Lucian was genuinely impressed—he really had run into a heavy hitter. Silas, the Lord Mayor of Riverport City, was a legend in the region. Not only was he the most powerful man in the city in terms of authority, but he was also one of its elite combatants. Word was he was a Level 54 Knight on the verge of his Third Class Advancement. House Sterling was, without exaggeration, the most influential family in the city.

  Gareth’s blunt honesty about their origins was clearly intended to intimidate him. After all, nobody in Riverport City could afford to cross House Sterling.

  To Lucian, however, their status was merely a surprise. With Nyx by his side, his potential was limitless. A minor power like House Sterling couldn't begin to compare to what his future held.

  Gareth released his hand and looked Lucian in the eye. "Let's be blunt."

  "We're from House Sterling. We came out here to escort our young lady while she levels up in preparation for the Awakening Trials."

  "But just now, we discovered a Hidden Realm. It requires at least eight people to enter, and we’re exactly one person short."

  "Then you showed up. Maybe it’s fate."

  "So, we’re willing to pay you a hundred thousand Draco-marks just to fill the slot so we can open the Secret Realm. You won't even need to lift a finger—we’ll handle all the fighting. You can even keep all the materials that drop inside."

  "What do you think? Opportunities like this don't come around every day."

  Gareth figured that with House Sterling’s name and such a generous offer, a common material hunter wouldn’t possibly refuse. It was practically free money and a chance to get on the family’s good side. For a hunter, it was the kind of windfall they’d only ever see in their dreams.

  To Gareth’s shock, Lucian shook his head. "I don’t have much interest in money or materials. However, I’m very interested in the final rewards from the Secret Realm."

  Behind Gareth, Celia’s temper flared. "Don't push it!" she barked, barely restraining her anger. "You’re just here to make up the numbers! We’ve offered a fortune in cash and materials. The terms are already more than fair. You’ve got some nerve trying to hike up the price now."

  Gareth waved a hand, silencing her. He didn't want to provoke Lucian into walking away, which would leave them stranded outside the Secret Realm again.

  Chloe, who had been quiet until now, spoke with the natural authority of her station. "We can’t just give you the Secret Realm rewards for nothing."

  "But," she continued, her expression turning serious, "you can name other terms. As long as they aren't excessive, we’ll do our best to accommodate you. We need your help, but please, don’t be greedy."

  Lucian rubbed his nose, realizing that if they couldn't reach an agreement, it would be a lose-lose for everyone.

  He smiled. "I think you're overestimating my greed."

  "My point is that I don’t want to just be a placeholder. I want to clear this Secret Realm with you as a partner."

  "I assume you know the rules for a cooperative run? The rewards are distributed based on the combined ranking of Healing and Damage Output. Once the run is cleared, everyone picks their rewards in order from highest rank to lowest."

  "You want to run the Secret Realm with us as a partner?" Chloe asked, her eyes widening.

  Lucian nodded. "Exactly."

  Chloe looked at Gareth. He seemed surprised, but after a moment, he gave her a subtle nod of approval.

  As Lucian said, there was a universally recognized rule for cooperative Secret Realms and Dungeons: the loot went to the contributors. Damage and Healing stats determined the picking order.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  It was a fair system, but Gareth knew it heavily favored them. Gareth was high-level, and Chloe possessed a Hidden Class; her combined output would be staggering, almost certainly securing her a top-two spot.

  The others were all around Level 20, including high-damage Mages and Archers. As for Lucian? A material hunter would be lucky to break the top five.

  A Secret Realm usually only dropped three or four major rewards. Chloe and her team would likely sweep the lot.

  Gareth assumed Lucian was simply overconfident because he’d managed to survive soloing in the Stony Barrens. The man had no idea his little scheme was going to backfire; if they went by the numbers, he wouldn’t even make the cut.

  After exchanging a look with Chloe, Gareth accepted the terms. "Fine. If you want a cooperative run, that’s how we’ll do it."

  Chloe, perhaps out of a sense of pity or just to avoid a scene if Lucian walked away empty-handed, added one final note. "And the hundred-thousand-mark fee we promised? That's still on the table."

