Marcus returned to the Third Level of the Black Rock Spire, where the Level 28 Skeleton Warriors roamed. The experience they gave was solid, and the place was quiet; no other players to fight for kills, no distractions.
For the next ten days, Marcus practically lived there, grinding nonstop. His experience bar climbed higher and higher until he finally reached Level 27. The thought of equipping the Adamant Shield at Level 30 kept him going. Just three more levels.
Meanwhile, his sister and Lily were still in Newbie Village. It was almost unbelievable. At this point, they were probably the slowest players in Dominion, and definitely the ones who had spent the longest time in the starting zone.
Lily, in her typical flighty fashion, had picked up a hidden secondary profession: Fishing. Every day she logged in, grabbed her rod, and planted herself by a river in the village, casting her line over and over without a care in the world. She was convinced that hitting Intermediate Fishing before leaving would unlock some massive hidden reward, and she was completely, utterly obsessed with it.
Amber, on the other hand, was stuck in a chain of hidden quests. The tasks weren't hard; running errands, delivering letters, gathering herbs, mining ores, but they just kept coming, one after another, like an endless loop. Still, she was determined to see it through, eager to uncover whatever reward lay at the end.
Two major events had recently rocked the world of Dominion, sparking a massive controversy. For the past few days, two topics had dominated the forums, directly challenging Dragonfly Corp and demanding an immediate response from the company.
The first topic was titled: The Unprecedented Leveling Speed of the Top Ten Experts Leaderboard #1.
While the title was polite, the content within was sharp and accusatory. Players openly speculated that Dominion either had a major bug, was being exploited by a third-party cheat, or that the number one player was somehow favored by the game's developers. Millions of players demanded that the company publicly release the player's attributes and data to provide a satisfactory explanation. This topic was receiving over fifty million views and replies daily, making it a critical issue that Dragonfly Corp could no longer ignore.
The second topic was simpler: The Early Activation of the Gold-to-Real-World-Currency Exchange.
Over eighty percent of the player base was clamoring for Dragonfly Corp to immediately enable the in-game currency exchange function.
The first issue directly concerned Marcus. Although he knew he had earned his progress step-by-step without resorting to any illegal means, he was still worried. He feared Dragonfly Corp might compromise, restrict his growth, or, worse, publicly expose his data, which would be disastrous.
Marcus watched the in-game announcement board with bated breath. The time for Dragonfly Corp's official response to both issues was less than a minute away.
A middle-aged man in a sharp suit appeared on the video screen. "Good evening, players. We've heard your concerns, and we're here to address them."
Marcus leaned forward, his knuckles white.
"Let's be perfectly clear," the man continued, his voice calm and authoritative. "Dragonfly Corp does not and will not disclose private player data. Full stop. Furthermore, Dominion is run entirely by the Skynet AI. We don't control the data; we don't have a backdoor. We can't alter player attributes even if we wanted to. To do so would require wiping the entire Skynet system and starting from scratch."
A wave of relief washed over Marcus. 'Thank God. It's actually fair.'
"However," the representative said, holding up a hand as if anticipating the outcry. "To put this matter to rest, we will perform a public, live scan of the number one player's data. The process will be witnessed by two officials from the National Gaming Commission to ensure complete transparency."
The man, followed by two people in uniforms adorned with government seals, approached a massive, sleek terminal.
"Fingerprint confirmation successful. Administrator identity confirmed. Backend operation authorized," a neutral, synthetic voice announced.
"Skynet, scan the attributes and game history for the player ranked number one on the Experts Leaderboard. Analyze and report any anomalies."
This was it. The entire game was holding its breath.
"Scanning in progress. Please wait…"
The seconds stretched out.
"Scan complete. The attributes and data of the Top Ten Experts Leaderboard number one player are completely normal. No anomalies detected. Scan finished."
"Hell yes," Marcus whispered, finally letting himself breathe. The knot of anxiety in his chest loosened.
