Chapter 29: Ascension and the Demons Mark
Now at Level 12, Liam re-equipped his Gale-Runner Set. With the additional bonuses from The Ninefold Longbow, he could now fire seven arrows per second. Thanks to Precision Strike, nearly every single shot landed as a critical hit.
The Level 30 Black Iron Boss, formidable as it should have been, lasted less than three seconds in Liam's hands before collapsing. It didn’t manage to trigger a single skill—it didn't even get a chance to land a Basic Attack.
Furthermore, because of the Chain Lightning effect, many of the bandits who had followed The Third Chieftain out were already dead.
[System: You have defeated The Third Chieftain while under-leveled. Experience +56,580. Guild Achievement Points +300.]
The experience reward for a Level 12 player killing a Level 30 Boss was beyond absurd. Having only reached Level 12 a short while ago, Liam saw his experience bar surge forward by a third after the kill.
[System: You have slain The Third Chieftain. A Server-Wide Broadcast is about to commence. Would you like to hide your name?]
"No."
[Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to player Frost Monarch for achieving the World First of The Third Chieftain. This announcement serves as a testament to their feat. May all players continue to strive for excellence.]
[Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to player Frost Monarch for achieving the World First of The Third Chieftain...]
The announcement echoed through the Star-Rank The Astral Kingdom, leaving countless players in shock.
"Holy shit! Frost Monarch is making a hell of a comeback. He actually bagged the World First for a Level 30 Black Iron Boss."
"Is The Third Chieftain really Level 30? I didn't even know. The highest person on the Level Leaderboard is only Level 19, right? Who the hell is farming a Level 30 map?"
"Heh, those big guilds already sent Assassins out to scout the maps and buy guides. You can get that info if you've got the coin."
"The Game Maven has some explaining to do. Frost Monarch is basically slapping him in the face in real-time."
The discussions were endless. At this stage of the game, a World First on a Level 30 Black Iron Boss carried immense prestige.
In Blackwind City, The Game Maven was busy grinding Level 15 Goblins when the Server-Wide Broadcast rang out. His expression soured. He didn't need to check the forums to know that people were already tearing his recent "analysis" apart.
But he didn't care.
He had recently completed a hidden quest and obtained an Awakening Stone. With it, he had awakened a fixed Star-Rank Earth Grade Innate Talent: 5x AP Multiplier.
When others leveled up, they received five Attribute Points. When he leveled up once, he gained twenty-five. A single level for him was equivalent to five levels for anyone else.
"Frost Monarch... once I've raised my level and built up my stats with these points, I'll surpass you for sure!" The Maven was certain. An Earth Grade Innate Talent was something ordinary players could never hope to compete with.
Liam was oblivious to the drama. Back at the Black-Wind Stronghold, the bandits were... running away.
Liam stared in disbelief. He knew the AI for humanoid monsters in Twilight of the Gods was advanced, but this? They were just abandoning their stronghold?
He gave chase into the heart of the camp, only to find that the Great Chieftain, The Second Chieftain, and even the lowest-ranking lackeys had fled. They had run so fast they’d practically tripped over themselves; Liam picked up over twenty pieces of equipment just by walking along the path they took to escape.
"These are the bandits? That's it?" Liam felt a wave of disappointment. They were far too cowardly.
Behind the Black-Wind Stronghold lay a vast, rolling mountain range. Chasing them into the wilderness would be a time-consuming needle-in-a-haystack search. However, since they had fled in such a panic, they must have left plenty of spoils behind.
Scanning the area, Liam located the warehouse. Upon forcing it open, he found over a thousand pieces of standard-issue weaponry.
Standard-issue gear consisted of mass-produced weapons with identical, mediocre stats, typically used to equip regular NPC armies.
"Why was the Black-Wind Stronghold crafting so much standard gear?" Liam wondered as he swept the items into his Guild Warehouse. "Could they be in league with someone powerful in The Astral Kingdom? A stronghold on the surface, but in reality... a high-ranking official's private army?"
It was a distinct possibility.
He moved on to search the other rooms, but found little of value. Then, near the Great Chieftain's quarters, he spotted a letter on the ground. It looked like something the leader had intended to take, only to drop it in his frantic escape.
