The Teleportation Circle of Fate’s Crossing hummed with arcane resonance as I materialized, the obsidian sigils beneath my feet fading from crimson to inert gray. A system chime rang:


    System Alert:


    ? Global First: Pioneer of the Leylines


    ? Reward: [Ring of Astral Passage] (Artifact)


    ├─Unlimited city-to-city teleportation


    ├─3/day coordinate-based teleport (10km range)


    └─Caution: Voidshift cooldown applies


    The ring’s onyx gemstone pulsed like a trapped supernova, its swirling nebula core whispering promises of unchained mobility. I barely had time to marvel before Ah Wei’s avatar flickered into view—a gangly Lv21 Necromancer whose tattered robes hung like moth-eaten curtains.


    “Boss!” His holographic projection grinned through a mouthful of digital skewered lamb. “You made it! Where’s my swag?”


    I tossed the bundled gear into the trade window:


    ? [Witherthorn Staff] (Rare)


    ├─ATK 2-7 | +10% Shadowspell Potency


    ├─+1 to All Spell Tiers


    └─Soulthread: 5% Mana Regen on Kill


    ? [Cloak of the Veiled Step] (Uncommon)


    ├─+3 AGI | +1 LUC


    └─Faction: Neutral Aligned


    ? [Briarhide Cuirass] (Rare)


    ├─DEF 13 | Poison Resistance +15%


    └─Set Bonus: Thorn Aura (Unlocked at 3 pieces)


    Ah Wei’s eyes widened comically. “This cuirass has higher DEF than the city guards’ plate! How’d you—”


    “Don’t ask.” I cut him off, scanning the desolate plaza. Watermoon Citadel’s marble colonnades stretched eerily silent, NPC merchants shuffling in predawn gloom. “We’re burning moonlight. Where’s your grind spot?”


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    <hr>


    Slums District – Abandoned Catacombs


    The stench of mildew and rat droppings hit like a physical blow as we descended. Ah Wei lit a Soulfire Torch, its sickly green flame revealing walls crawling with Lv25 Carrion Beetles.


    “Home sweet home,” he muttered, kicking a desiccated rat skull. “Perfect for power-leveling if you’ve got…” His jaw dropped as Fortune unfolded to full wingspan, cracking stonework. “Is that a dragon?!”


    “Meet Lucky. Don’t pet him when he’s hungry.”


    What followed wasn’t combat—it was extermination. Fortune’s Hellfire Barrage turned the catacombs into a charnel house, XP notifications cascading:


    Combat Log (Abridged):


    [22:14:07] [Fortune] annihilates [Carrion Beetle Swarm] → +1,200 XP (Shared)


    [22:14:13] [Phantom] triggers [Neural Override] → 12 beetles impale each other


    [22:14:20] Ah Wei levels up! Lv21 → Lv24


    By midnight, our necromancer-in-training stood at Lv37, his [Witherthorn Staff] now crackling with unstable void energy.


    Strategic Breakdown:


    <ol start="1">


    <li>


    Phantom’s Role:


    - Disrupt beetle swarms with [Psionic Miasma]


    - Maintain [Eclipse Veil] for emergency extraction


    </li>


    <li>


    Fortune’s Tactics:


    - Alternate fire/lightning AoE to bypass resistances


    - Use tail sweeps to cluster mobs


    </li>


    <li>


    Player Contribution:


    - Loot collection (Prioritize necrotic catalysts)


    - Monitor Ah Wei’s mana thresholds


    </li>


    </ol>


    As we surfaced, the first true dawn painted Watermoon’s spires gold. Ah Wei inspected his new [Blightshard Amulet] with reverence. “This changes everything. I could solo the Lv40 Blood Marsh now!”


    “Don’t get cocky.” I tossed him a pouch of [Necrosphere Tonics]. “Meet me at Obsidian Spire when you hit 60. We’ll discuss… advanced partnerships.”


    The [Ring of Astral Passage] flared, depositing me back in Fate’s Crossing before he could reply. Somewhere beyond the northern wastes, the Sanctum of Ebon Veils whispered—but that hunt would require an army.


    Or something far darker.