The next step was to implement his second leveling plan, but the prerequisite for this plan was twenty copper coins！
To make money while leveling up quickly, that was the most efficient way. Nie Yan pondered for a moment, then ran toward the small town of Trak.
Coordinates 309.289.221 in Trak Town, NPC： Hunter Klaus, quest： collect twenty Silver-Gray Giant Rat skulls; coordinates 290.231.256, NPC： Farmer Ende, quest： kill fifty Silver-Gray Giant Rats. Coordinates 350.220.389 in the suburbs of Trak Town, hidden NPC, Pharmacist Orr, quest： collect twenty-one Silver-Gray Giant Rat tails...
Nie Yan found two ordinary NPCs and three hidden NPCs with quests to kill Silver-Gray Giant Rats. Those three hidden NPCs were all located using coordinates from the previous life's game guides, the culmination of countless players' experience. Without knowing their positions, finding them would be very difficult.
After accepting five quests, he arrived at the area outside Trak Town where the giant rats spawned. Silver-Gray Giant Rats were enormous silver-gray rodents, bigger than a water buffalo, moving like small hills. However, they moved very slowly and their attacks were not strong.
Silver-Gray Giant Rat： Level 1, HP 100/100.
The game had been open for over a week now, and most players had already reached levels two or three, heading off to higher-level monster zones. This level-1 monster area only had a sparse few players leveling up.
Spotting a Silver-Gray Giant Rat, Nie Yan moved while stabbing at its back several times.
-21, -20, -21, three damage numbers floated up from the Silver-Gray Giant Rat's head.
The Silver-Gray Giant Rat turned to attack Nie Yan, but he struck a vital blow, stabbing it right in the eye.
System： Vital strike completed, attack deviation 5%, causing additional attack damage bonus.
-38, a damage number floated up from the Silver-Gray Giant Rat's head, and the rat squealed in pain as it fell to the ground.
The effect of Vital Strike was pretty good. Nie Yan picked up the Giant Rat Skull dropped by the Silver-gray Giant Rat on the ground.
The cooldown for Vital Strike was thirty seconds, which gave Nie Yan plenty of time to find the next Silver-gray Giant Rat.
Finding a spot where Silver-gray Giant Rats respawned relatively quickly, Nie Yan began grinding monsters on the spot. One by one, the Silver-gray Giant Rats fell to the ground.
Experience points started to rise slowly, 1%, 2%...10%... After about two hours, Nie Yan had killed over two hundred Silver-gray Giant Rats, and his experience had risen to around 15%.
He collected a large pile of Giant Rat Tails, Giant Rat Skulls, and so on, and even got three copper coins to drop.
The drop rate for coins was extremely low; only in some dungeons was it slightly higher, making the value of coins in Faith very high.
Nie Yan struck a Giant Rat with a Vital Strike, killing it. Beneath the Giant Rat's body, something was sparkling. His heart skipped a beat, and he bent down to pick it up.
Tough Leather Leggings （White Equipment）： Level Requirement 0.
Attributes： Defense 3-5.
Weight： 3 lbs.
User Restriction： Warrior, usable by any faction.
In Faith, equipment was very rare. Only in some high-difficulty dungeons did more drop, but the dungeon entry requirements were high. Nie Yan still clearly remembered that back then, many players over level ten could only wear some level five equipment and team up to grind monsters, because they couldn't find level ten equipment.
This pair of Tough Leather Leggings, being warrior equipment, could sell for at least seven copper coins if thrown into the auction house.
Putting the Tough Leather Leggings into his backpack space, the basic backpack only had twenty slots. With so many things stored, only eleven slots of space remained.
The backpack was a dimensional space and would not increase the player's carrying weight.
A player's carrying weight only refers to the equipment on the player's body.
I got three copper coins earlier, and if I add the Tough Leather Leggings I sold, I can scrape together ten copper coins. After turning in the quests I'll get some more rewards, so it should be over twenty copper coins.
