Chapter 45 Distribution Rules

Chapter 45: Chapter 44: Distribution Rules

The twisted village and muddy path vanished in an instant, replaced once again by rolling white fog and murky, stagnant water. Lin Qianqian and Yu Na stood less than two meters away from him. A faint, pale blue halo rippled around them like water.

Less than five meters ahead of them, a deformed "thing" was half-sprawled in the water. It wore ragged overalls and a vest of indeterminate color. The clothes had long since fused with its rotting flesh. With more than half of its body submerged in the murky water, its exposed skin was a corpse-like livid gray, covered in festering sores and a slippery layer of slime. Its head tilted upward at a grotesque angle. The facial muscles were twisted, and its mouth hung wide open to reveal blackened, yellowed teeth. Its hollow eye sockets were devoid of eyeballs.

Seemingly sensing Han Ning’s awakening, it let out a wheezing RATTLE from its rotting throat. It abruptly hoisted its upper body out of the water, bringing with it a pungent stench of decay and muddy fishiness, and postured to pounce.

"Die!"

Several vines materialized out of thin air, tearing through the dense fog. Accompanied by a sharp whistling sound as they pierced the air, they shot toward the rotting corpse.

THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK!

The vines impaled the corpse without the slightest resistance.

[Vine Technique (High Level) Skill Level +1, Current: 9/500]

The corpse’s movements came to an abrupt halt. Its body convulsed violently a few times before going completely limp. Han Ning didn’t stop there. With a cold gaze, he used his will to violently churn the vines inside the corpse.

[Vine Technique (High Level) Skill Level +1, Current: 10/500]

Rotten flesh and bone fragments were dragged out by the barbs on the vines, creating a nauseating sight. Just then, the corpse’s abdomen suddenly bulged and writhed violently.

SQUELCH!

A grayish-white worm, about two fingers thick and coated in translucent slime, shot out from the ruptured abdominal cavity like an arrow from a bow. It thrashed wildly, attempting to dive into the murky depths and escape.

"Snow Cake, catch it!" Han Ning ordered immediately.

ROAR!

Snow Cake had been poised and ready. The instant Han Ning issued the command, it kicked off powerfully with its thick hind legs in the water. Its massive body launched forward like a cannonball, and its tooth-filled maw snapped accurately at the fleeing Mirage Insect.

CRUNCH!

Snow Cake effortlessly bit through the Mirage Insect’s body, clamping it firmly in its jaws.

SCREECH!

The Mirage Insect writhed and struggled madly in Snow Cake’s mouth, letting out sharp, ear-piercing shrieks. However, Snow Cake’s bite force was terrifying; no matter how much the bug struggled, it was an exercise in futility.

HISS...

"Oh? You want to eat it?"

At that moment, Han Ning felt an intense wave of desire transmitted from Snow Cake through the Soul Contract link. It was a yearning... for the prey in its mouth. Previously, Snow Cake had shown obvious resistance to Crocodile Lizard Meat. So it seemed it just didn’t want to eat the meat of its own kind?

"Try eating it," Han Ning commanded.

Upon receiving its master’s permission, Snow Cake let out a low growl from its throat and rapidly clamped its massive jaws shut a few times.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! MUNCH...

A scalp-tingling chewing sound echoed out. The still-writhing Mirage Insect was instantly bitten into several pieces and thoroughly mashed inside Snow Cake’s mouth. A few seconds later, the Mirage Insect completely disappeared down Snow Cake’s throat.

HUM!

A faint Energy Flow, mixed with a strange cooling sensation, fed back from Snow Cake’s body into Han Ning through the bond of the Soul Contract.

[Druid growth progress +3]

[Basic Druid Level 4, Current progress: 32/600]

[Mental Power +0.05, Mental Power: 0.75]

Having reached Level 4, the experience required to upgrade to Level 5 had doubled compared to before. The Druid’s growth progress included the Mirage Insects killed over the past two days, as well as the progress gained from training Skills. Requiring such a massive accumulation of Energy, Han Ning speculated that once he upgraded to Level 5, it would likely be a substantial power-up.

