Chapter 222: Searching for Loot

Bombarded by a barrage of magic missiles, the forty skeleton warriors crumbled to pieces in no time.

"Tower! Incoming!"

No sooner had they cleared the immediate area than twenty more came flying over.

Lan Qingyou did not hold back, instantly reducing them to dust without a second thought.

However, to everyone's surprise, the moment she obliterated the third wave, the enemy summoned yet another.

It seemed the battlefield required a constant presence of skeleton warriors, or else the summoning would never cease.

Realizing this, Lan Qingyou turned her gaze toward the Undead General, her Analysis Magic Eye glowing as a plan formed in her mind.

'So you like summoning, do you?'

'Then I will let you summon to your heart's content.'

The goal was simple—drain the enemy's Mana Points.

Even though the summoning spell did not cost much, as long as they kept the attrition going, defeating the boss would simply be a matter of time.

After all, its other combat skills also required Mana Points. Once its reserves ran dry, the enemy would be nothing more than fish on a chopping block.

The only problem was that this strategy put a heavy burden on Li Huai.

As a spellcaster, his base Mana Points ranked among the highest of all the Transmigrators.

However, because his current level was still relatively low, a total pool of two to three thousand Mana Points simply could not withstand such rapid consumption.

As a result.

He was forced to endure the Lan Qingyou treatment.

He had to chug Mana Potions one after another, practically drowning his stomach in the bitter liquid.

In the end, just as Lan Qingyou had predicted, a depleted pool of Mana Points left the Undead General unable to cast spells, while also severely crippling its attack power and defense.

Ganged up on by the six of them, the Undead General was swiftly brought down and slain.

"Phew... We can finally catch our breath."

The moment the Undead General collapsed, the palpable tension in the air vanished, allowing everyone to finally relax.

Judging by the eerie silence that followed, there were no more monsters lurking in the shadows. Their dungeon run had concluded in total victory.

Lan Qingyou's own level skyrocketed from nine all the way up to fifteen.

"Huh! Something is not right!"

Lan Qingyou froze as she glanced down at the status window glowing on the back of her hand.

"What is wrong?"

The Priestess leaned in, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"The points are off. Check your own stats. It seems like leveling up grants five Attribute Points per level now. My Spirit stat alone shot up by twenty-five points."

"Really? Let me see!"

Everyone hurriedly checked their own status screens. After doing some quick mental math, they realized she was absolutely right.

"I suppose that counts as good news?"

Gu Xiaobei asked, tilting her head to the side.

Having leeched enough experience to hit level eleven, she now ranked among the absolute elite of all the Transmigrators.

Of course.

Even though she jokingly claimed to be leeching off the group's hard work.

Anyone with eyes could see that she had pulled her own weight in the fight.

She had swung her wooden spatula with terrifying ferocity, outright shattering the skulls of countless skeleton sailors.

After all, a C-rank spatula that provided a forty-point boost to Strength was nothing to scoff at.

"Of course it is. Attributes are directly linked to our Health Points and Mana Points. Higher stats mean we are harder to kill, not to mention we will not burn through our potions as fast. Ugh—"

Li Huai clutched his bloated, potion-filled stomach, desperately trying to maintain his calm composure.

The group might have actually believed his nonchalant act if he had not been forced to slap a hand over his mouth to stop a mouthful of Mana Potion from spewing out, nearly ruining his stoic persona.

He could not help it. The items he had been downing were merely basic Mana Potions, each restoring a meager two hundred Mana Points.

The superior Magic Power Potions that Lan Qingyou had recently developed—which restored three hundred and fifty points each—were exclusively held by her and the Kalim Supreme Council.

Given the sheer number of members in the Supreme Council, they barely had enough supply for their own ranks, much less any surplus to sell on the open market.

"Chew on this. It will settle your stomach."

Looking at him with a mix of pity and amusement, Lan Qingyou tossed over a hand-rolled digestion pill.