Liam picked it up and opened it.
"His Majesty tested the three princesses today. Seraphina’s nature is too simple; she failed to see through the ruse, which has already drawn His Majesty’s displeasure. You must hurry. Produce three thousand spears to prepare for any contingencies."
There was no signature, only a Crimson Rose Seal at the bottom—the mark of the sender's identity.
Before Liam could process the implications, a string of system prompts detonated in his ears.
[System: You have defeated Valerius Geryon, Son of the Demon King, while under-leveled. Experience +20,300,000. Guild Achievement Points +2,180,000.]
[System: You have reached Level 13. AP +5.]
[System: You have reached Level 14. AP +5.]
...
[System: You have reached Level 19. AP +5.]
[System: You have reached Level 20. AP +5.]
[System: You have met the requirements for Class Advancement. You cannot gain further experience until you complete your Advancement. Please proceed as soon as possible.]
Liam frowned. Even though he knew the cap existed, the feeling of "losing" potential experience still stung. As the leveling notifications faded, the guild notifications took over.
[System: Your Guild has reached 2-Star Rank. All members: Attack +20.]
[System: Your Guild has reached 3-Star Rank. All members: Movement Speed +3.]
[System: Your Guild has reached 4-Star Rank. All members: Attack Velocity +1.]
[System: Your Guild has reached 5-Star Rank. All members: HP +10,000.]
The higher the guild rank, the better the bonuses. Liam looked at the stats and nodded in satisfaction. Movement speed, attack velocity, and raw HP—every single one was vital for his build. Reaching 5-Star in one go was staggering progress.
Defeating a high-tier Boss while under-leveled yielded incredible rewards. The only pity was that he couldn't personally loot the body, which would have surely yielded even better treasures.
[System: You have achieved the World First for Valerius Geryon, Son of the Demon King. A Server-Wide Broadcast is about to commence. Would you like to hide your name?]
"Hide it."
He didn't care if players knew he killed Valerius, but the NPCs were a different story. Between the factions of The Astral Kingdom and the Demon King’s court, Liam didn't want a target on his back just yet.
[Server-Wide Broadcast: Congratulations to [Hidden Name] for achieving the World First of Valerius Geryon, Son of the Demon King...]
The Royal Palace: The Well of Shattered Stars
Leona listened to the broadcast echoing over the kingdom, a look of pure excitement breaking across her face.
It was done!
The Sovereign's Sanctum
King Abraham looked toward the direction of the Well, a faint smile touching his lips. "Leona... you were gone so long, only to return with such a massive surprise."
The Pluvius Palace
Seraphina’s face grew pale. "Valerius is dead."
"I heard," Queen Fiona said, taking a deep breath. "Stay here in the Pluvius Palace for now. Do not go wandering off."
"But... what about the throne? Are we giving up the competition?"
"Give up?" Fiona glared at her daughter with disappointment. "Use your head. Tiana is already at the height of her power, and now Leona will be highly favored for killing Valerius. Your best move right now is to vanish from the spotlight. Let those two tear each other apart."
Seraphina’s eyes lit up. "I understand."
Deep within The Frost-Bound Forest
Inside a magnificent, dark palace, a roar of pure fury shook the heavens.
"Who?! Who dares kill my son?! I will tear you into a thousand pieces!"
A pillar of demonic energy shot into the sky, forming a massive sigil in the clouds. The mark condensed and shrank until it turned into a pitch-black rune.
"Bloodline Resonance: Eternal Hunt!"
The demonic rune streaked across the horizon, vanishing in an instant.
Liam sat back and opened his status page to review his progress.
Name: Frost Monarch
Level: 20 (Advancement Pending)
Class: Archer
HP: 462,589 / 462,589
MP: 100 / 100
Attack: 2,129 | Magic Power: 5
Armor: 3 | Magic Resist: 1
Attack Velocity: 8.12 | Movement Speed: 14.25
Physical Pen: 0% | Magic Pen: 0%
Special Stats: Life-Steal +5%, Critical Rate +55%
Free Attributes: 100
Luck: [Hidden]
Guild: The Solitary Snow Guild (5-Star Rank)
Innate Talent: Hand of Heavenly Punishment (Transcendent Grade)
Skills: Rapid Fire (4-Star), Basic Reach (4-Star), Chain Lightning (4-Star), Verdant Rebirth (4-Star), Resurgence (4-Star), Invincible Aegis (1-Star), Death Cycle (1-Star).
