Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Sword of Darkness

Xu Lin and Xin Yu both appeared in my room, with Xin Yu holding a bag of chips I’d just bought, munching away and smiling at me. Xue Han sat nervously on the edge of my bed.

Xu Lin’s beautiful face was flushed, revealing her excitement. “Lin Fan, this is practically a miracle! Do you realize no one has gotten a purple epic item yet? You’re the first in the world!”

I smiled and said, “Lin, don’t praise me too much or I’ll get cocky.”

“How did you get it?” Xu Lin straightened her ample chest, and with her already seductive demeanor, I found it hard to resist.

“Stop staring and tell us how you got it!” Xin Yu plopped herself on my bed, crossed her snow-white arms over my shoulders, pressing her full figure tightly against my arm, her closeness making my ears burn.

“I can’t take you!” I gently pushed Xin Yu away, glanced at Xue Han, and seeing she wasn’t upset, I spoke seriously. “Last time, on the Wild Horse Plains, I was doing a chain quest. At the end, I got a blue warrior’s gauntlet, but after finishing the quest, all the NPC monsters on the Wild Horse Plains were refreshed, so there weren’t any suitable mobs for me. So, I found a small mountain path on the edge of the map, and at the end was a boss guarding the passage to another map, attacking indiscriminately.”

Xue Han and Xin Yu’s beautiful eyes widened, waiting for more. I took a sip of water and continued, “The boss was tough, its magic had a paralysis effect—two seconds every thirty seconds—but I spent over an hour killing it, using four sets of medium red potions. The reward was excellent: three high-level items and a skill book. So far, I’ve only checked the necklace’s stats, haven’t looked at the others yet.”

Xu Lin smiled, “This time, Xue Han’s healing will be boosted by another forty-five percent. She’ll rank among the best priests in the world, and our chances of winning the Champion’s Challenge just got better!”

I nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. The necklace is incredibly powerful—thirty-seven stamina points, meaning Xue Han will have over three hundred more HP than other priests. She could stand there and let low-level rogues attack her for ages.”

I then changed the topic. “But have you considered the necklace requires level thirty? Do you think Xue Han can reach level thirty from twenty-five in just two days?”

The three beauties were stunned. I quickly laughed and consoled them, “It doesn’t matter if we don’t have the necklace for the tournament. Our overall strength is definitely in the top three among the main cities in Jiangsu and Shanghai, especially when it comes to levels!”

“That’s right, that’s right!” Xin Yu giggled, patting Xue Han’s shoulder. “How will our little beauty Xue Han thank Lin Fan for the world’s first purple necklace?”

Xue Han only smiled quietly, clearly having learned the best way to handle Xin Yu.

Xu Lin laughed, “Lin Fan, I estimate this purple necklace is worth at least half a million yuan. Unfortunately, I don’t have that much cash right now, so let’s count it as fifty thousand for now. Once we succeed, I’ll make it up to you. In a couple of days, I’ll transfer a total of eighty thousand, including the money from Murong Shanshan last time, to your account.”

Fifty thousand all at once—I was too happy to argue. “Lin, this necklace is for Xue Han, not really sold for half a million. Fifty thousand is enough. In the future, when we sell the gear we get, we’ll split the commission one-third.”

Xu Lin nodded and smiled, “Good, then. Let’s get back to training; the tournament is in two days.”

Everyone went back to their rooms. As Xue Han was leaving, I called after her, “Xue Han, I’ll trade you the necklace when I return to the city.”

Xue Han nodded and smiled, “Thank you, Lin Fan. I’ll treat you to dinner someday.”

Thinking about that meal I might never get, I was just about to put on my headset when Xue Han suddenly turned back. “Also, thanks for the snacks…”

A blush spread across Xue Han’s snowy cheeks, making her irresistibly charming.

I nodded, and Xue Han went into her room. I hurried to put on my headset and check the other two items I’d gotten. I vaguely remembered a sword; hopefully it’s a top-tier one!

Logging in, I appeared beside the cliff. Before I could move, the system message chimed: You have been attacked by the Swamp Guardian. Paralyzed for two seconds!

So, this boss respawned?

In “Moon Eternal,” there’s an unwritten rule: NPC bosses only drop their highest-tier items or skill books the first time they’re killed. After that, they just drop lower-tier items. My gear’s durability is less than half, so that killed any urge to fight it again.

The boss respawns quickly—less than thirty minutes for another round, granting me 2,500 reputation. Not bad for farming rep. Speaking of reputation, I remembered Murong Shanshan had agreed to grind rep with me all night. It’s nearly ten o’clock and she hasn’t logged in yet, which isn’t like her.

Never mind, let’s check the other two items. First, the dark longsword—

[Dark Sword] (Blue Item)
Attack: 170-245
Strength: +28
Stamina: +24
Agility: +21
Required Level: 32
...

Ha! I was laughing inside. Murong Shanshan won’t feel so smug now—I’ve gotten a two-handed sword with even better stats. It’s also a blue item, but definitely one of the best greatswords so far! The only pity is it requires level thirty-two. I checked my level—already thirty! The Swamp Guardian’s experience had pushed me up two levels. Looks like reaching thirty-two before the tournament is very possible!

The downside is my gear is falling apart. If I fight the Guardian again, my equipment might break completely—not worth the risk. Where can I get a full set of top gear now?

There’s still another item. Let’s take a look...