Billion Dollar Player

[Level +1]

Raven extracted his sword, its blade dripping with blood. He used the grass to wipe it clean, scanning his surroundings with caution.

Despite sustaining numerous claw wounds all over his body and bleeding profusely, he managed to remain on his feet. His torn clothes bore evidence of the vicious attack.

The aftermath of the intense battle filled the air with a bloody scent, as Raven looked across the battlefield.

From his initial struggle to keep up with the Ice Wolves, he had gradually gained momentum as the fight wore on. Eventually, he defeated all ten of them in just ten minutes, effectively halving the allotted time for the trial.

In addition, he had progressed three levels higher during his quest. His focus had been solely on defeating the Ice Wolves, causing him to momentarily forget everything else.

After Raven successfully defeated the tenth ice wolf, he noticed that all of their bodies had vanished into thin air. This made him believe that the trial had come to an end, and to add to that, the sword he had received also disappeared.

Regrettably, he quickly came to the realization that his assumption was incorrect. As soon as the sword that gave him the upper hand against the wolves vanished, a new group of Ice Wolves emerged!

This time, nearly fifty Ice Wolves had gathered, each appearing to possess a slightly greater strength than before. Furthermore, there was something distinct about them, as they all sported a horn atop their heads.

Raven took a moment to observe them, and as he did, a screen appeared, listing their descriptions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Ice Wolf Kings

Level: 6

Description: Evolved form of the Ice Wolves, having denser bloodline and stronger defense

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raven's expression soured as she observed the Ice Wolf Kings.

Despite slaying ten Ice Wolves, he only reached Level 4 and now faced a seemingly impossible task of defeating fifty Level 6 Ice Wolf Kings.

Simultaneously, a new quest screen surfaced in front of him.

{Bloodline Trial, Hidden Trial conditions have been met}

{Hidden First Trial: Kill all the Ice Wolf Kings to get additional achievement}

{Once achieved, a special reward will be unlocked for the player}

Raven didn't say a word as he finally grasped the situation. He had realized that the initial trial was simply to survive. However, by also eliminating all of the Wolves, he had met the additional requirements to unlock the hidden stage of the first trial.

He also had a feeling that he wasn't the only Player to have unlocked this.

He recalled the Guide's instructions at the beginning of the Bloodline Trial. The Player's rank was determined by their stage clearance time, as well as other undisclosed criteria referred to as the Hidden Trials.

Regrettably, lacking a weapon, he was unsure if he stood a chance against the Ice Wolf Kings due to their formidable defense. It was quite evident that he couldn't kill them with just his bare hands. He wasn't even sure if he could last for even five minutes before them.

A new countdown timer manifested in the sky, displaying a mere five-minute interval until the commencement of the trial.

Raven was sitting on the ground, taking a breather despite his injured chest. He watched the Ice Wolf Kings as they circled him slowly, seeming eager to attack and tear him to pieces.

He struggled to draw in a breath amidst the biting cold, compounded by the injuries he sustained.

Despite the pain, Raven remained calm and focused, preparing himself mentally for what was about to happen.

He knew that he needed to stay sharp and agile if he wanted to survive this ordeal. As he closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, he felt a strange sense of peace wash over him, slightly calming down.

Despite the pain in his body, he remained optimistic. He was determined to succeed in the trial and defeat all the Wolf Kings to advance to the next stage of the Bloodline Trial.

However, just as he was trying to come to terms with himself, he heard footsteps near him.

The soft footsteps echoed with purpose and intention, indicating they were made by a person and not the Ice Wolf Kings. Despite their gentle sound, they conveyed a sense of deliberate movement.

Raven's eyelids fluttered open and he saw a person standing next to him.

The person was only three feet tall, and looked like a dwarf, who carried a small golden coin in his hand, looking back at him with great interest.

"I was quite surprised to learn that another person had advanced to the hidden stage, especially considering the power typically required to do so. I thought it would be someone like a Draconian. Who would've thought it was just a mere human," remarked the Dwarf whose grey robe billowed gracefully in the wind.

"Who are you?" Raven asked, before taking a glance at the timer high in the sky, which showed only four minutes left.

The dwarf chuckled heartily, playing with the golden coin in his hand with great affection, as if it were his most valued possession. "I'm someone you probably need the most currently."

Continuing on, he said, "Typically, you would've encountered me in the next phase of the Bloodline Trials, just like the others. However, due to your progress in unlocking this hidden stage, I came here personally." 𝙗𝒆𝙙𝒏𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡.𝙣𝙚𝒕

With a clap of his hands, the Dwarf conjured up a screen that displayed an array of peculiar items. The costs of each item were indicated in Hellfire Coins.

