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Chapter 4 - The First Hero, Diao Chan Debuts

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Chapter 4: The First Hero, Diao Chan Debuts

The woman before Zhou Yan possessed an enchanting figure. Her delicate ears, adorned with green rings, framed a small, cherry-like mouth that radiated charm. Arched willow eyebrows complemented her snow-white skin. Her eyes, shimmering like autumn waves, seemed almost to speak, leaving Zhou Yan momentarily entranced. A white jade hairpin crowned her hair, and she wore a pleated skirt that accentuated her slender waist, so dainty it seemed one could encircle it with a single grasp.

Words like "beautiful" felt too coarse, "pretty" too inadequate. Only phrases like "nation-toppling allure" or "ethereal fairy" captured her essence.

"Congratulations on summoning the hero—Diao Chan!" a voice announced.

Zhou Yan froze. "Diao Chan?" he gasped, disbelief washing over him. On Earth, she was famed as the premier beauty of the Three Kingdoms, a figure of legend. Seeing her now, she seemed a celestial vision, too rare for the mortal world. He recalled playing as her in games back on Earth, yet the Canglan Continent bore no record of Earth's heroes. To summon such a figure defied all expectation.

Excitement surged as he considered the Bronze Sparrow Terrace's potential. If Diao Chan appeared, could heroines like Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, or Cai Wenji be far behind? But a concern swiftly tempered his enthusiasm. Diao Chan, in lore, was a delicate woman, lacking martial prowess. Could such a figure confront monsters? He feared she might faint at their approach. The terrace's summons, while dazzling, might produce only ornamental figures—lovely but unfit for battle. He had hoped for a warrior like Sun Shangxiang, not this.

"This servant greets her lord," Diao Chan said, bowing gracefully. Her voice, melodious as a heavenly chime, stirred his heart. Had she called out in a different context, it might have set his pulse racing.

"Diao Chan, do you recall who you are?" Zhou Yan asked, stepping forward to gently clasp her soft hand. His mind, however, raced with doubts about her combat utility. Could charm alone fend off monsters?

"I know only my name and my skills," she replied softly, her ears flushing as he held her hand. Too shy to pull away, she lowered her gaze. "My past remains a mystery."

Her bashful expression nearly captivated him. Even with his focus, he felt himself teetering on the edge of enchantment. "Sorry, did I hurt you?" he asked, releasing her hand, though he secretly longed to hold it again.

"I'm unharmed, my lord," she assured him.

Knowing every hero possessed an attribute list, Zhou Yan summoned hers.

[Hero: Diao Chan]

[Gender: Female]

[Age: 18]

[Race: Human]

[Owner: Zhou Yan]

[Quality: RRR]

[Loyalty: 100]

[Level: 0]

[Charm: 50 (base 5)]

[Luck: 10 (base 1)]

[Strength: 6 (base 0.6)]

[Physique: 7 (base 0.7)]

[Agility: 8 (base 0.8)]

[Spirit: 15 (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. All four together grant +100%.]

[Special 3: Nation-Toppling Allure: Greatly boosts territory residents' loyalty.]

[Introduction: Mysterious energy has amplified base attributes tenfold.]

Zhou Yan stared, dumbfounded. Her attributes dwarfed his own tenfold. He had mistaken her for a frail maiden, only to find himself the fool. Compared to her, his stats paled—her charm alone was fifty times a normal human's maximum. With her bonuses applied, her power bordered on absurd. A hero's starting attributes could be this formidable? Joy overwhelmed him. She was his, bound by perfect loyalty.

Unlike others' territories, where heroes and soldiers began with 90 loyalty—prone to rebellion if mistreated—his started at 100. These were living beings with emotions and thoughts, yet Diao Chan's devotion was absolute. He vowed never to betray that trust, especially not with someone like her.

"RRR quality," he marveled. Hero tiers ranged from F to RRR, twelve in total. RRR was legendary, a myth made real. "With Diao Chan, monsters are mere pests."

Her charm stat particularly astounded him. Where a normal human capped at 1, hers reached 50. High charm and luck promised advantages: stumbling upon rare materials, discovering unique structures, or attracting heroes to join. Such traits marked the fabled "chosen ones."

Relief settled over him. The colorful auxiliary lord space hadn't disappointed, though he wondered why its bonuses for him were modest. Did it underestimate him, a high school graduate versed in lordship? He knew his territory's power was unprecedented. Exposure would draw covetous eyes from countless factions. His path was clear: develop discreetly, fortify defenses, and amass resources.

"Diao Chan, monsters will attack soon. Are you afraid?" he asked, confident in her stats but curious about her combat experience.

"I've mastered my arts," she declared with conviction. "Should monsters dare invade, I'll defend our territory to my last breath, ensuring they never return."

Her boldness caught him off guard, but he recovered swiftly. Stepping closer, he took her hand again. "I don't want you to die. You must stay safe, understand?"

"I understand, my lord," she replied, her cheeks reddening. Her delicate blush stirred his heart, though he quickly reminded himself: I'm a serious lord.

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