The high-pitched, soul-tearing whine emanating from Thumper, the Maniacal, reached a crescendo.
The very air in the Grove of Screams vibrated with a malevolent energy, and the ground began to tremble.
For the members of Jason's party, the world seemed to freeze.
Their limbs, already sluggish from the dungeon's oppressive atmosphere, turned to stone. Panic, cold and sharp, seized their hearts.
"I-I can't move!" Dreamer, the Oracle, cried out, her face pale with terror.
Tank stood rooted to the spot, his shield feeling as heavy as a mountain.
"It's a fear effect! We're done for!"
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!"
Thumper unleashed its ultimate skill: [Thumper's Roar].
It wasn't just a sound; it was a physical wave of pure sonic force and psychic dread that erupted outwards.
The twisted trees around them shook violently, shedding their dead leaves in a cascade of decay.
A visible distortion rippled through the air, washing over the party.
For everyone except Jason, it was as if they'd been plunged into thick, icy molasses.
Their movements slowed to a crawl, their minds clouded with an overwhelming sense of doom.
But Jason was prepared.
He had faced this very skill countless times in his past life.
While his party was locked in a state of near-paralysis, he moved.
"Stay calm and trust me!" Jason's voice cut through their fear like a thunderclap.
He wasn't frozen.
Thanks to his [Might of a Thousand] title and his mind, honed by a decade of apocalyptic battles, he could resist the worst of the roar's effects.
He was slowed, yes, but not incapacitated.
Just as the sonic wave hit, Thumper, now a blur of berserk fury, lunged not at the frozen Tank, but at Jason.
Its claws, each the size of a dagger, sliced through the air, aimed straight for his heart.
"Too slow," Jason muttered.
He activated Phantom Kill.
An identical copy of himself instantly shimmered into existence, standing exactly where he had been a split second before.
Thumper's claws tore through the illusion, which dissolved into harmless particles of light.
The real Jason was already in motion.
With his inhuman Agility, he slid to the side, the wind shrieking past his ears.
As the roar's slowing effect took hold, he knew he couldn't dodge the next attack.
Thumper spun, its massive paw swiping in a wide, devastating arc.
"[Parry]!" Jason commanded in his mind.
He braced himself, angling the Abyssal Blade perfectly.
CLAAAAANG!
A deafening explosion of sound echoed as Thumper's claws met the black steel.
Sparks flew like fireworks in the gloomy forest.
The impact was immense, a force that would have shattered the bones of any other Level 1 player.
Jason's feet dug trenches in the dirt as he was forced back several meters, his arm screaming in protest from the violent tremor that shot through it.
But he held.
He had blocked it.
"Dreamer! Heal me! NOW!" Jason roared.
His shout broke the Oracle's terrified stupor. Seeing her leader still fighting, still standing against an impossible foe, ignited a spark of courage within her.
She pointed her staff, and a warm, green light enveloped Jason, his health bar, which had dipped dangerously low from the reflected force, shooting back up.
The roar's effect lasted for five agonizing seconds.
As it faded, Thumper was left panting, its berserk state momentarily replaced by a Weakened debuff.
Its attack and defense were temporarily lowered.
This was their window.
"NOW! HIT IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!" Jason bellowed.
The party, freed from their paralysis, unleashed a storm of pent-up aggression.
"Eat this, you oversized furball!" Jay Antonio yelled, slamming his staff into the ground.
"[Dark Bind]!" Chains of shadow erupted from the earth, wrapping around Thumper's legs, slowing it further.
Solitary Blade let out a primal yell.
"[Charge]!"
He became a speeding bullet, his sword glowing as he slammed into the boss's side, interrupting its attempt to stomp the ground.
Tank, his confidence restored, raised his shield and taunted, drawing the boss's wavering attention.
Munch's Earth Elemental lumbered forward, pummeling the boss's back with stony fists.
Jason became the eye of the storm.
"Focus fire on its left leg! Break its stance!" he commanded, his own blade a blur. "[Chop]! [Thundering Flash]!"
-110!
-135!
-142!
-160!
(Critical!)
With the boss weakened and his own recent level-up, Jason's damage was simply monstrous.
The numbers popping up above Thumper's head sent his party members into a state of shock.
Thumper roared in agony and fury, swatting at the players, but their coordinated assault, directed by Jason's flawless commands, kept it off-balance.
Finally, with its health bar a sliver of red, Jason saw his opening.
"It's over!"
BOOM!
The ground cracked as he launched himself forward, the Abyssal Blade glowing with a terrifying, dark light.
He poured all his energy into one final, perfect [Thundering Flash].
Three brilliant beams of sword energy shot out, converging on Thumper's head.
The boss's eyes went wide with what looked like genuine shock before the energy consumed it.
