Prompted by the encouragement of the others, Howard didn’t put on airs.
He nodded and proceeded towards the Enchanted Boar King.
With a flick of his staff, a fireball the size of a volleyball spiraled out, striking directly at the body of the Enchanted Boar King.
It was one of his only two skills, a novice skill acquired at the time of class selection.
Ding dong! Congratulations awakened Howard, you have successfully killed the level 21 Iron boss — Enchanted Boar King, earning 2000 experience points!
The experience gained from a single boss was almost equivalent to that acquired from over a dozen ordinary monsters.
[Ding! Congratulations awakened Howard, you have leveled up to level 6, attaining the following attribute growths:]
[1. You gain an increase of 100 HP and 250 points in mana!]
[2. Your attributes have grown: 2 points in strength, 2 in constitution, 1 in agility, and 5 in spirit!]
[3. You receive 2 individual attribute points and 1 skill point!]
With the sound of the system notification, Howard’s level and attribute display updated to ‘lv6 (1059/3200).’
Apart from the boost in experience and level, the Enchanted Boar King also exploded into a vast array of equipment, items, materials, and gold coins.
[You obtained: gold coin x 13!]
[You obtained: Fang of Enchanted Boar King x2!]
[You obtained: Perfect Skin of Enchanted Boar!]
[You obtained: Fang Blade (Silver)!]
[You obtained: Boar Pendant (Silver)!]
[You obtained: ‘Charge’ skill book!]
[You obtained: Meat of Enchanted Boar King x13!]
In this world, the currency in circulation was a kind of universal money printed on special paper, denominated in dollars, akin to the fiat money before the catastrophe.
However, other races did not recognize this form of currency.
During transactions between them, one could only use magic currency, such as gold, silver, and bronze coins dropped by monsters.
These came with an exchange rate of 1 gold coin to 100 silver coins to 10,000 bronze coins.
The human race’s dollar had an exchange rate of 1 bronze coin to 1 dollar.
In other words, from the gold coins alone, Howard amassed a wealth of 130,000 dollars.
The enormity of the gains left one practically tongue-tied.
The Fang of the Enchanted Boar King and the Perfect Skin of the Enchanted Boar represented the pinnacle of materials harvested from the body of the Enchanted Boar King.
The former could be forged into equipment like daggers, short swords, and spearheads, while the latter was a premium material for crafting armor.
Even if sold raw at a material shop, they could fetch tens of thousands of dollars.
The Meat of the Enchanted Boar King wasn’t something to overlook either; it simply represented a slightly more premium cooking ingredient.
In upscale restaurants, a pound of boss-dropped wild boar meat could be worth hundreds of dollars, putting the entire batch at a value of three to five thousand dollars. 𝘪𝘦.𝘤𝑜
But the real treasures were the two Silver tier items — the Fang Blade and the Boar Pendant — as well as the ‘Charge’ skill book.
The Fang Blade was an equipment usable by assassin and thief classes, endowed with a special attribute that granted the wielder an additional 15% physical damage.
In the city’s equipment shops, an item of similar caliber would not go for less than thirty thousand dollars.
Since it wasn’t usable by Howard, there wasn’t much to discuss about it.
[Boar Pendant]
[Level: 5]
[Quality: Silver]
[Equipment Attribute Enhancements:]
[1. Mana +300]
[2. Spirit +30]
[3. Restores 3% of maximum mana per second]
[Special Effect: Boar Guard (Upon activation, summons a level 13 Enchanted Boar to assist the holder in battle. Duration: 3 hours. Cooldown: 24 hours. Resurrection upon death)]
This piece of equipment had no usage requirements, and notably, it provided a summoning skill, allowing Howard to summon an Enchanted Boar to aid in combat.
Although the Enchanted Boar had moderate fighting abilities, its thick skin and robust build made it a competent tank.
Without a second thought, Howard wore the pendant around his neck.
Last but not least, there was the skill book — Charge.
This core skill for the knight class could massively enhance their power when used in conjunction with a mount, holding a value of about fifty thousand dollars.
Adding the spoils from the ordinary Enchanted Boars, Howard had reaped a colossal profit of at least two hundred thousand dollars from this battle, nearly double the amount he had extorted from Headmaster Jay.
