Whispering Sage

With the final preparations complete, and his mental strength increased, Connor's combat standards have increased by leaps and bounds and he can now log onto Shattered Realms.

Materializing at the front of Omar's shop, Connor set about to amass so much gold that he'd be able to swim in it.

There are three ways in which Connor could go about in order to acquire in-game currency:

1. Make purchases at the in-game store/Sell to Players and NPC's.

2. Quests and Killing Monsters.

3. Treasure Troves.

The first option of purchasing silver, and copper coins from the store was in fact the easiest way to acquire coins in the first few days of the game.

Gold wasn't even available yet due to the starting towns not having cash flow in exchange for all the players buying gold.

Exposure to a higher currency would eventually destroy the economy of these starting towns.

A person could buy a copper coin in exchange for 1G. When buying a silver coin, the exchange rate increases 10x. The price is at 10G per silver coin.

Gold coins are the highest currency and have an abysmal drop-rate in low-level areas such as starting towns. The exchange rate is 100G per gold coin.

No one is able to crazily spend money to purchase silver coins because there is a limit to how many coins of each type are bought in total per day.

The system much wanted people to spend their time actually playing the game to earn money instead of just spending money to get high-level equipment and consumables.

Pay to win is not da wae!

The second option of obtaining all three types of currency is by killing monsters and completing quests.

Most ordinary players typically earned their money through this option. The higher one leveled up, the higher the drop-rate for gold coins to drop upon kills increases.

But, for the elite and top players and existences, they typically fight higher leveled monsters and thus acquire better items upon kills, gain more EXP, and more coins.

Not to mention the quests that they acquire, most of the time they were rewarded a hefty sum of gold coins once completed along with whatever order rewards.

And lastly, would be treasure troves often hidden in forests, caves, or other places surrounded by strong and dangerous illusion, defensive, and offensive array formations.

To make it even more difficult for the treasure hunters, creatures and monsters often guard these treasure troves as the person who left the treasures don't want their wealth taken while they were away or there only wanted a worthy person to take their wealth.

Often times, there was either a named monster of varying Ranks and Grades or even a NPC there as the boss.

Though the difficulty was high along with death, the rewards far outweighed the losses. These treasure troves often contained legacies, weapons, equipment, currency, materials, tamed monsters, and so much more.

Depending on how powerful the person that created that specific trove was, also varied in wealth.

Therefore, people often ranked the treasure troves based on how powerful the boss was.

A Rank 3 Legendary monster or Sentient Being guarding the trove meant that the treasures inside had highly valuable items inside of that specific Rank and power level.

If there was a Rank 5 High-Lord monster guarding, the items inside would be relatively valuable for a Rank 5 Player or Power.

Basically, how strong the boss is will determine the value of the loot.

Sometimes, the truly powerful would create multiple treasure troves of varying degrees. Once conquered, a treasure map for the next location would be revealed.

The entire server went nuts after the first team to conquer a treasure trove was announced. Until then, no one had any clue that such a thing existed in Shattered Realms.

That team had instantly gotten a total of 20,000GC just from the accomplishment itself.

When thinking of that, Connor's mood immediately brightens and he then makes way to the location of the treasure map.

Pulling up his system interface, Connor goes through his inventory and begins equipping items that he had not equipped before.

The first thing he equipped was a white, gothic-styled tailcoat restricted for Assassin class, a cowl that covered the majority of Connor's head was also grafted into the garment.

The entire chest and abdominal areas were interwoven with a harder material that has slightly glowing magic inscriptions on their surfaces. The rank of this particular garb is at the Rare rank.

Each Rank of equipment, accessories, weapons, and artifacts all have ranks and grades. From low to high, the ranks are:

Common, Rare, Unique, Special, Epic, Fractured Legendary, and finally, Legendary.

Also, in Shattered Realms, Creatures and Sentient Beings, and other races are graded based on the median of their bloodline/physique potential, cognitive strength potential, and combat potential.

All three of those things play a crucial role in how strong a race could possibly be if tested through time.

Currently, there are only 6 of such races at the very top of the hierarchy of races. The Players in the future monikered them as Apex Legends.

