A/N: This chapter was a pain in the ass.
A Mountain of Loot
"Finally, we're done," shouted Sig as she let herself fall to the ground, exhausted from working so hard extracting the drops from the mobs that Joe and Dean had brought.
The others also sat down, silently observing the sheer amount of things they had gathered.
Meanwhile, Lua was calmly eating with Liora, who had stopped her work for a while, persuaded by Lua's insistence that she shouldn't skip lunch.
Alfred, for his part, held a piece of leather that he was using as paper, meticulously writing down a list of everything they had collected so far.
"So, what do we have?" Sig asked, looking at him with curiosity.
Alfred nodded calmly and began listing each item and the corresponding quantity:
3,000 kg of rabbit meat
3,000 rabbit horns
6,000 rabbit hides
2,000 small bones
4,000 vials of common blood
10 cooking recipes using rabbit meat
5 cooking recipes using vegetables
2 tailoring recipes
1 ranching recipe
500 minor mana hearts
50 kg of mud lizard meat
100 lizard hides
40 mud glands
70 lizard claws
1 compact mud core
Those were the materials. Then he continued with the section for items and equipment:
20 horned rabbit hide hats
100 small horn pendants
10 rabbit hide pajamas
3 horned rabbit spears
100 horned rabbit daggers
35 cooking knives
5 horned rabbit leather armors
9 soft leather pants
2 leather gloves
3 rabbit hide boots
2 mud scale armors
1 compact mud pants
1 pair of mud gauntlets
1 pair of heavy scale boots
Finally, he mentioned the mana fragments they had all gathered, which were converted into three beast cores and a few mana stones.
"Wow... seriously, wow. Not even us, since we arrived, managed to get such good drops," Sig commented, her expression full of surprise—not just because of the amount of materials but also the variety of items. "But there are some things here I have no idea what they're even used for."
She stepped closer and began examining the information on some of them:
[Small Bones]
Type: Organic Material
Quality: Common
Main Use: Alchemist, Talisman Maker, Blacksmith
Weight: 0.1 kg
Description:
Small bones harvested from weak creatures. Their fragility makes them unsuitable for large projects, but they're ideal as a base for potions or light structures. Easy to find in almost any region inhabited by small animals.
[Minor Mana Heart]
Type: Energy Component
Quality: Common
Main Use: Alchemist, Enchanter, Talisman Maker
Weight: 0.2 kg
Description:
A tiny organ that holds a modest reserve of mana. Usually obtained from small creatures that accumulate energy within. Even though its power is limited, it's valuable for beginners learning mana manipulation.
[Mud Gland]
Type: Organic Component
Quality: Common
Main Use: Alchemist, Enchanter
Weight: 0.3 kg
Description:
A viscous sac that produces sticky mud. When broken, it releases sludge that can be used as a base ingredient in immobilization brews or as an improvised sealant. It's not very stable if not stored in airtight containers.
[Lizard Claws]
Type: Organic Material
Quality: Common
Main Use: Talisman Maker, Blacksmith, Enchanter
Weight: 0.05 kg
Description:
Sharp claws collected from mud lizards and other small species. Although not particularly durable, they can be embedded in gauntlets or talismans to add a slight cutting edge or offensive properties.
[Compact Mud Core]
Type: Minor Energy Core
Quality: Common
Main Use: Golem Creator, Enchanter, Alchemist
Weight: 0.5 kg
Description:
A hardened lump of mud charged with residual mana. Often found inside the bodies of certain lizards that store energy within. Despite its low power, it can fuel simple spells or serve as a temporary core for weak summons.
"Mmm... they all look interesting," Bert commented in detail, observing them attentively.
Meanwhile, Sig quickly stepped over to the equipment and also began examining everything curiously:
[Small Horn Pendant]
Type: Accessory
Quality: Common
Speed: +3
Bonus: +1 Dexterity
Description:
A tiny horn hanging from a hemp string. Slightly increases the wearer's agility and improves precision in tasks that require steady hands. Ideal for beginners who want to move more smoothly.
