Forty years old, awakening attribute panel

Chapter 244

The sky was gradually dyed orange-red by the setting sun, like an artist's canvas, gorgeous and warm. In this dreamlike sunset, Jiang Sheng ended a long and busy day and dragged his tired body on the way home. His figure looked a little lonely in the afterglow of the setting sun, but his steps were firm and powerful.

Jiang Sheng is an ordinary courier boy. He rides the electric bicycle that has been with him for many years, shuttles through the streets and alleys of the city, and runs for a living. Although his work is hard, every time he delivers a package to a customer on time and sees their satisfied smile, he always feels a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in his heart. However, in addition to work, he also has a dream deep in his heart-that is, gaming.

Jiang Sheng has been a game enthusiast since he was a child. He has a strong interest in various types of games. Unfortunately, expensive gaming equipment is always out of reach for him. Whenever he sees those high-end gaming equipment and gorgeous game graphics, there will always be a surge of envy and desire in his heart. He knew those devices would provide a gaming experience that was unmatched by the cheap virtual reality headset he was using now.

Despite this, Jiang Sheng did not give up on his gaming dream. He uses the cheapest virtual reality helmet to satisfy his gaming desires as much as possible. Whenever he puts on that simple helmet and lies on the shabby sofa, he will temporarily forget the fatigue and hardship of reality and be immersed in the world made of pixels and codes. Although the picture quality is rough and the operation feels slow, those virtual adventures and challenges can always bring him a little bit of happiness and relaxation.

That evening, when he was walking across a familiar bridge, a black object suddenly caught his eye. The object lay quietly in the shadow under the bridge, as if waiting for something. Jiang Sheng took a closer look curiously and saw that it was an exquisite black helmet with the "Rhine" logo prominently printed on it.

He was instantly stunned. This was not an ordinary product that could be seen everywhere on the market, but an exclusive self-controlled gaming helmet newly developed by RWE. This helmet is very popular in the gaming industry. It is said to bring an unprecedented immersive experience, making players feel as if they are truly in the game world.

Jiang Sheng looked around and found that there was no one around. He couldn't help but wonder, how could this helmet, which had not yet been released to the public, appear here? Did someone accidentally lose it? Or was it a prankster's joke? He was filled with doubts and curiosity.

The helmet in front of him was undoubtedly a huge temptation for him. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end he couldn't resist his desire for a high-end gaming experience. He quickly picked up the helmet, carefully hid it in his backpack, and hurriedly left the scene. He decided to go home and study this unexpected gain first.

When he got home, Jiang Sheng was both excited and nervous. He couldn't wait to take off his old helmet, hold the new helmet with the "Rhine" logo in his hands, and look at it carefully. This helmet was more refined and advanced than any he had used before, and seemed to contain some mysterious power.

He followed the steps in the instruction manual, put on the helmet, and then lay down in the specially made virtual cabin. As the helmet was activated, his consciousness was gradually sucked into a brand new world - the "World Ark".

As soon as he entered the game, Jiang Sheng was deeply shocked by the scene in front of him. The picture quality here is as delicate as the real world, and the light and shadow effects are so realistic that it's incredible. The sunlight shines on the ground through the dense leaves, forming mottled light and shadow; the mountains in the distance appear more magnificent under the reflection of the setting sun; the NPCs are lifelike, as if they were real people.

Jiang Sheng couldn't help but reach out and touch the seemingly real scenery. He gently reached out to a leaf, but his hand passed through the virtual leaf. This wonderful touch made him feel the difference between this world and reality, but it also made him more immersed in this game world.

When creating the character, Jiang Sheng chose the warrior profession without hesitation. Holding a long sword and wearing a mighty armor, he embarked on an unknown journey.

The Novice Village is bustling with activity, with various NPCs and players coming and going. Jiang Sheng walked up to an NPC named "Blacksmith Zhang" and prepared to buy some equipment.

"Blacksmith Zhang, do you have any good equipment here?" Jiang Sheng asked.

"Of course, young man." Blacksmith Zhang replied with a smile, "I have various levels of weapons and armor here, which one do you want?"

Jiang Sheng chose a sharp long sword and a set of strong armor. After putting them on, he immediately felt majestic.

