Assassin at Range: The Sniper’s Lethal Power

With the power of the Shadow Dragon, carrying five people was effortless. In just the blink of an eye, they had flown more than ten kilometers. The speed was so fast that it left GemmaS and the others envious.

At this stage, players didn't have mounts, so traveling across the wilderness relied entirely on their own two feet. Assassins and archers with agility stats could still move at a decent speed, but for other classes, it was a real struggle.

GemmaS, with a wistful look on her face, said, "Once I build the Destroyer, traveling will be so much easier."

Tristan couldn't help but facepalm. If the invincible Destroyer knew it was going to become a transportation vehicle, it might reconsider being built at all.

But if one truly wanted to use the Destroyer as a mount, they'd have to be ready to spend massive amounts of money. It's not like you could just build it and be done; you'd need energy to power it. It was a real gold-sink.

But in exchange, its combat ability was guaranteed. Even a creature like the Shadow Dragon, Seltus, would struggle to defeat a Destroyer of the same level, let alone weaker bosses. If it wasn't destroyed in one shot, that would be considered impressive.

As they chatted, the Shadow Dragon began to slow down, signaling that they were nearing their destination.

Tristan's spirits lifted. "We're here."

The Shadow Dragon landed smoothly, and Tristan recalled it into his special mount space. He then looked around at the surroundings. The remnants of various creations scattered about suggested this place had once been under the control of goblins.

This made sense, as goblins were known for producing materials needed to build the Destroyer. In ExoGenesis, goblins were notorious for being cunning and greedy. With their green skin, small stature, and ugly, menacing faces, they resembled goblins from other fantasy settings. However, there were fundamental differences between the two.

Aside from their looks, goblins were highly intelligent—a trait that set them apart from the usual goblin stereotype. Not only were they skilled traders, but they also possessed alchemy technology. Some even advanced to the profession of Alchemist, giving them formidable combat strength.

Through their alchemical expertise, goblins created a wide array of mechanical creations, making them one of the few races in ExoGenesis that had a technological tree. However, their creations were often volatile and prone to explosions. The phrase "Goblin creations are explosive" was widely known in the game.

Tristan recalled that this particular dungeon was called "Wealth Mine," a goblin mining operation.

While he was lost in thought, GemmaS pointed ahead. "There it is, the dungeon entrance."

GemmaS led the way, with the others following closely behind.

NightStalker asked, "What's the difficulty of this dungeon?"

GemmaS replied, "This is a special dungeon. To unlock it as a permanent one, you need to complete a special mode, which comes with four difficulty options: Normal, Adventure, King, and Nightmare. The materials I need only drop in Adventure difficulty or higher."

Tristan picked up the thread. "Let me guess, the higher the difficulty, the greater the chance of getting the materials?"

GemmaS nodded. "Exactly. The drop rate for Adventure difficulty is around 20%, King difficulty is 50%, and Nightmare difficulty is 100%. However, I've tried it before. The mobs in Nightmare are insane, and with the damage reduction, I barely managed to escape."

DarkStriker chimed in, "With Blackshade here, we should at least attempt the King difficulty."

Manalady subtly tugged at DarkStriker's sleeve.

They had just joined Pinnacle and should follow the guild leader's lead when deciding on the difficulty.

Tristan sensed the unspoken words between the two and saw Manalady's quiet gesture, but didn't take offense. They were still unfamiliar with him, and it was only natural for them to have their own thoughts.

After thinking for a moment, Tristan said, "Since this is our first guild team-building event, we should do something a little different. Otherwise, looking back, it'll feel like it was a wasted opportunity."

Then, with an easy smile, Tristan casually added, "Since we're here, let's warm up with a Nightmare Difficulty run."

"…"

GemmaS and the others were speechless.

Although they were all hidden classes, they understood just how terrifying Nightmare Difficulty was.

Just think about the Crimson Tomb in the beginner's village. To this day, only Blackshade had cleared it on Nightmare Difficulty. Other teams might eventually clear it, but that would require top-tier gear. Back then, Blackshade probably only had Silver-grade gear at best, which highlighted just how massive the gap was.

So when Tristan suggested going for Nightmare Difficulty, they quickly calmed down.

If anyone else had said it, they'd probably think the person was showing off. But since Blackshade said it, they only thought, "We're going to win easily."

Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

GemmaS excitedly said, "If we clear Nightmare Difficulty, my progress on gathering materials will skyrocket. Thanks, Guild Leader!"

Tristan waved his hand dismissively. "We're all on the same side. No need to be so polite. And like I said before, I don't help for free. Once you finish building the Destroyer, no exceptions—you'll need to join every guild event."

GemmaS nodded enthusiastically. "I'm not someone who only takes without giving. You've helped me so much, so I'll definitely repay you."

As they spoke, GemmaS suddenly stopped walking. But there was no dungeon entrance in sight.

GemmaS explained, "I'm the only one who can open this dungeon. Once we complete the special mode, I'll unlock it as a permanent dungeon."

Everyone understood and marveled at the unique setup.

Tristan wasn't surprised.

Amid the group's eager anticipation, GemmaS began her actions, and a semi-transparent vortex appeared in the air.

Tristan handed over the leadership of the party to GemmaS, allowing her to choose the difficulty.

"Nightmare Difficulty."

GemmaS didn't hesitate, immediately selecting the highest difficulty.

The dungeon entrance turned blood-red, with faint skulls appearing, symbolizing the danger of this difficulty.

Without further hesitation, the group entered the dungeon.

Ding! You have entered the Wealth Mine, Nightmare Difficulty!

Hearing the system prompt, DarkStriker's eyes lit up, eager for the challenge. "I like the name of this dungeon. Hopefully, this run will make us rich."

NightStalker analyzed, "The final boss in Nightmare Difficulty will likely be Gold-grade. Even if we only get two pieces of equipment, they'll be worth a lot, so the dungeon lives up to its name."

Just then, GemmaS's expression changed, and she pointed to the distance. "The first wave of mobs is coming."

Everyone immediately got into position, and NightStalker raised his hands. Several beams of light descended, enveloping the whole team.

Manalady gasped. "Such a strong buff!"

[King's Blessing: All attributes increased by 10%]

Buffs that increase attributes by a percentage may not seem like much early on, but later, they could make a huge difference.

Tristan glanced at his stats.

Base attributes: Strength 220 + 205, Stamina 185 + 120, Agility 541 + 725, Spirit 196 + 20.

His lowest attribute was Spirit, but even that was 216. As for Agility, it was close to 1300.

The King's Blessing effectively gave him an entire set of Silver-grade gear in terms of boosts—such a massive increase was not to be underestimated.

And that wasn't even NightStalker's full power.

Once he completed a few more class advancements, learned more blessing skills, and increased his skill levels and quality, his full set of buffs could even double the combat power of his teammates.

With Tristan's combat ability, even a 50% boost would be terrifying.