Chapter 41: S-Rank Evaluation

The next morning.

It had rained all night. The streets were damp, and droplets still clung to the leaves of the trees outside. The flow of morning commuters had already begun to choke the roads.

Inside his room, Qin Yuan held the Grimoire of Murmurs, chanting the text inscribed upon its pages.

"Dark Rain Flower... Foul-smelling powder..."

He had suddenly recalled a potion he noticed while browsing the alchemy compendium a few days ago.

[Lure Potion: An alchemical concoction. After drinking it, you will emit a peculiar aura that attracts nearby monsters. The effect lasts for one hour.]

Most of the minor monsters in the Pumpkin Festival were low-level; under the blade-like winds of his feathers, they were usually dispatched the moment they appeared. The main factor hindering his efficiency was the time spent searching for them. If he could craft this potion, it would undoubtedly boost his efficiency significantly.

As a one-star potion, the materials were common alchemical herbs and not particularly rare. Besides, he wasn't short on money; even if the price were slightly above market value, it wouldn't matter. If he could finish it before the next Pumpkin Festival, his grinding speed would skyrocket.

Furthermore, there was another potion that seemed perfectly suited for that environment.

[Holy Water Potion: An alchemical concoction. It deals continuous, significant damage to any undead unit it touches.]

According to the Grimoire of Murmurs, the Pumpkin Skeletons and the Pumpkin Lord were classified as undead. Using this would have miraculous effects. Although it was a potion, it wasn't meant to be consumed; it was a throwable item.

At the same time, there was the [Invisibility Potion] he had noted when first looking through the potion encyclopedia. He had already collected most of the necessary materials last time; he was only missing one auxiliary ingredient.

Thus, upon waking, Qin Yuan prepared to log into the forum to see if any other players were selling it. If not, he would post a trade request himself.

However, as soon as he opened the forum, he froze upon seeing the top trending post.

Wait...

This guide post, titled "Complete Monster Bestiary"...

Isn't that the one he posted yesterday!

He had written that it would take one to two business days to review, and he had assumed it might not even be finished before the end of his time in the real world. He hadn't expected it to take only a few hours.

Sure enough, there was usually a fair amount of buffer in these things.

He clicked on it and discovered that in just one night, the post had already garnered over a thousand replies and six thousand likes. And these figures only represented the support of the "night owl" players; the numbers would likely explode again during the day.

Even the official version update posts didn't have much more reach than this. Although Qin Yuan had vaguely guessed the post would be popular, the sheer scale of the response still caught him off guard. Most players, like him, tended to browse silently—liking or bookmarking a useful post and rarely bothering to comment.

He scrolled through the comments, which were largely uniform:
"Thanks for sharing, bowing to the master!"
"Holy crap, where did you get such comprehensive information? Amazing!"
"OP is a saint, bookmarked to read slowly later."
"Is this for real? An S-rank guide post?"

There were also questions about how he had obtained such detailed information. After browsing, Qin Yuan understood why the popularity was so extreme.

While players above level three weren't the majority, the sheer size of the player base meant there were still many. Yesterday, many had spent hours racking their brains to write guides they were proud of, hoping at least for a B or C-rank rating.

However, the official manual review process had been exceptionally strict, and very few players had actually been approved. The forum was currently filled with wails of frustration; players would post their work with confidence, only to have a giant "Review Failed" slapped in their faces, making them acutely aware of the gap between expectation and reality.

Some players had even decided to collaborate on submissions, realizing their individual knowledge wasn't sufficient. In such an atmosphere, those who did pass stood out like cranes in a flock, becoming the center of attention. Even among those few, most only received the lowest C-rank rating; B-ranks were rare, and there wasn't a single A-rank.

Under these circumstances, the sudden appearance of an S-rank post caused a massive stir among the player base. Many who heard the news flocked to it. Moreover, the post was truly packed with solid, helpful information. This created a virtuous cycle, leading to explosive popularity and a stellar reputation.

Another factor was the official "seal of approval." Since the guide had passed the official review, players didn't have to worry about misleading information. Many were curious about how he had acquired such detailed data, with some even resorting to conspiracy theories, suggesting he was an internal staff member of the game.

Seeing this, Qin Yuan couldn't help but chuckle. As for the source, it involved the Grimoire of Murmurs, so he certainly wouldn't speak of it.

Hmm... he took a sip of water, preparing to close the thread and browse other players' posts, when he suddenly noticed a statistic in the top right corner.

Wait, what?!

Six thousand likes, but ten thousand bookmarks? What is that supposed to mean?

Are you all just freeloaders? Can't even spare a single like!

But then he thought...

I guess I'm that kind of person too...

Never mind, then.

The rewards had already been deposited directly into his player inventory. He wasn't in a hurry to spend them, so he browsed a few more guides from other players. These C-rank posts contained fairly generic information—mostly about grinding spots or personal reflections on current classes. They were shallow and offered almost no help to Qin Yuan.

After a circuit, Qin Yuan decided to do some shopping. Since the rewards were in, his pockets were heavy. He opened the Pumpkin Shop.

As the vine-covered shelves, laden with pumpkin lanterns, appeared on his screen, lines of item information materialized:

[Crafting Material Pack ★: Open to receive 1 to 9 random 1-star crafting materials. Price: 20 Pumpkin Candleflames.]
[Alchemical Herb Pack ★: Open to receive 1 to 9 random 1-star alchemical herbs. Price: 20 Pumpkin Candleflames.]
[Magic Rune Paper ★ (Common): Obtain 1 random common-quality magic rune paper. Price: 100 Pumpkin Candleflames.]
[Warrior Class Equipment ★ (Rare): Choose 1 out of 3 pieces of rare-quality warrior gear. Price: 180 Pumpkin Candleflames.]
...
[Magic Material Pack ★: Choose 1 out of 3 types of 1-star magic materials. Price: 1 Pumpkin Essence (can be purchased twice).]
[Magic Material Pack ★★: Choose 1 out of 3 types of 2-star magic materials. Price: 5 Pumpkin Essence (Original price 10, first-time purchase discount, can be purchased twice).]
[Magic Rune Paper ★ (Epic): Obtain 1 random epic-quality magic rune paper. Price: 10 Pumpkin Essence (can be purchased twice).]

[Note: Purchased items will be immediately deposited into the player's inventory. New items will be added to the shop over time.]

His current balance was 6 Pumpkin Essence and 200 Pumpkin Candleflames. Qin Yuan pondered what was best to buy. He was mostly conflicted about how to use his Essence. As for the Candleflames, it was simple: he would just buy two pieces of magic rune paper.