Chương 17: Each Generation Stronger Than the Last

Worldfall: A Broken Bow【LitRPG+Progression】 · World Gazer · 47 chương · ~16 phút đọc · Tạo 05/07/2026

Tiannan City's fortunes were improving. Many other cities weren't so lucky. 【Planar Announcement: Illusory Star City has fallen. Human population -70, 000, 000. 】【White Tiger City and Wushuang City have successfully established a Teleportation Array linking the two cities. Defensive capabilities greatly increased. All Blue Star Awakened: All Stats +5. 】 Inter-city Teleportation Arrays--for all of Blue Star, this was deeply significant.

Combined strength from two cities could clear higher-tier dungeons and take down more powerful monsters. Every major breakthrough by the trailblazers showered rewards on everyone. Xiao Chen had been Awakened for two years. He'd accumulated quite a few of these stat bonuses. 【Blue Star's strongest player has broken Level 120. Every Awakened: All Stats +10. All newly Awakened on Blue Star: Starting All Stats +30. 】 Reading that bonus, Xiao Chen wanted to cry.

When he'd first Awakened, each of his stats had been a measly five points! +30 to all stats? That was higher than his stats had been at Level 20. From here on out, every generation would be stronger than the last. Xiao Chen sighed. Wrong era, once again. Of course, there was nothing he could do. The first generation of Awakened had it the hardest. One survivor out of ten thousand was doing well. The generation before Xiao Chen? It took decades just to reach Level 40.

Back in those days, no one was out there carrying newbies to kill Level 60 bosses.

"Each generation stronger than the last. That's the only way we have a shot."

"It's actually pretty fair. The newbies missed out on a bunch of rewards too." If the first-generation Awakened were still alive, centuries of accumulated Planar rewards would add up to a lot. All these stat bonuses hitting at once gave Xiao Chen's level bracket a nice boost. For Level 20 Awakened, it was a massive windfall.

"Freshly Awakened Level 1 players can party up and run Tier-1 dungeons right away."

"Life profession players won't have to struggle so hard to level up."

"This is good. New Awakened won't be stuck without parties anymore." Everyone in Storm Squad had clawed their way up from the bottom tier. They felt this deeply.

"Captain, wonder when Tiannan City will get its own Teleportation Array. I hope I get to see other cities in my lifetime."

"Yeah, they say before the Game arrived, this world was all connected. You could go anywhere."

"With Tiannan City's current strength, that day shouldn't be too far off."

"I heard some top-tier Assassins don't even need Teleportation Arrays to travel between cities. Level 100+ players can pull it off too."

"Makes sense. Some people Awakened with flight abilities. Flying a few thousand miles in a day is nothing."

"There are Universal Skill books for flying, but they cost several hundred thousand gold each. Even if you have the money, you might not find one for sale." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Everything about getting stronger cost money. Everywhere.

"Don't think about that right now. Just focus on grinding with me! Once you two hit Level 50, head back to Tiannan City." Hearing that, Wang Zhen and Liu Mei looked surprised.

"Captain, aren't you coming back? Once you're past Level 50, these mobs won't give much EXP."

"I'm planning to stay out here longer, see if I can bag some elite monsters." That was part of it. But the bigger reason was kill count. Two One in Ten Thousand triggers per day. The stat gains from that already rivaled what he'd get from leveling. Slower leveling was fine. Xiao Chen needed those kills. If he could maintain this grinding pace, he'd happily stay out here for years. A few months of this, and his stats could match a C-Rank player.

"Captain, leveling is what matters most."

"You're not wrong. You two push your levels first. I need to build my foundation." At Level 50, Xiao Chen planned to swap into a Level 50 gear set. Then he could solo grind if needed, though the efficiency would tank. He wouldn't need a tank--just one healer would do.

"Captain, actually, you could power-level people here."

"Right? Taking someone from Level 1 to 50 for two hundred gold per person? That's not unreasonable." Xiao Chen's eyes lit up.

"Five people at once--and there's my gear money sorted." A single Level 40 trash mob's EXP was probably enough to catapult a Level 1 player three levels forward. With enough gold, freshly Awakened players could catch up fast.

"Actually, don't start from Level 1. Start from Level 10. Recruit through the guild!" On top of mob drops, there was the power-leveling fee, plus kill count gains, plus guild Contribution Points. Turning himself into a grinding machine suddenly didn't sound so bad. By Level 50, Xiao Chen could trigger One in Ten Thousand dozens more times. The stat gains would be substantial. Xiao Chen was really feeling how powerful this talent was. One in Ten Thousand. Someday, he'd be a one-in-ten-thousand powerhouse himself.

