As soon as he logged in, a guild notification popped up.
Zack opened it.
Obi The Limit-Breaker: Dude, where have you been today? We already hit level 7 and even got a first dungeon clear.
More messages followed right away.
PointAndShoot: I legit thought you went missing like those guys in the post, one of those vanishing acts everyone's talking about.
A brief pause in chat.
IrisVale: Can we not jump straight to tragedy?
Haze: Point, you're reading too many posts.
Opening his guild chat interface, Zack began typing.
Zack: Yeah… because I'm the one making them vanish.
For a moment, the chat went silent.
Then the responses came flooding in.
Obi The Limit-Breaker: Lmao.
PointAndShoot: "..."
IrisVale: multiple laughing emoji.
Haze: Looks like we need to report you to the cops.
Zack let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh. As absurd as it sounded, it wasn't wrong to say he had a part in it. And, just like Rin, they clearly took it as a joke.
Haze: I thought it through, and as our guild's mascot, we can't afford to call the cops on you... it would be embarrassing.
IrisVale: Yeah! You're the guild mascot; you don't get to fall behind.
Obi added another line a second later.
Obi The Limit-Breaker: Let's be honest, she was low-key happy. All the mage stuff went straight to her.
The chat went quiet. Obi's usual chatter had… vanished just like that.
IrisVale: I'm just impressed she didn't accidentally cast a flame spell on Zack this whole time just to eliminate competition.
PointAndShoot: Hey! I'm just… helping the team, okay? Someone has to actually use the loot properly.
Zack was speechless… they were clearly closer now, able to tease each other effortlessly.
He then glanced at the guild list and paused. Two unfamiliar names stood out.
Zack: Who are the new members?
Both replied almost immediately.
xProTraderx: Hey.
The name alone explained everything. Zack already had a good idea whose friend that was.
The second message came a beat later.
BudgetSage: Hello. Big fan, sir.
Before Zack could respond, Iris chimed in.
Iris: That's BudgetSage. We just recruited him, he's alchemy specialist and almost at Expert rank.
Zack couldn't help but nod.
True enough, with enough budget and recipes, you could hit expert rank easily. I need to work on my alchemy profession too, he mused. Though it hadn't been his focus for some time.
The discussion then turned to Obi's recruit, a merchant friend.
xProTraderx: If anyone is looking for something valuable on the Auction House, just mention it here. I'll purchase it for you, and we can settle the payment later.
Nice, that was exactly what he needed, Zack thought as he reached the Auction House. It would save him hours of gathering materials for his professions, letting him focus on leveling up instead.
He collected the sales, and his current balance showed a whopping 13,820 gold and 73 silver.
The Auction House was bustling. Material prices were through the roof, and current trend showed that recipes were highly sought after, it seemed like everyone was hoarding them.
Skills and equipment remained largely unsold due to players knowing or reaching the skill cap, and when it came to equipment, players now preferred rare items as they were able to afford them.
Though one thing changed completely.
It was almost as if the missing and death articles spreading through the community had shaken the game's economy, dragging the exchange rate down to 1 gold = $30.
He had considered selling his in game money later for real money but now he had other plans. He already knew what he needed, so he started to type.
Zack: I'm looking for plenty of recipes for both blacksmithing and alchemy.
BudgetSage: I'm hunting for alchemy recipes too. Also if you see any cooking recipe, toss those my way.
Zack paused as he read the message, realizing a rival had emerged inside his own guild, though at least their secondary professions didn't overlap.
His focus then shifted from leveling his profession to scouting his next grinding spot, one that he had already planned.
After the patch, both monsters and bosses had been strengthened, but the experience they rewarded hadn't changed.
If he wanted to grow stronger, he needed either more good gears or better stats. There was no other options left.
That led him back to the northern region of Frostpeak Ridge. He had already heard reports that the field boss there was gone, but he wanted to confirm it himself and see what else the patch had changed.
Four hours of steady grinding gave him his answer.
The boss was gone.
With nothing stopping him now, Zack moved deeper into the ridge, noting other players scattered along the trail, each absorbed in their own battles.
The monsters ahead were higher-leveled and slower to kill, demanding more effort than before. Even so, the experience gained felt meager compared to an unconquered dungeon.
What a shame, he thought.
Icewolf (Lv. 8) - defeated!
EXP: +320
The wolf collapsed in the snow, leaving a fang that Zack picked up without slowing.
The path ahead grew quieter, the wind sharper.
