"Zhou Yan, the rice is ready!" Diao Chan stepped into the bamboo house, calling out.
"I'm starving—let's taste Chan'er's cooking," Zhou Yan replied with a grin.
"The bamboo house's aura feels stronger," she noted. "And the territory's grown so much. It's transformed."
Upgrades had reshaped the landscape—buildings loomed larger, more striking. "It'll only get better," Zhou Yan assured her.
Outside, a roasted rooster simmered in a pot, its aroma teasing his hunger. He'd brought a pot, bowls, and chopsticks upon arrival; Diao Chan had seasoned the bird with foraged herbs, elevating its scent. Lacking a table, she'd left it in the pot. Zhou Yan grabbed a drumstick, offering it to her. "Eat with me."
"Don't tease if it's bad," she said, cheeks flushing.
"Bet it beats mine," he countered, digging in. The seasoned chicken hit the spot, and he showered her with praise, delighting her. Coaxing, he mused, kept women happy—fail at that, and solitude beckoned.
The territory now spanned 4,000 square meters, vast but barren beyond the buildings. Paving it demanded stone and spirit coins—every inch a capitalist curse, he grumbled. Yet the Thorn Vine Fence shone: it expanded with the territory, encircling all 4,000 meters without a coin spent—a windfall. Other fences drained resources to scale up; this saved him a fortune, crucial with his dwindled reserves.
Night fell, dark and perilous. Hunting tempted him, but the risks loomed—death in the wild would sever his bond with Diao Chan. Beasts ruled the dark, a novice's bane. Instead, he hauled out their treasure chests, passing them to her. "Chan'er, time to work your magic."
Nighttime openings freed daylight for action—a tidy bit of time management, he thought, no playboy streak here. Five or six hundred chests littered the floor, safe from monster raids thanks to the trial's post-settlement reprieve.
"So many," Diao Chan murmured, starting with a wooden chest.
[Congratulations: Gained 2 soul coins.]
[Congratulations: Gained 2 soul coins.]
[Congratulations: Gained 2 spirit coins.]
…
[Congratulations: Gained equipment: Hare Boots.]
"Equipment already?" Zhou Yan perked up. Nine chests in, her luck sparkled—likely boosted by the territory's +10% special item perk, a reason he'd hauled them back.
[Equipment: Hare Boots]
[Quality: Normal]
[Durability: 5/5]
[Attribute: Agility +0.3]
[Requirements: None]
Trash gear, he judged—barely a nudge to stats. Still, in equipment-starved early days, even junk fetched spirit coins, outpacing a measly two. With over 1,800 soul coins, he opted to boost Diao Chan's luck further.
[Territory Prompt: "Consumed 300 soul coins. Hero Diao Chan rises from level 2 to 3."]
[Territory Prompt: "Consumed 400 soul coins. Hero Diao Chan rises from level 3 to 4."]
[Hero: Diao Chan]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Human]
[Owner: Zhou Yan]
[Quality: RRR]
[Loyalty: 100]
[Level: 4]
[Charm: 58 (Base 5)]
[Luck: 18 (Base 1)]
[Strength: 14 (Base 0.6)]
[Physique: 15 (Base 0.7)]
[Agility: 14 (Base 0.8)]
[Spirit: 21 (Base 1.5)]
[Talent: Lotus Holy Body, recovery speed +104%, attack power +104%]
[Skills: Lotus Sword Art, Holy Lotus Art]
[Special 1: Three Kingdoms' Foremost Beauty: Speed +104%]
[Special 2: One of Four Beauties: All attributes +14%; +10% per additional Beauty; +100% with all four]
[Special 3: Nation-Toppling Allure: Greatly boosts territory resident loyalty]
[Introduction: Mysterious energy amplifies base stats tenfold. Peerless beauty of the Three Kingdoms.]
Her stats surged, talents sharpening—a worthy investment. "You leveled me up again," she said, sensing the power, eyes flickering to him.
"Higher luck means more gear," he explained.
"Oh," she nodded, resuming her task. Five or six chests later, a Hare Leather Armor (+0.4 defense) emerged—another trifle from wooden chests, he sighed.
[Congratulations: Gained 2 soul coins.]
[Congratulations: Gained equipment: Stone Gauntlet.]
A new find piqued his interest.
[Equipment: Stone Gauntlet]
[Quality: Black Iron]
[Durability: 5/5]
[Attribute: Strength +3]
[Requirement: Strength 1]
"Nice," he remarked. A solid +3 strength, low bar to equip. "Keep going," he urged her. Her upgrades paid off, but he held soul coins back for Bronze Sparrow Terrace summons. A sprawling territory and lone tower demanded more hands.
[Congratulations: Gained 2 soul coins.]
[Congratulations: Gained 4 soul coins.]
[Congratulations: Gained equipment: Stone Leggings.]
After exhausting the chests, his haul tallied:
Soul Coins: 2,062
Spirit Coins: 387
Normal Equipment: 87 pieces
Black Iron Equipment: 12 pieces
Over 2,000 soul coins gleamed, spirit coins a footnote. The gear—especially a full black iron set: Stone Helmet, Gauntlet, Armor, Leggings, Boots—promised a hefty sale, amplifying their value as a suit.