"WTF! This can't be happening!"
"Why is this happening!"
"It's completely illogical!"
The Shadow Claw members descended into complete madness. The glimmer of hope for a comeback they had just ignited was snuffed out instantly by Kalis's single potion.
Kalis raised his Star-Patterned Staff, and Thunder Chain howled forth blue lightning, claiming the lives of another ten players.
"Vice President, I can't go on anymore…" A player who had been instantly killed twice and dropped back to Level 5 said in a trembling voice on the guild channel.
The allure of Mythic gear ultimately couldn't overcome the despair of repeated deaths, and more and more members began to lose their will to fight.
Vaelen suppressed his rage, roaring at everyone through gritted teeth: "Don't back down! Such high-tier healing potions must be extremely rare. He definitely doesn't have a second one!
If we hold on just a little longer, we'll definitely loot him! Whoever suffers the most losses will get priority in distributing the Mythic gear and Legendary items on him!"
The temptation of Legendary and Mythic items reignited the crowd's fighting spirit. The previously scattered formation regrouped.
Melee players charged at Kalis like maniacs, swinging their weapons for normal attacks even when their skills were on cooldown, trying to wear down his HP through sheer frequency.
"Sigh, too bad killing players gives no experience. Otherwise, I'd probably be Level 40 by now."
Kalis sighed with feigned regret, his voice not too loud yet not too soft, just loud enough for the surrounding guild members to hear. It made them turn livid with anger, their attack frequency growing even more frantic.
Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds… Under the relentless assault of over two hundred players, Kalis's HP slowly dropped again, falling from 4,656 points (base + potion overflow) to around 300, seemingly on the verge of death.
"He's almost done for! Give it everything you've got, finish him off!" Vaelen shouted frantically in the party channel, his eyes filled with greed and excitement.
He had been killed four times in a row, dropping back to Level 6. At this moment, he only wanted to take revenge with his own hands and reclaim the Mythic gear.
Just as the Shadow Claw members thought victory was within reach, Kalis leisurely pulled out another golden Potion of Holy Radiance from his backpack, uncorked it, and downed it in one gulp.
+4329!
His nearly empty HP bar filled instantly. Even the temporary HP bonus stacked from consecutive potion uses, increasing to 800 points, bringing his total HP to 5,456.
"Nooooooooooooo!" Vaelen beat his chest in frustration, almost driven insane.
He couldn't understand how Kalis had so many top-tier healing potions just over an hour after the server launched. "This makes no sense! How many cheats are you using!"
"Vice President, we… we can't keep fighting." The remaining guild members all had faces filled with despair.
They had fought with all their might for three minutes, but the HP they'd chipped away was less than what the enemy recovered with a single sip of potion. Continuing to fight would only be futilely throwing their lives away.
At this point, fewer than 70 players remained standing around Kalis, attacking him. More members were still rushing between the respawn point and the battlefield, unable to keep up with the kill rate.
Kalis raised his hand for another Thunder Chain, taking out the last ten melee players. He then stretched lazily, yawned, and spoke in a casual tone: "Thanks for the massage, everyone. I've had my fill; I'll take my leave now."
He strode toward the edge of the crowd. Along the way, two Mage players tried to block him with skills, but Kalis killed them instantly with two casual Magic Missiles.
The terrifying damage numbers 798,651 and 801,234 left the remaining players too scared to approach.
"Kalis, get back here!" Vaelen returned for the fifth time, roaring as he charged toward Kalis's retreating figure, followed by over a dozen newly respawned core members.
"Oh, Vice President Vaelen. Right on time." Kalis turned to look at him, a playful glint in his blue eyes beneath his blue-gray gradient hair, and strode forward to meet him.
Vaelen was so startled by his approach that he took three steps back instinctively. The shadow of being instantly killed four times filled him with primal fear.
But then he remembered the men behind him, and forced himself to step forward again, raising his Flame Staff into a combat stance. He shouted bluffly: "W-what do you want!"
Instead of attacking, Kalis burst out laughing: "Vaelen, thanks to your members for the enthusiastic service. Here's a tip for you."
With that, he pulled a copper coin from his backpack, flicked it with his finger, and watched it land precisely at Vaelen's feet.
A single copper coin, though not entirely worthless in the early server days, was undoubtedly the ultimate insult in a battle over Mythic gear. The Shadow Claw members all trembled with anger, but no one dared to make a move.
"You're asking for death!" Vaelen was almost hysterical, wanting nothing more than to rush forward and die together with Kalis. But reason told him it would be futile.
