The Wraithbinder
After over three hours of grinding monsters, Ethan finally reached 98% experience for Level 5 when the quest item dropped.
Nearby, Heaven's Dawn had also climbed to Level 4 and was close to Level 5. However, judging by her experience bar, she'd have to grind here until the next morning to level up.
Ethan had grown fond of the cheerful girl, and he didn't mind sharing some combat tips with her. But his time was precious. After saying a quick goodbye, he set off alone, heading toward the top of the Crowling Nest to complete his next quest.
---
Stealthily weaving through the increasingly dense clusters of Crowlings, Ethan noticed a new challenge: Crowling Scouts equipped with the enhanced perception of True Sight. If avoiding them wasn't an option, he'd engage and dispatch them swiftly before continuing.
An hour later, he arrived at the altar atop the nest.
The mountaintop was eerily silent, devoid of monsters. Ethan moved quickly, lighting the four braziers surrounding the altar. He realized the Night Owl Feather from his inventory wasn't just a collectible, it worked as a makeshift fan to stoke the flames.
"Caw... caw... Who dares disturb my slumber?"
A shadowy figure materialized in the altar's center, semi-transparent and ominous. It wielded a staff adorned with a skeletal head.
The voice growled, "Intruder, you have no place here. I shall tear you to shreds!"
Ethan cast Basic Appraisal to assess the new enemy.
[Shadow of the Crowling Chief]
Level: 10
Attack: 0
Defense: 0
Health: 1,500
Skill: Summon Crowlings (120-second chant or instant cast when health drops below 30%; summons 50–200 Crowlings randomly).
Description: The Crowling Chief sleeps in the Void Realm, preaching its doctrine through soul projections. Though its projection has no attack power, it can summon devoted followers to fight on its behalf.
---
Ding...
[Follow-up Quest Triggered: Reduce the Crowling Chief HP to 30% and escape to the Druid Camp in the Forest of Nature under the pursuit of the Crowling Army.]
Ethan pondered the possibilities. What if killing the Crowling Chief's projection triggered a rare hidden quest? No one in his previous life had mentioned it, likely because it seemed impossible.
Back then, players could barely survive the onslaught of summoned Crowlings, which triggered as soon as the boss dropped below 30% HP. The best they could do was flee.
Even high-level Druids who returned for the quest found themselves handicapped. Entering the nest automatically scaled them down to Level 6, with all equipment stats reduced to Common Iron gear. For them, the challenge was even harder than for low-level players.
Ethan calculated carefully. At 30% health, or 500 HP, he'd store enough energy for two Shreds followed by a five-star Savage Bite. This combo could kill the boss in two seconds.
The key was positioning. If the summoned Crowlings couldn't fully surround him, he might have a chance.
Ethan methodically attacked using Rake, gauging the boss's health. At 50%, he ensured his energy bar was maxed out with five energy stars.
-56, -48, -105...
Without any defense, even normal critical strikes dealt over 100 damage.
Finally, the Crowling Chief's health hit 513 HP. Ethan followed with one last Rake.
Critical Hit: -101!
The Crowling Chief shrieked, now at just 412 HP. Its shadowy body flared with crimson particles as it raised its skeletal staff.
"Arise, my faithful! Fight for me, and eternal life shall be yours!"
A dark mist erupted from the altar, signaling the summoning ritual.
Fwoosh!
—
The once-purple sky dimmed further, casting an ominous shadow over the land. The ground began to glow with countless violet circles, each one pulsing as shadowy figures emerged from within.
Ethan's quick scan confirmed it, there were over a hundred of them.
"Damn it… no choice."
He launched into action.
Savage Bite – [Completion: Good]
-145!
Shred, Shred, Savage Bite – [Completion: Good]
-98, -102, -65!
His final Savage Bite, rushed and only two-star quality, still landed a solid blow.
-65!
Two seconds had passed. The summoned Crowling Soldiers were already closing in.
The Crowling Chief health dropped to just 2 points.
Ethan gritted his teeth and struck with a basic Rake.
Critical Hit: -2 (Overkill: 43)
The Crowling Chief let out a guttural cry, its voice echoing across the nest.
"Cursed Druid! I'll remember your scent. Wait for my revenge!"
Ding...
[System Notification]
A system message appeared, but Ethan didn't have time to read it. Grabbing a glowing item from the ground, he turned and bolted.
---
Instead of running back the way he came, where the soldiers had already formed an impenetrable wall, Ethan sprinted toward the cliff behind him. This route wasn't safe either, as Crowling Soldiers were scattered across it, but he'd mapped out a path earlier with a small gap in their formation.
Even so, these soldiers moved faster than typical monsters. If he started at the same time as them, their superior speed would catch him in seconds.
Dodging a pair of scythe-like blades swung by one soldier, Ethan made it to the edge and leaped without hesitation.
Another cliff jump for survival. How coincidental.
---
With the ground still a dizzying 300 meters below, Ethan pulled out the glider he had purchased earlier for 50 silver coins.
The makeshift wings caught the wind, and he adjusted his course, gliding toward the Forest of Nature. Below him, the barrier of the Crowling Nest loomed. Once he crossed it, he'd enter the Druid Camp's sanctuary.
Seconds later, he passed through the shimmering boundary, then another. At last, he touched down safely beside Lunar Lake, his heart pounding.
He had done it. He had slain the Shadow of the Crowling Chief, a feat that eluded countless Druids in his previous life.
---
Panting, Ethan opened his inventory to inspect the item he had grabbed.
[Wraithbinder's Staff]
Tier: Dark Gold
Level Requirement: None
Attribute Requirement: 800 Intelligence
Magic Attack: 800–1200
Bonus: +800 Intelligence
Attached Skills:
Necromantic Revival: Resurrect slain creatures with 70% of their original combat power. Duration: 3 hours. Limit: 10 undead. Revived creatures do not count against summon limits. Cannot revive players but can destroy their corpses, forcing them to respawn at a graveyard.
Life Drain: Absorbs 15% of damage dealt as health.
Cataclysm: Summons a meteor shower, stunning all targets within a 50x50 meter radius for 3 seconds. The impact area burns for 30 seconds, dealing 5% max health damage per second. Damage is reduced by 40% for elite monsters, 55% for rare creatures, and 70% for bosses. Cooldown: 6 hours. Cast time: 3 minutes.
Faction Restriction: Survivor Faction
Class Restriction: Warlock
---
Ethan blinked in disbelief.
A Dark Gold-tier staff. Its stats rivaled Legendary items.
Of course, there was a catch: the Intelligence requirement. Even a pure Intelligence build Warlock wouldn't be able to wield it before Level 130 unless they had learned several passive stat-boosting skills.
He couldn't believe his luck. Slaying a Level 10 quest monster had dropped such a high-grade weapon.
But as he finally checked the system notification, any trace of joy vanished from his face. His expression froze, and he muttered under his breath.
"Damn it… I brought this on myself!"