Gold-Tier equipment wasn’t just a stat boost; it was a total mechanical overhaul. Each piece added four primary attributes and a unique skill effect, pushing a player's scaling into the stratosphere.
[Gilded Greaves]
Tier: Gold
Level Requirement: 80
Stats: +100 Strength, +100 Agility, +100 Vitality, +100 Intelligence, +10 Movement Speed.
Effect 1: 10% chance to Evasion (Passive).
No wonder the market price for Gold-Tier gear was astronomical. Ash Valor felt the surge of power as he locked the greaves into place. His armor now hummed with a kinetic reflection effect, his gauntlets pulsed with critical strike probability, and his helm accelerated his natural recovery to a blur.
By the time the full set was equipped, Ash had undergone a total metamorphosis.
“You have activated the [Gilded Set] bonus: +4000 HP, +1000 Defense.”
[Ash Valor]
Level: 84 (6M EXP)
Total Attributes: 32,236
Attack Power: 42,006
HP: 102,000
Defense: 6,725
Attack Range: 200m
Attack Speed: 3.2
Movement Speed: 43
Skill 1: Ninefold Shot
Skill 2: Armorpiercer (Level 2: +20% Damage)
Crushing Blow: 10% chance for double damage.
After clearing the marketplace, Ash still had a few tens of thousands in gold left. He immediately wired 10,000 to Simon Cross, settling the debt from their earlier days. He sent another 10,000 to Zane. Just like that, his liquid capital dropped to 20,000 Gold.
"Two million," Ash muttered, looking at his Soulbound Weapon. "I need two million Gold just to break into the Gold-Tier."
Even for a Level 100 veteran, that sum was a mountain. Standard Gold-Tier pieces went for 10,000, but a Soulbound Weapon was a different beast entirely. Upgrading it just once cost as much as buying two hundred pieces of high-end gear.
Chitin was still lagging behind in the gear department—Gold-Tier was too expensive for a summon's temporary kit—so Ash settled for a Silver-Tier set for the beast. His funds were now officially bone-dry.
With 620,000 HP, Chitin was a walking fortress. Level 80 mobs couldn't even scratch its hide. Ash stationed Chitin just outside the Guild Grounds, letting the beast farm Kill Counts around the clock. While equipment was nice, Ash knew his true power didn't come from steel or summons—it came from the endless trickle of attribute points provided by [One in a Million].
In the guild rankings, Ash was still sitting around the 2,000th mark. But in terms of raw lethality? He was confident he could trade blows with any B-Rank practitioner at his level.
Despite his rising fame, Ash remained a ghost. He ignored the official Guild Dungeon raids, preferring the solitude of the wild. However, his reputation preceded him. Whenever he walked through the guild halls, people stopped to stare, throwing out "Boss" or "Big Shot" as he passed. His contribution was undeniable; his massive BOSS Kill Counts had funneled a ridiculous amount of bonus attributes to every single member of the guild.
With Ninefold Shot and his blistering attack speed, Ash’s clearing efficiency had reached a fever pitch. He pushed further away from the safety of the Guild Grounds, hunting Level 80 Elites and Bosses. Even without the experience bonus, the loot drops alone made the slaughter worth it.
Occasionally, other players would shadow his trail, but it wasn't for him—it was for Chitin. Newbies who had just hit their Awakening followed the beast like it was a holy icon, leeching experience as Chitin’s eleven summons tore through Level 80 mobs in the level 60 zones. Ash eventually got tired of the party requests and just handed the leadership role to a random newbie, letting them manage the "Chitin Power-Leveling Express."
He didn't lose anything by helping, and in return, the grateful newbies would often have their healers top off Chitin’s HP or throw buffs on the beast. To the guild's fresh blood, Ash Valor was a myth, but Chitin was a god.
While the gold rolled in and [One in a Million] announced attribute gains by the hundreds, the atmosphere in the world was shifting.
The Undying Realm’s invasion of the Dungeons had been a wake-up call for every practitioner in Azure Prime. Survival wasn't guaranteed by walls anymore. One breach could turn the entire region into a slaughterhouse. Luckily, the top-tier powerhouses hadn't been wiped out, and guilds were now doubling down on training Level 100+ elites.
