In an instant, the venomous attack of the boss decimated all players except me! Their defenses were far too low, while I, with my formidable 35 points of defense, managed to withstand the Golden Slime King's assault. Its poisonous strike drained 150 health points from me, causing me to hastily gulp down a 300-point healing potion. Half of it instantly restored my health, while the remaining 150 points would gradually regenerate.
My heart raced with excitement. Lady Luck had truly smiled upon me! The first boss of the starting village had spawned right beside me, and I was armed with dozens of potions!
I quickly examined the boss's attributes:
[Golden Slime King] (Bronze-tier Boss)
Level: 15
Attack: 85-150
Defense: 25
Health: ???
Attack Type: Ranged Poison Attack
The boss's formidable stats made me draw a sharp breath. With an attack power reaching 150 points, no wonder it could deplete 150 of my health in one hit! And its health value was hidden – who knew how much it actually had?
"Hah!" I swung my Glimmering War Axe, bringing it down on the Slime King's head. The enormous creature, as large as a tank, recoiled in pain, and a damage number flashed above it: "135"!
Heh, there's hope! It seems my 60 attack points can penetrate its defense! (I had added 15 more points to strength upon reaching level 10)
Simultaneously, the Slime King unleashed another venomous attack, instantly draining 167 health points – nearly half of my total health!
Swiftly downing another large potion, I stood my ground and continued swinging my Glimmering War Axe.
In less than ten minutes, I had managed to deplete about a tenth of the Slime King's health. Its total health didn't seem terrifyingly high, but I was facing a new problem – my continuous use of potions had left me with very few remaining.
Suddenly, a flurry of movement caught my attention. A large group of players had arrived, quickly surrounding me and the boss. My heart sank as I realized who they were.
Each player had the prefix "Arrogant" in their name. It was the entire Arrogant Clan, numbering nearly three hundred!
Impressive. This Arrogant clan was certainly a force to be reckoned with, wielding such influence even in the starting village.
Seeing their aggressive approach, I decided against fighting a losing battle. I abandoned the half-beaten Golden Slime King and made a dash for the surrounding forest.
Just then, a voice boomed out as someone parted the crowd, "Trying to escape? Not so fast! Brothers, take him down! This is the punk who offended me earlier!"
It was Arrogant Madman! Beside him stood Arrogant Bloodlust, the player I had killed earlier, while Arrogant Rain was nowhere to be seen.
Hearing Arrogant Madman's words, several nearby Arrogant clan members stirred restlessly. More than half of them were wielding wooden clubs, which I found rather amusing. Did they really think they could kill and loot with such equipment?
However, strength in numbers was undeniable. An army of ants could bring down an elephant, and I certainly couldn't stand against three hundred players.
Gripping my Glimmering War Axe tightly, I surveyed the surrounding players. Without saying a word, my stance made it clear – whoever dared to make a move would taste my axe.
Surprisingly, the club-wielding players hesitated, none daring to step forward.
Enraged, Arrogant Madman bellowed, "Useless cowards! Attack!"
Just then, another group arrived, completely surrounding the area. Their intentions were unclear, but their focus was obviously on the Slime King. Word must have spread quickly after the players I killed respawned in the village – a super boss had appeared, naturally attracting powerful guilds!
These newcomers were all above level 8, and their names all began with "Sword Fire".
Sword Fire!
It suddenly struck me – wasn't "Sword Fire Dragon Soul" the player I had sold my iron sword to?
At that moment, a player pushed through the crowd. It was indeed Sword Fire Dragon Soul. He smiled coolly and said, "Wow, what a lively gathering. I didn't expect the Arrogant clan to beat us here!"
Sword Fire Dragon Soul had upgraded his weapon, now wielding a faintly glowing iron sword. It appeared to be another Black Iron-grade weapon, likely with similar attributes to mine. It seemed he had also acquired such a powerful item!
Then again, it made sense. Sword Fire Dragon Soul was probably the leader of the Sword Fire guild. It would be strange if he didn't possess such premium equipment.
Faced with these uninvited guests from the Sword Fire guild, the Arrogant clan members suddenly seemed less confident. After all, the overall quality of Arrogant players wasn't very high, with few above level 8. In contrast, the Sword Fire members appeared more capable, despite numbering only around a hundred.
Arrogant Madman raised an eyebrow and said, "I didn't expect to see you in this starting village, Dragon Soul. Talk about a fateful encounter!"
