The Solo Player

A searing hiss echoed across the molten plains as the Flame Serpent collapsed, its crimson scales dissolving into scattered digital light. Highreach Lupus lowered his longbow, barely acknowledging the valuable loot dropping onto the charred soil. His eyes were locked onto the video file blinking in his interface, sent moments ago by Highreach Guard.

He opened it.

The footage played. Lupus stood frozen in the middle of the grinding zone, the ambient heat of the fiery terrain fading from his awareness.

"Such ridiculous damage," Lupus murmured, his voice tight with disbelief.

He rewound the clip, analyzing every frame of Varek's combat. As a top-tier archer himself, Lupus understood the punishing mechanics of Dusk of Divine Lords. The physics engine was merciless. Momentum, terrain friction, physical stamina, and nerve feedback made shooting on the move a nightmare. Yet the figure in the video glided through the forest like a ghost, unleashing arrows with robotic precision.

"How could anyone move so smoothly with kiting at this stage?"

The footwork was immaculate. There was zero hesitation, zero wasted stamina. Every backward step perfectly anticipated the monster's lunges.

Lupus snapped out of his daze and opened his guild communications. He pulled up the private channel for his recruitment officers.

"Find the archer in Guard's video," Lupus ordered, his tone brokering no argument. "Whatever it takes, track this person down. We need them in Highreach."

A brief pause echoed on the other end before an officer replied, "Guildmaster, what's our ceiling for negotiations?"

"I will offer an annual salary of ten million," Lupus declared.

Silence hung on the channel as the sheer weight of that astronomical bounty settled in. Lupus meant every word.

Deep within the dense, emerald foliage of the Novice Settlement, the rhythmic thrum of a bowstring dictated the pace of life and death. Another Warped Treant groaned, its bark shattering as Varek’s final arrow pierced its core.

A crisp chime broke the forest's ambient noise. A faint glow pulsed in the trampled grass. Varek walked over and scooped up the loot.

Treant Shoulder Guard: Common.

Requirements: Level 10 for all classes.

Effect: Health +200.

Durability: 100.

Varek inspected the stats and turned toward his client. "Do you want this?"

Guard stared at the shoulder guard, swallowing hard. "Yes. But Glacial King, the price can't be the same as the ring, right?" He mentally calculated his dwindling real-world funds, hoping to avoid another massive financial bloodletting.

"Three thousand," Varek said flatly.

Common shoulder guards dropped with fair regularity, making them far less valuable than a specialized accessory. "Deal," Guard replied, exhaling a breath of relief.

Varek confirmed the transaction without a shift in expression. He only required this initial surge of capital to guarantee his sister's surgery and secure their immediate daily living expenses. He knew the truth of this incoming era: real-world currency was on a ticking clock. Soon, society's infrastructure would shift, and cash would become worthless paper. From this point forward, his focus would transition toward bartering exclusively for high-value in-game items.

Suddenly, a booming, golden voice cascaded from the digital sky, echoing across every zone in the server.

Server-wide Announcement: Congratulations to player 'Wrath Warmonger' for being the first to reach the main city. Reward: Gold +500, a Black Iron-class set for the player's class +1, a class skill book +1, and Attribute Points +50. This announcement is made with the hope that all players will continue to strive forward.

Guard stared at the sky, his jaw slack. "Whoa! So fast! Wrath Warmonger has already hit level 10. And those rewards... fifty attribute points and a Black Iron set?"

Varek didn't even glance up. He drew another arrow, his predatory focus unbroken. Let the early birds rush. To his veteran mind, sprinting to the main city was a fool's errand. The Novice Settlement was an irreplaceable, one-time treasure trove packed with hidden benefits and unique stats. Leaving now meant locking those doors forever. In his past life, he had watched countless top-tier players weep over the unrecoverable advantages they threw away just to see the main city a few days early.

