Jeremy hadn't expected the golden treasure chest to be in Ritchie's possession.
What surprised him even more was that the hidden mechanism provided by The Eye of Omniscience could actually grant him triple rewards!
It was as if he could open three golden treasure chests at once!
Glancing at Ritchie's expression, Jeremy knew this guy likely had no idea about the value of the golden treasure chest.
After hesitating for a moment, Jeremy decided to dismiss the thought of deceiving Ritchie and instead chose to inform him about the chest's value, allowing him to make his own decision.
After some consideration, Jeremy earnestly said, "Ritchie, this chest is very precious. It can contain very rare items and equipment, its value is immeasurable."
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "For certain reasons, this chest could significantly enhance my strength, so I'm hoping you might let me borrow this treasure chest for now. I will repay this favor doubly in the future. Of course, there's also a chance that I might die in this post-apocalyptic world before I can repay you, so..."
Before Jeremy could finish, Ritchie handed over the golden chest.
Ritchie nonchalantly said, "Since you want it, it's yours. Don't be so formal over a mere chest. Its value doesn't matter much to me. With Shadow Stealth, I'm good. I don't need too much power."
Looking at Ritchie's indifferent face, Jeremy's lips moved, but in the end, he only uttered.
"Thank you. I'll remember this favor." as he took the golden chest seriously.
"Actually, I also have a favor to ask of you." Ritchie said, scratching his head, then suddenly smirked mischievously. "Could you share with me that website where you watch time stop? I know you definitely have it."
He even nudged Jeremy with his elbow, giving him a knowing look.
Jeremy replied in exasperation, "I really don't have it. Why would I need such a thing when I have a girlfriend?"
Ritchie was shocked, exclaiming, "What? When did you get a girlfriend? I thought we agreed to stay single for life, you traitor! How long have you two been together?"
Jeremy stored the golden treasure chest into his storage space and after a moment, said, "About a year."
"A year?" Ritchie pondered for a moment, realizing that it was around the time they had started their senior year of high school.
Something clicked for Ritchie, and he gasped in astonishment, "Your girlfriend, is it Bonnie?"
Before Jeremy could respond, Ritchie clapped his hands, convinced, "Yes, it must be her. It can only be her. Wow, Jeremy, you look so honest with those thick eyebrows and big eyes, but you quietly managed to win over our class beauty and president!"
"It's not her." Jeremy replied briefly, knowing well that Ritchie was a chatterbox. The more you engage, the longer he talks, endlessly.
Ignoring Ritchie's questions, Jeremy walked downstairs.
His eyes revealed contemplation, thinking about how to unlock the golden treasure chest in his hand.
Opening the golden treasure chest required 10 tier-3 energy crystals, and he already had 2 in his possession, obtained from a bronze treasure chest. However, he was still far from the needed 10.
Jeremy thought it over and realized there were essentially only two methods.
One was to hunt high- level monsters, specifically those of at least elite status and level 10.
Only monsters of this caliber had a chance of dropping tier-3 energy crystals, and Jeremy was just capable of defeating them.
The other method was to find a silver treasure chest.
After opening the silver treasure chest, he would inevitably receive a 4th order energy crystal.
Unfortunately, both methods required too much luck, and Jeremy wasn't confident he could achieve either in a short time.
Ritchie, on the other hand, was still talking non-stop.
He was wondering who Jeremy's girlfriend was if not Bonnie, chastising Jeremy for not introducing his girlfriend to his best friend, and even asking if Bonnie could set him up with a girlfriend.
Seeing that Ritchie had no intention of stopping, seemingly determined to achieve his goal.
Jeremy could only say helplessly, "Stop asking, you'll meet her soon. If you want a girl's contact, you might as well ask her if she's available yourself."
Ritchie's eyes lit up at this, excitedly exclaiming, "That's why you're my bro, always so righteous!"
Jeremy just shrugged, hoping Ritchie wouldn't chicken out upon meeting Emma.
After all, Emma had always had a strict image in class, which allowed her to manage a top class like theirs for three years. She only showed her gentler side in front of him.
Of course, Ritchie was oblivious to the setup Jeremy had already laid out for him.
The two descended from the rooftop and started towards the school building.
Along the way, they encountered monsters, but these creatures didn't last long against Jeremy and were quickly dispatched.
Ritchie took the easier route by hiding in the shadows.
As they went downstairs, Jeremy casually rescued some students trapped in classrooms.
During this process, Jeremy also encountered many teachers and learned that the principal had turned into a monster.
The school was left with only a few vice-principals and teachers, including Eric.
The situation was worse than imagined, with no one leading, which explained the chaos.
After pondering for a moment, Jeremy decided to have Eric step up and organize the students and teachers upon his return.
Given Eric's capabilities, managing them shouldn't be difficult.
However, as Jeremy rescued more people, the number of monsters drawn to them gradually increased.
Moonlight Middle School was the top ranked high school in Moonlight City. IT had a large student body. Even though most had turned into monsters or were killed, the surviving students still numbered over a thousand when gathered.
Such a large group would be a feast in the eyes of the monsters.
Therefore, after saving about thirty people, Jeremy stopped.
No matter how much the others pleaded, Jeremy didn't attend to them anymore.
Saving people was just a convenience, if it meant putting himself in danger, Jeremy would rather not save anyone.
Even so, after Jeremy led these people out of the school building, they attracted forty or fifty monsters and an unwelcome guest.
…
On the plaza outside the school building.
Jeremy looked at the monsters blocking their path with a cold gaze.
One of them was a gigantic creature, four to five meters tall, with layers of fat and multiple human faces and arms protruding from its chest, abdomen, and even its back, as if many people had fused together.
They seemed to be alive, struggling on the body of the monster, trying to pull everyone in front of it to become one of them, creating a horrifying sight.
[Fused Zombie (Lord)]
[Level]: lv10
[Attack]: 1190-1205
[Defense]: 258
[Skills]: Roar, Devour, Venom, Charge...
[Hint]: Extremely dangerous, the weak point is in the head. Cutting off all its arms guarantees a drop of a tier-4 energy crystal.
…
Jeremy's eyes gradually filled with a bloody hue as he read the monster's information.
He had just been thinking about how to get a tier-4 energy crystal, and now it seemed to have delivered itself to his doorstep.
The surrounding monsters were slowly closing in, their crimson eyes fixed on them, causing everyone's hair to stand on end.
Behind Jeremy, dozens of people saw the terrifying fused zombie and the surrounding monsters, their eyes filled with fear.
One teacher screamed in panic, "Run, everyone! This is a lord-level monster, we can't deal with it!"
A student beside him said in despair, "There are monsters everywhere. How can we run? We're surrounded!"
A girl knelt on the ground, crying and shouting, "Save me! Can someone save us!"
Cries and shouts filled the crowd; over thirty people were panicking. Some even blamed Jeremy for leading them out, feeling that he had doomed them all. A skinny student angrily said, "It's all Jeremy's fault. I've always said staying in the classroom was the safest. Now, he's going to get us all killed!"
This scene not only stunned Ritchie on the spot but also made Emma, John, and others who were coming to help feel the absurdity of the situation.
As the monsters grew stronger, staying in the classroom would only lead to being devoured by countless creatures. Why would these people think Jeremy had doomed them? Did they really believe staying in the classroom would keep them alive?
Emma pursed her lips, saying nothing.
Bonnie's face turned pale.
Feeling as if the things she had held onto had crumbled in an instant.
Eric shook his head, feeling sorry for Jeremy.
John also stared blankly at the scene, muttering, "Are these people really worth us risking our lives to save?"