Day after grueling day, the grinding pace only accelerated. After a month of relentless grinding, Xiao Chen hit Level 49--and a Level 50 elite finally spawned. By now, Wang Zhen and Liu Mei had reached Level 48.

"Level 50 elite Demonspider. I'm pulling!"

"Don't worry, Captain. I've got this."

"Good. Don't let it get away. Watch out for its skills--the poison spit hits hard." Xiao Chen didn't need to worry about positioning. With his attack range, he just stood back and poured on damage. Liu Mei's healing was practiced and smooth. Her combat experience actually exceeded Xiao Chen's. Wang Zhen was a textbook tank. One elite monster barely troubled them. Xiao Chen positioned himself within an arrow tower's range, gaining the territory's attack bonus.

"-8, 913""Power Strike -- 18, 652""Critical Strike -- 10, 369" The Level 50 elite's attacks were brutal. Terrifying damage numbers kept floating above Wang Zhen's head. Some skills couldn't be dodged. Sometimes Wang Zhen's HP got cut in half in an instant. Genuinely heart-stopping to watch.

"Retribution -- 15, 968""Armor Shred!"

"Shield Bash." Wang Zhen's Awakened skills were solid. They made Xiao Chen's damage output much smoother. The five-hundred-thousand-HP elite didn't last long. It toppled. EXP +3, 000, Gold Coins +3, Kills +1. You obtained a Bronze Grade Staff. A gear drop--a Level 50 Bronze piece. Solid loot. Divided three ways, over a hundred gold each. No more elites spawned after that, so they went back to grinding trash mobs. Ten more days, and all three hit Level 50.

"Forty days of grinding, and One in Ten Thousand's added a total of eight hundred attribute points. Way more than what I got from leveling." His total stats now surpassed those of a D-Rank player. You have reached Level 50. ATK +500, Attack Range +10 meters, HP +2, 000. Planar Vault Reward: Gold Coins +1, 000. Summon Level +1, HP +500, ATK +100, DEF +30. 【After reaching Level 50, each level up grants All Stats +10 and Free Attribute Points +20. 】 Another thousand gold from the Planar Vault. Seriously generous.

Wang Zhen and Liu Mei were stunned by the windfall. Post-Level 50 leveling rewards multiplied several times over. The gap between him and higher-tier talent players might widen again.

"Captain, here's the six hundred gold I owe you!" Xiao Chen checked his total wealth: 2, 016 gold. Over two thousand gold. Unthinkable not long ago. Valor Helmet -- Bronze Grade, Level 50 STR +40 | AGI +40 | CON +40 | DEF +100 | HP +1, 000 Same Bronze Grade tier, but the difference between Level 30 and Level 50 gear was night and day. He sold off his Level 30 set, chipped in another six hundred gold, and swapped into a full Level 50 set. You obtained Valor Gauntlets! You obtained Valor Boots.

Clad head to toe in Level 50 gear--the difference was palpable. Set Bonus activated: HP +2, 000, DEF +200. Still had over thirteen hundred gold left. He dropped three hundred on a weapon upgrade. You obtained Bronze Bow, LV 50. ATK +800 | All Stats +40 | Attack Range +10 meters | Attack Speed +0. 1 Effect 1: 10% chance to trigger Critical Strike, ATK +600. Massive Agility gains, plus another 0. 1 to attack speed. Xiao Chen's attack speed hit 0. 7. A thousand gold still burning a hole in his pocket.

Time to spend it.

"Upgrade one ring to Silver Grade--still four hundred gold short." Without hesitation, Xiao Chen opened the guild channel:"Power-leveling service! Level 10 to 50 fast, only two hundred gold per person! Five slots available!" High-tier players normally refused to waste time on this kind of work. Two hundred gold was a steal. The slots filled almost immediately. A thousand gold landed in Xiao Chen's pocket.

"Sell one Spirit Link Ring!" Gold Coins +1, 100. Three thousand gold in hand. Xiao Chen bought a Silver Grade ring. You obtained Radiance Ring. Gold Coins -2, 453. And just like that, he was back to six hundred gold. 【Radiance Ring -- Silver Grade, No Level Requirement STR +40 | AGI +40 | CON +40 | Critical Strike Chance +6% | Attack Range +10 meters】 For Xiao Chen, his current gear was borderline luxury. His combat power had peaked.