"Let's see what the reward is!"
Kalis opened his backpack, his gaze immediately locking onto the newly acquired Epic equipment.
[Star-Patterned Staff (Epic)]
Level Requirement: 10
Attributes: Spell Attack +35, Intelligence +7, Constitution +5
Special Effect: Psionic Feedback - 7% chance to restore 60 Mana upon casting a skill
"Decent attributes, but unfortunately, it requires Level 10 to equip."
If he could wield this staff now, his Spell Attack would more than double. But with his current level, he could only set it aside for the time being.
The Boss's body on the ground gradually faded into glowing particles, leaving behind three items. Kalis bent down to pick up 9 Silver Coins (gold to silver to copper ratio 1:100:10000). In addition, there were two pieces of armor and a yellowed scroll.
[Black-Striped Combat Boots (Refined)]: Level 10, All Classes, HP Cap +50, Physical Defense +3
[Black-Striped Battle Helm (Refined)]: Level 10, All Classes, HP Cap +60, Constitution +3
[Oakwood Village Secret Treasure Map]: An ancient map marking a hidden treasure deep within Oakwood Village. Legend has it that only the chosen one can find it!
The two Level 10 Refined equipment pieces were also unavailable to wear now. But the treasure map instantly sparked Kalis's interest.
"I'll have to check this out. Maybe I'll dig up a Divine weapon!" He thought to himself.
Unfolding the treasure map scroll, a flat map came into view, a bird's-eye view of Oakwood Village, with villages, grasslands, and forests clearly marked. The treasure's location was marked in a cave at the foot of a small mountain deep in the woods.
"The treasure is hidden in a cave... This is way too straightforward, isn't it? No digging required, just walk in. Where's the 'chosen one' part?" Kalis couldn't help but complain, but his body honestly quickened its pace toward the target.
This forest was inhabited by Level 9 Shadow Lynxes, which looked like miniature tigers with extremely fierce attack power.
But against Kalis's Magic Missile that dealt over 230,000 damage per shot, these monsters were nothing more than experience fodder. He kept moving forward, one-shotting them all the way.
The cave wasn't too far away. After a few minutes, he arrived. At the end of the forest stood a barren stone mountain, and a human-sized cave entrance was clearly visible, particularly striking.
Even more eye-catching were the four large characters "Secret Treasure Land" carved above the entrance, so straightforward it was laughable.
"The gods truly have unique tastes, afraid no one will find it?" Kalis shook his head and entered the cave. The interior was pitch black, with only the faint glow from his fingertips illuminating the path ahead.
There were no monsters inside the cave, which was eerily quiet. He walked forward for over 200 meters, and the passage suddenly widened.
A mountain of glittering gold appeared before his eyes, filled with gold coins. At first glance, there must have been millions of them!
"Damn! It's really a treasure?"
Kalis had thought such an obvious treasure trove would probably have nothing valuable. He never expected to stumble upon such a sight! Millions of gold coins! If he took them all, wouldn't he become instantly wealthy?
Although [Eternal Realm's] in-game economy wasn't directly convertible to real currency, offline trading was unrestricted. Millions of gold coins in the early stages of the game were likely worth more than hundreds of millions in equivalent value!
Kalis froze for a moment before reacting, dashing toward the mountain of gold in a single stride. However, just as he was about to reach out and touch the coins, a deep, authoritative voice suddenly echoed through the cave:
"How weak the challengers are nowadays? You haven't even reached Level 10, yet you dare to covet my treasure?"
In the next second, the mountain of gold collapsed with a deafening crash, and the gold coins vanished without a trace.
In their place stood a majestic lion covered in a bright golden mane—over five meters tall, comparable to two adult elephants.
"Damn it?" Kalis's face darkened. "My gold coins!!"
Looking closely, he was instantly stunned. He quickly pulled up the opponent's attribute panel:
[Gilded Lion King Augustus (Mythic Lord)]
Level: 50
HP: 3200000/3200000
[Notice: Target level exceeds your own by 30 levels. Unable to display detailed attribute information.]
Except for the name, level, and HP, all other attributes showed question marks!
"A Level 50 Mythic Lord... This is a novice village???" Kalis was lost for words.
However, he only felt annoyed, not the slightest bit afraid.
The Gilded Lion King Augustus lowered his head, staring down at Kalis with his lava-like golden eyes, and spoke in human tongue: "Adventurer, the greed in your eyes has betrayed you. You've come to seize the treasure."
