Blackheart Grotto was divided into three levels: one on the surface, and two underground.

  This surface level was where Captain Blackheart had originally stored massive amounts of food supplies and a small portion of his treasure. The food was now mostly gone, devoured by vermin, with only a few chests remaining in the side rooms. This floor was teeming with a high density of low-level monsters that respawned quickly. If it weren't for the fact that they dropped no gear, it would have been a decent leveling spot.

  Kael led Orion forward, quickly clearing the mobs in the main corridor while ignoring the rooms on either side. He’d leave the unopened chests for the other players; letting them waste time clearing rooms for minor loot would keep them from interfering with his real objective.

  More importantly, Kael was worried about delays. He needed to get to the second underground level and claim the real prize as fast as possible.

  After twenty minutes of non-stop clearing, they reached the deepest part of the surface level: a vast hall, roughly 4,500 square feet. The chamber was carpeted with a dense swarm of Frost Spiders and Frostfang Rats.

  At the very back stood three ornate chests, and in front of them, slumped on the ground, was a sleeping Frost Giant.

  [Frost Giant (Elite)]: Level 25

  HP: 1,000,000

  Physical Attack: 3,120

  Physical Defense: 2,580

  Movement Speed: 8

  To Kael, an elite boss with a few thousand attack and defense was no big deal. To the average player, however, it was a nightmare. A level 15 DPS character in a full set of epic gear would barely break 2,000 attack. Factoring in buffs and debuffs, they could just barely pierce the giant’s defense. But weathering its 3,000 base attack was another story. A single critical hit or special ability could one-shot a tank.

  Unless a party waited another two or three days until they hit level 20 and equipped a new tier of gear, coming here was a suicide run.

  Kael scanned the room and then glanced up at the high ceiling, a wave of relief washing over him. There was more than enough vertical clearance. He could use Phantom Barrage.

  He turned to Orion. “Hey, wizard-boy, you got a taunt?”

  “As the archives foretold,” Orion said haughtily. “You may call me Orion. Or Master-Diviner, if you please.”

  “Alright, Master wizard-boy. Do you have a taunt skill or not?”

  “I have a skill called Effigy of Substitution. It taunts all nearby enemies for three seconds.”

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  Three seconds… Kael did a quick calculation. It was just enough time for a bold, reckless plan. “Get ready to use that effigy on my signal.”

  “When do I—?”

  Kael ignored him, already drawing his bow to its limit. He aimed at the ceiling above the center of the mob pack and let loose.

  A torrential downpour of arrows rained down on the swarm.

  -8022

  -26742 (Critical!)

  -19328 (Skill + Pierce!)

  -36742 (Critical!)

  -68745 (Double Critical!)

  -20314 (Skill + Double Pierce!)

  -51028 (Critical!)

  The damage numbers grew even more absurd on the mobs further back. A single arrow that triggered a skill crit plus two Pierce crits could hit for over 80,000 damage. With his ridiculously high critical strike chance, entire swathes of Frostfang Rats and Frost Spiders were instantly vaporized. Over 150 of the 200-plus monsters in the volley’s radius were annihilated.

  [System: You have killed a Frost Spider. You gain 20,000 EXP.]

  [System: Lucky Bonus Triggered! You gain an additional 20,000 EXP.]

  [System: You have killed a Frostfang Rat. You gain 22,000 EXP.]

  [System: Lucky Bonus Triggered! You gain an additional 22,000 EXP.]

  …

  Kael netted over five million experience points in a single shot. Orion didn’t get the lucky bonuses, but because he was only level 18, he received an underdog EXP bonus, earning a staggering four million himself.

  His jaw hit the floor. “My EXP bar just jumped by a third!”

  “Don’t just stand there! Get ready to use the effigy!” Kael yelled.

  His attack range was 55 yards. The monsters’ movement speed was 8. It would take them six or seven seconds to close the distance. The remaining dozens of mobs were now scrambling toward them, and if they reached him, it would get dangerous.

  Orion’s eyes snapped forward, watching for the right moment. He pulled a paper sigil from one pouch and a small straw doll from another. Clapping his hands together, he pressed the sigil onto the doll. Then, he leaned forward.

  With a grunt, he spat a spray of his own blood onto the effigy. He hurled it forward, and as it flew, the straw doll shimmered and transformed into a perfect replica of Orion himself.

  The doppelg?nger didn’t just look like him; it even mimicked his spellcasting animations. It was unnervingly realistic. Kael had assumed the Effigy of Substitution would just be a simple taunting totem. He had to admit, if he hadn't known what it was, he could have easily mistaken it for the genuine article.

  Suddenly, the effigy flicked its wrist, sending dozens of paper sigils flying out at the charging monsters.

  -1722

  -1622

  A stream of numbers erupted over the monsters’ heads. But Kael noticed something specific: the numbers were rendered in a ghostly, translucent font. He hadn't seen it often, but he knew what it meant: illusory damage.

  To the target, the damage numbers looked real, but no actual health was lost. It was a phantom effect, typically used in illusions or by invincible clones to generate massive amounts of threat.

  Though the effigy’s paper sigils did no actual harm, the aggro they generated was very, very real. The remaining spiders and rats immediately swarmed the substitute, tearing and biting at it. The effigy was surprisingly durable; its health dropped to 1 HP and then refused to go any lower, holding out for a full three seconds.

  And three seconds was all Kael needed. The cooldown on Phantom Barrage was over.

  He fired again.

  The second volley wiped out nearly everything that was left. Only a handful of lucky mobs in the front ranks, who had somehow survived both volleys without being critically hit, remained. Kael picked them off with a few quick normal attacks.

  Rinse and repeat. He systematically pulled and annihilated the remaining clusters of mobs in the corners of the hall. By the time he was done, Orion had dinged level 19.

  The vast chamber was finally empty, save for one sleeping giant and the three treasure chests behind him.