Necromancer: I Am A Disaster Chapter 17 - Cloaking Badge

[Killed level 10 Goblin Patrol, EXP +300]

[Killed level 11 Goblin Soldier, EXP +350]

[Obtained Goblin bone]

...

Notifications flooded in, and Lin Moyu's EXP surged. His 44 Bronze Skeletal Warriors relentlessly hunted monsters in the woods. With each skill upgrade, Lin Moyu savored the thrill of instant kills. The Skeletal Warriors dispatched level 10 and level 11 Goblin-type monsters with a single strike, increasing efficiency yet again.

Despite the rapid progress, leveling had slowed significantly. From level 10 onward, the EXP requirement had nearly tripled, making leveling slower and slower. Lin Moyu estimated he'd need to hunt at least 5,000 Goblins-type monsters to level up. Even with the Skeletal Warriors tirelessly clearing the way, but progress still felt sluggish.

By nightfall, Lin Moyu was still 30% EXP shy of reaching level 11. He lit a campfire in the woods and ate the food he'd brought along. Time was limited, and he couldn’t afford to waste it traveling back and forth.

"At this pace, I should hit level 13 tomorrow and possibly level 15 the day after." Lin Moyu calculated, "But after level 15, progress will slow even more, and I'll need a day to return. I might only reach level 16 at best."

He mused, "How did Sister level up so quickly? She’s a legendary Sword Dancer, but even she shouldn’t have been faster than me."

Lin Moyu sifted through his memories, recalling what he had learned in school and connecting it with Lin Mohan's journey at that time. Suddenly, it clicked: the Xihai Mine Dungeon.

"She must have partied up and tackled the dungeon—likely on nightmare difficulty. Nightmare dungeons are filled with elite monsters that yield tons of EXP." He thought, "That explains why she was injured and needed treatment afterward."

Lin Moyu clenched his fists, convinced his guess was right, "I'll check it out tomorrow." He resolved, determination set in his mind.

As the night deepened, all monsters within a 500-meter radius had been exterminated, and the Skeletal Warriors hid in the shadows. Lin Moyu began to meditate. Protected by the 44 Skeletal Warriors, plus the passive skill, he felt confident in his safety.

The forest wasn't completely silent—distant wolf howls and the rustling of leaves added an eerie atmosphere. The temperature around Lin Moyu dropped, a result of the Skeletal Warriors' presence, turning the night wind cold.

At midnight, one of the Skeletal Warriors issued a warning, pulling Lin Moyu out of his meditation. Someone was approaching his position.

"Is it another class user here to level up?" Lin Moyu wondered, remaining vigilant, "Not many would venture into the woods at this hour. Could they be lost?"

He stayed still but on high alert. In the wilderness, caution was essential. The bonfire served as a beacon in the night, and soon, someone entered Lin Moyu's line of sight. It was the person in black he had encountered that afternoon.

"Excuse me, do you have anything to eat?" She asked, her voice pleasant and her eyes shining in the firelight.

Lin Moyu handed her a sweet potato. He had only brought sweet potatoes and water, but she accepted it without hesitation. After removing her mask, she devoured the food, clearly starving. Beneath the mask was a delicate face, likely around 18 or 19 years old, radiating youthfulness.

Lin Moyu didn’t use Detection, as it could be seen as rude and provoke hostility.

"Thank—" The girl began to speak but suddenly broke into a coughing fit, having choked on the sweet potato.

Lin Moyu handed her a bottle of water, which she gratefully drank before calming down.

"Thank you" She said clearly this time.

Lin Moyu nodded, signaling that thanks weren't necessary. She continued eating, the silence between them growing slightly awkward. Occasionally, her eyes flickered toward Lin Moyu, her thoughts unreadable.

Her pace was deliberate and refined, each bite taken with grace. As she ate, her beautiful eyes would occasionally glance in Lin Moyu’s direction, shimmering faintly, leaving her thoughts shrouded in mystery.

After finishing, she asked, "What's your name?" When Lin Moyu didn’t respond, she continued, "Not much of a talker? How about we use Detection on each other?"

A moment later, Lin Moyu nodded in agreement. Both activated Detection simultaneously, but to Lin Moyu’s surprise, his attempt failed.

She grinned mischievously, "He-he, it didn’t work, did it?"

"So your name is Lin Moyu, level 10, Necromancer? I’ve never heard of this class before. This afternoon, I noticed a skeleton next to you. Was that your summon? An undead summon... interesting."

She began to speak more freely, stringing sentences together, "Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you mute? But it doesn’t seem like it."

Lin Moyu looked at her and asked calmly, "Why?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, "So you can talk!"

"Why?" Lin Moyu looked at her and repeated.

She smiled and pulled out a badge. "Why did Detection fail? This is why—it's called Cloaking Badge. As long as I wear it, Detection fails unless the user is at least 10 levels higher."

She put the badge away, "Now try again."

Lin Moyu nodded and used Detection once more. This time, it worked.

[Ning Yiyi, level 19, Shadow Assassin]

A cool breeze blew through, and Ning Yiyi’s smile faded. Lin Moyu turned to the side.