Blackwind Stronghold Chieftain

Opening his inventory, Ethan Carter examined the newly acquired loot…

[Frost Spirit Staff] (Bronze-tier)

Magic Attack +160

Magic Penetration +10%

Ice Magic Damage +5%

Bonus Attributes: Intelligence +24, Spirit +22

Requirement: Mage

[Flame Bracer] (Bronze-tier)

Magic Attack +80

Mana +200

Fire Magic Damage +5%

Cooldown Reduction +5%

Bonus Attributes: Intelligence +21, Agility +20

Requirement: Mage, Priest

Staring at the two pieces of gear, Ethan licked his lips. To be honest, these were undoubtedly some of the best items currently available in the game. Even his own Bronze-tier equipment couldn't compare—after all, these were dropped by a Level 20 boss.

The remaining three Black Iron-tier items were also for Mages: a helmet, boots, and a belt. Since none of them suited him, Ethan couldn't even be bothered to check their stats.

"I wonder if Missy can afford all of this," Ethan muttered. If she could, she'd undoubtedly become the strongest Mage in Golden Ridge City, her gear even surpassing his own.

After some thought, Ethan sent a message to Sophia Mueller: "Missy, is your wallet heavy enough?"

Sophia: "What do you mean?"

Ethan simply sent her the stat screenshots of all five items.

Sophia: "!!!"

Sophia: "How much? I'll take them all!"

Ethan rubbed his chin as he read her response. This girl was seriously loaded. She hadn't even hesitated.

He checked the auction house's recent sales. The only Bronze-tier item previously sold was the one he listed, which went for 180,000. There were no other Bronze-tier transactions to compare. However, Black Iron-tier gear prices had dropped slightly, now selling between 40,000 and 60,000.

After some quick calculations, Ethan replied: "Bronze weapon: 180,000. Bracer: 160,000. Black Iron gear: 60,000 each."

These prices were more than fair, considering the items' stats were superior to what was currently available.

Sophia: "You're undervaluing them. These are worth more."

Ethan rolled his eyes. This girl and her pride. He replied, "If I put them on the auction house, sure, I'd probably get a bit more. But with the insane transaction fees, I'd end up with even less. Quit stalling, Missy. If you don't want them, I'll list them now."

The moment he sent that message, a trade request popped up on his screen. Sophia had already input 550,000 in the trade window—an extra 10,000 on top of his asking price.

Ethan shrugged and completed the deal. If she insisted on throwing extra money at him, who was he to refuse?

With another 550,000 in his pocket, Ethan felt ecstatic. He then checked the rest of his spoils. The scroll he picked up was a [Teleportation Scroll], which allowed him to record a location and instantly teleport back to it. Pretty useful.

As for the last item, it was something he hadn't seen before…

[Spirit Fruit]

Effect: Permanently increases Spirit +10 upon consumption.

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Ethan grinned. Permanent attribute boosts were always a big deal. Since he had been running low on mana, he didn't hesitate to eat it immediately. His Spirit stat increased to 52, boosting his Mana pool to 680.

With everything settled, there was only one thing left to do.

Ethan turned his gaze toward the largest building in the stronghold—the chieftain's residence. Without hesitation, he made his way toward it.

Just as he reached the entrance, a deep, irritated voice echoed from within.

"Who gave you permission to come up here? I've told you already—no one steps foot inside without my approval!"

"…Damn, someone thinks he's a big deal." Ethan smirked and kicked the door open without a second thought.

"Who the hell wants to die? You dare interrupt me?!"

As the angry voice roared, a scar-faced middle-aged man stormed into view, his face filled with fury. But upon seeing Ethan, he hesitated for a moment.

"Who the hell are you? Where did you come from?"

Taking advantage of the brief pause, Ethan cast Insight on him immediately.

