"That's impossible!"
Prince looked utterly unwilling to accept the situation. "The Flamewing Tiger on the mountaintop never allows anyone near Lonely Wind Cliff. At this stage, no one could possibly defeat that boss solo. How did they complete the quest?"
"But the quest really is gone," Princess said in astonishment. "Could it be that the boss has already been killed?"
"No way," Blood Rose shook her head. "That's a Silver-tier Boss. No one in the game has ever triggered the first-kill announcement for a Silver-tier Boss. It has to still be alive."
"Who could've done it? We couldn't even get up there. How did they pull it off?"
Unyielding Tyrant's face was grim, his frustration boiling over.
Being beaten to the punch was a bitter pill to swallow for someone who always prided himself on being the best.
He had considered Lonely Wind Mountain his for the taking, only for someone to seize it first. Then what had he and Blood Rose been working for all this time?
At this moment, Unyielding Tyrant felt like a complete fool.
"It must be that sneaky bastard!"
Fireworks Sword Dance suddenly thought of someone—
That mysterious guy who had ambushed her!
"You mean the 'Invisible Assassin'?"
Silver Spear, standing behind Unyielding Tyrant, suddenly recalled something. "That actually makes sense. We still don't know how his invisibility works—it's totally bizarre. Could he have just snuck up there unseen?"
He had encountered the thief before, and the guy's stealth technique was beyond strange.
"But Lonely Wind Mountain is crawling with high-level monsters. Wouldn't his stealth be exposed?"
Prince still found it hard to believe.
Even if someone could sneak in, they'd still have to climb Lonely Wind Cliff once they reached the summit. The Flamewing Tiger and its minions would never allow that!
"Forget it. The quest is gone—there's no point dwelling on it. But the Silver-tier Boss is still there, and we can't afford to lose the first-kill rewards!"
At that moment, Blood Rose's commanding presence took over. She looked at Green Mountains and was the first to state her stance:
"I agree to let you join. The loot from the Flamewing Tiger will be split evenly. As for who gets the first kill—may the best player win."
"Wait, are you serious?"
Unyielding Tyrant was immediately unhappy with her decision.
He was used to being the top dog—how could he tolerate the presence of a lone player threatening his dominance?
But before he could object further, Prince also spoke up, "I agree with Blood Rose. Other towns have probably already started attacking their Silver-tier bosses. If we hesitate any longer, we'll only lose more opportunities."
Seeing both Blood Rose and Prince agree, Unyielding Tyrant had no choice but to swallow his pride and accept.
Because, in truth, there was no time to argue.
Unyielding Tyrant and his top players were already Level 12, with a few elite members at Level 10, while the mid-tier players were around Level 7 or 8. With the three factions uniting, they were finally qualified to challenge the Flamewing Tiger.
In fact, if it weren't for Green Mountains' sudden interference, they would have launched their attack long ago.
Now, the four forces reached an agreement and began regrouping for the boss fight.
Maple Leaf Town.
Zane stormed out of the Job Hall with a dark expression.
He had just gone in to buy the Level 10 thief skill book—Phantom Dash.
It cost him 20 gold coins!
"Calling these NPCs greedy would be an understatement..."
Zane muttered to himself, pulling out the skill book and learning it.
[You have learned the skill 'Phantom Dash'!]
[Phantom Dash]
Type: Active
Tier: Second Tier · LV1
Effect 1: Dash 10 meters in any direction at phantom-like speed, slicing through enemies in the path, dealing 600 + 140% attack power as damage. The faster your movement speed, the faster the dash.
Effect 2: 10% chance to cause 'Wound Tear', inflicting 100 HP bleed per second for 10 seconds.
Mana Cost: 50
Cooldown: 40 seconds
A skill that combined mobility and attack—perfect for a Thief.
Zane immediately bound the skill to his talent, Infinite Potential. Then, he made a trip to the potion shop.
"Adventurer, take care! Be sure to visit again!"
The shopkeeper, Warren Jett, personally walked him to the door with a beaming smile.
Because Zane had just bought a huge stash of basic mana potions and a massive amount of poison.
After spending so much on the skill book, he was now down to less than 10 gold coins.
These heartless NPC merchants were selling a single basic mana potion for 2 silver coins—Zane almost felt embarrassed by his own lack of greed in comparison!
"Heh... Next time I come back, you might regret ever selling to me..."
Zane smirked coldly and walked away.
Next time he returned to town, he'd turn it upside down.
Suddenly, a regional announcement flashed before him.
[Green Mountains]: "To all lone players, I've reached an agreement with Domination, Fireworks, and Skyfall Guilds to take down the Flamewing Tiger together. Anyone interested can join in—your rewards depend on your own skill!"
"Big news! Green Mountains just joined forces with the three top guilds to raid the Flamewing Tiger. Let's go support them!"
The town erupted in excitement as players rushed toward Lonely Wind Mountain.
"They really agreed to work together with Green Mountains to take the summit?"
Zane was slightly surprised.
He had expected those groups to fight to the death, not quickly form an alliance.
"Right, it's because I completed the quest—they must have noticed."
The realization struck him.
His actions had forced their hand, making them feel an urgent need to act.
"No way. I have to hurry over. That tiger is my personal treasure trove—no one else gets to touch it!"
Originally planning to practice his new skill, Zane changed plans immediately.
He activated Stealth and set off for Lonely Wind Mountain.
On the way, he opened his livestream platform to check on other towns.
"Just as I thought, the other towns have also started attacking their Silver-tier Bosses."
After confirming his suspicions, Zane closed the stream.
If his guess was right, once the Silver-tier bosses were defeated, dungeons would start appearing in the game—triggering a new race for first clears.
As Zane weaved through the forest at the base of the mountain, he saw a massive surge of players swarming toward the battle.
Up on the mountaintop, the sound of battle cries and beastly roars mixed into a chaotic symphony!
Green Mountains' independent force, along with the three guilds—Domination, Fireworks, and Skyfall—had split into four assault teams, waging a fierce war against the mountain's monsters.
Leading the charge were the four strongest players: Green Mountains, Unyielding Tyrant, Blood Rose, and Prince.
Behind them, the other players fought their way up bit by bit toward Lonely Wind Cliff.
"Not a single soul is touching my treasure."
Zane picked the least crowded route and began scaling the mountain.
With Stealth and Spider Silk Ring, he moved unhindered, bypassing countless players until he reached the mountainside.
The density of monsters was insane, and the ongoing battle had drawn even more creatures. Many solo players attempting to join the raid were blocked off.
Even some of the elite core members of the four main factions got separated by the sheer number of enemies.
Finally, 200 meters from Lonely Wind Cliff, he halted.
Ahead of him, the sound of roaring beasts and clashing blades echoed through the battlefield!