Chapter 178 - Vol. 3 - Chapter 43

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[You have received the defensive buff gaining a boost of 15% of your physical defense]

[You have received the defensive buff gaining a boost of 15% of your magical defense]

Then another warm flash of light touched his dark-clothed body who was fighting continuously as abyssal monsters unleashed from the deepest levels of Hell.

[Your health has recovered by 3500]

'I didn't need your assistance, but a healer's buff is a good one to have.'

Eric, the healer of the party of players did something unnecessary for Mathias who was fighting on a balanced stage with the Goblin Champion, but as he was downloading the rather primal and simplistic attacking patterns the monster found itself being countered around by Mathias who would stab his weak spots with Ragnius that was drawing more blood out of the monsters, building its experience required to recover itself to Rare Stage. [Ragnius][76%]

In his fight with the Goblin Champion whose health dropped to 50% since he began working on his body, unleashing swift piercing attacks the large monsters couldn't have time to defend, resulting in constant bullying from the black-clothed human who grew larger in his eyes the more he was hurt.

{Why don't you switch weapons, try a bit your Swordsmanship or Archey?}

Hearing Haycien's logical question, while he was stopped to counter a wide attack of the monsters, resulting in his unleashing a storm of spear attacks thanks to his [Piercing Rain] and [Waning Moon] making his spear attacks flow like a Macabre Dance where the large goblin couldn't even harm the mysterious man.

'I don't want to show all my hands to those people I don't even know. They might start spreading stupid ideas about me once we get out from this vermin hole.'

{I guess, you still want to scheme and plan until you feel every single card settled down in their place}

Mathias used mostly his Spearmanship as he didn't want to show the players watching him, his skills, and making this into an interesting fight, he could for once have a proper fight against an enemy without feeling like it's too easy since for the most part, the monsters he countered would have slow attack speeds or predictable attack patterns.

This Goblin Champion at least could shift around his attack patterns and making Mathias more excited for the fight, and sensing that each of the Goblins under his command was dying under Sera and the other 2 players, the Goblin Champion who was wasn't far away from the Death's door, made sure to give Mathias some farewell words, in human speech, that sounded as if some single digit IQ person was talking to him.

"W-E W-I-L-L H-A-V-E R-E-V-E-N-GE. L-E-A-DER S-T-O-n-K."

"Revenge? That would be impossible for you vermins. I will kill each one of you." commented Mathias who scoffed at the final words of the Goblin Champion who died with his head being slashed off by the last sequence of [Waning Moon] the spinning wheel attack, making the players who watched him fight to stare with stunned eyes.

[Congratulation, you have killed a earning the following rewards]

[You have earned 520.000 EXP]

[You have earned: 5 gold]

[You have earned the item: ]

[You have earned the item:

[You have earned the ]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

.

.

[You have leveled up!]

With the slaying of this level 105 elite monster, he took a large step toward the pinnacle, reaching level 62 directly after killing the Goblin Champion all by himself; in doing so, he got closer to the TOP Rankers.

If someone would say that Mathias was only level 32 just a couple of days in the past, no one would believe him. Since the higher the level of the player, the harder the leveling process would become with more experience being required.

Nevertheless, he knew and trusted his abilities that he trained and polished day in and day out, the reason he chose to take another path of journeying in Satisfy, unlike the common practice of the players to simply crush their heads on hunting grounds without having a backstory.

So far, his leveling process and hunt progressed smoothly, and the three players weren't left without a share of the cake, Sera, Bernard, and Eric received a great share of EXP reward for fighting the Elite Goblins and Goblins under the Goblin Champion, counting 12 of them.

In fact, they received plenty of assistance from Mathias's even when fighting those simpler goblins taking in the attack of the [Ghost Spear] and [Waning Moon] and [Sweep Thrust] that contained AoE attacks in their sequence.

Breathing heavy, from the consumption of their stamina, they looked at Mathias who was dusting off his noble-like dress, extending his head to touch the head of the large goblin with some disgust, curious as to why it didn't turn into gray ash.

"Thank you for helping us." called out Sera from where she was recovering her breathing, only to be ignored by Mathias who was pondering about something deeper.

'What's with the Head Trophy? Was there a change in the Quest Requirements?' looking at the quest's clear requirements, they looked the same, which made him conflicted.

'Is it just like this? A collectible item? What do you say, old Hay?'

{It can be an alchemy material for all I know. Does it matter? Just collect them, and you'll see if you can earn some pocket change for them.}

Getting Haycien's comment on this matter, his initial surprise about the Head Trophy of the Goblin Champion which wasn't marked as a Quest Item lowered down, reminding himself that he might find some use to those "Trophies" in the near future.

'I have plenty of space in my inventory for a lot of those trophies. Let them flow for all I care.'

Thus, he choose to keep it in a corner of his inventory bag that was arranged to be for the "Quest Items"

From there, he noticed that Sera and her teammates wanted to talk with him, hearing Sera's call for appreciation for his help.

"Don't stress yourself. I just killed the monsters for myself." replied Mathias with a long delay which made Sera think he ignored her, and his answering soothed out some of her self-pride.

"Was it you who cleared so much of the Goblin Den?" asked the young woman, who continued to watch Mathias who had his name hidden by the top hat.

"Who knows? I just logged in not too long ago only to find this commotion."

Sera got up, and along with her two teammates, Bernard and Eric approached Mathias who began moving toward a deeper part of the Goblin Den.

