"Frost Monarch, wait up."
Bulwark Pagoda called out to Liam just as he was preparing to log off.
"Something else?" Liam asked, pausing.
"I’m The Young Scion of the Pagoda Guild," Bulwark Pagoda said, stepping forward. "I want to personally invite you to join us. An annual salary of ten million. What do you say?"
The Young Scion had his own eye for talent. Liam’s mechanics were beyond anything he had ever seen from professional players. Based on skill alone, the man was worth every penny of that eight-figure salary. Not to mention, Liam possessed stats that defied logic.
"Sorry, I’ve already started my own team," Liam replied with a shake of his head. "I appreciate the offer, though."
"Oh? I see. Well, we can still be long-term partners."
"No problem."
Liam nodded and began to walk away, then suddenly stopped in his tracks. "You said you’re The Young Scion of the Pagoda Guild?"
"That’s right. Why?"
"Consider it a courtesy for our brief acquaintance: watch your back around your sister."
In his past life, three months after the launch of Twilight of the Gods, the news had exploded with reports of a massive restructuring within the Pagoda Group. The original Young Scion of the corporation had been involved in a horrific car accident after his brakes failed, leaving him permanently disabled. It wasn't until six months after the crash that the truth came out—the mastermind behind the sabotaged brakes was none other than the man's own sister.
"Watch my sister?" Bulwark Pagoda frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
"Just remember what I said."
Liam waved him off. He had said enough. Whether Bulwark Pagoda could change his fate was no longer his concern.
Liam didn’t log off where he stood. Instead, he made the trek back to the Novice Village before disconnecting. He had offended that Assassin, and it paid to be cautious. It wouldn't be worth the risk if that Assassin caught him slipping while he was logging out in the wilderness.
Liam checked the time as he emerged from the Gaming Pod. It was eight in the morning. Barney was still in the game.
Not wanting to disturb him, Liam headed to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and started on breakfast. As a revolutionary, era-defining MMO, Twilight of the Gods had a miraculous side effect: while playing, the physical body received ample rest, and the mind actually felt more refreshed upon waking.
In the later stages of the game's life, experts would try to explain this by claiming the game state was equivalent to deep sleep. They were wrong. It wasn't until much later that people realized as players leveled up and their stats increased, their souls underwent a form of sublimation. Even though those stats didn't manifest in reality yet, the mental fortitude and energy of the players improved naturally.
"Barney, log off and eat!" Liam called out.
Due to their tight budget, they were using standard Gaming Pods rather than the high-end Nutrient Pods. Rumor had it that the top-tier pods could keep a player submerged for half a month straight without needing to log off, provided the nutrient solution was topped up.
Barney climbed out of his pod moments later, a wide grin plastered on his face. "You were right. Going solo is a gold mine! I dropped a Level 7 piece of gear today and sold it for twelve thousand. There are so many whales in this game, it’s insane."
Liam offered a noncommittal smile. It wasn't just that there were many wealthy individuals; in fact, solo "whales" were relatively rare. The entities truly driving up the prices of gear and Skill Tomes were the massive guilds, financial conglomerates, and The Regency.
The guilds saw the explosive popularity of Twilight of the Gods and knew there was a fortune to be made. If traditional PC gaming industries were worth tens of billions, the economy of this game would eventually be measured in the trillions. As for the conglomerates and The Regency, they understood the true nature of the game and knew that becoming powerful within it was the only thing that mattered.
Liam knew exactly why Barney was doing so well early on. Barney had chosen the Warrior class. After leaving the Novice Village, he had encountered a Bard whose poetry was absolute garbage. Barney had decided to show off by reciting classic verses from the ancient sages of The Dragon Empire.
Far from being offended, the Bard had been so moved by Barney’s "literary talent" that he practically begged to become his apprentice. The "apprenticeship gift" consisted of three powerful passive skills for the Warrior class. Those three passives were the reason Barney remained a powerhouse well into the mid-to-late stages of his previous life.
Those skills were Mirror Plating, Aegis Ward, and Dual Slash.
Mirror Plating: Reflects a percentage of all incoming damage back to the attacker.
Aegis Ward: Grants a shield based on a percentage of Max HP every time a crowd-control (CC) skill is cast.
