Chapter 30: New Skills

Guild Setup Rules:

A player at Level 20 with Reputation ≥ 500 could pay the government 50,000 gold coins to establish a Mercenary Group.

The number of members the group could host equaled the leader’s Reputation divided by ten.

If the group leader’s Reputation exceeded 1,000, they could apply to form a Guild, provided they also held a Guild Creation Token and paid 1,000,000 gold coins. Upon approval, the Mercenary Group upgraded into a Guild, and the leader became the Guild Master.

The government would then grant the Guild a 1,000-square-meter territory, along with fifty randomly generated plot options. If none suited the Guild, they could request a new set of plots the following week. Once a plot was selected, though, it was permanent.

Expanding territory came at a steep cost; 1,000 gold coins per square meter.

A Guild’s total membership capacity equaled the Guild Master’s Reputation score, though more members could be added for 300 gold coins per head.

Most importantly, the Guild Master’s Reputation affected everything, from the morale of members to the defensive power of the territory and even the Guild’s combat buffs during large-scale wars.

—

Marcus leaned back, exhaling softly. ’Not too bad. I could start a Guild now if I wanted.’

But he wasn’t interested. Dealing with guild drama, politics, and finances sounded like a nightmare. He preferred to do his own thing, even if that meant letting his hard-earned Reputation sit idle.

He scrolled to the next leaderboard.

—

Wealth Leaderboard:

1. CryptoWarlord – 9943 Gold

2. InfernoFiend001 – 9612 Gold

3. CarterPrime – 9518 Gold

4. Hexium – 9510 Gold

5. ThreeleafDad – 9535 Gold

6. PantherTech – 9439 Gold

7. SoulfireBlade – 9259 Gold

8. GoldDiggerIRL – 9251 Gold

9. DemonicDragon – 8982 Gold

10. GimmeABlade – 8805 Gold

—

Marcus whistled under his breath. ’Damn. Four days in, and these guys are already sitting on a gold mine.’ Even so, he couldn’t help feeling a little envious. Those players either had insane luck or were no-lifing the grind.

Still, this was only the beginning. In a month, when the gold-to-cash exchange system opened, the Wealth Leaderboard would truly explode. That’s when the real players would reveal themselves, the ones aiming not just for glory, but for profit.

Across Dominion, competition was reaching a fever pitch. Every leaderboard; Strength, Reputation, Wealth, had become a battlefield of its own. This was the golden hour, the proving ground for those bold enough to stake their claim at the top.

And Marcus intended to stay there.

He didn’t waste any time. His first stop was the potion shop, where he restocked his supplies, then he headed straight to the Guild Hall to find Captain Markos and learn the Level 20 Knight skills, Double Strike and Shield Guard.

As the first player to officially advance to the Knight class, Marcus was lucky enough to receive personal training from Captain Markos, free of charge. It was a pleasant surprise and a rare privilege.

“Captain, I’m here,” Marcus said, approaching with a respectful nod. “I’ve reached Level 20 and I’m ready to learn the new Knight skills. I hope you can grant them to me.”

“Stonehaven, is that you?” Markos’s face lit up with approval. “You’ve already reached Level 20. I suspected the top player on the Experts Leaderboard was you. Excellent. It seems a true hero is rising in our ranks.”

“Haha, you flatter me, Captain. It’s all thanks to your guidance,” Marcus replied with a modest smile.

A system notification chimed.

Ding! Stonehaven, Captain Markos is about to teach you Knight skills. Do you wish to learn?

“Learn.”

“For the glory of the Knights!” Captain Markos roared, his hands glowing as a flash of light surged from his palms into Marcus’s body.

Ding! Player Stonehaven has been guided by the Knight Captain and has learned the skill Double Strike.

Ding! Player Stonehaven has been guided by the Knight Captain and has learned the skill Shield Guard.

Double Strike: Level 1 (0/3000). Active skill. Requirement: Level 20 Knight. Costs 20 MP. Attacks the enemy twice in quick succession. Attack +50.

Shield Guard: Level 1 (0/3000). Active skill. Requirement: Level 20 Knight. Costs 50 MP. Defense increases by 10%. Duration: 3 minutes.

“Thank you, Captain,” Marcus said sincerely.

“Stonehaven, how is Merchant Reginald’s quest progressing? Can you complete it?”

“Captain, I’m heading there now. I’ll have it done soon.”

It was a Unique Quest, after all, and Marcus was determined to finish it before anyone else could claim the reward, or before the Captain decided to revoke it.

“Good. Go and get it done, Stonehaven,” Markos said firmly.

With his preparations complete, Marcus activated the Wanderlust skill. A soft light wrapped around him, and in the blink of an eye, his figure vanished, reappearing at the entrance of the Black Rock Spire.

