The unexpected tolling of two bells was indeed something Jiang Han had not anticipated.
Slaying the Purple Flame Poison Snake King granted him eight thousand reputation, and with the additional twenty thousand from the two announcements, his reputation had just crossed the hundred thousand mark. This not only triggered an event but also bestowed upon him an SS-grade achievement reward!
Jiang Han hastily opened his inventory, discovering a golden scroll inside with two blank spaces seemingly waiting to be filled.
[Battle Contract] (SS-grade)
Introduction: A special contract that requires signatures from both parties. Once established, it is a fight to the death with no quarter given. The loser forfeits everything, and the victor returns fully laden.
Effect: The contract mandates both parties to engage in a fair, undisturbed battle at a predetermined time and place. The winner claims everything from the loser, including profession, equipment, items, wealth, and more.
Usage Count: 1/1
...
"..."
Staring at the scroll, Jiang Han fell into a momentary silence. This was clearly a battle to the death, and the cost paid by the defeated party could only be described as gruesome.
"If I make a wrong judgment and kick an iron board, this scroll might end up being a trap for myself."
"Battle Contract..."
Jiang Han squinted his eyes. "Even though the effect of this scroll should be remarkable, I have already become the Dark Swordsman, undoubtedly the top and only hidden profession. It might diminish the value of this scroll to some extent."
Of course, he had no immediate plans to use it or sell it. He decided to store it in his inventory for future consideration.
"Ding!~"
System prompt: Exclusive adventurer event, [World Martial Arts Competition], is now open for registration. Adventurers can sign up in level three towns or above in the Bright Camp. We encourage all adventurers to participate eagerly and compete for the top spot!
"Ding!~"
System prompt: For specific rules and rewards, please check the Martial Arts Ranking!
Jiang Han opened the system, and the newly added Martial Arts Ranking prominently displayed. Upon closer inspection, the list was blank, but the rewards and rules were accessible.
[World Martial Arts] (Eastern Region)
Introduction: A special competition for adventurers, where the winner can attain honor and rewards.
Rules: Participants are randomly arranged by the system as opponents. Accumulate ten failures to be eliminated, while winners continue to advance until the top ten are determined (Note: Unless there are very few remaining participants, no adventurer will consecutively encounter the same opponent within five rounds).
Rewards:
First Place - S-grade rare item or skill x1, Spirit-grade equipment x2
Second Place - S-grade item or skill x1, Spirit-grade equipment x1
Third Place - A-grade item x1, Spirit-grade equipment x1
Fourth Place - ...
...
"The rewards are so generous?" Jiang Han was quite surprised.
It had only been a few days since he got the first kill on the Assassination Leader, meaning that Dark Gold equipment was still scarce. Yet, the first-place reward offered two Spirit-grade pieces of equipment, along with a rare item or skill.
"Good thing I have the Stealth Art. Otherwise, signing up would be a big problem."
Jiang Han decisively decided to head to a nearby level three town. While entering Cloud Beast City was allowed, the higher-level cities had a greater chance of encountering strong players. If his identity was exposed, it would practically be a death sentence, so a bit of caution was always right.
"Ding!~"
System prompt: Please choose a pseudonym and fill in false values!
After using the Stealth Art, the system immediately prompted him to change his name.
What name to choose?
Jiang Han thought for a moment, feeling there was no need to be too serious. Since it was a pseudonym, he casually said, "Purple Flame Poison Snake King."
Soon, his name underwent a change.
Filling in the false values, Jiang Han entered a place called White Crane Town. He found the registration point, a peculiar floating gem in mid-air resembling an enlarged agate, shimmering with a bright red light.
Luckily, it wasn't required to fill in as a real person; otherwise, he wouldn't know if he should use his game ID or the pseudonym.
Jiang Han placed his hand on the gem, and a prompt sounded in his ears.
"Ding!~"
System prompt: Do you wish to sign up for the [World Martial Arts Competition]? (Note: Once registered, withdrawal is not possible. Failure to participate in the competition online within the specified time will result in elimination, and a level deduction of 2 levels as a penalty.)
"Yes!"
Jiang Han chose to agree.
"Ding!~"
System prompt: You have successfully registered for the [World Martial Arts Competition]. It will commence three days from now at 10:00. Please be patient during this period!
With registration complete, Jiang Han went to the nearby area where players were setting up stalls. He wanted to buy a mount for transportation and then purchase some mount stones to capture one himself.
"Passersby, don't miss out, advanced potions on sale!"
"Everyone, come and see, I've just obtained a B-grade skill book!"
"Selling treasure maps, for those who want to dig for treasure, come and take a look!"
...
Arriving at the crowded player-stall area, amidst the bustling sounds of bargaining, Jiang Han keenly felt the game's popularity.
Due to joining the Dark Camp, his interactions with regular players were minimal. His friends' list still only had Long Teng Wan Li, making it feel somewhat like playing a single-player game.
Navigating through the crowd, Jiang Han occasionally glanced at players' stall items, finding it quite intriguing.
"Mounts, super rare mounts!"
Suddenly, he heard someone shouting something that piqued his interest.
Super rare mounts?
Jiang Han immediately turned to look, lowering his head to examine the item being displayed—a white stone sealing a mount.
[Donkey] (Mature Phase)
Grade: Bronze
Effect: Movement speed +20%
Introduction: Although not fast, it has a gentle temperament, is hardworking, and adventurers riding it should not be impatient, as good days lie ahead.
...
"This..."
Holding the sealed mount stone, Jiang Han had three black lines on his forehead. "Super rare mount?"
A bronze-grade donkey with extremely poor stats. How could the seller say something like that?
"Isn't it?"
The seller, now with customers, became spirited and boasted about himself: "NPCs still refuse to sell mounts to us players. To capture this donkey, my friend and I spent a lot of effort and time. Don't be fooled by the poor stats. Many knights only have riding skills, and they don't even have a donkey yet!"
...
This wasn't surprising to Jiang Han.
Indeed, mounts weren't that easy to capture, and the capture probability depended on the gap in strength between the player and the mount. When he attacked Ice and Snow Town, he didn't see many players riding mounts.
Afterward, Jiang Han strolled around but found no one else selling mounts. He had to return to the previous stall and ask about the price. "How much?"
"One hundred gold coins," the stall owner stated.
Jiang Han shook his head. "Too expensive!"
Is a donkey worth fifteen thousand?
That's more expensive
than real life!
"How much do you suggest?"
"I'll trade with you using a silver-grade equipment," Jiang Han took out an item dropped by the Purple Flame Poison Snake.
"This... A level 55 equipment, how long will I have to level up to use it? Besides, by then, silver-grade equipment won't be as expensive as it is now. No, no..."
"Two pieces!"
"Deal!"
...
After the transaction, Jiang Han used the mount stone.
"Hee-haw!"
In the donkey's braying, a small black donkey appeared on the street.
Jiang Han mounted it, the passive skill Shadow Pursuit activated, and he shouted, "Go!"
"Whoosh!"
The small donkey dashed out, its hooves thundering, leaving the onlookers in awe.
"Damn, can a donkey run this fast?"
"It turns out donkeys in this game are faster than horses. Lack of common knowledge is harmful!"
"This is definitely a super rare mount!"
"!!"
The stall owner, witnessing this scene, was so shocked that he almost dropped the two pieces of silver-grade equipment in his hands.
Did I just sell... a donkey?