Dual Slash: Every attack (including skills, gear procs, and potion effects) has a chance to trigger multiple times.
It was a perfect balance of reflection, shielding, and raw output. Most importantly, all three were passives, meaning they could trigger indefinitely. Furthermore, Dual Slash and Aegis Ward synergized perfectly. If a Warrior used a skill like Charge—which was a CC ability—it would trigger Aegis Ward. If Dual Slash procced on that same move, the shield would also trigger multiple times.
"I’m already Level 9," Barney said between mouthfuls of food. "Plus, I got those three passives. It’s only a matter of time before I’m pulling in even better gear."
Liam nodded. "Don't stress too much about the money. I’ve already paid for Chloe's surgery."
Barney choked on his food. "You paid? Already?"
"Yeah." Liam handed over the receipt. "My luck was a bit better than yours. I managed to farm a boss."
"Holy sht! Wait... are you Frost Monarch?"
Liam simply nodded. "Eat up. I’m going to put together a guide for the Novice Village for you. There are a lot of hidden rewards in that area."
"Unbelievable. You’re a beast. If Harvey Sterling knew what you’ve achieved, he’d be kicking himself right about now."
Liam ate in silence, mentally organizing the secrets of the Novice Village. Every class had specific hidden rewards tailored for them.
"Go to the village tavern and buy two bottles of their most expensive Strong Ale," Liam instructed. "Take them to The Iron Anvil and ask him to forge the strongest Warrior weapon he can. He’ll give you a chain quest. The higher your completion rate, the better the final reward."
"Got it," Barney said, not even bothering to ask how Liam knew such specific details.
After breakfast, Liam handed Barney two more guides—one for Monty and one for Specs.
"Get back in the game," Liam said. "I’m going to check on Chloe."
"I’ll go with you."
Barney skipped his session for the moment and headed to the hospital with Liam. Since the fees had been settled, the hospital was already preparing for the procedure.
Inside the ward, Liam looked at his unconscious sister, his gaze softening considerably.
"Doctor, when does the surgery start?" Liam asked.
"Everything is being arranged," the doctor replied. "We can proceed this afternoon. I just need you to sign here."
"Of course."
Liam signed the consent forms without hesitation. Once everything was settled, he returned to the apartment and dove back into the game.
Back Online.
This time, Liam didn't head for the Level 10 grinding zones. Instead, he made his way toward the sheer, jagged cliffs behind the Novice Village. Hidden within this area was a secret dungeon—one that offered massive rewards for the First Clear.
He reached the base of the cliffs. There were no mobs here, and the terrain was punishing, so no players bothered to visit. In his past life, it had taken a full week before someone accidentally stumbled upon the entrance.
The condition to open it was simple: kill a specific Treant.
The area was thick with trees, but one of them was an interloper. To the untrained eye, it was indistinguishable from the rest of the forest.
"Found you."
Camouflaged Treant (Normal): Level 10.
HP: 2100/2100.
Attack: 32.
Skill: Camouflage.
It was a pathetic excuse for a monster. Liam raised his bow and fired. Even without aiming for weak points, it took only three arrows to fell the creature.
System: You have slain a Camouflaged Treant. XP +43.
System: You have slain a hidden monster of the Novice Village. The Hidden Dungeon [The Twisted Thicket] is now opening.
System: You are the first player to open a dungeon. A Server-Wide Broadcast is about to commence. Would you like to hide your name?
"No."
[Server-Wide Broadcast]: Congratulations to player Frost Monarch for successfully opening the Novice Village Hidden Dungeon [The Twisted Thicket]. As the first player to open a dungeon, he is rewarded with: AP +10, Gold Sovereigns +10, and 1x Black Iron Grade Equipment. May all players continue to strive for greatness!
[Server-Wide Broadcast]: Congratulations to player Frost Monarch...
As the announcement echoed across every instance of the Novice Village, the entrance to The Twisted Thicket appeared for everyone.
Liam dumped all ten of his bonus Attribute Points into Attack Velocity. Then, his gaze fell on his reward.
Jungle Longbow (Black Iron)
Requirement: Archer
Effect 1: Attack +65
Effect 2: HP +500
Effect 3: Life Steal +2%
Durability: 100/100
Liam slapped his forehead. Another "garbage" weapon.
