Chapter One Hundred and Two: A Spectacular Surge of Purple Gear

The Rhino King was at least level 45, though still shy of the level 50 Gold-tier boss that official reports claimed could drop a Guild Creation Permit. Had it been level 50, the attack bonus from the level gap alone would have been enough to crush me. Even so, the Rhino King’s attacks were far from gentle; each strike, nearing 200 damage, was quite painful. Fortunately, its attack frequency was low, allowing me to manage for the time being.

The Rhino King was tall. Attacking its legs significantly reduced my damage output, but striking its neck yielded maximum damage. Consequently, I found myself in a rather comical situation: the top-ranked swordsman, clad in elite gear, looking utterly pathetic while fighting a monster.

The most frustrating part was the knockback effect on the Rhino King’s attacks. Every time I was hit, my body would be sent flying backward a few steps, forcing me to charge back in to resume my assault. Only during the three seconds of my Frost Slash could I land a few satisfying blows. The pace of the kill was agonizingly slow. It was fortunate that my attacks could penetrate its defense; otherwise, this would be impossible. Just imagine thirty players, inferior in gear and level, swarming the Rhino King—the sight of all those "-1" hits and "Miss" pop-ups would truly be a spectacle. While the Rhino King’s attack wasn't high, it was enough to one-shot any mage under level 30. The thought of the carnage that would ensue was almost exhilarating.

After hacking away for nearly ten minutes, I was delighted to notice the Rhino King’s health bar finally receding.

An hour later, I was pleasantly surprised to see that one-third of its health was gone. I was overjoyed.

Three hours later, the Rhino King’s health bar was down to a sliver, and I had consumed nearly half of my health potions. Things seemed to be progressing smoothly; this level 45 boss was about to be put down by yours truly!

*Whoosh!*

Frost Slash was unleashed again. I had three glorious seconds to let loose!

Just as I felt victory was within my grasp, something bizarre—like a scene from a supernatural tale—occurred.

*Crack! Crack!*

Before the three seconds were up, the thick layer of ice covering the Rhino King shattered rapidly. As the ice shards fell away, the Rhino King’s body began to swell, and its fiery red hide gradually shifted into a deep purple!

What was this? A mutation?

*Ding!*

System Notification: The level 45 Elite Boss, Rhino King, has successfully evolved. Current HP increased by 50,000. Defense increased by 200-200. Attack increased by 300-300. Evolution complete: Level 55 Gold-Elite Boss!

I was stunned for a moment. I had suspected things wouldn't be this simple, but I never imagined they would reach this point. Every one of the Rhino King’s attributes had been significantly bolstered. Most importantly, its remaining HP, which was less than 1,000, had suddenly surged by 50,000. Did I even have a chance to finish it off?

*Roar!*

The Rhino King charged over with terrifying momentum. A massive "400" popped up over my head. Damn it, that 300-300 attack boost was no joke; my survival rate had just plummeted.

I flew forward and unleashed a Heavy Strike!

"98!"

My god! I only took off 98 points of its health! How long was I supposed to grind through 50,000 HP?

"542!"

The Rhino King landed another high-damage blow. At this point, I had to prioritize my own survival.

I quickly dumped every available skill onto the Rhino King, then vanished into the void with a flash of fluorescent powder. I ran in circles, drinking potions while checking my skill cooldowns. After ten seconds, my Combo and Heavy Strike returned. I slashed a few more times, then at the ten-second mark, I threw the powder again to create space for healing. At this moment, I completely discarded the ridiculous notion that "potions shouldn't be consumed like steamed buns." I chugged the medium health potions as if they were tap water.

The level 45 Elite Boss had evolved into a level 55 Gold-tier boss, meaning this Rhino King now had a chance to drop a Guild Creation Permit. So far, no one in the world had obtained one. If I could be the first to drop it, it would be worth a fortune! Perhaps illegal organizations like the Mafia or the Axe Gang would pay a premium for it...

Half an hour later, the Rhino King was down to its last sliver of health again. This time, I was much more cautious, preparing my full sequence of skills early and unleashing them all the moment I was certain the Rhino King was completely out of health.

Unable to withstand such frequent attacks, the Rhino King let out a mournful cry and collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust!

Loot! I saw the distinct glow that only high-level gear possessed!

I drew my sword and severed the rhino horn directly. Under the creature's carcass, I found a necklace, an axe, and a piece of leather armor. I felt a momentary pang of disappointment—damn it, it still didn't drop a Guild Creation Permit!

Still, gear dropped by a level 45 mutated boss shouldn't be too shabby. I quickly opened my inventory to check. First, the necklace:

[Shadow Chain] (Necklace—Purple Tier Equipment)
Stamina: +45
Strength: +50
Intelligence: +32
Agility: +42
Bonus: Increases skill attack power by 20%
Required Level: 40

I swallowed hard. A level 40 purple necklace with such formidable stats—and more importantly, a 20% increase to all skill damage. What did that mean? It meant that 1,000 damage would become 1,200. It was truly worthy of being a level 40 purple piece!

Moving on, let's see what else there was—

[Blade of Mad Darkness] (Axe—Purple Tier Equipment)
Attack: 245-320
Strength: +45
Stamina: +52
Agility: +48
Intelligence: +40
Bonus: Has a chance to confuse the target upon impact, causing them to wander aimlessly for up to 5 seconds.
Required Level: 42

A thunderclap in the middle of a clear day!

My mind went blank. If someone asked for my name right now, I would swear on my mother’s life that I couldn't say it!

My Dark Sword already boasted high attack, but its max was only 245. This level 42 axe reached 320. This was beyond the imagination of the average player. It added four attributes, each over 40 points, and most importantly, the bonus effect provided a chance to leave the opponent crippled for 5 seconds—how powerful!

The only drawback to this piece of gear was the high level requirement of 42. But in a week, this disadvantage would become its greatest strength. If auctioned, no one could say for sure what price this purple axe would fetch; one could only say it would be a king’s ransom!

There was still a leather helmet. Could it be purple gear, too? Let me take a look...