[Horned Rabbit Hide Hat]
Type: Light Armor (Head)
Quality: Common
Defense: +3
Speed: +1
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
A soft hat made from the hide of a horned rabbit. It's warm and a little cozy, though not very resistant. At least it looks adorable and adds a touch of charm to any adventurer's outfit.
[Horned Rabbit Leather Armor]
Type: Light Armor (Torso)
Quality: Common
Defense: +8
Speed: +1
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
A flexible armor crafted from horned rabbit hides. While its protection is modest, its light weight makes it easy to move in.
[Soft Leather Pants]
Type: Light Armor (Legs)
Quality: Common
Defense: +5
Speed: +1
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
Comfortable pants that reduce friction while running. Ideal for explorers or beginner gatherers.
[Horn Gloves]
Type: Light Armor (Hands)
Quality: Common
Defense: +2
Bonus: +3% Gathering Efficiency
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
Gloves decorated with small horn fragments, perfect for handling delicate materials.
[Rabbit Hide Boots]
Type: Light Armor (Feet)
Quality: Common
Defense: +3
Speed: +2
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
Extremely light boots that muffle the sound of footsteps. Perfect for hunting without being detected.
Set Bonus (when equipping all pieces):
"Silent Movement": Reduces noise generated by 10%.
[Mud Scale Armor]
Type: Medium Armor (Torso)
Quality: Common
Defense: +14
Speed: -1
Engraved Rune: Defense (+3)
Description:
A vest made of thick, shiny scales that protects well against physical attacks, though it reduces mobility somewhat.
[Compact Mud Pants]
Type: Medium Armor (Legs)
Quality: Common
Defense: +9
Speed: -1
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
Heavy pants reinforced with hardened mud. They're cumbersome but block blows effectively.
[Mud Gauntlets]
Type: Medium Armor (Hands)
Quality: Common
Defense: +4
Bonus: +2% Resistance to Slowing Effects
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
Rough gauntlets that provide solidity against impacts and slipping.
[Heavy Scale Boots]
Type: Medium Armor (Feet)
Quality: Common
Defense: +6
Speed: -1
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
Sturdy boots that grip the muddy ground, reducing the chance of falling.
Set Bonus (when equipping all pieces):
"Mud Anchor": Reduces knockback received by 15%.
And finally, the rarest item so far.
[Horned Rabbit Hide Pajamas]
Type: Sleepwear
Quality: Common
Bonus: +20% sleep comfort, reduces the time needed to enter sleep mode
Special Attribute: +1 Home Point
Description:
Soft pajamas crafted from horned rabbit hide. Their warm, pleasant texture helps you relax easily, making your rest deeper and more restorative. Although they offer no protection, many artisans say they're so cozy that wearing them becomes a small everyday pleasure.
The rabbit armor set was a white leather outfit with fur sticking out around the collar. However, it looked more like a high-fashion ensemble—quite warm and extremely fluffy. The hat had two drooping ears and a small little horn in the center, making it look truly adorable. It would probably become very popular among women.
Without hesitation, Loli put one on and then helped Liora into another. The little girl smiled with happiness as she tried to convince Lua to wear one as well.
On the other hand, the gear that had obviously dropped from the mud lizards was a brown armor with shiny scales. Even though it was made of leather, it looked pretty cool, with belts that adjusted it to the body and made it look even better. It seemed to be popular among the men. Joe wasted no time equipping one of the complete armors, while the others picked up whatever pieces they could. Dean, however, chose a rabbit set. After all, he was more of the speed type.
Now, all that was left were the weapons.
[Horned Rabbit Spear]
Type: Polearm
Quality: Common
Damage: +6
Speed: +1
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
A simple spear crafted with a reinforced wooden shaft and a sharp tip made from a horned rabbit's horn. Although its edge doesn't last long, it's surprisingly effective against small and medium creatures. Its light weight makes it easy to handle, ideal for beginner hunters.
