Chapter 41
Zhang Nu saw Su Yan.
Eh? She had already reached level 2?
Is the improvement to a Hero for killing a Demon King really that huge?
Of course, while both Zhang Nu and Su Yan are level two, Su Yan is obviously way weaker.
She's probably an even match against the skeleton commanders.
Zhang Nu asked despite fully knowing the answer, "Good gains?"
Su Yan enthusiastically clenched her hands, "Hn. I got a great deal of gains. That Demon King isn't weak, so it was enough to directly level me up. Thank you for your patronage, boss!"
She suddenly feels like the great Demon King before her is nowhere near as terrible or scary as before.
Su Yan pulled out the treasure chest, "This is the Demon King Treasure Chest I got from destroying the Demon King's Nest. I didn't open it at all the entire time."
It seems that she does have some awareness.
Thus, with Zhang Nu's permission, Su Yan opened the chest up.
[You've opened a Demon King Treasure Chest. Gained "Bloody Contract" x1, "Skill Stone: Blood Sacrifice" x1, "Blooddrinker Short Sword" x1, "Transmission Bat Egg" x2, and "Bat Demon Badge" x1!]
A Demon King would get a reward chest every time they conquer a zone and those chests mainly contain stuff like gold, blueprints, or resources for the territory.
Heroes will only gain reward chests for destroying a Demon King Nest.
Thus, heroes will have far smaller chances at getting treasure chests compared to Demon Kings. Thus, the rewards generated for a Hero tend to be far greater, with the chances of yielding rare stuff like skill stones, equipment, or special items being far higher.
"You can have these two as rewards."
Zhang Nu gave the "Blooddrinker Short Sword" and the "Bat Demon Badge" to Su Yan.
Those two are both pieces of equipment. Badges are Hero exclusive items, and they have the effect of increasing stats. Zhang Nu wouldn't be able to use or sell it, so there's no point in keeping it.
Su Yan was overjoyed, "Thanks boss!"
Zhang Nu kept the rest of the items.
[Bloody Contract]. Special item. A tool that is a contract written in fresh blood. Anyone who breaks the terms of the contract will take an enormous backlash: HP permanently -20. All stats -5.
[Skill stone: Blood Sacrifice]. D rank skill. Can be used in battle to spend HP in order to recover stamina and MP.
[Transmission Bat's Egg]. Low level pet egg. It will slowly hatch by feeding it fresh blood or be made to quickly hatch by spending a life gem.
Those three items all have their uses.
The Blood Sacrifice skill has great combat value.
This skill allows one to sacrifice their HP to recover their MP and stamina. The Healing skill also allows one to spend MP to recover HP.
The two can be used together for mutual gains.
As for the other two items, one is a contract scroll and the other is a pet egg. They are both rather useful items for a Hero.
A contract scroll is usually used among Heroes in forming parties or creating alliances. It allows them to quickly establish trust.
Su Yan asked with a face full of anticipation, "Is the boss going to destroy more Demon Kings? We can continue collaborating, you know. I can take the job of locating them for you!"
Zhang Nu spoke dismissively, "Are you trying to make me the public enemy of all Demon Kings? Other Demon Kings haven't threatened me, nor are there any conflicts of interest yet, so why would I go kill them for no reason?"
There are definitely quite a few Demon Kings still nearby, but Zhang Nu really isn't all that interested in the other Demon Kings.
He could indeed gain rewards from killing Demon Kings with a Hero at his side, but there are tons of other villages, tribes, towns, and various other factions nearby. All of them will also yield rewards for conquering them, so why should he have to go at his own compatriots?
Su Yan was a bit disappointed.
This was within her expectations though.
She doesn't doubt Zhang Nu had the power to slaughter all the Demon Kings around within several hundred kilometers, but if he did that, wouldn't it end up making the Darkness Valley stand out even more?
If that happens, then in the future, not only will they end up receiving the concentrated attention of the Heroes, but they might also end up feared by all the other Demon Kings.
At that moment, a draconian soldier responsible for patrols came to report a situation.
"My lord!"
"There's a bunch of suspicious people sneaking around near the Bloodhoof Tribe."
Zhang Nu frowned slightly, "Suspicious people sneaking around? What are they doing near the Bloodhoof tribe for? Isn't that place already destroyed?"
The draconian soldier replied, "Those people were acting very cautiously, so we aren't sure of their motives yet."
Su Yan suddenly spoke up, "I know!"
Zhang Nu was surprised, "What do you know?"
"There's a guild formed of various Heroes and Hero parties over in Giantree City. Those people might be from one of those Hero Guilds, specifically one called the Ironblooded Heroes Guild."
"How do you know so much?"
Su Yan answered, "When I was taken prisoner by Zhao Lei, I had heard him brag about how the Ironblooded Heroes Guild was strongly inviting him. This group is supposed to only invite the strongest Heroes with the most potential, and at the time, they seemed to have promised him a lot of great perks."
Is that how it is?
That seems to explain it all then.
Zhao Lei and the Bloodhoof tribe suddenly vanished.
Thus, the Hero Guild should have noticed and have sent people to investigate.
"Allow me to scout them out!" Su Yan immediately volunteered, "I'm a Hero too and I can also disguise myself. They won't suspect me at all."
The experiences from these past few days have deeply drilled a truth into her.
It's hard to get far with just her own strength alone. She needs backing, even if the person in question is a Demon King. Thus, she needs to properly show her value.
Zhang Nu had recognized the advantages of cooperating with a "Fallen Hero."
That said, he still can't completely trust the other party.
"I can allow you to act freely on your own."
Zhang Nu pulled out a scroll, "But first, we need to make a contract."