The silence in the boss room was heavy, broken only by the bubbling of the toxic pool.
Vance stood ten meters away, his assault rifle raised but not firing. Behind him, twelve Alpha Squad members had their weapons trained on Arthur's chest.
Arthur sat in the sludge, his left arm a twisted mess of regenerating meat and bone. He looked calm. Too calm.
[System Alert: Boss Defeated.][First Clear Bonus Applied.][Generating Rewards...]
A massive chest, crafted from obsidian and wrapped in golden chains, materialized from the dissolving ash of the Hydra.
THUD.
It landed right in front of Arthur.
"Step away from the chest," Vance ordered. His voice was tight.
Arthur tilted his head. "I killed it. It's mine."
"This is Ironblood territory," Vance said, his finger hovering over the trigger. "You trespassed. You stole our kill. And you caused significant property damage."
Vance signaled to his men. "Secure the target. If he moves, melt him."
Arthur looked at the twelve barrels pointing at him. HP: 8,800 / 9,350
He could tank a volley. Maybe two. But sustained fire from twelve elites? He would die. Eventually.
"You're making a mistake, Vance," Arthur said.
He reached out with his good right hand. He wasn't reaching for a weapon. He was reaching for the chest.
"Don't!" Vance shouted.
Arthur flipped the latch.
CLICK.
The obsidian lid hissed open. Golden light flooded the dim sewer chamber.
[Loot Acquired][1. Hydra's Regenerating Heart (Epic Material)][2. 5,000 Credits][3. Skill Book: Blood Nova (Unique)]
Arthur ignored the material. He ignored the credits. His eyes locked onto the Skill Book. It was bound in red leather, pulsing like a living organ.
He grabbed it.
"Drop it!" Vance roared. He fired a warning shot.
BANG.
The bullet struck the sludge inches from Arthur's leg.
Arthur didn't flinch. He read the description instantly.
[Skill: Blood Nova (Unique)]
Type: Active / Forbidden
Cost: 20% of Current HP.
Effect: Expels a shockwave of blood. Deals True Damage equal to the HP consumed to all enemies within 20 meters.
Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Arthur's heart skipped a beat. True Damage. Ignore defense. Ignore armor. 20% of Current HP. Right now, he had roughly 8,800 HP. 20% was 1,760 Damage.
A Level 5 Warrior like Vance probably had 400 HP. Even a tank would have maybe 600. 1,760 True Damage was a tactical nuke. It was an instant wipe for everyone in this room.
Arthur looked up. He smiled. It wasn't the polite, vendor smile. It was the smile of a man holding a detonator.
"Learn," Arthur whispered.
The red book dissolved into light and shot into his chest.
[Skill Learned: Blood Nova]
Arthur stood up. His left arm snapped back into place with a sickening crack, fully healed. The "Error" regeneration had done its job.
"Vance," Arthur said, his voice echoing in the chamber. "Do you know what 'True Damage' is?"
Vance hesitated. He saw the red aura rising from Arthur's body like steam. The "Inspect" error code in his vision was flashing red now.
"Fire!" Gus screamed from the back. "Kill him before he casts!"
Three nervous soldiers pulled their triggers.
RAT-TAT-TAT.
Bullets slammed into Arthur's chest. -15.-12.-14.
They bounced off his ribs or lodged in his muscle, barely scratching his HP bar.
Arthur didn't dodge. He took a deep breath. The red aura intensified, turning the green sludge around him crimson.
"I have 9,000 Health," Arthur stated calmly. "My new skill uses my health as ammo. If I release this breath, I deal 1,800 damage to everyone in this room."
He took a step forward. The soldiers stepped back.
"No armor will save you," Arthur continued. "No shield. You will all pop like balloons."
He looked Vance in the eye.
"Do you want to test the math?"
Silence. Absolute, terrified silence.
Vance was sweating. He was doing the calculations. If he's bluffing, we kill him and get the loot.If he's telling the truth, we all die instantly.
Vance looked at the bullet holes in Arthur's chest. They were already closing. He took three rounds and didn't even grunt.
"Stand down," Vance commanded.
"But boss!" Gus protested.
"I SAID STAND DOWN!" Vance roared, smashing the butt of his rifle into Gus's stomach.
Vance lowered his weapon. He knew when he was beaten. He was a businessman, and the risk was infinite.
"You win," Vance said, his voice tight. "The loot is yours. The First Clear is yours."
Arthur held the charge for a moment longer, letting the fear soak in. Then, he let the red aura fade.
"Wise choice," Arthur said.
He walked forward. The circle of soldiers parted like the Red Sea. No one wanted to be close to the walking bomb.
Arthur stopped next to Vance.
"I have a counter-offer," Arthur said softly, so only Vance could hear.
Vance looked at him. "What?"
"I have the Hydra's Heart," Arthur said, patting his bag. "I don't need it. I'm not an alchemist. But you have a fortress to build."
Vance's eyes widened. The Heart was a Guild-tier material. It could be used to create a Regeneration Beacon for their base.
"You want to sell it?" Vance asked, confused. "After we just tried to kill you?"
"I'm a businessman," Arthur shrugged. "No permanent enemies. Only permanent interests."
Arthur pulled out the beating purple heart. It was the size of a watermelon.
"200,000 Credits," Arthur said. "Transfer. Now."
It was robbery. It was extortion. But it was also an opportunity. With that heart, the Ironblood Cartel could solidify its dominance in Sector 7.
Vance looked at the heart. Then at Arthur. This man was insane. He threatened to nuke them one second, and sold them supplies the next.
"Deal," Vance gritted his teeth.
He pulled out his phone. [Transfer Complete: 200,000 Credits to User 'Arthur'.]
Arthur tossed the heart to Vance. Vance caught it, nearly dropping his rifle.
"Pleasure doing business," Arthur said.
He walked out of the Boss Room, stepping over the melted blast door. He didn't look back.
Outside the Sewer Entrance
Arthur walked until he was sure he was alone. His legs gave out. He collapsed against a tree, gasping for air.
HP: 8,750 / 9,400
"That was close," he whispered.
He could have used Blood Nova. It wasn't a bluff. But if he did, he would have dropped to 7,000 HP, and he would have been surrounded by corpses. Killing the entire leadership of the Ironblood Cartel would have put a target on his back that he couldn't handle yet. The main Guild HQ from the inner city would have sent assassins.
"Better to bleed them dry of money," Arthur smiled, checking his account balance.
Balance: 206,500 Credits.
He was rich. In a world where a loaf of bread cost 5 credits, he was a millionaire.
He opened the System Menu.
[Achievement Unlocked: The Outlier]
Criteria: Complete a Raid Boss solo while being under-leveled.
Reward:+5 Free Attribute Points.
[Achievement Unlocked: First Blood (Regional)]
Reward:Global Reputation +100.
Arthur looked at the 5 points. He looked at his stats.
Strength: 10 Agility: 11 Vitality: 25
He dumped all 5 points into Agility. He needed to be faster. He couldn't always rely on tanking.
Agility: 16.
He felt lighter. His reflexes sharpened.
"Now," Arthur said, standing up. "The Tower of Trials opens tomorrow."
He had the money. He had the gear. He had the ultimate AOE skill.
He was ready to climb.