The level gradient was clearly defined. Kalis topped the list alone at Level 58, with Thorne closely following, both forming a league of their own with a commanding lead. Ranks 3 to 5 were a cut above the rest of the players.
But the true measure of player strength lay with the core group around Level 37. They had no Mythic BOSS to farm, or rather, they couldn't possibly defeat one, nor could they challenge high-difficulty dungeons.
Their experience came solely from grinding monsters and completing quests day in and day out, making them the well-deserved backbone first tier of the server.
Behind the first tier was the second tier around Level 34, mostly composed of elite members from major guilds who had already been recruited by top guilds like Crimson Lotus and Oath of Sky.
Eira, Lenore, and the others were in the third tier, with their current levels steadily at 31. However, after Eira awakened her hidden class, her combat power and experience gain efficiency had skyrocketed, allowing her to catch up to the second tier at a visible pace.
"Sigh, so boring. This is really tedious and lonely…"
The violent winds in Godfall Basin howled relentlessly, fluttering Kalis's mage robe wildly and almost draining his last bit of patience.
His skill in casting had reached perfection. Except for the time spent searching for monsters, he could cast a skill every second, stably killing 30 monsters per minute.
These wraith monsters, 50 levels higher than him, were extremely efficient for clearing Sin Points. Each kill reduced his Sin Points by 20, averaging 620 points per minute.
Coupled with the generous experience from the monsters themselves, he could gain over 43,000 experience points per minute. At this rate, it would only take over an hour to completely clear his 47,000 Sin Points.
Meanwhile, his level was expected to break through to 59, bringing him one step closer to the Second Awakening.
But fighting alone for over an hour with no one to talk to was ultimately tedious. Kalis glanced at the red-glowing Guild Residence Token in his backpack, thought for a moment, and sent a private message to Lenore:
"Lenore, I'm selling the Guild Residence Token. My ideal price is 120 million gold coins. Help me find reliable buyers. Once confirmed, send them my contact code. I'll inform you of the trading location separately."
At this time, Lenore was teaming up with Eira to hunt an Epic BOSS. The moment she saw the message, she almost got hit by the monster's venom. Her exclamation exploded in the party channel: "Oh my god! Kalis, did you really solo a Mythic BOSS?!"
"Yeah, just check the level rankings," Kalis replied concisely.
"Level 58… You didn't share all that experience with us. Waaaah, that's so cruel～" Lenore feigned grievance to complain.
"Cut it out. Let's get down to business," Kalis sighed helplessly.
"Alright, alright!" Lenore dropped the joke and said seriously, "I'll contact the leaders of major guilds right now to get you the best price."
"Hmm, 120 million is my ideal price. If it really can't be reached, 100 million is acceptable," Kalis added.
"Tsk tsk, earning a small target in one day. You're better at making money than some big company bosses!" Lenore exclaimed.
"It's nothing," Kalis smiled lightly. "I still have two Mythic items on me. As the saying goes, seeing is getting a share. After selling the residence token, I'll give you and Eira each a luxury mansion."
"What?!" Lenore's voice shot up instantly, attracting Eira's attention.
Nowadays, housing prices were more expensive than life itself. You couldn't afford one even if you worked yourself to death.
In the city where they lived, the price per square meter started at 50,000. For slightly more prosperous areas, it directly exceeded 100,000 per square meter!
Not to mention ordinary college students, even families running businesses didn't dare casually say they wanted to buy a luxury mansion.
Although they had their own game studio, it was rented after all.
But Kalis actually said he would give them each one for free!
Buy one! Not rent!
"Kalis, calm down!" Eira quickly joined the private message channel and persuaded, "Even though you made a lot of money this time, a luxury mansion is too valuable. There's no need to spend so much. We're all here to play the game. It would be more practical to give us some class-appropriate equipment or rare skill scrolls instead."
Lenore thoughtfully added, "Eira's right. After you cash out the residence token, you can send some money home to honor your parents first."
Lenore was usually carefree, but she was also a very thoughtful girl.
Kalis shook his head when he heard this: "Sending too much money at once might scare them. My family's financial situation is decent. I'll let them know about my income source gradually when things stabilize later. That's safer."
He knew that in the real world, suddenly acquiring wealth equivalent to hundreds of millions of real currency was unacceptable to ordinary people. If it was mistaken for illegal gains, it would only cause trouble.
"That makes sense," Eira summed up. "Let's focus on the transaction first. College time is precious. We'll enjoy the game first, and discuss other things later."
"Okay, I'll contact someone from Crimson Lotus or Oath of Sky right away," Lenore said, then began using her connections to reach out to buyers.
"By the way, Kalis, you're so strong now. Have you ever thought about creating your own guild?" Eira suddenly asked.
Kalis smiled: "Forget it. None of the three of us knows how to manage a guild. There will be a bunch of trivial guild matters later, which will only give us a headache. But finding a casual guild as a base would be nice. If we encounter a BOSS we can't beat, we can go help and get a share of the rewards. If we join a big guild, we can also enjoy the guild residence benefits. Completing daily residence quests can make us level up 5% faster than solo players."
In Eternal Realm Online, guilds were indispensable. Many high-difficulty dungeons and team quests required guild support. Moreover, not all guilds were keen on wars. There were a large number of small casual guilds with a relaxed and free atmosphere. Kalis didn't like being restrained, so this type of guild was perfect for him.
"I have no objection. It's best to find a guild with lots of handsome guys!" Eira giggled.
"Aren't I enough!" Kalis teased.
A few minutes later, Lenore's voice sounded again in the private message channel: "It's done! I just asked the leaders of four top guilds through friends. They all made offers, and all of them exceed 100 million gold coins!"
"Which guilds specifically? What are their offers?" Kalis asked eagerly.
Lenore said: "Crimson Lotus previously offered 100 million gold coins, and now they're willing to raise it to 110 million. Oath of Sky still offers 100 million, but with an additional 2 hidden class advancement clues."
"What about the other two?" Kalis continued.
Lenore replied: "Azure Tidal has the same offer as Crimson Lotus, 110 million. The last one is the newly emerging Spheres Crusaders. They're willing to offer 120 million gold coins—the only guild that meets your ideal price!" Lenore said quickly.
Kalis had originally thought 120 million was just an ideal price and didn't expect any guild to actually offer it. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised: "Spheres Crusaders? Why haven't I heard of this guild?"
"Their predecessor was the Beacon guild. After the launch of Eternal Realm Online this time, they received huge support from a mysterious investor and suddenly became financially powerful."
"Mysterious investor?" Kalis was even more confused.
He could understand people being willing to spend money on a game.
But hiding their identity as a "mysterious investor" was somewhat absurd.
Lenore explained: "The identity of the investor behind them is extremely mysterious. Even the leaders of other big guilds can't find out their details. Some people speculate that it might be a certain government department secretly supporting them, wanting to explore the Creator God behind the game through the guild. There's a similar guild in other countries' regions, and it's said to be even stronger than this one."
"Uh…"
Both Kalis and Eira were stunned.
If they really had such backing, Spheres Crusaders' strength was definitely not to be underestimated. It seemed they had no choice but to sell it to this guild!
"Tell them to add me as a friend," Kalis made a quick decision. "I'm still red-named now and can't enter the main city. They'll need to come to the wild for the transaction."