24: The Hidden Questline

Upon receiving Blackshade's message, Drake was left with mixed emotions.

On one hand, he was thrilled.

Blackshade's casual tone made it clear—any equipment he couldn't use would likely be sold to Drake first.

This meant a huge advantage for Iron Fist Alliance, accelerating their rise and giving them a solid chance at claiming the title of ExoGenesis' top guild.

On the other hand, he was utterly stunned by Blackshade's composure.

ExoGenesis was a virtual reality game with fixed first-person perspective for realism.

Facing a 20-meter-tall giant in this immersive environment would be a nerve-wracking experience for anyone.

Drake imagined himself in Blackshade's position:

The overwhelming presence of such a colossal creature, combined with the helpless feeling of being unable to dodge a flying boulder, would leave anyone panicked.

Yet Blackshade was utterly calm, as if it were just another routine task.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Drake responded quickly:

"I've got at least a small fortune ready. Just say the word, and I'll transfer it immediately."

Blackshade's reply came back almost instantly:

"No need for that much. These are just level-10 items—you won't even be able to use them for now."

Hearing this, Drake panicked slightly.

"Don't worry about that! I'll grind levels as hard as I can. Just let me know when you've got gear for me—I'll buy it all, no questions asked."

Tristan, now multitasking between dodging Jerobi's boulders and maintaining his attack rhythm, sent back a simple reply:

"Alright."

From the shadows, Tristan observed Jerobi's powerless rage with quiet satisfaction.

"All that power and defense… but it's useless if you can't hit your target."

His Shadow Assassin build, with its unique ranged capabilities, was proving to be a nightmare for the Obsidian Lord.

"If I'd picked a standard archer class instead, I'd probably be the one scrambling for my life right now."

He smirked, reassured by his decision to choose Shadow Assassin.

As his mind wandered, Tristan allowed himself a brief moment of fantasy.

"If Damien Arrow reappears in the future and gets hit by one of my daggers… I'd love to see the look on his face."

Of course, such thoughts were premature.

Right now, he hadn't even left the novice village, let alone encountered Damien.

Returning his focus, Tristan mentally reviewed his plan:

Finish off Jerobi, the Obsidian Lord. Activate the hidden dungeon at the cliff base. Use it to lure the Wolf King into the dungeon.

Tristan's knowledge of this hidden questline came from his past life.

Without prior experience, no one would ever guess that the Wolf King and Jerobi were connected.

To be precise, there was a pivotal intermediary step bridging the two.

"Once Jerobi is defeated, the hidden dungeon will activate, providing the conditions necessary to drive the Wolf King into it."

Tristan took advantage of a cooldown period to mentally revisit the entire questline.

The chain began with Cole Hunter's hunting quest.

This quest had two versions: a public version available to all players and a hidden version accessible only to those who completed specific prerequisites.

The hidden version, which Tristan was currently on, had rewarded him with Beast Skull.

The public version was simpler. Any player who reached level 3 could accept a hunting task from Cole Hunter, requiring them to kill a set number of wild boars, wild bulls, and wolves. Once complete, it would culminate in a final mission to hunt the Wolf King.

Naturally, the public version did not include the Beast Skull as a reward, as it was a unique item.

Regardless of the quest version, players could trigger the hidden follow-up quest by avoiding killing the Wolf King outright.

Instead, they had to chase it toward the cliff, where it would leap into the dungeon entrance.

"It sounds absurd, but that's how the questline is designed."

Once inside the dungeon, the Wolf King's escape would set off a chain of events leading to the emergence of the hidden boss: the Revived Vampire Baron.

Tristan glanced briefly toward the novice village, a shadow passing over his eyes.

Who would have thought that the village chief, trusted by all, was actually a puppet of the Vampire Baron?

"If ExoGenesis were just a game, I'd commend the devs for their clever world-building and intricate questlines."

"But it's not."

This questline represented the vampires' resurgence.

When ExoGenesis merged with reality, the vampires had treated Terra as nothing more than an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The memory of that blood-soaked era left a bitter taste in Tristan's mouth.

"This time, I won't let history repeat itself."

Shaking off the weight of his thoughts, Tristan refocused on the task at hand.

"Jerobi, you'll be the stepping stone for my rise."

A flying dagger flashed out from the shadows, striking Jerobi's exposed weak point.

-6356! (Weak Spot Attack)

Enraged, Jerobi slammed its fists into the ground, causing massive tremors.

But Tristan was already out of range, completely unharmed.

While Tristan danced in and out of the shadows, other players weren't nearly as fortunate.

News of the Silver Grade boss had spread like wildfire, drawing countless players to the Granite Hills.

Some were optimistic about landing a lucky hit.

Others came simply to spectate the spectacle.

But rational players, upon hearing that Blackshade was present, turned back immediately.

"No point wasting my time. If Blackshade's involved, this boss is as good as his."

Of course, there were always the reckless few who believed in defying the odds.

Most didn't even make it past the wild boars or Granite Giants on the way.

Those who reached the boss didn't fare much better, getting pulverized by Jerobi's devastating attacks.

Ten minutes later, Jerobi's health had dropped below 50%.

Ninety-nine percent of the damage had come from Tristan alone, securing him exclusive rights to the loot.

Drake, observing from a safe distance, heaved a sigh of relief.

The gear was practically in the bag.

With Jerobi's attributes, it was almost guaranteed to drop some defensive equipment.

Though Drake couldn't use it yet, reaching level 10 would solve that problem.

Glancing at his companions, Drake puffed out his chest smugly.

"If I hadn't insisted we grind at the wild boar plains, we'd have never met Blackshade. And now look at us—on the verge of getting Silver Grade gear!"

He waited expectantly for his team's praise, even tilting his head upward for dramatic effect.

The archer and assassin, long familiar with Drake's antics, exchanged tired looks and remained silent.

Only Sophie, ever the diplomat, played along.

"Boss, you're truly a visionary."

Drake burst into laughter, clapping his hands.

"Excellent! Sophie, remind me to have the finance team give you a two-month bonus!"

The archer and assassin, unwilling to be outdone, quickly chimed in unison:

"Boss, you're the best!"