Attack Velocity, Attack Velocity, Attack Velocity!!
Could the game not give him a single weapon that boosted his primary stat? This was a tragedy.
While Liam was lamenting his luck, the player base was exploding. Players who had already left the Novice Village were drowning in regret.
"Are you kidding me? There was a dungeon in the starter village? If I’d known, I never would have left!"
"Haha, glad I’m a slow leveler. Time to hit the dungeon!"
"The First Clear rewards must be insane. Any groups? Dream-Chaser Guild is looking for a tank!"
Liam stood before the dungeon portal. In Twilight of the Gods, dungeon difficulties were split into four tiers: Easy, Hard, Nightmare, and Hell. The higher the difficulty for the First Clear, the more legendary the rewards.
"Let’s go. Hell Difficulty."
System Warning: Hell Difficulty is not recommended for solo players. Are you sure you wish to enter?
"Confirm."
Hell Difficulty was indeed a death trap, but Liam didn't care. High risk, high reward. On paper, his current stats weren't enough to solo a Hell-tier dungeon. But Liam had something better than stats—he had the peak-level mechanics of a god-tier player.
Upon entering, he was immediately greeted by a swarm of twisted foliage.
Elite Twisted Treant: Level 10.
HP: 8500.
Attack: 129.
Skills: Resurgence, Vine Whirl, Thorn Entangle.
These Elites were significantly beefier than the ones Liam had farmed in the open world.
Zip!
CRITICAL!
-1812!
Arcs of electricity leaped from the target, chaining into the surrounding Treants.
-362!
-362!
The damage was formidable. With Liam landing critical hits on every shot, a single Treant fell in just five arrows. Since Chain Lightning had reached 2-Star Rank, the jump damage, range, and number of targets had all increased significantly.
System: You have slain an Elite Twisted Treant. XP +351.
The experience from a higher-level dungeon mob was incredibly generous. Using the range provided by Basic Reach, Liam danced around the pack, maintaining a safe distance. He was especially wary of Thorn Entangle; if that CC landed, it would be a disaster.
System: You have reached Level 8. AP +5.
He leveled up and immediately poured the points into Attack Velocity.
With the first wave cleared, he stepped through a shimmering gate into the second stage. Dozens of Twisted Treants surged toward him instantly. But that wasn't the problem. Standing among them were ten massive hulks.
Treant Commander (Elite): Level 10.
HP: 35,280.
Attack: 412.
Skills: Thorn Entangle, Resurgence, Vine Spin, Frenzied Lash.
The Commanders had an extra skill, and their stats were worlds apart from the rank-and-file Elites.
Zip! Zip!
Liam stuck to his fundamental rhythm, kiting the hoard. He focused entirely on staying outside the range of their Thorn Entangle. He offered a silent prayer of thanks for Basic Reach; without that extra distance on his basic attacks, he wouldn't have the space needed to pull this off.
However, his movement speed remained his Achilles' heel.
Three Treant Commanders simultaneously slammed their roots into the ground, triggering Thorn Entangle.
-823.
-821.
-823.
Massive damage numbers popped over Liam’s head as thorny vines surged from the earth, pinning him to the spot.
Damn it.
The follow-up was relentless.
-123.
-421.
-423.
Liam was still rooted when a fresh Thorn Entangle cast began. In just two seconds, his health bar plummeted by over 13,000 HP. His only saving grace was the Treants' low intelligence—they simply spammed whatever skills were off cooldown. Moreover, the Treants in the back were still out of range. If they had been able to layer their CC perfectly, Liam would have been stun-locked to death.
"I need a cleanse skill. This is brutal," Liam muttered, his heart hammering. "And my movespeed is too damn low."
The moment the root expired, Liam executed a perfect roll to create distance. Simultaneously, he loosed an arrow that interrupted a Treant Commander mid-cast.
Whew.
He exhaled a jagged breath. That had been a close call. Dying and losing a level was one thing, but if someone else snatched the First Clear because he played sloppy, he’d never forgive himself.
Zip!
Zip!
Zip!
Liam’s focus sharpened to a razor edge. Before, he had been focused on maximizing DPS. Now, he was playing for survival. He had to weave between skills, track every Commander's cast bar, and maintain perfect positioning. He had to see everything at once.