A moment of silence, and then the colossal rabbit fell, its body dissolving into a shower of golden light.
System: Congratulations to party leader 'Wraith' for the First Clear of Hell Mode Dungeon Grove of Screams.
Party will receive bonus rewards.
Announce party leader's name to the public?
"No," Jason said instantly.
[System: You have received 8,000 EXP. You have leveled up!]
Jason felt a surge of power as the number above his head changed from a '1' to a '2'.
The rest of the party, awash with EXP, also saw their progress bars shoot up, with Jay Antonio now tantalizingly close to Level 3.
But the real prize was the mountain of loot that lay where the boss had died.
There were at least ten items shimmering on the ground, a drop rate unheard of for a Level 3 dungeon.
"We… we did it…" Munch whispered, collapsing to the ground.
"I need a snack to celebrate."
Jay ran forward, his eyes wide.
"Holy loot! Jason, you're not a man, you're a cheat code!"
Jason smiled as he began to inspect the drops.
There were several pieces of Bronze and Mysterious-Iron equipment, which he promptly distributed to the party.
Tank received a magnificent Mysterious-Iron shield, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
Dreamer got a Bronze-ranked staff that boosted her healing power.
Then, Jason saw it.
The two items he had been hoping for.
The first was a forging design, its icon a simple, sturdy-looking chest plate: [Garrison Armor Forging Design].
This was the key to his early financial dominance.
The second item made his heart beat faster.
It was a one-handed sword, its blade the color of freshly spilled blood, humming with a faint, sharp energy.
[Crimson Blade - Secret-Silver Rank] [Level 3]
This was one of the best swords available in the early stages of the game.
He couldn't equip it yet, but he knew that once he could dual-wield it with his Abyssal Blade, his power would skyrocket.
As they exited the dungeon, blinking in the comparatively bright light, a wave of shock rippled through the crowd at the entrance.
The party that had entered as a group of Level 1 rejects had emerged transformed.
They were decked out in gleaming new gear, and their leader, the once-mocked Swordsman, now proudly displayed a 'Lv. 2' above his head.
Captain Cautious and his group, who had scoffed at them earlier, stared with their mouths agape.
Suddenly, another group emerged from the Hard Mode portal.
It was Aurora's party.
They looked exhausted and dejected, their armor scratched and dented.
It was clear their run had not been successful.
Ember, the fiery mage, saw Jason's party and their new gear, and her face twisted in disbelief.
"How is that possible?! You… you actually cleared it?"
Before Jason could reply, Aurora's Cleric, a young girl with a cheerful disposition, ran over.
"Miss Aurora sent me! She was very impressed and would like to have a word with your leader about his strategy."
Jay puffed out his chest, beaming with pride.
This was it!
The Snow Goddess herself was acknowledging them!
Jason, however, simply shook his head.
I'm sorry, we're on a tight schedule.
We don't have time right now.
The entire area fell silent.
Jay's jaw hit the floor.
Did Jason just turn down the most famous and beautiful guild leader in the region?
Ember's face turned crimson with fury. "You… who do you think you are?! The nerve!"
Aurora herself walked over, her expression unreadable but her eyes fixed on Jason.
My apologies for my friend's rudeness.
It is a simple request.
Perhaps some compensation for your time?She offered him a trade window, placing a Level 2 Bronze belt inside a valuable item.
Jason knew this was a test.
He calmly cancelled the trade.
Instead, he opened a trade window back to her and placed a simple, worn-looking piece of paper inside: [Recipe: Basic Strength Potion].
Ember scoffed. "A piece of scrap paper? Are you insulting her?"
But Aurora's eyes widened. She instantly recognized its value.
A potion recipe this early in the game was worth more than a dozen Bronze items.
It was a strategic asset that could elevate her entire guild.
She accepted the trade without hesitation.
"You have my thanks," Aurora said, her voice holding a new note of respect.
It seems I have underestimated you, Sir Wraith.
My guild, Seraphim, will be attempting the 20-man raid, the Crypt of the Fallen King, next week.
I would like to formally invite you and your party to join us.
Jason smiled. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.
"We accept," he said.
"On one condition. I get priority on all Swordsman equipment and any forging designs that drop."
His audacity was stunning.
He wasn't asking to join their raid, he was setting terms as if he were the one in charge.
Before the fuming Ember could explode, Aurora nodded.
"Agreed."
As Aurora's party departed, the humiliated Captain Cautious and his friends scurried over to Jason, bowing and scraping, begging to join his workshop.
Jason simply walked past them without a word, leaving them in his dust.
He had conquered Hell Mode, leveled up, equipped his team, and forged an alliance with a top-tier guild, all on his own terms.
His improved party was just the beginning.
Now, it was time to build his legend.