"Thank you blacksmith Zhang, I feel full of power now!" Jiang Sheng said excitedly, waving his sword.

"Haha, young man, go show your courage!" Blacksmith Zhang encouraged.

Jiang Sheng left Novice Village and embarked on an adventurous journey. He passed through a dense forest and came to a vast grassland. On the grassland, some wild monsters are wandering.

Jiang Sheng explored cautiously. Suddenly, a low roar came, and he immediately looked around cautiously. I saw a huge monster slowly walking out of the woods. This monster was three meters tall, with dark green skin, its body covered with sharp thorns, and a pair of scarlet eyes flashing fiercely. The game system quickly gave an introduction to the monster:
【Forest Troll】

Rating: 15
Health: 2000
Attack: 120
Defense: 80
Skills: Heavy Attack, Fury

Jiang Sheng took a deep breath, gripped the sword tightly, and prepared to fight. The forest troll roared and rushed towards him. He quickly dodged and slashed at the monster's leg with his sword. The sword's light flickered, but it was bounced off by the monster's hard skin.

Jiang Sheng did not dare to be careless. He used the agility attribute blessed by the helmet to move his body quickly to avoid the monster's attack. At the same time, he is also looking for the monster's weaknesses. After some observation, he found that there was a soft spot under the monster's armpit, so he aimed at this position and stabbed it with his sword.

"Pfft!" The long sword penetrated the monster's skin, and blood spurted out. The forest troll roared in pain, waving its huge arms, trying to catch Jiang Sheng. But with his agility and precise prediction, he successfully avoided the monster's counterattack.

Jiang Sheng seized the opportunity and launched another attack, leaving deep wounds on the monster's body with his long sword. The forest troll's health is constantly decreasing, and its movements are becoming slower and slower. Finally, under Jiang Sheng's fierce attack, the powerful monster fell to the ground and disappeared into the air into a ray of white light.

After the battle, Jiang Sheng felt exhausted, but his heart was filled with the joy of victory. He checked his experience points and rewards and found that this battle had given him huge benefits. At the same time, he was also amazed by the attributes of this advanced gaming helmet, which really took his gaming experience to the next level.

Jiang Sheng stood next to the fallen forest troll, panting. The victory in the battle made him both exhausted and excited. He noticed that where the monster disappeared, there was a stone shining with mysterious light - it was a skill stone.

He stepped forward and carefully picked up the skill stone. The stone exuded a warm light in his hand, as if it contained some mysterious power. The game system immediately popped up a prompt:

[Skill Stone]: A mysterious stone containing monster skills. After use, you can learn the monster's special skills.

Jiang Sheng's heart moved and he chose to use the skill stone. A ray of light flashed, and he felt a surge of power pouring into his body, and then the system prompt sounded:
[System prompt]: You have successfully learned the [Rage] skill!
Jiang Sheng checked the newly learned skills:
[Frenzy]: Temporarily increases attack power and attack speed, but reduces defense power. Duration 30 seconds, cooling time 5 minutes.

He was secretly happy that this skill might come in handy at a critical moment.

After resting for a while, Jiang Sheng continued to move forward. He passed through the forest and came to a barren desert area. Here, he encountered another kind of monster - the desert scorpion.

The desert scorpion is huge, its body is yellow-brown, its huge pincers flash with cold light, and the stinger on its tail is even more daunting. The game system gives an introduction to the monster:
【Desert Scorpion】

Rating: 20
Health: 2500
Attack: 150
Defense: 100
Skills: Sting attack, pincer

Jiang Sheng did not launch an attack rashly. He observed it first, and then quietly approached the Desert Scorpion while it was not paying attention. Just when he was about to launch an attack, Desert Scorpion suddenly turned around and swung its huge pincers towards Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng reacted quickly, rolled to avoid the attack of the pincers, and at the same time slashed at the desert scorpion's legs with his sword. However, Desert Scorpion's defense is extremely high and his attacks only cause weak damage.

At this time, the desert scorpion's stinger was aimed at Jiang Sheng. He hurriedly dodged, but his skin was still scratched by the stinger. A numb feeling immediately spread throughout his body, and he knew he had been poisoned.

At this critical moment, Jiang Sheng remembered the [Frenzy] skill he had just learned. He immediately activated the skill and felt a powerful force pouring into his body, and his attack power and attack speed were significantly increased.

