The re thought of the Elven Gate on the second level of the Elf Path, and the Elf Canyon and Elental Nexus waiting beyond it, made Marcus’s heart pound uncontrollably. Of all the places he had encountered so far, the Elf Canyon was the one he longed to see the most.
After everything he had gone through to obtain and consu the Holy Water from the Spring of Life, how could he not be tempted? The Elf Gate, sealed by the power of the Five Elents, stood as a challenge he couldn’t ignore. Of course he would go. There wasn’t even a question about it.
Without wasting another second, Marcus threw himself into a frantic shopping spree in Dragon’s Peak Citadel, grabbing everything he might need for the journey ahead. Alana had already prepared 235 Super Health Potions for him, and he carefully packed every single one.
’Ti to move.’
With a single activation of his Wanderlust skill, Marcus vanished and reappeared at the teleportation point he had previously set near the entrance to the second level of the Elf Path. He didn’t hesitate. The mont his feet hit the ground, he strode forward, passed through the entrance, and headed straight for the Elf Gate.
The towering gate stood before him, bathed in a soft green glow that seed almost alive. It was the only path leading into Elf Canyon, and just looking at it made his pulse quicken.
’Elf Canyon... I’m finally here.’
A surge of excitent filled him. Without holding back, Marcus broke into a run, charging toward the gate with unrestrained anticipation, already imagining the legendary land beyond and, more vividly, the fabled beauty of its elven maidens.
Ding!
[Stonehaven, your level is below 50. You cannot pass through the Elf Gate or enter the Elf Canyon.]
For a mont, Marcus didn’t even process what he had heard.
’...What? You’ve got to be kidding .’
His steps faltered, his legs suddenly feeling weak as the system ssage sank in. Before he could stop himself, he collided headfirst with the glowing green gate and was unceremoniously bounced back.
He staggered, barely keeping his footing.
’Seriously?’
Anger surged up instantly. The system had clearly implied that consuming the Holy Water of the Spring of Life would allow him to pass through the Elf Gate. Nowhere had it ntioned this ridiculous restriction. Level 50? Since when?
’This is just...’
He clenched his fists, frustration boiling over.
Again. It’s always my level.
That one limitation had blocked him ti and ti again, turning plans into dead ends before they could even begin. It was starting to feel personal. The more he thought about it, the worse it got, until he had to forcibly cut himself off before the irritation spiraled any further.
There was no point complaining. If level was the problem, then he would solve it the only way possible.
He would grind. And he would grind hard.
Reaching Level 50 as quickly as possible was no longer optional, it was necessary. Once he got there, his Temple Knight class would fully unlock, bringing a massive boost to his overall strength. Only then could he step into Elf Canyon without worrying about being blocked again.
The decision settled firmly in his mind.
Black Rock Spire.
The na surfaced imdiately. If he wanted to level efficiently, there was no better place.
It was where everything had started for him, a place filled with mories both good and bad. The monsters there gathered densely in the halls of each floor, with fast respawn rates that made it perfect for grinding. Back when he was only Level 20, it was this very advantage that had allowed him to surge ahead of other players and secure his early lead.
It was also in Black Rock Spire that he had obtained Dominion’s first Guild Creation Token, along with the Violet Shard now hanging at his waist and his golden equipnt, Cabaro’s Werewolf Set. Every one of those rewards had co from that place.
And then there was the fourth floor.
The mory surfaced, sharp and unpleasant. The Bone Boar. The Skeleton Marshal. The Dark Sorcerer who had summoned them. That fight had ended in complete humiliation.
Marcus’s eyes narrowed slightly. This ti, things would be different.
Activating a Town Portal Scroll, he returned to Dragon’s Peak Citadel. Once there, he exited through the North Gate, summoned Blackie, and imdiately set off at full speed toward Black Rock Spire.
At Level 30, Wanderlust allowed him to maintain only three teleportation points. For the sake of gathering resources later, he had already placed them at Five-Leaf Peak and Blue Ant Valley. With the Elf Path now occupying the third slot, his old teleportation point on the third level of Black Rock Spire had been overwritten.
Which ant one thing; he had to make the trip the old-fashioned way.
As he rode, sothing quickly caught his attention.
’...What’s going on?’
The road ahead was crowded. Far more crowded than usual. Players filled the path in large numbers, moving in the sa direction. Solo adventurers, organized parties, rcenary groups, full guild teams, everyone seed to be heading toward Black Rock Spire.
’Did sothing happen?’
Frowning slightly, Marcus gave a quiet command, and Blackie responded instantly. The Nightmare Dragon Steed took to the sky, carrying him high above the road as they soared toward their destination.
Below, the reaction was imdiate.
"Wait... is that a flying horse?"
"No way—that’s the Nightmare Dragon Steed!"
"You’ve got to be kidding , it can actually fly?!"
"That’s insane... who is that?!"
Players stopped in their tracks, staring upward as the dark steed streaked across the sky, its hooves wreathed in black hellfire. So recognized it instantly and tried to get a better look, but from their angle, all they could see was its shadowed form cutting through the air.
Marcus paid them no mind, his focus was elsewhere. Sothing definitely happened at Black Rock Spire...
The closer he got, the more obvious it beca. The flow of players wasn’t slowing down; in fact, it was increasing.
Black Rock Spire had always been lively, but this was sothing else entirely.
As the first player to discover and unlock it, Marcus couldn’t help but feel a faint sense of unfamiliarity now. What had once been his personal advantage had turned into one of the most contested locations in the entire ga. With its dense monster population, reliable drops, and exclusive equipnt like the Level 20 Skeleton Set and Level 30 Cabaro Set, it had beco the go-to place for leveling and farming.
Naturally, that also ant constant conflict.
Still, even that didn’t fully explain the sheer number of players flooding in.
The real turning point had co a few days earlier, when Hexium managed to obtain a Guild Creation Token from Cabaro the Werewolf on the third floor. With that, the Violet Thunder Guild was established as the second guild in Dominion, sending shockwaves through the entire player base.
After that, everything changed.
Black Rock Spire beca the center of attention overnight. Every rcenary leader dreaming of founding a guild saw it as their chance. Every player, whether alone or in a team, ca hoping for a lucky drop that could change their fate.
Its popularity exploded, and there was no slowing it down.
And where there were players, there was conflict.
Where there was profit, there were battles.
Even before reaching the Spire itself, Marcus had already passed several ongoing skirmishes along the road, players clashing openly without restraint. If things were this chaotic outside, then inside would be far worse.
Looking at the overwhelming crowd, Marcus felt a faint stir of concern.
He just wanted to level, preferably without interruptions. But knowing himself, that might be asking too much.
If soone decided to pick a fight... he wasn’t the type to walk away.
And once the chance to kill presented itself, resisting it would be... difficult.
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