[The master-servant contract has been successfully signed.]
[Intimacy +10!]
As the system notification sounded, a series of messages appeared before Irving, causing his heart to surge with excitement.
[Pet: Hellhound]
[Description: A mysterious and powerful creature, said to originate from the depths of hell, covered in purple flames. It has an extraordinary affinity with fire, eyes that seem to peer into the soul, glowing with a deep red light. It can see clearly in darkness, intelligent and loyal, brave and unbeatable, making them fearless warriors and guardians!]
[Species: Undead]
[Growth Stage: Juvenile]
[Intimacy: 40 points (Intimacy will affect the synergy between player and pet as well as boost associated attributes)]
[Skill 1: Hellish Scent: The Hellhound can sniff out hidden dangers and treasures, increasing the likelihood of discovering rare items during adventures.]
[Skill 2: Lucky Charm: The close relationship with the Hellhound brings good fortune to the protagonist. When adventuring together, his luck significantly increases, making it easier to obtain high-level equipment and rare materials.]
[Skill 3: Shadow Guard: In the darkness, the Hellhound can provide additional defensive bonuses, protecting the protagonist from enemies lurking in the shadows.]
[...]
Irving looked at his pet, Little Black, in disbelief. The player with the [Eagle Eye] talent from the angel squad hadn't been this extraordinary. He could only gather basic information about mythical creatures, nowhere near as detailed and accurate as this.
"No wonder we couldn't find the obsidian in the mine, but Little Black could..." Irving murmured as he reviewed Little Black's skill list, finally understanding.
"And it can see everything clearly in the dark?" Irving thought of the second wave of disasters that would arrive in three days, suddenly feeling more prepared.
He turned to Vicky, "My wounds are almost healed. Help Little Black heal quickly. That hit from the stone giant was no small matter."
Despite using the [Celestial Necklace] to receive 90% reduced damage, Irving had still been seriously injured by the stone giant's hit. This clearly demonstrates just how incredible Little Black's defense is, given its undead lineage. What's even more remarkable is that it is still only in its juvenile stage.
Thinking of this, Irving's heart filled with anticipation. He could already imagine how powerful Little Black would become upon reaching adulthood.
This would be a major support as he ventured through the Other world!
[Ding!]
[Player Talent Skill: Tenfold Drop Rate, boosted by pet skill, has increased to twentyfold.]
One surprise followed another! In fact, when Irving saw Little Black's skill [Lucky Charm], he had already guessed there would be such a change, but he hadn't expected it to double.
The original [Tenfold Drop Rate] was already incredibly powerful, and now it had turned into a [Twentyfold Drop Rate]!
Player talent skills can continuously improve, not only for Irving but also for Vicky's talent [Healing Art], which is still in its initial stage.
While talent skills can be enhanced, this process is challenging, and not everyone is as lucky as Irving to adopt a Hellhound with limitless potential…
"Time to gather the gear!" Irving announced.
He first approached the remains of a stone golem, now just a pile of rubble.
[Void Ring]
[Tier: Rare★★★★]
[Description: Upon equipping, grants the player a personal storage space measuring 10m*10m*10m]
[Guardian's Armor]
[Tier: Rare★]
[Description: Forged from tough stone, this armor effectively protects against fierce enemy attacks but reduces movement speed when worn]
[Staff of Holy Healing]
[Tier: Rare★]
[Description: Enchanted with holy power. This staff offers strong healing support for allies. While healing, there's a chance to trigger Divine Light, instantly restoring a significant amount of health to the target]
Three pieces of rare equipment!
"This staff will be perfect for you." Irving said as he stowed the other two items and handed the [Staff of Holy Healing] to Vicky.
"It's actually... a rare item!" Vicky exclaimed excitedly when she saw the equipment's details.
As a healer with the innate skill [Healing Art], the value of the staff to Vicky was undeniable. Her grateful gaze towards Irving said more than words could.
"Don't overthink it. I just don't want extra baggage." Irving said coolly.
The experiences from his past life have made his heart incredibly cold, and he does not easily trust anyone around him. He had reasons for taking in Vicky. On one hand, her innate [Healing Art] greatly augmented his necromantic abilities, which were extremely draining on his mental energy. On the other hand, it is precisely because of Vicky's talent that she is destined to survive only by staying close to the strong.
Although Irving could see that Vicky's anxiety, worry, and tears during the battle with the stone golem were genuine, he understood a fundamental truth: power is everything.
"I..." Vicky looked at Irving's retreating back, her eyes shadowed with a tinge of sadness. Clutching the staff, she made a quiet vow, "I will definitely not disappoint you!"
...
Night fell.
After Irving finished collecting all the equipment scattered across the scorched earth and returned to the shelter, he almost collapsed from exhaustion, chuckling, "I never knew picking up equipment could be such a painful task..."
If other players heard this, they'd likely want to throttle him out of sheer envy.
Irving roughly tallied the loot:
Ordinary equipment, over six hundred pieces!
Advanced equipment, over two hundred pieces!
Besides the three from the stone golem, another rare item had dropped from a lesser beast!
[Destructive War Axe]
[Tier: Rare★]
[Description: This heavy war axe, imbued with formidable destructive power, ensures each swing instills fear in enemies, coupled with a 30% chance of a critical hit]
"The drop rate for rare items is frustratingly low, thought I'd be numb from picking them up..." Irving remarked disinterestedly after glancing at the [Destructive War Axe].
This type of equipment was suited for warriors, not for him. Different classes have unique attributes, and even if he were to equip it, he wouldn't be able to harness the true potential of the war axe.
It was not just this one item. Among the thousands of pieces of equipment acquired this time, there were hardly any that he could use. This was quite frustrating, but of course, it had a direct connection to him being a necromancer.
"Only this ring seems interesting." Irving looked at the [Void Ring] on his hand, which had dropped from the cataclysmic beast, the stone golem.
At first, he thought the additional attribute of the ring, which granted a 10m*10m*10m storage space, was somewhat trivial. After all, in the game, equipment could be picked up at will. Even if not worn, it could be transported directly to a wooden box in the shelter for storage.
However, Irving quickly discovered the usefulness of this [Void Ring].
The game and reality were one-way connected. All items in the game could be brought into reality, but items from reality couldn't be brought into the game. If he utilized this Void Ring, he wondered if he could achieve a two-way connection...
But Irving quickly thought of the creator of the Other world Game - Blue Star Will!
Although he was extremely lucky, some loopholes weren't so easy to exploit, and they were bound to be restricted by the Blue Star Will.
"I'll try it when I have time." Irving said.
Before logging out of the game, Vicky asked Irving for his contact information to repay him for taking care of her over the past two days. Irving initially didn't want to give it to her, but he couldn't resist her persistent pleading. Moreover, he realized that he might need this "healer" in the future, so he eventually agreed.
After taking a refreshing shower in the bathroom, the utterly exhausted Irving felt his eyelids grow heavy as if they were filled with lead. He collapsed onto the bed and immediately fell asleep.
He slept until noon the next day.
It wasn't until the glaring sunlight broke through the gaps in the curtains that Irving reluctantly got up from bed and instinctively reached for the cellphone under his pillow.
There were a bunch of unread messages. Besides Anna and James, there was one full of curse words. He knew without looking that it was from Charles...
As Irving scrolled through his phone screen, his eyes suddenly fixated on one of the messages.
"Irving, 23 years old. Address: Sunshine Community, Building 5, Room 0801..."
Irving froze, he sat up in bed immediately and looked at the sender's information - it was from an overseas number!
A sense of foreboding surged in his heart.