Is the person you sculpt as cute as me?

Jiandui Lulu liked these new equipment made of magic and ice so much that he didn't listen to Yu Man's explanation at all.

After all, magic is used to fulfill one's wishes, and magicians will feel happy when those wishes are cherished.

It’s a pity that, as if he was afraid of even the slightest damage to his equipment, Jiandui Lulu no longer took the lead, but followed Yu Man cautiously... That’s also good, after all, they are the boss and the guard, this is what should be done.

"Don't lick it."

Alas, the boss wouldn't listen.

……

Along the way, when they encountered second-level monsters, they could easily deal with them, but they still needed to avoid third-level monsters.

"So, this is how we can avoid monsters..." Jiandui Lulu learned very quickly and had some understanding of the monster's hatred range.

"Well, if it's a fourth-tier one, I'll have to enchant both of our equipment, otherwise we won't be able to escape."

Without sufficient environment and preparation, Yu Man would not be able to defeat enemies of that level.

On the contrary, Yu Man discovered that this guy who kept calling him "brother" and "brother" was very good at playing games.

When playing a melee class, one thing that is difficult to overcome is the instinctive reaction when being attacked. Modern people lack experience in this area, and it is difficult to get started. Humans' useless instincts will hinder combat.

But she doesn't, instead she has a very good grasp of distance.

She knew her own attack range and could predict the attack range of these basic monsters.

There's a problem though, her damage is very low.

"Boss, how much do you specialize in now?"

"What is specialization?"

011·Update

It's normal to have this reaction.

In the old world, killing monsters will give you two things that make you stronger.

The first is to help players improve their skills, because this is a completely virtual game and the experience is completely different. The second is the specialization points, which will quietly wait for players to assign them.

So, Yu Man taught her a gesture that could be used to access the expertise panel.

"...I have 17 points of specialization to allocate. Since the server was launched until now, it seems that I have only accumulated this much."

"Huh, that's quite a few."

If it is distributed to armor, it can make the armor more effective. The same is true for distributing it to weapons.

A person who has fully mastered a specialization can perform at the same level as a person with zero specialization but a fully mastered tenth-level weapon even if he is using a second-level weapon.

Therefore, this is the biggest part of the combat effectiveness improvement and the only permanent asset in the hands of the player.

Although in the middle and late stages of the game, everyone's specialization is the same.

"Then in the later stages, specializations are the same, and there's a cap on equipment tiers, so fighting will just be about skill?"

"Not really. For example, I'm an enchanter, which can greatly enhance combat effectiveness, although it comes at a high cost. Your Traveler, on the other hand, is very simple and crude in enhancing combat effectiveness, and is quite strong."

“I learned.”

Yu Man continued, saying that since there was nothing to do on the road anyway, "But there's another factor that determines combat effectiveness, which players commonly call a secondary job."

"Secondary class, I understand. It's the new weapon I'm trying to use after I've maxed out this series?"

"Yes, because after mastering one class, mastering other classes will have a significant penalty for mastery, making it very difficult. However, having a highly specialized secondary class can greatly expand your tactical options and allow for many tricky strategies."

"...Brother, you are either a beta tester or a game developer."

Yu Man shook her head: "I saw it on the official website." This is true, the official website did introduce a little bit of the basics.

She mentioned the last thing: "Also, skills. We have two accessory slots and one soul weapon slot, which will provide us with a total of three additional skills. Getting the right skills is very important."

“…The official website also introduced this?”

"Yeah, by the way, the number of skills in this world is endless."

"……What's the meaning?"

"Literally." Yu Man didn't say anything more.

As for whether Jiandui Lulu listened to it or not, it doesn’t matter. You will naturally know it as you keep playing.

Although it was just a matter of extending the team time, Yu Man was still the lone player. She knew that separation would come easily, but before that, she would help her a little more. So that she, who had chosen to become a traveler, could have a smoother journey ahead.

Help her choose the specialization and chat about the game——

unconsciously.

"arrive."

"It really is."

They had crossed the wind and snow, and arrived at their destination in a place that was inaccessible to monsters, guided by the traveler and the map in their hands.

That's under the giant tree.

--world Tree.

The true appearance of this world that supports each main city area.

They are the vast crystals of elements that stretch from the earth to the sky. They are the creators of this world's environment. Their treetops constitute the ecosystem, and their dust and metabolism become the soil that nurtures life.

The reason why Shimlabakken is a snowy mountain is essentially because of this world tree.

It is born from the earth and is the final form of ice element crystallization.

Shimla Bakken, Mountain of Heaven

Not the main city, not the snow-capped mountains, not this big island.

That is actually the name of this world tree, a spike climbing up to the sky - ice spike.

"...It's so spectacular! It feels like we've reached the edge of the world, not a tree," Jiandui Lulu exclaimed. "If the world is flat, there must be a wall like this to stop us from falling."