  Lucian wasn't about to turn down a free hundred thousand credits. That much money would be enough to buy his aunt another Chef recipe.

  "Fine, it’s a deal," Lucian nodded.

  Since they were out in the wild, there was no way to transfer the funds immediately. Instead, they signed a formal promissory agreement; Chloe would settle the payment once they returned to Riverport City. Lucian wasn't worried about her welching on the debt. A hundred thousand credits was likely mere pocket change for a girl from a prominent family like hers. House Sterling was a renowned name in Riverport City; they wouldn't risk their reputation over such a trivial sum.

  With that, Lucian officially joined Chloe’s team.

  With his addition, the eight-person squad was complete. A faint smile touched Chloe’s lips as she urged everyone to hurry toward the Hidden Realm’s entrance. Led by Chloe and Gareth, the group walked for barely five minutes before arriving at a wide, open clearing.

  A scrawny Mage behind Gareth stepped forward and began chanting an incantation. Suddenly, the air above the clearing rippled and distorted, revealing a two-meter-high purple swirling vortex—the entrance to the Secret Realm. It appeared the Mage had used Concealment to hide the portal from prying eyes.

  "Alright, everyone, gear up. We’re heading in!" Gareth commanded, drawing a massive greatsword from his back. Flame-like patterns etched the blade; it looked to be a Bronze Tier at the very least, and likely enchanted. As the head steward of House Sterling, it made sense for him to possess high-quality equipment.

  The others followed suit, unsheathing their weapons and bracing for combat.

  Gareth glanced back and noticed Lucian hadn't moved. He frowned slightly. "Kid, you do have gear, right? If you do, get it out now. Once we enter the Secret Realm, anything can happen."

  Lucian nodded, understanding the logic. With a flick of his wrist, a pitch-black greatsword materialized in his hand.

  It was no smaller than Gareth’s, but its design was far more aggressive. The blade was entirely black, adorned with raised, obsidian-like dragon scales, and the edge was so dark it didn't even reflect the sunlight. This was the loot Lucian had just unearthed using the Intermediate Treasure Map.

  Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword (Gold Tier)

  Level Requirement: 10

  Class Requirement: Dragon Tamer, Dragon-blood Warrior

  Strength Requirement: 120

  Attributes: Strength +65, Endurance +30

  Trait — Draconic Armament: This weapon can undergo dragonification alongside the user, increasing the power of transformed limbs.

  Gold Tier items typically fetched over thirty million credits, and with attributes like these, the Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword was easily worth closer to fifty million. Providing nearly a hundred points of raw stats—specifically focused on Strength and Endurance—made it a god-tier find for any warrior.

  However, despite being a Level 10 weapon, its requirements were staggering. Setting aside the class restrictions, the 120 Strength requirement alone would leave 99% of warrior players in the dust. Most people wouldn't reach that much Strength until they were at least Level 30.

  But Lucian met every requirement perfectly, allowing him to wield the Gold Tier weapon with ease. The sword felt as if it had been tailor-made for a Dragon Tamer. Its unique trait, Draconic Armament, would significantly amplify the power of his [Dragon Claw] skill.

  Seeing such an extraordinary weapon, the group's attention shifted entirely to Lucian.

  As a warrior himself, Gareth could sense that this blade was far more powerful than his own Bronze Tier weapon. He whistled in appreciation. "That’s some weapon you’ve got there... Is it a Silver Tier?"

  Lucian glanced at him but gave no answer.

  Gareth gave an awkward, self-deprecating laugh and didn't pry further. They were strangers, after all; it was only natural for Lucian to be guarded about his equipment’s rank and stats.

  Celia, who had been nursing a grudge against Lucian, couldn't hold her tongue. "Look, it’s fine if you don’t want to share your weapon’s stats, but you have to at least tell us your level and class. We’re cooperating in a Secret Realm; we need to coordinate. If we don’t even know what you are, how are we supposed to set a formation once the fighting starts?"

  Chloe nodded, her tone neutral. "She’s right. The situation inside is unknown, so it’s better if we understand each other’s capabilities. To show our sincerity, we’ll introduce ourselves first. I’m a Level 13 Holy Light Mage, a Hidden Class. My trait allows me to handle both damage and healing."