Tristan had already guessed that Bonecrusher would perform a sacrifice. After all, this was a long-standing tradition in ExoGenesis—if you can't win, summon some help.
And when it comes to reliable help, who could be better than Deathbringer? No one.
However, Tristan didn't expect Bonecrusher to complete the sacrifice so quickly. He had just taken down a Silver Grade Goblin, and the rest were wiped out in one go by Bonecrusher. It was ridiculous.
"Turns out, the only ones who can be truly ruthless to their own are their own kind," Tristan muttered under his breath.
With Deathbringer now summoned, attacking Bonecrusher would be downright rude. Tristan was also curious to see if this massive horde of over 3,000 Goblins, plus a few Silver Grade ones, could actually help Bonecrusher ascend to Dark Gold Grade.
The higher the grade, the more souls required for ascension. Ascending from Gold to Dark Gold wasn't something that could be done easily.
Bonecrusher had probably planned ahead, which is why it ordered the regular Goblins to fight to the death. Losing even a portion of them would lessen the effect of the sacrifice. And ordinary Goblins alone wouldn't be enough—their souls were too low quality to satisfy Deathbringer.
So, Bonecrusher had included a few Silver Grade Goblins as well. Originally, if these Goblins could help take down the invader, it would have been ideal. If not, they'd just be used for the sacrifice.
But when those Silver Grade Goblins tried to escape the valley, Bonecrusher was forced to act sooner than planned. This led to the unexpected turn of events.
For Tristan, however, none of this mattered. His eyes were fixed on the distance, a gleam of anticipation in them. If Bonecrusher ascended, it would be a huge win. Even if fewer Silver Grade Goblins were killed, the potential loot from a Dark Gold Grade BOSS would more than make up for it—possibly even make a huge profit.
Bonecrusher, as a physical BOSS, would drop strength-related gear, which Tristan could definitely use. And if it dropped a necklace or trinket, with little weight, that would be perfect. There was also the chance of a skill book, which would always come in handy.
After all, Bonecrusher was the first Dark Gold Grade BOSS in the entire server. The loot would definitely be worth it. Plus, in ExoGenesis, BOSSes also had random drops—things like gear, items, and skill books. Tristan had previously gotten a Guild Token from this category. He was hoping for more unique loot this time.
While he was thinking, Bonecrusher's sacrifice was nearing its end. The black mist, having absorbed all the souls, gathered around Bonecrusher's towering form. Standing at four meters tall, Bonecrusher's size now surged to over five meters. Its limbs grew even thicker, transforming into a massive, mountain-like figure that radiated an oppressive weight.
Not only did Bonecrusher's size increase, but its equipment also changed. The warhammer grew larger and heavier, and its armor now gleamed with an eerie, bone-chilling light under the moon.
[Deathbringer Bonecrusher· Gada (Dark Gold Grade)]
Level: 20
Health: 4,000,000/4,000,000
Attack: 12,000
Defense: 11,000
Skills: Earth-shattering Slam, Brave Leap, Charge, Thunderous Stomp, Bone Breaker, Battle Aura, Death's Command
Description: A Goblin who has surpassed its bloodline limit through the baptism of death.
4 million health!
Attack and defense over 10,000!
With stats like that, even players in their twenties or thirties would need to form a group to take it down. And one wrong move could lead to disaster.
Of course, Bonecrusher's massive power boost was thanks to Deathbringer's blessing. Without it, Bonecrusher's stats wouldn't be nearly as insane.
The only silver lining for Tristan was that Bonecrusher's skill set hadn't changed much—except for one new addition: Death's Command.
Tristan remembered that this skill could resurrect fallen enemies.
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Bonecrusher slammed its warhammer into the ground, channeling black energy into the earth. The energy surged toward the fallen Goblin bodies.
The dead Goblins started to stir, their eyes glowing an eerie green as they let out guttural, chilling growls and charged toward Tristan.
In the blink of an eye, the valley, once silent, was now filled with the sounds of undead Goblins. However, this wasn't a true resurrection—these Goblins didn't retain their previous consciousness. They were more like zombies, mindless creatures used solely to tear enemies apart.
Tristan had already prepared. He threw his Shadow Dagger and Rain of Corruption in quick succession. These reanimated Goblins, now mindless, rushed into the area of Toxic Blood Plague, having no idea how to avoid the deadly effect.
As a result, they quickly died again.
Bonecrusher wasn't bothered, though. It activated Death's Command once more, raising the Goblins from the dead again. Tristan wasn't about to hold back either, sending another round of Shadow Dagger and Rain of Corruption their way.
The cycle of life, death, and rebirth continued, and the Goblins eventually fell apart, unable to withstand the constant energy flooding their fragile bodies. Even the Silver Grade Goblins couldn't survive this and shattered into pieces, unrecognizable.
"Worthless fools! Useless when alive, useless when dead!" Bonecrusher spat, raising its warhammer, ready to get involved personally.
Now, with its strength at an all-time high, Bonecrusher was eager to take care of the intruder—slowly, painfully.
With a cruel laugh, Bonecrusher bellowed, "Cowardly Stealthster, your time has come!"
Boom!
Bonecrusher launched itself into the air with the force of a cannonball, closing the distance in an instant and landing directly above Tristan.
Its expression was twisted with confidence. It had been studying Tristan throughout the fight, learning his attack range. It had previously been unable to get close, but now, with its ascension to Dark Gold Grade, its base stats had skyrocketed, and both its Brave Leap and Charge could reach much further.
At that moment, Bonecrusher was certain it would crush Tristan with a single blow. Or worse, turn him into a bloody pulp.
"Maybe I should hold back a little, though… don't want to kill him too quickly. How else will I have fun torturing him?" Bonecrusher thought to itself.
But just as Bonecrusher prepared to strike, something caught its eye—a flash of movement. Tristan's speed suddenly surged by 30%, and he dodged Bonecrusher's Brave Leap with ease.
Bonecrusher had expected the dodge, but what happened next was completely unexpected.
With a flicker, Tristan activated Frenzied Dash and Blink, easily escaping Bonecrusher's range. As Bonecrusher landed, Tristan casually waved at it and vanished into Stealth.
The nerve of that Stealthster!
Bonecrusher's face twisted into a scowl as it reconsidered the situation. It had suspected that Tristan was holding back, but it never imagined he was holding this much back!
Two movement abilities? That wasn't too surprising. But the speed increase? That was way beyond what Bonecrusher had anticipated.
Had Tristan really been moving at only 70% speed all this time? Was he not worried about being torn apart by 3,000 Goblins?
Well, it didn't matter. The Stealthster's attack range was still limited. Bonecrusher still had a chance.
Then, from over a hundred meters away, Bonecrusher saw a shadow. In the next instant, it felt a sharp pain, and its health took a nosedive.
-143,374! (Weak Spot Attack)
"Damn it... he even hid his attack range!" Bonecrusher cursed under its breath.