The massive body of the Crimson Mane Lion lay still in the center of the clearing.
Ryn exhaled and wiped the sweat from his forehead and slumped down onto the beast's flank. His stamina was scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Even with his technique, moving a Level 1 body like that took a toll.
'I hope the rewards will be worth it.'
The next moment, a soft humming sound resonated from the corpse.
Wooooom.
A cluster of crimson light particles drifted out of the beast's chest.
They swirled in the air for a second, condensing into a fist-sized orb of pure energy.
It then floated toward Ryn as if drawn by a magnet, striking his chest and sinking seamlessly into his core.
Ba-thump.
Ryn closed his eyes.
He felt a wave of warmth rush through his veins, expanding the invisible pathways of his Origin Vein. It was a sensation of pure power, washing away the fatigue of the battle.
Ding!
──────?????──────
[ You have absorbed the Essence of the Crimson Mane Lion. ]
[ Arcana Capacity Increased significantly! ]
[ Your body has been refined by the high-density energy. ]
──────?????──────
[ Level Up! (1 -> 5) ]
──────?????──────
Ryn opened his eyes.
He clenched his fist. The air popped audibly in his grip.
The weakness of a Level 1 body was gone. His muscles felt denser. His senses expanded to pick up the rustle of leaves thirty meters away.
"Much better," Ryn said calmly.
Meanwhile, the notifications continued to scroll.
Ding!
──────?????──────
[ Achievement Unlocked: The Gap of Ten! ]
[ You have defeated a Boss Monster 10 Levels higher than yourself solo. ]
[ Reward: Title [ Giant Slayer ], 5 Gold Coins, Skill [ Heavy Strike ] ]
──────?????──────
Ryn nodded in satisfaction.
He tapped on the Title to check its effects.
──────?????──────
[ Title: Giant Slayer ]
[ Effect 1: Deal 20% bonus damage to enemies 10 levels higher than yourself. ]
[ Effect 2: Unyielding Will - You will be immune to 'Intimidation' and 'Pressure' effects from higher-level beings for 10 seconds. ]
──────?????──────
'Not bad,' Ryn thought.
The damage bonus was good, but the immunity to Pressure was the real prize. It meant he wouldn't freeze up when facing a Dragon or a Demon Lord later on.
As he closed the window, another notification popped up.
Ding!
──────?????──────
[ Server First: Boss Elimination! ]
[ You are the first player to slay a Field Boss (Crimson Mane Lion). ]
[ Would you like to announce this achievement to the World Server as 'Zero'? ]
[ Yes / No ]
──────?????──────
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Ryn looked at the prompt and, without a second thought, tapped Yes.
Ding!
──────?????──────
[ ?? World Announcement: Player 'Zero' has achieved the First Boss Kill! ]
[ Reward: +1000 Fame, Gold Coin x10, Unique Skill Book (Random) ]
──────?????──────
He dismissed the cascading windows and the inevitable global chat explosion with a wave of his hand and turned his attention to the corpse.
It was still there.
'It seems like we have to loot the corpses by ourselves,' Ryn noted inwardly.
He didn't waste time thinking.
With practiced efficiency, he began the harvest.
First came the Crimson Mane. The bone spikes were hard as steel and would fetch a high price from fletchers. Next was the Lion's Heart, a potent alchemy ingredient. Finally, he skinned the Iron-Hide Fur, careful not to damage the valuable pelt.
Once all the valuables were stored safely in his inventory, Ryn stood up and wiped his blade.
He looked at the remaining carcass—meat, bones, and organs.
"Nero."
Ryn gestured to the pile of meat.
"Don't leave any leftovers."
"Kyu!"
The small void-eater chirped happily, opened his mouth, and the darkness expanded again.
Gulp!
Nero devoured the entire carcass in seconds, leaving nothing but the grass stained with blood.
'Full?' Ryn asked with a smile.
Nero nodded and turned into a streak of black mist. He returned to the tattoo on Ryn's chest to digest his meal.
