The players of Newbie Village 8860 were abuzz with excitement.
DarkSaber was going head-to-head with Blackshade!
During the fight against the Giant Rabbit, most players had begrudgingly given up on the boss, though they were bitter about it.
Had Blackshade not intervened, they might have had a real shot at claiming the loot.
Now, however, that didn't matter.
After the boss was defeated, Blackshade had decisively killed several members of Shadow Legion, including DarkSaber himself. This sent a clear message to all the players: Blackshade was untouchable.
Most had resigned themselves to this reality and returned to farming rabbits. But then, DarkSaber had rallied his troops, loudly proclaiming that Shadow Legion would avenge all players by taking down the "villain" Blackshade.
Fueled by curiosity and a desire for spectacle, players started following DarkSaber in droves.
Soon, the group numbered in the hundreds.
After all, they weren't getting any rabbit kills, so they might as well watch the drama unfold.
The growing crowd only bolstered DarkSaber's confidence.
"This is what it means to have the people on your side!" he thought, his chest swelling with pride.
Blackshade, your days of unchecked arrogance are over!
A few guild leaders who were friendly with DarkSaber messaged him to ask about his plans. When they heard he was going after Blackshade, they expressed concern.
After all, Blackshade had seemingly limitless Stealth abilities and wasn't even afraid of LV3 Flare—how could anyone fight that?
But DarkSaber merely smiled mysteriously and hinted at having an ace up his sleeve.
This air of confidence intrigued the guild leaders.
While they didn't openly join DarkSaber's party, they decided to follow at a distance.
If DarkSaber failed, they could claim they were just spectators and avoid being targeted by Blackshade.
The large gathering of low-level players inevitably attracted the attention of nearby monsters, which were quickly cut down by the mob.
But as they ventured deeper into higher-level zones, particularly areas with Level 5 monsters, casualties began to mount.
Ordinary players couldn't withstand the attacks of stronger monsters.
It was then that DarkSaber and his Shadow Legion stepped up, forming a front line to tank the damage.
This act earned him some goodwill from the solo players in the crowd.
Watching from a safe distance, Drake commented,
"DarkSaber's got some talent. Even in this situation, he's working to expand his influence."
The assassin in Drake's party scoffed.
"He's just digging his own grave. Thinking he can take on Blackshade? That's delusional."
The archer chimed in with mock gravity,
"DarkSaber is a fool, daring to challenge my nemesis. His death is inevitable."
Drake raised an eyebrow.
"Your nemesis? Who's that?"
"Blackshade," Sophie whispered helpfully.
Drake blinked in realization, then gave the archer a long, scrutinizing look, shaking his head with exaggerated disapproval.
The archer, now indignant, shouted,
"What's with that look? Are you saying I don't deserve to have Blackshade as my nemesis?"
Drake wisely said nothing, though his silence spoke volumes.
The assassin, however, had no such restraint. Laughing heartily, he teased,
"You? A nemesis for Blackshade? Can you even solo a rabbit boss?"
The archer turned purple with fury, nearly collapsing from rage.
After some banter, Drake refocused the group.
"We're nearing the Granite Hills. By the way, do you guys feel that?"
The archer paused his fuming to stomp the ground experimentally.
"It's definitely shaking—and it's getting worse. My guess? Blackshade's boss is underground."
As they ventured further, angry shouts reached their ears.
"Damn it, why are these things spawning here?!"
"What's with their stats? Ten of me wouldn't last a single hit!"
"Blackshade's grinding in this hellhole? DarkSaber's bitten off more than he can chew this time."
"What's so special about Blackshade? If I had infinite Stealth and OP damage, I'd be untouchable too!"
"Less talk, more running—another Granite Giant is coming!"
"Alright, gentlemen. I'll die first as a courtesy."
Drake and his party found a vantage point and couldn't help but chuckle at the scene below.
DarkSaber, who had marched in with such bravado, was now being chased in circles by a Granite Giant.
However, when Drake examined the stats of the monster, his laughter ceased.
"Yeah, we're definitely not taking these down until we're at least Level 5 and fully geared."
Then his gaze fell on the countless corpses of Granite Giants, with many already fading into the ground.
After a quick calculation, Drake's tone turned serious.
"Based on Blackshade's leveling speed, he's killing these things in two hits. That's at least two thousand damage per attack. The last time we saw him, he was doing barely one thousand damage against the rabbit boss. How has he doubled his output so fast?"
The archer, utterly unfazed, remarked,
"That's just my nemesis for you."
Sophie added,
"He probably upgraded his weapon. Didn't he pick up a dagger? That would've significantly boosted his attack power."
Drake nodded slowly, though something still felt off.
Meanwhile, DarkSaber, through sheer effort (and the relentless healing of ten priests), finally managed to bring down a Granite Giant just before it could crush him.
Drake, watching from afar, couldn't help but be impressed.
DarkSaber had managed to survive—barely.
But just as the players thought they could catch their breath, DarkSaber turned to the surrounding hills and roared:
"Blackshade! Show yourself!"
The gathered players watched with bated breath.
They expected a repeat of last time—a single flying dagger ending someone's life in an instant.
DarkSaber, of course, had prepared for this.
He had recruited a hidden-class player capable of redirecting damage to their allies. With dozens of members on hand, even if Blackshade could kill one person per attack, it would take ages to wipe them out.
And with their ability to respawn and return to the fight, they could outlast him.
It was the perfect war of attrition—or so DarkSaber believed.
"Come on, kill me!"
DarkSaber grinned inwardly, clutching the scroll in his hand.
But instead of a dagger, what came next was a thunderous roar from the earth below.
The ground trembled violently, cracks spreading like a spiderweb across the rocky terrain.
From the depths, a voice bellowed,
"Insects! How dare you disturb Lord Jerobi's slumber! I will crush you!"