But the strain was showing. As the high-level players focused on the front lines, the defensive lines around the cities began to fray. Monsters were creeping back into the outskirts. Ash had spotted Level 70 Bosses prowling near Southhaven—a grim omen.
"The big shots must be busy clearing high-level Dungeons," Ash reasoned.
The Skystrider Guild had fortified their territory, rotating ranged classes for guard duty and erecting new Defense Towers. Their ranking had actually jumped up three spots after the invasion, but it wasn't because they had gotten significantly stronger—it was because other guilds had been decimated. Every practitioner who died for Azure Prime was a tragedy, but in this world, the dead only served as a ladder for the living.
Caden Marlowe had gone dark, disappearing into the high-level monster zones immediately after leaving the Dungeon. As a top-tier Assassin, he was likely racking up a body count that would make most players sick. Every day, Caden and his team dropped a few pieces of Gold-Tier gear into the Guild Warehouse, his level climbing at a terrifying pace.
Then came the monthly GCP (Guild Contribution Points) rewards. Usually, Ash was nowhere near the top 100. This time, thanks to his Boss-killing spree, he was ranked 9th.
Orion sent him a private ping: "Pick anything from the warehouse, Ash. Even the Gold-Tier stuff."
Ash looked at his current loadout. He was already decked out. "Boss, can I just get the cash equivalent?"
"You already have a full set of Gold gear, don't you?" Orion replied, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"I got a twelve-million gold payout from the last run, remember? It'd be weird if I didn't," Ash lied smoothly.
"Fair enough. I'll give you the top-end market value. You've been helping the newbies out with that summon of yours too, so I'll call it an even 20,000 Gold."
"Solid. Much appreciated."
Ash was beginning to see the perks of being a "priority asset."
"Listen," Orion continued. "We have a dedicated Level 90 Dungeon team. If you want a slot, it's yours."
"I'll pass for now, Boss. I'm good on gear."
"Gear is just the start, kid. There's gear refinement, which costs more than the items themselves. And then there are Universal Skill Books—some of the rare ones go for millions. You need to boost your survivability if you’re going to stay solo."
Ash knew Orion was right, but his eyes were on a different prize. He needed that two-million gold for his weapon.
"I'm going to stick to soloing Level 80 Elites and Bosses. The raw gold yield is higher when I don't have to split it with a raid team."
"If you can solo a Level 80 Boss, I've got nothing left to say to you. Go get 'em."
Ash was done with group play. The pace was too slow. He needed to be in constant motion, constantly triggering [One in a Million].
He began stocking up on high-end consumables. He couldn't afford Epic-Tier potions, but he could certainly swing some Bronze-Tier basics.
[Berserker's Draught - Bronze]: +20% Attack Power for 2 hours. Cost: 20 Gold.
If he farmed for eight hours, that was 160 Gold gone. A steep price, but he’d only pop them for the big fights.
He bought 100 Berserker's Draughts. Then 10 [Potions of Instant Recovery] (10,000 HP heal) just in case an Assassin tried to jump him. He added [Potions of Amplified Strength] and [Agility].
But when it came to speed, he didn't compromise.
[Swiftness Draught - Gold]: +4,000 Agility for 2 hours. Cost: 400 Gold per bottle.
One bottle cost as much as a piece of Silver gear. It was a staggering investment, but with [Death Strike] now in his arsenal, speed was his most valuable stat. If he could move fast enough and hit often enough, he could solo anything.
With the draughts active, Ash’s attack power hovered near 60,000, and his Attack Speed hit a ridiculous 5.0. Five arrows per second. The 4,000 Agility boost was a game-changer.
"Time to put this luck to work," Ash muttered.
He ventured further out. Level 70 Elites were easy prey now, but Level 80s were still tanks. He didn't care about their HP anymore; he was gambling on the 1% [Death Strike] proc.
He finally found a suitable target at the edge of the wastes.
[Deathbound Knight]
Level: 80
HP: 5.2 Million
Defense: 25,600
Attack: 25,600
Health Regen: 50,000/sec.