"I'm Dwerg, a second grade Hellfire Merchant. Whatever you desire, I can provide, granted you have enough coins," the Dwarf declared with a sly smile, showing his rugged dentition.

While boasting his selling skills, he didn't disclose the fact that he was only authorized to sell low quality items as a second grade Merchant. He assumed it wouldn't make much of a difference in any case.

A new player only had a hundred thousand coins at best. Even if he sold any high tier items, Raven wouldn't have been able to buy... Or at least that's what he thought.

As the timer wound down to just three minutes, Raven pushed aside any doubts about the man's words. There was no time to waste - in just three short minutes he would have to face the fearsome Ice Wolf King head-on! In any case, he had already seen many strange things in this world to doubt such things.

The first thing he needed was a weapon! As for money... That was the last thing he lacked!

He continued scrolling down, without any concern for the increasingly higher priced items.

The mystery merchant observed with great interest as Raven avidly scrolled down to the bottom. Feeling somewhat disillusioned, he couldn't resist shaking his head in disbelief.

"The most expensive items there are a hundred thousand coins each. You'll have to use all your coins just to buy just one item," he suggested.

"Why don't you be like other smart players who unlocked this stage previously and buy more mid tier items instead of one high tier... At least you'll be able to buy Armor and a weapon with the coins you have..."

His eyes locked onto the majestic figures of the Ice Wolf Kings. "Dealing with them isn't as simple as you may imagine, especially for someone who's new."

Even though he spoke for Raven's wellbeing but watching the young human completely ignore him, he was taken aback.

He couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed by the young individual's decision to prioritize buying a single expensive item instead of multiple, multiple affordable items which could have allowed them to save money for the future.

He found his decision to be a little superficial and short-sighted, but chose to keep his opinions to himself. He had already spoken more than he had to.

'Since you ignore my advice, then so be it. Exhaust all your coins here. If you can survive this trial and leave this place, you'll soon regret your decision when you find out the real value of these coins...'

In the end, Raven stopped at the last page of the merchant's screen.

Numerous high-end items adorned the section, but Raven couldn't help feeling a bit let down.

When the Merchant told him that he could buy anything, he expected an opportunity to at least buy Rare, Epic or even Legendary items. However, there were only high grade items, at best having a hundred thousand coins at cost.

Nevertheless, strangely, there was a final item whose cost far exceeded that of the others. It was a mysterious black sword with no name explicitly disclosed at the end. Remarkably, this sword was priced at close to twenty million, surpassing even the hundred-thousand-price limit.

The sword was beautifully crafted with intricate designs and rare materials. However, something felt strange about it. Under the sword, it was mentioned that the sword could only be bought in the Bloodline Trials and not outside. But that didn't make sense.

How could someone buy something so expensive in this place when they all started with a hundred thousand coins?

"Are you eyeing up that sword?" inquired the Dwarf, observing the Raven's unwavering attention toward the final item. "You're not alone. Even those who have reached the last phase of the Bloodline Trial are coveting that very sword."

"In fact, there are even many old players who remain in the Bloodline Trial from the moment they first step in here, all for that Sword," the Dwarf explained. "Only when their one year Trial Time Limit is about to pass are they forced to clear the last Trial and leave this place!"

"Other players call them Sharks, who might devour you and all your coins. They steal the coins from new players, using any and all means, gathering more and more coins to buy this Sword. Unfortunately, none have managed to succeed so far."

The Merchant showed a strong curiosity toward the sword, even expressing a desire to touch it once. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so because he was bound by the universal laws of hellfire.

"What's so special about the sword?" asked Raven, with only two minutes remaining in the timer.

The Dwarf looked solemn, looking grimly at Raven.

Raven patiently awaited Dwerg's response, only to be met with a nonchalant shrug. "I have no clue."

Observing the dwarf's actions, Raven was overcome with a strong urge to beat him up. All of the tension and anticipation had led to a dead-end, leaving Raven feeling completely in the dark.

Moreover, there was no description on the screen about the Sword or its name either.

Just as Raven was about to speak something, the Dwarf opened his lips.

"Though there is a rumor that this sword contains a hint that leads to a Mythical Bloodline. But I can't guarantee the credibility of the rumor," he said cautiously.

"In any case, you don't have to think about it. Not like you'll ever be able to afford it. So hurry and select your items. Only forty seconds left before your trial starts!"