C9 He Finally Got the Equipment!

After Zhou Yan finished examining Diaochan, he was utterly astounded!

All of Diaochan's attributes had astonishingly increased by two points!

Her Charisma and Luck had even gone up by two points, leaving Zhou Yan in complete disbelief.

From what he understood, when a Lord summoned a Hero, their attributes would typically increase randomly based on their unique traits.

But this didn't include Charisma and Luck.

Neither Heroes nor Lords could enhance their Charisma and Luck with Attribute Points.

They had to depend on special rewards or gear to boost these attributes.

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

But as far as Zhou Yan knew, not even a Grade SSS Hero could gain such a significant attribute boost upon leveling up.

If you tallied up Diaochan's gains, she had racked up a whopping 12 attribute points in a single level!

This was an extremely rare and formidable feat!

"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 out from other channels..."

Zhou Yan was unsure if any other Lords had ever encountered a Grade RRR Hero, and he couldn't compare Diaochan to other Heroes.

However, he was certain that Diaochan's attributes were impressively strong.

The gap between a high-level hero and others becomes increasingly pronounced.

Each Lord gains three free attribute points upon leveling up. But Zhou Yan wondered if he was an anomaly, especially since he too had been enhanced by the Rainbow Lord Space.

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

Like Diaochan, he needed 100 Soul Coins to progress from Level 0 to Level 1.

For a typical Lord or Hero to level up from Level 0 to Level 1, it would cost them only 10 Soul Coins. The same price applied for a Grade SSS Hero.

This meant their leveling process was tenfold harder. Naturally, they would require more Soul Coins for future upgrades.

Feeling the surge of power within her, Diaochan realized her strength had grown and asked Zhou Yan, "Did you upgrade me?"

Stepping forward, Zhou Yan confirmed, "I did."

"You should prioritize your own upgrades," suggested Diaochan.

"Your power is formidable. If I upgrade myself, I'll only gain a slight boost. But when you level up, the increase in your strength is substantial. Should we face even mightier monsters later on, your presence will ensure our safety."

Lords aren't required to battle monsters directly. Their role is to develop the territory and lead.

Indeed, some Lords who have been developing for years remain at only a few levels.

Naturally, most Lords are drawn to power. They strive to elevate their levels and strengthen their might.

A Lord's power isn't solely dependent on equipment level. Cultivation techniques are equally crucial.

Cultivation techniques, skill books, and various treasures are among the world's most valuable commodities.

"Look, a Black Iron Treasure Chest," Diaochan pointed out.

"Open it up and let's see what treasures we can find."

Zhou Yan had lost faith in his luck. The unlucky seldom stumble upon treasures.

He never won anything from soda purchases or lottery tickets.

Diaochan opened the chest.

"Congratulations, you've obtained a Wolf Fang Sword."

He had scored equipment!

Zhou Yan was taken aback as a finely crafted sword materialized on the ground.

"Equipment: Wolf Fang Sword"

"Quality: Black Iron"

"Durability: 10/10"

Attributes: +4 Strength, +2 Sharpness. Occasionally causes a rending effect."

"Equipment Requirement: Strength 3"

Novice equipment typically comes without requirements. However, Lords and Heroes can utilize other gear, provided they meet the specified criteria to unlock the equipment's bonus attributes.

Otherwise, even with a divine weapon in hand, without meeting the wielding requirements, they couldn't benefit from its enhancements.

"Take this sword," Diaochan offered the Wolf Fang Sword to Zhou Yan.

"I don't meet the strength requirement. You use it first," Zhou Yan responded.

"Very well," Diaochan acquiesced, handing over the Beginner Sword to Zhou Yan.

Werewolves looked much like humans, and Zhou Yan certainly didn't view such humanoid creatures as food.

After all, he had gathered enough wild rabbits and Black Scaled Snakes to last him for a while, so food was not an immediate concern.

They pressed on, venturing into uncharted territories and encountering more monsters.

"What are these creatures? A bunch of stones that move?"

Zhou Yan observed a cluster of ambulatory stones, each about a meter tall with stubby legs, moving in a comical fashion.

Monster: Stone Demon

Quality: Elite

Level: 3

Special: Resource Monster

Description: These unique Resource Monsters, once defeated, transform into usable stone materials.

"They're actually Resource Monsters!"

Zhou Yan was astounded. He had heard of Resource Monsters, known for their ability to morph directly into various materials. Some could become wood, others stone, and a few might even turn into garments.

"There's a significant number of them."

Zhou Yan was thrilled as he surveyed the area, noticing that the entire mountain range teemed with Stone Demons.

"I've struck it rich! Stone is one of the key materials needed for territory upgrades. Securing a batch early on is definitely a stroke of good fortune."

During the Newbie Trial period, he could simply spend spirit coins to level up his territory.

But once the Newbie Trial was over, that privilege would be gone.

Turning to Diaochan, Zhou Yan remarked, "Chan, you're in luck. Taking down these Stone Demons means you'll gather more materials."

"Understood."

Diaochan nodded, her movements graceful as a lotus in bloom. She dashed forward with the speed of lightning, swiftly dispatching the Stone Demons.

"You have slain a Level 3 monster, Elite Stone Spirit. You've earned an extra 6 Soul Coins."

"You have slain a Level 3 monster, Elite Stone Spirit. You've earned an extra 6 spirit coins."

"You have slain a Level 3 monster, Elite Stone Spirit. You've earned an extra 5 Soul Coins."

"You have slain a Level 3 monster, Elite Stone Spirit. You've earned 4 spirit coins."

Defeating a Stone Demon guaranteed a minimum reward of 4 Soul Coins or Spirit Coins—a substantial haul indeed.

Naturally, Diaochan's good fortune played a part.

Monsters came in ten different grades.

The higher the grade, the greater the rewards they offered.

With Diaochan's formidable strength, these Stone Demons were essentially delivering materials to them. Spotting heaps of stones on the ground, Zhou Yan hurried over to collect them.

"You have picked up two One-star Stones."

"You have picked up five One-star Stones. You have picked up a Two-star Stone."

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

Utilizing higher-quality resources to upgrade territory buildings significantly enhances their capabilities.

For example, if you construct a building with Two-star wood, you can't later upgrade it with lower-grade wood.

Only the wealthiest conglomerates dare to use advanced materials for their territories, while most Lords opt for more economical, low-grade materials.