But a moment later, he reconsidered.
Given Frost Monarch’s strength, who could possibly be spawn-camping him? And even if someone could... who would dare?
Whether in the Novice Village or the Capital City, NPCs wouldn't tolerate such blatant harassment. Killing a player within those zones triggered an immediate Red-Name Status. In fact, killing a player anywhere in the open world resulted in a Red-Name Status, let alone doing it inside the Capital City.
Yet, looking at Liam's current state, Bulwark Pagoda couldn't imagine any other possibility.
He immediately contacted Fenrir Pagoda.
"Is it even possible for a player to be spawn-camped right now?" Bulwark Pagoda asked.
Fenrir Pagoda paused. "Impossible."
"Even if a player had the damage output to pull it off, the mechanics simply wouldn't allow it."
Bulwark Pagoda hesitated. "But Frost Monarch has lost four levels in less than ten minutes."
"Are you joking?" Fenrir Pagoda's voice rose in disbelief.
Who could lose four levels in ten minutes? Even if someone were dying on purpose, the respawn timers alone would make it difficult to lose levels that fast.
"I'm dead serious. That's why I think he's being spawn-camped."
Fenrir Pagoda went quiet for a moment. "It shouldn't be spawn-camping. No one is that terrifyingly strong yet."
"Then what's happening?" Bulwark Pagoda asked.
After a long silence, Fenrir Pagoda spoke again. "There's only one possibility. A Hidden Zone or a unique Secret Realm."
"In places like that, you might be barred from respawning in the Capital City. That would explain why he's hemorrhaging levels so fast."
Bulwark Pagoda realized he was right. "Is there any way we can help him?"
"We can't," Fenrir Pagoda replied decisively. "We don't even know where this Secret Realm is. There's nothing we can do."
Bulwark Pagoda sighed. "Fine. I'll try to reach him again."
Fenrir Pagoda hesitated, then added, "Look, I don't think you need to focus on Frost Monarch anymore. He’s fallen too far behind. With this level loss, the gap between us will only widen."
Bulwark Pagoda’s brow furrowed. "I understand."
He cut the call and tried Liam again. Still no answer.
Liam was in the middle of a high-intensity battle; he had no time for distractions. His level continued to plummet under the relentless onslaught.
Level 5. Level 4. Level 3...
In less than fifteen minutes, Liam crashed from Level 10 all the way down to Level 1. This was the floor. He couldn't drop any lower, no matter how many times he died.
"Had enough, Frost Monarch?" Elder Mayor looked down at Liam with a mocking sneer.
He had slaughtered Liam from Level 10 down to Level 1 just to prove one thing: who truly ran this Novice Village.
Liam let out a cold laugh. "Enough? Go to hell!!"
An arrow whistled through the air.
He could no longer sustain the Quintuple Shot, but even with a single arrow, he refused to stop. He was fully committed to this grudge match.
The Elder Mayor was spawn-camping him. In return, Liam was using the Mayor and his lackeys to stack his HP. Who would have the last laugh? It was still too early to tell.
"Fine! You've got guts!" The Elder Mayor snarled, closing the distance once more.
With only one arrow, Liam's survival time had actually increased—from ninety seconds to a hundred and forty. During the slaughter, his HP had climbed by over ten thousand. More HP meant higher damage and better health regeneration. He was becoming harder to kill.
The Elder Mayor started to notice something was off. Liam's damage seemed to be... increasing? The increase wasn't enough to threaten them yet, but it was an ominous sign.
Another half-hour passed.
Liam’s HP grew by another fifty thousand, reaching a total of 320,000. With this pool, a single Basic Attack dealt 9,600 True Damage. He was staying alive longer and longer.
Panic began to flicker in the Elder Mayor's eyes.
Liam was already Level 1; he had nothing left to lose. But his stats were rising. It was terrifying.
"Do you really want to keep doing this?" the Mayor demanded, his voice heavy.
Liam stared at him coldly. "What? You scared?"
The Mayor’s face twisted. "You're an Adventurer. There has to be a reason for this. What is it you want?"
Liam wasn't about to reveal his hand. A freezing arrow was his only response.
"You're asking for death!"
The battle resumed.
An hour later...
Liam’s HP surged by another 120,000. His total HP broke 440,000. Now, a single Basic Attack dealt over 13,000 damage and healed him for over 4,000 health.
The Elder Mayor was trembling.
Finally, Liam fell again. This time, his golden longbow clattered to the ground.
The Mayor’s eyes lit up. "Hahaha! Your precious weapon finally dropped! Now what? How will you fight back?"
Liam remained expressionless. He simply pulled out a Novice Longbow. It was a soul-bound item—impossible to drop. The stats were pathetic, but for Liam, it was enough.
His base Attack Velocity was 3.63. Without The Ninefold Longbow, his speed dropped slightly, and he lost 5% Life-Steal. It was a setback, but he didn't panic. As long as his HP kept stacking, victory was inevitable.
"I've had enough rest," Liam muttered, a cold glint in his eyes.
Quintuple Shot!!
He unleashed his strongest technique once more. Each Quintuple Shot now provided over 20,000 Life-Steal. Moreover, the skill dealt over 10,000 damage to five different NPCs simultaneously.
With his massive health pool and rapid regeneration, Liam had become nearly invincible. Between his Life-Steal and the healing from the Altar of Rebirth, the NPCs were only shaving off about 20,000 HP per second—barely enough to keep up with his recovery.
Within a minute, the five NPCs on the front line buckled. They retreated to heal, and five fresh ones stepped up.
