After equipping the Bloodthirst Blade, Tristan's attack power shot up to 339, more than tripling his previous stats. This boost was much more significant than the previous upgrades to Shadow Stealth. Not only did it increase the damage of Breaking Stealth Strike, but it also greatly enhanced the damage of both Shadow Dagger and Rend.
Without exaggeration, if Tristan fought the Bloodthirsty Bat again, the time required would be drastically reduced.
"I didn't expect the first BOSS to drop the weapon I needed most. I hope the next two BOSSes drop something good too."
Tristan couldn't help but feel excited.
The Crimson Tomb dungeon had three BOSSes, and even if each BOSS only dropped one piece of equipment, Tristan could still get two pieces of Silver Grade gear.
Now equipped with his new weapon, Tristan was eager to test his enhanced power. As the Bloodthirst Minions came charging toward him, he immediately threw a flying knife.
-18535! (Weak Spot Attack)
Before Rend could even take effect, the Bloodthirst Minion was already dead, its body rolling across the ground and coming to a stop in the corner.
With nearly 20,000 damage, these minions didn't stand a chance.
After a few minutes of efficient kills, Tristan reached the second BOSS.
The room was spacious, with two menacing stone statues standing in the center. It appeared calm, but Tristan knew that if players rushed in carelessly, they'd be ambushed by the Stone Gargoyles.
Two Silver Grade Stone Gargoyles would be enough to wipe out a team.
Knowing the strategy, Tristan didn't make any rookie mistakes. He aimed at the statues and threw a flying knife.
-9268! (Weak Spot Attack)
-9268! (Weak Spot Attack)
The damage numbers floated above the two statues' heads. At the same moment, their eyes suddenly opened, their wings flapping rapidly as they attacked Tristan from both sides.
Just like before, their attacks only shattered the floor beneath them without doing any harm to Tristan.
Stone Gargoyle Twins (Silver Grade)
Level: 10
Health: 250,000/250,000
Attack: 1000 (+200)
Defense: 2000
Skills: Windstorm Rush, Charge Counter, Physical Damage Reduction, Twin Life Link
Description: Vampire Baron's gatekeepers, these twin guardians share a deep bond and will slaughter any intruders.
The Gargoyle Twins looked like they had a relatively low health pool, but the challenge lay in the fact that they shared health. Any damage dealt to one would be split between both, meaning their combined health pool was effectively 500,000!
Not only that, the Stone Gargoyle Twins were formidable against physical attacks. Their defense was high, and they had an additional 70% physical damage reduction, which made them nightmarish for most physical players, especially assassins and archers.
However, for Tristan, they were no different than any other BOSS.
Their physical damage reduction meant nothing against real damage.
While avoiding their attacks, Rend began to take effect.
-220!
-220!
The damage numbers floated above the Stone Gargoyle Twins' heads, accumulating over three hits for a total of over 1,000 damage.
Thanks to his Sniper God talent, Tristan's Rend damage bypassed the BOSS's defenses, dealing full damage. While it wasn't overwhelming, it was better than nothing.
...
The Stone Gargoyle Twins were shocked. Their legendary defense had proven useless against Tristan.
With nearly 20,000 health lost after a single round of attacks, Tristan could finish them off in just 20 more rounds.
The Gargoyles took to the air, flapping their wings to create a windstorm, swirling through the room and causing damage.
This was their Windstorm Rush, a skill that generated a tornado, causing continuous damage. Due to the fact that there were two of them, it created double the chaos, making player positioning crucial.
But Tristan had no such concerns.
His speed was immense. Even if there were 10 or 20 tornadoes, they wouldn't be a problem.
As for the Charge Counter, it was a skill designed for melee players, and it had nothing to do with Tristan, who was a ranged assassin.
After dodging a few more attacks and throwing a handful of flying knives, the Stone Gargoyle Twins reverted back to their stone forms and shattered into countless pieces.
Ding! "You have killed the 10th level Silver Grade BOSS, Stone Gargoyle Twins, and earned 20,000 experience points. The experience cap has been reached, and excess experience has been added to the experience pool."
"Hunting Moment activated, you gain 1 evolution point! Current points: 3"
"Hunting Moment activated, you gain 1 evolution point! Current points: 4"
Though the Stone Gargoyle Twins were difficult to kill, their shared health and the fact that they were essentially two BOSSes meant that the evolution points Tristan earned were extremely valuable.
One BOSS worth two.
Tristan picked up the dropped gear.
Stone Gargoyle Bracers: Silver Grade, Defense +100, Health +800, Strength +20, Equipment requirement: Level 10, Strength > 60
"Damn!"
Tristan felt a bit helpless.
Even after using the Stone of Might to add 20 Strength, he was still a little short of the requirement to wear these bracers. Unless he added points to Strength for his next level-up or found an item that boosted Strength, he couldn't equip them.
"Well, I'll hold onto them for now."
Tristan decided to keep the bracers, not to sell them to Drake, but for future planning.
After securing the gear, Tristan pressed on.
Once the third BOSS was defeated, he would finally face the hidden BOSS, Vampire Baron.
But the Baron seemed to be in a hurry too. He let out an eerie screech, summoning the Blood Vampire Minions to their deaths.
At the same time, his voice echoed through the tomb.
"Well done, invader. Your strength excites me."
"Come to me, and I will grant you immortality!"
Tristan knew this was to trigger a side quest.
Normally, the Vampire Baron would be extremely hostile to players who disturbed his slumber.
But there were exceptions, such as Tristan, whose overwhelming strength made him an intriguing target for the Baron.
The Baron would offer the choice of immortality, tempting the player to join the Vampire faction.
Not only would they gain a hidden blood-based class, but they'd also enjoy extended life.
The conditions were much better than what the village chief offered.
Tristan suspected the village chief was taking bribes behind the scenes, becoming a middleman.
Otherwise, why would the Baron offer more substantial rewards like hidden classes and immortality, while the village chief only promised attribute points?
"I cannot stand corrupt middlemen!" Tristan thought angrily, making up his mind to expose the village chief for good.
...
After clearing the smaller monsters on the way, Tristan reached the deepest part of the Crimson Tomb, a grand tomb chamber with exquisite murals.
This chamber was vast, more than a hundred meters in length and width, making it feel eerily empty.
In the corners, piles of treasure were covered in cobwebs, showing that no one had been here in a long time.
In the center of the chamber, dozens of chains stretched from the ceiling to suspend a massive bronze coffin in the air.
Boom!
As soon as Tristan stepped into the chamber, the heavy stone doors behind him slammed shut, blocking his way out.
At the same time, the bronze coffin trembled, and a scratching sound came from within, making the atmosphere unbearably sinister.