"What's the problem? The entrance clearly says 'Secret Treasure Land'—are we not allowed to enter?" Kalis retorted unceremoniously. A mere Level 50 Mythic Lord, acting so arrogant!
"Augustus hates greedy people more than anything. But this place is sheltered by the Creator Gods. I dare not kill innocent people and incur the gods' wrath. Leave now, and pretend you were never here." As he spoke, the Gilded Lion King lay down lazily, seemingly unwilling to pay him any more attention.
"Tsk, just a Level 50 Mythic Lord, yet so arrogant." With his Ultimate Amplification talent, Kalis felt annoyed by the Boss's condescending attitude. It was just a god-created game—how could a proud adventurer be looked down upon by a monster?
Without another word, he raised his hand and cast a Magic Missile!
"Foolish."
The Gilded Lion King Augustus lay on the ground, only lifting his eyelids to glance at him before closing them again, as if planning to continue sleeping. He didn't even bother to defend against such a low-level skill—even if he took ten thousand hits, it wouldn't break his defense, so it was utterly negligible.
However...
Snap!
The Magic Missile accurately hit the Gilded Lion King's forehead.
-218763!
A terrifyingly shocking damage number popped up suddenly. Augustus, who had just been about to fall asleep, froze instantly, his face filled with disbelief.
At Level 7, Kalis's Spell Attack had already reached 26 points. Normally, he could deal 280,000 damage per shot! But due to Augustus's high damage reduction and incredible defense, the damage was barely suppressed to over 210,000. Even so, this single hit took away more than 6% of the Boss's HP!
"What's happening?" The Gilded Lion King jumped up suddenly, his voice filled with shock. "Boy, how can your Magic Missile... hurt so much?!" He raised his massive front paw and gently rubbed his lion's face, clearly in genuine pain.
Kalis shrugged, his tone carrying a hint of teasing: "Looks and strength go hand in hand. What can I say?"
With that, he shot another Magic Missile with a "whoosh."
"Stop! Cease your attack! No more!"
Augustus took another direct hit, his HP dropping to 87% in an instant. He panicked completely, dropping his arrogant demeanor and speaking anxiously: "Stop attacking me! I'll give you any treasure you want!"
Kalis was stunned: "What do you mean? A powerful Boss like you is backing down after two shots?"
He was a Level 50 Mythic Lord, after all. Even if the attacks hurt, a single counterattack could one-shot Kalis!
The Gilded Lion King Augustus replied in a somewhat wronged tone: "Adventurers like you have the ability to respawn infinitely, but I possess independent consciousness. If I die, I will dissipate completely—unlike you adventurers who can respawn endlessly... You are so powerful, you must have inherited the divine power of a Supreme God. In that case, offering you my treasure is only reasonable."
Kalis's mouth twitched. Was this boss actually afraid of death?
But on second thought, it made sense. Mythic Lords were usually unique. Once killed, they wouldn't respawn; death meant permanent extinction.
In a highly intelligent god-created game like [Eternal Realm], it wasn't surprising that these high-level monsters possessed some human-like traits.
"What treasures do you have? And... why do you say only those who inherit a Supreme God's power can obtain your treasure?" Kalis asked curiously.
Augustus lay back down, his posture growing more humble, and explained slowly: "I was once the mount of Caron, the God of War. Three thousand years ago, during the Abyssal War, my master was unfortunately killed by an Abyssal Archon and fell on the battlefield. The gods pitied me and ordered me to return to the birthplace with my master's inheritance, to find a worthy adventurer to inherit the God of War's power..."
Upon hearing this, Kalis's eyes lit up. This was definitely a hidden class! And a Supreme God-level hidden class—absolutely overpowered!
"So you're planning to pass on the God of War's inheritance to me now?" He asked with a smile.
The Gilded Lion King Augustus replied awkwardly: "That was my original plan, but you are a Mage. My master's inheritance is only suitable for the Knight class. Unless you voluntarily abandon all your current abilities and reclass as a Knight, you cannot inherit this legacy."
"A Knight? Damn it, forget it then..."
Upon hearing it was a tank class, Kalis felt an instinctive resistance. But he quickly thought—after all, it was the God of War's inheritance. Giving it up so easily was a pity.
He hesitated for a moment, his gaze falling on Augustus, and asked tentatively: "Can this inheritance... be transferred to someone else?"