WealthSupreme’s elite squad had already carved a path through the opening gauntlet. Unlike the sprawling, bloated mess GrandDominion was trying to assemble, WealthSupreme’s vision was surgical: a small, lethal core of specialists.
His current roster was lean—only four players—but they were the absolute cream of the crop. Aside from MapleWhisper, an S-Tier prodigy, the other two were high-ranking A-Tiers who outperformed most veteran pros. Once they cleared the Starter Village, WealthSupreme intended to raise the bar even higher. His entry requirement would be S-Tier or bust.
With his bottomless coffers and a hand-picked team of monsters, he didn't just plan to compete in The Myriad Realms; he planned to own it. Every member was bound by soul-contracts enforced by the system itself—a foolproof guarantee of loyalty. That was why he didn't mind pouring resources into them. His own SSS-Tier Talent offered zero combat utility in the early game, so he was playing the long game: building a foundation of elite power.
Whitenox, the man who had just shattered the server’s tranquility with a system-wide announcement, was exactly the kind of asset he needed for Starter Village #9527.
WealthSupreme sent a snippet of his Talent’s description to the mysterious solo player, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He was confident. In this world, Talent was king, but money was the kingmaker. Even the strongest players needed capital to fuel their growth. With his backing, a powerhouse like Whitenox could double their progression speed. All it cost was a signature on a contract.
The smile died a sudden, clinical death as the reply flashed in his inbox.
[Whitenox]: Sorry, I prefer working alone.
"Uh, Wealth? You okay? You stopped smiling," Marshmallow asked, tilting her head. She was the youngest of the group, and their only healer.
"Marshmallow, focus on the buffs," Vince, their Bulwark Fighter, grunted, trying to deflect the awkwardness.
MapleWhisper lowered his spear and walked over to WealthSupreme, his brow furrowed. "He turned you down?"
"Yeah." WealthSupreme gave a hollow, self-deprecating laugh. He couldn't wrap his head around it. He’d shown the man an SSS-Tier Talent. What more could someone possibly want?
Before he could send a follow-up, another message popped up.
[Whitenox]: Interested in a trade, though?
[WealthSupreme]: What kind of trade?
WealthSupreme perked up instantly. If there was one thing he had in abundance, it was gold. His first activation of the Golden Bough had yielded over five hundred gold coins—a staggering fortune that currently had nowhere to go. The NPC shops in the village sold nothing but "Normal" grade trash and basic consumables. But a man who just soloed a Silver-Tier Boss? He was sitting on a gold mine.
[Whitenox]: I’ve got a haul of gear and skill books I can’t use. Your team probably needs them.
"A haul?" WealthSupreme’s pupils constricted. He typed back furiously.
[WealthSupreme]: How much? I’ll take the entire lot.
[Whitenox]: More than you’re expecting. I’ll ping you once I’ve finished up here.
[WealthSupreme]: Deal. I’ll be waiting, brother.
Closing the window, the smile returned to WealthSupreme’s face. One transaction led to another. Once they established a rapport, there would be plenty of time to bring him into the fold. He didn't believe for a second that anyone could truly resist the allure of infinite funding—not even in a digitized world.
"Maple, get ready," WealthSupreme said, clapping the spearman on the shoulder. "You’re about to get a massive gear upgrade."
MapleWhisper blinked, but before he could respond, Marshmallow let out a sharp gasp.
"Maple! Look! A Boss!"
Vince’s shield was already up. "It’s a Bronze-Tier!"
A massive, hulking beast emerged from the brush—a boar so large its tusks looked like curved ivory sabers.
[Boar Warlord]
Level 5
Bronze-Tier Boss
▸ Life Points: 23,500 / 20,900
▸ Power: 210 / DEF: 78 / M-DEF: 65
▸ Resistance: Physical 39% / Magic 15%
"Think you can take it?" WealthSupreme asked, his eyes gleaming.
"Consider it done." MapleWhisper’s grip tightened on his weapon. He’d seen Whitenox take the spotlight, and the hunger for that same glory burned in his chest. He needed this win.
"Dump all your Vitality Potions on Maple," WealthSupreme commanded the others. Then, he looked at the spearman. "Leave the party. You’re doing this solo."
He turned to Vince, his expression grim. "Vince, set a perimeter. Nobody disturbs this fight. We’re putting our name on the next announcement."
"Understood." Vince nodded, planting his shield firmly as he scanned the treeline.
CRACK!
MapleWhisper blurred into motion, his spear striking like a lunging dragon.
-986!
A massive crit. The Boar Warlord roared, its tusks sweeping through the air with lethal intent. MapleWhisper didn't flinch. He pirouetted through the dirt, a masterclass in positioning, and drove his spear back into the beast's flank. This was why WealthSupreme had bought him—S-Tier Talent combined with the instincts of a natural-born killer.
Meanwhile, in the Level 4 zone, another beast had surfaced.
GrandDominion’s guild had swollen to hundreds of members in mere minutes. Most were low-level fodder, but he didn't care about quality yet. He wanted numbers.
"Boss! Over here! We found one!" a guild member shouted.
"Don't touch it! Back off!" GrandDominion barked, sprinting toward the coordinates.
