34: First Kill of the Dungeon!

As the final boss of Crimson Tomb, Kampakro's combat strength is quite formidable.

His skill combo of Shadow Shift and Frenzied Blade, a two-hit chain, is enough to instantly kill any unprepared ranged DPS.

However, this doesn't mean melee fighters are safe.

In the absence of ranged targets, Kampakro will still use Frenzied Blade, and the reaction time left for melee players is minimal—one wrong move and they're dead on the spot.

His magical shield is also highly effective against spellcasters.

On top of that, he summons minions during dinner time, increasing the pressure on the main tank. He's the very definition of a rogue boss.

But in front of Tristan, even such a strong boss couldn't put up much of a fight.

There was nothing to be done—Tristan's playstyle was just too cheesy.

After dealing damage, he would immediately Stealth, causing Kampakro to angrily roar, but he couldn't do a thing about it.

This was the first time Kampakro had encountered such a troublesome opponent.

As time passed, Kampakro's health steadily dropped, but the pillars in the tomb were also collapsing one by one under the combined attacks of Kampakro and his minions.

Luckily, based on Tristan's calculations, he would be able to kill Kampakro before all the pillars were destroyed.

...

"Master, I failed."

Kampakro let out a long sigh, his body collapsing weakly onto the ground.

The four mini-bosses he summoned froze in place, their figures becoming ethereal before vanishing completely.

" Ding, you have killed the 10-level Silver Grade Boss, Kampakro, and earned 20,000 experience points. The experience cap has been locked, and any excess experience will be transferred to your experience pool."

"Hunting Moment activated, you have earned 1 evolution point! Current points: 5."

It's a shame that Kampakro's summoned minions weren't independent bosses, or else this kill would have been a jackpot for evolution points.

Although a little regretful, it wasn't a big issue.

At the same time, Tristan's attention was drawn to two loot orbs on the ground.

Dropping two pieces of equipment at once was already an extraordinary performance.

What was even more exciting for Tristan was that both pieces of equipment were weapons!

"No way, the first kill and I got a weapon set?" Tristan couldn't quite believe it.

The odds of that happening were just too low.

As he was contemplating this, another game prompt sounded.

" Ding, you have completed the Nightmare Difficulty dungeon, Crimson Tomb!"

"This is the first server-wide completion, and you have earned an additional 10,000 experience points, 20 attribute points, and 10 reputation points."

"Announcement is about to be made. Do you wish to hide your username?"

"No."

[Player 'Blackshade' first completes Nightmare Difficulty Crimson Tomb. We hope other players will follow suit!]

...

When the server-wide announcement went off, Drake's team had just finished taking down a wild boar.

After grinding for a while, they had finally reached level 3, with level 4 not far behind.

Drake motivated his team, "Come on, once we hit level 5, we'll be able to equip better gear, and fighting monsters will be way faster. At level 10, we'll have Silver Grade gear waiting for us!"

These two lines really boosted their morale.

Why do people play games?

Apart from the investment, the most satisfying part is the ongoing accumulation and rewards—it's a huge sense of achievement.

But before they could look for the next wild boar, the server-wide announcement rang out.

Drake wore an expression of 'I knew it' and said, "I knew Blackshade would go for the Nightmare Difficulty."

The archer chimed in, "It's totally expected. Blackshade is my rival, so it makes sense he'd take that path."

Holy Fire Priest Sophie thought for a moment and said, "Boss, maybe you should ask Blackshade if he has any new gear for sale."

Drake waved his hand, "No need for that. If Blackshade had that in mind, he would have contacted me. Since he hasn't said anything, it's either because he doesn't have time or has other considerations."

He paused and then added, "We're veteran players now. We can't keep relying on Blackshade, got it?"

The team nodded in agreement.

But in their minds, they couldn't help but silently complain.

Who's the one really relying on Blackshade here?

...

At the same time, players in all the newbie villages were discussing Blackshade.

It couldn't be helped—his name was simply too prominent.

First, he got the first kill of the Black Iron Grade Boss, then he leapfrogged to take down the Silver Grade Boss.

He was the first to discover a hidden dungeon and reached level 10 first to unlock the ranking list.

And now, he had also completed the Nightmare Difficulty Crimson Tomb first.

Each of these achievements on its own would be a huge topic of conversation, but to have them all completed by the same person? He was just too strong.

On top of that, the time between these major milestones was incredibly short.

While they were still hunting wild rabbits, Blackshade had already completed the dungeon and made history. The gap between players was just too huge.

For most average players, this was a moment of despair. But for those with high talent, they felt deeply frustrated.

Especially those with S and even SS level talents—these players were determined to dethrone Blackshade from his pedestal.

They were talented, had better classes, and yet Blackshade was stealing all the limelight.

This couldn't be allowed!

ExoGenesis had opened its servers simultaneously worldwide, with players from Valoria, Rovinia, and Kaldoria all playing the game.

Before the nation war version, they all mostly played in isolation, with little interference between countries.

But this didn't affect the server-wide announcements.

ExoGenesis was very considerate, sending out these announcements in multiple languages.

At this moment, in Rovinia's newbie village, a three-person team had finally brought Kampakro's health down to its last sliver.

"Steady, the boss is almost dead."

"If it weren't for Ivan's SSS-level talent, we wouldn't have made it this far."

"That Blackshade from Valoria may be strong, but he's just one person. Our team has an SSS and two S-level players, plus high-priced gear. We're definitely getting the first clear of this Nightmare Difficulty dungeon!"

Upon hearing the praise from his teammates, Ivan, wearing a robe and holding a staff, had a proud look on his face.

He had the SSS-level talent, Heart of Winter, and with his hidden class as the Winter Mage, he could balance both damage and control. Even bosses couldn't move in front of him. He was confident he could become the strongest player in ExoGenesis.

But before he could unleash his power, all the first kills were snatched by someone named Blackshade.

Ivan was not happy about it.

Why did the other player get all the credit?

"Valoria has been developing well these years, and their people have grown more confident. But I'll make them realize who the true ruler of this world is!"

A cold smile appeared on Ivan's lips as he raised his staff, ready to kill Kampakro.

But before he could cast his spell, the server-wide announcement went off again.

[Player 'Blackshade' first completes Nightmare Difficulty Crimson Tomb. We hope other players will follow suit!]

This was impossible!

Ivan's mind was shaken, and he cast his skill incorrectly.

The uncontrollable Kampakro exploded, killing his two teammates instantly.

If it hadn't been for Ivan's quick reflexes, he would have been dead too.

"Congratulations, you have completed the Nightmare Difficulty Crimson Tomb!"

Ivan ignored the game prompt entirely. Even the Golden Grade loot from the boss didn't excite him.

All he could think about now was one thing:

Once the national war started, he would tear that Blackshade apart!

At the same time, not just Rovinia players, but top players from all regions had the same thought.

One day, they would crush Blackshade under their feet!