Even if Howard had chosen to keep all the spoils for himself, nobody would have raised an objection, as these were rightfully his battle gains. However, to everyone’s surprise, Howard chose to share, leaving the Enchanted Boar meat for them. This gesture deeply touched the team members.
Despite not having contributed in the battle, they were included in the distribution of the spoils.
This spoke volumes about Howard’s perception of them, showing he did not belittle them despite his formidable strength.
Watching Howard’s actions, Teacher Alec felt a sense of gratification.
It indicated that Howard was a person of generosity and magnanimity, attributes that would serve him well in becoming a competent leader in the future.
After all, individuals who pocketed all the benefits themselves would never earn the respect and acknowledgment of others.
After a brief rest, Teacher Alec stood up and said, “Students, today we faced a drastic turn of events, and I believe no one is keen to continue this adventure for now.”
“So, how about we return to Saint City, rest for a couple of days, and then resume leveling up?”
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, with no objections raised.
Indeed, even though the battle had ended perfectly, they were all quite shaken.
None wished to remain in the wilderness any longer.
Only Howard stood up and addressed the group, “Teacher Alec, my fellow classmates, I would like to stay and continue leveling up. You all can head back first.”
Alec seemed as though he wanted to say something but held back.
Glancing at the Mana Drainer in Howard’s hand, he nodded and agreed, “Alright, but be very cautious. At the first sign of trouble, retreat back to Saint City immediately.”
Even though he was unfamiliar with the Mana Drainer, he recognized it as a piece of Platinum equipment.
To him, a Platinum item wasn’t too precious — after all, the Giant Battleaxe he wielded was of Platinum grade as well.
But a level 1 Platinum equipment bore an extremely high value, as it was a potent gear available for beginners.
Many noble families, eager to nurture their young progeny, would be more than willing to spend a substantial amount to procure such an item.
Should it be listed in the auction house, it could easily fetch a staggering price of at least a million dollars.
Especially recently, with a fresh batch of newly awakened novices making their entry, their parents would be quite ready to shell out that sum.
With this piece of equipment by his side, Howard wouldn’t face significant danger as long as he refrained from delving deep into the Silent Forest.
His earlier effortless annihilation of the Enchanted Boar herd was proof enough of his capabilities.
“Farewell, everyone!” Howard nodded towards the group of squad members, then turned and walked away, heading in the opposite direction.
“Howard, sigh…”
Several girls watched Howard’s departing figure, a collective sigh escaping them, a sense of regret pervading their hearts.
They had made plans to invite Howard to join them for a joyous mixed-gender party at a hotel once they returned to Saint City, a way to unwind from the day’s tensions.
With such a diverse group extending the invitation, including all types from mature women to young girls, they couldn’t believe Howard would remain indifferent.
Abby Adler was not around, why not indulge in some playful moments and embrace happiness together?
Unfortunately, before they could even voice their invitation, Howard had already left the group, venturing off alone.
…
Under the bright and sunny sky, Howard’s experience points continued to grow with the death of each monster.
However, having reached level 6, the experience points needed to advance to the next level were a hefty 3200, a tally not easily reached by killing a small number of monsters.
Even after annihilating two micro gnome encampments, taking down over twenty gnomes, a pair of gnome throwers, and seven or eight Forest Wolves, he was still a ways away from leveling up.
Level 6 (2928/3200)!
“Ah! Already requiring so much experience at just level 6, what will it be like in the future?”
“It’s no wonder Alec teacher is only in his thirties level-wise despite being in his forties, leveling up is damn hard!”
Aside from the experience points, the monster drop rate was also rather disheartening. .𝒎
After killing so many monsters, he had only obtained a single piece of black iron equipment; with other materials included, his total gains amounted to just over ten thousand.
This left Howard somewhat dispirited, unable to muster much enthusiasm.
In truth, this was simply because he had become spoiled by the substantial rewards reaped from the Enchanted Boar King.
What he was experiencing now was the standard yield from monster hunting.
“No, I must find a boss-level monster, otherwise, when will I ever level up?”
As Howard made up his mind, a strange hissing sound echoed from a distance.
“Sss! Ssss!”
Following the grating noise, he approached to find a dark cave appearing before his eyes.
From a distance, he could vaguely see slender venomous serpents coiling and slithering inside.
The ‘ssss’ sounds were produced by their flickering tongues.
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