"It's better to say that if the world is a petri dish, then this scene is like a glass wall." Yu Man couldn't help but be surprised.

It was the first time she saw this elemental world tree, it was so beautiful.

Then, Yu Man stretched out his hands, made a framing gesture, and took a screenshot to record this scene.

"I'm very satisfied. There is no regret in this trip... Hmm? What are you doing?" Jiandui Lulu asked.

"screenshot."

She was so shocked that she typed a string of words at breakneck speed: "—Huh?! There's such a function... Ah, I must check out the official website. I don't know how much I've missed! Wait, what are you doing? Can you take a screenshot for me first? I really want to see what Bingxue looks like wearing this outfit you gave me..."

Yu Man casually made a mirror and placed it in the same place, continuing his actions.

She was gathering nature and transforming it into enchanting materials to enchant gloves, boots, and robes.

Of course, I also need to enchant Jiandui Lulu. However, these are just some extra resistance and defense to prevent accidents.

After making preparations: "Are you ready?" Yu Man asked.

"...Stay a little longer. I want to take a few more pictures of the World Tree before heading home."

"No, it is climbable—we have a way to reach the top."

"……What?!"

Yu Man's hand touched the ice wall, her voice only slightly louder than the wind: "So, traveler, will you follow me to the highest point of Shimla Bakken?"

that's it--

They have truly started their journey of climbing the mountain.

But climbing doesn't mean climbing a tower one step at a time. The World Tree isn't a heartless existence. On the contrary, it loves the lives it nurtures... even players who appear out of nowhere.

It summoned the wind—a wind mixed with a little bit of broken ice.

Following Yu Man's guidance, they no longer resisted the wind and snow that spread all over the world, but lay in its arms.

Then, the wind connected to the magic power of Yu Man, the ice magician, and also connected to Jiandui Lulu's ice suit.

The wind carried them upwards when they first met.

Starting from the ground, passing through the height where the snowstorm has subsided, and then to the height where you can overlook the entire forest.

Next, there is the snow outside the forest, which is an illegal area.

Jiandui Lulu probably couldn't see clearly, but Yu Man's vision was clear enough that she saw the players in the illegal area.

But these scenes soon disappeared.

——They rode the wind and reached a higher place.

That is a height high enough to overlook the main city, and even more areas.

Farmland, villages, traces of battlefields, docks, huge keels...

and also--

Only when you reach a higher place can you finally see the clear sky above your head.

They reached higher than the clouds and crushed the lingering snowstorm under their feet.

A vast expanse of crystal-clear blue hung in their upward gazes. Clear sky, blue sky, azure sky… People have many words to describe it, especially at night, when those words are always imbued with the meaning of longing.

Now—they emerged from the ice and snow and arrived in the clear sky.

The tip of the world tree's ice spike rests at this position.

The wind, no longer cold, led the two travelers who were visiting for the first time to the only place where they could stand.

"Achievement: Reaching the World Tree"

At the same time, this line of words floated into their vision.

The rainbow color of this achievement, even though it symbolizes a world first, cannot compare to the azure blue of the clear sky.

……

The top of the World Tree is more spacious than it looks, big enough for a team of five to stand.

Therefore, they can even lie on it or sit freely.

But before they could enjoy their journey's end—

"Welcome, pioneers from afar." A voice came.

When the two of them understood the sound, a human figure gradually took shape where the sound came from.

She is an NPC with the appearance of a young girl, like the remaining summer ice that is about to melt in the sunshine and blue sky.

"Who are you?" Jiandui Lulu asked.

"I am Shim Labakken." The girl made of ice called herself so.

Then, an information bar appeared above her head, which meant that the NPC was willing to tell the players about herself. She was the incarnation of the consciousness of this world tree, and she appeared specifically to welcome the players who arrived for the first time.

"I hope the blizzard that accompanies me does not cool your hearts that want to explore the future." The World Tree said with a smile.

Yu Man was confused for a long time, mainly wanting to ask "what is the reward", but couldn't find the right words to say it.

She wanted to use the conversation as usual to get more information, but she forgot that she was not alone.

The traveler next to her was much more enthusiastic than her: "Won't you melt in the sun here?"

"There's no sun like your world here, only light elements. While they do emit heat, they can't melt a magical being like me. Thank you for your concern, traveler."

Jiandui Lulu continued typing, asking more questions: "That's good. Will you continue to grow in the future?"

"Ah."

"Then when you reach a higher vantage point, would you be willing to share more of the scenery with us?"

"Maybe you don't have that much time to welcome that day..."

"It's okay, at least I'm satisfied now. Thank you for sharing."

Shim Labakken smiled widely. She did not offer any material rewards but simply pointed into the distance.