"Swish!"
A shower of golden light descended. Level 41 was achieved, along with 100g, 300 reputation points, and 1 point of charm. More importantly, a Dark Gold tier Autumn Water Ring was obtained, which was the true prize of this endeavor. A Dark Gold ring, if not too inferior, was practically priceless at this stage.
Lin Zhao's heart swelled with joy. The rewards for the S-class main mission were indeed incredibly generous. 100g, at today's gold to currency exchange rate of about 1:29, could be converted to 2900 general currency, which was quite a sum. Reputation points were crucial for future interactions within the human realm, and as for charm, this attribute was perhaps the most mysterious in "Tian Xia."
According to the official explanation, the charm attribute was paramount, influencing the player's chance of triggering the upper limit of their attack power, their drop rate for items when killing monsters or PKing, and their success in quest storylines. In essence, the higher the charm, the more attractive one was in the human society, and this understanding was not wrong.
And how significant was the influence of good looks in human society? Everyone knew that.
Handsome men were never short of female companionship. They had more choices in love, and could even opt for women without love. A handsome man would undoubtedly have a smooth ride in his romantic pursuits. Goddesses that ordinary-looking men could only dream of were merely casual acquaintances to handsome men.
Beautiful women were even more lethal. Whether in social circles or the workplace, looks were exceptionally important for women. A beautiful woman would be surrounded by a throng of men, many of whom were powerful, influential, and wealthy. If such a woman possessed sufficient skills, she could navigate these "big figures" with ease, even using her beauty to amass wealth or start a business.
This world shouldn't be like this, but this was precisely how it was.
...
Lin Zhao frowned, snapping out of his thoughts. What did beauty or lack thereof have to do with him? He then began to examine the attributes of the Autumn Water Ring, which was currently the most important thing to him. The ring was exquisitely crafted, giving a refreshing sensation when held in the palm. With a gentle swipe, its attributes floated before his eyes, almost making Lin Zhao's heart stop—
[Autumn Water Ring] (Dark Gold Tier)
Strength: +48
Stamina: +45
Special Effect: Critical Hit Rate +4%
Special Effect: Lifesteal +8%
Special Effect: Swiftness, Attack Speed +25%
Special Effect: Autumn Water, increases own HP/MP recovery speed by 100%
Additional: Increases user's attack power by 10%
Lore: It is said this is an ancient ring from the autumn waters of Tianchi, incredibly magnificent.
Required Level: 40
...
These attributes were outrageously good. Critical hit and lifesteal, both maxed out. Furthermore, there was a special effect for increased attack speed and another for 100% HP recovery. It was tailor-made for all melee professions. Not only sword users, berserkers, and paladins needed it, but even assassins could equip this ring.
A player could equip two rings, as they had two hands, one ring per hand. A necklace, however, could only be equipped once, as there was only one neck. Of course, if someone was exceptionally talented and chose a hidden race like a two-headed ogre during character creation, they might be able to wear two necklaces, which would be a great bargain for them.
"Clink." Lin Zhao equipped the Autumn Water Ring, and his combat power instantly surged—
[White Robe] (Apprentice Sword Master)
Level: 41
Attack: 620-1058 (+35%)
Defense: 516 (+8%)
HP: 8880
Critical Hit Rate: 8%
Lifesteal: 24%
Damage Reduction: 7%
Intelligence: 99
Charm: 2
Reputation: 1180
Combat Power: 520
...
His true attack power had a maximum of 1428 points, an 8% critical hit rate, 24% lifesteal, combined with the supporting sub-attributes of 8880 HP. This should be Lin Zhao's most boast-worthy attribute at present. With these stats, he could pretty much dominate the current stage. As long as he didn't encounter top-tier players, he could generally handle several opponents alone with ease.
Moreover, Lin Zhao's combat awareness was already strong, and his control was first-rate. His positional play was so good that even Chen Xue admitted inferiority, which showed how formidable he was in actual combat.
At this moment, it was midnight.
"Beep!"
A message arrived from Chen Xue, the beautiful manager of the studio's internal affairs: "Lin Zhao, have you finished your quest? Log off when you're done, eat something, and get some sleep. Wake up at eight tomorrow morning. We need to maintain a regular schedule for the entire studio from now on."
"Alright, coming right away."
"Mm."
As Lin Zhao logged off and stepped out of the game pod, he saw Chen Xue also just exiting her game pod. She tidied her hair and walked out, her slight demeanor captivating Lin Zhao, leaving him a little dazed. Chen Xue... was truly a devastatingly beautiful enchantress. Her looks and figure were simply too alluring.
However, Lin Zhao was only momentarily stunned before he walked over and pulled Zhang Jun out of his game pod.
"Heh~~~"
Chen Xue giggled secretly. Lin Zhao's brief daze pleased her. It showed that although Lin Zhao was a gentleman, he was still a normal man, and her appearance had some impact on him. Thinking this, Chen Xue couldn't help but feel a little proud. She pursed her red lips and stood by the second-floor railing, chuckling to herself.
