The third Dryad did not stand a chance. Han jun's iron blade, now glowing with a faint orange hue from the heat of the nearby fire, sliced through the creature's wooden neck like a hot knife through wax. The monster's head, a gnarled knot of rot and mimicry, spun into the blue moss before dissolving into grey ash.
Han jun stood in the center of the clearing, his chest heaving under his charcoal hoodie. He didn't lower his sword. In the novel, the Echo Dryads were never the real prize of this sector. They were merely the biological security system for something much older. He glanced at the hovering drone, making sure the camera was capturing the eerie beauty of the smoldering clearing.
Viewers: 82,400... 105,000! Current
System Points: 10,200
Chat is scrolling at light speed!
X_Slayer_X: Did you guys see that move? He didn't even look at the third one!
RichieRich: I promised 10k and I delivered. Now find us something better than wooden zombies!
TheoryCrafter: Wait, look at the base of the tree on the left. Is that a symbol?
Han jun smirked beneath his hood. TheoryCrafter was sharp. In the original text of The Great Gate Pioneer, the author had described a "star-shaped blemish" on the trunk of the tallest obsidian tree in the first layer. It was an Easter Egg, a developer's oversight that allowed a low level player to skip the grind if they had the guts to trigger it.
"You guys have a good eye," Han jun said, his voice modulated by the system to sound like a low, gravelly hum. "That symbol isn't natural. In this world, geometry usually means treasure... or a very painful death."
He walked toward the massive tree, the sap from his boots sticking to the crystalline floor. He reached out and pressed his gloved palm against the glowing blue vein running through the star symbol.
System Notification: Hidden Mechanism Detected!
Requirement: 5,000 System Points to Force Opening.
Warning: This will alert the Area Guardian!
Han jun didn't hesitate. He needed to stay ahead of the curve. On Earth, the first government sanctioned teams would be entering the Rift within the next twenty four hours. If he wanted to maintain his lead as the top streamer, he needed gear that couldn't be found in a standard shop.
"Alright chat, we are going for the jackpot," he said, his finger hovering over the confirm button. "This is going to cost half of our current points. If I die here, make sure my funeral is live-streamed too."
Purchase Successful! 5,000 Points spent.
The ground began to tremble. A heavy, mechanical grinding sound echoed through the forest, drowning out the crackle of the burning Dryads. The roots of the obsidian tree pulled back like giant, wooden fingers, revealing a stone staircase leading deep into the earth. At the same time, a roar echoed from the canopy above, a sound that felt like two tectonic plates sliding against each other.
Viewers: 150,000!
Chat: MonsterHunter: GET IN THE HOLE! SOMETHING BIG IS COMING!
ClipIt: Look at the trees! They are shaking!
NoobSlayer: He is dead. He just spent his points on a door instead of armor.
Han jun ignored the panic. He knew exactly what was coming. He scrambled down the stone stairs just as a massive, stone-skinned vulture slammed into the spot where he had been standing. The creature was an Earth-Bound Roc, a mini-boss with a wingspan of thirty feet and feathers made of literal granite.
"Close the hatch!" Han jun yelled.
System Shop: Emergency Seal Scroll 1,500 Points
He slapped the glowing parchment against the ceiling of the tunnel. The roots slammed shut with the force of a falling mountain, muffling the frustrated shrieks of the Roc above. Han jun tumbled down the remaining steps, landing in a chamber filled with a soft, golden radiance.
The room was a vault. Stone pedestals lined the walls, each holding artifacts that pulsed with ancient power. But in the center of the room sat a single, ornate chest made of white silver and ivory.
"The First Apostle's Cache," Han jun whispered, his eyes widening. "The novel said it was a myth."
He approached the chest, but as his hand touched the lid, a blue holographic interface appeared in front of him, different from his usual system shop.
System Notification: Unique Challenge Detected! To unlock the Cache, the audience must reach a Hype Goal of 200,000 Concurrent Viewers.
Time Remaining: 05:00
Han jun turned to the drone, his heart racing. This was the ultimate engagement trap. The system was literally using his viewers as a key.
"You heard the system, guys," Han jun said, gesturing to the silver chest. "I am trapped in a hole with a giant rock-bird sitting on the exit. This chest is the only thing that might have a weapon strong enough to get me out. I need fifty thousand more of you to tune in, or we all go dark."
Chat: WhaleWatcher: SENDING LINKS TO ALL MY DISCORD SERVERS!
ViralKing: Just posted the clip on Tik-Tok. 20k coming in now!
Hater101: Open it already! Stop stalling for views!
The counter began to climb. 160,000. 175,000. 190,000. The room began to vibrate again as the Roc above started pecking through the stone ceiling, dust and pebbles raining down on Han jun's hoodie. The timer ticked down to thirty seconds.
"Almost there," Han jun muttered, gripping his notched sword. "Come on, Earth. Give me the key."
With ten seconds left on the clock, the counter ticked over to 201,400. The ivory lid of the chest hissed open, releasing a cloud of golden vapor. Inside lay a pair of fingerless gloves etched with glowing red runes and a small, crystalline vial.
Item Acquired: Berserker's Cuffs (Epic Grade)
Item Acquired: Essence of the First Flame (Legendary Consumable)
Han jun grabbed the gloves, feeling a surge of raw, violent energy flow into his forearms. Above him, a massive stone beak crashed through the ceiling, light from the forest pouring into the vault. The Roc had broken through.
"Thanks for the sub-goal, everyone," Han jun said, a dangerous glint appearing in his eyes as he donned the glowing cuffs. "Now watch how we turn a bird into a pile of rubble."
He leaped toward the crumbling ceiling, the red runes on his wrists flaring to life.