"Sigh... I've already got this many Primogems, might as well do two more pulls. This bow can barely hit two targets even after a full quiver,"
"Host currently possesses 510 Primogems. Do you wish to proceed with two pulls?"
"Mhm, go ahead~"
"—Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a Claymore of the Mercenary and an Iron Sword~"
"Iron Sword? Isn't that what that little guy uses?"
"In the game, yes. But the one in the Host's hand was created by the system, so it's brand new~"
"Alright, alright. I like this sword anyway. Too bad its color doesn't quite match my outfit. If only I could pull the Dawn Sword (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)"
"The Host is gradually becoming greedier."
"This is only human nature~ o(❛ᴗ❛)o"
"I'll save the remaining 190 Primogems for now. I really need to find some meat, I'm starving! Please teleport me to Starfall Lake!"
"Teleportation consumes a significant amount of mental energy."
"Compared to that, if I don't teleport, I might collapse from exhaustion halfway there! ...If I remember correctly, there's a small Hilichurl camp on the beach in Whispering Woods. I hope the chest there has some food (⇀‸↼)"
"Very well~"
After being teleported to Starfall Lake, Ying, already exhausted, felt an overwhelming urge to sleep. However, hunger eventually overcame her drowsiness. She pulled out an apple, ate it while running towards Whispering Woods…
………………
"Haa~ Finally arrived… I'm dead tired~ (⌯꒪꒫꒪) Surely these won't be monsters much stronger than me now?" Ying asked, looking at the three Hilichurls ahead.
"Host, rest assured. These are all lower level than you~ As for why the Host encountered that Cryo Slime and Hilichurl… the system doesn't know either. Just consider them elite monsters for now~"
"Mhm, so what level are the soldiers in Mondstadt city?"
"Explaining such things in detail would lead to many bugs. Host just needs to know that those soldiers are stronger than the Host is now~ To elaborate slightly, ordinary soldiers can easily deal with ordinary Hilichurls, and elite soldiers can easily deal with elite Hilichurls. As for the characters in the Host's game, they are certainly even stronger~"
"In that case, wouldn't the ordinary people in the city be no match for Hilichurls?"
"The Host is correct. Most ordinary people, without weapons, would find it difficult to defeat a Hilichurl."
"Hearing you say that makes me feel a lot better (´▽｀❀) *Ahem*~ Alright, let's pause for a moment. Let me take care of these Hilichurls first."
With that, Ying charged straight at them, unleashing a charged Elemental Skill, Anemo Vortex, sucking all three in and launching them away. She then drew the newly acquired Iron Sword, pursued them, and with a single strike, reduced them to ashes.
"Easily dealt with~ This Iron Sword is indeed a three-star weapon, much more powerful than the Silver Sword."
"Hehe, naturally~"
Ying jogged over to a nearby chest and cleaved it open with her sword.
"Aha! Two Raw Meat! And there's their lit campfire right next to it!"
Ying quickly found a stick, impaled the two pieces of Raw Meat on it, and ran to the campfire to roast them.
"It's cooking so slowly… Right, I should use Anemo to increase the heat!" Saying this, she began to channel her Anemo elemental power, carefully controlling the heat.
"The Host is quite clever."
"Of course I am (*˘︶˘*)"
"Aha, perfectly roasted~ It seems I'm becoming more proficient with Anemo… Hmm~ Tastes good, shame there are no seasonings."
"Take your time. The Host will be going to Mondstadt eventually, so you can buy more then."
"I don't know when they'll finish. Actually, if I could, I'd like to be a mysterious person who helps them from the shadows, but whether that's possible depends on my future strength~"
Finally having a full meal, Ying found a tree, climbed it, and prepared to spend the night.
"Phew~ I really want to sleep after eating. Tomorrow, I'll have to keep farming Hilichurls. I hope I can reach level 10 in these few days… If I recall correctly, there's a rather large Hilichurl camp near Starfall Lake. I'll check it out once I level up a bit more."
"Host, keep up the good work~"
"Mhm, good night then~"
A few days later…
Ying had been diligently clearing out Slimes, Hilichurls, and treasure chests for days, finally reaching level 9!
"Phew… Leveling up is so difficult!"
"The Host is only fighting low-level monsters, so the experience gained is naturally not much. Those two monsters in the early days, around level twenty, directly boosted the Host from level 3 to 7, didn't they?"
(So all my hard work these past few days only got me 2 levels? That's ridiculous!)
"Don't worry, once the Host reaches level ten, the monsters' levels will also increase."
(If you say so, then won't it be the same when I reach level 10?)
"Not necessarily. The Host can think of the monsters she's fighting now as being specifically prepared by the system for her training. Only when the Host has grown strong enough to defeat the world's original monsters will the system-created monsters disappear~"
(Didn't you say something different a few days ago?)
"I was interrupted by the Host before I could finish explaining."
(Uh… so according to you, I can't even defeat an ordinary person right now?)
"Not quite~ Normal Hilichurls in this world are about the same as a level 9 Hilichurl created by the system. Once the Host reaches level 10, she can easily defeat them~ So the Hilichurl the Host encountered a few days ago could be considered a special forces unit among Hilichurls."
(Phew… that's a bit more reassuring… So, can I understand that the maximum combat power of a Hilichurl, in terms of level, is capped at 20?)
"The Host's thinking is correct. Any stronger monsters would be like Mitachurls."
"Of course, a higher level doesn't necessarily mean greater physical strength. For example, Abyss Mages and Shamans are typical glass cannons. Although their levels are significantly higher than Hilichurls, in terms of physical resilience, an Abyss Mage with their shield broken is not much different from an ordinary Hilichurl. An Abyss Shaman's physical constitution is even inferior to a Hilichurl's, but they excel at controlling elemental power."
(Oh~ I see! In that case, if I want to level up quickly, Abyss Shamans are essential! (u‿ฺu✿))
"The Host's tone suddenly became quite… villainous."
(Hehe, don't mind the details~ That huge Hilichurl camp isn't far ahead. Let me observe for a bit…)