With that, she bolted out of his office, shutting the door behind her.

She hurried back to her room, her heartbeat thumping louder with each step.

Sliding into her gaming chair, Crystal quickly re-equipped her gear and sank back into the game.

The familiar system sound rang out the instant her consciousness reconnected to New Eden.

[Welcome back, player QueenBee]

The scenery loaded in around her, sharp and vibrant, light fading into reality.

She stood exactly where she had logged out.

And right across from her, waiting like a stone statue, was Axton.

The young man's expression didn't change, though the faintest quirk of his brow showed he had noticed her arrival.

"That was fast," Axton said casually, his voice steady.

QueenBee walked up to him.

She was smiling as if she had just secured a treasure chest no one else knew about.

"We'll take the deal," she declared. "The whole $2.5 million worth of items."

For a moment, silence fell.

Axton blinked, his body still but his heart… his heart roared like a storm.

Two point five. Million.

His chest nearly burst with the sheer thrill of it.

He was going to be a millionaire!

A millionaire? Just from playing a game?

His mind spun wildly. This wasn't something he thought would happen to him in ten years, maybe not even in his lifetime with the way his life had been going before.

Yet here he was, standing on the edge of a future he had never dared to dream of.

"That's fine then," he said, hiding the tremor of excitement behind his voice. "I'll transfer the items now."

Inside, though?

His pulse hammered.

His blood surged.

His vision seemed sharper, his world brighter.

This was more than a deal.

This was a great change in his life in a positive direction.

******

Naturally, items that QueenBee buys now would be distributed among the members of Dragon Claw and not just to those in newbie village #666, but also across other villages where the guild had influence.

The plan was simple but effective.

By spreading the equipment evenly, the guild's overall strength would rise, ensuring more members were properly equipped for future battles.

With this, they could also take part in the race to escape the confines of the village and reach the city — a milestone every player craved, regardless of their affiliations.

Dragon Claw, despite their low-profile reputation, had somehow become the leading guild in New Eden.

The irony was almost laughable.

For a group that initially wanted nothing to do with the spotlight, they were now standing in it brighter than ever.

After the equipment transfer was completed, QueenBee turned toward Axton to settle her part of the bargain.

*Ding*

[You have received the sum of $2.53 million]

For a moment, Axton simply froze.

Even though the amount was expected, he was still slightly shocked and this was because the reality of it struck him like lightning.

Indeed, Axton was now a millionaire!

Quite frankly, he was surprised at how fast it happened.

His thoughts spun wildly. 'If I can make this much just selling early-game equipment, how much will I rake in once I start selling high-grade items?'

The numbers that danced in his head were staggering.

He almost felt dizzy from the prospect of endless cash flow.

He quickly shook his head. 'Not yet.'

Those high-grade items were too valuable for him to part with right now.

He needed them for survival, and survival came before wealth.

He couldn't help but smile.

Extending his hand toward QueenBee, he said with a smirk, "Nice doing business with you."

QueenBee glanced at his hand, then back at him, her lips curling into a playful smile of her own. "Why do you have to be so formal?"

Axton only shrugged, saying nothing.

"It's fine anyway. I'll see you around," she added casually before turning on her heel and walking away.

The moment she left, another notification popped up.

*Ding*

[+1 Level up!]

Axton had leveled up again.

His progress in the newbie village was now undeniable.

He had reached level 15.

The first and only player in the village to do so at this moment.

That alone gave him the right to attempt something no one else could — the right to leave the village.

However, Axton wasn't going to rush that yet.

He had a different plan in mind.

During the invasion, he had earned a sizable amount of coins.

With those coins came the chance to attempt something he had been eager to try and that was to merge another skill into one of his weapons.

His eyes glowed faintly with anticipation.

The target skill of this experiment was the [Flash Sword Attack], and the target weapon was the Aura Sword.

The Flash Sword itself no longer suited his current fighting style.

For the [Flash Sword Attack], however, it was different.

It was a skill that allowed him to move at three times his base agility.

It was still priceless and very much useless to him.

By strength and effectiveness, the Aura Sword was his best weapon.

If he could successfully imbue the [Flash Sword Attack] into it, then he would maximize its potential in ways that could tilt battles entirely in his favor.

Determined, Axton left the busy part of the village.

He wandered until he found a quiet spot, a place far removed from curious eyes and noisy chatter.

The atmosphere was quiet, just like he wanted it to be.

"Let's begin," he muttered under his breath.

[Extracting skill — Flash Sword Attack]

[0%... 28%... 57%... 99%]

[Extraction completed]

[Binding skill — Flash Sword Attack]

[Base weapon for binding — Aura Sword]

[Binding initiated]

[0%... 43%... 75%... 100%]

[Binding completed]

[Extraction and binding successful]

[Cost : 20 Gold coins]

[Do you wish to proceed?]

[Yes / No]

Axton exhaled slowly.

This was what he wanted.

The risk…

The possibility of failure…

It didn't matter.

The reward far outweighed the cost.

If he succeeded, he might create something far beyond either of the two base skills.

He pressed "Yes."

*Ding*

[-20 gold coins]

[Extraction and binding completed successfully]

*Ding*

[You have gained a new skill]

His excitement surged when the system revealed the name of the skill.

[Skill : Sword Shower]

He quickly opened the skill description immediately, his anticipation reaching the peak.

[Skill : Sword Shower]

[Grade : 5-star]

[Level : 15]

[Description : Creates an aura sword, ten at base, that can stretch up to 200 metres. Sword Shower can be used once after each cooldown, with an additional 100% of the user's attack stats. Additionally, the user's agility is boosted, allowing movement at seven times their base agility stat. (Cooldown: 5 minutes)]

[Sword Shower can be leveled up, up to level 20. For every level up, sword length increases by +10 metres, +10 extra mana points per use and cooldown increases by +1 minute.]

[Drawbacks : Consumes 100 mana points per use]

Axton's jaw dropped slightly. "Nay, this is broken," he whispered, goosebumps rising on his skin.

"It's like a last-resort technique. Those finishing moves anime MCs use when facing their final boss."

He was right.

The Sword Shower skill was devastating.

It had immense power but also limitations.

The cooldown was long, and the mana cost was steep.

It wasn't the kind of skill he could recklessly spam, but as a trump card — an ace hidden up his sleeve — it was perfect.

Even in its current state, this skill could turn the tide of almost any battle.

If it could be leveled up to 20…

The possibilities were endless.

Axton truly felt like he was carving out his place among monsters.

He wasn't just playing catch-up.

He was the one player who was setting the pace.

"Alright," he muttered to himself, closing the skill window. "Let's see just how far I can push this game."

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