Leading the group to Level 50 brought Ash Valor a rare sense of accomplishment, though it was tinged with the bitterness of an impending goodbye. They had bled together for months; bonds like that didn’t just vanish when the XP bar hit a milestone.
"You’re all Level 50 now," Ash said, leaning against his bow as the final golden glow of the level-up subsided. "What’s the move? Back to the family estates?"
They weren’t ordinary players. Every one of them came from a powerhouse lineage or answered to a high-tier mentor. Their paths were paved with gold and rare catalysts.
"Actually, Ash," Drake Ward spoke up, his usual bravado replaced by a calculated look. "I’m a Vance. My family—The Vance Clan of Southhaven—has already arranged for a guardian to carry us through ten runs of a Level 6 Dungeon. If you're willing, we want you there."
Ash paused. He didn’t know much about the Vance Clan’s political reach in Southhaven, but he knew the math. A Level 6 Dungeon meant Level 55 mobs. He hadn't even cleared a Level 5 instance solo yet. The jump in difficulty—and loot—was massive.
"My father is sending someone too," another teammate added. "We'll have twenty runs total if we cycle the carries."
"I don't have anyone of that caliber to pull in," Ash admitted, keeping his expectations grounded.
"You don't need to provide a carry," Drake countered with a grin. "Your Auras are worth more than an extra body. Just stand there and look pretty."
Ash didn't need to be told twice. Level 6 loot was the stuff of dreams. "Ten runs, Drake. I'm in."
"Ten? Why stop there? Stick with us."
Ash shook his head. "No, we're built different. You guys have families to answer to, tiers to climb. Once we finish these runs, I’m heading back to the Territory. There are more people who need a boost to fifty. Everyone has their part to play; you guys go ahead and conquer the heights. I’ll catch up eventually."
The group went silent, their gaze toward Ash shifting from mere appreciation to genuine respect.
"You're a hell of a guy, Ash," Drake said quietly. "A real role model."
"I'm just a man with a plan," Ash deflected. His plan, however, involved maximizing his stat advantage before the final push. If he could solo a Level 5 Dungeon later, the rewards would be entirely his.
He had always assumed Drake was just a rich kid with a decent pedigree. That illusion shattered the moment the party notification pinged.
[Harrison Ward has joined the party!]
The atmosphere changed instantly. The air felt heavy, charged with a static pressure that made Ash’s skin crawl.
[Harrison Ward, Sharpshooter, Level 101]
Ash stood frozen. Level 101? What was a living legend doing in a mid-tier power-leveling session?
"Drake," Harrison said, his voice like grinding stone. "You did well. Level 50 without relying on the clan's crutch. Respectable."
Harrison looked no older than forty, but in this world, appearance was a lie. He was likely two centuries old, his vitality preserved by the sheer density of his internal power.
"Greetings, Senior," the others chorused, bowing low.
"Skip the formalities," Harrison snapped. "I’m giving you ten runs, then I’m back to the front lines outside the city. When we enter the Dungeon, you stand at the entrance. Don't move. Don't breathe on the mobs. Drake, you handle the loot distribution. Let’s move."
The Level 6 Dungeon was a nightmare Ash hadn't even researched yet. Level 55 mobs with 160,000 HP each.
The moment they loaded in, Ash spotted a Crimson Bat in the distance. He barely had time to register its wingspan before a deafening crack echoed through the cavern.
Bang!
Bang-bang!
Harrison’s rifle was a blur. Six shots, faster than the eye could track. Ash didn't even see the damage numbers—the boss simply evaporated.
[Kill Count: Crimson Bat Lord. Exp +20,000, Gold +10]
They were still standing at the entrance, and the boss was already dead. The range was easily over a thousand meters.
Bang! Bang!
[Kill Count: Bloodwing Fiend. Exp +20,000, Gold +10]
Total elapsed time: five seconds. Two bosses purged.
"Next," Harrison grunted.
It was the most efficient, soul-crushing experience Ash had ever had. There was no "gameplay," only the sound of gunfire and the systematic accumulation of wealth. Ten runs were finished in less than ten minutes.
"The war outside is heating up. I’m done here," Harrison stated. Without waiting for a thank you, he vanished from the party and the instance.
The group stood in the silence of the empty dungeon, reeling.
"Well," Drake broke the silence, coughing awkwardly. "Twenty pieces of gear dropped. Three for each of you, I take five. Fair?"
No one argued. It was free loot.
[You have received: Starforged Breastplate (Silver-Tier)]
[You have received: Mithral Longbow (Silver-Tier)]
Two Silver-Tier items. One was a weapon. Ash felt a pang of regret—maybe he should have asked for more runs.
"Thanks, Drake. This is huge." Ash said, checking the market value. The bow alone was worth a fortune.
"Don't mention it, Ash. You earned it over the last few months."
"Good luck out there, man. We’re heading out to grind the next tier. See you at the top!"
The five of them warped out, leaving Ash alone in the hollowed-out Level 6 Dungeon. He looked back at the darkening tunnels.
"The bosses are gone... but the trash mobs are still here."
