Now it all depended on how effectively Red Hair can utilize this item.
But no matter what, one thing is certainâthis equipment, with its separate cooldowns, will make Red Hair even more formidable, significantly boosting her strength.
As a top-tier craftsman, even Ye Zhongming felt a twinge of desire for this piece of equipment. He hadnât expected an A6-tier reward to be this good. If it were A1-tier or even S-tier, how incredible would it be? Could it actually reward a purple-grade item?
He turned his gaze to the glowing orb in front of him.
Initially, Ye Zhongming hadnât paid much attention to this B6-tier reward, assuming it would be more symbolic, with the real focus on the individual rewards.
But after seeing Red Hairâs Magic Stickers, he became genuinely curious about what was inside his own orb.
He reached in and pulled out an item.
The Cloud Peak members naturally gathered around him.
"Earth-Treading Cloud?"
Ye Zhongming paused, momentarily puzzledâheâd never heard of this before.
Compared to Red Hairâs Magic Stickers, the Earth-Treading Cloud was much simpler.
It was a transportation toolâa group transportation tool.
Despite its name, it couldnât fly. It could only hover about ten centimeters above the ground while moving.
As a group transport, it had a weight limit: currently, it could carry up to five tons of items or evolved.
It had two speed settings:
First gear: 40 km/h
Second gear: 100 km/h
Its power source was demon crystals, and consumption depended on speed.
Ye Zhongming sighed inwardly, slightly disappointed.
This was a group transport, but whether in terms of capacity or speed, it wasnât particularly impressive. It also required demon crystalsâstarting from level-five crystals.
It could only carry 50-60 people, and larger battle beasts might not even fit. For transporting goods, its capacity was limited, far less convenient than spatial equipment.
It seemed the B6-tier reward truly paled in comparison to the A6-tier.
However, the description mentioned that the Earth-Treading Cloud could be upgradedâthough the conditions were harsh:
Specialized materials
High-level demon crystals
Usage duration
After a quick glance, Ye Zhongming concluded that upgrading it anytime soon would be impossible.
However, after the upgrade, its utility improved significantly. For example:
Capacity would jump from 5 tons to 30 tons.
Speed would gain a third gear (150 km/h).
Hover height would increase to 30 cm, significantly improving terrain adaptability.
Whether by coincidence or not, both rewards Cloud Peak received were upgradeable.
After briefly explaining the equipmentâs features, the others seemed quite pleased. While evolved had ample stamina, long-distance travel was still taxing. The Earth-Treading Cloud could lighten the load. Plus, it operated completely silently, which could be tactically advantageous.
Hidden Snake Journey couldnât see the equipmentâs attributes, but judging by Cloud Peakâs expressions, they knew the rewards were excellent. Envy gnawed at them, fueling their determination for the second match.
"The second arena match begins. The losing side may choose the format."
Surprisingly, it wasnât another singles match as initially arrangedâthey could choose.
The little golden-armored boyâs eyes lit up. "I choose doubles!" he blurted.
"Doubles match confirmed!"
Cloud Peak wasnât particularly bothered, though they felt a tinge of regret.
Had the second match remained singles, Ye Zhongming would have taken the field, securing a 2-0 lead. That wouldnât have guaranteed victory, but it would have been highly likely, while also crushing the enemyâs morale.
"Both sides, choose whether to increase the reward tier for the second match."
The sudden announcement silenced the crowd. Many exchanged confused glances.
Increase the reward tier? What did that mean?
"Reward rules are the same as in the singles match. Quantity adjusts based on participant count. Either side may choose to increase the reward tierâno agreement required."
"If one side chooses to increase the reward tier, victory will raise the base reward by 1 to 5 tiers. If they lose, the opponent gains a +1 tier reward."
"If one side declines to increase the reward tier:
Victory: Reward remains unchanged.
Defeat: Penalty applies.
If the opponent also declines, the penalty equals the cost of increasing by 1 tier.
If the opponent increased rewards, the penalty equals their chosen tierâs cost."**
Ye Zhongming sighed softly.
The wheel of fate tested luck and exploited greedâthis was no exception.
Everyone wanted more, better rewardsâhuman nature. These rules tempted people to gamble. Worse, they forced you to raise the stakes.
Sure enough, before the announcement even finished, the little brat shouted that he wanted to increase the rewardâby the maximum five tiers! â
"Choosing to increase rewards requires a sacrifice."
"I accept!"
The boy didnât hesitate, drawing disbelieving looks from many.
"Increasing rewards by five tiers requires the sacrifice of 100 levelsâ worth of evolved lives."
A chill ran through the crowd.
Before anyone could react, the space continued:
"Locking onto leaderâAdam. Please selectâŠ"
The little tyrantâs name was Adam.
What did "100 levelsâ worth of lives" mean?
Simple: The sum of the sacrificed individualsâ evolution levels must equal 100.
Ten 9-star + one 1-star = 100
One hundred 1-star = 100
A seemingly straightforward ruleâbrutal in execution.
Everyone knew: Low-level evolved would be the first to go.
Most leaders would hesitateâor even regretâif they knew this rule in advance. Even if they won, their teamâs morale would shatter, leading to collapse.
But to everyoneâs shock, Adam didnât hesitate at all.
He turned and started pointing at his subordinates.
With each finger he raised, an evolved human exploded into a bloody mist.
The manner of death made the sacrifice even more horrifying.
Soon, nearly 20 people died, their levels summing to 100.
The little tyrant licked his lips, almost regretful that it was over, then pointed at a man and woman nearby.
"Troyilia, Melphisâyouâre up!"