Chapter 89 – The Tyrant of Blackroot

The skies over Blackroot City dimmed to a somber shade of crimson, as though the heavens themselves had sensed a shift in power. Mana rippled through the air like a coming storm, brushing against the skin of players with a subtle tingle. Then it came, sudden and clear—an echo that rang across the city like a gong of fate.

[Regional Announcement – Blackroot City]

Player Man like Malik of the Western Region has been conferred the title of Protector of Blackroot City by City Lord Zuru.

Under his command, a new private legion—the Blackroot Legions—has been formed.

Their base of operation is the Crimson Vault, and all local adventurers are advised to respect the authority of the newly established faction.

Failure to comply with the Protector's orders within Blackroot jurisdiction will incur penalties.

For a heartbeat, the entire city fell into an eerie silence. Then chaos erupted.

Local chats exploded.

"What the hell did I just read?!"

"No way… Man like Malik? You mean that Malik? The one who soloed the Feral Dungeon on hard mode?"

"Old news. He's the one who killed a Tier 1 Boss while still Tier 0. Who else could it be?"

"Man like Malik... wasn't he just crowned Duke of Green Leaf Town? What's he doing in Blackroot City?"

"Y'all really sleeping under a rock? He's also the first player to learn an S-rank skill in the Western Region."

"Hold up—Blackroot Legion? He already created a faction? How long's he even been here?!"

"Is he even human? Or maybe he's a hidden NPC in disguise?"

As the words of the announcement spread like wildfire, Blackroot City's core trembled with movement. Players logged out mid-raid just to message their upperclassmen. High-ranking guild members started issuing emergency pings. Blacksmiths dropped their hammers, merchants shut down their stalls, and entire guild halls grew silent.

The whole Black Moon Kingdom stirred.

But that was only the beginning.

[World Forum – Video Upload]

Anonymous Post: [Level 44 Player Defeats a Level 70 Boss Solo – Watch How This Madman Dismantles the Crimson Vault's Former Protector, Varthos]

Post Description: Unedited. Full footage. No filters, no cuts. Watch till the end and tell me this isn't a bugged NPC or some dev-planted beast. This ain't normal.

The video opened to a dimly lit arena—the ruins of the Crimson Vault.

Varthos, once a towering Tier 2 NPC Guardian clad in blood-crusted crimson armor, stood like a reaper of war. His massive Bloodcleaver oozed mana and flame, a single swing of it enough to flatten entire squads. But in front of him stood only one figure.

A cloaked man.

No helmet.

No heavy armor.

Just a single black dagger gleaming in his grip.

The comments started trickling in as the battle played.

> "He's… fighting a Tier 2 NPC alone? No backup?" "Wait, wait, rewind—did he just block a cleaver with his forearm?!" "He's not wearing armor? Bro, he's half-naked and still dodging like lightning!"

What followed was madness.

The clash was feral, relentless, and outright unreasonable. Malik moved like a ghost dipped in fury—sidestepping cleaver strikes, parrying with a dagger, unleashing precise slashes and counters. And when Varthos entered his berserk phase, it became a war of attrition and instinct. Flames licked the vault's walls, the floor cracked with each exchange, and Malik… endured.

With each blow, the audience gasped.

Every time they expected his end, he pulled off a miracle.

A split-second roll under a cleaver.

A reverse grip dagger feint.

A spinning heel kick straight into Varthos' chestplate.

By the ninth minute, Varthos was visibly staggering. Then came the final blow—a spiraling dagger thrust through the chest, followed by a knee to the head that sent the NPC flying backward. Varthos shattered like broken glass, dissolving into dust.

At the center of it all stood Malik.

Chest heaving.

Torso bloodied.

Steam rising from his body.

Eyes as cold as the Void.

The world froze.

> "What class is that? That ain't no Warrior or Assassin I've seen." "He didn't even use a single potion the whole fight… who has that kind of regen?" "That aura... That was ancient. That wasn't just Tier 1—he's on some forgotten path."

"He forged his own class—Martial Expert," someone posted. "The dude created a combat path from scratch."

"I swear on all my cooldowns, that's my next class. I'm rerolling today."

"Man like Malik… that guy's different. If he's a player, then the rest of us are background characters."

Within an hour, the video had racked over five million views. Malik's bounty on underground channels jumped another 1,500 gold. His name was now stamped across every PvP forum, hidden quest archive, and rare class wiki.

[Guild Chat – Bloodseeker Alliance – Redstone City]

Reaper: "Send scouts to Blackroot. We need eyes on this Malik guy."

Voidwalker: "Already ahead. He's registered as Green Leaf-born."

Reaper: "Find out everything. Skills. Gear. Weaknesses. I don't care if we recruit or kill him. I want answers."

Voidwalker: "Copy that. If he's from Green Leaf… we might have better odds. Most of them are from African nodes. Might be easier to track him IRL."

The Black Moon Kingdom's forums were flooded with chatter.

@ReaperGod21: "Level 44 vs. Level 70? Man like Malik is playing a different game."

@BountyTrove (Verified): "1,000 gold coins for real-world info on Man Like Malik. DM us now."

@PvPQueen_Zera: "I need to test him myself. No way that reaction speed is real."

@VoidFangGuildRecruiter: "Who do I bribe to join the Blackroot Legion?"

@MageBaron: "His aura was layered… primordial. That's not a normal class path."

@UnknownIPTrack: "Last seen in Blackroot City. We're packing our bags."

---

Back in Green Leaf Town, inside the Iron Wall Tavern, Kenny was glued to her screen.

She'd watched the video six times, and each time, her breath caught.

"Boss has become… tyrannical," she whispered. "Even my berserk skill doesn't come close to that level of control... or madness."

Tipa slammed his mug down with a grin. "So what are we waiting for, Sister Kenny? Let's go to Blackroot. That's where he is. That's where the story's unfolding."

Slicer leaned back, arms folded behind his head. "We knew Boss when he was Level 4, man. We were with him before the fame and titles. We have to be there when it matters."

"And we're all Tier 1 now," Big Nurse added. "The lowest among us is Level 32—and that's me. We can finally carry our weight."

Taiwo stepped forward, taking Kenny's hand gently. "Come on, Sister. He's waiting for us. Whether he says it or not."

Kenny hesitated, eyes flickering with a thousand thoughts. Then she nodded.

"…Let's go."

Across the tavern, other players had already begun summoning mounts. Teams were forming, strategies were being drawn. Teleport scrolls to Blackroot sold out in under a minute. Caravans loaded up. Everyone wanted to witness history—or be a part of it.

Because now…

Blackroot wasn't just a city.

It was where legends were being born.

And in the middle of it all stood a single name.

Man like Malik.

The Tyrant of Blackroot.

And this… was only the beginning.