30. Level up, purchase supplies.

Upon reaching level 5, Su Yu’s attribute panel updated as follows:

Character: [Nemesis]
Level: 5
Class: Mage
Bloodline: [Star Bloodline (Legendary)]
Attributes:
Strength: 9, Agility: 9, Intelligence: 32, Constitution: 9, Luck: 10
Spell Power: 54
Health Points: 120
Mana Points: 1180
Defense: 40
Spell Critical Hit Rate: 0
Movement Speed: 1.6
Experience: 23/5000
Wealth: 7,378,868,860 Psionic Coins
Equipment: [Crescent Staff lv3 (Rare)], [Novice Mage Robe lv1 (Rare)], [Cloth Boots lv1 (Rare)], [Linen Gloves lv4 (Rare)], [Tear of the Goddess (Epic)]
Skills: [Magic Missile (Rare)], [Star-Pointing Hand (Legendary)], [Lightning Bolt (Rare)], [Ice Shield (Rare)], [Chain Lightning (Rare)], [Fireball (Rare)].
...
With the level-up, the [Wind-Velvet Belt] dropped by the Silver Snake became usable. Su Yu casually upgraded it to Rare quality and equipped it.

[Wind-Velvet Belt lv5 (Rare)]
Defense +10
Inventory Capacity +5
Spell Penetration +5

Su Yu’s original inventory only had 20 slots, forcing him to discard many materials while leveling. Now, with the [Wind-Velvet Belt] equipped, his capacity increased to 25, significantly easing his storage woes.

"Once I reach Golden Columbine City, there’s a quest at the 'Scarlet Rose' tavern in the southern district that expands inventory space..." Su Yu’s thoughts drifted.

However, having successfully reached level 5, the next logical step was to solo a dungeon. He first glanced at his friends list.

Both "Slash Heaven Sword" and "Crimson Eyes Black Dragon" were online, but neither had sent him a message. Perhaps they had realized something from the recent events and were becoming wary of him. Su Yu didn't bother sending them a private message either.

Noticing the "lv4" tag next to "Slash Heaven Sword's" name, Su Yu realized that if an elite player like him hadn't reached level 5, it was highly unlikely others had, either. This meant he still had plenty of time.

Su Yu sighed with relief, switched to his movement-speed-boosting leather armor, and returned to Nolan Village.
...
Two minutes later, Su Yu arrived back at the village. Rather than rushing into a dungeon, he headed to the Magic Hut. At this stage, the [Fireball] and [Ice Arrow] scrolls were too weak to be of much use. Recalling the old mage mentioning a "new shipment," he decided to check it out.

Inside the Magic Hut, Su Yu stated his purpose. Old Mage Pism was overjoyed. He quickly produced a fresh exchange list, presenting it to Su Yu with both hands as if offering a treasure: "Little brother, these are Tier 1 scrolls I went through great lengths to procure from the Temple. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Su Yu took the list and scanned it. [Fireball] and [Ice Arrow] were Tier 0 spells, priced at 50 Psionic Coins. The new list featured many Tier 1 spells, such as Fire spells [Rain of Fire] and [Lesser Fireball]; Ice spells [Ice Spike] and [Frost Nova]; Earth spells [Earth Shield] and [Summon Rock Elemental]; and Lightning spells [Chain Lightning] and [Lightning Strike], among others. These Tier 1 spells were marked at 200 Psionic Coins each.

"You've got quite a few good things this time," Su Yu nodded with satisfaction.

"Of course! I, Pism, may not be good for much else, but I have my connections; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to snag this lucrative post in Nolan Village," the old mage said, looking smug.

"However, do you take me for a fool? The average price for a Tier 1 scroll in Golden Columbine City is around 150 Psionic Coins. You dare charge me 200?!" Su Yu’s tone shifted, becoming quite blunt. Though he was wealthy and didn't care much for small change, that didn't mean he would let someone swindle him like an idiot.

Seeing the inflated price, Su Yu was visibly displeased. The old mage was startled, not expecting Su Yu to be so well-informed about market prices. He quickly tried to remedy the situation: "You've misunderstood, little brother! Nolan Village is far from the big cities, and transportation is inconvenient. Charging you 200 Psionic Coins is already a very favorable price..."

"Spare me the excuses," Su Yu interrupted sharply. "140 per scroll. Take it or leave it. If not, I’ll go see Sean the apothecary."

"140, this..." The mage hesitated for a long time, eventually sighing. "Fine, 140 it is. Consider it a discount for you, little brother."

Selling them at 140 left almost no profit, but to retain a big client like Su Yu, the old mage gritted his teeth and agreed.
...
Just like that, Su Yu spent 98,000 Psionic Coins at the Magic Hut, purchasing 700 scrolls at 140 coins each. Excluding [Earth Shield], he bought 100 of every other Tier 1 spell. As for potions, there were no new ones, so he simply bought 200 [Lesser Mana Recovery Potions] to finish the transaction.

After leaving the Magic Hut, Su Yu stopped by the warehouse to put the [Cloud-Mist Round Shield], [Slick-Scale Chestplate], and the skill scroll [Word of Power: Shield] dropped by the Silver Snake boss up for auction. He also listed his unwanted [Fireball] and [Ice Arrow] scrolls for 30 Psionic Coins each. His inventory was now half empty.
...
With all that done, Su Yu expertly found the dungeon merchant, Jenny, and spent 10 Psionic Coins on a level 5 dungeon ticket. Jenny waved her staff, and a pale blue [Portal] quickly opened behind her.

"Greetings, adventurer. Which dungeon would you like to enter?" Jenny asked kindly.

There were three level 5 dungeons in total. The first was [Green Meadow], based on the level 4 monster "Hillside Sheep." The second was [Silver Snake Under Green City Mountain], based on the level 5 "Silver Snake." The third was [Thunder Bluff], based on the level 6 "Ferocious Bison." Of course, the monsters inside all scaled to level 5.

Su Yu opted for the easiest one. He clicked on [Green Meadow] on the far left and stepped into the portal. A familiar wave of dizziness and weightlessness washed over him, and he vanished.

When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of a vast, boundless grassland.

"You have entered the level 5 dungeon: [Green Meadow]."
"Dungeon Brief: The Green Meadow was originally home to a group of kind-hearted mountain sheep."
"However, at some point, the sheep were corrupted by alien energy, becoming manic and aggressive... (200 words omitted)..."
"Your mission is to storm the sheep village and eliminate the Village Chief!"