Against 50k health regen per second, a normal player would need a small army. Ash just needed to stay alive. His Agility was so high that he could comfortably outrun the Knight while kiting.
“Death Strike: -2,040,000!”
The Knight’s health bar took a massive chunk. Ash blinked, repositioned, and let loose another volley. He was a blur of motion, five arrows a second whistling through the air.
“Ding! You have killed the Deathbound Knight. +800 Gold. +8000 GCP.”
“Drop: Gilded Chestplate (Gold), Gilded Helm (Gold).”
"Two Gold pieces in one go. Not bad," Ash grinned. He pocketed the 20,000 gold worth of loot.
As he was clearing the remaining trash mobs, a group of five practitioners approached from the treeline. They were all a few levels higher than Ash.
"That Deathbound Knight has a massive defense buff," one of them, a man named Brett Fang, whispered to his team. "It’ll take us at least two hours to grind it down."
"We're an elite squad, Brett," a girl replied. "We just took down a Boss, we can handle this."
"Holy sht, look," another pointed. "Is someone already on it?"
They watched as Ash was "chased" by the Knight. From their perspective, it looked like a desperate struggle.
"Poor bastard's about to get flattened," Brett muttered. "I'll pull the threat. Healer, get ready. Hey! Over here! Pull the Boss to me, I'll take the aggro!"
Ash stopped and looked at them, confused. "Are you guys trying to ninja my kill?"
Brett looked offended. "Ninja? We’re trying to save your damn life!"
"I’m fine," Ash called back, slightly embarrassed. "This one's mine."
"Kid, don't act tough when you're about to die," Brett scoffed. Even a Level 100 couldn't solo a Knight like that.
Ash didn't bother explaining. He Blinked, creating a massive gap, and fired a final Ninefold Shot.
“Death Strike!”
The Knight collapsed into a heap of rusted armor.
The five strangers stood frozen. Their jaws dropped as Ash casually looted the Gold-Tier drops and started clearing the nearby mobs like it was a chore.
"Did... did he just solo a Level 80 Boss in three minutes?"
Brett walked up, his eyes wide. "Are you a Level 120 hidden expert or something? If you're that strong, why are you farming low-level zones?"
Ash toggled his level display. [Level 85].
"Luck," Ash said shortly. "I just got lucky with the procs."
He scanned the group. They were all near Level 90, but none of them had guild tags. "Why aren't you guys in a guild? At your level, you’re leaving a lot of stats on the table."
"Guilds didn't want us when we were low level," Brett spat, his pride showing. "Now we don't need them. We’re an elite freelance squad. We do just fine."
"You're not doing 'fine' if you're struggling with a Level 80 Knight," Ash countered. "Join Skystrider. We’ve got Level 120s leading Level 10 Dungeon runs daily. It’s free."
"Free?" The group looked skeptical.
Ash sent the invite. "Just try it. If you hate the bureaucracy, leave. But you're orphans, right?"
The group stiffened.
"I grew up in Red Star Orphanage," Ash said, his voice softening. "I know the pride. But in this world, pride doesn't keep you alive. Power does. Stick together, but do it where you have resources."
The name Fang appeared in Ash’s party window. Brett Fang, Lyra Fang, Grant Fang... a whole family of orphans who had clawed their way up.
"Alright," Brett muttered. "We'll check it out."
As they joined the guild, the notifications started popping.
"All stats increased?"
"Wait, there's a gold dividend?"
"GCP rewards for Gold-Tier gear?"
Ash chuckled. They were hooked.
"I'll bring in two more," Ash said, messaging Victor Ward and Lily Mercer. They had been his first real teammates, and they were still grinding around Level 78.
The Galeforce Squad was now an eight-man unit. They weren't the "geniuses" like Hazel or Vera, but they were hard workers.
"Captain Ash!" Lily cheered as she arrived. "You’re a legend now! I can’t believe you remembered us."
"Quit the 'Captain' stuff and start healing," Ash laughed. "We're heading into the Level 95 zones. Let's see how much gold we can make before the sun goes down."
Brett Fang looked at the experience bonus active on the party screen and sighed. "God dammit. How much XP have we wasted being 'independent'?"