After the battle ended, Kaito and the others immediately busied themselves with collecting the loot scattered across the battlefield.
…
Meanwhile, in the branches of a tall tree some distance away, Nyx Blade and Grizzle tooth had witnessed the entire battle unfold from start to finish.
As they watched Everhold Dominion fall to such a miserable state, both were left completely dumbfounded.
Initially, they had intended to join the fight as well—but things had escalated so quickly that they never got the chance.
They had first visited the site where Everhold Dominion had fought the Nether Leopard King, only to find the boss gone and a berserk leopard still chasing down stragglers from Gravemind's squad. Not finding Kaito there, they assumed he might be near the dungeon entrance—close to the ancient array.
However, by the time they arrived, the confrontation between Everhold Dominion and the allied guilds was already in full swing.
This was because, They had also taken extra time avoiding detection, since several Everhold players were still en route to the battlefield, forcing them to remain hidden along the way.
Now, watching from afar as Kaito dominated Gravemind and carved through dozens of enemies with calm precision, both NyxBlade and Grizzletooth realized something they hadn't expected—
There was actually such a battle style possible in Glory.
…..
At that moment, while NyxBlade and Grizzletooth were still inwardly reeling from what they had witnessed, a deep voice suddenly echoed from behind them.
"Why haven't you two left yet?"
Startled, both immediately sprang into motion—spinning around as they drew their weapons, only to freeze upon seeing the figure behind them.
"Big Brother Raen..."
NyxBlade let out a breath of relief. She relaxed her stance, returning her dagger to its sheath at her waist.
"We came to help," she said, her voice turning cold. "Everhold Dominion has killed so many of our companions—we couldn't just stand by. We had to get revenge."
Kaito remained silent for a moment, studying the two carefully. Then he spoke with calm intent.
"I plan to form a large team for raiding high-level Dungeons in the future. Would you two be interested in joining?"
He had observed NyxBlade's skill and judgment. She clearly had talent. More importantly, both she and Grizzletooth were independent players—unaffiliated with any guilds. If he could recruit them, it would provide a solid boost to Genesis Studio's long-term strength.
"Hmm…"
NyxBlade hesitated, clearly caught off guard by the offer.
Grizzletooth also fell silent, his expression thoughtful.
"You already have your own team?" Kaito asked, sensing their hesitation.
He knew that after entering Astralis City, large-scale Dungeons would become the core of progression. These massive raids were the main sources of equipment, rare materials, and advancement opportunities. Without a capable raid team, even skilled players would fall behind.
For independent players, forming such teams was extremely difficult. Most large-scale Dungeons required 50 to 100 players. Assembling a group with sufficient strength, coordination, and—most importantly—trust was no easy feat. Distribution of loot alone could tear such teams apart.
That's why established guilds and professional studios had such an edge.
"No," NyxBlade finally replied. "We don't have a large team. Our group is mostly made up of friends who play casually. They don't care much about progression or raids. It's mostly for amusement."
She paused, then added softly, "Could you give me some time?"
In truth, she did want to develop herself seriously in Glory. But the people in her current party weren't interested in commitment or structure. If she joined a professional raid team like Kaito's, it would come with expectations—rules, schedules, responsibility. And not everyone was ready for that.
"Alright. In any case, there's still time," Kaito said with a calm nod. "Let's add each other as friends. When you've made your decision, you can contact me anytime."
He understood that choices like this couldn't be made on impulse. If one wished to gain something, they had to be willing to give something up in return. And Kaito wasn't looking for just anyone to join him—he wanted teammates who were truly committed.
"That sounds good. I'll speak with them and get back to you," NyxBlade replied, nodding firmly. Deep down, she knew—it was about time she made a choice.
Soon after Kaito added NyxBlade to his friend list, he turned and ran back toward his team. He hadn't come all the way over just by chance—his instincts had caught subtle movement in the trees earlier. If it had turned out to be remnants of Everhold Dominion spying from the shadows, he wouldn't have minded cleaning up the stragglers who had slipped through the net.
But now that the situation was clear and things had settled down, Kaito had some time on his hands.
He opened his inventory.
It was time to check the loot dropped by Gravemind.
"Not bad…"
His eyes widened slightly in surprise as the items appeared before him. The rewards were better than expected—his luck today was off the charts.
There were two items.
The first was a Bronze-ranked Cooking Knife—not flashy, but highly practical. It increased both the success rate and preparation speed of any cooking process, making it a valuable tool for Life Skill development.
But the second item was the real prize.
A Silver-ranked accessory—a necklace called:
[Wraithborne Pendant] (Silver Rank, Necklace)
Level Requirement: 8
All Attributes +5
Luck +5
Kaito's eyebrows lifted.
In Glory, accessories were notoriously rare. Even players who reached Level 20 or higher typically had no more than one or two Bronze accessories, most of which were sub–Level 10.
But this—this was Silver rank.
It was far more valuable than even a Gold-tier weapon of the same level.
What made it truly exceptional, however, was the Luck stat.
Luck in Glory was a mystical and highly sought-after attribute. Even a single point could nearly double the drop rate of items from monsters. While the effectiveness tapered off with higher values, even 3 points in Luck could triple one's drop rate.
And Luck wasn't just for combat—it also had significant effects on Life Skills like crafting, potion-making, and equipment refinement. Its value never diminished.
To the average player, an item like the Wraithborne Pendant would be worth 2 to 3 Gold Coins at most.
But to Kaito?
It was worth at least 10 Gold Coins—and that was being conservative.
Without hesitation, he equipped the Wraithborne Pendant.
With this, future boss hunts and high-level monster kills would not only yield more loot, but also better-quality gear.
Kaito smiled slightly.
His path to domination had just gotten smoother.
...….
South Glade Town — Glade Flame Tavern
Once again, Kaito found himself seated on the second floor of the tavern. This time, his companions included Zephyr—vice leader of StormLife—along with Marek, and Velena, who sat beside her own vice leader, Revera.
After collecting their loot and leaving the battlefield behind, even the members of Genesis needed some rest. Kaito had instructed them to return to town and unwind, or if they still wished to grind, they could head to nearby areas around South Glade. That way, if Everhold Dominion attempted another ambush, he could respond quickly.
His gaze casually swept across the table—and then paused.
"Brother Zephyr," Kaito said with a faint smile, "so you've picked up the Earthvein Sword?"
His eyes settled on the long sword strapped to Zephyr's waist—a weapon unmistakably familiar.
It was the rare drop from the Echo Flame Sovereign, the final boss of the King-level Echoing Deep dungeon. Despite being a first-clear reward, the blade had dropped unexpectedly.
The Earthvein Sword was tailored for swordsmen, granting a passive AoE earth-element skill: Stonecrash, which Zephyr had already used to great effect in the previous battle.
Kaito hadn't expected such a high-tier weapon to appear this early in just their few runs. Though it wasn't just a first-clear bonus, the odds were still incredibly low even during normal king level runs.
StormLife Guild was truly lucky.
"No… it's all thanks to Brother Raen's strategy," Zephyr said with a wry smile, scratching the back of his head. They might've brought the boss down, but it cost them dozens of lives. Still… it was worth it.