After logging out, Zack stretched, rubbing the back of his neck. His stomach growled, instant ramen sounded like the perfect dinner plan.
But before he could even reach the kitchen, he caught sight of Rin grinning at his monitor like he'd just won the lottery.
"What's with that face?" Zack asked warily. "You look like you just sold your soul and somehow profited"
Rin spun around in his chair, practically vibrating. "Bro. Your pre-recorded stream went viral! The channel got monetized this evening — ads, sponsors, donations, the whole deal! You already made enough to cover rent and dinner for months!"
Zack blinked. "...You're kidding."
Rin shoved his screen toward him. The viewer count was in the 7 digits. Comments and sponsorship messages were flooding in.
"See? What did I tell you?" Rin said, grinning ear to ear. "That field boss clip's gone viral. You, my dear Vulture Priest, are basically internet currency right now"
Zack scrolled through the numbers, eyes widening. "This… is unreal. At this rate, I don't even need a day job"
Rin smirked and gave his shoulder a pat. "Then come on, Mr. Vulture dinner's on you"
Zack shot him a flat look. "Sure. How about instant ramen?"
Rin stopped mid-speech "…You call that dinner?"
Zack shrugged.
He leaned back in his chair, a small grin tugging at his lips. He always knew gaming could be profitable, but seeing it; the views, the payouts, the flood of sponsor messages was something else entirely.
"Guess I've been looking at this all wrong" he murmured, amused. "Maybe it's time to start treating this like a career… not just using it to chase down my past"
Zack finally tore his eyes away from the screen, blinking like a man resurfacing from another world. "Alright," he muttered, "if I keep staring at those numbers, I'll start casting buffs on my wallet."
He stood up, stretched and marched toward the tiny kitchen. Rin, sprawled on the couch in a hoodie, lifted an eyebrow. "You cooking?
Zack ignored him, filling a pot with water. "I'm celebrating success. Viral video. Monetized channel. The Vulture Priest deserves gourmet ramen"
"Bro, boiling noodles isn't gourmet" Rin said, dead serious.
"Boiling noodles" Zack replied, cracking an egg into the broth with a flourish, "is an art."
The room quickly filled with the smell of garlic and chili oil. Rin peeked over his phone. "Huh. Smells like someone's casting [Culinary Miracle]"
Zack handed him a bowl a few minutes later, perfectly done ramen, with egg, onions and leftover roast chicken from yesterday. "Here. Eat. Payment for being my unpaid PR manager."
Rin blinked. "Hold up. When did I get that job?"
"When you started bragging about my views like a proud fan" Zack said, sitting down.
Rin pointed with his chopsticks. "If I'm your manager, I get ramen every day."
"Deal" Zack said between bites. "As long as you handle all the sponsors, comments."
Zack elongated his muscles, deciding that a little routine would aid in regaining his focus.
He started by brushing his teeth, then let the warm steam of a quick shower wash away the remaining fatigue before putting on clean clothes.
By the time he finished, he felt refreshed and prepared to dive back in.
"Alright" he murmured, cracking his neck as he slid into the open capsule. "Back to the grind."
With a gentle buzz, the VR capsule sealed itself, the outside world fading to darkness as Immortals Conflict launched once more as beams of light swirled around him, drawing Zack back into the digital universe where fortune, glory and excitement awaited.
As the virtual landscape sharpened into view, Zack found himself in the lively Starting Plaza of Gaia City, the game's central hub where players congregated to trade, form groups, and show off their latest gear.
His inbox lit up vigorously with new notifications — sale alerts from his potion listings, friend requests and more than a few collaboration proposals from random gamers hoping to benefit from his newfound notoriety.
He dismissed them all.
[System Message: 12,844 Potions Sold – 192 Gold Credited]
Zack's brows rose slightly. "Guess the market didn't sleep either" he muttered.
He stretched his in-game arms, scanning the wide plaza where players bustled , some dueled against each other, some pitched trade offers.
For now, he decided to make another batch of potions with his leftover gold and put them on the auction board.
Unfortunately, the market had already caught on. The price of herbs and base reagents had increased overnight, classic case demand spikes, prices follow.
Still, Zack wasn't too worried. Even with inflated costs, his margins held steady.
Fifty-six thousand potions brewed and listed for sale– only five gold coins remained in his pouch.
With business done, Zack turned his sights north, toward Frostpeak Ridge.
A land wrapped in pale mist and biting wind. The path wound through frozen pines, where even the air seemed heavier with chill.
Monsters here were stronger than the usual field pests — level 6 to 9, mostly ice-adapted beasts.
Frostfang Wolves prowled in small packs, their breath forming clouds in the air.
Chill Wisps hovered between the trees, draining warmth and Mana from anyone who lingered too long. Occasionally, a Glacial Boar would burst from beneath the snow, tusks gleaming like carved crystal.
The quiet suited him, though. He tightened his cloak, suppressing a shiver.
"Cold… but peaceful" he muttered, frost gathering at the edge of his breath. "Guess it's my kind of place."
The ridge stretched ahead; silent, vast and filled with opportunities for someone calm enough to endure the cold.
The region was busier than usual, probably because it offered good experience gains and fire spells were especially effective here, a perfect spot for mages.
Zack, on the other hand, had opted to venture alone this time, his lightning spell was quite effective for this area, although it had a long cooldown.
His group had chosen to remain behind and grind until they advanced to level 5, but he was eager to explore.
