"What's going on? Spit it out!"
Seeing Lenore's cunning smile, Kalis instantly knew something big was up. Whatever had her this excited must be game-changing intel that could shift the balance of power.
A vague guess had already formed in his mind.
Lenore didn't respond aloud. Instead, she switched to the party's private channel and lowered her voice: "Zevran, the leader of Shadow Claw, is personally leading his team to besiege the Level 108 Mythic BOSS [Wraith General-Nethalos]! The details are tightly sealed, but we can confirm their target is the Guild Residence Token dropped by the BOSS, the first Guild Residence Token in the Blue Star Theater!"
Kalis's pupils contracted sharply. His guess had been confirmed.
It really was a Mythic-tier BOSS!
"Guild Residence Token…" Eira whistled in amazement. "I heard the two top guilds on Solaria Continent, Crimson Lotus and Oath of Sky, are both offering 100 million gold coins as a reward just to claim the first guild residence. I never thought Shadow Claw would get ahead of everyone else and find a Mythic BOSS above Level 100 first!"
Eternal Realm Online was a global phenomenon with over a billion players worldwide flocking to this fantasy world. Yet not a single guild residence had been established so far.
This wasn't due to a lack of player strength. The guild residence feature was inherently a mid-game core content. It would only truly unlock its strategic value once the average player level approached 100 and the Guild War system was activated.
The value of a guild residence was enough to drive any top-tier guild crazy:
It unlocks exclusive Legion Skills, doubling the team's efficiency in raiding BOSSes.
Daily construction quests reward massive experience and gold coins, accelerating members' leveling speed by 20%.
It periodically triggers Monster Siege events. Clearing them grants all members level jump rewards.
These are all the benefits of the Guild Residence Token! And the residence's level can be upgraded further, too!
By continuing to consume Guild Residence Tokens, you can keep upgrading the residence's level and expanding its scale, growing from a small village to a large city.
It was said that after consuming more than 30 Guild Residence Tokens, a guild residence could be upgraded to the scale of a Level 3 main city, on par with system-built main cities. Of course, the construction costs during the upgrade process are astronomical.
Once completed, the daily taxes from attracting NPCs and player merchants alone would be an astonishing fortune!
"Kalis, what do you say?" Eira and Lenore looked at him simultaneously, their eyes filled with understanding. They knew Kalis's personality too well. Shadow Claw had provoked him twice, and even though he'd wiped them out both times, that grudge wasn't so easily forgotten.
Why keep defending passively and waiting for others to attack?
"Where are they?" Kalis's voice carried a hint of coldness. He'd already made his decision.
Lenore replied immediately: "Shadow Claw's security is top-notch, but a team of ten thousand can't stay completely hidden. According to my informant, they're most likely in either Godfall Basin or Umbral Wastes. These two maps are adjacent, both high-level monster zones under Drakenspire's jurisdiction."
Kalis opened the world map at once. Godfall Basin was a high-risk zone for Levels 100-120, while Umbral Wastes catered to Levels 80-100.
Separated by an ancient divine wall, both were desolate, perfect for top guilds to secretly raid BOSSes without needing to clear other players out.
"It's a long distance. I need to leave immediately. If I'm late, they might have already chipped the BOSS to death." Before he finished speaking, Kalis turned and raced toward the city gates. The 105% movement speed boost from Windsweeper Boots made his figure dart across the main city square like a gust of wind, quickly pulling ahead of his teammates.
"Hey! Kalis, wait for us!" Lenore shouted frantically, but Kalis was too fast. He disappeared outside the main city gates in just a few seconds.
The others could only shout after him in the party channel, but Kalis sent a message to stop them: "You don't need to come. With Crystal Barricade's million-point shield and my ultra-large AOE skills, I can handle even a ten-thousand-man army. But it's different for you. Shadow Claw's ranged firepower can one-shot any non-tank class in an instant. If you die and drop your Mythic gear, it won't be worth the risk."
