[System Notification: The weight of these agonizing memories has driven the Goblin King into a State of Madness. All attributes increased by 50%.]
[System Notification: The exit to The Mistwood has been sealed. The only way to escape is to slay the Goblin King.]
[System Notification: Slay the Goblin King within two minutes to trigger The Mistwood’s Hidden Questline.]
The chime of the final notification hadn't even faded when the dense fog of The Mistwood began to churn violently. Arcane Seals flickered in the air like dying stars, weaving together to form a shimmering barrier.
The exit was gone.
Ethan Sorel felt a jolt of genuine surprise. He hadn’t expected The Ossian Legion’s sheer efficiency to trigger a Hidden Questline this early. Based on the Goblin King’s fractured roars, this dungeon had ties to a Necromancer—and where there was a Necromancer, there was loot he could actually use.
A predatory grin spread across Ethan’s face as he closed the distance to the center of the clearing.
The boss was a mountain of emerald-green muscle. Standing three meters tall, the Goblin King loomed over the battlefield, his massive belly straining against crude armor as he swung a rusted greataxe with terrifying speed.
CRASH!
THUD!
-862! -903! -1756!
The Ossian Legion fought with the cold, mechanical precision of a meat grinder. The Skeleton Fighters rotated in the front line, their shields absorbing the brunt of the king’s fury, while the Skeleton Archers in the rear unleashed a relentless hail of bone-tipped arrows.
Even bolstered by madness, the beast was being pushed back.
Ethan’s eyes swept over the boss’s interface. This wasn't just a generic elite; this monster had a name.
[Goblin King — Regi]
(Madness State: All attributes +50%)
Level: 8
Tier: Gold
HP: 266,218 / 327,000
Attack: 843
DEF/MDEF: 312 / 270
Skills: Thunderstrike, Stomp, Valiant Leap, Summon Goblin Berserkers, Enrage.
(Lore: Regi is lost in a delirium of ancient pain. He will not stop until every intruder in The Mistwood is dead. Warning: Aggro persists through resurrection.)
To any other player at this stage, Regi was a literal god. With over 320,000 HP, he was regenerating nearly 3,300 health every five seconds. If a party’s DPS was lower than 650, they couldn't even scratch his paint. A standard five-man team would be slaughtered in seconds by the level suppression alone.
“You filthy, rotting maggots!” Regi bellowed, his voice a guttural rasp that shook the trees. “The Sovereign sickens at your very scent! DIE!”
He raised his axe high and slammed it into the earth.
BOOM!
Thunderstrike.
Arcing bolts of lightning erupted from the impact point, incinerating the grass in a thirty-meter radius. A cascade of damage numbers—all -1580—popped up above the Skeleton Fighters. For a normal Level 5 tank, that would have been a one-shot kill. For a party, it would have been a wipe.
But Ethan’s summons had over 8,000 HP each. They didn't even flinch.
Ethan’s grip tightened on his staff. With a sharp flick, he summoned two fresh Skeleton Fighters to replace the most damaged ones and pointed his wand forward. A streak of ghostly blue flame hissed through the air.
[Soulfire Burn]
The damage was negligible, but it was the signal.
“End him,” Ethan muttered.
The first rank of Skeleton Fighters lunged forward, their Bone Blades glowing with a dull, menacing light.
[Crushing Blow]!
The sound of steel meeting plate armor rang out in a rhythmic staccato. The sheer physical force of the combined impact staggered the massive goblin.
-1422! -1398! -2880!
Regi’s health bar took a visible dive, losing ten thousand points in a heartbeat. But Ethan wasn't done. As the first rank stepped back, the second rank surged into the gap like water through a broken dam.
[Crushing Blow]!
Behind them, sixty Skeleton Archers drew their bows in perfect, haunting unison. The bowstrings creaked as they pulled back to full draw.
[Double Shot] x60!
The air screamed as 120 arrows tore through the mist. They traced a lethal arc across the sky before burying themselves in Regi’s flesh. The boss was turned into a pincushion instantly. A chaotic wall of damage numbers flooded the screen, deleting fifty thousand health points in a single volley.
Ethan’s mind was strained, his brow damp with sweat. This was his first time micromanaging a legion of this size. It was mentally exhausting, but the rush of power was intoxicating.
In ten seconds, Regi was at half health.
“Warrior of the clan!” the King screamed, desperate and bloodied. “Smash these bones to dust!”
A swirling vortex of green energy tore open beside him. Ten Goblin Berserkers, their eyes glowing with the same murderous crimson as their king, charged out with weapons raised.
[Goblin Berserker (Champion)]
(Madness State: All attributes +50%)
Level: 8
HP: 13,500
Attack: 279
The King wasn't just a brute; he had tactical instinct. While the Berserkers tied up the Skeleton Fighters, Regi’s gaze locked onto Ethan. A sneer twisted his tusks.
