Daniel and the hundreds of guild members he summoned for this very occasion were all grouped together, now facing the boss before them.
It was a level 10 elite boss, the [Forest Python], it was the most challenging monster in this entire zone, blocking access to Dawn City.
It was basically a giant serpent, towering over the trees and humans with its long, scaly body, it had 3000 HP and was probably the strongest foe that could be encountered until now, ignoring Aris.
"IN POSITION," Daniel ordered as he pointed at the monster, "Defeat it, but make sure to allow me to get the final blow, the Overlord guild will reign supreme!"
"SIR! YES, SIR!"
They had people from every class.
"Archers, mages and priests, stay back; assassins and warriors, rush at it, even one point of damage is good enough; and finally, summoners, send your beasts at it!"
All the members shouted in unison as they began to work to kill that thing.
Though that boss revealed itself to be tough, a single strike from its tail or bite enough to kill a dozen of Daniel's men.
As Alex and Alice advanced deeper into the forest, the sound of combat grew louder.
The shouts of players, clashing weapons, and the monstrous roars of the [Forest Python] echoed through the dense trees, drawing Alex's attention.
He quickened his pace, eager to reach the scene and witness the chaos firsthand: he knew how much Daniel struggled against it in his first life.
As Alex approached, the sight before him was almost unbelievable. Hundreds of players, all members of the 'Overlord' guild, were engaged in a desperate battle against the python.
The guild had swarmed the area, their objective clear: they wanted to claim the first kill on the boss and unlock the path to Dawn City.
Daniel stood at the back, protected by his very own [Earth Shield] spell, awaiting for his people to do most of the damage before acting.
In the middle of it all, the [Forest Python] thrashed wildly, its enormous body crashing through the trees as it fought off wave after wave of attackers.
It took 158 players dying for the monster's health bar to flicker on the edge of death, just a sliver remaining as the players continued their assault.
[Forest Python HP: 128/3000]
The members couldn't do more than 25 points of damage per attack because of the beast's high defense.
"Hold it steady!" Daniel yelled, his voice filled with determination,"Let me take over the moment its health goes under 50!"
The [Forest Python] let out a deafening roar, its tail whipping through the ranks of players, sending several flying into the air.
The creature's final stand was proving to be as brutal as expected, but the guild members pressed on, eager for the reward that awaited them.
Alex watched from the shadows, his eyes narrowing.
It was the perfect moment.
The guild had done all the hard work, wearing the boss down to its last health.
"Time to have some fun," Alex whispered, a smirk forming on his lips.
…
Just as the [Forest Python] reared back for a final strike, Alex stepped forward, his eyes locking onto the beast. With a quick flick of his hand, he summoned the power of his two most destructive spells.
[Fire Storm]!
A swirling inferno erupted around the [Forest Python], engulfing it and the surrounding players in a torrent of flames.
The flames ravaged everything in their path, scorching the ground and burning through the weakened health bars of both the boss and the players caught in the chaos.
"NOOOO!" Daniel shouted, realizing who this player was, "IT'S MINE!"
He cast [Fireball] again, aiming to at least kill the boss, even if he died afterward.
"I cast my spell before his," Daniel laughed, already picturing himself mocking Fatebreaker for his stupidity as his fireball charged.
But it was futile.
[Elysian Staff of the Silver Mage!]
[Description: Grants +1000 spirit when equipping it, increases spell casting speed by 200%]
Because even though he started his spell first, Alex's fireball still ended up being the first to be sent.
"WHAT?" Daniel was astonished, the two fireballs rushing at the boss amidst the chaos of the [Fire Storm].
Boom! Boom!
But one spell had hit before: Alex's.
The impact was enough to finish the boss off, its remaining health disappearing as it let out a final, agonizing hiss.
[Ding! You have defeated the Forest Python! You receive 284 experience points.]
[Ding! You have killed a 'World Boss' and earned 10 Attribute Points!]
[Ding! You have earned 1 Prestige Point!]
