Objective achieved, mission complete. It was ti to disappear and return to what really mattered: leveling up.
Using the chaos of the crowd as cover, Marcus slipped away without drawing attention, making his way toward the entrance to the fourth level of Black Rock Spire, where DragonBlade and the others were waiting. A faint, private chuckle echoed in his mind. Pebble who had led the charge against the Inferno Clan, was already dead. No one would suspect Marcus had been the invisible hand behind everything, and even if they tried, they would never piece together what had truly happened. Right now, not a single player spared him a glance as he left.
The third level of Black Rock Spire had descended into pure frenzy. This was the mont everyone had been waiting for, the perfect window for both slaughter and loot, and every eye was locked onto Cabaro and the remnants of the Inferno Clan.
The instant Marcus unleashed Desperate Strike and erased Blaze001 in a single blow, the Inferno Clan lost control of the boss. Their claim shattered, and the entire crowd erupted.
"Now’s our chance!"
The shout spread like wildfire. Players abandoned whatever they were doing, clearing nearby mobs in a rush before charging straight at Cabaro. Ownership of the boss had reset, and with it ca the randomized loot system: a quarter chance for the first attacker, another for the highest damage dealer, another for the killing blow, and the final possibility that the loot would simply drop unclaid for anyone to grab.
As long as you were involved, you had a chance. That alone was enough to drive everyone forward.
Under normal circumstances, Cabaro would have been overwheld and cut down within minutes by such a relentless assault. But not everyone wanted the fight to end so quickly.
The mont Marcus’s Temple Knight shattered the Inferno Clan’s formation and sent them scrambling, the leaders of the Slayer rcenary Group and another major faction seized the opportunity. Their expressions hardened as they turned to their clerics.
"Keep the boss alive. Heal it."
Their intentions were obvious. They wanted to drag this out, squeeze every possible benefit from the situation, and punish the Inferno Clan for trying to monopolize the area. With so many players packed onto the third level, the odds of a Guild Creation Token dropping were practically nonexistent anyway. Thinning the crowd would solve that.
"Attack!"
As Cabaro lunged toward the scattered Inferno Clan mbers, the two rcenary leaders followed, leading their forces straight into the disorganized ranks. What followed was less a battle and more a thodical slaughter.
The Inferno Clan collapsed almost instantly. With their Furious Three gone, there was no structure left, no command, no cohesion. Old grudges resurfaced all at once, and every player or group that had ever been wronged by them took this chance to strike back.
"You think you can hog the boss? We’ve been waiting for this day!"
Amid the chaos, the screams, and the clash of steel, Marcus and his companions moved along the edges of the hall, hugging the walls and slipping away toward the fourth level without attracting attention.
I ca quietly, I killed quietly, and now I leave quietly, Marcus thought, a trace of satisfaction settling in. Striking from afar, leaving no trace behind... this is as close to perfection as it gets.
"Stone, that was insane. Killing really is an art," Invincible Strong said, unable to hold back his excitent.
"You looked incredible," Drunkard added, though his tone carried a hint of frustration as he spun one of his daggers between his fingers. "Still, just watching like that... it gets to you. I wish I could’ve jumped in."
As an Assassin, he thrived in duels and ambushes, but in a chaotic lee of that scale, it was the heavily armored classes that dominated. At Level 25, he wouldn’t have lasted long anyway.
"What a waste... seriously, what a waste," Cleaver muttered, shaking his head.
"A waste of what?" Gloomy Arrow asked.
"When Rock001 dropped, I swear he left behind a solid blade. I should’ve grabbed it."
Marcus nearly stumbled. ’Unbelievable. That’s what he’s thinking about right now?’
Shaking his head, he refocused. "I’ll go down first and check the situation. Don’t follow until I give the signal."
He quickly switched back to his main equipnt and refreshed his buffs. If the fourth level entrance was guarded by high-level mobs, the others wouldn’t stand a chance walking in blind.