Frostpeak featured a dungeon, one that required level 8 for entry. This alone piqued his curiosity. Why was the level limit here significantly higher than in other regions?
He dedicated hours to battling level 7 Frostfang Wolves and Ice Sprites, each defeat ringing with the familiar sound of experience gained.
[You have defeated: Frostfang Wolf — Lv.7]
EXP +180
Loot: Beast Hide x1 | Frost Fang x2 | Minor HP Potion x1
The drops were nothing remarkable.
[You have defeated: Named Monster — Frostfang Alpha — Lv.8]
EXP +330
Loot: Frost Fang x5 | Beast Hide x3 | Silver Band (Uncommon) | Ice Crystal Shard x1
Having finally reached Level 5, he decided it was time for a break.
During his journey, his Detect skill enabled him to find two hidden chests concealed within narrow yet discreet caves although to his disappointment, neither were silver or gold.
However, he did acquire two useful items from them.
Skill Scroll: Frost Barrier (Priest)
Type: Defensive Magic
Creates a barrier of condensed frost that absorbs damage equal to 50% of Zack's Mana for 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 1 minute
Requirement: Class – Priest
Frostbane Elixir – (Recipe)
Requires Ice Crystal Shard ×2, Frost Ore Dust ×1, and Holy Water ×1.
+35% Ice Resistance for 30 minutes.
50 Gold
He exhaled slowly and opened his Status Window. The faint blue screen fluttered to life in front of him.
[Level Up Bonus: +5 Stat Points Available]
"Alright… let's bulk up a bit," he went full VIT.
Then he opened his inventory and scrolled through his gear list.
Most of it was junk from early grinding runs, but a few pieces stood out, the ones he could finally equip now that he'd hit level 5.
Colossus Pants (Rare) Lvl 5– +10 INT, +50 HP,+20 MP, DEF+10
Molten Heart Ring (Rare)
Type: Accessory
Max HP +50 | Max MP +50 | INT +3 | Bonus: VIT +5
[Slimeheart Loop] – Accessory (Lv. 5)
HP +100 | MP +50
Effect: Restores 2% HP every 10 seconds during combat.
He replaced his leather pants with Colossus and rest of his accessory slots were free so he equipped all immediately.
[Staff of Withering Veins] – Weapon (Rare) Lvl 5
Magic Power - 80-95 | INT + 15
Passive: Increases skill effects by 15%.
At last, he equipped a proper weapon — one that actually suited his hybrid priest build, completing his setup.
[Character Status – Zack | Priest | Level 5]
HP: 845/ 845
MP: 730/ 730
Magic Attack Power: 315-330 | INT: 94 | VIT: 37 Physical Defense : 62
Thanks to the new weapon, Zack noticed an immediate difference, his skills were syncing better with his stats.
For instance, his new skill Frost Barrier, which used to grant a 367 HP shield, now surged to around 422 HP after the boost. Even his Divine Barrier improved, its protection climbing to 230 HP Shield.
Judging by the numbers, even his healing and damage spells were getting the same 15% boost, the staff's passive was turning out better than he expected.
Zack felt secure enough to stand his ground as he smirked faintly. "This should keep me alive long enough"
The wind howled through the ridge like a living thing, carrying with it a sound that made even experienced players flinch, a deep, echoing roar that rattled the icicles from the cliffs.
Zack froze mid-step. The system notification blinked across his interface in crimson text.
[Warning: Field Boss Detected]
Name: Frostmaw Behemoth
Level: 9
Type: Elemental Beast
From the blizzard ahead, a massive silhouette emerged, a beast easily three stories tall, its hide a mix of ice and fur, crystalline armor plates growing out of its shoulders like splintered glaciers.
Every breath it exhaled frosted the ground in a ten-meter radius.
When its eyes opened, they glowed a fierce glacial blue.
The Frostmaw Behemoth slammed its claw into the ground, sending a shockwave of frozen mist outward.
Zack activated his Detect skill.
Frostmaw Behemoth — Lv.9 (Field Boss)
HP: 785,000
Element: Frost
Weakness: Fire, Lightning skills
Each step the creature took froze the terrain solid, spreading sheets of ice across the field.
As Zack observed the beast's movements, he noticed something unsettling, every new player entering the field made its hide darken and thicken.
The level marker above its head flickered, shifting from Lv.9 → Lv.10, a clear sign that its stats were scaling in real time.
Zack narrowed his eyes, watching the frost aura pulse stronger around the Behemoth.
"I wonder how far it goes" he muttered under his breath. "If a few dozen players push it this high… what happens when a thousand show up? Is there even a cap?"
The Frostmaw Behemoth let out a low, rumbling growl, like the mountain itself was responding, its eyes flared brighter, like it had just realized it was being watched.
Zack took a few step back. Even with his new gear and skills, he could feel the pressure through the air, a primal kind of threat his barriers wouldn't hold against for long.
He thought to himself, "Yeah… even if there were ten of me, it wouldn't make a difference." The Behemoth's gaze lingered for a heartbeat before turning away, dismissing him like an insect.
Zack exhaled softly and adjusted his cloak, retreating down the icy slope without another word.
As the field boss blocked his path forward, Zack decided he'd explored enough for now. What he really needed was information, how to level up faster or if there was some other way to grow stronger aside from alchemy.
He pulled out his Return Stone, the gem pulsing faintly in his palm before shattering into light. Moments later, his figure reappeared in the familiar plaza of Gaia City.
A brief pause, then the world dissolved into darkness as he logged out.