Sharp stones protruded through the snow, and patches of ice made footing treacherous. Even the scattered pine trees were stiff with frost, their needles rattling softly in the biting wind.
A faint red icon blinked on his interface.
[Status Effect: Frostbite (Stacking)]
Loses 2% HP every 30 seconds. Cannot be cured. Duration: Persistent while exposed.
Zack decided to cast purify on himself regardless, even though it couldn't actually be purified; he was mainly doing it to boost his proficiency.
He adjusted his pace, deciding to see how far he could push before the stacks forced him to use a Return Stone.
After Resurgence and Momentum Shift, the skill he'd been using most was Detect.
Along the way, Zack came across two hidden bronze chests half-buried in snow.
Although it didn't prove effective in that game, here it allowed him to see player names and classes, and for now, it was assisting him in locating the chest in the area that was concealed from plain view.
He brushed the frost off the lids and opened them without much thought.
System prompts flickered across his vision —
[Recipe: Greater Mana Draught]
Restores 400 MP instantly. Cooldown: 30s.
[Material: Frostvine Herb ×8]
Common alchemy material. Used in mana-based concoctions.
[Weapon: Chilled Iron Dagger]
Attack +100-110, Chance to inflict 'Frostbite' (20% chance, deals 100 damage for 5 seconds.)
[Ring: Whispering Band]
WIS + 10 , HP 50 MP +50 , Reduces mana cost of healing skills by 10%.
[Boots: Snowstrider]
HP +50, Def +10 +10 Agility, +10% Movement Speed on frozen terrain.
[Potion Recipe: Frostguard Elixir]
Temporarily reduces Ice damage received by 10% for 10 min.
He got a few useful drops, a ring that was perfect for a priest like Iris.
The boots were already equipped; they only required level five.
As for the Frostguard Elixir and Greater Mana Draught, they would be highly valuable on the market, though he'd need them to level up his alchemy and to craft the Draught potion which required expert proficiency.
After clearing the path and storing his haul, he pressed deeper into the ridge.
[Chain Quest Completed: Frostpeak Expedition]
Reward: 2,500 EXP
Even a quest he had left unfinished earlier, now was complete. Zack couldn't help but mutter 'Noice'.
As the notification faded, a new quest instantly appeared on his interface:
[Chain Quest: Collect Monster Cores]
Objective: Gather 1,000 Monster Cores
Reward: ?
He scanned through his quest details and frowned.
One thousand was no small number, even with approximately 371 monster cores already stored in his inventory, some of which he had purchased inexpensively during his market visits, while others were gathered from farming.
Still, it fell short of what he needed.
These cores were priced at 1-3 gold in the market. He contemplated it for a moment, then sighed. Looks like I'll have to splurge a bit. With that thought, he closed the menu.
Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks. There it was—
The same field boss he had encountered on his first run through the ridge.
Its massive form rested at the far end of a frozen crater, half-shrouded in drifting snow.
Thick ice plated its hide like natural armor, and each breath it exhaled sent a spray of frost into the air.
[Frostmaw Behemoth — Field Boss]
Level: 12
HP: 1,880,000 / 1,880,000
The boss's level and health had been boosted to maintain patch balance, accounting for higher average player levels and the raid system. It grew increasingly dangerous with more players in the area.
This was also the first time Zack had seen anyone above level 10 here, which spoke volumes that no player or raid had yet been able to challenge it.
He exhaled lightly, deciding this was as far as he could push for now.
The debuff was stacking, slowing his movements, his HP was not any better, for now he was just constantly popping potions and heals on himself whenever he could.
But just as he turned to leave, a faint shimmer danced across his interface.
[Detect] has triggered.
He froze mid-step, instinctively crouching low, breath steadying as the scan finished sweeping the area.
Something was there, buried deeper in the frost.
Hidden under layers of snow, its presence completely hidden so that it could not be seen by naked eyes. Zack has missed it completely but the system didn't. The only reason he found out was because of Detect.
And it wasn't just hidden. It was guarded, by the field boss itself.
Zack clicked his tongue.
Who'd even think of checking there when that monster itself is camping right on top of it?
He was still processing the find when a chill ran down his spine. That feeling, the unmistakable sense of being watched.
Slowly, his gaze shifted up.
The field boss was looking straight at him.
Zack's heart skipped. He ducked back behind a mound of snow, holding his breath.
How the hell does this guy always notice?!
He risked a glance over the edge and the boss was still staring in his direction, unmoving, like it knew exactly where he was.