[Alpha Lynx]
Level 4
Black Iron-Tier Boss
▸ Life Points: 12,400 / 10,600
▸ Charm: 15
▸ Block Rate: 19%
The guild members parted like the Red Sea as GrandDominion arrived, basking in their reverent gazes.
"Watch and learn, boys," he sneered, drawing his blade. "If Whitenox can do it, so can I. Dominion starts today!"
He charged, desperate to prove his worth to the crowd he had bought.
[Congratulations! Player 'Whitenox' has reached Level 6. Quad-Stats +1, Skill Point +1, Free Attribute Points +15.]
Ethan Sorel stood in the middle of a corridor, bathed in the golden light of a level-up, looking entirely bewildered.
"I haven't even seen the boss yet," he muttered. "Is it dead already?"
Quantity had a quality all its own. His skeletons weren't just numerous; they were individual powerhouses. Every single one of them had raw stats that rivaled a Silver-Tier Boss. He checked his mental map—less than half of his legion had even participated in the kill.
"It’s lonely at the top," Ethan sighed, a genuine sense of boredom creeping in. A single one of his summons could probably go toe-to-toe with an S-Tier player. This wasn't even a fair fight anymore. This was the terrifying synergy of an Exclusive Mythic Class paired with high-tier skill stacking.
[Kill: Level 8 Champion 'Goblin Champion'. Over-level Bonus: +50% EXP. +180 EXP.]
[Kill: Level 8 Champion 'Goblin Champion'...]
The combat logs scrolled past like a waterfall. The Ossian Legion didn't stop. The Skeleton Fighters formed an unbreakable wall of bone, while sixty Skeleton Archers rained surgical death from the rear.
Ethan strolled casually behind the slaughter, his hands in his pockets. A few skeletons followed him like dedicated janitors, handing over various loot drops. He didn't even glance at the "Normal" drops anymore. Even after Ascension, they’d only reach Bronze-Tier. Garbage. He’d let WealthSupreme deal with that clutter.
Finally, he reached the remains of the Goblin Chieftain and checked the spoils. Six pieces of gear—all Silver-Tier before he touched them—plus three skill books and a pile of silver.
The Mistwood had a high drop rate for skills, clearly intended to flesh out a player's kit. Since Ethan was on Inferno Difficulty, the rewards were scaled to the ceiling.
Two of the books were D-rank filler. The third was a Necromancer skill, but Ethan just frowned at it.
▸ [Reinforced Bone Shield] (Rank C): Rank 1. Active. Summon an ossified barrier. Shield Value: 290 + 100% Magic Power. Uptime: 60s. CD: 60s.
▸ Move Speed: 5.8
He didn't bother learning it. In the early game, players were limited to 20 skill slots, including passives. With his S-Rank Shared Life Pool, a C-Rank shield was a joke. Even with his 500 Magic Power, an 800-point shield was a drop in the bucket.
The gear, however, was a different story.
[Cloak of the Mistwood]
Accessory / Back
Level 5 (Gold-Tier)
DEF +28 / M-DEF +20
Constitution +10 / Spirit +10
Effect: Reduces presence and aggro.
It was a deep forest green with black vein-like patterns. If not for the +10 Spirit, Ethan would have trashed it. The gear in this dungeon was all hideously green. Luckily, he could toggle the visual off.
[Chieftain's Emblem]
Accessory / Badge
Level 5 (Gold-Tier)
HP +200 / MP +400
Effect: +5% Spell Crit. On Crit: +20 Spirit for 10s (Non-stackable).
Accessories were notoriously rare in Myriad Realms. Most players struggled to fill their ten armor slots, let alone the six accessory slots.
"Inferno Difficulty really is the way to go," Ethan mused. Two bosses, two Gold-Tier accessories. Most players would kill for just one.
He dumped his points—4 into Agility to keep his mobility up, 11 into Spirit—and sank his skill point into Summon Skeleton Soldier. His legion grew instantly more formidable. Their Spirit stats vanished as they transitioned into their specialized classes, but under his class bonuses, the Skeleton Fighters' attack power finally punched through the 1,000-point threshold.
"The EXP curve is getting steep," he noted, glancing at the 50,000 required for the next level.
The Ossian Legion was a meat grinder, but the dungeon wasn't dense enough to keep the pace lightning-fast. Even so, since he was soloing, he was soaking up 100% of the experience—most parties would be lucky to break even after factoring in the deaths they’d take in here.
Thirty minutes later, the Legion halted. Ethan’s EXP bar stopped moving as his skeletons converged on a single coordinate deep in the Mistwood’s heart.
A roar shook the trees, vibrating in Ethan’s very marrow.
"Bones?! How dare you trespass in the Sovereign's domain!"
The voice was booming, laced with a strange, frantic terror. "Have those cursed Necromancers returned from the grave?!"
A thunderous explosion echoed. Ethan’s eyes widened as he checked his UI. Every single one of his Skeleton Fighters had just lost half their health in a single frame.
Boss mechanics, Ethan realized. At this level, only a Final Boss on Inferno could output that kind of percentage-based damage.
He started running. He needed to get there before his Legion finished the job without him. But as he sprinted, a new system prompt flashed, freezing him in his tracks.