Loud cheers erupted in the coliseum. Stella, wielding her Tier X Masterpiece Holy Bonk Staff, was having a hard time hitting her enemy — a bow user who had both of his dagger swaps placed at his waist. He was a veteran player who had challenged Stella in a Face-Off.
Dexter, who had taken a break from crafting equipment, was busy watching Stella's fight after over half a year of seclusion in crafting.
'This rogue is so good, but he won't be able to defeat Stella due to the difference in gear.'
Checking his Destiny, he frowned upon seeing his Combat Mastery stuck at Tier IX equipment.
'I need to level up now… Good thing I maxed out all my crafting and refining. Only gathering and combat mastery still need to be maxed out.'
'Wow… Even in the original game, I haven't maxed out everything. Maybe I can try to reach the limit of this world…'
'But gathering is such a boring job… Yet, I haven't seen anyone gathering. Surprisingly, the marketplace always has a supply of raw materials… Where do they come from? Well… why should I care, right? As long as there are raw materials, it's good enough.'
The fight stopped when Stella "almost" hit the rogue's head with her staff. A hexagonal shield automatically spawned, blocking her attack — meaning only one hit was needed to end the rogue's life. Her one-hit strike sent shock through the spectators and the announcer, especially since it came from a Holy Staff.
"I've searched all the kingdoms, including the market in Blackreach Throne, but I've never seen any equipment like Lunatic Princess's… Where do you think she got her gear?"
"I didn't know there was specialized gear here… All we ever see in the market is general-use equipment…"
"Can we ask her where she got that weapon?"
The adventurers' murmurs about the unique weapon Stella wielded didn't escape Dexter's ears. He smirked proudly at his craftsmanship.
Achieving Tier X crafting had allowed him to enchant Stella's weapon, embedding every available passive skill he could think of. Yet the system balanced it out, preventing the staff from becoming omnipotent.
'Thinking about it, how could Gridlock make Mythical and Legendary equipment? Even the one he gifted me — this "Beyond Divinity" — what the heck... Is it because of the materials or the skills? Well, I never even tried chopping the Crimson Tree when I played the original game. Maybe I should try cutting it down... Damn, I really need to max everything to craft Mythical equipment like Gridlock, I guess...'
After whispering his goodbyes to Stella, Dexter immediately left the coliseum and proceeded to the Uncharted Zone, riding his summoned Tier VIII Spectral Panther toward the Crimson Tree Zone.
Thanks to his Spectral Panther's invisibility, Dexter could easily evade all the gankers lying in wait for "fortunate" players who might get ambushed in the Uncharted Zone.
...
Entering the zone where he had previously transformed into various creatures and wreaked havoc, Dexter was stunned to see thousands of encampments from all sides of the battlefield. At the center lay thousands of loot bags, untouched and waiting for someone to claim them.
'What the hell happened here… If someone collected all these loot bags, they'd be rich overnight…'
'Well, they'd die first from becoming overweight… just adding their own loot to these millions of bags.'
'That means millions must have already died here…'
Smirking, Dexter looked towards the towering, improvised camp at the center of the Demon God's Alliance.
'Maybe that's where the leader is... I should transform into a different person and then talk to him.'
After transforming his face into that of a middle-aged man, he walked toward the center of the Alliance, and he noticed that different people were also walking towards it, hoping to be part of the new alliance to eliminate the Limitless Alliance.
After a few minutes of walking, he was stopped by the guards.
"Stop... this area is off limits..."
"I want to talk to your leader. Is he available?" asked Dexter.
"What business do you have with him?"
Dexter studied the face of the guard, then he sighed.
"A business proposal that only your leader needs to know..."
The guard inspected Dexter, only to frown when he noticed that Dexter was only wearing a cloak and nothing else.
"So you're a disposable from some random guild, huh?.. okay, you may enter, but I'll warn you that whether you leave that tent alive will depend on your luck."
Dexter didn't say anything else and proceeded directly into the tent.
Inside, he saw a tiered, lecture-hall-like setup within the Alliance, where at every table was placed the name of the guild it represented.
'Is this some kind of United Nation level meeting?'
Dexter sat in the upper left corner, analyzing everyone present.
'They don't look well-geared enough. Well, maybe that's because this is a newly established alliance, and they don't have a Crafter Guild to provide equipment?'
'What a poor alliance...'
Dexter was lazily dozing off at his table, not even listening to the man explaining their attack plan — something that should only be disclosed to trusted allies.
'What a lax alliance this is...'
After a few minutes, a white-robed man, resembling a clergyman, entered, holding an inverted cross as he slowly walked toward the podium.
It was Bright, the very healer who'd kept reviving Dexter during his fights against the Limitless Alliance.
'What the heck is he doing here?'
Moving slowly, Bright spread sulphur in his wake while reciting a prayer too quiet for Dexter to hear.
'What nonsense is this...'
"O' Demon! Who burns everything in his path... lead us..."
"Lead us..."
"O' Demon! Who will purify the world... Lead us!"
"Lead us..."
Dexter smiled, his devilish grin almost reaching his ears.
"Interesting..."
As he held his cloak, the fabric began disintegrating into ashes. His middle-aged face melted away while his teeth elongated into fangs. He transformed back into the demon who'd fought the Limitless Alliance, using one bracer and shaping the other into a death-scythe — becoming a demon of death.