The global announcement echoed across Dominion, every player hearing it loud and clear.
"Who is that? They must be a complete monster."
"I wonder what kind of loot that dropped. That guy's set for life."
"Why does that never happen to me?"
"Everyone, move out! Find the Black Rock Spire! There's gotta be mad loot there!"
The system's announcement triggered chaos. The forums exploded, chat channels lit up, and entire guilds mobilized. Players poured out of Dragon's Peak Citadel, racing to find the Black Rock Spire that had suddenly appeared in the world.
It was pure, unadulterated madness.
In a quiet corner of the city, InfernoRider001, one of the Top Ten Experts, checked the leaderboards. His eyes widened when he saw the top player's level jump again.
"How is that possible? He's leveling up way too fast. Even farming over-leveled mobs shouldn't raise XP that quickly. Is there a bug in Dominion?" he asked his guildmate, InfernoFiend001.
"Yeah, something's not right," InfernoFiend001 replied with a sly grin. "Either that guy's a savant, or he's cheating. I guarantee half the server's thinking the same thing. Let's light a fire on the forums, see if the developers are paying attention."
"Do it. Get the guys on it."
Marcus, meanwhile, had no clue that players across the continent were already scheming against him. He was lounging comfortably, examining the Violet Shard he'd grabbed and the Pet Egg glowing softly in his inventory.
Violet Shard: A magical gem. Effect unknown. Cannot be used.
'Oh, you have got to be kidding me.' Another unidentified item. Of course. Considering this shard had been tied to the Lord of the Undead's resurrection, the identification fee was going to be outrageous.
Marcus picked up the Pet Egg and turned it in his hands, curious to see what would emerge.
"Ding! Stonehaven, do you wish to hatch the Pet Egg?" the system prompted.
"Yeah, hatch it," he said.
"Ding! Congratulations, Player Stonehaven, the Pet Egg has successfully hatched. You have acquired the pet, Phoenix Chick."
A small, crimson bird broke free from the shell. The Phoenix Chick chirped sharply, stretching its wings as if testing them for the first time. Its fiery feathers shimmered like molten gold under sunlight, and three long tail plumes trailed behind it, swaying like ribbons of flame.
'Well, aren't you a pretty little thing,' Marcus thought, smiling. 'Seriously adorable.' He pulled up its stats.
Phoenix Chick: Level 7 Fire-Attuned Pet.
Level: 0.
Health: 200. Mana: 200. Attack: 100. Defense: 100.
Skill: Ember Shot, a basic ranged attack.
Not bad at all. A Level 7 pet was legit; anything above Level 5 was considered high-grade. Pulling one straight from a random egg was some seriously lucky RNG.
"Ding! Congratulations, Player Stonehaven, you have acquired the pet Phoenix Chick. The Phoenix Chick is currently unnamed. Please name your pet."
"Phoenix Chick."
"Ding! Congratulations, Player Stonehaven, naming successful. Phoenix Chick has entered the Pet Leaderboard. Does Player Stonehaven wish to reveal his name?"
"Hell no."
Excellent. His new pet was strong enough to make it onto the Pet Leaderboard. Curious, Marcus opened the rankings.
Pet Leaderboard:
1. Twin-Winged Tiger, Level 8, Owner: Name Hidden
2. Phoenix Chick, Level 7, Owner: Name Hidden
3. Black Panther King, Level 6, Owner: IcyWeather
4. Three-Eyed Fox, Level 5, Owner: ItsFrost
'Only four?' He had expected more. The list was surprisingly short, and aside from the top-ranked pet, none seemed overwhelmingly powerful. Clearly, pets were hard to come by.
Still, being ranked second was satisfying. Feeling pleased, Marcus decided it was time to complete his quest and headed toward Merchant Reginald's residence.
---
"Marcus, dinner's ready!"
His sister's voice pulled him from the game. It was already lunchtime. Marcus logged out, removed his headset, and stretched before heading to the living room.
Lily and Amber had already set the table and were waiting for him.
"Go wash up," Amber said with a grin. "We made grilled cheese."
"Perfect. I'm starving." Marcus laughed. "I'm gonna eat enough for both of you."
A while later, the three of them sat down and began eating. Warm laughter filled the apartment, and for a while, it felt like a real home again. Since their parents had passed away a year ago, such moments had been rare.
'This is it,' Marcus thought quietly. 'This is the good stuff.' His sister, Amber, and the steady, kind presence of Lily. They were his whole world now, his reason for everything.