Alex grinned as the server-wide announcement rang out three times in quick succession:
[Congratulations to FateBreaker for defeating the Forest Python and unlocking the path to Dawn City!]
The area went silent as the reality of what had just happened set in. The remaining guild members, most of whom had perished from the [Fire Storm], looked around in confusion and horror.
One by one, their health bars dropped as they fell victim to Alex's spells, collapsing onto the ground as the flames consumed them.
Daniel's eyes widened in shock as he saw his guild members dying around him.
He glanced toward Alex, who stood at a distance, his staff glowing ominously.
"FateBreaker," Daniel muttered, his voice filled with disbelief. "That bastard!"
Panic surged through Daniel as he realized the situation.
His guild had done all the work, only for Alex to swoop in and steal the kill at the last moment.
Desperation overtook him as he opened his menu, trying to log out before it was too late.
[You cannot log off in battle, please go to safety and wait 30 seconds!]
"Fuck!" Daniel cursed, his heart racing.
Before he could react, a stray [Rock Throw] hurled from Alex's staff and hit him directly.
The impact was instant, his health bar depleting in a flash as his vision turned dark.
[You have died.]
Daniel's body hit the ground, joining the rest of his fallen guild members, then he woke up in his room again.
…
As the flames died down, Alice stepped forward from her position, a bow in hand.
She had been quietly picking off the few guild members who had tried to flee, her arrows finding their mark with deadly precision.
One after another, those who had managed to escape the firestorm fell, each arrow bringing death with it.
Alex raised an eyebrow as he watched her work, actually impressed, "Nice one, I think you deserve a reward!"
Alice's face blushed, "Huh… maybe later hehe…"
Together, they had wiped out the guild's forces and claimed the prize for themselves.
As the dust settled, the once-deadly mist that blocked the path beyond the forest began to dissipate.
A new path, clear and inviting, opened up in its place: the full map of the world was now available for them to explore!
[The novice village 666 assessment has been completed!]
[The path to 'Dawn City', the first city, is now available!]
[Go to the 'Profession Altar' if you are level 10 to progress in your profession!!]
The system announcements were clear.
The path to Dawn City was open, and with it, the opportunity for Alex to advance in his class.
But first, he placed his palm on the [Forest Python] and used "Extraction".
[Ding! You have extracted "Fang of the Python'!]
[Fang of the Python (Epic): A powerful fang that can be used to enhance equipment. Highly durable and sharp.]
A grin spread across Alex's face as he pocketed the item in his [Advanced Backpack].
It would come in handy later, and there was no telling just how much stronger it could make his gear.
His eyes then landed on his skill list.
[Fireball has leveled up to 9… 10!]
[Rock Throw has leveled up to 6… 7!]
[Fire Storm has leveled up to 3… 4… 5!]
[Fireball Level 10; Deal 500 points of damage to target + 100% of spirit to target; consumes 10 mana; 3-second cooldown.]
[Rock Throw Level 7; create a small ball of rock that you can throw at enemy dealing 1000, chance of stunning; consumes 20 mana; 3-second cooldown]
[Fire Storm level 5; deal 60% of your spirit to enemies in a large area; consumes 100 mana; 30-second cooldown]
Ding!
[Fireball has reached level 10; it can be upgraded to 'Grand Fireball' using 10 skill points!]
…
Meanwhile, in the real world, Daniel had hosted a virtual meeting with his strongest guild members.
"He killed all of us," Daniel growled, slamming his fist on the table. "That bastard FateBreaker swooped in, stole the kill, and wiped us out!"
The guild's co-leader, a man named Vex, leaned forward, "He's strong, but he's only one player. We still control the majority of the zone. We'll track him down."
Daniel's eyes narrowed, his anger palpable, "I don't care what it takes. I want him dead. Put a bounty on his head, whatever it costs."
Vex nodded. "How much are we offering?"
"100000 dollars to whoever kills him," Daniel said through gritted teeth as this sort of money was nothing to him, "Spread the word. I want every player in the game gunning for him."
Vex smirked, "Consider it done."