Chapter 9

C9 – Got Equipment

After Qiang Nantie reviewed the stats, he was utterly dumbfounded!

Every single one of Huamo’s attributes had shot up by two points!

Her Charm and Luck scores had also increased by two. Qiang Nantie was astounded.

From what he understood, when a Lord summoned a Hero, their attributes would increase randomly, aligning with their unique traits.

But this never included Charm and Luck.

Neither Heroes nor Lords could boost their Charm and Luck with Attribute Points.

They could only enhance these through special rewards or acquiring specific gear.

Yet, Huamo was an exception. Every one of her attributes had risen by two points!

But as far as Qiang Nantie knew, not even a Grade SSS Hero could gain that many attribute points upon leveling up.

By Huamo’s gains, she had racked up a whopping 12 attribute points with just one level advancement!

This was extraordinarily rare and impressive!

“In all the information available to me, the highest grade Hero I’m aware of is Grade SSS. I have no clue about Heroes beyond that grade, nor do I know how to find that information through other channels…”

Qiang Nantie was unsure if any other Lords had ever encountered a Grade RRR Hero, and he couldn’t benchmark Huamo against other Heroes.

However, he was certain that Huamo’s attributes were exceptional.

The gap between higher-level Heroes and their counterparts became increasingly pronounced.

Each Lord typically gained three free attribute points upon leveling up. But Qiang Nantie wasn’t sure if he was an outlier, especially since he too had been enhanced by the Rainbow Lord Space.

He eagerly anticipated how much his own attributes would improve after his next level up.

Like Huamo, he required 100 Soul Coins to progress from Level 0 to Level 1.

For a regular Lord or Hero to make the same leap, it would only cost 10 Soul Coins. Even a Grade SSS Hero needed just 10 Soul Coins to level up.

This made their leveling process tenfold more challenging. Naturally, they would need an increasing number of Soul Coins for future advancements.

Feeling the surge of power within, Huamo realized her strength had grown. She asked Qiang Nantie, “Did you upgrade me?”

Stepping forward, Qiang Nantie simply responded, “Yes.”

“I think you should level up yourself first,” Huamo suggested.

“You’re already strong. If I level up, I’ll only get a slight boost. But when you level up, the increase in your strength is substantial. If we run into tougher monsters down the line, having you powered up will make us all a lot safer.”

Lords didn’t have to engage in direct combat with monsters. Their role was to develop their territories and lead.

Indeed, some Lords who had been developing their domains for years were still only a few levels high.

Naturally, most Lords craved power. They strove to level up and amplify their strength.

A Lord’s power wasn’t solely tied to their equipment level. Cultivation techniques were equally crucial.

Cultivation techniques, skill books, and various rare treasures were among the world’s most valuable assets.

“There’s a Black Iron Treasure Chest,” Huamo noted, eyeing the chest on the ground.

“Go ahead and open it. Let’s see what treasures we can find.”

Qiang Nantie had given up on his luck. Fortune never seemed to favor him.

He’d never won anything from a soda can.

Nor had he ever struck it lucky with a lottery ticket.

Huamo opened the chest.

“Congratulations, you’ve obtained a Wolf Fang Sword.”

He actually got a piece of equipment!

Qiang Nantie was astounded as a finely crafted sword materialized on the ground.

“Equipment: Wolf Fang Sword”

“Quality: Black Iron”

“Durability: 10/10”

Attributes: Strength +4, Sharpness +2, with a small chance to inflict a tearing effect.”

“Equipment Requirement: Strength 3.”

Beginner equipment typically had no requirements. But Lords and Heroes could use other gear, provided they met the necessary criteria to harness the equipment’s full potential.

Otherwise, even with a divine weapon in hand, they couldn’t tap into its attributes without meeting the wielding requirements.

“Here, take this sword,” Huamo offered the Wolf Fang Sword to Qiang Nantie.

“I don’t meet the strength requirement. You use it first,” Qiang Nantie responded.

“Alright then.” Huamo swapped his Beginner Sword with Qiang Nantie.

The werewolf’s form was not much different from a human’s. Clearly, Qiang Nantie had no intention of considering such a humanoid creature as food.

Moreover, he had already gathered enough wild rabbits and Black Scaled Snakes to sustain him. Going forward, food was the least of his concerns.

As they ventured further into uncharted territories, they encountered an array of new monsters.

“What are these creatures? A bunch of stones that can move?”

Qiang Nantie observed a cluster of ambulatory stones, each about a meter in height, sporting a pair of stubby legs that made their gait comically awkward.

Monster: Stone Demon

Quality: Elite

Level: Level 3

Special: Resource Monster

Description: This unique group of Resource Monsters, once defeated, transforms into usable building stone.

“They’re Resource Monsters!”

Qiang Nantie was astonished. He was familiar with the concept of Resource Monsters, known for their ability to morph into various materials upon defeat. Some would become lumber, others stone, and a few could even turn into items like clothing.

“There’s a whole bunch of them.”

His excitement was palpable as he surveyed the area, noting the mountain range teeming with Stone Demons.

“This is my lucky break. Stone is a crucial material for territory upgrades. Securing a supply of it now is incredibly fortuitous.”

During the trial period, he could upgrade his territory simply by spending spirit coins.

But once the trial was over, such privileges would be gone.

Turning to Huamo, Qiang Nantie remarked, “You’re in luck, Huamo. Defeating these Stone Demons will yield you an abundance of materials.”

“I understand.”

Huamo nodded, her movements graceful as a lotus in bloom. With the swiftness of lightning, she charged at the Stone Demons and dispatched them.

“You have slain a Level 3 monster, Elite Stone Spirit, earning an additional 6 Soul Coins.”

“You have slain a Level 3 monster, Elite Stone Spirit, earning an additional 6 spirit coins.”

“You have slain a Level 3 monster, Elite Stone Spirit, earning an additional 5 Soul Coins.”

“You have slain a Level 3 monster, Elite Stone Spirit, and obtained 4 spirit coins.”

A Stone Demon would yield a minimum of 4 Soul Coins or spirit coins as a reward—a substantial bounty by any measure.

Naturally, this windfall was tied to Huamo’s good fortune.

Monsters came in ten distinct grades.

The higher the monster’s grade, the more lucrative the rewards.

Huamo was immensely powerful, turning these Stone Demons into mere couriers of materials. Spotting the heaps of stones on the ground, Qiang Nantie quickly moved to collect them.

“You have collected two One-star Stones.”

“You have collected five One-star Stones. You have collected one Two-star Stone.”

Resource quality ranged from One-star to Nine-star, with One-star being the most common and least expensive.

Utilizing superior resources to enhance a territory’s buildings can significantly boost their various capabilities.

Once you’ve constructed a building with Two-star wood, you can’t downgrade to lower-tier wood for future upgrades.

Only the wealthiest conglomerates dare to use Advanced materials for their territories, while most Lords opt for Low-level materials for construction.