She had whipped up the recipe in her spare time while researching golems a few days prior.

It was crafted precisely for moments like this.

After all, she was a girl who knew how to learn from past experiences.

"Thank you,"

Li Huai rasped gratefully, swallowing the pill without hesitation. A cool, refreshing mint flavor instantly flooded his mouth, and his turbulent stomach settled down almost immediately.

At the very least, the nauseating sensation that he might violently upchuck potion fluid at any second was completely gone.

"What are you doing over there?"

While the others caught their breath, Nemo had retrieved a broom and dustpan, meticulously sweeping the scattered remains of the skeleton warriors into a neat pile.

"The Empress and Justice specifically asked me to collect these. They said the bones make excellent compost."

"..."

Great. More farming materials.

The group fell into a collective, baffled silence before awkwardly turning away to find a new topic of conversation.

"Well, it is finally over. I wonder if there is any good loot in this dungeon. If all we get is experience points, this trip is going to feel like a bit of a letdown."

With the battle won, they had originally planned to take a short breather before scouring the area for their hard-earned spoils.

"Speaking of which, how did you manage to find all that good stuff last time?"

In response, Lan Qingyou simply smiled and cupped Little Spoon in her hands.

"I relied on this little guy."

"Squeak, squeak!"

Little Spoon stood proudly in her palm, its tiny paws resting on its hips in a boastful pose that immediately drew chuckles from the crowd.

"And this is...?"

"Little Spoon is highly sensitive to the scent of rare items. If there is a treasure hidden nearby, it will sniff it out without fail."

Lan Qingyou deliberately omitted the details about Little Spoon's rare lineage, offering only a brief explanation of its tracking abilities.

"Must be nice. It feels like you stumble across all the best things,"

the Priestess murmured, practically drooling with envy as she stared at the little white rat. Her intense gaze terrified the previously smug creature, prompting it to squeak in alarm and burrow deep into Lan Qingyou's embrace.

"Wait, does that mean Little Spoon has not sensed any worthwhile treasures around here yet?"

The Magician pointed out, staring at Lan Qingyou's now-empty palm as he caught onto the crucial detail.

"No, it definitely sensed something," she replied. "We will head over as soon as everyone is fully rested."

"Who needs to rest when there is loot on the line!"

"Exactly! We are not that fragile."

The Priestess and Gu Xiaobei sprang to their feet in perfect unison, their prior exhaustion seemingly cured by the mere mention of treasure.

Greed truly was the ultimate motivator.

Shaking her head in amusement, Lan Qingyou levitated into the air.

Since they were all so eager to claim their prizes, the break was officially over.

The party happily trailed behind Lan Qingyou as she led them straight to the spot where the Undead General had perished. She reached down and effortlessly hoisted the boss's massive two-handed longsword from the deck.

"Vampiric Blade of Strength. A-rank. Grants an eighty-point boost to Strength, and comes enchanted with Sharpness, Indestructibility, and Life Steal."

"..."

"That is... incredibly convenient."

"A pet rat that tracks down loot, and a master who can identify it on the spot. What a terrifyingly efficient duo."

Following a brief moment of stunned silence, the group showered Lan Qingyou and Little Spoon with endless praise.

However, none of them showed the slightest hint of interest in the actual weapon she was holding.

It made sense. They were mostly crafters and spellcasters, so heavy melee weapons were practically useless to them. Even the single sword-wielder in their party only used his blade as a magical conduit rather than a physical weapon.

In short, the Vampiric Blade of Strength held absolutely no appeal for this particular group, even with its shiny A-rank status.

"Is there anything else?"

"Right down here."

With that, Lan Qingyou floated over to the exact spot where the Undead General had first spawned.

She gently swiped her hand across the wooden deck and pulled upward. In an instant, a concealed trapdoor swung open, revealing a pitch-black staircase leading deep into the bowels of the ship.