For a mini-boss and two summoned elites to drop five green items was already pushing the boundaries of reason. Summoned elites were notoriously stingy compared to naturally spawned ones. Their drop rates were slightly lower than standard monsters, and more often than not they left nothing but coins and scraps behind. Yet somehow, the two summoned elites alone had produced three pieces of green equipment.
At this point, it was hard not to feel like the party had stolen the server's entire share of luck for the day.
But the real surprise was not the equipment.
Let-There-Be-Light blinked at the loot window, then rubbed his eyes and looked again, just to make sure he had not misread it. His voice dropped slightly as he announced, "There's one more thing. A skill book."
"What?"
The word passed through the party like an electric current.
"A skill book?" Beast-Lover's head snapped up. He froze for a second, then practically shouted, "You're joking, right? Light, tell me you're joking. A skill book? That's like a one-in-ten-thousand drop! That's insane!"
He was not exaggerating. Skill books were significantly rarer than green equipment. Even low-level ones were coveted treasures. So far, not a single player in the Starter Zone had seen one drop, not even after taking down Borg the Silver-Fang.
"Look for yourselves," Let-There-Be-Light said, activating inspection mode so everyone could view the item's properties. Even Hair-Stays-Perfect, still in ghost form and jogging back from the graveyard, could see it.
Beast-Lover was already rummaging through the temporary loot window, practically drooling. "Please let it be Beast Summon. Please. I'll take back everything I said about RNG."
At level six, Beastmasters could choose between two skills. One was Shadowflame Arrow, a ranged damage spell similar to what an Arcanist might use. The other was Beast Summon, which allowed them to call forth a beast companion to fight at their side.
Every Beastmaster could eventually learn Beast Summon. Those specializing in the beast-taming path could take it at level six. If they skipped it, they would have to wait until level twenty and complete a specific quest to obtain it. Most Beastmasters chose it immediately, since having a beast tank for them was both practical and powerful.
Beast-Lover had been the odd one out. Because he usually ran with a fixed team and did not need a personal tank, he had opted for Shadowflame Arrow to boost his damage instead.
Now he was hoping fate would reward his boldness.
Then he saw the name of the skill book.
His expression fell instantly. A string of colorful curses slipped out under his breath. Slowly, involuntarily, his gaze drifted toward Flynn, who was standing nearby as if this had nothing to do with him.
The others followed his line of sight. One by one, they sighed.
Amy folded her arms and pouted. "This guy's luck is ridiculous. Don't even bother asking. Just give it to him."
Let-There-Be-Light noticed that Flynn was staring off into space, clearly not checking the loot window. He cleared his throat. "Night-Stalker. The skill book is yours. It's level six Lockpicking. Do you want it?"
Flynn blinked. "Lockpicking?"
He had no idea what that implied in terms of rarity or value. All he knew was that it had dropped and that the others were staring at him strangely.
"If you don't want it, we can discuss—" Let-There-Be-Light began.
"It's fine," Flynn cut in with a shrug. "You guys can't learn it anyway, right? Just give it to me."
"There is one condition," Let-There-Be-Light added carefully. "If you take the skill book, you won't be able to roll on the green leather armor that also dropped. Team rules. Fair?"
Even in a pick-up group, rules mattered. No one could monopolize all the high-value items, no matter how much they carried the team.
Flynn waved a hand dismissively. "That's fine. One item's enough."
That settled it.
Let-There-Be-Light assigned the Lockpicking skill book to Flynn, and a crisp notification chimed in his ears.
[You have acquired the skill book: Lockpicking.]
Flynn opened his inventory and examined the book, turning it around as if it might reveal instructions by itself. After a moment, he looked up, genuinely puzzled. "How do I use this?"
Amy rolled her eyes. "Tap it. Hard. When the system asks if you want to learn it, press yes. That's it."
"Oh. That's simple. Thanks, sis."
He followed her instructions and felt the skill settle into his character sheet.
The remaining five pieces of equipment were distributed through rolls. At this stage of the game, gold was scarce, but equipment was even scarcer. A skill book like Lockpicking could not realistically be priced in gold yet. No one in the Starter Zone had the funds to buy something like that. As for green equipment, a rare piece might appear occasionally on a player stall, usually priced between three to five gold. For most players, that was an intimidating sum.
When everything was finally sorted, only Not-A-Bystander had not received a major item. After a brief discussion, the others agreed to give him all the miscellaneous materials and the gold. Sold to a general merchant, it would fetch roughly two to three gold, close enough in value to a single green item to be fair.
Still, there was no denying it.
Flynn had once again walked away as the biggest winner.
Let-There-Be-Light shook his head inwardly. The first boss they killed had dropped a dagger for him, arguably the most crucial piece of equipment for a Rogue. Now, a mini-boss had handed him a skill book he had not even learned yet. It was not just skill. It was fortune, the kind that bent probabilities.
After wrapping things up, the group returned to the Starter Zone. By now, other players had discovered the Murloc Cave and were beginning to stream in, eager to grind. The place felt busier than before.
