Global Necromantic Specialist

Marsh stared at the creature responsible for the branch's violent lash—an imposing tree standing about three meters tall.

With a flick of his fingers, Marsh activated his detection skill.

The detection skill was a basic ability that all professionals knew, granting information about enemies and items.

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[Long Whip Tree]

[Level: 8]

[Introduction: Usually dormant, it attacks passing life forms.]

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Marsh furrowed his brow. "Why didn't the skeleton warriors attack earlier when they passed by it?"

It quickly became clear. The skeleton warriors weren't alive; they lacked any life energy or breath.

That meant the Long Whip Tree, which attacked only living beings, didn't target the skeletons. But as soon as Marsh stepped into its range, it struck him without hesitation.

The Long Whip Tree's attack continued, but Marsh wasn't worried. Though the branches struck him like whips, he felt no pain.

He swiftly retreated, moving tens of meters back to avoid the tree's reach. The tree itself did not follow. Once Marsh left its range, the tree's attacks ceased, its branches swaying in a defensive posture.

Marsh smirked. "Well, this is designed thoughtfully."

He understood the dungeon's intent now. From the start, the monsters had been progressively weakened, with Level 8 monsters the most potent creatures around. They were meant to mimic real wild monsters but with controlled risks.

The Long Whip Tree was a unique design: a stationary threat that could teach novices the importance of positioning and strategic retreat. It was an encounter where survival was possible if they managed their distance.

Marsh appreciated the thoughtful approach. The goal was not to overwhelm the new professionals but to allow them to experience actual threats while ensuring they could safely escape if needed.

The Long Whip Tree's whip-like branches lashed out at Marsh again, but he was already far enough away to avoid them. His skeleton warriors, however, were now taking the lead.

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[Skeleton Warrior]

[Level: 4]

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One of the skeleton warriors charged forward without hesitation. Upon reaching the Long Whip Tree, it swung its sword with relentless force.

The tree's enormous branches snapped like whips, striking the skeleton warrior repeatedly. The attacks came so fast that Marsh could barely track them—three or four blows landed on the skeleton every second.

However, the skeleton warrior's high physical strength (550 Physique) and its formidable defenses kept it standing. While small cracks appeared in its bones from the force of the blows, they healed almost immediately.

Marsh watched the encounter unfold. "Huh, it didn't die in a single blow," he muttered.

For most of the monsters he'd faced, the result had been a one-shot kill. But the Long Whip Tree was different.

"This is the strength of wild monsters, huh? Let's see how many hits you can take."

The skeleton warrior continued its assault, swinging its blade down again and again. One slash, two slashes, three slashes.

Finally, after the fourth strike, the Long Whip Tree ceased its attacks, its branches falling motionless to the ground.

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[Kill Level 8 Long Whip Tree, Experience +160]

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The notification popped up, and Marsh couldn't help but smile. The experience gained was much higher than that of the Level 7 brown bear.

However, after some quick calculations, Marsh realized that in terms of efficiency, killing Level 7 monsters was more cost-effective.

"Level 7 monsters give me 70 experience per kill for just one strike. A Level 8 monster like this requires four strikes and only gives 160 experience."

Although the experience seemed high, when broken down, it wasn't as efficient as farming lower-level monsters.

But there was an important factor to consider—searching for monsters.

If he wasted too much time searching for low-level monsters, the time cost would outweigh the experience gain.

He turned his gaze to the forest ahead. The area was densely packed with trees, and most of them were Long Whip Trees.

"Just look at how many there are," Marsh thought, scanning the surroundings. "There must be hundreds of them just in my line of sight."

This was a treasure trove for leveling.

Excited, Marsh gave the order. His skeleton warriors split up and charged in all directions, each one attacking a different Long Whip Tree. The weapons in their hands swung down in unison, striking with precision.

Experience points began to flood in again.

While most people saw their upgrade speeds dramatically slow down after reaching Level 5, Marsh's rate of advancement continued to rise.

Initially, he had expected the next level to take over an hour. However, after only 50 minutes, he had reached Level 6.

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[Level: 6 (0.00%)]

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Meanwhile, outside the dungeon, the sun had begun to set, casting a deep orange glow across the sky. The time had reached 7:00 PM.

It had been a full 10 hours since Marsh entered the dungeon at 9:00 AM.

David, the dungeon overseer, was standing near the entrance, his arms folded across his chest. He looked over at the others: Kevin, Morkel, and the other principals.

"Everyone's still inside," David remarked.

The group had been waiting all day, observing the students. It was customary for the administrators to remain by the dungeon entrances during the first day. Though accidents were rare, the risks of the dungeon were real. Injuries were common, and there had even been incidents of deaths among novice adventurers in the past.

Xia Dongyang, who stood nearby, seemed just as vigilant. His daughter, Jeny, was among the students in the dungeon, and he was determined not to miss a single moment of her first real dungeon experience.

The sudden flare of light from the dungeon entrance caught everyone's attention.

"Someone's coming out."

David, Morkel, and the others exchanged glances. "It's not time yet—there must have been an issue."

Two exits led out of the dungeon. One was at the deepest point of the dungeon, past the forest where the Level 8 monsters waited. The other was the entrance, where adventurers first entered and could leave at any time.

Then, Marsh emerged from the glowing light.

David rushed over to him, his eyes wide with confusion. "Marsh, why are you coming out so soon?"

Marsh, with a calm demeanor, responded softly, "Kill them all and you'll come out."

David blinked, puzzled by Marsh's cool, almost casual reply.

Before David could ask more questions, his eyes landed on Marsh's level, and he froze.

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[Marsh, Necromancer, Level 7]

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David's mouth fell open. "Level 7? You've already reached Level 7?!"

Marsh had gone from Level 4 to Level 7 in a mere 10 hours. His progression was unparalleled.

"Kill them all and you'll come out," Marsh repeated, his tone calm and confident.

David, still processing what had just happened, could only stare at the young man in awe.

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