[Horned Rabbit Cooking Knives]
Type: Cooking Tool
Quality: Common
Bonus: +10% Cooking Efficiency
Special Attribute: +15% recipe preparation speed
Description:
A set of sharp knives with polished blades and handles wrapped in horned rabbit hide. While they're not meant for combat, they offer a pleasant precision when cutting ingredients, making any recipe easier to prepare. Highly valued by novice cooks.
[Horned Rabbit Daggers]
Type: Throwing Weapon
Quality: Common
Damage: +4
Speed: +2
Engraved Rune: None
Description:
A pair of lightweight daggers crafted from carefully carved and balanced rabbit horns. Their range is short, but they can be thrown easily and retrieved afterward. Perfect for hunting small prey or using as surprise weapons.
"Sorry for you, Dean. Looks like there isn't any bow or long-range weapon, but you can keep the daggers," Joe commented while going through all the equipment.
Dean simply nodded calmly, though he left a pair of daggers for each of the players since there were so many. It also looked like they were meant to be used in pairs, as they came with a case that hung at the waist.
Everyone thanked him, especially when they realized that equipping the dagger and a main weapon seemed to stack their damage bonuses—something that didn't happen when they tried putting on two armors at once.
According to Lua's explanation—who at that moment was wearing a rabbit hat because Loli had managed to put it on her and discovered it could hide her horns—it was because the dagger was considered a secondary weapon.
In this way, everyone ended up fully equipped, filling any gaps in their inventory with the new gear. In Liora and Lua's case, they kept their original equipment, which was higher quality, and only took extra pieces. For example, the little angel wore rabbit ears, horn pendants, throwing daggers, and her shining dress, making her look adorable—especially with her wings fluttering happily.
Sig, for her part, looked a bit comical in her rabbit outfit with the drooping ears, while a demonic tail poked out behind her, along with her large black wings.
Loli looked like a rather strange rabbit fairy, her starry wings moving gently.
They could have teased Dean for wearing an outfit as feminine as theirs, but the truth was that, with his new dark elf face, it actually suited him surprisingly well, so no one dared to say anything.
For some reason, when the slime Edward equipped the outfit, it also turned into slime—something quite curious. Meanwhile, Bert wore a mix of mud lizard and rabbit pieces, all adjusted to his size.
The old man simply picked some things at random.
Lua kept her usual equipment but accepted the pendants and rabbit ears, although she would probably take them off later. Of course, she also handed out pajamas to everyone—a full rabbit model with ears and everything—but the men flatly refused to wear it.
"Alright, now that we have three invitations, it's time to bring in more workers," Sig said with a slightly violent smile.
At the same time, Sia was informing Lua that she was about to summon two new players, thanks to the energy gathered by Joe and Dean.
But Lua remembered something important and raised her hand to stop everyone.
"Wait," she said, her gaze seeming to drift into the void—a gesture the others recognized as her way of looking up information or communicating with someone.
Suddenly, several glowing scrolls appeared in front of her.
"Take these. This is for being good players. You'll be the only ones to get them for free," she explained calmly as she looked at them.
Everyone took the scrolls, a little confused, one each.
[Title of Ownership]
Type: Legal Document
Quality: Common
Use: Allows the holder to claim ownership of a chosen plot of land
Price: 1 Beast Core (This one was a gift)
Description:
An official parchment with a magical seal recognizing the bearer as the rightful owner of the plot of land they select upon activation.
This particular copy was personally given by the oni Lua as a token of the trust she has placed in the group. Thanks to her support, it cost nothing.
Homes claimed with this document have the ability to improve production and grant bonuses related to professions. These bonuses increase as Home Points accumulate, reflecting the level of comfort, decoration, and resources in the property. The higher the score, the greater the permanent benefits for all activities performed there.