"You have learned the C-rank water magic [Chaotic Tides]."
"You have learned the D-rank fire magic [Explosive Fireball]."
Among the dropped skill books, four were for mages. Though their quality wasn't high, Orson learned them anyway.
Now, he had all four elemental magics covered. The only regret was that high-quality magic books were exceedingly rare. Among them, only the C-rank water magic [Chaotic Tides] seemed somewhat useful:
Effect: Consumes 200 MP to create a chaotic water zone. Monsters within the area lose their sense of friend or foe for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 45 seconds.
It was a typical PvE crowd-control skill. The description sounded impressive, but it had no effect on NPCs or players.
Since he had already learned it, Orson didn't care. After all, he had plenty of money and plenty of monsters to farm.
Thanks to the [Orc Heretic] title, which added a 10% bonus to drop rates, Orson was reaping insane rewards. Other players could only dream of such a haul.
Even with a base drop rate of just 1%, the sheer number of monsters Orson was killing guaranteed frequent rewards. A purple-tier greatsword for knights and a warrior's armor piece had even dropped thanks to the enhanced drop rate.
His [Heavenly Spirit's Right Eye] had already reached 20,000 proficiency points—and that was just the beginning.
Orson noticed that the monsters were growing stronger with each wave. During the brief lull between attacks, he raised another row of stone barricades.
In total, he now had twelve defensive lines encircling the outer city.
"I can't afford to take risks," he muttered. His Sin Value was still above 9,000. If he were killed, all his gear and money would drop.
After meditating to restore his state, Orson prepared for the next wave.
Meanwhile, the world chat was anything but peaceful.
"Player Usher wields a divine weapon, unmatched and peerless! Ranking 1 on the Divine Weapon Leaderboard!"
"The first owner of a Legendary weapon is rewarded: 2 talent points, 20 skill points, 30 free attribute points, and 50 gold!"
The announcement left players across the server stunned.
Orson opened his eyes from meditation, muttering, "Just like in my past life…"
Dragon's Kiss Guild Nobleman: "Congratulations to the boss for crafting a divine weapon! Celebrate!"
Thornwalker: "A Level 15 Legendary bow… Rich people sure have it good. Probably cost tens of millions."
Backtracker: "Usher's being ridiculous. A Level 15 weapon? Why waste that much money on something so short-lived?"
Curious, Orson opened the Weapon Leaderboard:
Weapon: [Golden Wing Bow]
Besides its basic stats, the weapon's awakened effects were hidden—a safeguard to protect players' strategic secrets.
Still, its raw stats alone outclassed Level 20 purple-tier gear. A 20% crit rate boost was absurd.
But Orson knew its true power didn't lie in those stats alone.
In his past life, he had seen this bow's full attributes posted on the forums:
The [Golden Wing Bow] ignored physical resistance, extended range, and granted a triple-split arrow effect—an incredibly powerful weapon.
In the upcoming Guild Base War, Usher had wielded this bow to devastating effect, single-handedly killing over 600 players and claiming the top spot on the Kill Leaderboard.
That battle had cemented Usher's meteoric rise. He became known as Infinite Dimensions' top archer, and the [Dragon's Kiss Guild]'s fame skyrocketed.
New players entering the game often set their sights on joining Dragon's Kiss Guild.
The first Guild Base War was not just a battle for resources—it was a war of reputation. Winning it would define a guild's standing for years to come.
Usher posted a server-wide announcement:
Usher: "A heartfelt thanks to my guildmates and the farming crews for their support. Without you giving up precious leveling time, this bow could never have been forged…"
Many guild leaders read this with scorn but remained silent. Usher's dominance was frustrating, but there was little they could do.
Despite his losses to Orson, Usher's guild was growing stronger. Most believed a single player, no matter how skilled, couldn't stand against a top-tier guild backed by financial titans.
Suddenly, a new voice broke the server's solemnity:
Harley's Legend: "Ahem. Pardon me for interrupting the great one's speech."
Nothing Special: "Yeah, yeah, stop pretending. Doesn't everyone know about Dragon's Kiss Guild's dirty tricks?"
More "unpleasant" voices began filling the chat.
Player A: "What's this about NPCs being fed up with Dragon's Kiss Guild?"
Player B: "Wait, are they serious?"
In a distant inn, the Slaughter Guild's leader, Demon Emperor, was drinking with his officers. They were discussing strategies to counter Dragon's Kiss Guild in the upcoming war.
Slaughter Guild was a powerhouse in its own right and had no intention of letting Dragon's Kiss Guild dominate.
Soon, accusations against Dragon's Kiss Guild flooded the world chat:
Harley's Legend: "Crime 1: My niece, a high school freshman, was ecstatic to finally defeat a goblin. Do you know how much it meant to her?"
Heavy Truck Driver: "Spill the tea! I love drama!"
Harley's Legend: "Dragon's Kiss Guild members stomped in, killed the goblin, and stole every spawn in the area. My niece was heartbroken!"
Other players quickly chimed in:
Little Demon: "Totally relatable! My squad can't even play after work because Dragon's Kiss Guild hogs every spawn point!"
Harley's Legend wasn't done:
"Crime 2: A friend of mine was happily playing with his girlfriend. A Dragon's Kiss Guild officer stole her away with a single green-tier item. My friend's love? Shattered!"
"Crime 3: I once tried to sell health supplements to Dragon's Kiss Guild members. They called me shady. Selling legitimate goods is now shady? Pure discrimination!"
The absurd yet hilarious accusations struck a chord with players.
Soon, creative storytellers joined in, drafting lengthy lists of grievances.
The topics ranged from environmental destruction (littering after monster kills) to scandalous affairs involving guild officers.
Screenshots flooded the official forums, sparking a wildfire of outrage.
Orson, still farming monsters, burst into laughter. The outlandish stories nearly made him lose focus.
Dragon's Kiss Guild's already fragile reputation was now in freefall.
Harley's Legend: "Hahaha! Easy task rewards for shouting in chat. Too good!"
Harley's group gleefully headed to the inner city to claim their rewards.
Just as they reached the gates, their mailboxes chimed.
"Task Reward: You've received an anonymous donation of 5 gold."
"WHAT?! Five gold? That's 5,000 real bucks!"