Level 55 trash was terrifying, but with his current stats and the Silver Band, Ash calculated he could take them if he was careful. The bosses had already boosted him near Level 54.
[Crimson Bat: LV55 | HP: 160,000 | ATK: 3,000 | DEF: 1,300]
He pulled up his own status:
[Ash Valor: LV53 | Total Stats: 6736 | ATK: 7606 | HP: 18,000 | DEF: 1,025 | Range: 110m | Aspd: 0.76]
[Active Skills: Septuple Shot, Armorpiercer Lv.2, Crushing Blow (10% Proc)]
"One by one," he muttered.
He summoned ten Undying Skeletons. They were fodder, but they were his fodder. At 110 meters, he had the ultimate kiting advantage.
Whiz!
-6109
-12356 (Crushing Blow!)
The Crimson Bat screeched, diving toward him, but the Skeletons swarmed it. The bat’s claws clattered against bone, dealing negligible damage. It was a slow, methodical slaughter.
[Kill Count: Crimson Bat. Exp +1669, Silver +50, Crimson Fang +1]
The "Crimson Fang" was a Bronze-Tier crafting material—decent money. For the next two hours, Ash became a ghost in the tunnels, picking off every single mob until the dungeon was a tomb. As the final bat fell, a golden pillar of light engulfed him.
[Level 54.]
"Time to go," Ash said, satisfied. He turned toward the exit, but the world suddenly froze.
The air didn't just get heavy—it turned cold. Dead cold.
[WARNING!]
[WARNING!]
[AN UNKNOWN ENTITY IS WATCHING YOU.]
[LEAVE THE DUNGEON IMMEDIATELY!]
[ABORT: DO NOT LEAVE. DO NOT LEAD ITS ATTENTION TO THE AZURE PRIME PLANE!]
Ash froze. High above, in the jagged ceiling of the dungeon, an eye opened.
It was the Crimson Gaze. A massive, blood-red orb that felt more like a celestial body than an eye. It didn't look human. It looked like the end of the world.
"What the hell... secret boss?"
Pure instinct took over. Ash didn't think; he drew his bow and let fly a volley of arrows.
"Holy sht!" the System prompt actually screamed in text.
[YOU HAVE ATTACKED AN ENIGMATIC EXISTENCE!]
-1
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED: ENIGMATIC BLOOD +1]
The eye blinked in what seemed like surprise, then vanished as if it had never been there.
"What... was that?" Ash breathed, his heart hammering against his ribs.
[You have obtained one drop of Enigmatic Blood. This is a restricted item and will be confiscated by The Plane.]
"Hey! You can't just—"
[You have received a Special Contribution Reward: All Stats +100, Gold +1000.]
[The Plane is now monitoring you with 'Special Interest'.]
Ash blinked. "Special contribution? For hitting an eye?"
[You have received: Soulbound Weapon!]
Ash stared at his inventory. A Soulbound weapon? He’d heard rumors. He scrambled onto the forums, searching frantically.
Soulbound Weapons: Only 21 have ever been issued in the history of the world. Only 14 remain in existence. Granted only to those who have rendered 'Absolute Service' to the Prime Plane.
"Did I just save the world by shooting an eye?" Ash muttered. He looked at the item.
[Worn Wooden Bow (Soulbound / Non-Tradeable)]
Level Req: None
Stats: All Stats +10, ATK +30, Range +5, Aspd +0.1, XP Bonus +10%
Effect: 10% chance to Critical Strike (ATK +100)
Upgrade Condition: 10,000 XP, 1,000 Gold, 10 Shadowsteel, 1 Beast Sinew.
It looked like garbage compared to his Mithral Longbow, but the word "Soulbound" changed everything. He equipped it immediately. His ATK dropped significantly, but he didn't care. This thing was a seed of godhood.
He sold his other weapons on the Exchange, bringing his total liquid capital to 3,125 Gold.
He didn't return home. He went straight back to the Guild Grounds and recruited ten more players for power-leveling. At 200 Gold a head, he was swimming in coins.
"Stay on the ramparts. Don't talk to me," he told the new batch. He was obsessed.
He realized the weapon didn't just need XP—it drained it from him. It took a 20% cut of every kill. It was a parasite, but one he was happy to feed. After a grueling grind, the notification finally popped.
[Soulbound Weapon Upgrade Successful!]
[Ironblack Bow (Soulbound / Non-Tradeable)]
Stats: All Stats +40, ATK +200, Range +10, Aspd +0.2, XP Bonus +20%
Skill 1: 10% chance for Critical Strike (ATK +400)
Skill 2: 10% chance to Ignore Defense
Upgrade Condition: 1,000,000 XP, 10,000 Gold, 10 Refined Iron, 10 Mithral, 1 Beast Sinew.
Ash stared at the next requirements. One million XP? Ten thousand Gold?
"This thing is going to bankrupt me," he whispered.
Between his evolving Summon and this hungry bow, Ash Valor had just committed himself to the most expensive build in the history of the Azure Prime Plane. But as he loosed an arrow that shattered a mob's defense instantly, he knew one thing for certain.
He wasn't just a guide anymore. He was becoming a monster.