By the end of the day, Xiao Hua lost count of how many Goblins he had slain. He noticed that the monsters here rarely dropped money, but occasionally dropped white or green equipment. They also dropped a peculiar item called "Black Stone Coins," which were small, regular black pebbles shaped like coins.
**Black Stone Coin:** A special item usable only in Blackmist City. Find NPC Hazar to learn its purpose! Each person can obtain or possess up to 50 Black Stone Coins per day in normal conditions!
Xiao Hua first found Black Stone Coins after grinding Goblins for over an hour. From the description, it was clear that these were unique to Blackmist City and unusable elsewhere, explaining why he had never heard of them before. While the description piqued his interest, Xiao Hua focused on grinding monsters and training skills, tossing the coins into his bag casually.
As he continued, Black Stone Coin drops increased, but when he reached nearly forty coins, the drops slowed again until he eventually collected fifty. Afterward, although Goblins occasionally still dropped Black Stone Coins, Xiao Hua couldn't pick them up, leaving them to disappear.
The most shocking discovery was that after grinding Goblins all day, his PK value only decreased by three points! At this rate, factoring in the time required for restocking supplies, he estimated needing at least six weeks in Blackmist City before returning to Snowdrift City.
But there were no shortcuts for reducing PK value. With a bitter smile, Xiao Hua resolved to work harder.
Meanwhile, six hours after Xiao Hua left Blackmist City, news of the super-high bounty task spread throughout the city's hidden corners!
A few hours later, inside a large cathedral in Blackmist City, the roof had been sliced away by some massive weapon, transforming it into an open-air church with sunlight streaming in. The interior was a mess, with only a few half-red, half-black benches usable among the rubble of fallen columns and large stones. Despite the disarray, over a hundred figures gathered there!
Most were Assassins, with a few Mages, Warriors, and two Priests. Some sat or squatted in small groups, whispering amongst themselves, while others sat silently in secluded corners, occasionally glancing toward a small door at the front side of the church. It seemed everyone was waiting for someone's arrival.
Their wait was brief as a towering figure appeared at the small door! Clad in black armor and unarmed, the exposed parts of his body revealed impressive muscles, exuding a sense of immense strength, surpassing even the black-armored guards in Blackmist Prison.
As soon as the armored giant appeared, the whispering players fell silent, and the previously noisy cathedral became quiet.
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"One hundred thirteen people! This must be the largest gathering since our guild 'Madmen' was founded! You are all elite killers. I assume you've returned here upon hearing the news and with the intention of venturing back into the outside world!"
The towering player sat on a large stone, crossing his legs leisurely.
"Boss Butcher, aren't you interested in going out and earning some money?"
"Yeah, Boss, lead us out again like last time!"
"Quiet, let me finish!"
Butcher grinned, revealing a hint of innocence on his square face, but his voice was serious.
"Some of you may not have received the quest details from Bella yet. Let me briefly explain. This task is similar to previous ones, targeting an entire guild, from the guild leader to the regular members. However, the rewards are significantly higher. The target is Icebound Guild, the top guild in Snowdrift City. Killing a regular member earns 3,000 gold (20 kills limit); killing an elder earns 10,000 gold (50 kills limit); killing the guild leader, Icebound World, earns 50,000 gold (no limit). The system retains 10%, and the remaining 90% goes to the killers.
The total bounty is 15 million gold, which is unlikely to be fully claimed due to potential guild disbandments, member withdrawals, or leader account deletions.
However, the quest poster added interesting conditions:
- If the guild disbands with less than 2 million gold remaining, the remaining amount is divided among the top five earners based on their contributions.
- If more than 2 million remains, it becomes a personal bounty on Icebound World, with the first player to kill him ten times claiming the entire remaining amount.
- If the guild disbands and the leader deletes their character, the remaining bounty is distributed as per the first condition.
Icebound Guild has gained prominence recently. According to data, it's merely a pseudo-top-tier guild with little foundation and no standout members. Recently, a key leader defected. This guild isn't truly powerful, likely ranking first in Snowdrift City due to the city's isolation."
"Boss, are you going?"
"No!"
"Why? If you go, earning millions would be easy. Money is hard to come by in Blackmist City, and this is a rare opportunity. Why not go?"
"The reason is simple. Do you think only 'Madmen' would take this quest? 'Seven Wolves' wouldn't miss such a lucrative chance. Plus, individual players not in our guilds might join in.
However, my decision not to go is because I made a bet with Shadow, the leader of Seven Wolves. Starting tomorrow noon, both guilds will compete for the highest bounty rewards over the next month. The winner gets the leveling spot at Whiteleaf Rock."
"Whiteleaf Rock?"
"Exactly. We've disputed this spot for months, and competing hasn't been efficient. We decided to settle it during this period. Players who die and return to Blackmist City can continue participating without affecting the results. At noon after a month, we'll tally scores outside Snowdrift City and report back. Including those in Blackmist City, we'll determine the winner.
More participants increase the chances of winning. Those interested can go, but remember, failing this quest results in a two-level drop!"
In another dim underground building, a similar scene unfolded, led by a slender Assassin. After explaining similarly to Butcher, he added, "The bet stipulates no interference between the guilds. Any grievances should be settled in the arena!"
That day, Blackmist City's player count surged. Newcomers like Xiao Hua sensed a tense atmosphere, as if something major was imminent. More astonishingly, figures in black armor emerged and escorted groups to the airship landing site, where airships continuously flew upward!