The Wanderlust skill, a gift from the Golden War Bear Charla, was proving invaluable. Without it, the trip to the Spire would have taken at least half an hour. At Level 20, he could now set two teleportation points, which gave him a huge advantage. He couldn’t help but recall how he had once dismissed the skill, almost skipping the chance to learn it. The thought still made him wince.

He bypassed the Skeleton Fighters on the first floor and made his way directly toward the entrance of the second floor.

Ding! Stonehaven, this is the second floor of the Black Rock Spire. Do you wish to enter?

“Yes.”

He activated Shield Guard, and a faint shimmer covered his body as he stepped through the glowing entrance.

Marcus had ventured into the second floor once before, back when he was only Level 18. The monsters had been too strong then, forcing him to retreat in frustration. But now, at Level 20 and wearing the full Skeleton Set, he felt confident. The Zombies and Dark Sorcerers that had once intimidated him would now fall easily. Anything less would be an embarrassment for someone aiming to be a top-tier player.

-30, -20, -30…

The moment he appeared, attacks flew at him from every direction. A dozen Zombies and Dark Sorcerers had gathered near the entrance, instantly charging at the intruder.

He checked the damage and chuckled. ’Pfft. Pathetic’. This was where the Knight class truly shined; high defense, high health, and the ability to stand firm under relentless assault.

He raised his sword and used Insight to identify the enemies:

Zombie: Level 25. HP: 1500. Attack includes Poison Damage, causing continuous bleeding. Skill: Bloodlust (Drains player’s blood to restore its own health). Description: Corpses corrupted by dark energy, slowly turning into mindless killing machines.

Dark Sorcerer: Level 25. HP: 1200. Attack includes Dark Element Damage, which can cause blindness. Skill: Dark Fireball, Frenzy (Increases Attack Power). These are the bodies of deceased mages, corrupted by dark energy into shadowy Dark Sorcerers who prefer to ambush opponents from the darkness.

’Alright, my turn.’

Having gauged their strength, Marcus gripped his Skeleton Blade and lunged forward. His sword danced through a deadly rhythm of Slash, Heavy Strike, and Double Strike, all aimed at the nearest Zombie.

-350, -400, -700!

A cascade of crimson numbers floated above the Zombie’s head. His attack power finally felt substantial; a far cry from his earlier struggles. The frequent critical hits only fueled his excitement.

Even compared to high-Attack Fighters, his damage wasn’t far behind, and that realization sent a thrill through him. At last, he was hitting hard enough to be feared.

’This is what I call payback.’

At Level 18, these same Zombies and Dark Sorcerers had driven him out of the dungeon in humiliation. Now, just two levels higher and wearing his full Level 20 gear, he had completely turned the tables. The difference was staggering, and it felt good, satisfyingly good.

-400, -430, -800!

After wiping out the nearby Zombies, Marcus turned his attention to the Dark Sorcerers lurking behind them. They were annoying pests, constantly launching Dark Fireballs from a distance. Their attacks were fast, precise, and they always used the Zombies as shields, forcing him to fight through layers of defense before reaching them.

But once he closed the gap, they crumbled easily. Their defenses were paper-thin, their health pitiful. He cut them down one after another, watching his experience bar rise in satisfying bursts.

When the last Sorcerer fell, Marcus used Advanced Gathering on the remains.

Ding! Congratulations, Player Stonehaven, you have obtained Rotten Flesh. Advanced Gathering proficiency increased.

Rotten Flesh: Low-level material. Can be used to craft poisons.

Ding! Congratulations, Player Stonehaven, you have obtained Dark Sorcerer Crystal. Advanced Gathering proficiency increased.

Dark Sorcerer Crystal: A crystalline substance formed from dark energy absorbed by the Dark Sorcerer. Not particularly useful, but can be used in weapon forging to add a small amount of Dark Element Damage.

’Ugh. Just trash.’ He sighed. As expected of low-level mobs, their loot was worthless. Still, with his massive bag capacity, he figured he might as well gather everything to level up his skill.

The Zombies and Dark Sorcerers were barely a challenge now, and their experience gain was too good to ignore. Marcus carefully used Taunt to lure them one by one, cutting through the groups at a steady pace. Every few minutes, another section of the floor was cleared.

He pushed deeper into the second floor of the Black Rock Spire, his armor splattered with dark blood and his blade gleaming in the dim light. Wherever he went, silence followed, the kind that only comes after battle.

The second floor stretched on endlessly, but unlike the first, it wasn’t a maze. The corridors twisted and turned yet always led forward. After nearly an hour of fighting and walking, Marcus arrived at a small chamber ahead.

The room was crowded with monsters, and at the far end shimmered a swirling portal of black mist. He immediately recognized it. That must be the entrance to the third floor.

But something about the monsters inside caught his eye. A few of them looked different; bigger, stronger, more dangerous.

He activated Insight.

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