He waved his long sword and turned into a sword light and rushed towards the Desert Scorpion. In the violent state, his attacks became extremely fierce, and every time he swung his sword, he could leave deep wounds on the Desert Scorpion's body.

Although the Desert Scorpion was powerful, it seemed a little powerless under Jiang Sheng's violent attack. Finally, with a scream, the Desert Scorpion fell to the ground and disappeared into a ray of white light.

Jiang Sheng got out of his violent state and felt weak. But he knew that he had successfully challenged a powerful monster again and gained valuable combat experience again. He checked the loot and found that he had obtained another skill stone.

After Jiang Sheng learned new skills, his confidence greatly increased and he continued to explore in the "World Ark". Soon, he came to a dark swamp area.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of fierce fighting and the shouts of players not far away. He followed the sound and saw a group of monsters surrounding a team of several players.

Jiang Sheng hurried over and found that the team members were already in a hard fight. One of the tall warriors was waving a giant sword vigorously, trying to resist the monster's attack, but it was obviously beyond his power. Another thin mage continued to cast spells from behind, but in the face of many monsters, his spells seemed to be of little use. There is also an archer shooting from a distance, but her arrows don't seem to do much damage to the monster.

The monsters that besieged the team were several swamp monitor lizards. They were huge, with dark green skin covered with hard scales, and a pair of scarlet eyes flashing fiercely. The game system quickly gave an introduction to the monster:
【Swamp monitor lizard】

Rating: 25
Health: 3000
Attack: 180
Defense: 120
Skills: Venom spray, tail strike

When Jiang Sheng saw this, he immediately drew his sword and rushed towards the group of monsters. He aimed at one of the swamp monitor lizards and launched a swift attack. The long sword left wounds on the swamp monitor lizard, and green blood spurted out.

The swamp monitor lizard roared and turned to pounce on Jiang Sheng. But Jiang Sheng dodged quickly and at the same time slashed at the swamp monitor lizard's weak point with his sword. After a fierce battle, he finally succeeded in killing the swamp monitor lizard.

When the team members saw this, their morale was boosted. The tall warrior brandished his giant sword and charged at another swamp monitor. The thin mage also strengthened his spell attacks, while the archers aimed at the remaining monsters.

With the joint efforts of Jiang Sheng and his team, the remaining swamp monitor lizards were quickly killed one by one. After the battle, the team members expressed their gratitude to Jiang Sheng.

"Thank you so much! If you hadn't arrived in time, we might have been in danger!" the tall warrior said gratefully.

"Yes! You are really our savior!" The thin mage also thanked him profusely.

Jiang Sheng waved his hand and said with a smile: "You're welcome, we are all players, and we should help each other."

The archer stepped forward and asked curiously: "Why are you here alone? Do you want to join us?"

Jiang Sheng thought about it and felt that it might be safer to act with the team, so he nodded and agreed.

After defeating the swamp lizard, the team members introduced themselves to each other.

The tall warrior named Li Tie is the tank in the team. He is always at the forefront to attract attacks from monsters. He has a resolute face and a strong body, and his words and deeds reveal the rigor and perseverance of a soldier.

The thin mage's name is Lin Xiao. Although he looks frail on the outside, his spell attacks cannot be underestimated. He always wore a pair of thick round glasses, and his eyes shone with wisdom.

The archer is a lively and lovely girl named Su Yao. Her arrow skills are precise and she can always deliver a fatal blow to the enemy at the critical moment. Her smile is as warm as the sun and she is the pistachio in the team.

As a new member, Jiang Sheng also briefly introduced himself. He said that he is a warrior, good at melee attacks, and is willing to contribute his strength to the team.

After getting to know each other, the team decided to return to the Novice Village to rest. They passed through forests and swamps and finally returned to the bustling Novice Village.

The village is bustling with activity, with various NPCs and players coming and going. They found an inn and prepared to have a good rest.

"Boss, open four rooms for us!" Li Tie shouted.

"Okay! Please wait a moment, sir. You'll be ready soon!" the innkeeper responded enthusiastically. While waiting for the room to be ready, Su Yao asked Jiang Sheng curiously: "Have you ever taken risks alone before? That must be very dangerous!"