Sword Fire Dragon Soul laughed heartily. "I see you've also abandoned Moon Eternal to join Spirit Grief. We're old acquaintances, aren't we? In Moon Eternal, after the disbanding of the two pillars – Sword and Rose, and Paradise Lost – the western part of Silver Moon City became the battlefield for our Blade Fire and your Arrogant clans. It seems history repeats itself in Ethereal Surge!"
Arrogant Madman chuckled, "Brother Dragon Soul, today is purely about settling a personal grudge between us and this individual. If you'd be so kind, why don't you and your brothers leave? I'll deal with this person myself."
Sword Fire Dragon Soul glanced at me from afar, seemingly recognizing me – after all, the Glimmering War Axe was quite eye-catching.
He laughed and said, "I can respect that. You can have your nemesis, but the Golden Slime King goes to us Sword Fire. I can't let my brothers leave empty-handed, can I?"
Arrogant Madman's face darkened. "Cut the crap! Since when do people just hand over bosses?"
At this point, a player wielding a giant axe stepped out from the Sword Fire group. He was already a Berserker class, named Sword Fire Titan. He grinned broadly and said, "The Arrogant clan thinks they can monopolize this Golden Slime King? Do you have what it takes? Ha! Don't make us laugh by all kneeling here!"
Sword Fire Titan's words clearly stung Arrogant Madman's pride. He shouted, "Damn it! Sword Fire is trying to take advantage of the situation!"
Sword Fire Dragon Soul bellowed, "Enough talk! As if you're not doing the same! Remember how you monopolized training grounds and cleared out solo players? We'll settle that score eventually. You Arrogant clan members know exactly what you are – bullies who prey on the weak, despicable and treacherous. I hear you even organize prostitution rings in the game? How low can you sink?"
Arrogant Madman, seemingly hit where it hurt, turned livid with rage and shame. He roared, "Fuck! Brothers, Sword Fire is clearly looking for trouble. Teach them a lesson, now!"
Immediately, a horde of Arrogant clan members surged forward, brandishing wooden clubs and broken swords.
Sword Fire Dragon Soul sneered, "Let them attack!"
After a few exchanges, several Sword Fire players at the front fell, but at the cost of a wave of Arrogant players turning grey (criminal status).
Sword Fire Titan laughed, stepping forward with his battle axe raised high. As he brought it down, a red flash erupted, and a ground-splitting battle aura shot forth, instantly killing the Arrogant players in its path.
Arrogant Madman's face contorted with indecision. He barked, "First squad, hold off these Sword Fire scum! Second and third squads, focus on taking down the Golden Slime King!"
In a moment, the Sword Fire members were held at bay, while half of the Arrogant clan engaged them and the other half clashed with the Slime King.
I quietly slipped into the forest, feeling extremely frustrated. The boss that was practically in my grasp had become a prize for these two guilds to fight over. Damn it, venturing out alone truly meant facing constant setbacks!
Unwilling to leave, I hid in the forest, observing the battle unfolding before me.
Although the Arrogant clan members were generally lower level, they had a few skilled players. One or two Mages who had already advanced in class began attacking the Golden Slime King with fireballs and meteors, becoming the main damage dealers. After all, wooden clubs stood no chance of penetrating the Slime King's defense!
As time ticked by, the Slime King's health quickly dropped below half. However, it didn't go down without a fight. In this short span, over a hundred Arrogant players had already fallen, with only a few ranged Mages sporadically throwing fireballs while the lower-level players served as mere cannon fodder.
Meanwhile, the Sword Fire guild, seeing the boss's condition, launched an all-out assault, sending the outer ring of Arrogant players back to town.
In a flash of white light, the Arrogant clan was reduced to less than fifty members.
Seeing the tide turn against them, Arrogant Madman reluctantly roared, "Brothers, fall back for now!"
The Arrogant players scattered like startled birds, but the Sword Fire members seemed intent on pursuing them. In a matter of moments, they cut down the retreating players. Even Arrogant Madman was sent back to town by Sword Fire Titan's axe.
Within minutes, not a single Arrogant clan member remained in the forest. The Blade Fire guild had taken control of the entire area.
After the skirmish, Sword Fire was left with about 60 members, half of whom had turned red (criminal status). If they died now, they would lose experience levels.
However, with such a powerful boss as the Golden Slime King right before them, there was no question of letting it go. Sword Fire Dragon Soul commanded, "Surround it! Kill the boss!"
I remained hidden, silently waiting and watching.