"You're underestimating us!" Lenore sounded a little annoyed. "We're partners who've fought side by side. How can we back down from a fight? It's just a game character dying, not real death. What are we afraid of?"
Eira echoed: "I just advanced to Dragon Warrior and was about to test the power of my Divine-tier talent. It's not fair for you to hog all the fun alone!"
Mireya and Seraphina didn't speak. They knew their strength didn't match this level of top-tier team battle. Besides, they weren't close enough to Kalis to risk completely antagonizing a behemoth like Shadow Claw for him.
"Eira, even though your Mythic gear is bound, the focused fire of a ten-thousand-man army is far beyond your imagination." Kalis's tone was unyielding. "In an open area, you could take over 500 ranged attacks at once. Even with 23,100 HP and 315 physical defense, you'd be one-shot in an instant. I'll go alone this time. Once you put on the Gilded Lion King Battle Boots and reach Level 35 or above, I'll definitely take you into battle with me next time."
He wasn't underestimating his teammates. He knew the cruelty of top-tier team battles too well. Ordinary players wouldn't even have time to react to the focused fire of a major guild. Only his Celestial Mage talent, with its area control and high-value shield, could withstand a siege head-on.
After equipping Windsweeper Boots and Gauntlets of Lunar Glow, Kalis's stats reached a new high: 6,500 HP, 261 spell attack power, and movement speed 2.05 times that of an average player.
His overall combat power had already surpassed the Level 50 Mythic BOSS Augustus, completely defying conventional level standards.
This direct confrontation with Shadow Claw would also be the perfect test of his strength.
Once outside the city, Kalis unleashed his full speed, racing east toward Drakenspire. The 100-kilometer distance might take ordinary players hours, but with his enhanced movement speed, his figure streaked across the wilderness like a shooting star.
Before long, he spotted Shadow Claw members up ahead, none other than the core members he'd seen in the main city warehouse, Shadow Claw Gareth and Shadow Claw Bjorn. They were leading a team of players in a hurry, clearly rushing to reinforce the BOSS battle.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Kalis didn't make a move. Instead, he detoured through the mountains on the side, silently passing the team before continuing his sprint toward Godfall Basin.
As he traveled, Lenore's updates kept coming through the party channel:
"A large number of Ironwake Guild players have appeared at Drakenspire's respawn point. They must be mercenaries hired by Shadow Claw, returning to restock on Resurrection Scrolls."
"Shadow Claw's frontline tanks are also starting to respawn in the main city. It seems the BOSS's attacks are extremely fierce; their healers can't keep up with the death rate."
A vivid picture formed in Kalis's mind: a ten-thousand-man army swarming the BOSS like a tide, Resurrection Scrolls being used relentlessly, frontline tanks falling one after another, and ranged attackers in the back spamming damage, chipping away at the BOSS's HP with sheer numbers.
Over an hour later, Kalis finally stepped into the borders of Umbral Wastes. This ancient battlefield, corrupted by abyssal energy, was covered in rusted weapons and white bones, with a putrid stench hanging in the air.
Legend has it that in ancient times, a god led his followers to fight a bloody battle against abyssal monsters here. In the end, every last one of them fell. Their heroic spirits were corrupted by abyssal power, transforming into lingering Wraiths that have become target practice for players looking to grind levels.
The Level 80-100 Wraith mobs offered rich experience. Kalis casually cast instant skills like Lightning Bolt and Thunder Chain as he ran, clearing mobs along the way. With the remaining experience from the Legendary BOSS, he smoothly reached Level 41.
His stats received another slight boost. Kalis finally crossed the Umbral Wastes and entered Godfall Basin.
On the distant horizon, a dense mass of people gathered like ants, easily ten thousand strong.
At the center of the crowd, a towering 5-meter-tall burly figure let out a deafening roar. Dark gray undead energy swirled around him, spreading outward continuously. Every spear swing stirred up a sky full of black mist, claiming the lives of dozens of players.
"Hold on, Nethalos. I'm here to 'save' you!" A mischievous smile tugged at Kalis's lips.