Lin Zhao, on the other hand, frowned. He had stared at Chen Xue for a good second or two just now. It seemed a bit presumptuous. This wasn't good. Chen Xue was invited by his sister to manage the studio's internal affairs. If he, the master of the Scarlet Moon Knights, led the way in such recklessness, what would Chen Xue think? After all, Chen Xue had a boyfriend. He had to maintain this boundary. Next time, if he wanted to look, he should look directly into her eyes and definitely not let his gaze wander downwards.
His teacher had taught him that one must exercise self-discipline, especially in front of a great beauty like Chen Xue. Restraint and propriety were even more important. As a student of the Confucian Sage Qin Suihan, how could he disgrace his teacher?
With this thought, Lin Zhao looked up and smiled warmly, "Chen Xue, how are you feeling about the studio?"
"It's pretty good."
Chen Xue crossed her arms, her chest creating a somewhat suffocating embrace. She smiled, "I've adapted. Everyone's strength is quite good, except Zhang Jun is a bit weak."
"What?! I'm weak?"
Zhang Jun had always considered himself a dashing swordsman, wearing a bamboo hat, a sword at his hip, and a straw cloak. Now, someone was calling him weak, and he couldn't stand it, not even from Chen Xue! Thinking this, Zhang Jun angrily took off his hat and threw it onto the sofa.
"Ah!?"
Chen Xue looked at the dazzling bald spot on Zhang Jun's head, her mouth slightly agape. This was her fourth exclamation of "Ah!?" since joining the Scarlet Moon Knights studio. The first was when she first learned there was another woman named Wang Ju in the studio. The second was when she was shocked to hear about the matter of the three swordsmen from the same family. The third was when she was alarmed to learn that the studio members were cornered in Cloud County and couldn't leave the city. And this fourth "Ah!?" was because she saw the sparse top of Zhang Jun's head, and was again shocked.
"Ah!?"
Zhang Jun was also taken aback, only then realizing Chen Xue was looking at the top of his head.
"I... damn it..."
Zhang Jun wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
Lin Zhao quickly picked up the hat from the ground, dusted it off, and put it back on Zhang Jun as if nothing had happened. He said, "It's okay to be weak a bit. Chen Xue is just stating facts. We'll just work harder in the future. Don't be angry, don't be angry. Chen Xue is only concerned about the studio's strength improvement. We don't need to damage team harmony because of Chen Xue's bluntness!"
Ding Chi secretly gave Lin Zhao a thumbs-up. My brother is really good at handling things.
"Right!"
Chen Xue also felt a bit flustered, unsure of what to do. Fortunately, Lin Zhao broke the ice. She immediately said softly, "Actually, I didn't mean it that way. I wasn't targeting you. Zhang Jun, please don't be angry. If you're weak in the game, we can improve your skills through diligent training. I wasn't intentionally targeting your gameplay. Of course, I don't really care about the baldness thing..."
"Ah!?"
Zhang Jun felt as if struck by lightning. He sat on the sofa, wanting to burst into tears. Who was Zhang Jun? In his youth, he was known as the Dragon of Guangming Community, incredibly handsome, with countless girls in District S harboring feelings for him. Now, his hair was gone. A dragon in shallow waters, a tiger fallen on its plains—life was indeed full of twists and turns!
"This..."
Chen Xue covered her mouth. She had accidentally let slip a word, damn it...
Lin Zhao's forehead was covered in black lines. He didn't want to say anything more about it. "Alright, alright, stop messing around. Sister Ju has already brewed us some seafood congee. Chen Xue, let's go down for some congee and eat something before sleeping. It's too uncomfortable to be on an empty stomach this late."
"Mmm..."
Chen Xue smiled sweetly.
Lin Zhao and Chen Xue walked downstairs side by side. He glanced back and said, "Ding Chi, help Zhang Jun down for dinner."
"Exactly!"
Ding Chi helped Zhang Jun up and said, "Chen Xue is one of us. We'll see her every day. She's like family. What does it matter if our own family knows about our little secrets? Being a bit bald is fine. The most important thing for a man is ambition."
Zhang Jun looked at him helplessly. "What kind of comfort is that? Why do I feel even worse after hearing it..."
"Damn you!"
Ding Chi laughed heartily, patting Zhang Jun's head. "Let's go eat. You're too sensitive!"
"Hahaha~~~"
Zhang Jun's mood improved slightly. Some things needed to be resolved through brotherhood.
...
While eating congee, Chen Xue used the simulator to record the studio's accounts for the day. "Today's studio earnings are not much. At most, we've earned a total of 4000 general currency. This is already impressive for an average small studio, but we, the Scarlet Moon Knights, cannot be complacent. We must set our target at 10,000 general currency per day."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded. "This is the data on paper, not including hardware replacements or additions. I obtained a Dark Gold ring tonight, which isn't accounted for."
Ding Chi chimed in, "Right. I got a Gold tier bracer and a High-grade Silver tier cloak. Big Jun got Gold tier boots. These haven't been recorded yet."
Chen Xue curved her lips into a smile. "Yes, that's right. Next, we'll use this hardware advantage to widen the gap in level and combat power with ordinary players, and convert this advantage into tangible monetary income. Nowadays, nothing can be done without money. Our studio's main purpose is to make money and expand!"
"Good, good, well said! Everyone, clap!"
Lin Zhao and Ding Chi gave a dry round of applause.
Chen Xue rolled her eyes, wishing she could smash the clay pot onto the heads of these two idiots.