Liam didn't chase. He simply turned his fury on the newcomers. In less than a minute, they were crippled too. The final five NPCs stepped forward, but they were helpless against his monstrous damage.
The Elder Mayor's expression turned venomous. Liam was focusing all his fire on him. With the Purifying Jade Amulet, Liam didn't fear the Mayor’s Brawler skills.
Terrified of dying, the Mayor ordered other NPCs to body-block the damage, but they hadn't finished healing. They crumbled under Liam’s relentless barrage.
Ding! You have slain Alchemist Amy. Experience +12,652.
Ding! You have achieved the World First for Alchemist Amy. A Server-Wide Broadcast is about to begin. Would you like to hide your name?
"Hide it."
Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to player 'Anonymous Mode' for achieving the World First for Alchemist Amy! May all players continue to strive for greatness.
Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to player 'Anonymous Mode' for achieving the World First for Alchemist Amy! May all players continue to strive for greatness.
The broadcast didn't cause much of a stir. World Firsts for Level 10 bosses were becoming common as top guilds progressed.
However, Bulwark Pagoda’s eyes widened when he saw the notification. This kill was solo. Most solo hunters didn't use Anonymous Mode. But that wasn't what shocked him.
Looking at his friend list, Frost Monarch’s level had suddenly jumped from Level 1 to Level 5. There was only one explanation: Liam had killed Alchemist Amy.
Liam chose to remain anonymous because he didn't know the consequences of destroying a Novice Village. He wasn't afraid of players; he was afraid of the NPCs in Twilight of the Gods. They weren't just lines of code; they were unpredictable. If they knew he had razed a village, the fallout could be catastrophic.
Ding! You have slain The Tavern Hand. A Server-Wide Broadcast is about to begin. Hide name?
Ding! You have slain Novice Village The Huntsman. A Server-Wide Broadcast is about to begin. Hide name?
Ding! You have slain Granny Weaver. A Server-Wide Broadcast is about to begin. Hide name?
"Hide."
Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to player 'Anonymous Mode' for achieving the World First for The Tavern Hand!
One broadcast after another echoed across The Dragon Empire region. If people ignored the first one, the sheer volume of notifications now sent the community into a frenzy.
"Holy sht!"
"What the hell is going on? Who is this monster? Is he massacring the Novice Village?"
"Wait, look at the names. Those are all Novice Village NPCs!"
"Who is this guy? Blood-soaking the Novice Village? That’s insane!"
At the Pagoda Club, Bulwark Pagoda’s hands were shaking with excitement. Others might be guessing, but he knew.
Frost Monarch!! It had to be Frost Monarch!!
Liam’s level had already surged back to Level 10. It was no coincidence. And now he understood why Liam was being "spawn-camped." It wasn't players; it was the NPCs themselves. He didn't know how Liam was doing it, but his heart hammered with adrenaline.
Back in the Novice Village, the Elder Mayor watched his subordinates fall one by one. He roared in fury.
"Frost Monarch! You're insane! What do you think you're doing?!"
Liam’s gaze remained cold. "I told you. I'm seeing you off to your grave."
The Mayor’s face turned from blue to purple with rage. "You've gone too far!"
"Even if I have to die with you, I won't let you win!"
A berserk aura erupted from the Mayor. He didn't lunge at Liam. Instead, he turned his attack toward the Altar of Rebirth.
Liam’s expression shifted. "Sht!!"
If the Mayor destroyed the Altar and used another Blue Grade Talisman, all his progress would be wiped out.
Liam didn't hesitate. Arrows hissed through the air, all aimed at the Mayor's weak points.
"Unstoppable!"
"Berserk!"
The Mayor bellowed, his power peaking.
Liam fired again. Standing within the Altar’s range, he struck the structure first. The moment the Altar shattered, an alarm blared across the entire world of Twilight of the Gods.
Warning! The Altar of Rebirth in Novice Village has been destroyed. Adventurers can no longer enter this Novice Village. New players will spawn directly in the Capital City. Current players in the Novice Village will respawn in the Capital City upon death.
The player base was stunned.
"It was that guy! The one hunting NPCs destroyed the Altar!"
"What is he thinking? If Level 1s spawn in the Capital City, they're screwed! The weakest mobs there are Level 10! How are they supposed to grind?"
The community exploded. Thousands of players began cursing the anonymous player’s entire bloodline.
Liam ignored it all, focusing solely on the Elder Mayor. The Mayor was frantic, desperate to tear Liam apart.
Liam remained calm. He had seen far worse in his past life; this didn't rattle him. The Mayor’s blows landed like a storm, but Liam simply out-traded him. With the Purifying Jade Amulet protecting him from crowd control, he let his massive damage do the talking.
Ding! You have slain the Elder Mayor of Novice Village. A Server-Wide Broadcast is about to begin. Hide name?
"Hide."
Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to player 'Anonymous Mode' for achieving the World First for the Elder Mayor!
Another wave of broadcasts triggered another wave of vitriol from the players—especially those stuck in the village who now had to commit suicide just to leave.
Ding! You have destroyed Novice Village. Infamy Points +1,000,000.
Ding! You have completed the hidden quest: Destroy the Novice Village. Rewards: AP +50, Blessing of the Gods +1.
Liam stared at his Infamy Points, completely stunned.
One player kill was one point. He had... a million?
High Infamy meant brutal death penalties. Usually, one point meant losing an extra level and a 1% increase in drop rates upon death. Furthermore, anyone with more than ten points was banned from the Capital City.
"Fck me," Liam muttered. "How the hell am I supposed to clear a million points?"