Elias almost missed it.
In the chaos of preparing for his journey, he noticed a small, hand-carved wooden box sitting on the coffee table. He'd ignored it earlier - back when a woman with perfect skin and colder eyes had dropped it off.
Anna.
Or more accurately - her father.
Viscount Ambert, Treasurer of the Viremont Duchy.
He flipped open the box.
"You've obtained: Lucien's Turquoise Solution."
Inside was a tiny vial of thick, emerald green fluid. No scent. No label.
But the system identified it instantly.
[Lucien's Turquoise Solution]
Grade: Rare (C)
Effect: Permanently increases all base attributes by +1
(Note: Cannot exceed level cap. Single-use only.)
Elias blinked. Then grinned.
Four attribute points. Just like that.
That's four levels worth of stats in one sip.
He popped the cork and drank.
The potion was cold. Icy.
And it bit back.
It slid down his throat like mint-flavored lightning, tingling through his chest, flooding his limbs, and drilling into his skull.
For a moment, everything felt… clear.
Sharper.
His strength surged. Muscles tightened. Reflexes sharpened.
"Attribute increase registered."
New Stats:
Strength 14 (13+1)
Vitality 13 (12+1)
Intelligence 14 (13+1)
Agility 12 (11+1)
His health and stamina ticked upward.
He exhaled, lips twitching.
Three hours later, Elias rode past the outer gates of the Viremont capital.
The guards saluted him like he was a god.
And maybe, one day, he would be.
The road stretched into the hills, and as the city vanished behind him, so did any trace of hesitation.
One hour later, he arrived.
A dead grove. A crooked cave mouth. Blood on the rocks.
And outside the cave stood three of them.
Target Identified: Cerberus Knight
Level: 15
Strength: 13
Vitality: 16
Skills: [Charge] Lv2, ???
Evaluation: F (Standard Threat)
Three heads. One brain.
A perfect EXP package.
The closest Cerberus Knight caught his scent first.
It stood up.
Three heads turned in eerie unison. Their mouths peeled open - jagged teeth, black gums, foam dripping.
Then it ran.
Fast.
Too fast for a creature with such low Agility…
But it had [Charge].
Elias didn't flinch.
He waited.
Waited...
And then moved.
A flash of steel.
A pivot of the hips.
A down-slash with perfect timing-
SHEEEENG-
Elias struck the neck joint from above, angling for the spine.
All three heads jerked. Then popped like melons.
"Critical Hit! 2,173 Damage Dealt."
"You have slain [Cerberus Knight]. +641 EXP earned."
The body collapsed.
Blood sprayed in a perfect arc.
But… nothing dropped.
No loot.
No coins.
No scraps.
"That's… not right."
Even in the old builds of the game, trash mobs dropped trash loot.
Where the hell was his gold?
Elias pressed deeper into the cave.
The air turned rancid.
Blood mixed with feces. Dog piss and rotting meat.
And unlike the game, he couldn't shut off his sense of smell.
He gagged.
But kept moving.
Another Cerberus Knight rushed from the dark.
Target: Cerberus Knight
Level: 19
Vitality: High
Skills: Charge Lv2, ???
Threat: Moderate
This one was stronger.
Worse - the narrow cave made dodging harder.
It roared, claws digging in as it lunged-
Elias didn't backpedal.
He jumped.
Right onto the wall, using the uneven rock as a springboard.
The beast missed him by inches.
He spun, flipped, and slashed as it passed.
The blade sank deep.
"Clean Hit! 1,902 Damage."
The Cerberus howled - all three heads - then crumpled.
Dead.
Still no loot.
But the XP counter ticked up again.
That's fine, Elias thought. I didn't come here for money.
I came here to climb.