"Wait, let me thank you again for your help, and for allowing us to claim the EXP from the rest of the goblins along with their rewards. It was of real help since we leveled up once already from those goblins."

Mathias turned his head to watch the woman with his mesmerizing crimson eyes which amplified his handsome features even more and brushing off her remarks, feeling she wanted something else, which had Haycien chuckle in his mind pestering him before being able to respond.

{She wants the genes, my boy. No woman can be indifferent to the valiant appearance of the True Saharan Heir.}

'Yea, sure. I am not a greedy pig to eat too much from too many beehives.'

{Wasn't the bear the one eating from the beehives?}

'... You get the analogy. So stop pestering me with your pervertedness old man. Show some dignity of the First Emperor.'

{Don't want to. I want to relax right now. At least until you grow strong enough so I can get serious.}

"Get directly to the point and don't beat around the bush. I don't have time to waste around."

The direct and cold comment from Mathias, made her feel as if her mind was unraveled by him, some surprise appeared in her eyes. For the first time since she played Satisfy, her looks didn't offer her any assistance in receiving help when facing this mysterious player wearing Victorian Nobility Clothes.

Observing Mathias who resumed to support himself using his spear watching them back with his cold, crimson eyes.

"Okay … I will go to the important question. Would you want to join our group and clear together this Goblin Den? We reached a part that became too hard even for us High Ranked players. Combining our forces would be for the better of everyone."

"That's your party unable to progress forward. I am doing just fine here. But … if you tell me more about what happened to you, the circumstances of your hunting experience, I might reconsider it." replied Mathias, giving a chance to the young woman to win his interest in joining them.

Then she starts telling him about her group's circumstances, and how they tried to Clear this cave they discovered while hunting in Gravelmark Mountain. It was a new discovery that only their group knew about, and entering the first attempt they discovered that its content was balanced for their level, having monsters from level 70-100.

But, never did she expect that her group of High Rankers would be overwhelmed by numbers, and struggling to progress in advancing forward. They couldn't even get to half of the progression and reached this impasse.

"Thus, we are unable to turn back because of the Dungeon blocking our way out. Our only way out is to die, but I'd rather die putting on a great fight and leveling up to make up for the loss in experience I would suffer from dying." ended Sera telling the mysterious man her story on how they fared with the dungeon, and before Mathias had the chance to comment, she continued.

"Also, seeing your skills in handling magic and your spear skills, I will be fair and say you might be better than me and my colleagues. You are a hidden ranker, who if they would reveal their information for the System, would be in the Top 10."

"Besides, it will really be difficult even for you once you get deeper. My group also thought the same the first time we stepped inside, that it would be a cakewalk, but here I am on my 4th day of our time, trying to clear this dungeon. You'll for certain fare better if you team up with us since we aren't pushovers and can put up a good fight against those monsters."

The young woman looked at Mathias who studied her calmly, before a sudden laugh took over the cave tunnel, making her frown thinking she was getting mocked by this man, but he was quick to wave his hand, saying to her.

"Don't take it that way. I was thinking about some other people who were about the same as you."

Still chuckling a bit, he was reminded by how the party of Vivian, Paula, and the 2 meatheads, Anjo and IronMike worked to get him in their party to fight against Iljnoks.

But seeing the group of three, where the 2 guys were in their mid-age, with Sera seeming to be the youngest, he agrees to her proposal but he tells her that he wants to be the Party leader and form the party.

"Sure, I don't mind teaming up, but I will be the Party Leader. Also, another part, if you are teaming with me, everything that I say is in order. I will still give you some freedom to act as you see fit, but when the clutch moments happen, I am in full control. We have a deal?"

Sera turns to her teammates who nod their heads and disbanding their party, she is the first one to be invited, followed by the priest, Eric, and the tank, Bernard, who instantly went to the party information, to check on Mathias's information.

[Goblin Warbase Instance Party]

Leader: ??? (???)

1. Sera (Softhilt Swordsman)

2. Bernard (Warrior)

3. Eric (Priest)

When they tried to check Mathias' information, they only got an (???) Even his class was left in full mystery, which made Sera ponder if there was such an option to hide one's name.

'Was there such a setting to hide your information from other players?'

Opening the settings in the system as she started the progression on the dungeon, moving slowly, she has enough time to find out that there was indeed such an option but it was shrouded by the large list of options and hidden under a large description akin to [Terms of Service] that no one bothered to read.

'Didn't that magician from the Silverpine Forest also used the same thing to hide her information? Is this something that Hidden Rankers do to stay in anonymity? I have no idea why they wouldn't allow themselves to be known by the rest of the players, especially if they are great at the game.'

As she read that information on the Terms, she found out some interesting information about the System that only a small percentage of players were pried to know, and the fact she who produced herself of knowing everything that it is to know about Satisfy, someone who read most forum threads and all sort of theories, found herself on the side.

Mathias who returned to where he stopped his first session on the Goblin Den, turned at the three players who remained quiet on the way, mentioning casually.

"For now, you three can apply your fighting combinations, while I will act like support and DPSer, helping where you struggle. Let's hope we have a great hunt, which is not even required to be mentioned."

"You only need to enjoy this hunt, and you'll be fine."

"Mhmm, how should we call you if we want some assistance?" asked the tanker of the group, Bernard, not sure how to call.

"Octavian will do it."