Chapter 20: Unexpected Drops and New Opportunities

What an incredible drop rate!

After gathering the dropped materials and equipment, Yenir felt a tinge of surprise. Without hesitation, he dashed out of the Rotten Corpse Forest, eager to find a secure spot to inspect his loot.

“Withered Wood Armor – Quality: White”

“Attributes: +1 Constitution, 30% reduction to firearm damage, 5% physical damage reduction.”

“Negative Effect: When hit by fire, takes an extra 10% burn damage.”

“Equipment Evaluation: A hybrid armor forged from withered wood and human tissue, offering reliable protection.”

Caressing the armor that felt as rough as tree bark, Yenir’s eyes gleamed as he decided to equip it immediately.

Maybe it was because of transcendent kills, but both monsters—the very first slain after their rebirth—dropped some impressive loot.

Although the Withered Wood Armor comes with a drawback, in standard combat it’s nothing short of a minor gem.

Yet, more than the gear, Yenir was keen on the Spiritual Energy Fruit that dropped.

“Spiritual Energy Fruit (Corpse Fruit – White)”

“Use: Consuming it increases your Constitution by 1 and boosts life recovery speed by 20%.”

Gazing at the fruit in his hand, which resembled a wind-dried heart, Yenir couldn’t hide his delight.

If gear has a rare drop rate, then Spiritual Energy Fruits are truly scarce.

A fruit that permanently boosts your stats usually commands a high price—worth two or three truckloads of premium grain.

After all, for many Awakened, leveling up only adds 4 stat points.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he swallowed it. Immediately, a warm, comforting surge spread through him.

“Beep: Corpse Fruit consumed. Constitution +1! Life recovery speed +20%!”

A string of system notifications made the once monotonous system voice sound oddly pleasing.

He reaped a rewarding haul, leaving him in excellent spirits.

Looking at the remaining materials, Yenir contemplated for a moment before deciding to head straight to the Safe Zone for processing.

Materials dropped by mutants can typically be forged into fine weapons and armor. Even though lower-grade items rarely become system gear, they remain highly coveted by the Awakened.

These materials promised a solid payout.

After his skill bar upgraded, there were still three empty slots. With the system’s insane boost potential, buying a few sword skill books would soon skyrocket his battle power!

With that thought, Yenir began to eagerly look forward to new skills.

If even Thrust could be bolstered into an SSS-level Sword Storm, who knew what his next skill might turn out to be?

……

At the outskirts of the Rotten Corpse Forest, several panicked squads regrouped, their voices filled with awe and confusion as they discussed the bizarre events.

“Did you see that?! Deep in the forest, it looked like someone of the second tier had made a move!”

“Rank Two?! You must have been too far away—only a Rank Three could create such a commotion!”

“Yeah, the ground itself shook. Within a hundred meters of the impact, I saw streaks of sword energy!”

..

Still reeling from their fears, they stole a glance into the deep forest, as if some dreadful monster lurked within.

“Who knows which Rank Three triggered that? The effect was unbelievably terrifying…”

“No clue. In all honesty, nothing in the Rotten Corpse Forest should attract someone of that caliber. How could a Rank Three be here?”

Recalling the fleeting yet overwhelming surge of power, fear still flickered in every eye.

Had they not been fleeing so quickly—and if the target hadn’t been someone else—they might have suspected the aftershock would tear them apart.

In the midst of their conversation, a young boy abruptly burst out from the forest edge.

The crowd’s attention shifted toward him, but once they spotted the rifle slung on Yenir’s back, their curiosity quickly faded.

…..

Inner City – Mutant Material Procurement Point.

Inside the lavish procurement center, an Awakened in a white uniform accepted the materials from Yenir with a hint of surprise.

“Hello, are you selling all these materials?”

In a courteous tone, the first-tier Awakened in charge glanced at the items and quickly recognized them as tissue from two mutants.

“Tree Demon Shell… Giant Claws…”

Judging by the materials, they must have come from the Rotten Corpse Forest outside the city.

“Sell it all; let’s get a quote.”

Yenir replied coolly, his eyes scanning the procurement center as he spoke.

Though labeled a procurement center, the establishment was immaculate—bright windows and a luxuriously lit interior filled with incandescent bulbs. A few attractive attendants stood silently at the sides, giving it the air of an upscale lounge before the end of the world.

Taking the tea offered by a server, Yenir patiently awaited the quote.

Though he could have sold through the system’s trading channel, he opted for an offline deal to avoid transaction fees.

A few minutes later, the appraiser, sporting a professional smile, swiftly quoted the price:

“Hello.”

“Four material pieces: two from first-tier peak mutants and two mid-level ones. They’re suited for crafting one set of defensive gear and offensive equipment.”

“Estimated value: around 697 credit points.”

“You seem to be new to our Merchant Guild. As a courtesy, we’ll offer 700 credit points. What do you say?”

Speaking flawlessly, the trader set down the mutant materials, then courteously addressed Yenir.

To the trader, Yenir’s youthful charm coupled with his seemingly first-tier strength didn’t match the caliber of these materials. Yet, seeing the military combat uniform he wore, the trader’s curiosity was piqued, and he tread carefully.

“Agreed.”

With a slight nod, Yenir accepted the price without hesitation, not bothering to haggle further.

The offered price was actually quite generous.

At 700 credit points, that’s equivalent to over 200 kilograms of meat—enough to hire seven or eight mercenaries in a post-apocalyptic world.

For ordinary folks, the rewards from mutant slaying were astronomical compared to their modest incomes.

Seeing Yenir’s straightforwardness, the trader cut to the chase with an even friendlier attitude.

After taking the materials, the trader swiftly transferred the credit points to Yenir’s account.

“Hello, your credit points have been transferred. Please check your account. Need anything else?”

“We also sell equipment, supplies, and firearms. If you have special needs, we can arrange custom orders.”

Without missing a beat, the trader handed over a metal card crafted from pure gold, giving Yenir an enthusiastic look.

For a low-tier Awakened, 700 credit points is a massive sum. Yenir spending it here would be ideal.

Grabbing the dark gold VIP card, Yenir’s eyes shone as he promptly expressed his needs:

“Do you have any skill books?”

“For swords.”