Chapter 3

The bustling starter town was packed with players, their voices blending into an endless stream of recruitment calls.

"Looking for DPS for Goblin Nest! Need a healer too!" "Tank needed for Bone Ruins, minimum level 8!" "Selling beginner materials! Fangs, hides, bones—get them cheap!"

Raven moved through the crowd, unnoticed, his hood pulled low. The ranking board flickered overhead, constantly updating as new players climbed in XP rankings.

[Global Rank – Top 100 Players]

He smirked. His name would never be there. The system tracked total player actions—every kill, quest, trade, and movement factored into ranking. Subjugation, however, was counted only once. The moment Raven converted a monster, that was one action in the system. But if that monster went on to kill a hundred creatures, the game didn't register it under Raven's count—because he wasn't the one actively making those actions.

It was a loophole—a flaw in the system that let him level up invisibly.

If no one saw him coming, no one would know what hit them.

The two dungeons ahead loomed like gateways to two entirely different worlds. Goblin Nest was packed, with dozens of players lining up, forming parties, waiting their turn. Too much traffic. Too many eyes. The Bone Ruins, on the other hand, stood quiet. Only a handful of players were willing to venture inside, most forming small, tight-knit groups. Soloing a dungeon at level one was suicide.

Most players grouped up for safety.

Raven wasn't most players.

Ignoring the crowds, he walked toward the Bone Ruins. A few players standing nearby noticed him.

"He's soloing it?" "Probably a beta tester. Let him die, he'll learn."

He smirked. They had no idea what he was about to do.

The portal shimmered as he stepped through, the stench of decay thick in the air. The bones crunching under his boots weren't just decoration—they were a warning. The monsters here had fed well.

A low growl echoed from the shadows.

[Lesser Bone Wolf – Level 5]

It stepped forward cautiously, yellow eyes gleaming with hostility. A normal player would draw their weapon. Raven simply lifted a hand.

Chains erupted from his palm. The wolf snarled and leaped—too slow. The cursed links coiled around its skeletal body, squeezing like a vice.

A system prompt flickered.

[Abyssal Pact Attempting Subjugation…]

The wolf thrashed violently, its bones creaking under the strain. Raven clenched his fist, feeling his MP drain like a slow leak in a sinking ship. The pressure against his mind was tangible—like forcing a wild animal into a cage.

He gritted his teeth. "Submit."

The wolf shuddered, then stilled.

[Subjugation Successful.]

Its once-hostile gaze dimmed into obedience. Raven exhaled, shaking off the slight dizziness. His MP bar had taken a massive hit. He had forgotten how brutal low-level subjugation could be.

"Go hunt," he ordered, voice steady. The wolf obeyed instantly, darting into the shadows. Raven smirked.

That was worth it.

The wolf lunged forward, tearing into another monster.

[Lesser Bone Wolf Defeated – XP Gained.] [Loot Collected: Bone Fragment, Tattered Hide.]

His XP bar ticked upward. The ranking board? Still untouched.

He smirked. Perfect.

But this wasn't enough.

His wolf alone wouldn't create an empire. He needed something bigger.

He moved swiftly through the ruins, letting his subjugated wolf kill freely as his MP slowly regenerated. Another monster—another subjugation. Then another. Soon, he had a small pack of undead wolves under his command.

And then he found it.

The dungeon boss stood at the center of a ruined chamber, a towering figure of bone and rusted armor.

[Bone Tyrant – Dungeon Boss – Level 20]

Any normal party would take it down carefully, managing aggro, dodging its massive strikes. Raven had no interest in a fair fight.

He raised a hand. "Weaken it, but don't finish it."

His wolves surged forward, tearing into the boss from all sides. The Bone Tyrant swung its massive sword, cleaving through one of them instantly. The first wolf collapsed into dust. Another lunged at its legs, only to be crushed under a massive fist. One by one, they fell, tearing off chunks of the boss's HP with each desperate strike.

By the time the last wolf lunged, its skeletal frame barely holding together, the Bone Tyrant was already staggering. The final blow from the wolf left it on its knees, its HP bar flickering in the red. Then, with a shudder, the last wolf crumbled to the ground, defeated.

Now.

[Dominion Chain Activated.] [Abyssal Pact Attempting Subjugation…]

The MP drain was brutal. His bar hit nearly zero, but he didn't stop. The chain wrapped tighter around the weakened boss, locking it in place as its AI tried to resist.

Then, the notification appeared.

[Subjugation Successful.]

The dungeon's boss stood back up—but this time, its glowing eyes locked onto Raven, awaiting orders.

He leaned against the cave wall, catching his breath. His plan had worked. Now, he had his own dungeon boss.

Every dungeon boss respawned after a cooldown. Normally, players farmed them for loot drops. But what if the boss itself farmed the dungeon?

"Kill everything that spawns in this room."

The Bone Tyrant obeyed instantly, crushing the next wave of respawning monsters.

[Lesser Bone Wolf Defeated – Loot Sent to Master.] [Lesser Skeleton Defeated – Loot Sent to Master.]

Again. And again. Every respawn fed him XP and materials. Raven checked the marketplace. Bone Fragments? 2 silver each. Sharp Claws? 5 silver. Worthless in small amounts. Even farming for hours wouldn't make him rich.

But this wasn't the real jackpot.

Footsteps echoed from the dungeon entrance. A solo player stepped inside, scanning the chamber. A rogue-type, judging by the daggers.

Raven stayed hidden in the shadows. The rogue didn't notice the boss wasn't standing still.

Normally, dungeon bosses only reacted when a player engaged them. But the Bone Tyrant wasn't following normal mechanics. It moved—on its own.

The rogue hesitated, realizing something was off.

Too late.

The Bone Tyrant attacked.

A massive blade cut through him. His HP hit zero before he could scream.

[Player Defeated – XP Gained.]

[Loot Dropped: Shadow Dagger (Rare), 30 Silver Coins.]

Raven's lips curled.

"Thanks for the donation."

Dungeons weren't just for farming monsters.

They were perfect PvP traps.