"Glacial King, you're so skilled," Guard said, watching Varek nock an arrow. "Which guild do you belong to?"

"Solo player."

Guard blinked. "Solo?"

No guild backing? No massive resource funnel? Guard's mind raced, piecing the clues together. The flawless mechanics, the indifference to server firsts, the sheer tactical dominance. He came to a silent, awestruck conclusion. Varek had to be an ancient god—one of those legendary veterans from the older keyboard-and-mouse games. Their tactical game sense was unparalleled, but physical hand speed limits had forced them into retirement. Now, in a full-sensory virtual world driven by mental acuity and data, this ancient god's skills translated perfectly, unchained from physical limits.

A golden pillar of light enveloped Varek.

Ding! You have reached level 4, Attribute Points +5.

Without a second thought, Varek dumped all five points straight into his attack speed. The crucial stat bumped to 0.93. His health pool surged past the thousand mark, and the raw damage of his basic attacks scaled up.

—448

He chipped away the massive Treants with a noticeably increasing, deadly efficiency. Five arrows per kill now. He was inching ever closer to a four-arrow lethal threshold.

The underbrush suddenly snapped. A hulking shadow tore through the thicket. This beast was twice the size of the standard monsters, its bark slick with a dark, venomous sap.

Warped Treant (Elite): Level 10.

HP: 5,700/5,700.

Attack: 49.

Skills: Revival, Vine Whirlwind, Vine Bind.

Seeing the bloated health pool and the dangerous new crowd-control skills, Guard drew his weapon and stepped forward. Thanks to his heavy financial investments, he boasted luxurious early-game defensive stats. "Glacial King, do you want me to tank for you?"

"No need," Varek dismissed him effortlessly.

He held his ground. The Elite roared, lunging forward with a sweep of its thick branches. Varek moved. His flawless kiting went to work. He wove his movements perfectly between his rapid shots, sidestepping a deadly Vine Bind that erupted from the soil just inches from his boots.

—449

Thirteen arrows. That was all it took. The hulking elite beast crashed into the dirt before it could even close half the distance to Varek.

Ding! You killed an Elite-level Warped Treant, experience points +321.

A massive chunk of experience filled Varek’s progression bar. Even Guard, leeching from the party system, soaked up a hefty thirty-two points.

As the elite dissolved, more server-wide system announcements painted the sky, continuously broadcasting the names of other top players arriving at the main city.

Guard watched the sky, intense envy twisting his features. "My losses are huge," he muttered, regretting the time spent lingering in the low-level zone.

Varek ignored his client's whining. His gaze remained locked on the elite's corpse. Amidst the coins, a sturdy chest piece gleamed.

Treant Armor (Elite): Level 10.

Effect 1: Magic Resistance +10.

Effect 2: Health +500.

Durability: 100.

Varek snatched it from the grass and casually tossed it directly to the warrior. The heavy armor thudded against Guard's chest.

"If you hunt enough Elite Warped Treants, you'll complete a full Treant set," Varek instructed him.

Guard's eyes immediately lit up with sheer excitement, his previous envy vanishing into thin air. "Glacial King, you're awesome! I thought you were going offline earlier and feared you'd run away."

Varek offered no response, turning his bow back toward the treeline. Over the next hour, Varek aggressively capitalized on the Novice Settlement's rapid monster respawn rates. He tore through the forest like a localized force of nature. The rhythmic slaughter was relentless, pushing him straight to Level 6. His vital attack speed stat surged to an impressive 1.13.

Through the unbroken carnage, he managed to secure three more pieces of the coveted Treant gear, tossing them all to Highreach Guard. A player could equip up to thirteen pieces of equipment, covering main categories like boots, a heart shield, armor, a helmet, a cloak, dual rings, a necklace, dual shoulder guards, and dual pants. Guard already held four pieces, but he still needed nine more. It was widely known among veterans as the undisputed strongest guard warrior armor set available anywhere before level twenty.