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Rowe noticed Koishi Root's strange behavior and followed his gaze—only to realize it was fixed on El's chest.
But not for the reason one might assume.
Koishi Root even reached out his hand.
What the hell? A hooligan at such a young age? Trying to touch my sister?!
With a swift motion, Rowe slapped Shilute's little hand away.
Shilute looked aggrieved, pulling his hand back, though his eyes continued to sneak peeks from time to time.
Only then did Rowe realize the real target of Koishi Root's attention—the necklace around El's neck. More precisely, the magic gem embedded in it. It was the same one he had gifted her before his departure to Warnerheim.
"You like this?" El raised the necklace and asked, catching on to what was happening.
The magic gem dangled before his eyes, and Little Koishi Root's excitement grew visibly. Drool formed at the edge of his mouth. "Heeey!"
El chuckled and pulled the necklace back, holding it tightly in her palm. "You can't eat this."
Koishi Root looked at Rowe with pleading eyes.
Rowe stroked his chin in thought.
Over time, he had come to the conclusion that normal stones held little nutritional value for Shilute. It appeared that only magical gemstones were effective in promoting his growth.
Previously, the few gems Heimdall had given helped Shilute grow noticeably.
"I'll take you to a gem store tomorrow," Rowe finally promised.
"Heey!" Little Koishi Root seemed to understand and bounced with excitement, finally losing interest in El's necklace.
El finished preparing dinner, and the siblings chatted over the meal. As expected, the conversation centered around the upcoming Hunting Festival.
Koishi Root was off to the side, munching noisily on rocks. This was probably his fiftieth stone snack of the day.
"El, will you be attending the Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony?" Rowe asked between bites.
"Not sure yet," El replied, shaking her head. "Teacher's health has been poor lately. I may stay with her and take care of her instead."
Rowe pondered. "The Duchess should be around four thousand five hundred years old, right?"
"No," El corrected gently. "She's five thousand three hundred."
Rowe raised his eyebrows in surprise. Duchess Norn was holding up far better than he expected—her appearance didn't match her years at all.
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The next morning.
Rowe still had several first- and second-level ordinary monster experience books, but they were too basic, offering minimal rewards. He wasn't motivated to use them.
After deliberating, he decided to enter Zhou Zhuo's experience space again.
The setting remained the same: dark, cold, and eerie. The portly Pandaren, Zhou Zhuo, lounged in a corner, holding a lamp in one hand and tinkering with something in the other.
"Oh, what does this switch do? Let's see…" As usual, Zhou Zhuo couldn't help but press it.
Even though he had witnessed it before, Rowe still sighed when the mechanism activated.
Click—
This time, the sound was less dramatic. A narrow slit appeared, forming a small door instead of unleashing an epic boss like the Flame King.
Zhou Zhuo peeked at the door's opening, then turned tail and ran. "I'll leave it to you, warrior! I'm going for backup! Hold on!"
Rowe ignored him, tightened his grip on his warhammer, and fixed his eyes on the now-opened door.
A moment later, a gnoll grinned from behind the door, the backdrop resembling a prison cell.
Although it resembled a typical gnoll, Rowe immediately recognized him—Hogg.
It really was Hogg.
Rowe blinked in surprise but quickly rushed forward to engage him.
Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as the two exchanged blows.
Rowe had the upper hand but found himself hesitating to deliver the final strike.
Zhou Zhuo's experience book randomly generated bosses. After summoning someone like the Flame King, using it to fight Hogg felt like a waste.
But if the book could produce stronger enemies like the Crimson Hound or even another Flame King, Rowe wouldn't stand a chance alone.
While he debated, Zhou Zhuo's voice rang out again.
"Warrior! Backup is here!"
Rowe turned, startled. Wait—he actually brought reinforcements?
His opinion of Zhou Zhuo improved significantly in that moment.
But what he saw next made his jaw drop.
"Damn!" he blurted out, eyes wide.
Standing next to Zhou Zhuo was a tall, imposing gray-haired man clad in golden armor, wielding the legendary Ashbringer. The radiant aura he exuded left no doubt—this was none other than Tirion Fordring, the holy knight who had once led the charge against the Lich King.
It was really Tirion Fordring!
Summoning Hogg brought in this level of reinforcement? Zhou Zhuo must be cheating. What next, Aman'Thul to help fight the Fire Lord?
"Believe in the Light!" Fordring declared, his voice filled with righteous power.
He swung the Ashbringer, unleashing a beam of searing holy energy that cut through the darkness like a sunrise, arcing straight toward Hogg.
Hogg froze, caught off guard.
Rowe panicked and immediately exited the experience space.
Phew—
Thankfully, the experience book remained in his possession. He had escaped just in time—before Fordring could finish off Hogg.
Had he hesitated any longer, that rare opportunity would have been wasted.
Rowe realized something important. If reinforcements like Fordring could appear, then he should save the book for more powerful bosses—maybe level 5 or 6 threats—then summon help after a few minutes.
Still, he had to admit: Fordring's appearance must be randomized. Otherwise, it would break the balance of the experience system.
If everything was truly random—from the boss to the reinforcements—then one moment you might get the Flame King, the next Hogg. One time Tirion Fordring, another time a random foot soldier.
Rowe mulled this over until he felt a tug on his clothes.
Looking down, he saw Koishi Root staring up at him with eager eyes—like a kid reminding a forgetful parent about a promised trip.
Only then did Rowe remember—he had promised to take Koishi Root to the gem store today.
Though he momentarily regretted it, he steeled himself and nodded. "Alright. Let's go eat some gems."
Koishi Root jumped with joy.
Rowe led him out into the streets of the City of Destiny, wandering for a while until they found a shop that specialized in magical gemstones.
"Welcome. What are you looking for?" the shop attendant greeted them. Her gaze quickly shifted to the adorable little stone creature beside Rowe.
"We're just browsing," Rowe replied, guiding Shilute through the store.
"Hey!" After a few steps, Little Koishi Root pointed excitedly toward a display case.
Rowe followed his gaze and saw a colorful, thumb-sized gemstone. It shimmered with intense magical energy, clearly no ordinary gem.
"How much is this one?" Rowe asked, pointing to the gem.
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