Buoyed by their gains, Zhou Yan grew bolder, venturing deeper into the forest with Diao Chan. Truthfully, she led the way—he merely tagged along, reaping experience. Without her strength, he'd never risk such depths. He only prayed no overpowering monsters lurked ahead.
Before becoming a lord, he'd drilled basic swordsmanship, but practice paled beside real combat. He sought a foe suited to his skills—low-level monsters, ideal sparring partners. Diao Chan's attributes and mastery, he reckoned, could handle threats up to level ten with ease.
Soon, they spotted another creature—a level 1 hare. Though a mere rabbit, it stretched a meter long, its claws and teeth razor-sharp, promising dire wounds if it struck.
[Monster: Hare]
[Quality: Normal]
[Level: 1]
[Special: None]
[Introduction: A leisurely, cute bunny.]
Zhou Yan restrained Diao Chan. "Let me handle this one," he said. "I can manage it." Her protection felt reassuring, but he refused to remain a bystander forever.
"Be cautious," she replied, stepping back yet staying close. If danger arose, she'd dispatch the hare in an instant.
Far from cute, the oversized beast loomed menacingly. Borrowing Diao Chan's novice sword, Zhou Yan charged. He sprang forward, blade arcing toward the hare. A swift slice severed its head before it could react.
[Killed Level 1 Hare. Rewarded: 2 spirit coins.]
Surprise flickered through him. Such speed and power were new—gifts from the colorful lord space. Though dwarfed by Diao Chan's stats, he outstripped peers. Other level 0 lords capped at 1 per attribute; his once-subpar figures now boasted 1.5 strength, 1.5 physique, 3 agility, and a staggering 6 spirit. If others knew, they'd gape in disbelief.
Unlike territory kills, which refreshed away, wild monster corpses persisted for harvesting. Zhou Yan collected the rabbit, then pressed on through the mist. His colorful lord space included a 10-square-meter storage, expandable with spirit coins. The forest's monsters proved cunning, adept at ambushing from cover. Another black-scaled snake struck, only to fall swiftly to their blades. Alongside hares and snakes, they felled several more level 1 foes. Zhou Yan handled these alone, Diao Chan standing by. His combat experience sharpened rapidly. His attributes shone, needing only practice to match them.
As battles mounted, his senses heightened—a welcome boon. Yet the wooden chests yielded no equipment, their drop rate dishearteningly low. Diao Chan opened most, her luck netting soul coins while his attempts dredged up scant spirit coins, often just one. He relinquished the task to her capable hands, and she rarely disappointed.
Pausing in a clearing, Zhou Yan offered her food. "Try this—see if you like it," he said, handing her a packet.
She examined it curiously. "What's this?"
"Bread. If it suits you, I'll bring more next time." He guided her to peel the wrapper.
"It's unique," she said, nibbling delicately. Even eating, she exuded grace, her cherry lips savoring each bite. Zhou Yan watched, entranced—why gaze at trees when such beauty sat before him? Her blush deepened, shy yet captivating. Despite that timidity, her monster-slaying resolve never wavered.
His soul coins climbed to 98, spirit coins to 172—still no gear. Low-level foes rarely dropped equipment, even with soaring luck. Just 2 soul coins shy of 100, he pressed on. Then, a taller figure loomed ahead—a level 5 werewolf, an elite.
[Monster: Werewolf]
[Quality: Elite]
[Level: 5]
[Special: Low-Level Strength Enhancement]
[Introduction: A mist-dwelling predator fond of rending prey with sharp claws. Beware its teeth and power.]
Zhou Yan's eyes widened. Beside it gleamed a bronze treasure chest—a rarity. Uncertain against a level 5 elite, he turned to Diao Chan. "Can you take it?"
"Leave it to me," she assured him. Snatching the novice sword from his grip, she leapt forward, blade flashing. Her elegance belied her lethality—a fairy in flight.
A single strike felled the beast before Zhou Yan could blink.
[Killed Level 5 Elite Werewolf. Bonus: 10 soul coins.]
"Ten soul coins!" he exclaimed. Higher-tier monsters indeed paid off handsomely, far outstripping lesser kills. Diao Chan's might made it possible. His tally hit 108—enough to upgrade. Upgrading himself with 100 coins, he reasoned, would yield little gain. Instead, he opened Diao Chan's attribute list and invested in her.
[Soul Coins -100. Hero Diao Chan upgraded to Level 1.]
He reviewed her updated stats.
[Hero: Diao Chan]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Human]
[Owner: Zhou Yan]
[Quality: RRR]
[Loyalty: 100]
[Level: 1]
[Charm: 52 (Base 5)]
[Luck: 12 (Base 1)]
[Strength: 8 (Base 0.6)]
[Physique: 9 (Base 0.7)]
[Agility: 10 (Base 0.8)]
[Spirit: 17 (Base 1.5)]
[Talent: Lotus Holy Body, recovery speed +100%, attack power +100%.]
[Skills: Lotus Sword Art, Holy Lotus Art.]
[Special 1: Three Kingdoms' Foremost Beauty: Speed +100%.]
[Special 2: One of the Four Beauties: All attributes +10%; +10% per additional Beauty present; +100% with all four.]
[Special 3: Nation-Toppling Allure: Greatly boosts territory residents' loyalty.]
[Introduction: Mysterious energy amplifies base attributes tenfold.]