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“…If you guys don’t agree, I’ll just buy it my—” Before Windblossom could finish her sentence, she blinked in surprise. “Huh? You’re giving it to me…?”

“Yes, it’s yours,” Zane nodded. “If it weren’t for your support, we wouldn’t have had a chance to counterattack.”

“T-That… That’s not right!” Her heart had already burst into gleeful cheers, but she still forced herself to stay composed. “You all know how valuable this item is. Sure, I was the one who first engaged the boss… but you were the ones who actually took it down. I…”

“Ten thousand! I can’t offer more than that…” Windblossom’s face fell. “Gold’s value is dropping too fast, I haven’t even had time to sell off what I’ve got. I know it’s not enough, but I’ll repay you with something else later!”

After a brief consideration, it was clear that this item far exceeded the current average player’s level. It required level 25, meaning it wouldn’t even be usable for another two or three days.

More importantly, three party members had lost a level during the fight. Early-level experience was incredibly precious, those losses couldn’t be ignored.

“Let’s check the other loot first. If something even better dropped, we won’t need to argue about this one.”
“No. I only want this. I won’t touch anything else,” Windblossom stood up and sent Zane a trade request.
“Alright, 6k. Three of us lost levels on this boss. Just count me and her out of the price.”
“But how can—”
Zane cut her off. “If you blow all your money now, how will you keep playing? Just remember us if something good drops later.”

…

In the end, Windblossom paid 6,000 gold, then tucked the Starlight Necklace safely into her inventory and left, visibly satisfied. She was oddly stubborn about certain things.

Zane finally had a chance to check the rest of the loot.

First was a pristine, radiant-looking staff:

It was clearly a weapon for Priests, the first of its kind they’d seen. Its magic attack far outclassed the Crimson Flame Staff. The level difference alone was nearly ten, plus it was a tier higher in quality.

The attribute bonuses were substantial, and the mana regeneration plus healing boost made it perfect for raid groups. And that Devotion skill could prove clutch in critical moments!

The only issue… there wasn’t a Priest in their party yet, so it was unclear how to make use of it.

*‘Let’s skip it for now.’*

Next item was a pair of boots radiating a faint black sheen.

Another absurdly powerful item. Compared to these, the Decayed Bone set Zane was wearing looked like something scrounged out of a trash heap. Still, this one clearly suited Starry best. The 10% movement speed bonus, solid stats across the board, and the Wraithfire debuff felt tailor-made for her.

Visually, they weren’t bulky at all. Made from leather and woven grassvine, they were incredibly lightweight. Their defensive power came from the aura of death infused in them, which ensured the quality matched the appearance.

Seeing the level 25 requirement, Zane sighed. It seemed they wouldn’t be able to use it anytime soon.

The next three pieces of equipment weren’t Epic-grade. One was a level 25 Rare dagger. Its stats were decent, but it didn’t have any special effects. He figured he’d pass it on to Wanderer later.

There was also a plain gray ring, another level 25 Rare item. It focused on boosting HP. Endless Sea would probably be interested. The last item was a grayish-white robe. Its stats were average, but surprisingly, it had a special effect that increased all summoned creatures’ stats by 3%. Gear tailored to Summoners was still a rare sight.

Zane posted the stats of all the gear to the party chat in one go. He wasn’t interested in the ensuing discussion, because something else had caught his eye: a red-colored skill book.

‘It was actually a skill book for Charge?!’ Zane’s mind went blank. This was one of the definitive god-tier skills for warrior classes.

It granted mobility with built-in crowd control, giving players a decisive advantage in PvP. It was even highly effective in boss fights. And when things turned south, it could be used for a quick escape. He hadn’t expected it to drop from a level 25 boss.

In addition to all that, over twenty gold coins had dropped. This trip had been more than worth it!

Zane handled the loot distribution with practiced ease. “We nearly wiped earlier, but thanks to Windblossom’s help, we managed to bring down the Death Knight. So the Starlight Necklace goes to her. In return, she gave us a full 6,000 Gold as compensation. You three can split it. Starry and I will sit this one out.”

“You’re not taking a cut? Why?” Endless Sea asked in confusion.

“These Wraithfire Boots are Epic-grade and went to Starry. So we’re good. The staff and dagger, let’s keep those for now. Most players haven’t reached level 20 yet. Selling them now wouldn’t be ideal. As for the ring, Sea can have it. I’ve already got the Ring of Mana. And the robe goes to Yoyo since she’s the Summoner.” Zane paused for a moment. “Shiu didn’t get any gear, so give him a little more of the gold.”

“That works… wait, but what about you?” Endless Sea realized something.
“Oh, right, I almost forgot.” Zane posted the stats of the Charge skill book.
“…” Tears welled up at the corner of Endless Sea’s eyes.
“I’m keeping this,” Zane said. “Now hurry up and regroup, we haven’t finished the quest yet.”
“…”
“Here’s the coordinates. Look around carefully, there’s probably another route.”

…

Sure enough, thirty minutes later, the others circled around from the direction where Windblossom had appeared earlier.

At that moment, Fia’s faint ghostly form also reappeared. Though she was a spirit, tear tracks still marked her face. Her sorrowful expression was heart-wrenching. “You… defeated the Death Knight?” Her voice carried a mix of surprise and grief.

“Yes,” Zane replied, pointing to the corpse nearby. Now that the Death Knight’s power had vanished, his skeleton horse had fully collapsed into a scattered heap of bones.

Fia didn’t say a word. Instead, she stepped closer to the slowly fading Death Knight. She could feel Anruta’s presence dissipating.

“Did you know? Anru… he used to be… my younger brother.”

Thanks to the blessing of the Spring of Life, Saintbloom Village had grown increasingly famous throughout the empire. Fia and Anruta had never lacked food or clothing. In their free time, Anruta would gaze longingly at the knights passing through the village on their way to the front lines.

He trained diligently every day, mastering the sword, and even raised a warhorse of his own. The process was grueling, he nearly crippled himself more than once, but in the end, he tamed the proud and unruly beast.

Time passed, and Fia watched her younger brother grow taller. His broad figure could eventually shield her completely. She had wished things could stay that way forever. But Anruta died.

Without any warning, the undead broke through the frontlines and invaded the towns. Saintbloom Village was no exception. Anruta died fighting to defend it. Years of training proved useless against necromantic spells.

One by one, the villagers died. Fia herself was strangled to death right in front of her brother. The reason? The invading necromancer had taken interest in Anruta’s potential.

The necromancer succeeded. Anruta was reborn as a powerful Death Knight. Then, he turned on his master, broke free of the control, and slew him. Saintbloom Village became his territory, and Fia returned to existence as a Wraith.

The Spring of Life had once been the one place that brought Anruta peace before he became undead. But now, tainted by his prolonged presence, the spring was steeped in undead energy. No one dared approach this cursed land, the domain of the rumored Death Knight.