Chapter 19: Generous Rewards

Everyone stared blankly at the corpse of the Lava Subdragon, completely unable to recover their wits for a moment. It was a full minute before Xia Ling finally spoke, her voice uncertain. “The Lava Subdragon... is dead?”

The others nodded numbly, still in disbelief. How could it be? The terrifying subdragon that had threatened them only moments ago was now lying dead at their feet?

All eyes turned toward Xu Han. He walked over to the creature’s back, pulled out the Abyssal Fangs, wiped the blood from the blade, and put it away. Noticing the astonished stares, he asked, “What is it? Is there something on my face?”

Hou Xiaoyan, her face a mask of shock, stammered, “You killed the Lava Subdragon with just one strike?”

Xu Han nodded calmly.

Everyone drew in a sharp breath. To slay a bronze-ranked boss-level beast with a single blow? Impossible—unless the attacker’s level utterly dwarfed their target. But if Xu Han were above level ten, he wouldn’t have been able to enter the secret realm at all.

No matter how they racked their brains, they simply couldn’t fathom how Xu Han had managed such a feat.

Meanwhile, Xu Han opened his attribute panel.

Name: Xu Han
Race: Human
Class: SSS-Rank Grand Gourmet
Level: 8
Strength: 465
Constitution: 450
Agility: 156
Spirit: 78

“The experience was bountiful—I went straight up to level eight,” Xu Han murmured, stroking his chin in mild surprise. But he quickly understood. This was a level ten bronze-rank boss, after all. And all the damage had been dealt by him alone. With such a rich share of experience, a rapid level-up was only natural.

Xia Ling spoke up, “Xu Han, you killed the Lava Subdragon. All this equipment belongs to you.”

The others nodded in agreement.

Xu Han smiled. “Then I’ll accept it without reservation.”

He walked up to the Lava Subdragon and immediately spotted four items laid out on the ground: a dagger, a set of dragon scale armor, a pair of dragon scale boots, and, astonishingly, a skill book.

He examined the dagger first.

Fang of the Wrathful Dragon
Quality: Silver
Strength +40
Agility +40
Skill 1: Wrathful Dragon Soars (Throw the dagger to attack an enemy, dealing double damage and inflicting burning, causing continuous bleeding. Cooldown: 5 minutes)
Description: A dagger forged from the tooth of the Lava Subdragon, imbued with its seething fury.
Equipment Requirement: Level 10

This dagger was a true treasure—not only did it provide a significant boost to his stats, it also came with a devastating skill. It would perfectly compensate for his current lack of offensive power.

Next, he turned his attention to the dragon scale armor. The armor was a deep crimson, its surface forged from scales that shimmered with dazzling luster. On the chest plate, a fierce dragon’s head was emblazoned, giving the piece an aura of awe-inspiring might.

Dragon Scale Armor
Quality: Silver
Strength +30
Constitution +50
Skill 1: Flame Shield (Summons a shield of fire to block damage. Cooldown: 10 minutes)
Skill 2: Scorch (Passive. Nearby enemies suffer burning damage.)
Wrathful Dragon Set (1/2): With two pieces, attacks have a 1% chance to inflict Fire Venom, causing continuous damage and reducing all attributes by 20%.
Description: Armor crafted from the scales of the Lava Subdragon, virtually indestructible.
Equipment Requirement: Level 10

Xu Han’s eyes widened. This armor’s effects were no less impressive than the dagger’s—and it was part of a set!

He then looked at the boots. Like the armor, the boots were adorned with dragon scale patterns, with red flames dancing along the sides, lending them an even more striking and agile appearance.

Dragon Scale Boots
Quality: Silver
Constitution +20
Agility +50
Skill 1: Wrathful Dragon’s Strike (Greatly increases attack speed for three seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes)
Wrathful Dragon Set (1/2): With two pieces, attacks have a 1% chance to inflict Fire Venom, causing continuous damage and reducing all attributes by 20%.
Description: Boots crafted from the scales of the Lava Subdragon, letting you run faster than ever.
Equipment Requirement: Level 10

It was no exaggeration to say that these three items could fetch a fortune—people would be at each other's throats to buy them. Together, they’d be worth at least two hundred thousand. With this equipment, even someone in a non-combat profession could instantly become a powerhouse.

Unfortunately, he’d have to wait until level ten to use them. With a tinge of regret, Xu Han put the equipment away.

Finally, he turned to the skill book.

Name: Explosive Fireball
Quality: Silver
Description: Summons a fireball to attack an enemy. Upon contact, the fireball explodes, dealing devastating damage.
Usage Restriction: Fire-type magic professions only

Xu Han stored it as well. He couldn’t use it himself, but selling it could easily net him a few million. Or, he could trade it for rare treasures that money couldn’t buy.

“All right, let’s leave the secret realm,” Xia Ling said with a hint of envy in her voice, though she knew well enough the difference between a few pieces of equipment and a future powerhouse. Offending a top-tier expert for mere gear would be a fool’s bargain.

No one else objected.

After leaving the secret realm, Xu Han found a clearing, efficiently set up a grill, and began preparing to roast dragon meat. Flames danced as they seared the Lava Subdragon’s flesh, yet no matter how long he cooked, the meat remained unchanged.

Xu Han pondered the situation. Given that the Lava Subdragon was a fire-wielding beast, perhaps the temperature simply wasn’t high enough to cook its meat.

If that was the case, why not try making dragon sashimi?

He sliced a piece of the Lava Subdragon’s meat and popped it into his mouth. Chewing slowly, he found it surprisingly tender and delicious, even uncooked.

Soon, he swallowed the meat, and the system’s notification chimed in his mind.

“First time consuming Tier One Lava Subdragon meat: Strength +50, Constitution +50.”

“Gained skill: Explosive Fireball.”

Xu Han froze. Wait—Explosive Fireball? Wasn’t that a mage-class skill? How did he learn it?

He opened his skill menu. Sure enough, a new entry had appeared:

Explosive Fireball LV.1: Summon a fireball to attack an enemy. Upon contact, the fireball explodes, dealing devastating damage. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Curious, Xu Han glanced at a nearby thicket.

“Explosive Fireball!” he called.

A fireball the size of his palm formed above his hand, the air around it growing noticeably hotter. With a casual flick, he sent the fireball hurtling into the bushes.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rent the air, and when the smoke cleared, all that remained of the thicket was a large, smoking crater.