[Blackwind Warlord] (Silver-tier Boss)

Level: 20

Health: 500,000

Physical Attack: 1,300

Physical Defense: 650

Magic Defense: 420

Attack Speed: 100%

Movement Speed: 180

Skill 1: Soul Devour – Slashes the target with a dagger, dealing 170% physical damage and converting 30% of the damage into health restoration. Cooldown: 30 seconds.

Skill 2: Crushing Blow – Strikes the target with the hilt of the dagger, dealing 160% physical damage and silencing them for 3 seconds, preventing skill usage. Cooldown: 1 minute.

Skill 3: Weak Point Rupture – Slashes the target's weak point, ignoring all defenses and guaranteeing a critical hit. Cooldown: 3 minutes.

"Sorry to disturb you." Ethan spun around and bolted, wasting no time in making his escape. He needed to process this—this guy's stats were way beyond what he expected.

"Trying to run?" The warlord wasn't about to let Ethan go that easily and immediately gave chase. Thankfully, Ethan was fast enough to escape Blackwind Stronghold's perimeter, forcing the boss to stop pursuing him.

"Phew... Good thing I ran fast enough. But damn, this guy's speed is insane! The strategist only had 95 movement speed, but this guy has a ridiculous 180!"

The Blackwind Warlord was a complete monster. His physical attack was a staggering 1,300, a whole 400 points higher than the strategist's, making him absolutely terrifying. But there was some good news—this warlord was an assassin-type boss, meaning he had insane single-target burst but no ranged or area-of-effect skills.

Bosses like this were nightmares in direct combat, but they were actually easier to kite. Ethan had no intention of trading blows. He'd hit and run, over and over. The warlord's attack speed was two strikes per second, which meant Ethan only had to take either two normal attacks or one skill attack per venom application. Compared to spellcasting bosses, this was a much better fight for him.

He ran some quick calculations. The warlord's most dangerous skill was Weak Point Rupture, which ignored defense and guaranteed a critical hit. That meant a single hit would deal at least 2,600 damage—a terrifying amount, but it still wouldn't one-shot him.

The real question was whether the warlord could follow up with a normal attack right after using it. With his attack speed, it was definitely possible. Just to be safe, Ethan pulled out an item he'd been hoarding: [Life Elixir], which temporarily increased his maximum health by 30% for 30 minutes.

After using it, Ethan's max health jumped to 3,961—just shy of 4,000. Even if he got hit by Weak Point Rupture plus a normal attack, he'd survive.

After finalizing his battle plan, Ethan activated Stealth and returned to Blackwind Stronghold. Sure enough, the warlord was still there, pacing furiously.

"Hmph, you think you can chase me? Let's see who's hunting who now."

Ethan carefully crept forward, but before he even got close, the warlord snapped his head toward him, his eyes narrowing as he raised his daggers defensively.

"Shit, he's that sharp? Stealth is getting less and less reliable." Ethan grumbled. Realizing there was no point in sneaking anymore, he burst into a sprint and slashed twice before immediately turning to flee.

"So it's you, insect!"

Ethan was incredibly fast, but the warlord's reaction was just as quick. A dagger flashed—a normal attack connected—and then a Weak Point Rupture struck him in the back.

"-1,034"

"-2,600" CRIT!

"Damn, that hurts." Good thing he had used the Life Elixir, or he'd already be dead. His guess had been right—the warlord could chain a normal attack into Weak Point Rupture in mere moments. That meant while the skill itself was melee range, it had a slightly longer reach than normal attacks.

Ethan didn't stop running. There was no way he could take another hit. That kind of damage was absurd!

He chugged a [Large Health Potion], restoring some health, and let his passive regeneration do the rest. Looking over his shoulder at the warlord still chasing him, he grinned.

"Speed really is king."

And so, the hit-and-run battle began. To play it safe, Ethan stuck to a two-hit cycle while using Sprint and a one-hit cycle without it.

Meanwhile, the Blackwind Warlord was beyond frustrated. This damn insect kept darting around like a flea, always staying just out of reach. If only he had one ranged attack—just one!

At this point, he was starting to regret picking the assassin class.