“Accursed Necromancer! I hid my people in the mists, yet you still hunt us?”
Regi coiled his massive legs and launched himself into the air, crossing the distance in a single, earth-shaking bound.
[Valiant Leap]!
“If you want my head, come and take it! DIE!”
The axe descended like a falling guillotine.
CRUNCH.
The blade buried itself deep into Ethan’s shoulder, the force of the blow sending him reeling back. A massive critical hit marker appeared above his head: -2164!
Regi’s eyes widened. He expected to see the human burst into a shower of gore. Instead, Ethan’s health bar didn't move an inch.
Before the goblin could process the impossibility of the situation, the Skeleton Archers closed ranks around Ethan, and ten Fighters surged back, boxing Regi in.
“Son of a... that actually hurt,” Ethan hissed, rubbing his shoulder. Even with a shared life pool, the 100% pain setting in Myriad Realms Online was no joke. The impact felt like being hit by a freight train. “Kill him. Now.”
Regi was trapped. He swung wildly, but he was drowning in a sea of bone and steel. His Berserkers were already being dismantled by the auxiliary units.
Thirty seconds later, his health hit the 20% threshold.
“NO! THE SOVEREIGN DOES NOT FALL!”
A violent red aura erupted from his skin. His muscles bulged, his height swelling to a monstrous five meters as his eyes turned into pits of pure gore.
[System Notification: Goblin King — Regi has entered Frenzy State. Attack and Speed increased by 50%. Defenses reduced by 50%.]
“I will not be a slave again!” Regi roared, his attack stat skyrocketing to a terrifying 1,265.
Ethan didn't care. The boss’s defense had just been cut in half. The execution window was open.
As Ethan prepared to give the final command, the sky above the entire starter village erupted with shimmering gold text.
[Starter Village #9527 Announcement: Congratulations to player ‘GrandDominion’ for being the first to solo a Black Iron-Tier Boss!]
[Starter Village #9527 Announcement: Congratulations to player ‘MapleWhisper’ for being the first to solo a Bronze-Tier Boss!]
Ethan caught the flickering notifications in the corner of his eye. He wasn't surprised. With S-Tier talents, soloing those lower tiers was child’s play for the elite whales. He was in an Inferno-difficulty raid where the weakest thing was Silver-Tier. He couldn't compete for the low-level scraps.
But those rewards were nothing compared to the World First for an Inferno Raid.
“Your turn, Regi,” Ethan whispered.
The Skeleton Fighters brought their blades down in a final, synchronized execution.
[Crushing Blow]!
-1611! -1609! -3258!
The Archers followed up with one last blackened sun of arrows.
[Double Shot]!
The barrage cleared the last of Regi’s health. The light faded from the giant’s eyes, his massive frame shrinking back to its original size before hitting the dirt with a resonant thud.
[You have slain the Level 8 Gold-Tier Boss: Goblin King — Regi. Bonus XP applied. +43,200 EXP.]
[Level Up! You are now Level 7. All stats +1, Skill Point +1, Free Attribute Points +15.]
[World First: You are the first player in Starter Village #9527 to solo a Gold-Tier Boss. Rewards: Soulstone of Vitality I x12, Gold Coin x12.]
[System Notification: A global announcement is about to be made. Would you like to hide your name?]
“No,” Ethan said, a cold smile playing on his lips. “Let them see.”
Back in the Level 4 hunting zone, a crowd had gathered around the members of the GrandDominion guild. They had cordoned off the area to allow their leader to finish off an Alpha Lynx.
“Dominion is the real deal! Starter Village #9527 belongs to him!” a sycophant shouted. “That Whitenox guy just got lucky finding a Silver boss first. If Dominion had found it, it would’ve been over in seconds.”
GrandDominion ignored them, his eyes fixed on the Soulstone of Vitality in his inventory. Extra lifespan. This was the future. He felt like a king.
Then, the second announcement for MapleWhisper took a bit of the shine off his victory.
“Don’t worry, Boss! MapleWhisper just got lucky too. We’ll find you a Gold boss next!” one of his lackeys chirped.
GrandDominion’s eye twitched. He knew his limits. He could handle Bronze, but a Gold-Tier boss would turn him into paste. He opened his mouth to tell the idiot to shut up, but the sky turned gold again.
[Starter Village #9527 Announcement: Congratulations to player ‘Whitenox’ for being the first to solo a Gold-Tier Boss! May all players learn from his example!]
The forest went dead silent.
The members of GrandDominion looked at each other, then back at their leader. The arrogance evaporated instantly.
“He... he actually did it?” someone whispered into the silence.