Chapter 61 - 61 58 Distribution of Spoils

61: Chapter 58: Distribution of Spoils 61: Chapter 58: Distribution of Spoils Watching the three items that fell before him, Xiao Jie couldn’t help but feel conflicted. The value of these three drops was not insignificant; each one was a fine item. Blade Reflection, when used well, was undoubtedly powerful, a divine skill against physical professions in the early stages, with the only issue being its high demands on maneuvering. Simple deflection was already challenging enough, and Blade Reflection, which was even more complex and demanded more precise timing due to its momentary effect, could leave one facing a blade if misjudged. As for the item that permanently increased comprehension by 1 point, its value was enormous, potentially the highest among the three items long term. After all, equipment could be replaced, but a permanently increased attribute would always be beneficial. Xiao Jie had experienced the immense benefits of enlightenment; if he could raise his comprehension above 20 points permanently, it would mean he could maintain an enlightenment state permanently, capable of comprehending new skills anytime and anywhere. That would be incredibly powerful and infinitely useful. However, this item also presented a risk. The item introduction stated that by completing it, one might gain 1 point of comprehension, which implied there was also a chance of failure, resulting in nothing, and this item could only be used once. As for the Demon Talisman, it was a mixed blessing. Based solely on the effects of the Magic Artifact, using Demonization Skill three times was certainly not bad, a divine skill for pioneering early stages. But its true value didn’t lie in the demonization itself, but in its item description—[Perhaps some Taoists from certain Dao Palaces would be interested.] In other words, it could potentially help build a connection with certain Dao Palaces. Becoming a direct apprentice was unlikely, but starting a reputation with the Dao Palace as a stepping-stone might be feasible. In the games Xiao Jie had played, securing initial reputation was often the hardest step. Although subsequent tasks were also unlikely to be easy, involving huge efforts and risks, it was nevertheless an opportunity to convert to a magic profession. However, this item also had its dangers—the background setting. If it were any other game, Xiao Jie wouldn’t care at all, as even the most evil weapons were merely a few extra lines of background narrative. But in this death game, such an item from the Demon Path was hard to say if it might have some real effects on the player. Defining the value of these three items was truly difficult and immeasurable, and deciding how to distribute them was even more headache-inducing. He had seen too many internal conflicts arise over uneven distribution of spoils, leading to guild breakups over a single piece of equipment. This was common enough in ordinary games, and games like “Old Soil” demanded even more caution. Hence, when I Want to Be Immortal approached him to form a team, he had made it clear: equipment distribution would have to be decided by him. But while a precaution is a precaution, an unreasonable distribution could easily lead to internal conflicts. Him taking down the boss meant he naturally played a major role, but I Want to Be Immortal also risked his life; he definitely deserved a share. Xiao Jie’s plan was to keep two items for himself and give one to I Want to Be Immortal while the copper coins should be split equally. But which one should he give? He was still pondering how to bring it up when I Want to Be Immortal couldn’t hold back any longer. “Feng, could I ask you something? Could you give me the Demon Talisman? I don’t want anything else, I know this item is of immense value, beyond monetary measure, but I must be shameless for once to resurrect my brother, please,” he pleaded. “If that’s not possible, I can add more money.” I Want to Be Immortal’s tone was urgent and sincere, even a bit pleading. Xiao Jie was somewhat surprised, “You don’t mean to use the Demon Talisman to resurrect your brother, do you? You looked at that diary during our mission, right?” “No, I’m aware of the side effects of the Demon Talisman, but I think it must be connected to some mysterious sects behind the scenes. Since it can resurrect Tian Lishi, it must also be able to resurrect people in the real world. Although it seems to have side effects, hundreds of years have passed in the game, it’s possible that the mysterious sect has developed a Resurrection Magic without side effects by now. Since this item aligns so well with my pursuits in the game… I can add an extra hundred thousand!” So that was the plan, Xiao Jie sighed. He was indifferent about this; the Demon Talisman wasn’t something he particularly wanted. “Alright, the Demon Talisman is yours, I’ll take the other two items, and let’s skip dividing the copper coins. There’s no need to add money either; we fought the boss together, so it wouldn’t make sense for you to pay extra for equipment. But I must warn you, since it’s called a [Demon Talisman] and not a [Divine Talisman], there might be some drawbacks, so think it over carefully. “Besides, in the early stages of pioneering, the Demonization Skill would still be quite useful—if I tell you to use it, don’t be stingy.” “Absolutely, thanks Feng. I won’t say more, but from now on, whatever you command, I will follow.” To my surprise, I Want to Be Immortal started speaking eloquently. Xiao Jie distributed the Demon Talismans to I Want to Be Immortal, and put the remaining two books into his backpack. As for the Copper Coins, Xiao Jie unapologetically took them all for himself, finally having a good amount of income. Then, both of them collected the Copper Coins dropped by the straw men around, and Xiao Jie calculated that they had earned more than two thousand wen. However, they would not be able to continue leveling up from straw men from now on. It seemed that they would need to switch maps tomorrow. Glancing at his Experience Points, Xiao Jie was excited to find that he needed only a hundred more to reach Level 5. Tian Youcai had just contributed over four hundred points of experience, and the straw men had also provided a lot, pushing his experience to about 90%. Checking the time, it was only half past three, the perfect time to level up before it got dark. “15 points in Strength were needed to learn Blade Reflection, so this time, let’s add to Strength,” he thought. The two ate some food to restore their satiety and went straight to a small grove to hunt the wild beasts there. By four thirty in the evening, both had finally reached Level 5. Returning to the village, both were somewhat exhausted, having focused on leveling up and fighting monsters all day which had greatly taxed their spirit and they urgently needed to rest. However, Xiao Jie still asked I Want to Be Immortal for a favor. Xiao Jie did not hesitate to put all his attribute points into Strength and learned the Blade Reflection skill. He tried it out twice against the air. Blade Reflection was similar to Deflection; it only worked if it matched the direction of the opponent’s chop, but unlike Deflection, where one could continuously pose their weapon against the air to block the corresponding direction’s attacks, Blade Reflection was effective for only a moment. The difficulty was extraordinarily high, requiring significant judgment and response abilities, but thankfully, after adding points to Agility, his responsiveness had improved. While difficult, the effect was impressive. If Blade Reflection succeeded, it could directly break the opponent’s move and put them into an Imbalance State. Most likely leaving them unable to do anything for about a second. Xiao Jie asked I Want to Be Immortal to switch to a wooden stick and attack him, practicing Blade Reflection. After several attempts and being hit five or six times, he finally successfully performed Blade Reflection. Clang! The moment the opponent’s weapon was repelled, I Want to Be Immortal was wide open and completely froze. Not bad, if used well, this move could definitely lead to a critical reverse kill at crucial moments. Of course, if not used properly, that’s a different story. He knew he needed to practice a lot more from now on. During the one second after a successful Blade Reflection, he could use any skill on the enemy, and it would hit 100% of the time. It was a pity that One Cut, Two Pieces required Charging, otherwise pairing Blade Reflection with One Cut, Two Pieces would have been perfect. If Blade Reflection was followed by a normal attack, the damage felt very ordinary. Actually, if straining for a combo, One Cut, Two Pieces could connect because ordinary people, even if they regained balance, often couldn’t react in time to a sudden slash and would take the hit. But if the opponent were a master, they might be able to avoid it using the split-second interval. Of course, it would be best to learn a skill that could instantly activate and deal high damage to use in conjunction with Blade Reflection. At only Level 5 currently and lacking skills, he definitely hoped to learn suitable skills in the future.