Nie Yan checked his backpack. All five quests he'd accepted were completed. He stopped respawning Silver-gray Giant Rats and ran toward Terak Town.
He was desperately racing against time, first catching up to others in level difference, then using the game knowledge from his rebirth to gradually expand his advantage.
Back in Terak Town, Nie Yan turned in all five quests, gaining over 600 experience points, bringing his current level to 55%. He also got thirty-four copper coins. The reward amount exceeded his imagination—the three hidden NPCs gave several times more money and experience rewards than ordinary NPCs. Besides money and experience, he also got three Instant Health Potions.
Nie Yan tossed the Tough Leather Leggings into the auction house and walked toward the weapon shop.
He arrived at the weapon shop. It was a very small storefront, but once inside, the space was still quite large, about 5 by 10 yards.
On the left and right walls hung weapons for each class, and on the back wall hung equipment common to all classes: crossbows, small daggers, and so on.
Everything in sight was gear—a dazzling array.
The owner of the weapon shop was a burly blacksmith, around forty years old.
"In the entire Western Grasslands area, the weapons I forge are the best. Respected adventurer, what can I do for you？" The blacksmith, seeing a customer, came forward and said in a rough voice.
"A crossbow."
"What requirements do you have for the crossbow？ My goods can meet all the needs of adventurers up to level five."
"One that can be used at level 0, with Attack Check +3 or higher, and a firing speed of 12 or higher." Nie Yan thought for a moment, then added, "And within thirty copper coins."
Nie Yan had originally thought that scraping together 20 copper coins to buy an ordinary crossbow would be enough, but he exceeded his goal and earned 37 copper coins. After selling the Tough Hide Leggings later, he would have over 40 copper coins, more than enough spare money to buy a better crossbow.
"There are three crossbows that meet your requirements. The first is the Force Shot Shortbow. Attack Check +3, Fire Rate 13, Attack Deviation 11%, Range 20 yards, price 7 copper coins." The blacksmith took out a shortbow and demonstrated it to Nie Yan.
"Are there any better ones？ Preferably with higher accuracy."
He was about to do something, and in fact, this Force Shot Shortbow was enough, but if there was a better crossbow, it could save a lot of time.
"The second is the Force Shot Longbow. Attack Check +5, Fire Rate 12, Deviation 9%, Range 30 yards, price 15 copper coins." The blacksmith took out a longbow, demonstrated it, then produced an exquisite one-handed mechanical crossbow. He loaded five bolts, braced it with his arm, took aim, and said, "The third is my masterpiece, the Small Force Shot Mechanical Crossbow. It comes with a Triple Shot Effect. Attack Check +5, Fire Rate 8, but due to the triple shot, each individual bolt's Fire Rate Check is 15, Deviation 5%, Range 30 yards, price 28 copper coins."
"I'll take it. Give me nine quivers of Low-Quality Bolts as well," Nie Yan said. Each quiver contained 1000 bolts, definitely enough.
He spent exactly all 37 copper coins, not a single one left. Nie Yan put the newly purchased mechanical crossbow and nine quivers of bolts into his backpack.
"Welcome to come again, esteemed adventurer. May your journey go smoothly."
Back when Nie Yan first entered the game, he was surprised that NPC virtual characters had simple intelligence, but later he took it all in stride.
As soon as Nie Yan stepped out of the weapon shop, a system prompt came through.
System： Your Tough Leather Leggings have been sold. You received 8 copper coins.
Sold, not bad. Having 8 copper coins in the backpack finally doesn't make me feel completely empty-handed.
Nie Yan left Trak Town and rushed toward the area where level 8 bison monsters respawn. Bison monsters are even more dangerous than wildcats. They possess extremely strong attack power and move much faster than wildcats—more than three times Nie Yan’s speed. Facing a bison monster is basically certain death.
Not a single player dared to face a level 8 monster yet, not even the top player on the leaderboard.