Chapter 17

C17 – Summoning

This Black Iron Defensive Gear set was initially intended for Huamo, but she found the equipment too unsightly. Besides, her formidable strength made such gear unnecessary. So, Qiang Nantie decided to keep it for himself.

In addition to the armor, he came across several stone axes. These could be used for chopping wood, and even without formal woodcutting skills, Qiang Nantie could still fell trees. It would, however, drain his stamina and take up much of his time. A higher Strength attribute would certainly speed up the process.

Currently, with no time for lumberjacking, Qiang Nantie set aside the gear, planning to sell it.

“Huamo, you look stunning in that Wild Hare Set,” he complimented.

Turning around, Qiang Nantie was greeted by the sight of Huamo clad in the Wild Hare Set, resembling a charming bunny girl. The helmet’s pointed bunny ears were particularly adorable.

Huamo promptly stowed the gear away. They could simply think it, and the equipment would be stored, ready to be summoned and worn whenever necessary—a remarkably convenient feature.

Each person could don six pieces of basic defensive gear, wield one weapon, and wear two rings. The basic gear included a helmet, gauntlets, armor, a belt, leg guards, and shoes. Belts, however, typically weren’t part of the set; while some sets included them, most did not. Dual weapons were another category, with their full potential unlocked only when paired together. Additional rings beyond the first two wouldn’t boost attributes unless they were special rings.

Female heroes had their unique set of gear: an earring, a necklace, and a bracelet. Male heroes, on the other hand, had three extra pieces to enhance their attributes: shoulder armor, a cape, and a pendant.

The Territory world was teeming with equipment, including numerous special items, all capable of augmenting one’s attributes. The higher a hero’s base attributes, the more powerful they became.

As night deepened, the Territory’s buildings emitted a soft glow, warding off the encroaching darkness.

Qiang Nantie produced a lamp resembling a crystal ball. It served as a light source, with adjustable brightness for added convenience.

“Huamo, we’re heading to the Bronze Bird Terrace,” Qiang Nantie announced.

“Are we going to call forth new sisters?” Huamo inquired.

“Yes. The upcoming battles will be grueling, and our territory has expanded too much. We need more allies to join the fight,” Qiang Nantie explained.

“Okay.” Huamo smiled, trailing behind Qiang Nantie.

The Bronze Bird Terrace had been upgraded to Level 10, growing from a modest single-story building to a more substantial two-story structure, yet it remained barren inside. Decorating would require spirit coins, which Qiang Nantie couldn’t spend during the novice trial phase.

Approaching the summoning platform, which now resembled a stage bathed in white light, Qiang Nantie faced a dilemma. With only two thousand Soul Coins, advanced summoning was out of reach; he was limited to basic summoning.

A prompt from the Bronze Bird Terrace asked, “Do you wish to spend 100 Soul Coins for a hero summon?”

“Yes!”

“Soul Coins decreased by 100.”

A glow enveloped the platform, revealing an item before Qiang Nantie.

“Congratulations, you’ve obtained a wooden table,” announced the Bronze Bird Terrace.

Qiang Nantie nearly broke down. If not for the necessity of his personal involvement in the summoning, he would’ve passed the task to Huamo, whose luck was notably higher.

“The table’s quite good. Now we have somewhere to put things,” Huamo consoled him.

Qiang Nantie knew all too well that the rarer the item, the more challenging the summon. He braced himself for this reality.

Item: Wooden Table

Quality: F

Description: A simple wooden table for storing items or dining for the Lord and Heroes.

Stowing the table, Qiang Nantie initiated another summon.

“Soul Coins decreased by 100.”

“Congratulations, you’ve obtained a female bra,” the Bronze Bird Terrace chimed in.

Qiang Nantie felt a mix of frustration and disbelief. He had actually summoned such an item.

“Huamo, you should take this.”

Feeling shy beside him, Huamo hesitated to accept the item.

Item: Women’s Bra

Quality: D

Description: It possesses a breast-enhancing effect and is a favorite among women.

“Okay.”

Huamo eyed the bra levitating before her, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. She quickly stowed the bra away and stepped aside, her gaze cast downward.

Qiang Nantie watched Huamo and thought to himself, “No need to be so modest. Your head’s nearly touching your chest.”

Indeed, Huamo’s figure was exceptional.

Her bust was notably ample.

She epitomized the ideal woman.

Being one of the four great beauties, it was no surprise that her figure was outstanding.

Qiang Nantie worked to calm his stirring heart; he couldn’t afford to make a fool of himself in front of such a beauty.

“People claim that the Lottery can yield great rewards, but that’s just a myth.”

“I’ll go for ten straight summons on the platform.”

Qiang Nantie proceeded to use the Summoning Platform ten times in a row!

Soul Coin: -1000

Bronze Bird Terrace announced, “Congratulations, you’ve received a light bulb.”

Bronze Bird Terrace announced, “Congratulations, you’ve received a set of silk bedding.”

Bronze Bird Terrace announced, “Congratulations, you’ve received a royal pillow.”

Bronze Bird Terrace announced, “Congratulations, you’ve received a set of lingerie.”

“I’m done believing in the Lottery’s promise of good fortune.”

Clearly, the luckless don’t win big in the Lottery.

After ten attempts, all he got were trivial items.

“All I want is a simple request—a girl. Why must it be so hard?”

“What’s this?” Huamo, puzzled, examined the lingerie before her.

“It’s essentially similar to the earlier bra.”

Huamo was a true maiden of ancient times, unfamiliar with modern innovations.

To put it plainly, she was as unblemished as a blank canvas.

“And so, it takes a skilled artist like me to paint upon this canvas.”

Hearing this, Huamo’s eyes grew wide, and her cheeks flushed once more. She picked up the lingerie and left the Bronze Bird Terrace.

“Is it wrong to speak the truth?”

“Would you rather I be a deceiver?”

Though the Bronze Bird Terrace could conjure a beauty like Huamo, Qiang Nantie had come to the realization that the act of summoning was nothing but a sham.

This was a task he had to undertake, no question about it.

“Should I keep summoning or should I level up?”

He had pondered this dilemma.

“Let’s give Intermediate Summoning a shot. Elementary Summoning just isn’t cutting it anymore!”

He had just enough Soul Coins left for one Intermediate Summoning attempt.

Soul Coin balance: -500

The Bronze Bird Terrace alert chimed in: “Congratulations, you’ve acquired the skill book: Seven-star Sword Technique.”

“Not too shabby. A skill book is quite the valuable asset!”