The system's crisp chime cut cleanly through the fading chaos.
[You have killed player Daring Vex South.]
[Red Name Penalty have been Applied to Daring Vex South Level]
[Daring Vex South Level reduced to 1]
[Daring Vex South Red Name has been reset]
For a brief moment, the battlefield seemed to quiet around Don. He exhaled slowly. The tension in his chest loosened just slightly as his grip on the dagger relaxed, not fully, never fully, but enough.
The server had only just opened, and that guy had already stacked sixteen hours of red name time. Sixteen hours. He must have killed dozens of players. Don's gaze lowered faintly. There was no pity. None. People like this didn't need sympathy. They needed payback. They bullied the weak, avoided the strong, and lived like the world owed them something. As long as no one stopped them, they would keep going, again and again, until someone broke that illusion.
His eyes hardened. Then he'd be the one to teach it.
He stepped forward. Daring Vex South's body had already begun to fade, dissolving into particles of light as the system processed his forced respawn. But before he vanished completely, the drops remained. And as expected of the leader of the Gon Alliance, they didn't disappoint, a longsword and a pair of combat boots, both hitting the ground with a muted, metallic thud. Nearby, Maverick Claw's leggings lay half-buried in the dirt, stained and forgotten.
Don scooped all three items up in one clean motion and slipped them into his inventory without hesitation. A faint smile appeared on his lips. Cleaning up trash and making a profit at the same time. A perfect deal.
Around him, the battlefield had already collapsed.
The remaining members of the Gon Alliance weren't even looking at him anymore. They were running, desperately. Their earlier arrogance had vanished completely, replaced by raw panic. Their movements were sloppy now, their formation broken beyond repair as they tried to escape the clearing.
But the Queen Bee was merciless. It tore through them like a storm given form. Everywhere it passed, death followed. A stinger shot forward and a player dropped. A claw swept sideways and another body flew. White light flashed again and again as players were erased from the battlefield, their existence reduced to a momentary flicker before vanishing entirely. One by one, they fell. No survivors.
Don didn't lag behind. He moved in the boss's shadow, his footsteps matching its movements, slipping just outside its attack range, always one step ahead of its targeting. Then he struck, again and again. Each attack was deliberate and calculated, his dagger sliding into weak points with surgical precision, the blade cutting through chitin and flesh in clean, controlled motions. Three-digit damage numbers rose one after another as the Queen Bee's massive HP bar continued to fall, getting closer and closer to zero with each passing moment.
Ahead of him, a figure staggered. Gareth Zane. Barely alive. He stumbled forward, then turned back, his face twisted with rage and humiliation.
"Don't let us see you again! We'll grind you back to level one!"
Don couldn't help it. A faint smile tugged at his lips. Even now, still talking. "Save your breath," he said calmly. "You should run."
But Gareth didn't get the chance. The Queen Bee surged forward, and this time it didn't bother with finesse. Its claw lashed out, a single, devastating strike that landed clean. Gareth's body jerked violently, then dropped. Dead.
At the exact same moment, Don moved. His body slipped forward, passing beneath the Queen Bee's shifting frame, his steps tight and controlled as he positioned himself perfectly behind it. Then his dagger flashed.
Backstab. The blade drove forward with everything he had, straight into the Queen Bee's abdomen.
For a single instant, time seemed to freeze. Then a scream erupted, from both man and monster. The Queen Bee's massive body convulsed, its wings faltering as its form trembled violently. Then it collapsed. The ground shook faintly beneath the impact.
Silence followed. Deep and suffocating.
[You have killed the Common Boss [Jungle Queen Bee].]
[Reward:]
[+35,600 EXP]
[+75 Reputation]
The level-up light came immediately, golden, brilliant, warm. It descended from above, enveloping Don completely as power surged through his body.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level 10 reached.]
[Proceed to Rogue Instructor for class advancement.]
And again.
[Level 11.]
The light faded slowly. Don stood still. For a moment, he didn't move, didn't speak. He simply looked around. The hive clearing was empty. The chaos was gone. The Gon Alliance was gone, wiped out, by the boss and by him. Only the faint hum of distant bees remained, echoing softly through the jungle.
Don exhaled slowly. And for the first time since the fight began, there was nothing left to calculate.
He stepped forward, boots crunching softly against the uneven ground, and nudged the Queen Bee's massive corpse aside with a casual kick. The body shifted heavily, its lifeless weight dragging across the dirt. Then he paused.
The ground beneath it was glowing.
A faint golden shimmer bled through the dust, catching his attention immediately. He stepped closer and saw them, gold coins. Eight of them, scattered loosely across the ground, each one reflecting the faint light filtering through the clearing.
For the first time in a while, his expression changed. Not copper. Not silver. Gold. At this stage of the game, this wasn't just money. It was a fortune.
Don crouched immediately, his movements quick and efficient as he swept them into his inventory without hesitation. The soft clinking sound echoed faintly as they disappeared one by one.
But his attention didn't linger there. Not for long. Because just beside where the coins had been, two items lay waiting. Equipment.
He picked them up in one smooth motion, his heartbeat already beginning to quicken as his eyes flicked toward their stats.
[Queen Bee Breastplate]
[Grade: Bronze]
[Type: Leather Armor]
[Level Requirement: 10]
[Physical Defense: 70]
[Magic Defense: 70]
[+7 Strength]
[+9 Agility]
[+7 Constitution]
[Sealing Slots: 1]
...
[Queen Bee Sting]
[Grade: Bronze]
[Type: Dagger]
[Level Requirement: 10]
[Physical Attack: 60–75]
[+14 Strength]
[+18 Agility]
[+14 Constitution]
[Sealing Slots: 1]
Don exhaled slowly as the numbers settled in his mind. 'This is insane.'