After eating, they decided who would do the dishes with a round of rock-paper-scissors. Marcus lost. Seeing the smug little smiles on their faces, he sighed like a man headed to the gallows and trudged toward the sink.
After a short break, he logged back in. Lily and Amber were still grinding in the Newbie Village, both sitting around Level 5. There wasn't much he could do for them yet, but he planned to change that soon.
---
"Stonehaven, you're back!"
The moment Marcus stepped into Merchant Reginald's courtyard, the old man came rushing out, his eyes wide with hope. "I heard there was trouble at Black Rock Spire! Are you alright? Did you find my wife's Keaton Necklace?"
"I did," Marcus began, putting on his best solemn-but-heroic tone. "The place was a deathtrap. Powerful guardians were posted at every turn. But I thought of your wife, of her unwavering love, and it filled me with courage. I fought my way through hordes of enemies, and finally, I reached the Skeleton Banshee herself."
Reginald just blinked, completely missing the epic flavor text Marcus had just laid down. "So… you have the necklace?"
Marcus almost laughed. 'You have got to be kidding me. I just gave you a full Oscar-worthy performance and you skip straight to the main thing.'
"I've got it right here," he said, holding out a small wooden box. "See for yourself."
Reginald snatched it eagerly, opened it, and his breath caught. "It really is my Keaton Necklace!" His voice trembled, and tears welled in his eyes. "Stonehaven, you truly brought it back. This necklace meant everything to my wife, and to me. I can never thank you enough."
Marcus smiled. 'Okay, straight-to-the-point gratitude. I can respect that.'
"Stonehaven, you've done me a great service," Reginald said, clasping his hands together. "I must reward you properly."
'Oh, here we go.' Marcus's mind started racing. 'A rare pet? A killer skill book? Please, please let it be a Divine Item.' His heart started doing a drum solo against his ribs.
"Stonehaven, wait a moment. Let me think about what to give you," Merchant Reginald muttered, rubbing his chin as if he were deciding the fate of the world.
"I could give you half of my fortune," he mused aloud.
Marcus perked up. 'Half your fortune? That's not a bad start.'
The merchant shook his head almost immediately. "No, that's too vulgar."
'No!' Marcus wanted to shout. 'It's not vulgar at all! It's perfect!' With Reginald's kind of wealth, "half" could mean billions. But before he could protest, the idea was already off the table. 'Unbelievable.'
"I could give you a pet."
Marcus gave a slow, considering nod. 'Okay, acceptable.'
"But all I have are common chickens, dogs, and pigs. Nothing special."
'Then scratch that. Forget I was ever interested.'
"I could give you a Divine Item."
Marcus's heart did a backflip. 'Yes! That's the one! Don't you dare back out now'
"A splendid idea, in theory. But unfortunately, I don't actually possess any Divine Items."
Marcus nearly face-palmed. 'Are you serious right now?'
"Wait, I've got it!" Reginald suddenly clapped his hands together. "Stonehaven, thank you for retrieving the Keaton Necklace. I will give you this map."
He presented a rolled parchment with a theatrical flourish.
Marcus took it and unrolled it carefully.
Elemental Nexus Secret Path: A map leading to the Elemental Nexus.
He frowned slightly. The Elemental Nexus… that's the same place Silas the Wanderer was looking for, isn't it?
The landmarks drawn across the map looked familiar. By following the markings and notes, he could apparently reach the Elemental Nexus itself.
It wasn't exactly what he had hoped for. A map instead of money or gear, he thought, sighing inwardly. It was valuable, yes, but not immediately useful. His inventory was already cluttered with things he couldn't use yet, and this just joined the pile.
Leaving Merchant Reginald's residence, Marcus made his way to the system's Auction House to collect the gold from his sold equipment. He had listed several pieces ranging from Level 15 to 20, and now the sales were complete.
Except for a few leftover Level 15 White Equipment items, everything else had sold, and for good prices too. When he checked his balance and saw more than five thousand gold coins waiting for him, a grin spread across his face.
'Finally, I'm rich.'
With that much gold, he could finally afford to identify the Adamant Shield, the mysterious Divine Item sitting in his storage.
He hurried to the familiar old Appraiser's shop.
"Hey, old man! I'm back. Got a few things for you to look at," Marcus called out cheerfully.
The elderly man behind the counter barely looked up. "What do you have? Let me see," he said, his tone slow and indifferent as always.
Marcus handed over a few items.