a level-1 skill;

with that 25 points it instantly leveled up.

“Skill Blizzard Lv1 (10/10) upgraded!”

“Current skill Blizzard Lv2 (15/20)”

Unfortunately, Lin Mo couldn’t use the skill again.

His mana was nearly spent and his spirit was approaching its limit;

continuing to use such high-cost magic might negatively affect his teammates’ fighting.

And the most troublesome opponent wasn’t dealt with yet.

Seeing the ranger in its rear ranks slain, the Giant Goblin grew even angrier. It brandished its curved blade and charged straight at Lin Mo.

To be honest, this opponent was hard to handle. Even without interference, it wouldn’t be easy for Lin Mo to beat it alone;

he’d have to tangle with it for a while.

But —

Like I said, if I can ride someone stronger, why not?

With frontal pressure eased significantly, Finnie wouldn’t be in much danger. As a priest she also had designated protectors, so the most terrifying threat to her was neutralized.

Lin Mo watched the Giant Goblin rush at him, charged his stance, and unleashed a fully drawn Accumulated Sword Combo. Seven sword energies shot out in succession.

The Giant Goblin roared. Red light flared on its blade and it slashed out a powerful energy blade that canceled five of the sword energies.

The remaining two it chopped away with a casual strike.

If judged by a straight clash, it didn’t fear Lin Mo and might even have the advantage.

That was why it was so confident and furious.

It believed it could beat Lin Mo, yet had been baited and teased repeatedly with tricks and techniques.

To put it plainly, it had been provoked to the limit.

So when Lin Mo stood still as if ready to trade blows, the Giant Goblin seemed pumped up, striking wildly with a furious, excited blow — not noticing the rapidly closing danger...