Over a hundred mantis warriors shower Zhou Yan with loot: 5,123 soul coins, mostly black iron chests, dozens bronze, wooden ones scarce. Their humanoid corpses lack raw value, but their arms—razor-sharp—shine.
"Cut off their blades," he orders.
[Item: Mantis Blade]
[Quality: C]
[Attribute: Sharpness +8]
[Introduction: Mantis arms—prime weapon material. Forge with ore for excellence.]
Hundreds of blades promise potent gear—or profit. Forging awaits his skill.
They press deeper into the fog, picking off stray mantises in brutal melees. A barren stretch follows until, hundreds of meters on, a three-meter beast looms:
[Monster: Earth Violent Bear]
[Quality: Enhanced Elite]
[Level: 18]
[Special: Berserk, Strength Boost]
[Introduction: Crushes skulls with savage force.]
"Level 18 elite," Zhou Yan notes, intrigued. This zone brims with such foes—death for others, rewards for him. Elites gain more attribute points per level, like heroes. A level 18's might rivals a level 25's with talents. Yet, his S-tier minimum crew—bolstered by RRR-tier Diao Chan and Zhen Mi—outclasses them. Numbers seal the deal.
Zhen Mi strikes, her mental wave locking the bear in sleep. Si Teng's vines erupt, thorns ensnaring it. Diao Chan dances—lotus light flares, her sword severs its neck before it stirs.
[Killed level 18 enhanced elite Earth Violent Bear. +56 soul coins.]
A bronze chest drops—elites pay well. "Keep moving," Zhou Yan urges.
No one maps the fog's sprawl—newcomers rarely dare it. Random trials can spawn level 90 horrors. His luck—mobs outside—fuels this haul; harsher zones would've crushed him. The bear's corpse, high-end, promises cash. "Bear paw's on the menu," he smirks, craving a taste.
Caution reigns. "Eyes sharp," he warns. "This is elite territory."
Si Teng halts. "Lord, trap ahead."
Zhou Yan squints—dense leaves mask a pit. Without her plant-keen senses, he'd miss it. Si Ying, Si Hong, and Si Si clear the debris, revealing a bottomless drop.
"Detour," he says. Her vines probe the earth—forest traps can't hide.
More elites scatter the zone—level 20-ish, easy pickings. Si Teng's crew sniffs out pitfalls, sparing them grief. Hours later, a mountain looms, movement flickering.
"Monsters," Zhou Yan guesses, fog blurring details. They creep closer, hiding.
"Enhanced goblins—tons of them," he whispers. Level 15, they've claimed the mountain, building crude fortifications. Unlike beasts, they wield weapons, craft tools—a sapient race, caveman-like.
Zhen Mi points. "Lord, what's that?"
Goblins haul carts uphill—ore, type unclear from afar. Dozens roam the outskirts; caves likely hide more. Their gear—swords, bows—hints at smithing skill, odd for goblins in Zhou Yan's book.
"No frontal assault," he decides. "Bows mean ambush—hit from behind."