This was as a result of them having been at the Apex of all beings since the days of legends.

As for his fellow humans, Connor had not known that the humans of this era are actually classified as Lesser in the System.

Each current race is classified and given a rank. Starting from low to high, the ranks are:

Inferior, Lesser, High, Noble, Ancient, and Apex.

That information had surprised Connor back when his bloodline was being purified and the system notification appeared in his line of sight but was too distracted trying to breathe to be bothered with reading it.

'Were the humans of ancient times much stronger than us from this era? What Grade were we before? The history of Shattered Realms is vast and mysterious.'

Those thoughts gave Connor the feeling of unimportance and insouciance.

He's just one human, well, Wearh now, in the vastness of time. Who's to say anyone would remember him 3,000 years from now? Let alone a million.

Getting those thoughts out of the way, Connor began equipping other items from his inventory.

He equipped Common-ranked white boots for the Archer class, Common-ranked gray tactical pants for Assassins, Common-ranked white mage gloves, and a Rare-rank dagger for Assassins.

Based on the information from his past life, the treasure trove located in the Bankai Star Empire is about 1600km away from Kenpachi Town.

To travel over a thousand miles on foot would take Connor too long. The other Players would have already beaten him to the treasure trove.

***

Connor stood at the edge of the Whispering Lands, a dirt land that would make people of lesser cognitive strength go mad, once he'd gotten off the carriage he had paid for three hours ago. His preparations were complete and he was ready to make his way to the treasure trove.

The treasure map indicated coordinates deep within the forest where the ruins of an ancient temple lay hidden. The treasure trove was said to be located within these ruins and guarded by powerful creatures with intricate magic formations.

Taking a deep breath, he activated the scroll. A bright light enveloped him, and in an instant, he was transported to the outskirts of the forest. The dense trees towered above him, their leaves whispering secrets as the wind rustled through them. Also, the air was thick with the scent of moss and earth.

Connor took a moment to get his bearings, checking his map and the position of the sun. The treasure trove was said to be located within the ruined temple, guarded by powerful creatures and protected by intricate magic formations.

He adjusted his gear, ensuring everything was in place. His newly acquired Rare-ranked dagger was securely fastened at his side, and his cowl was pulled up to shield his face.

With Luminous Night activated, his appearance was an ominously dark, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Connor ventured deeper into the land, it soon became a densely packed forest of wild plant life. Gradually, the sounds of wildlife became sparse, replaced by an eerie silence. His senses were on high alert, every shadow and movement scrutinized for potential threats. After a few hours of navigating the dense foliage, he finally reached a clearing where the entrance to the ruins was supposed to be.

Before him stood the remnants of an ancient temple, partially reclaimed by nature. Vines and moss covered the crumbling stone walls, and the once-grand entrance was now little more than a dark, foreboding archway. Faint runes glowed along the stonework which hinted at the magic that still lingered within them.

Connor approached cautiously while examining the area for any hidden traps or defensive arrays. Using his enhanced vision from the World Synchronicity, he detected the faint outlines of magical inscriptions etched into the stone. He recognized the patterns as high-level defensive and illusive formations designed to fool and deter intruders.

'This is going to be tricky,' Connor muttered, kneeling down to get a closer look.

Drawing upon his knowledge of magic arrays, he began to carefully dismantle the defenses. It was a slow and meticulous process, requiring precision and patience. As he worked, he could feel the ambient mana shifting.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally disabled the last of the formations. The runes flickered and then dimmed, allowing him to pass through the archway unharmed.

Inside, the temple was a circuitry of ruined hallways and chambers with the walls adorned and faded murals depicting ancient battles and rituals. The air was thick with the scent of decay and the faint hum of residual magic.

When Connor ventured deeper, he encountered the first of many monsters guarding the. Near the entrance, hundreds of low-level monsters roamed the corridors—goblins, skeletal warriors, and giant spiders. These creatures posed little challenge to Connor, and he dispatched them quickly with his Rare-ranked dagger and Luminous Night activated.