A flash of light later, Marcus appeared on the fourth level.
The dim hall was instantly familiar. This was the sa place where he had ambushed the Dark Sorcerer and claid the Sky Stone, one of the Three legendary Gems, now resting at his waist in the form of the Violet Shard.
But today, the place was anything but empty.
The entire area was packed with monsters, densely clustered and clearly divided into four distinct types. Marcus scanned the surroundings carefully. Not a single player was in sight, which ant one thing: the mobs here were strong enough to keep everyone else away.
The mont he appeared, the creatures near the entrance reacted, turning toward him and charging without hesitation.
Confirming he was alone, Marcus acted imdiately. He summoned the Sea Soul and Temple Knight Pebble to draw aggro, then cast Insight on the nearest enemies.
The first to close the distance were skeleton warriors clad in white bone armor, each wielding a different two-handed weapon, from longswords to axes and even scythes, as if remnants of their forr preferences still lingered after death.
—
Skeleton Warrior: Level 40. HP: 7,500.
Undead soldiers driven purely by combat instinct. High attack power with multiple active abilities, but relatively weak defense.
Skills: Burning Will – boosts attack and speed. Desperate Struggle – unleashes a frenzied assault with dramatically increased damage, varying by weapon.
—
Behind them ca slower figures, dragging themselves forward with uneven, shambling steps.
—
Vampire Zombie: Level 42. HP: 8,000.
Ancient corpses infused with blood-hungry parasites. Their claws carry infectious effects. Slow-moving but dangerous over ti.
Skills: Blood Drain – chance to inflict sustained damage while healing the user. Gray Venom – applies poison damage over ti.
—
Marcus’s eyes sharpened slightly. ’So Insight can reveal weaknesses now... that’s new. A useful upgrade.’
Further back, he spotted another group, these ones hovering at a distance and clutching staffs, clearly avoiding direct confrontation.
—
Bone dic: Level 40. HP: 7,000.
Support-type undead that enhance and heal their allies using dark energy.
Skills: Demonic Recovery – restores a large amount of HP. Demonic Shroud – boosts an ally’s combat stats.
—
No wonder no one had ventured down here. Players who hadn’t even reached Level 30 would be crushed instantly facing Level 40 mobs in such dense numbers, especially with support units backing them up.
A slow smile ford on Marcus’s face.
’Perfect.’
"Co down," he sent through the rcenary System. "And get ready. This place is packed with XP."
He mounted his Nightmare Dragon Steed and summoned the rest of his forces in one fluid motion: the Shadow-Stained Gryphon King, Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna, and Vixen Queen Camillo.
He hadn’t ntioned Lyanna or Camillo to the others yet, but there was no point hiding them anymore. They would find out sooner or later.
Drunkard was the first to arrive, and the mont he stepped in, he froze, eyes widening. "Boss... who are they? Since when do we have teammates like this?"
"Holy— is that a dragon?!" DragonBlade shouted as he appeared right behind him.
Invincible Strong stared, completely stunned. "They’re... incredible."
Cleaver entered next, instinctively reaching for his weapon, only to stop mid-motion when he realized the wyvern stood calmly at Marcus’s side.
"Wait... are they yours?" Gloomy Arrow asked as he and Fate’s Trial arrived last, both clearly struggling to process what they were seeing.
Marcus let out a small, awkward laugh. "It’s a long story. I’ll explain later."
Even as he spoke, he was already moving.
"Hundred Phantom Strike!"
Under the pull of the Sea Soul’s Taunt, the surrounding mobs were dragged together into tight clusters, even the Bone dics unable to stay out of range. Marcus didn’t hesitate. His blade flashed as he unleashed a sweeping area attack.
-1,500! -3,000! -3,200!
The damage numbers rose in quick succession, stacking across the tightly packed enemies.
The power of Hundred Phantom Strike was undeniable, carving through the Level 40 mobs with ruthless efficiency.
The grind had begun.
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