The instant Krobyson died, Shi Feng's experience bar began climbing rapidly, surging at a speed visible to the naked eye. His experience bar, already close to the hundred-level cap, filled up in less than two seconds.
Level one hundred!
In that instant, a faint purple glow emanated from Shi Feng's body — nothing like the golden radiance produced by his previous level-ups. Right after, translucent chains materialized from the void around him, then shattered with a thunderous crack, as if some kind of restraint had been completely severed.
"Level one hundred already?" Shi Feng glanced at his level and felt a pang of mixed emotions.
He both desired and dreaded this level.
A hundred levels might not seem like much, but Shi Feng knew all too well — it was the single greatest watershed in the Divine Realm. Once you hit the hundred-level cap, not only were the restrictions on monsters and NPCs fully removed, but players' stats would undergo a qualitative transformation as well. At the same time, the Main God System would no longer protect players.
Those chains shattering in the void served as both a restriction and a shield.
After reaching level one hundred, players would not only see a massive boost in base stats, but their body's sensitivity, reaction speed, and every other physical aspect would climb to one hundred percent. With these restrictions lifted, the pain from injuries would also be felt at full intensity, and mental fatigue would manifest physically as well.
In truth, before reaching level one hundred, the Divine Realm that players experienced wasn't the real Divine Realm at all — it was merely a gradual familiarization process. As players leveled up, more and more restrictions were lifted. Once you hit one hundred, every restriction vanished entirely, and the world became fully, truly virtual-real.
"The leveling speed was faster than I expected. I need to advance to the third-tier class as soon as possible."
Shi Feng took stock of his hundred-level body. Fighting at this level was far more troublesome than before, but that persistent sense of haziness had finally disappeared. This was the body he remembered from his previous life.
Before, his body had been shielded by the Divine Realm's protections, so his physical capabilities could never truly reach one hundred percent. Whether in combat or in movement, there had always been a feeling of holding back. And when he was injured in battle, it caused no mental toll at all — unless he deliberately expended energy. It had felt as though the body wasn't even his own. Now, with every wound came corresponding mental fatigue. This was what reality felt like.
Yet for all the gains, level one hundred was actually the weakest a player would ever be in the Divine Realm.
Because monsters and NPCs at level one hundred were completely unrestricted — the gap between them and level-ninety-nine creatures was astronomical. A newly minted second-tier expert at level one hundred couldn't even defeat a single hundred-level Leader monster, let alone a Lord. They'd get beaten senseless.
In fact, second-tier players who had just entered the hundred-level bracket couldn't even set foot in hundred-level zones. Even forming a full six-person party required extreme caution, or it meant a total party wipe. That was just how weak a hundred-level second-tier class truly was.
To hold your own in a hundred-level zone, you had to reach the third tier — because only third-tier classes marked the true starting point of the real Divine Realm.
Before Shi Feng had time to fully acquaint himself with his new body in the arena, the world before his eyes blurred, and he found himself standing atop a mountain peak.
Ancient stone pillars rose all around the summit, and the surrounding area swarmed with draconic humanoids wielding weapons. These dragonfolk resembled humans in shape but were covered head to toe in a layer of scales, their heads crowned with draconic features and thick, powerful tails. Each wore armor and patrolled the ruins like an occupying army.
Black-Scale Draconian. Bloodline creature. Grand Lord. Level 100. HP: 120 million.
Though the Black-Scale Draconians were only Grand Lords, the danger they radiated was even more oppressive than the hero Krobyson. The ruins were crawling with them — attack any single one, and you'd draw the attention of three or five more.
System: Congratulations! You have completed the third-floor trial and arrived at the fourth floor of the Four Gods' Tower. You may rest here for one day, or you may begin the fourth-floor trial immediately.
"This fourth floor can't be cleared by a second-tier class anymore. I'll need at least third tier to stand a chance." Shi Feng looked at the Black-Scale Draconians filling every corner and let out a bitter laugh.