At the same time, subtle changes also occurred in Snow Cake. The lizard as a whole seemed slightly more agile.

[Swamp Crocodile Lizard growth progress +1, Current: 12/200]

[Mental Power +0.01]

Seeing Han Ning dispose of a Mirage Insect so effortlessly, a clear look of astonishment appeared on Lin Qianqian’s charming face for the first time. Han Ning’s strength seemed to be a bit higher than she had anticipated. Even Yu Na, who always wore a cold expression and seemed indifferent to everything, couldn’t help but blink her large, watery eyes.

"Your strength exceeds my expectations. Let’s continue," Lin Qianqian nodded in approval. "Nana!"

"Mhm..."

Hearing Lin Qianqian’s call, Yu Na immediately looked at Han Ning. A watery blue halo suffused her cold eyes.

SHIMMER!

The blue shield spread, enveloping Han Ning within it. The three didn’t linger and continued their advance deep into the Fog Area.

The further they went, the denser the fog became, reaching a point where it was practically blindingly thick. The depth of the stagnant water beneath their feet also increased slightly. The underwater terrain grew more complex, and they would frequently step on broken bricks or twisted metal. A deathly silence surrounded them. There was only the SPLASH of the three wading through the water and the muffled sounds of sporadic raindrops hitting the puddles, creating a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere.

As an Animal Companion, Snow Cake’s underwater perception far surpassed that of humans. It was exceptionally sensitive to the aura of living creatures, and now, fortified by Yu Na’s Spirit Barrier, it made for the perfect Scout.

"Boss Lin, I have a question I’d like to ask," Han Ning suddenly spoke up as they ventured deeper into the Fog Area.

"Hmm? Go ahead."

"Regarding the distribution rules for the Scattered Energy after killing a monster, does your association have a relatively unified view on that?" Han Ning asked, voicing his thoughts.

As she observed their surroundings, Lin Qianqian calmly explained, "I’ll talk about the distribution of materials first.

"In the association, if it’s a solo hunt, the loot naturally belongs to the individual. But for teamwork, the distribution rules are relatively flexible.

"The monster’s corpse itself is an important material that can be used for research, crafting weapons, or testing other purposes. This portion is usually distributed according to the ratio of combat contribution or handled through team negotiation.

"As for the most important part—that Scattered Energy released after the kill that can strengthen oneself...

"This portion of Energy cannot be ’distributed.’ It automatically selects a target, and we cannot interfere with it."

This was exactly what Han Ning was most concerned about. He continued asking, "Then have you ever researched what this Energy’s automatic selection is based on? Why is it that sometimes the person who exerts the most effort doesn’t always receive the most Energy?"

Lin Qianqian pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "Many people in the association have indeed researched this issue. Currently, the mainstream theory is...

"The distribution of this Energy is very likely related to the monster’s ’perception’ of the surrounding Awakened during the fight up until its death.

"It isn’t based on who delivered the final blow or who dealt the most physical damage.

"Rather... when the monster faces its enemies, whichever Awakened it subconsciously deems the ’biggest threat,’ or whoever makes it feel the most ’fear’—the majority of that Energy will automatically flow toward that Awakened.

"Simply put, whoever is the most terrifying in the monster’s ’eyes’ gets the biggest piece of the ’cake.’

"Landing the killing blow doesn’t necessarily make it think you’re the most terrifying. Sometimes, a powerful crowd control ability, or some skill that makes its soul tremble, will instead instill a deeper fear within it."

Lin Qianqian added, "Of course, this is just speculation based on observations. It might not be correct. We are still feeling out the rules of this world."

Han Ning listened, still unsure if what Lin Qianqian said was correct. He had a faint feeling that her explanation wasn’t necessarily entirely accurate.

"Thank you for clarifying."