Jiang Sheng smiled and said, "Yes, it is indeed difficult to take risks alone. But sometimes, loneliness is also a kind of strength."

Lin Xiao pushed up his glasses and said: "Yes, you can focus more on fighting and exploring when you are alone. However, teamwork also has the fun of teamwork."

Li Tie nodded and agreed: "Yes, each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses. Only through unity and cooperation can we exert our greatest combat effectiveness."

When the four of them were chatting happily, the innkeeper came over and said, "Guests, the room is ready. Please come with me!"

They followed the boss to the guest room area. Each room is warmly and comfortably furnished, making people feel at home.

"Everyone, let's take a good rest first. Let's set off again tomorrow!" Li Tie suggested.

The other three agreed. They each returned to their rooms, lying on the bed enjoying the rare quiet time.

After a night's rest, the team members were refreshed and ready to embark on a new adventure. Before setting off, Jiang Sheng decided to go to the village shop and exchange the spiritual stones he had obtained from killing monsters for some money in order to buy more powerful weapons.

He walked into a weapons store with simple decoration. The walls of the store were covered with all kinds of weapons and armor. The sunlight filtered in through the windows and shone on the metal, reflecting dazzling light. The shop owner is an old man with white hair and a shrewd light in his eyes.

"Young man, what do you want to buy?" the old man asked with a smile.

"I want to see the weapons." Jiang Sheng replied, looking around the store.

"Okay, please come over here." The old man led Jiang Sheng to a row of swords. "These are the best weapons in our store. See if you like them."

Jiang Sheng carefully looked at the weapons in front of him. Each one looked delicate and sharp. He noticed a long sword with a cold light shining on its blade, which seemed to be different from others.

"What's the name of this sword?" Jiang Sheng asked, pointing to the long sword.

"This sword is called the 'Cold Light Blade', and it is the treasure of our store." The old man introduced, "It has extremely high attack power and armor-breaking effect, and is very suitable for warriors."

Jiang Sheng was excited, but he also wanted to see other weapons. The old man showed him several other weapons:
"Thunder Ax": A huge battle ax containing the power of thunder, which can cause area damage and has a certain chance of paralyzing the enemy.

"Wind Bow": A lightweight longbow that shoots arrows as fast as the wind, with extremely high shooting speed and hit rate.

"Flaming Sword": The sword body is surrounded by flames, and each slash can cause fire damage, causing a continuous burning effect on the enemy.

Each weapon has its own unique properties and effects, and Jiang Sheng is entangled. He thought for a moment and finally decided to choose "Cold Light Blade". He felt that the attribute blessing of this sword was the most suitable for his fighting style.

"I will choose this 'Cold Light Blade'." Jiang Sheng said firmly.

The old man smiled and nodded: "Good taste! This sword will never let you down."

After Jiang Sheng paid the money, he took the "Cold Light Blade" and looked at it carefully. The sword was cold and hard, as if it could cut anything. He waved it gently, the sword light flashed, and he felt a powerful force surge in his hand.

After leaving the weapon shop, Jiang Sheng returned to the team happily.

After the team left the Novice Village, they embarked on a journey to the next city stronghold. Along the way, they passed through dense forests and crossed rugged mountains. After going through countless hardships, they finally arrived at their destination - Fengyun City.

Fengyun City is a bustling city, with people coming and going on the streets, the shouts of vendors and the chatter of players. The team members were attracted by the lively atmosphere of the city and stopped to watch.

While they were wandering around, an NPC came over and issued a crusade mission to them. It turned out that a group of vicious thieves had appeared in the mountains near Fengyun City. They robbed homes and committed all kinds of evil, causing great trouble to the nearby residents. The NPC hopes that the team can go to fight against these thieves and eliminate harm for the people.

The team members looked at each other with determination in their eyes. They decided to accept this task and solve this problem for the residents of Fengyun City.

So, they got ready and headed to the hideout of the gang of thieves. Along the way, they carefully avoided the thieves' patrols and finally found the thieves' lair.

The lair of the thieves gang is located in a cave. The entrance of the cave is overgrown with weeds and is extremely concealed. The team members quietly approached the cave entrance, preparing to launch a surprise attack.

"Are you ready?" Li Tie asked in a low voice.

"Ready!" the other three responded in unison.

