Chapter 5: Illustrated Handbook Reward
Everyone’s gaze turned to the corpse of the demon-faced ape that Xu Han had just slain.
As expected.
A ring lay on the corpse.
Li Bin’s eyes glittered greedily.
Equipment drop rates were incredibly low—less than one in ten thousand. Accessories like rings were rarer still, perhaps one in a hundred thousand. Even the most ordinary ring could fetch several thousand yuan.
He was just about to step forward to claim it.
But Su Li spoke up immediately, “Wait. That piece of equipment should belong to Xu Han.”
Li Bin paused mid-stride.
Indeed, according to the rules, whoever killed the monster owned its loot. The rule itself favored combat professions. And this demon-faced ape had been slain by Xu Han; by all rights, the ring was his.
Li Bin turned to Xu Han, forcing a smile. “Xu Han, give me this piece of equipment. I’ll be able to kill monsters faster, which will boost our party’s leveling speed. What do you think?”
Tian Fangchao quickly chimed in, “That’s right! Brother Li is our main force—he should have the equipment! Xu Han, you don’t mind, do you?”
But Xu Han shook his head, replying, “Whoever kills the monster gets the loot. If you want it, go kill one yourself.”
He strode straight to the demon-faced ape’s body and picked up the ring.
The ring featured the ape’s sinister face, making it rather intimidating to look at.
He checked its stats.
[Demon-Faced Ape Ring]
[Quality: Bronze]
[Agility +5]
[Skill 1: Ambush (Allows the wearer to blend into their surroundings, rendering them undetectable by enemies. The wearer cannot move during this period. Duration: 1 hour. Cooldown: 1 hour)]
[Description: A ring crafted from the bones of a demon-faced ape. Not much to look at.]
[Level Requirement: 1]
Xu Han recalled that there were nine grades of equipment: Common, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Epic, Legendary, Immortal, and Mythic.
Even a Bronze ring with ordinary stats could sell for tens of thousands. This one’s skill would be useful for most players.
He estimated it could easily fetch over a hundred thousand!
But he wasn’t foolish. With an item this good, he’d definitely keep it for himself for now. Only when he found something better would he consider selling it.
He slipped the ring onto his finger.
The surge in agility made his body feel lighter and more nimble.
Li Bin’s face darkened, stormy as thunderclouds.
Tian Fangchao immediately voiced his displeasure. “Xu Han, you’re a life-class player—what do you need equipment for?”
“Hurry and give it to Brother Li! Do you want us to fall to the bottom of the school rankings?”
As he spoke, he made as if to snatch the ring from Xu Han.
Xu Han’s brow furrowed.
If the other really dared make a move, he wouldn’t mind killing him then and there. After all, deaths during monster hunts were common, and who would suspect a life-class player?
But Su Li cut in, frowning, “Don’t take things too far! That equipment dropped for Xu Han—it’s his. If you try to take it by force, I’ll report you to the teacher and let them handle it!”
Tian Fangchao instantly wilted.
If the teacher heard about infighting, they’d be disqualified from the university entrance exams. The consequences were too severe.
Li Bin’s eyes were cold and venomous as he glared at Xu Han, sneering, “Fine, if you want it so badly, keep it. But you’d better watch your back.”
He put particular emphasis on those last words.
Xu Han smiled. “Thanks for your concern.”
Li Bin said nothing more. He turned and began searching the other demon-faced ape corpses for loot.
He rummaged for some time but found nothing.
Tian Fangchao sidled over and whispered, “Brother Li, how should we deal with Xu Han?”
Li Bin replied coldly, “At first I just wanted to scare him. But since he’s so ungrateful, we’ll just get rid of him. The usual way!”
“Understood!”
They resumed hunting demon-faced apes.
As noon approached, the experience bar had climbed considerably. They were close to leveling up.
Su Li said, “Let’s take a break and eat something. We can continue this afternoon.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Naturally, the task of cooking fell to Xu Han.
He set up a grill, skewered the demon-faced ape’s meat, and began to roast it.
Soon, a rich aroma filled the air.
Each person received a portion and dug in heartily.
Xu Han took a bite—the intense flavor of cumin mixed with the meat’s juices, filling his mouth and nose.
Compared to braising, grilling brought out an even more robust flavor.
A system prompt sounded in his mind.
“Host has eaten demon-faced ape meat for the first time. Agility +10, Spirit +3.”
“Host has acquired the demon-faced ape’s skill: Demon Eye Bewilderment.”
Xu Han’s eyes sparkled. Seeing the others busy with their meal, he opened his status panel.
[Name: Xu Han]
[Race: Human]
[Class: SSS Gourmet]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 320]
[Constitution: 325]
[Agility: 31]
[Spirit: 13]
[Skill 1: Eye of Appraisal LV.1 (Can inspect target’s attributes, 1% chance to discover target’s weakness. Target must be no more than 5 levels higher. Cooldown: 10 seconds)]
[Skill 2: Dragon Scale LV.1 (Impenetrable dragon scales. When activated, can cover parts of the body, reducing physical and magical damage by 90%. Duration: 3 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute)]
[Skill 3: Demon Eye Bewilderment LV.1 (Sustain eye contact with an enemy for 5 seconds to bewilder them, making them obey commands for 1 minute. Cooldown: 10 minutes)]
Though it was a support skill, in the right hands it could be astonishingly useful.
"Right, the compendium quest is complete. I wonder what reward I’ll get?"
Xu Han closed his status panel and opened the Gourmet Compendium.
As expected,
The task bar on the right showed as completed.
He tapped it.
A system prompt sounded.
“Host has completed the Gourmet Compendium quest. Reward: one random piece of equipment.”
The next moment, a weapon appeared in Xu Han’s hand—a dagger, pitch-black and sleek, with a splash of blood-red at the tip like the maw of a beast.
He checked its stats.
[Abyssal Fang]
[Quality: Silver]
[Strength +20]
[Agility +10]
[Skill 1: Blood Feast (Passive: 10% of damage dealt is returned as HP)]
[Abyss Set (1/4): Two pieces grant 10% bonus damage; four pieces double the effect of Blood Feast]
[Description: A dagger forged from the fang of an abyssal beast; razor-sharp and bloodthirsty]
[Level Requirement: 2]
Xu Han’s eyes lit up.
The system was generous—awarding a Silver-grade weapon.
He’d seen Li Bin’s greatsword before. It wasn’t even a standard weapon, just a regular sword with no added stats.
Compared to this dagger, it was worlds apart.
He glanced at the task list to the left.
The quest had already updated.
Register ten different beasts in the compendium: Incomplete