Chương 68: Chapter 67 — A Close Call

Ryan didn't pause to think; a wave of his hand swept all the loot into his bag, and he hurried to a great pit—where the Flying Saber Town fortress had stood, now ash beneath the world-ending thunder, leaving only a vast crater into the depths below. He leapt in. [Server Announcement: Player Big Gunn has completed an Amethyst-Boss First Kill! Reward: +1 level! 10, 000 Reputation! 1, 000 gold! Talent: Bloodthirst!] [Server Announcement: …] [Server Announcement: …] Three earth-shaking announcements left every player on the Nine Provinces server stunned. Big Gunn again! A server announcement again! A Boss First Kill again! But unlike before, this was an *Amethyst*-Boss First Kill. How strong an Amethyst Boss was, players had no concept—because per official data, from Amethyst tier up, Boss strength took a qualitative leap.

With enough effort, a normal player could accumulate the strength to beat a Gold Boss; but from Amethyst up, no amount of mere experience and gear sufficed. By the intel on the forums, not a single player had ever even glimpsed an Amethyst Boss's stats—and now this sudden announcement detonated the forums anew. Speculation about Amethyst Bosses spread, and once again, "Big Gunn" became the name on every player's lips.

"What's a big shot? This is a big shot!"

"You said it. While the rest of us rack our brains over dungeons, the big shot breezes through Hell difficulty—and offs an Amethyst Boss on the side!"

"Wow, I'd love to be one leg-hair on a big shot like that—then I'd never have to try!" … While the forums buzzed over the uproar Ryan had caused, the man himself was run off his feet deep beneath the Northern Desert Domain.

"Hurry—he's about to slip away!"

"Coming, coming!" Under 10x acceleration, Ryan blurred over, drew a Potent Recovery Potion, and fed it to a barely-breathing resident. +10, 000! +10, 000! +10, 000! … Ten thousand HP a second pulled the dying youth back, his breathing steadying.

"Trouble here! Quick!"

"On it! Coming!" Drenched in sweat, Ryan dashed about the underground space, using 10x Recovery to keep the gravely wounded townsfolk alive. At the end of the day, he'd underestimated the Forbidden Curse. Even sheltered by the fortress, the residents underground had been caught by the world-ending thunder and badly hurt. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Lillian, are you all right?"

"I… I'm fine." A trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, her face pale. When it happened so suddenly, the thunder's residual force had pierced the very earth to reach their underground refuge; weakened, but still lethal to them at the time. At the critical moment Lillian had stood forth, pouring out a Dragon Blood Warrior's power to raise a shield with all her might and block that wave of residual lightning. But that was exactly why she now sat gravely hurt, in poor condition.

Had she not raised the shield in that moment, nearly everyone down here would already be dead.

"Don't push yourself. I'll feed you the potion." Worry crossed Ryan's face. His miscalculation had nearly caused disaster; without Lillian, the consequences would have been unthinkable—and he'd have been left bearing the hatred of both the Calamity Legion and the Blade Dynasty.

"Thank you." Lillian lowered her head and murmured.

"No need for thanks—it's the least I can do." Ryan smiled, uncapped a Potent Potion, settled her against the wall, and fed her gently, bottle after bottle, tireless. His earnest manner left Lillian staring.

"What are you looking at? Is there a flower on my face?"

"N-no…" Her eyes darted away, and she ducked her head.

"I can't thank you two enough! Without your help, our whole Flying Saber Town would've been finished this time!" Once the wounded were settled, Jasper Lee hurried over with his thanks.

"We're friends. Friends help one another—isn't that only natural?" Ryan smiled.

"Sigh—a pity all our town's Mystic Iron Ore turned to ash in the Forbidden Curse, or I'd have made good on my word and given it all to you!"

"…" Ryan's heart twitched. Brother Lee really did have a knack for picking the worst scab; Ryan had only just managed to put it out of mind. By a rough count, Flying Saber Town's stores held at least a hundred crates—fifty thousand pieces of Mystic Iron Ore—all gone to ash under the world-ending thunder. A real shame.

"But don't worry—no Mystic Iron Ore, but we have other things!" Lee waved a hand, and light flashed on the open ground; a hundred fully sealed jars of liquor appeared before Ryan.

"This is… Blade-Burner?"

"That's right! Our Blade Dynasty's special brew—and thirty-year vintage, far finer than what we drank at the feast! A hundred jars, all yours, as a token of our thanks!" Lee said gravely.

"Without your help, there'd be no us! So please, you must take them!"

"All right—I accept!" Ryan nodded and swept the jars into his bag. So much fine Blade-Burner clearly outshone the Mystic Iron Ore—thirty-year vintage, each jar precious and hard-won. Mystic Iron Ore was different; the Domain was rich in minerals, easy enough to gather with labor. And honestly, this batch of top-grade Blade-Burner was more than a cut above the feast's wine. Looking at its stats, the corner of his mouth lifted.

With this fine liquor, paired with the Drunken Fist skill, his combat power rose more than a notch.

"Everyone, make do here tonight; by morning, they should send people to bring us out, and we'll leave together!" Lee told the crowd.

"It's late—get some rest!" While Lee soothed the others, Ryan opened his bag and began checking the rich spoils of the battle. He had to admit—each one was fiercer than the last. He couldn't help marveling aloud.