They swarmed in, and the sound of fierce fighting suddenly sounded in the cave. The thieves were caught off guard by this sudden attack, but they were a vicious gang of thieves after all, and they quickly reacted and began to fight back.

Jiang Sheng held the "Cold Light Blade" and rushed towards the group of thieves. He swung his sword and struck at the leader of a thief. The sword flashed and the leader fell to the ground. Seeing this, the other thieves gathered around him.

Li Tie, Lin Xiao, and Su Yao also joined the battle. Li Tie wielded his giant sword and fought his way through the group of thieves; Lin Xiao continued to cast spells to attack the enemy; Su Yao stood in the distance and shot to support.

The battle entered a fierce stage, and both sides tried their best. The scenes of swords, swords, and spells flying in the cave were extremely intense.

After a hard fight, the team members finally eliminated all the thieves gang. They sat on the ground tiredly, panting, but with triumphant smiles on their faces.

"Great! We finally succeeded!" Su Yao cheered.

"Yes! This mission was completed beautifully!" Li Tie also sighed.

Jiang Sheng looked at the "Cold Light Blade" in his hand, feeling filled with pride. He knew that this sword would continue to accompany him to create more brilliance in future adventures.

The team members searched the cave and found some treasures and loot. They brought these items back to Fengyun City and handed them over to NPCs to complete the crusade mission.

The NPC expressed heartfelt thanks to them and gave them generous rewards.

After leaving Fengyun City, the team continued their adventure. One afternoon, the sun shone through the treetops, casting mottled light and shadow, and they walked to an open grassland. In the middle of the grass, a sparkling pool of experience caught their attention.

However, as they approached, they discovered that another team was already there. The team consisted of four people. They wore uniform guild uniforms and looked quite tough. At this time, they were sitting around the experience pool, staring at Jiang Sheng and the others warily.

"Hey, we discovered this place first, you'd better please come back." The captain of the opposing team, a burly warrior, stood up and said coldly.

Li Tie took a step forward and responded in a neither humble nor condescending manner: "This grassland is not privately owned, and the experience pool is also a public resource, and everyone has a share."

When the two teams met for the first time, the atmosphere was already extremely tense. That guild team was obviously more experienced and better equipped than Jiang Sheng and the others. They sat around the experience pool, with disdain and provocation on their faces.

"Hmph, how dare a few newbies come to steal our experience pool?" the archer of the guild team mocked.

Su Yao responded not to be outdone: "This area does not belong to your family. Why do you say it does?"

The thief from the guild team sneered, and lightly passed his finger across the dagger on his waist: "It depends on our strength."

Li Tie and Lin Xiao immediately stood in front of Su Yao and put on a defensive posture. Jiang Sheng, on the other hand, was observing secretly, looking for a breakthrough.

The mages of the guild team stood up and began to chant spells. Dark clouds began to gather over the grass, and there were faint flashes of thunder and lightning.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and players from both sides began to prepare for battle. Jiang Sheng held the "Cold Light Blade" tightly with a firm look in his eyes, ready to attack at any time.

Suddenly, a dazzling light emerged from the experience pool, as if some treasure was about to be born. At this moment, the attention of both parties was attracted.

"It seems that there are good things hidden in this experience pool." Su Yao said softly, with excitement shining in her eyes.

Lin Xiao pushed up his glasses and analyzed calmly: "If we can reach cooperation with them, we may be able to share the treasures here together."

Jiang Sheng nodded and agreed: "You can try to communicate with them. After all, fighting is not the best way to solve the problem."

So, Li Tie stepped forward again and tried to negotiate with the other team: "How about we put aside the dispute temporarily and explore this experience pool together? There are enough treasures in it for our two teams to share."

The other team seemed to be attracted by the vision of the experience pool. The captain hesitated for a moment and finally nodded: "Okay, let's cooperate for a while."

The players on both sides breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere suddenly relaxed. They walked to the experience pool together, and saw the light in the pool getting brighter and brighter, and finally condensed into a crystal clear gem.

"This is... an experience gem!" Lin Xiao exclaimed.

Experience gems are extremely precious items in the game and can directly increase the character's experience value. Both teams looked surprised, but they did not forget their previous agreement and shared the gem together.

(End of this chapter)