Ghost Reins

The third chest was crafted from obsidian, pitch-black in its entirety, engraved with intricate runes in Truesilver powder and inlaid with sapphires, rubies, moonstones, and lapis lazuli, all secured by a heavy alloy rune lock.

Clearly, Shawn could not open this rune lock with a hammer, and his meager knowledge of runecraft made it impossible for him to decipher the runes etched upon it.

Thus, this was a chest that could not be opened, containing rewards that were temporarily out of reach.

Although he could not obtain the highly anticipated treasures due to the locked rune mechanism, Shawn's passion did not wane.

Because immediately following this, an even greater reward awaited him: the completion reward for the "Murloc Shoal."

As a dungeon with a significantly higher difficulty coefficient than the "Kobold Den," the completion rewards for the "Murloc Shoal" were also richer and more precious than those of the "Kobold Den."

"Ding!"

"Congratulations to the Commander for successfully slaying the Murloc Guard Skoda and clearing [Murloc Shoal]. Overall rating: A. Do you wish to claim the completion reward?"

Of course, he chose yes.

This rating was much higher than the previous one—not a C, but an A—so presumably, the completion reward would be much better as well.

"Completion Reward 1: 4 Free Attribute Points."

First, naturally, were the free attribute points.

This time, the free attribute points reached a total of 4, double the amount from last time. Where should he add them?

Let's look at Shawn's attributes first.

Strength 5, Agility 7, Stamina 10, Intelligence 12, Spirit 19.

Strength 5 was very, very, very weak, barely even comparable to a human boy of the same age. One must know that Strength determines one's physical attack capability and how much one can carry. All equipment actually has weight; for instance, Shawn's Staff also weighed several pounds. If his Strength were too low, how could he even lift it?

Agility 7 was not high, but for Shawn's age, it was considered normal. Agility determines a person's reaction speed and running speed, which are also very important. At critical moments, running fast is the golden rule! Moreover, in combat, reaction speed is vital and can often determine life or death.

Stamina 10 was higher than his peers and on par with an adult human. Stamina determines endurance, persistence, recovery ability, immunity, and so on. It can be said to be the ability that determines the intensity of life; it could not be more important.

Intelligence 12 was higher than the average person. Intelligence does not mean how clever you are, but represents the upper limit of your mana. The higher the Intelligence, the more mana you can store. This attribute is crucial for spellcasters. If your Intelligence is too low, you might not even have enough mana to cast a high-level spell, so what use is your profound knowledge?

Spirit 19 was a very high attribute. Spirit represents the recovery speed of mana and the ability to control magic. The higher the Spirit, the faster mana recovers and the stronger the control over magic; its importance is beyond doubt.

Of the five major attributes, there wasn't one he didn't need.

Shawn thought for a moment and decided to prioritize Intelligence first.

Strength, Agility, and Stamina could be improved rapidly through diet and exercise. Shawn decided that starting today, he would strengthen his physical training and eat meat at every meal—pork, lamb, beef—rotating through them for variety.

As for Spirit, it was already high enough at this stage, and he didn't need it any higher, so he wouldn't consider it for now.

After adding 4 points to Intelligence, Shawn's Intelligence rose to 16, increasing his mana capacity by one-third.

"Completion Reward 2: Lucky Roulette."

It was the Lucky Roulette again, but this time, the available rewards were of a much higher grade.

First was 300 points of random Garrison Supplies, three times the amount of the first time, yet still the least valuable item among the six slots on the Lucky Roulette. Shawn was wealthy now, flush with cash; surely a mere 300 Garrison Supplies was something he could resolve with a little pocket change?

Next was a scroll emitting a blue glow, with a note: Random Alchemy Recipe. Shawn was not an alchemist, so he didn't have much need for this scroll.

The third slot was a random medium-sized Garrison Building Blueprint. Shawn's standards were higher now, and he had money; Garrison Supplies could be obtained in minutes, and the Town Hall would soon be built, allowing him to construct various buildings. Therefore, building blueprints were also something he desperately needed.

The fourth slot was a blue-colored rein named "Ghost Reins," which could be used on any creature with a challenge level not exceeding 10 to tame it as his mount. Furthermore, due to the ghostly possession, the mount's strength would be improved to varying degrees.

The fifth slot was an eyeball-shaped object, name unknown, attributes unknown.

The sixth slot was a magic book.

"A magic book!"

Shawn was once again filled with excitement.

Last time, he hadn't drawn a magic book, and Shawn had been sad and dejected for a full three minutes. If he didn't draw a magic book this time, he estimated he would be sad and dejected for five minutes!

How could this be allowed?

"Guanyin Bodhisattva, Queen Mother of the West, God, Allah, Holy Buddhas... please bless me!"

Shawn completely forgot that he was not on Earth; praying to immortals and Buddhas was not as effective as praying to the Titans.

Then, he spun the Lucky Roulette.

Amidst intense anticipation, the pointer landed on...

Ghost Reins!

Argus Blacksmith Shop.

Oh right, Argus was that middle-aged blacksmith who sold the Truesilver Champion and the Lightforge set to Gryan Stoutmantle, and the owner of the Argus Blacksmith Shop.

According to information Shawn obtained from Old Saldean, Argus was a master-level blacksmith who possessed master-level forging techniques. He had crafted a large number of high-quality armor and weapons and remained one of the best blacksmiths in Stormwind City to this day.

The reason Shawn had come here was because he wanted to swindle some money out of Argus... er, that was wrong; he had a big business deal to discuss with Argus.

"Hello, Master Argus, greetings, greetings! I am so happy to see you again. Your grace and demeanor from yesterday still linger in my mind. Kind, benevolent, and generous as you are, selling the Lightforge set and the Truesilver Champion to Lord Gryan Stoutmantle for half-price to support the security of Westfall—it moved me so much that anyone who hears of it would weep, and anyone who sees it would feel the heartache!"

As soon as Shawn appeared in the Argus Blacksmith Shop, he showered the master blacksmith Argus with flattery. His goal was simple: he hoped to take advantage of him when they discussed business later.

However, who was Argus?

He had spent 10 years knocking about in Goldshire and 10 years wandering throughout the Eastern Kingdoms. With just one glance, he could see through all the schemes in your belly. Even a wily old veteran like Gryan Stoutmantle couldn't get the better of him; for Shawn to think he could take advantage of him? How could that be possible!

Lifting his eyelids for a mere second, the blacksmith Argus immediately grasped Shawn's intentions. Without even looking up, he continued hammering away at the iron, a cold remark popping from his lips: "Speak your piece or get lost."

Shawn felt thoroughly stifled by Argus's bluntness, his perfectly natural smile instantly freezing over. It took a full half-minute before he managed a sheepish laugh: "Well... Master Argus, I have a business deal I'd like to discuss with you."

Argus shot Shawn a sidelong glance, haughtily retorting: "Go talk to my apprentice. I have no interest in small business."

A blacksmith's apprentice set down his hammer and began walking toward Shawn.

Shawn hurriedly stopped the apprentice, offering a conciliatory smile: "Actually, Master Argus, the business I want to discuss is a major one."