Let-There-Be-Light led the team straight to the village Elder to turn in the quest.
The Elder's eyes widened at the sight of the rust-covered key. "Excellent, young heroes. I have waited long for this day. The wicked Kaka'u is hiding in a cellar beneath the village. Go. Defeat him and retrieve the Teleportation Crystal he stole."
"We'll handle it," Let-There-Be-Light replied politely.
A burst of light enveloped the group.
The quest reward included a pair of green-grade pants and a hefty chunk of experience. Everyone except Flynn, who was already level eleven, and Hair-Stays-Perfect, who had died earlier, leveled up on the spot. Flynn's experience bar, however, surged to eighty-seven percent of level eleven, bringing him within striking distance of twelve.
Beast-Lover stared at the reward in his hands and let out a long, suffering sigh. "This is such a scam. Pants. Again. Why is it always pants?"
The others immediately burst into laughter.
After defeating Gulu, Beast-Lover had won a pair of cloth pants in the roll. Now the quest reward had given him another pair. The stats were different, technically better in some aspects, but the improvement was marginal. It felt less like progression and more like mockery.
After teasing him thoroughly, the group split up to repair gear, restock potions, and prepare for the next stage.
Ten minutes later, everyone gathered at the western exit of the village. Flynn was the last to arrive.
Seeing the team assembled, Let-There-Be-Light raised a hand with exaggerated solemnity. "Alright. Let's go."
The cellar mentioned in the quest lay beneath a residence on the west side of the village. In Age of Conquest, players could not simply barge into NPC homes. Only public residences, like the Elder's hut or the Blacksmith's shop, were freely accessible.
This house was neither.
Normally, its door remained shut. But players who had accepted the quest could knock. When the homeowner opened it, they would be told that a wicked dark sorcerer was hiding in their cellar. The terrified NPC would promptly flee, granting the party access to the house and the cellar entrance. With the Rusty Key in hand, they could unlock the way forward.
All of this had been carefully documented in quest guides.
Let-There-Be-Light followed the steps without deviation. Soon, he located the wooden cellar door and used the key. The moment it clicked open, a swirling white vortex materialized in front of them.
"We're here," he said quietly.
Not-A-Bystander leapt in first without hesitation. Flynn glanced around once, then followed. One by one, the others stepped through.
They emerged at the top of a narrow staircase descending into darkness.
The air was thick with mildew and decay. The smell clung to the back of the throat. Gray rats scurried along the edges of the room, their tiny claws scratching against stone.
Amy stiffened visibly. Her shoulders tensed, and her jaw clenched as one particularly bold rat darted across her field of vision.
Flynn noticed.
'So she's afraid of rats', he thought, filing the information away with mild curiosity.
The cellar itself was not large. From the stairs, they could clearly see Kaka'u.
The dark sorcerer paced back and forth in black robes with a crooked staff clutched in his hand. His brows were knit tightly, and he muttered to himself in a frantic whisper.
"More people in the village."
"They will find me."
"Why has my master not come? Has he abandoned me?"
The lines were clearly scripted flavor, hinting that someone else stood behind the theft of the Teleportation Crystal.
Beast-Lover scoffed. "A dark sorcerer? Let's see what he's got."
Before anyone could stop him, he strode down the stairs.
"Wait—" Let-There-Be-Light reached out, but it was too late.
The instant Beast-Lover's foot touched the cellar floor, Kaka'u's head snapped up.
"You found me!" he shrieked. "Die!"
A beam of inky black light burst from the tip of his staff, striking Beast-Lover square in the chest.
-232.
The number floated briefly above his head before he crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
For a moment, there was silence.
"Two hundred and thirty-two damage?" Hair-Stays-Perfect blurted. "That's insane."
Let-There-Be-Light swore under his breath. "Beast-Lover, what were you thinking? I hadn't even explained the strategy yet. Why would you step down there?"
From the floor, Beast-Lover typed meekly, "I didn't know stepping off the stairs would trigger him. Sorry."
Let-There-Be-Light exhaled heavily. He knew it had not been malicious, just reckless. But the damage was done. The dungeon entrance behind them was now sealed by a barrier. There was no retreat. Either Kaka'u died, or they did. That was the only way out.
"Alright, let's focus," Not-A-Bystander said firmly, charging forward to establish aggro.
The devastating spell Kaka'u had used was called Death Ray, a unique opening mechanic. The first player to trigger his aggression would always be hit with it. It dealt absurdly high damage. Only a proper Main Tank could survive it with a sliver of health remaining. A cloth-wearer like Beast-Lover never stood a chance.
As Let-There-Be-Light quickly explained this, even Hair-Stays-Perfect began scolding Beast-Lover in the party chat. The three of them had leveled together from the beginning. Now his death had made an already difficult dungeon even harder.
Beast-Lover, unable to even show his expression in death, endured the scolding in silence.
If death here caused experience loss, he might have genuinely logged off in despair. Thankfully, this dungeon spared them that humiliation.