The Flamewing Tiger unleashed a barrage of fireballs after its initial strike, but the fury in its eyes did not fade.
Although it couldn't see who was responsible for the attack, as a powerful Silver-tier Boss, its instincts told it that the culprit was still alive.
Damn it!
Unable to pinpoint the thief, the Flamewing Tiger could only vent its frustration by lashing out.
Meanwhile, Zane kept himself low, carefully dodging attacks. The moment his Steal ability came off cooldown, he recklessly rushed in again.
Steal!
Failed!
No worries, there's always a next time.
As he made another attempt, the Flamewing Tiger immediately sensed it, its flames flaring up in rage!
That damn thief was still lurking!
But with so many enemies swarming it, and no sign of the thief anywhere, the boss was utterly helpless.
"Hey… does anyone else think this boss looks really pissed off?"
One player voiced their suspicion.
"No duh, imagine your house getting ransacked by a bunch of bandits. Wouldn't you be mad too?"
His teammate's response quickly put his doubts to rest.
Yeah, if I were surrounded and under attack, I'd be furious too.
Just like that, aside from the Flamewing Tiger itself, no one had the slightest clue that Zane was there.
Ten seconds later, he struck again.
[Steal Successful! Skill proficiency +20!]
[You have obtained Equipment ×1!]
[You have obtained Gold ×1!]
Hahaha, another success!
And this time, he snagged two items! Too bad one was just gold. Otherwise, this would have been an absolute jackpot.
With three minutes nearly up, Zane dismissed his clone.
"Ahhh, that felt good."
From a safe distance, Zane smirked deviously.
"I'm just a humble guy, trying to make a little cash to get by. Who knew I'd end up scoring a golden-tier weapon?"
Honestly, it almost made him feel guilty!
Time to check the loot!
Zane gleefully opened his inventory.
The first thing that caught his eye was a gleaming short blade, radiating a golden flame-like glow.
[Blazing Warblade]
Type: Short Blade (Weapon)
Tier: Golden
Attributes: +500 Attack, +30% Attack Speed
Bonus Effect: Attacks deal an additional 300 Fire Damage.
Bonus Skill: Blazing Slash – Unleash an 80-meter flame arc, dealing 3,000 + 180% Attack Power as fire damage. (Cooldown: 120 seconds)
Requirement: LV15
Holy crap?!
This thing was insane!
Absolutely insane!
"500 attack power, fire damage bonus, and a massive AoE skill? Haha, who can stop me now?!"
Zane was over the moon.
Unfortunately, he needed to reach level 15 before he could equip it.
Next, he checked the other item.
[Lone Wind King's Belt]
Tier: Silver
Attributes: +1300 HP, +30 Agility
Bonus Effect: +10% damage when fighting alone.
Requirement: LV15
"Not bad. Once I hit level 15, I'll swap out my old belt and weapon."
Zane was very satisfied.
Now, all he had to do was wait for his Clone skill to come off cooldown again.
Time ticked by, and the battlefield began to shift.
The Frost Goblin boss, which had been casting spells non-stop, finally went down under the relentless attacks from the players!
With one major threat eliminated, the players' burden lightened significantly.
At the same time, Zane's Clone skill was ready once more.
"Clone!"
His double sprang into action, diving right back into the fray.
[Steal Successful! Skill proficiency +20!]
[You have obtained a Basic Health Potion ×1!]
[Steal Successful! Skill proficiency +20!]
[You have obtained an item: Blazing Tiger Fur ×1!]
"ROOOOAR!"
The Flamewing Tiger was seething with rage!
"Relax, buddy! I'll be back for more!"
Zane laughed mischievously as he dodged the furious boss' attacks.
[Steal Failed! Skill proficiency +10!]
[Steal Successful! Skill proficiency +20!]
[You have obtained Equipment ×1, Gold ×1!]
"Hang in there! I'm counting on you to make me rich!"
…
And so, Zane tirelessly continued his cycle of stealing, using the players as his unknowing allies to keep the boss occupied.
Each time, he let his Clone vanish in stealth, ensuring that no one ever noticed the constant theft happening right under their noses.
At last, with a final death wail, the last of the Bronze-tier Tiger Guards collapsed!
The players were finally ready to launch their full assault on the Flamewing Tiger.
Just as that moment arrived, Zane's clone, still in stealth mode, reached out toward the boss once more.
"Ahem, I'm back. Hope you don't mind if I take something again!"
Steal activated!
[Steal Successful! Skill proficiency +20!]
[You have obtained a hidden item: Meteorfire Boots (Golden-tier) ×1!]
Another hidden item?!
That made two now!
These were exclusive drops meant for the first team to kill the boss!
"Unbelievable!"
Zane was ecstatic.
At that very moment, the Flamewing Tiger shuddered violently.
"ROOOOAAAARR!!"
A deafening roar shook the entire mountain forest.
[Alert: The Flamewing Tiger has been severely provoked, unlocking its hidden potential! Its attacks are now significantly stronger—proceed with caution!]
"What the hell?!"
The players were dumbfounded.
Suddenly, the Flamewing Tiger took to the skies, its entire body erupting in blazing flames like a miniature sun.
The next second, wind and fire merged, forming an enormous pillar of flames that swept across the battlefield!
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
Squad leaders screamed at the top of their lungs.
Clearly, this boss was now far more dangerous than before!
"Fall back!"
The elite tank players acted swiftly, retreating in unison.
But the fire pillar was faster.
BOOM! BOOM!
-2332
-2291
…
The inferno burned through everything, instantly wiping out players in its path—including Zane's clone.
Chaos erupted. Players were dropping like flies.
But as the firestorm subsided, under the leadership of Green Mountains and the three major guild masters, the remaining players regrouped and charged back into battle!
This time, with the Bronze-tier bosses gone, the Flamewing Tiger was taking a lot more hits.
A dazzling web of arrows and spells filled the air, raining down on the boss in a relentless barrage.
-13
-16
-18
…
The individual damage numbers were small, but with hundreds of players attacking at once, the boss's health was visibly decreasing!
"Keep going! This tiger isn't so tough!"
With renewed confidence, the players fought even harder.
The Flamewing Tiger rampaged through the battlefield, but it couldn't shake off the warriors, shield bearers, swordsmen, and rogues who clung to it like a swarm of pests.
Meanwhile, hunters scattered traps all around, slowing and restricting the boss's movements.
Even though the effects were short-lived, they were enough to make the boss struggle!
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they took it down—though the number of casualties would be high.