Ryn stood up and stretched his back.
He checked his inventory. It was bursting with high-grade materials and 15 extra Gold Coins from the reward.
He then looked toward the north, his lips curling up.
'Time to hunt the next one.'
With a final adjustment of his cloak, Ryn slipped into the treeline.
______ __ _
While Ryn moved deeper into the wilderness, the rest of the world was setting itself on fire.
The [ World Announcement ] had hit the server like a meteor strike.
[ Global Chat ]
[ xX_DragonSlayer_Xx ]: ZERO?! Wait, The Zero? From the Tower?!
[ MageCutie ]: HE'S BACK! THE LEGEND IS BACK!
[ Tank_Life ]: I knew it! I knew he would play this game!
[ NoobMaster69 ]: Who is Zero? Why is everyone freaking out?
[ Veteran_01 ]: @NoobMaster69 You uncultured swine. He's the guy who cleared the Hell Floors solo! He's the Sovereign of TOT!
[ Guild_Recruiter ]: Zero, if you are reading this, the 'Golden Lion Guild' offers you a Vice-Leader position! PM me!
[ Anon ]: ALL HAIL ZERO!
[ Anon ]: ALL HAIL ZERO!
The chat scrolled so fast it became a blur of text, an endless chant of his name.
But amidst the chaos, in a different Beginner Village located in a vast, windswept canyon known as the Gale Gorge, the mood was very different.
Clang!
A rapier deflected a massive stone club.
Maya, also known as the "Valkyrie of Light," gritted her teeth as she slid back across the rocky ground. She was currently locked in combat with a Granite Golem, a Level 10 Field Boss that guarded the canyon's exit.
She was exhausted. She had been fighting for twenty minutes straight.
"Just one more combo..." she panted, her eyes narrowing as she prepared her skill.
Then, a notification flashed across her vision, breaking her concentration.
[ ?? World Announcement: Player 'Zero' has achieved the First Boss Kill! ]
Maya froze.
For a split second, her impeccable focus was shattered. The Golem roared and swung its club, forcing her to abandon her attack and roll frantically to the side.
"Dammit!"
She scrambled to her feet, putting distance between her and the monster. Her chest heaved, but not just from exertion.
"I was late... again."
She clenched her free hand into a fist, her nails digging into her palm.
"Just where are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of frustration and rivalry.
She aggressively tapped the [ Hall of Fame ] icon while keeping one eye on the Golem.
If he had killed a Boss, he had to be at the top of the Leaderboard. The EXP from a Boss was massive.
The list materialized.
──────?????──────
[ Current Level Rankings (Global) ]
1. SwordSaint [ Lv. 9 ]
2. Maya [ Lv. 9 ]
3. IAmHim [ Lv. 8 ]
...
99. ShadowThief [ Lv. 7 ]
100. IronWall [ Lv. 7 ]
──────?????──────
Maya scanned the list.
She read the top ten. Then the top fifty. Then the top hundred.
She blinked. She scrolled back up and re-read it.
"What?"
Zero's name was nowhere to be seen,
She frowned, her mind racing. The ranking system updated in real-time. The cutoff for the Top 100 was clearly Level 7.
If Zero wasn't on the list, that meant...
Maya froze. Her sapphire eyes widened in disbelief as the realization hit her like a physical blow.
"He's not even Level 7 yet."
She looked at the announcement again.
First Boss Kill.
A chill ran down her spine.
"That monster..." Maya whispered, staring at the empty space where his name should have been. "He hunted a Field Boss... while being Level 6 or lower?!"
The Granite Golem roared, demanding her attention.
Maya looked up. The playful idol smile she had shown on the Daily Dive broadcast was gone. In its place was a cold, burning determination.
"Fine," she hissed, gripping her rapier until her knuckles turned white. "If you want a race, Zero... I'll give you one."
She charged.
Five minutes later.
[ Ding! ]
[ Congratulations! ]
[ You are the third player to slay a Field Boss (Granite Golem). ]
[ ... ]
