Chapter 253: NO EXP
"Yoshhh…" Lein murmured excitedly, his wide smile reflecting his satisfaction.
Without hesitation, he stepped into his first portal. At first, he felt only emptiness, but as soon as he envisioned the second portal on the island as his destination, he immediately sensed a shift—like a change in air waiting at the other end.
"It worked!" he cheered happily, his eyes shining as he gazed at the crack.
Like a child who had just discovered a new toy, he didn't want to wait any longer and immediately entered with his whole body.
In an instant, far away, through a two-meter-high crack, Lein appeared with a broad smile. Satisfaction filled him. Finally, a dream he had held since childhood, from his days on Earth, had come true—the ability to move instantly from one place to another.
"Ha-ha-ha! Finally…" Lein's laughter echoed, filled with freedom, releasing his joy.
However, as he was still relishing his success, a deep, menacing sound broke the silence.
"Aargh…"
Lein turned and saw a pack of large wolves growling at him. They had coarse brown fur, muscular bodies, and long, sharp fangs that gleamed in the sunlight.
Each wolf stood two meters tall, with fierce, glowing eyes that regarded Lein as if assessing this new opponent who dared set foot in their territory.
Lein looked at the pack of wolves before him with a confused, even slightly disbelieving expression. His eyes focused on the attribute numbers displayed on the panel:
(Stone-Eating Wolf)
- Level 3
- Strength: 5, Agility: 3, Intelligence: 3, Resilience: 3
(Stone-Eating Wolf)
- Level 5
- Strength: 10, Agility: 7, Intelligence: 4, Resilience: 4
Lein clutched his hair in frustration. "So… weak?" he muttered, still stunned by how low the numbers were. For a moment, memories of his past struggles flashed by—times when even a single additional point was valuable and made a big difference. Taking a deep breath, Lein realized just how rapidly his power had grown.
"I've advanced too quickly," he murmured, shaking his head slightly to dismiss the wave of nostalgia.
Calmly, Lein stood tall, an amused expression crossing his face as he extended his hand forward, palm up, gesturing for the wolves to come at him.
"Come on, then," he challenged lazily.
The lead wolf, with the highest level among the pack, glared at Lein with flashing eyes, then opened its jaws and let out a fierce howl.
Its cry echoed through the air, summoning the wolves behind it. They all raised their heads, responding with long howls that shook the air around them.
"Wuoooo…"
Lein waited with dwindling patience, rolling his eyes as the pack continued to howl.
"So slow," he sighed, feeling his impatience grow.
He released a bit of his aura, just a small spark, to see how the wolves would react.
Instantly, the effect of his aura spread uncontrollably. Within seconds, the entire wolf pack collapsed to the ground—every last one of them.
[Killed Stone-Eating Wolf. Level difference too great, NO EXP]
[Killed Stone-Eating Wolf. Level difference too great, NO EXP]
Notifications kept popping up before his eyes, like an endless string of cold messages. Lein stared at the fallen wolves, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"What?" he exclaimed in shock.
The wolves… they all died in an instant. He had only released a tiny bit of his aura, yet the creatures were utterly obliterated, powerless against what seemed to him like only a small amount of his strength.
Lein realized that his power had now surpassed all previous limits he had imagined. No matter how numerous they were, these wolves were mere weaklings before him.
Beyond the surprise at his boundless strength, something else made Lein pause—he hadn't gained a single EXP from his recent attack. Not even a single point.
Lein sighed deeply, reflecting on his situation.
"Well, that makes sense," he muttered.
Considering he had reached level 250, it was unreasonable to expect EXP from wiping out level 3 and level 5 monsters. If it were possible, he'd have to kill billions of low-level creatures just to gain a single level at this stage.
"All right…"
Calmly, Lein took a deep breath, trying to savor and feel the nearly limitless power now within him. Slowly, he began to immerse himself in every detail of his pulsating energy, like a mighty current flowing inside him.
He tilted his head slightly, suddenly sensing a deep, chilling sensation. His consciousness expanded in all directions, spreading at an incredible speed. One by one, distant islands came within the reach of his awareness—as if he were traversing a living map in his mind.
"My Island… German Island… India Island… America Island…" Lein named the islands he encountered along his mental journey, sensing the faint pulse of life in each place.
His awareness continued to expand effortlessly until he finally encountered a boundary.
Before him loomed an invisible wall, solid and unyielding. Lein tried to breach it, but every attempt was met with resistance.
Like a shadow beyond reach, something behind that barrier remained hidden from his consciousness.
"Is this the limit?" Lein murmured softly, frowning. No matter how hard he tried, the barrier wouldn't fall. He couldn't even glimpse a faint outline of what lay beyond.
Realizing he could gain nothing further, Lein withdrew his awareness. However, before fully returning, he marked several places he had sensed were in a state of war. His face grew serious, ready to move forward.
With a single breath, Lein shifted his focus back to his physical body. Slowly, he controlled the dream energy swirling around him, lifting his body slightly into the air.