"Players," the representative said, turning back to the camera with a confident smile. "Dominion is a living, intelligent world. Just like in real life, two people in the same place at the same time can have completely different experiences. The system is built on absolute fairness. The difference between a top player and anyone else isn't about cheats or favors. It's about seizing an opportunity, having the skill to capitalize on it, and maybe a little bit of luck."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"Opportunities are everywhere in Dominion. Maybe you stumble on a Hidden Quest no one else has found. Maybe you manage to complete a Unique World Event. Or maybe you get lucky and find a Divine Item. That's how you become a champion here."
'Hidden Quests, huh?' Marcus thought, his mind already racing with possibilities. 'I need to get back out there.'
"Now, with that settled, I have some exciting news," the man continued, his tone shifting to upbeat. "The day after tomorrow, Dominion is going global. We're launching simultaneously in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, India, and Russia. And once certain conditions are met, we'll be opening up the National Wars system so you can all experience large-scale PvP."
Marcus was only half-listening now. None of that was his immediate concern.
"Furthermore," the man announced, "we will be activating the Gold-to-Currency Exchange ahead of schedule. We believe this will greatly enhance the experience for all our players."
Marcus tuned out. His character was safe. That was all that mattered. He needed to grind.
"Ding. Stonehaven, you have been in the game for nine hours. Please rest and take care of your health. The system will automatically log you out if you remain online for ten consecutive hours."
'Time to go.' It was past eleven. He remembered Lily had logged off earlier. The new semester at Crestwood University was starting soon, and she and Amber had to register tomorrow. Their lives were about to get a lot busier.
He walked into the living room, but it was empty. A quick check confirmed Amber was still online, and Lily wasn't in her room either.
Then he heard it; the steady patter of the shower coming from the bathroom.
The soft light glowing around the doorframe and the sound of the water immediately conjured an image of Lily in his mind: her slender frame, the gentle curve of her waist, the swell of her hips. A familiar, low heat ignited in his gut.
Ever since that first time they'd had sex, he'd become hyper-aware of her. Just a thought was enough to stir a restless energy inside him, a physical reaction that seemed tied to the Human Rock technique he practiced.
He'd read the old, dense manual front to back, and the way it described the flow of energy sometimes made him wonder if it was one of those dual cultivation stuff from old Eastern fantasy novels he'd read, designed for two people instead of one.
Driven by a sudden, intense urge, he quietly pushed the bathroom door open and stepped inside, his eyes locking onto the silhouette blurred by steam and the frosted glass.
The water cascaded over her, highlighting the delicate lines of her shoulders, the narrow taper of her waist, and the full, rounded curve of her hips. It was a vision of pure, tempting beauty.
He watched her, mesmerized, as her hands moved over her skin, unable to conceal her form. A dry heat spread through his body. He was parched, and she was the only thing that could quench his thirst.
The thought triggered something. The Human Rock technique surged within him, a current of raw power. He shed his clothes without a sound, revealing a body honed by both the gym and this strange technique. He focused, channeling a thread of the peculiar Inner Energy the manual described, and moved toward her with unnatural silence.
Lily, under the spray of water, sensed a shift in the air a moment before a solid, warm presence pressed against her back. She started to turn, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a firm embrace. One hand splayed across her stomach, holding her steady while his thumb stroked slow, soothing circles on her skin.
He wasn't content with just that. He tightened his hold, pressing her slick back flush against his chest until not even the steam could come between them. His other hand drifted upward from her abdomen, his touch deliberate, until his fingers found the soft weight of her breast, cupping and kneading with a practiced ease.
"Oh…"
A soft, involuntary moan escaped her lips. Her hands flew to his, gripping the one on her stomach, unsure whether to push him away or pull him closer. Then she felt his familiar breath, warm against her ear, then her cheek, before his mouth found hers, his tongue sweeping in to claim her.
She met his gaze, her eyes wide and shimmering, and a tremor ran through her. A flush of shyness made her want to squirm away, but the slight movement only intensified the friction between them, sending another jolt of pleasure straight to her core.
From the moment he touched her, she was lost. His familiar scent, the solid wall of his chest; it all worked to dissolve her resistance, leaving her pliant and eager as he took command of her senses, piece by piece.
The night burned with a radiant passion. Consumed by each other, they gave and took, letting the fire between them rage without boundaries.