37: Regret Not Choosing Differently

Ghibbobo Baron's special skill caught Tristan off guard, but once he regained his composure, he realized his situation hadn't really changed much. His goal from the start had been to kill the Baron without taking any damage, so whether or not the "Dark Duel" skill was triggered didn't matter.

The most important point, however, was that Tristan had a decoy voodoo doll in his inventory. No matter how strong the Dark Duel was, it only blocked escape routes; it couldn't prevent resurrection. Worst-case scenario, Tristan could just die and respawn. The Shadow Legion's blockade of respawn points had already failed, and the collective anger of the new players in the village was something they couldn't oppose.

With that, Tristan felt a little more relaxed. Having a backup plan felt so freeing! His strategy remained unchanged—first kill the wolf king, then focus on the Baron.

Watching the invader not only refuse to beg for mercy but also attack his pet, Ghibbobo Baron's fury was indescribable. If it could be put into words, it would be "this is almost enough to kill me!" He had never encountered anyone so bold and daring.

The wolf king, meanwhile, felt utterly wronged. Why was it the one being attacked? With confusion in its heart, after taking several more throwing knives, its health was drained, and it collapsed to the ground, silver-white orbs of light scattered all around.

"Ding! You've killed the revived level-10 Silver Grade BOSS, the Wolf King. You gained 20,000 experience. Experience cap reached. Extra experience transferred to the experience pool."

"Hunting Moment activated. You gained 1 Evolution Point! Current points: 6."

But Tristan didn't have time to pick up the loot because the Baron's blood arrow was already on its way. The Baron's senses were extremely sharp—no matter whether Tristan took action or not, he could always sense the general direction of his attacks.

It had been just a few minutes since the Baron left the blood pool, and already the smooth, polished obsidian floor had been corroded into craters, filling the air with a stench so overwhelming that Tristan almost felt suffocated.

"Close olfactory senses."

Tristan gave a direct command, and the unpleasant smell was blocked out, allowing him to breathe more easily. It was something that could only be done during the game phase of ExoGenesis. Later, there wouldn't be any option to adjust senses like that in real combat.

Having dealt with the wolf king, Tristan focused on Ghibbobo Baron. His attention was fixed on the Baron's fingers. Tristan recalled that the Baron's drop list included a storage ring—something that could greatly alleviate his inventory space issues.

"Hopefully, it drops."

Tristan thought to himself, though now more confidently than before. If he had already managed to get the Bone-Cutting Dual Blades in one go, surely the odds of getting a ring weren't too bad.

The Baron, though unable to see Tristan, could feel the gaze fixed on him. He raised his right hand and sneered, "Greedy fool. You want my heirloom? Then come and take it with your life."

"Blood Tide!"

A surge of energy burst forth, and blood arrows shot toward their surroundings again, causing more debris to fall. Tristan quickly looked up at the ceiling. If the Baron kept attacking like this, the underground tomb would collapse.

He swiftly threw a knife, landing a hit for nearly 20,000 damage. The Baron's expression was one of shock as he cried out, "Mortal, how can you possess such power!"

The Baron wasn't referring to Tristan's sniper god talent, but to his real damage. Even among the various races, few had mastered this ability, and among the vampires, it was something only Count-level and higher vampires could possess.

This realization hit the Baron hard. After all, there was a huge gap between him and a Count. The Baron was now more certain than ever that he had to eliminate this invader, or else the vampire race's conquest would face significant obstacles.

"Thank goodness for the Dark Duel, or this invader might have escaped by now."

The Baron's expression darkened as he tried to figure out how to eliminate the intruder. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder—how could someone with such low level have such mastery over Stealth skills, especially since even he, a seasoned vampire, couldn't find any weaknesses?

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in the Baron's mind. Shadow power!

After the brief shock, the Baron became increasingly excited. He hadn't expected this extra surprise. As long as he killed this invader and consumed his flesh and blood, he would be able to acquire the power of shadows—and become the new ruler of the vampires!

Before his fantasies could continue, another wave of damage interrupted him.

"-18,535! (Weak Spot Attack)."

The Baron suddenly realized his mistake. He had underestimated the battle. Could someone who mastered both true damage and shadow power really die at his hands?

His confidence faltered, and even his skill casting hesitated.

Although Tristan didn't know the Baron's thought process, he did notice the Baron's hesitation. The slower attack frequency was definitely a good thing.

By the time the Baron's health dropped to 75%, he was still calm and composed, considering it a small matter. When his health hit 50%, the Baron entered phase two—his speed increased significantly, and his skill casting time was halved.

Once his health reached 30%, the Baron started to panic, but he convinced himself that he still had control over the situation.

By the time his health hit 10%, the Baron's face was taut with tension, and his eyes darted around looking for an escape route. Unfortunately for him, the Dark Duel hadn't concluded yet, trapping him in place.

"Foolish."

The Baron regretted his earlier decision.

After a moment of reflection, he spoke, "Invader, your strength has earned my respect. I am willing to share the secrets of immortality with you!"

"Ding! You have activated a hidden side quest—The Cornered Beast!"

"Option 1: Kill the Vampire Baron. Quest reward: None."

"Option 2: Accept the Baron's offer. Quest reward: Receive the Baron's title and the Crimson Knight rank. Additional 500 years of life."

There was nothing new about the offer, so Tristan, of course, stuck with his original plan. He threw a knife, interrupting the Baron's delusions.

At this point, the Baron still thought of begging for mercy? Too late!

After being rejected once again, the Baron screamed in rage, "You wait! My kin will flatten your world!"

Tristan couldn't be bothered to respond. After waiting for his skills to cool down, he threw another knife, reducing the Baron's health to just over 30,000.

Only two more knives, and the Baron would be dead—his long, grueling dungeon raid would finally come to an end.

"I really wish I could live another 500 years!"

Ghibbobo Baron's last words were filled with regret and confusion as he collapsed and died.

With his death, a pile of golden loot exploded onto the ground, dazzling Tristan's eyes.

Big drop!

Big profit!

These were items dropped by a Gold-level BOSS, and even the lowest-tier ones were Gold-grade. Whether they were items or equipment, they could be sold for an astronomical price!

The only downside was that the equipment required level 15. But that wasn't a problem for Tristan—leveling up was no challenge for him.

He knew that once he reached the main city, there were plenty of high-level monsters to farm for huge amounts of experience.

But before all that, he still needed to collect his spoils and see what kind of treasures had dropped.