Ray Theon was right—it really was a jackpot.
The defeat of the three monsters had unexpectedly dropped a treasure trove of eight items, an impressive haul compared to their previous struggle to defeat the River Swallowing Toad, which had yielded only a single inner core. The difference was touching.
Novak quickly assessed the loot, and it looked promising. Among the drops were three inner cores, along with two contribution tokens—one worth 2 points, the other worth 3. But most intriguing were a skill book and two pieces of equipment.
The skill book was high-level, far surpassing the utility of the basic water storage technique they'd acquired earlier:
[Bull Demon's Blood Rage] (Grade C)
『Unleash the fury of the Bull Demon, trading endurance for overwhelming power.』
All attributes +50% instantly.Decay Rate: -5% every 5 seconds.Duration:100 seconds.Cooldown:15 minutes.
The ability seemed risky but powerful, creating a surge of power for the first 50 seconds, after which the user would gradually lose that boost. After the 100 seconds, however, there would be no lingering effects, making it a risky but effective last-resort ability.
Novak considered it briefly but realized it wasn't quite for him. He didn't need such high-stakes skills, and this Bull Demon's Blood Rage wasn't as potent as his "Bloodroot Tenacity." He passed on learning it.
The two pieces of equipment were impressive as well.
The first was a suit of armor crafted from the scales of the black serpent. Even a quick glance confirmed it was incredibly resilient.
[Black Scale Soft Armor] (C-Class)
『A flexible yet resilient armor, crafted from black-scaled beasts, offering balanced defense.』
All Attributes+45Damage Reduction:
⤷ Sharp Attacks: -25%
⤷ Blunt Attacks: -15%
⤷ Elemental Attacks: -5%➤ Scale Burst: Releases scales as projectiles, dealing additional damage. (CD: 2 hours)Requirement:Level ≥ 15
In the perilous proving grounds of gods and demons, where every life counted, armor was invaluable, and this piece immediately caught everyone's attention. The group's eyes practically lit up with envy, though Novak stayed calm and moved to the next item.
[Tiger Tail Whip] (D-Class)
『A whip infused with the essence of a tiger, shifting between force and finesse.』
Attributes:+25 Strength, +25 AgilityModes:
⤷ Stiff Mode: Pierces armor with brute force.
⤷ Flexible Mode: Coils around foes, restricting movement.Requirement:Level ≥ 15
The whip weapon surprised everyone. Whips were rare, considered peculiar, and were usually tricky to handle effectively. The group exchanged looks, marveling at the unique find.
One of the group members grinned and called out, "Second Brother, isn't your title 'Whiplash of the Skies'? Show us some moves!"
While it was meant as a joke, Ray's eyes lit up as he gazed at the whip, obviously thrilled. He had a fondness for unusual weapons, and in his past life, he'd even managed to wield a legendary whip. But with a rueful shrug, he admitted, "Ah, too bad. I'd need to reach level 15 to use it! Don't worry, though—hand it over to me when I'm ready, and I'll show you all!"
Everyone laughed, but Vince cut in, raising an eyebrow and smirking, "Second Brother, dreaming again? This whip belongs to Brother White—he's the one who decides where it goes."
Only then did they realize Ray's attempt to stake his claim, laughing at his subtle trickery.
Novak smiled slightly; these low-grade items held no interest for him.
Equipment like the Shepherd's Horn, Ring of the Hell King, Spear of Longinus, or the Biochemical Disaster—those were worth his attention. The items here were merely transitional gear, and he had no use for them.
With this in mind, Novak said, "I'll only take the inner cores and contribution tokens. The rest of the equipment and skills you can divide among yourselves."
"No way!" Vince responded firmly. "These items were earned solely through Brother White's efforts. While Brother White might not need them, there should still be a price. If we want these, we should bid, and the highest offer takes it."
The group exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement, and Novak took Vince's words to heart. However, he continued, "If someone wants these items, we can settle it later. Right now, we need to make the most of our time in this dungeon. Let's explore the Monster-Locking Tower and track down the remaining monsters on this floor. Afterward, we can discuss the spoils back in the chat group. How about this: this tower is huge, and finding every monster on the first floor is a chore. You scout the areas with monsters, and I'll handle the fights. We need to maximize our one hour here."
The others nodded, sharing a look of determination. Time was moving too fast—one hour felt like a blink.
Novak focused on hunting the monsters on this floor rather than advancing to the next. The rewards from these monster cores were indeed satisfying: each inner core granted him +10 to all attributes.
After he defeated and absorbed ten cores, Novak's level rose from 17 to 18, and the rest of the members in Chat Group 001 each gained a level as well, thanks to the cosmic will's feedback. However, after consuming ten low-level monster cores, their effects on Novak waned.
While he found this a bit unfortunate, the others were fired up. They felt as if they were being nurtured under the White Emperor's guidance, their levels surging by an average of one within the first hour. The impact was clear to everyone.
Even as the item drops slowed down, likely due to their earlier luck, the group's excitement didn't diminish. It was a rare opportunity for members of Group 001—a time of bounty and celebration.
Before they knew it, an hour had passed. Novak, along with his Somi Token, returned to White Emperor City. He surveyed the attributes of his surroundings with a surge of anticipation. If this was only the Monster-Locking Tower, he couldn't help but wonder what greater wonders awaited in the other pavilion!