Diao Chan's attributes revealed her versatility, blending long-range and melee prowess. The technique she wielded now—Lotus Sword Art—unfolded with breathtaking grace. Each swing of her blade conjured white lotuses in the air, an ethereal spectacle that stirred Zhou Yan's heart. Her heroic elegance captivated him, her beauty almost otherworldly.
With a flick of her sword, she danced through the fray. Her movements belied combat's brutality, resembling a performance more than a slaughter. Sword flowers bloomed, and two sharp thuds followed—two more black wolves crumpled lifeless to the ground. The pack stood no chance, overwhelmed by her sheer power. In mere moments, all ten lay dead, yet Diao Chan remained radiant, her stern gaze lending her an indomitable air.
"These monsters dropped loot," she called to Zhou Yan from across the field.
He hurried over, spotting ten wooden chests scattered among the corpses—rewards from the fallen wolves, vital for strengthening his territory.
[Item: Wooden Treasure Chest]
[Quality: Wood]
[Introduction: Contains various items.]
Treasure chests ranged in quality: wood, black iron, bronze, silver, gold, dark gold, platinum, diamond, and lucky color. Higher tiers promised greater rewards. A notification chimed across the territory.
[The first day of the novice trial has concluded!]
[Settling rewards now!]
[Eliminated: 10 black wolves.]
[Battle Evaluation: SSS]
[Rewards: Base reward—20 soul coins, 20 spirit coins, basic building: fence. Additional rewards for evaluation—20 soul coins, 20 spirit coins, building: arrow tower.]
Joy surged through Zhou Yan. The novice trial granted extra spoils daily, and Diao Chan's dominance secured the highest rating. "Two buildings already," he mused. "This boosts our defenses significantly." The haul included 10 wooden chests, 40 soul coins, 40 spirit coins, a fence, and an arrow tower—a promising start.
"The novice trial's drop rate lives up to its reputation," he noted. Every monster yielded a chest, albeit of the lowest wood quality. Such generosity wouldn't persist beyond this phase. "Chan'er, your luck is high. You open them," he suggested. His own luck stat lingered at 1, paling beside her 10.
"What do I do?" she asked, agreeable.
"Just hold the chest and think 'open,'" he explained.
Unlike wild chests requiring keys for their precious contents, these monster drops unlocked effortlessly. Diao Chan grasped the first chest and willed it open. It snapped apart.
[Congratulations: Gained 2 soul coins.]
She glanced at the coins. "My luck doesn't seem that great."
Zhou Yan chuckled. "Wooden chests are the lowest tier. Good items are rare. If I opened it, I'd likely get just one soul coin." Every resource mattered early on, even a single coin. Most lords drew only spirit coins, less valuable by comparison.
Diao Chan pressed on.
[Congratulations: Gained 2 spirit coins.]
[Congratulations: Gained 2 soul coins.]
[Congratulations: Gained 2 soul coins.]
She paused, eyeing the modest haul. "All twos. Maybe my luck's lacking."
"The max from a wooden chest is two soul coins," he reassured her. "You're hitting that consistently. If it were me, I'd mostly get spirit coins." Her luck impressed him. Spirit coins, tradable among lords post-trial, held less worth than soul coins, which fueled upgrades and summons.
She resumed opening.
[Congratulations: Gained 2 soul coins.]
[Congratulations: Gained 2 spirit coins.]
[Congratulations: Gained 1 soul coin.]
From ten chests, she extracted 11 soul coins and 8 spirit coins—four spirit coin drops against six soul coin yields. Zhou Yan knew his own attempts would've skewed toward spirit coins. Wooden chests offered little, but her results outshone his expectations.
Strengthening a hero demanded soul coins, a scarce resource gained chiefly through monster kills. These chests bound to their slayer, untradable and vanishing if unclaimed within a day. Soon, the wolves' corpses faded, refreshed away by the territory. Zhou Yan sighed—without gathering skills, their materials were lost.
Next, he turned to his new buildings. Anticipation swelled as he deployed them, eager for the colorful lord space's enhancements.
[Ding! Constructing fence. Fence evolves into thorn vine fence.]
[Ding! Constructing arrow tower. Arrow tower evolves into flame tower.]
A perimeter of fences sprang up, entwined with thorny vines. Sharp barbs gleamed, roots burrowing into the soil—a living barrier grown from the earth itself.
[Building: Thorn Vine Fence]
[Level: 1]
[Upgrade Cost: 100 spirit coins]
[Defense: 1000/1000]
[Special: Repair]
[Introduction: A vital fence of thorny vines, capable of self-repair. Unless uprooted entirely, any remaining root sustains regrowth.]
Zhou Yan gaped. "This is incredible!" An infinitely repairable fence, costing no resources, defied belief. Though lacking a formal quality rank, these evolved structures rivaled SSS-tier buildings in potency.