Kalis laughed even harder. He turned around, pulled out a Wind Swift Potion, and drank it down.
His movement speed surged by 220% instantly, his figure turning into a blur as he raced toward Oak Town: "Enough fun. I'm off to the main city for my class advancement. I'll play with you again sometime."
"Kalis, I'll never forgive you!" Vaelen roared at the sky, powerless to stop Kalis as his figure disappeared into the forest.
The remaining guild members, their morale completely shattered, scattered to return to the starting village and grind, trying to make up for their lost levels.
Kalis raced onward. Along the way, he encountered several scattered Shadow Claw members.
At the sight of him, they all stepped aside instinctively, not daring to block his path. Soon, he returned to Oak Town, his name still white, indicating his innocence. He had been in self-defense throughout the entire battle, and no sin value had been added.
He went straight to the village square and found Village Chief Oleon, a gray-robed elder with white hair and a beard. "Village Chief Oleon, I wish to travel to the main city for my class advancement." Kalis got straight to the point.
Oleon smiled kindly, responding enthusiastically: "Adventurer Kalis, your Level 35 far exceeds the Level 10 requirement for advancement. You are fully qualified to explore the wider world. There are currently three main cities to choose from. Which one will you travel to?"
As he spoke, three options etched with golden runes appeared before Kalis:
[Valorian], [Lunaris], [Aerindor]
"What's the difference between these three main cities?" Kalis asked.
Oleon explained patiently: "Valorian worships Thor, the Storm Lord. Located at the foot of the Stormspire Mountains in the eastern part of the empire, it is ideal for Warriors and Mages who pursue burst damage.
Lunaris reveres Selene, the Moon Goddess. Situated on the edge of the Eternal Night Forest in the north, it is a sacred land for Priests and Rogues.
Aerindor honors Zephyrus, the Wind Lord. Located on the shores of the Cloudsea in the south, Archers and Druids receive additional bonuses here."
Kalis rubbed his forehead, muttering to himself: "After all that, there's no real difference."
"Adventurer Kalis, have you made your decision?" Oleon ignored his subtle expression and continued to ask.
"I'll choose Valorian. The name sounds imposing enough." Kalis said casually. After all, he was restricted by the Eternal Hatred Curse and couldn't inherit any divine-aligned classes. The religious differences between the main cities meant nothing to him.
"Very well, please follow me to the teleportation array." Oleon smiled and gestured toward a circular, blue-glowing array in the center of the square. "As the first warrior in our village to defeat a Mythic Boss, you may use the teleportation array to the main city free of charge."
Kalis followed Oleon toward the array. It had only been two hours since the server launched, but four diligent players had already taken the teleportation array to the main city.
Just as he stepped onto the edge of the array, a clear voice suddenly called out from not far away: "Hey, you rich fool Mage, wait a minute!"
Kalis turned around and saw a female player in a white Priest's robe running toward him. It was Lia, the player who had sold him the equipment earlier.
She ran up to Kalis, her cheeks blushing, and said awkwardly: "I sold you the equipment for five silver coins earlier. It was way too expensive. I'm here to return the extra money."
With that, Lia sent a trade request, wanting to return three silver coins. Kalis rejected it outright, his tone somewhat impatient: "No need. I don't care about such a small amount of money."
"Uh… when I called you a 'rich fool' earlier, it was a joke! Don't be mad!" Seeing his unfriendly expression, Lia quickly explained, her watery eyes filled with apology. Her delicate face frowned into a pout, looking quite pitiful.
But Kalis had never been swayed by such gestures. Back when he played as a Tank, someone had called him a "useless damage-dealer," and he had tortured that person to death with endless crowd control.
It was clear how petty he could be. Although Lia's words hadn't been malicious, the phrase "rich fool" still annoyed him.
"No need," Kalis said coldly. "It's just five silver coins, think of it as a gift. I have things to do, so I'll be leaving now."
With that, he turned to step into the teleportation array. Lia quickly called out: "Wait! Even if you don't want the money, can we add each other as friends? I can heal you if we ever meet again!" As she spoke, she sent a friend request.
Kalis refused without hesitation. In his eyes, women were obstacles to success; he preferred to keep things simple.
He stepped firmly into the teleportation array. Blue light wrapped around his body instantly, and the teleportation began.
"Ugh! What's wrong with this guy!" Lia stamped her foot in anger as she watched Kalis's figure disappear in the array.
She opened the game's built-in "mirror" function, looked at her delicate and pretty face, and nodded to herself: "He must have misogyny. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so cold to me!"