However, the further he progressed, the stronger the monsters became. Mid-level beasts like werewolves and ogres patrolled the central chambers, their glowing eyes tracking his movements. Connor moved with precision, using his agility and enhanced senses to easily outmaneuver and outfight each foe.

The true "challenge" awaited him in the heart of the temple. After hours of battling through waves of increasingly powerful monsters, Connor reached the inner sanctum. A vast chamber awaited him, the ceiling supported by massive pillars covered in ancient runes. In the center stood a colossal stone door, its surface glowing with intricate magical symbols.

Guarding the door was the final challenge—a Level 78 Rank 2 High Lord monster. The creature was massive, towering over Connor with its hulking frame.

Its skin was covered in thick, spiked armor, and its eyes burned with a fierce intelligence.

[Guardian: High Lord Gargoyle]

[Rank: 2]

[Grade: High Lord]

[HP: 700,000]

[Skills: Earthquake Stomp, Iron Skin, Berserk Rage]

Connor knew this would be the toughest battle yet. He readied himself as his heart pounding in his chest. With a deep breath, he activated Luminous Night, the light from his weapons contrasted against the dark chamber.

The High Lord Gargoyle let out a roar, shaking the very foundations of the temple. It charged at Connor with surprising speed for its size, the ground trembling beneath its massive feet.

Connor dodged the initial charge, rolling to the side and coming up with his dagger ready. He slashed at the creature's leg, but his blade barely scratched its iron-like skin.

-8,345

'Its much more durable than expected. With the big difference in Rank, there's no surprise why I'm not flint much damage. Even with my strength, it's not enough to quickly finish the battle where this creature has such high damage reduction and is a High Lord.' Connor reminds himself, noting how he was quickly adjusted to becoming too powerful to remember such nuances of the game.

The High Lord retaliated with a powerful stomp, the ground cracking and sending shockwaves that knocked Connor off his feet.

Connor quickly regained his footing, his mind racing for a strategy. He needed to find a weak spot, something he could exploit. The creature's eyes seemed to be the most vulnerable target, but getting close enough would be a challenge.

Using his enhanced agility, Connor darted around the chamber, avoiding the High Lord's powerful strikes. He launched a series of quick attacks, aiming for the joints and softer areas of its body. Each hit chipped away at its massive health pool. Eventually, Connor had gotten its health down to a low at 10% of its max HP.

The High Lord activated Berserk Rage, its movements becoming even more frenzied and unpredictable. Connor barely managed to dodge a wild swing that would have surely done some damage.. He knew he had to end this quickly.

Gathering his strength, Connor prepared for a final, decisive strike. He waited for the right moment, watching the High Lord's movements carefully. When it lunged at him with a roar, he leaped forward, driving his dagger into its eye with all his might.

The creature let out a deafening roar of pain, thrashing wildly as it tried to dislodge the blade.

Connor held on, his grip firm as he twisted the dagger deeper. With a final, powerful thrust, he pierced the creature's brain, and it collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash.

[You have defeated a High Lord Gargoyle.]

[Rewards: 50,000 EXP, 100 GC, High Lord Material: Gargoyle's Iron Skin, Skill Stone: Berserk Rage]

Connor let out a sigh of relief, his body trembling from the exertion. Light surrounded his body four times before stopping.

'I'll need to go and complete my Rank Quest. Otherwise, I won't be able to go past Level 20.'

Connor collected the loot and approached the massive stone door. With the High Lord defeated, the runes on the door dimmed, and it slowly creaked open.

Before he steps through the door, a sound of footsteps hitting the ground at a fast pace could be heard from a half a mile away. Those footsteps, Connor knows, are the original finders of this treasure time.

When Connor stepped inside the magic doorway, the treasure room is filled with gold, jewels, and ancient artifacts. The sight took his breath away. He had done it—he had reached the treasure trove.

Even during his time in the future, Connor had never seen any level of wealth like this.

Once fully inside, a system notification appeared before him:

[You have discovered the Treasure Trove, Temple of the Ancient Whispering Sage.]

[Rewards: 200,000 EXP, 20,000 GC, Special Artifact: Ring of the Ancients, Rare Materials: Mana Crystals, Ancient Runes]