Hello.

The theme of this post is rest stop dining, with a look at a mobile game you can play in the car.

I previously wrote a guide to leveling in MapleStory M for the account-linking benefits in MapleStory on PC, but subsequent updates have completely changed the process, so it is time for an updated guide. This should help both new players and those who leveled a character in the past but need to start again.

MapleStory PC Link Ranks by MapleStory M Level

Leveling a character in MapleStory M lets you add a bonus block to your union raid in MapleStory on PC and gain its benefits. There are currently 5 ranks, but the main targets are the SS-rank block at level 120 and the SSS-rank block at level 250.

• MapleStory M characters reach B/A/S/SS/SSS rank at levels 30/50/70/120/250 (raid member effect: increases Attack Power/Magic ATT by 5/10/15/20/25)

Reaching level 120 used to take quite some time, but several patches have made leveling much faster, and as explained below, level 250 is also quick to reach during certain periods. Outside those periods, the time and effort required are too high for the benefits gained, whereas securing the level 120 SS rank gives you 20 more Attack Power and Magic ATT, plus 4 extra union squares, compared with having no block at all. I therefore recommend reaching level 120 first and leaving level 250 for later.

You can also earn 700 Mileage in MapleStory on PC by completing 5 simple daily quests. This is separate from the monthly 50,000 Mileage limit, making it a substantial benefit now that Mileage is increasingly important for buff consumables, map-wide buffs, and the 2 types of cubes added to the Mileage Shop.

Major Event Seasons Will Likely Offer the Fastest Route to Level 250

The route that drew attention for allowing players to reach level 250 in MapleStory M in 30 minutes, or 1 hour at most, is no longer available. It relied on the combined benefits of this winter update's reduced EXP requirements, new events, and showcase rewards, with <Hyper Burning> and the showcase gifts making the biggest difference.

Specifically, <Hyper Burning>'s 1+4 level-ups and the 6 Growth Potions from the gift box rewards made that pace possible. With the event and gifts no longer available, reaching that level now takes at least several weeks.

As noted above, if you do not have a MapleStory M character, the sensible approach is to reach level 120, focus on the daily Mileage quests, and resume leveling during the two major event seasons in June and December. Fortunately, reaching level 120 is quick even without an event.

Reaching Level 120 Through the <Born to V> Event, Available Until April 15: About 5 Minutes

The <Born to V> event works much like <Tera Blink> in MapleStory on PC. It began during the winter season and remains open for participation until April 30.

To begin, register through the UI shown above when creating your character.

You can then level up quickly by completing simple missions.

Although you only need level 120, you cannot leave the map until level 200, so you will need to continue through the missions. Reaching level 200 takes just 5 minutes, however, and only requires pressing the buttons. Once you reach level 200, stop the quest that continues automatically.

Reaching Level 120 Through the Permanent <Fast Growth> Route: About 10 Minutes

Even when <Born to V> is not running, you can reach level 120 quickly through <Fast Growth>.

This is a permanent feature rather than an event. When the two options shown above appear during character creation, select the button on the right.

As with <Born to V>, simple tutorial-style activities let you level up quickly, and using the skip option speeds up the process a little further.

At level 100, you are transferred to Henesys, where a second set of growth missions leading to level 200 unlocks. Since your target is 120, you only need to complete the missions up to that level.

For the Normal Zakum mission, the boss is quick to defeat solo, so select Create Party rather than Quick Join, then press Start to complete the mission right away.

Completing the mission to enhance the Enraged Zakum Belt should bring you to level 120, with the full process taking about 10 minutes.

Story Mode lets you play through each class's story from level 1, making it worth considering if you enjoy the story content.

Tips for Linking to MapleStory on PC and Completing Daily Quests

After reaching level 120, use the button in the Daily Online tab of the Tasks menu to link your MapleStory PC account. The link can take a little time to activate, so do not worry if the benefit does not appear immediately; check your union raid again later, and it should be there.

To link a different account, follow the same process. The linked account will update automatically.

For quests requiring monsters within your level range, regular fields are an option, but the Mini Dungeon under Quick Content has far more monsters and is the better choice.

You can finish the daily quest requiring 3 Fever Buff uses faster with Fever Buff Recharge Tickets received from events. Be careful with the ON/OFF button beneath Fever Buff, however, as it automatically uses tickets until your supply is depleted.

During Coin Shop events, you can purchase Fever Buff Recharge Tickets with coins. To collect the coins, leave auto-battle running and close the game; your character should earn them automatically.

For this method, disable the option shown here when entering the Mini Dungeon so your character continues hunting.

To complete the item acquisition quest quickly, buy 10 potions from the shop. You can then use potions manually to complete the potion consumption quest.

Newly created characters receive event pets that last for 90 days, so you do not need to worry about replacing them immediately. Once they expire, however, your character will die in the Mini Dungeon if you have no new pet. In that case, complete the monster elimination quest in a regular field, sell potions to the shop for the meso quest, and activate Fever Buff manually.

Finally, if you complete the daily quests while in the Cash Shop and are playing in windowed mode, click outside MapleStory, then click the MapleStory window again. This credits the Mileage immediately without requiring you to re-enter the Cash Shop.

Thank you for reading.