Equipment: The Ninefold Longbow (Gold), Gale-Runner Set (Bronze), Bloodstained Necklace (Special), Purifying Jade Amulet (Special), The Immaculate Eye (Special), The Tome of Mortality (God-Given).
His stats had undergone a total transformation.
Suddenly, Liam felt a chill. He looked up to see a black, demonic mark hurtling toward him from the sky.
An intense sense of dread washed over him. Without hesitation, he stripped off all his gear and dumped it into the Guild Warehouse. If this was an unavoidable killing blow, he wasn't going to let his equipment drop.
Whoosh!
The rune slammed into Liam’s chest, sinking into his body.
[System: You have been marked by Demon King Geryon.]
Liam’s pupils shrank. God damn it.
Predictably, a booming voice echoed throughout the entire kingdom.
[National Announcement: Demon King Geryon has placed a bounty on a marked Adventurer. All players are encouraged to hunt down and slay the target!]
[National Announcement: Demon King Geryon has placed a bounty...]
Liam’s face darkened. Another global bounty.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. He had to keep a low profile in the Capital, but out here in the wilds? If anyone wanted to try their luck, he’d be more than happy to send them back to the respawn fountains.
With his current stats, unless those few players with Divine Grade Innate Talents had already awakened their full potential, no one could touch him.
"Demon King Geryon, huh? Fine. Once I leave this kingdom, I’ll pay you a visit," Liam muttered. "I was just wondering where I was going to farm more HP. You really came through for me."
He shook off the thought and pulled out a small jade bottle—the Miasma Collection Flask he’d gotten back in the Novice Village.
[System: Congratulations! You have successfully filled the flask with Corpse Miasma. Special Quest Triggered: Traces of the Frost-Corpse.]
[Quest Requirement: Locate and clear the Hidden Instance: Traces of the Frost-Corpse before your second Class Advancement. Rewards scale with difficulty. Clearing Hell Difficulty may trigger follow-up quests.]
[Penalty: None.]
[Reward: Unknown.]
Liam frowned. He had no memory of this instance from his past life. This meant no one had discovered it before.
It wasn't surprising; hidden instances in Twilight of the Gods often had hyper-specific triggers.
Quest aside, his priority was Class Advancement. Without it, he couldn't level up. Liam knew of four Divine Grade Hidden Classes for Archers, but he only knew the specific guides for two of them.
One was located in Stellaris City, the capital. With his current Infamy Points, the City Guards would execute him on sight, making it impossible to trigger the quest. The other wasn't even in this kingdom, making it inaccessible for now.
Killing the Demon King’s son had cleared twenty thousand Infamy Points, but he still had over nine hundred thousand to go.
"If I can't advance yet, I'll just stack HP."
Liam’s mindset was solid. His Innate Talent was his greatest weapon. If he stacked enough health, he could flatten anything in his path, even at Level 20.
Most ordinary mobs in the kingdom couldn't survive a single hit from him now. However, there was one place with the perfect targets: the Level 45 Blood-Backed Black Turtles.
They were tanky and possessed a passive regeneration skill—perfect for farming HP stacks. He even knew how to unlock the instance for them. Clearing the Hell Difficulty version would make stacking his health incredibly efficient.
With a plan in place, Liam set off toward the turtles' spawn point.
Stellaris City
In an unassuming courtyard, The Iron Cyclone—once the proud Great Chieftain—stood trembling. He spoke toward a closed door with hushed, terrified breath.
"My Lord... that Adventurer was simply too powerful. I—"
Slap!
The door swung open as an invisible force struck Iron Cyclone across the face, sending him reeling.
"Stop making excuses," a voice hissed from the shadows. "If the fact that you were mass-producing weapons for us reaches His Majesty's ears, no one will be able to save you."