Chapter 29: Settling Rewards, A Massive Haul! (Happy Lunar New Year)

After a dizzying teleportation, Zhang Fang returned to the void space he had occupied before entering the dungeon world. Everything around him remained the same, and the text formed of flowing ink reappeared before his eyes.

Simultaneously, the cold, unique tone of the Samsara Tower resonated:

【Congratulations! As a novice Samsara player, you successfully saved 108 martial arts experts in the "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Gathering Worthies Manor" dungeon, sparing them from being killed by Qiao Feng. Your performance in the novice challenge was excellent. Clearance Rating: SS! Please keep up the good work!】

SS!?

Upon seeing this rating, Zhang Fang’s first reaction was not joy, but confusion.

He felt he had performed perfectly in this dungeon. Every action he could conceive of, he had pushed to the absolute limit of his abilities.

Why was the final rating not SSS?

Was there something he had failed to do well enough?

Zhang Fang’s mind raced through his experiences in the "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" world, and he immediately pinpointed the issue.

His main mission was to save as many martial arts experts at Gathering Worthies Manor as possible from Qiao Feng’s hands. Yet, throughout the mission, there had still been casualties.

First was Tan Qing of the Soul-Chasing Staff, who died at the very beginning—no, to be precise, he died due to the backlash of his own secret technique when it was disrupted by Qiao Feng’s roar.

Furthermore, there was the rescue squad that was attacked by Xiao Yuanshan after Zhang Fang had been abducted from the manor by Qiao Feng. In that rescue mission, fifteen experts from Gathering Worthies Manor had been dispatched, and only You Ji, You Ju, and Ma Tianshu had survived. All others had perished at the hands of Xiao Yuanshan.

If the latter was the reason his rating fell short of perfection, Zhang Fang had nothing to say. While there were objective factors involved, it ultimately came down to his failure to realize why You Tanzhi was so unlucky the moment he entered the dungeon.

But if it was the former, the matter became complicated. If Tan Qing was counted as someone he needed to save, would that affect his special mission, "Sharing Weal and Woe"?

After a moment of thought, he found no answer. The flowing ink before him shifted into new text.

【You have successfully completed the novice trial and cleared the first level of the Samsara Tower, officially becoming a Samsara player. Please enter your Samsara codename and adjust your physical appearance.】

So, this was the official "account creation"?

A Samsara codename was essentially a nickname or ID. The Samsara Tower had appeared on Blue Star nearly forty years ago, and countless players had poured into it. After trying several names that were already taken, Zhang Fang finally settled on the codename "Qianshu" (Thousand Trees).

The name had a scholarly and refined air to it, avoiding any sense of excessive aggression. Adding "Thousand Trees" also ensured there would be no misunderstanding regarding his gender.

Zhang Fang was quite satisfied.

Next, he adjusted his appearance. Having suffered from the bad luck associated with You Tanzhi’s unfortunate visage, he did not aim for a low profile. He simply made subtle adjustments to his original features, transforming from one handsome face to another, both rated at 98, ensuring that no one could recognize him from his appearance alone.

After these simple operations, Zhang Fang looked at his life-sized projection and wore a satisfied smile.

Confirm!

【Samsara identity established. Now calculating world rewards.】

【Congratulations! You have obtained an SS clearance rating in the dungeon "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils: Gathering Worthies Manor"! As the second player to achieve an SS rating in this dungeon, and the first to achieve it on Hell difficulty, you will receive the following rewards:】

【Reward: 30,000 Samsara Points!】
【Reward: Strength Attribute +10!】
【Reward: Dungeon Refresh Card x1!】
【Reward: Golden Treasure Chest x1!】

Ding! The Reward Critical Strike System has taken effect. The rewards received by the host will be increased by a 100% critical multiplier!

【Reward: 60,000 Samsara Points!】
【Reward: Strength Attribute +20!】
【Reward: Dungeon Refresh Card x2!】

Seeing this string of rewards, Zhang Fang did not feel overjoyed; instead, he frowned slightly.

The second person to get an SS rating?

This meant that before him, someone else had already beaten him to it and achieved the same feat in this dungeon.

He knew that he had only achieved this rating because he was familiar with the plot and had used precise calculations and layouts to resolve the crisis at the manor near-perfectly. Even if others had inside information provided by major factions, they could not compare to him in terms of plot familiarity.

If that was the case, just how terrifying must the person who achieved this before him be?

Realizing this, Zhang Fang’s spirit tightened. He reminded himself that there were hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the Samsara Tower. As a genuine newcomer, he had to be cautious and methodical before he truly grew strong; he must never underestimate the heroes of the world.

With a thought, he pulled up his private space interface, his gaze passing over his "Yi Jin Jing" manual and the Cold Moon Treasure Blade, eventually landing on the two items from the rewards.

Dungeon Refresh Card: Can be used to reset the cooldown period for entering a dungeon world.

According to the rules of the Samsara Tower, after completing a dungeon, a player must enter a one-month cooldown period. During this time, players can freely enter and exit the main space of the tower but cannot challenge new dungeons.

Clearly, the two "Dungeon Refresh Cards" in Zhang Fang’s hand were meant to solve this problem.

Great items!

He looked at the other item...

Golden Treasure Chest: A mysterious gold-level treasure chest. No one knows what is inside until it is opened.

Much like the "Weapon Chest" he received after defeating the Shan Brothers, this chest did not immediately trigger the 100% critical bonus from the "Reward Critical Strike System" when it was issued. This effect would only be activated the moment he opened the chest.

Otherwise, for any reward like a treasure chest, the multiplier would not be 100% but 300%. That would be too exaggerated!

Concentrating, Zhang Fang selected the Golden Treasure Chest and confirmed its use.

【Reward: Millennium Ice Silkworm x1!】

Ding! The Reward Critical Strike System has taken effect. The rewards received by the host will be increased by a 100% critical multiplier!

【Reward: Ice Silkworm Vermilion Toad Pill x1!】

Ice Silkworm Vermilion Toad Pill: A pill refined from two highly toxic substances, the Millennium Ice Silkworm and the Manggu Vermilion Toad. After consumption, the user becomes immune to all poisons, and resistance to "Fire" and "Cold" elemental damage is significantly increased!

Was this the result of combining and optimizing the effects of the two wonders from the "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" world?

Immune to all poisons, impervious to fire and water!

With these two energies combined, it seemed incredibly powerful, didn't it?

In the Samsara Tower, powerful combat skills and top-tier equipment were not rare, but items that could grant immunity to all toxins and significantly boost resistance to ice and fire were extremely rare.

Following the principle that scarcity equates to value, the preciousness of this pill was likely even greater than his "Yi Jin Jing" manual!