But now there was another problem: how should they distribute these two boss drops? In principle, giving them to whoever contributed the most would be the fairest.
But that would be unfair to the new players. After all, they had joined the game late, so their levels and damage output definitely couldn't compare to those of the veteran players.
Nine-Tailed Male Fox: "How should we split them? Roll for it? Leave it all to luck?"
Wang Zhongwang: "Looks like there's no such option in the game."
Mouse Loves Rice: "Then how did you divide things before?"
Spirit Hall Eternal: "Whoever wants something can use Fate Coins to compensate the other players."
Mouse Loves Rice: "That sounds pretty good too. No hard feelings that way. We can just keep following those rules."
The other players also thought that was how it should be.
Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, found it very strange.
After the sounds of battle over there died down, Qian Xunji and the others, who had blocked their way, fell silent too. The whole place was quiet, which made it feel eerie.
In fact, all the players were chatting over team voice, completely ignoring the three characters from the story.
But right then, a powerful presence swept over them, and someone appeared. It was Yan Shaozhe of Shrek Academy.
His gaze was fixed on the External Soul Bone. It was obvious he knew how valuable it was.
The players weren't affected by Yan Shaozhe's presence. As soon as he appeared, however, all the other players turned to look at him in unison.
Under the players' strange gazes-curious, displeased, amused, and more-Yan Shaozhe felt uncomfortable too.
He suppressed the strange feeling in his heart, cleared his throat, and spoke in the tone of an elder. "Ahem. You're from the New Tang Sect, so you're practically brothers of Shrek Academy too.
"Lucky you, getting a Soul Bone to drop. I'm Yan Shaozhe, the dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department.
"Do me a favor and hand this Soul Bone over to Shrek Academy. I can offer you fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins."
But once Yan Shaozhe finished speaking, all the players looked at him as if he were an idiot, and their team voice chat became even livelier.
Wang Zhongwang: "Xuan Zi didn't come. So this is the guy who showed up instead. Is there something wrong with his brain? He actually thinks he can take this External Soul Bone for fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins?"
I Am Xiao Jian: "Maybe he thinks we don't know what it is and can't recognize this priceless External Soul Bone. If it were just an ordinary hundred-year Soul Bone, that would be a very high price."
Qian Xixi: "Heh, if Xuan Zi were here, he'd probably have just snatched it outright. Compared to that, Yan Shaozhe is pretty reasonable."
Spirit Hall Eternal: "Reasonable, my ass. We refuse to sell it-let's see if he tries to take it by force next."
Qian Xixi: "The game system is protecting it right now. He can't take it even if he wants to, can he?"
I Am an Angel: "Can someone ask the game system whether our things disappear if we die right now?"
Ten-Year Veteran: "I'll ask."
The game system provided an answer shortly afterward.
[Game drop item. Bound upon dropping. A player's drops will not disappear upon death. Unassigned drops will re-enter the distribution process when the player revives.]
Qian Xixi: "Then there's no problem. Just refuse him. If he tries to take it by force, we don't mind turning him into the second Xuan Zi."
Qian Xunji: "I'm getting a little fired up. What do I do?"
Nine-Tailed Male Fox: "Great! Great! The male and female leads are over there. If both of them die, let's see how this game is going to explain it away."
I Am Xiao Jian: "The male and female leads probably can't die, right?"
Qian Xixi: "That's hard to say. This game world is unbelievably realistic, practically no different from being transported into another world. @Qian Xunji, it's time to show off your wealth. Get the Level 8 Soul Guidance Bomb ready."
Qian Xunji: "Heh, you think I'll let you outdo me? Bring it on."
Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao were also somewhat surprised to see Yan Shaozhe appear.
"So he was the one protecting us in secret."
"Yuhao, Dong'er, is our dean going to take the other side's things? That doesn't seem right, does it?"
"He's not taking it. He's buying it. There's nothing wrong with that. Xiao Xiao, that's how this world works. If you don't have the strength, you can't protect even the good things you obtain."
"Whatever could make Elder Yan show up must be no ordinary thing. Could it be..."
"Yuhao, do you know what it is?"
"I have a guess."
Skydream Iceworm and Ice Empress inside his mind had told him that the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear's most valuable drop was the External Soul Bone it might produce.
If he could get the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear's External Soul Bone, his combat strength would increase dramatically.
Huo Yuhao was already thinking that once Yan Shaozhe got the External Soul Bone from the players, he would find a way to ask him for it.
Given how highly Shrek Academy valued him, it shouldn't be difficult.
Meanwhile, Yan Shaozhe's brows furrowed even deeper, because no one was paying any attention to him at all.
"Is this really how the Tang Sect behaves? You're all being terribly rude."
Qian Xunji: "What the hell are you blabbering about over there? If you want to rob us, just say so. Don't pretend to be a hypocrite. I can't stand the way you hypocrites at Shrek Academy act. It's disgusting. Pah!"
Wang Zhongwang: "Well said. Like that! You want to be a whore and still set up a chastity arch-that's Shrek Academy for you."
I Am an Angel: "You're a bunch of swindlers at heart. Even after becoming powerful, you can't change the rotten nature in your bones."
I Am Xiao Jian: "+1"
Mouse Loves Rice: "+1"
Agile Dog in the Mountains: "+10086"
Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao were dumbfounded too. They hadn't expected the players to insult him so bluntly, without showing him the slightest courtesy.
Yan Shaozhe was so furious that his face turned dark. He couldn't even remember how many years it had been since someone had pointed at him and cursed him like this.
"Hmph. I was going to spare you some dignity, but you don't know what's good for you. Don't blame me, then."
Yan Shaozhe revealed his Bright Phoenix martial soul and his nine Soul Rings. The powerful pressure of a Level 97 expert swept toward all the players.
Yet none of the players were affected. They watched him with amusement, as if he were a clown.
At that moment, Qian Xunji even put on Brother Teng's signature gesture and shouted at Yan Shaozhe, "Come here!"
The other players copied him too. Some crooked their index fingers, while others gave Yan Shaozhe the middle finger.
Xiao Xiao was completely bewildered.
"Yuhao, Dong'er, have these people gone even crazier?"
"Yeah! I thought they were a bunch of lunatics during the Soul Master Tournament. Now it looks like they've gotten even worse."
Yan Shaozhe was thoroughly enraged as well. "You're asking for death, so I'll grant it."
The players gathered together and brought out the Level 8 Soul Guidance Bomb, along with one C4 apiece.
At that very moment, Huo Yuhao's instincts sounded the alarm wildly.
Before you continue