Drake had never imagined that leveling up could be this effortless.
Before today, he and his team had struggled through countless battles, fighting wild boars with everything they had just to barely reach Level 4.
They were proud of their efficiency.
Compared to ordinary players, they were far ahead of the pack.
Even when stacked against elite squads from major guilds, they were at the top of their game.
They had every reason to be confident.
But now…
After experiencing Blackshade's power-leveling firsthand, they had a strange thought.
Maybe we should ask him for a yearly subscription.
Because going back to regular grinding after this?
Yeah. Not happening.
The psychological damage would be too much to bear.
But seriously—what kind of skill was that?
How was it auto-killing monsters without him even trying?
Then, a suspicious thought crept into Drake's mind.
Wait a minute… what if… Blackshade is actually cheating?
Maybe he should ask—just in case.
Would the hack hold up under a patch?
As Drake was deep in thought, Sophie, their Cleric, asked the real question on everyone's mind.
"What kind of skill is that? How is it spreading endlessly like this?"
Tristan waved a hand dismissively. "It's not endless. There's a range limit. But since the wolves stay close together, it keeps triggering."
Then he added, "As for what it is, no big deal. It's called Toxic Blood Plague. Dropped from the final boss in the Crimson Tomb special mode."
He paused, shrugged, and added, "Oh, and our newbie village's Crimson Tomb special mode? Yeah, I already cleared it. It's gone now."
Silence.
The party just stared.
Because they all knew—
The Crimson Tomb dungeon would always exist.
But the special mode?
One-time-only.
And not just in their newbie village—every newbie village only got one shot at it.
Because, unlike most games, ExoGenesis didn't have respawning bosses for many of its unique enemies.
Especially named bosses like Vampire Baron—once they were killed, they were gone for good.
And that meant…
Toxic Blood Plague was one of the rarest skills in the game.
In his previous life, even as one of the world's Top 10 players, Tristan had never gotten his hands on it.
That was how rare it was.
Why?
Because to even have a shot at it, you had to:
Clear Nightmare Difficulty of the Crimson Tomb special mode. Do it before hitting Level 11—because the dungeon had a level cap. Have the special mode available in the first place—which was a one-time event per newbie village. Pray that the skill actually dropped.
In other words—practically impossible.
At this moment, Drake's team fully understood—
No one else in the world had this skill right now.
Maybe, for a long time, no one else ever would.
The jealousy in their hearts was immeasurable.
Drake sighed. "We could never pull that off."
Not unless they somehow got a full set of Level 10 Silver and Gold Grade gear.
Even then, they'd probably still fail.
After all, they couldn't go permanently stealthed like Blackshade.
So, they could only watch and envy.
Blackshade's gameplay?
Completely uncopyable.
Tristan casually added, "There are other skills with similar effects. Not many, but they exist. Just keep an eye out."
Drake nodded seriously.
"Good point."
Meanwhile, Toxic Blood Plague had finally finished wiping out every wolf in the area.
Tristan simply said, "Alright, next spot."
Drake nearly teared up.
Big Shot is so professional!
They walked for a few minutes, and soon, another pack of wolves surrounded them.
Awooo!
Howls echoed as wolves emerged from both sides, closing in.
Drake was shocked.
"These monsters are smart!"
They didn't seem to fully understand Toxic Blood Plague, but they were clearly adapting.
Instead of charging from one side, they attacked from two directions at once.
Tristan remained calm.
"This is nothing. Once you leave the newbie village, the real monsters start."
Hearing that, Drake gulped.
Even Big Shot thinks monsters get 'smart' after this?
Then these mobs must be terrifying.
What kind of game actively tried to outplay players?
Was the developer insane?!
Oh, wait. There weren't any pay-to-win options.
Yeah, that made sense now.
Drake shook off the thought and asked, "Want us to help?"
Because surely, even Blackshade couldn't handle wolves attacking from both sides at once.
He just hit Level 5, so he could finally equip his Rabbit Bone Shield.
It was time to show off.
Tristan, without hesitation: "No need. I got it."
Shadow Dagger!
Rain of Corruption!
Two skills shot in opposite directions, and the massacre began anew.
The wolves tried to be smart, but they weren't smart enough.
Toxic Blood Plague spread too fast.
Within seconds, both packs were obliterated.
Drake's team leveled up again.
And this time—
Less than 10 minutes had passed.
Drake Let Out a Deep, Emotional Sigh.
"Best 2 million I've ever spent."
Because he had never expected power-leveling to be like this.
This wasn't just leveling up—
This was ascending to godhood.
His teammates were in a daze.
Blackshade made leveling look so easy.
Had their previous suffering even been necessary?
Had they been grinding like peasants for nothing?
Drake was about to say something—
But then, he suddenly got bombarded with private messages.
All from guild leaders he knew.
"Drake, you f*ing cheater, how the hell did you jump from Level 4 to Level 6 in a blink?!"**
"Be honest. Did you buy a hack from Blackshade? Hook me up."
"I'm reporting you for cheating!"
"Yo, did you find some kind of exploit? Spill the secret—I'll make it worth your while."
At the same time, players from all over the newbie villages noticed something off.
On the global level rankings, four players were jumping up insanely fast.
Too fast.
"Wait… did I just see someone level up twice in a row?"
"I saw it too! And not just one person—FOUR of them."
"Drake? That's IFA's guild leader, right?"
"Yeah, and those other three are his top officers."
"But HOW?!"
"Last time someone leveled that fast, it was Blackshade."
"…Oh my god. Case closed. Drake bought cheats from Blackshade."
"That bastard! Not sharing the cheat? I'm reporting him!"
Drake had no idea how much chaos this caused.
He had just finished replying to his guild leader friends, feeling smug as hell.
"See this? This is Big Shot privilege."
"Blackshade himself is carrying me. Do you guys have this kind of VIP service?"
If he hadn't had the guts to send Blackshade a friend request back then…
Wait.
Didn't the game literally just launch today?
…Whatever.
What mattered was—
His success was 100% because of his own effort!
…And just a tiny bit of money.