Light!
It really happened.
And not just one, but two beams—one blue, one purple—shot up from the corpse of the fallen Dwarf King, illuminating the chamber like a divine blessing.
Lucas laughed aloud, unable to contain himself. He nearly leapt with joy.
"My metaphysics never fails!" he exclaimed. "As long as it's a nightmare dungeon, as long as it's the first solo clear, the loot always drops!"
And not just a single item, but two.
This was already the third time he had proven the pattern true. Once could be brushed off as luck. Twice could be a coincidence. But three times in a row? Impossible to deny.
The rule was clear:
Nightmare difficulty.
First-time clearance.
Solo run.
The reward would always be two beams of light.
Lucas had named it proudly: Lucas's Metaphysics.
Even if the rest of the world scoffed, he knew the truth of it. He hadn't seen anyone mention it online, but that didn't mean others hadn't discovered it. Maybe some players simply kept the secret close to their chest. Why would anyone want to share something this profitable?
Of course, it was also possible that most players never cleared nightmare dungeons solo. First-timers usually teamed up, leaving the secret undiscovered.
But Lucas had proven it beyond doubt. He had uncovered his own law of fortune, and he was thrilled.
"Alright then, let's see what treasures you've given me, Your Majesty," he said, striding toward the glowing loot.
---
The purple beam was the first he examined.
Name: Gemstone Crown of the Dwarves
Type: Armor (Head)
Grade: Rare
Star Rating: ★★
Level Requirement: 40
Wearing Requirement: Constitution ≥ 320, or Endurance ≥ 320
Attributes:
Life +500
Physical Defense +300
Magic Defense +250
Strength +100
Constitution +150
Stamina +150
Resistance +10%
Special Effect:
Dwarf King's Asylum — Active skill: Summons a shield equal to 30% of maximum health for 10 seconds.
---
Lucas whistled low. Heavy armor. Defensive headgear. Perfect for tank classes. But even he could see its value immediately.
"Not bad at all," he muttered, a smile tugging at his lips. "This one's easily worth four hundred thousand."
It wasn't something he could use himself, but that didn't matter. The market would snap it up instantly. For defensive players, the special effect was equivalent to gaining a brand-new survival skill. With an item like this, a tank could shrug off massive hits that would flatten others.
"Thank you for the generous gift, Brother Dwarf King." Lucas chuckled, stowing the crown in his backpack.
Then he turned to the blue light.
Inside was a pair of shoes. Their attributes weren't worth reciting in detail—blue-grade, solid boosts, nothing revolutionary. Still, Lucas could see the resale value immediately.
"At least a hundred thousand," he judged. "That's half a million total from this run."
His grin widened. One dungeon clear. Fifteen minutes of work. Five hundred thousand in loot.
It was more than he had earned in an entire month of grinding before.
The lesson was clear: Nightmare difficulty dungeons were the real gold mines.
---
Lucas swept up the remaining ordinary materials, tossing them into his space backpack. They weren't worth much compared to the crown or the boots, but why leave free scraps lying around?
With that done, he activated the system prompt to exit the dungeon. He had cleared it once—but he wasn't done. Each Level 40 dungeon allowed three runs per day. He'd already taken one.
Two more to go.
He could practically smell the profit waiting.
---
Light warped around him as the dungeon closed. A moment later, Lucas appeared at the mine's entrance.
And immediately, the quiet air was broken by gasps.
"What the hell?!"
"Is that the boss?"
"Get ready, everyone! Defensive positions!"
A crowd of transferees, lingering outside the mine, had turned their weapons on him. Their faces were tense, bodies taut, skills primed for release.
Lucas blinked, confused—until he glanced at himself.
"Oh…"
He was still cloaked in the crimson haze of Shura Blood Rage. His eyes glowed a feral red, his body radiating killing intent. To anyone watching, he looked less like a human player and more like a monster that had broken free of the dungeon.
A bloody demon stepping out of the shadows.
No wonder they were panicking.
"Wait, don't attack!" Lucas shouted quickly, raising his hands. "I'm not the boss!"
The transferees hesitated. Then, realizing his words, their expressions shifted from terror to relief—though some looked almost disappointed.
"So it's just a person?" one muttered, lowering his weapon.
"Damn, I thought we'd get to fight the escaped boss…"
But others weren't so quick to calm down. Recognition flashed in their eyes.
"Wait a second… isn't that the guy who just went in? Alone?"
"Yes! The one who challenged nightmare difficulty solo!"
"Already back out? How long was he gone?"
"Less than fifteen minutes. That's impossible."
Whispers and speculation spread like wildfire.
Some doubted. "He must have given up. Nightmare difficulty is too brutal. He probably quit when he realized he couldn't handle it."
Others reasoned, "If he actually died, he'd be respawning in the main city, not here. That means he exited voluntarily."
"Maybe he's looking for teammates?" one suggested, excitement growing. "Should we join him?"
But skeptics shook their heads. "Don't be stupid. Nightmare monsters are too strong. If you're not prepared, two hits and you're gone. And dying once means losing 50,000 in resources. Not worth it."
A heated debate broke out. Some transferees were tempted to follow Lucas, thinking they'd gain easy loot under the wing of a powerhouse. Others knew better than to risk their necks in content they weren't ready for.
Meanwhile, Lucas ignored all of them.
He wasn't here to recruit allies. He didn't need them. His only goal was profit.
The moment his cooldown reset, he turned, blood mist still swirling around him, and stepped back into the dungeon entrance.
The transferees outside stared in stunned silence as his figure vanished.
"Wait—he went back in?!"
"Don't tell me he already cleared it once and is doing a second run…"
"That fast?!"
"Impossible! Unless…"
Their eyes widened. The thought struck them all at once.
"…unless he really did solo clear nightmare difficulty in under fifteen minutes."
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the sharp intakes of breath.
"Who is this guy?" someone whispered.
"Level sixty? Higher?"
"He's so young… His Talent level must be absurd. Could he be a graduate from Kyoto University?"
"Unbelievable."
The transferees could only watch, dumbfounded, as Lucas disappeared into the dungeon once more. Their earlier hopes of joining his party crumbled, replaced with awe and disbelief.
For them, nightmare dungeons were nearly insurmountable. For Lucas, they were an afternoon's casual stroll.
And with each run, his wealth and legend only grew stronger.
Lucas's Metaphysics had delivered again.
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