A Secret of Monumental Proportions... But what kind of secret could truly be called monumental?

  At the very least, one thing was certain—this quest he had unintentionally triggered in the beginner’s village was far from ordinary. God knows whether that kid named Xiao Ming was dead or alive, or where he had been taken. He didn’t even know what the kid looked like.

  Fortunately, the quest had no time limit or penalties, so there was no reason for him to refuse it.

  “Wow! Look at that guy! My god, he’s unbelievably perfect!” A curvaceous female player dramatically covered her mouth in astonishment. Her sparkling eyes were locked onto Ye Tianxie.

  “He must have adjusted his appearance settings,” the female player next to her remarked.

  “Even if he did, he must be super handsome in real life too!”

  “You little flirt, getting all worked up again. If you like him, just snatch him up!”

  “Hmph! With my beauty, getting him would be a piece of cake.”

  The female player adjusted her expression, put on a seductive smile, and sauntered forward. She lightly patted Ye Tianxie’s shoulder and said in a sultry voice, “Handsome, care to help us level up?”

  Her peach blossom eyes were filled with unmistakable flirtation and invitation. Ye Tianxie narrowed his eyes, about to respond, when he suddenly noticed the name floating above her head. The words that were about to leave his mouth were forcibly swallowed. He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving the female player stomping her foot in frustration.

  Her name, of all things, was... Granny Rong of Daming Lake.

  Heading north, he passed by a crooked tree and noticed that the eerie old woman with a sealed lower body was now surrounded by layers upon layers of players. Although the item she requested—wolf eyes—was from a simple quest that even level-zero players could accept, the sheer number of players crowding around her made the task more difficult. Ye Tianxie had spent over an hour at the blacksmith’s shop, and in that time, players had ventured far north, reaching the territory of higher-level monsters.

  Wolf Valley, located at the northernmost part of the beginner’s village, had a desolate and eerie atmosphere. Yet, despite that, the scenery and air were exceptionally refreshing. Occasionally, distant wolf howls echoed through the valley.

  The entrance to Wolf Valley was a narrow passageway. As soon as Ye Tianxie stepped inside, he raised an eyebrow slightly. He wasn’t alone—there were other players present. A quick glance revealed five players surrounding a massive wolf, engaged in fierce combat. Compared to Ye Tianxie’s simple novice clothing, these players were fully equipped, with some gear even emitting a faint blue glow—Steel-tier equipment.

  The wolf they surrounded was nearly twice the size of a regular wolf. It let out enraged howls as it endured their attacks, its health bar decreasing slowly but steadily. Above its health bar, its name was displayed—“Giant Dire Wolf,” with three golden stars preceding it.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  A three-star boss!

  Giant Dire Wolf (Level 5, Three-Star Boss)

  HP: 1300

  A mutated variant of the dire wolf species, possessing a massive physique and strength far surpassing that of ordinary dire wolves.

  Skill: Berserk

  In Destiny, bosses were categorized into One-Star, Two-Star, Three-Star, and Lord-tier. Strictly speaking, monsters marked with one or two stars weren’t truly bosses—they were more like elite versions of their respective species. A One-Star boss was equivalent to a regular elite monster, boasting stats 1-2 times stronger than common monsters. A Two-Star boss was an elite among elites, 1-2 times stronger than a One-Star. A Three-Star boss, on the other hand, was the true ruler of its territory, significantly stronger than the previous tiers.

  Lord-tier bosses were the absolute rulers of vast regions, possessing terrifying power. Above them were creatures even more fearsome than ordinary bosses—Beasts of the Immortal Spirit, Celestial Radiance, Divine Mystery, and Holy Annihilation.

  High-level players forming large teams might have a chance to take down a lower-level Immortal Spirit Beast, but beyond the Celestial Radiance tier, their existence could be summed up in four words—utterly undefeatable.

  The names floating above these players’ heads piqued Ye Tianxie’s interest. Every single one of them had a name beginning with “Red Leaf.” The name “Red Leaf Alliance” flashed through his mind—he had some slight connections with this faction.

  The sudden intrusion of an outsider made the five battling players tense up slightly. They had only just discovered the map Wolf Valley and then stumbled upon this wandering three-star boss. It was both a stroke of luck and a painful challenge. But upon seeing Ye Tianxie in his basic novice gear, their momentary tension turned into disdain. His flawless appearance made them grit their teeth in envy, jealousy, and hate.

  Their moment of distraction lasted only an instant. Facing a three-star boss with an average party level of three was no easy feat, even with all five of them working together. Their team consisted of a Novice Shield Guardian, Novice Warrior, Novice Archer, Novice Mage, and Novice Priest—five players, five different classes.

  The Shield Guardian held up a wooden shield at the front, guzzling potions while gritting his teeth against the Giant Dire Wolf’s onslaught. The Warrior slashed furiously from behind. The Mage, standing at an optimal casting range, continuously hurled non-elemental Magic Bolts. The Priest, struggling to maintain his mana, ran around healing while sipping small mana recovery potions. The Archer crouched behind a rock, letting arrows fly one after another.

  -9, -11, -8, -22…

  Their coordination was impressive, their positioning near perfect, allowing them to barely hold their ground. The Three-Star Boss’s high defense rendered their attacks relatively ineffective. Their main source of damage was the Mage’s Magic Bolts, which bypassed defense. Despite this, the Giant Dire Wolf’s health was still dropping at a steady rate. When Ye Tianxie arrived, the wolf’s health bar had already fallen to about 30%.

  Ye Tianxie stopped, watching the five tense players with an amused expression—not one of admiration, but of pure entertainment.

  To be fully equipped at this stage showed these players were no ordinary beginners. Their teamwork and positioning were also near flawless. If they weren’t high-ranking members of the Red Leaf Alliance, they were at least players with some level of authority.

  “Keep pushing! It’s got less than 300 HP left! Hurry… I’m almost out of potions! Priest, watch the healing!” The Shield Guardian activated Taunt and roared.

  “My mana is almost gone too.” The Priest quickly cast a healing spell before scurrying away, waiting for the cooldown to refresh.