Marcus reluctantly stored the Ice-Fire Twin Dragon Hoe in his inventory. Leaving such an incredible weapon unused felt almost painful, but there was nothing he could do about it for now. Shaking off the lingering frustration, he turned his attention back to the remaining drops left behind by the Frenzied Digger Corpse King.

Two pieces of Golden equipment lay among the spoils: Corpse Demon Armor and Corpse Demon Gauntlets.

"Corpse Demon Armor..." Marcus muttered, brows knitting together in confusion as he examined the names.

Something about the drops felt strange.

Earlier, the Shovel Bricklayer Ghost had dropped the Shadow Sand Staff and Shadow Sand Robe, clearly belonging to the same equipment line as the Bent Back Bricklayers. The Wailing Wandering Soul King had yielded Mourning Gloves and Mourning Ghost Boots, matching the Wailing Wandering Soul monsters perfectly.

But this boss was different.

Regular Frenzied Digger Corpses dropped equipment from the Frenzied series, yet this boss had produced items from an entirely separate set labeled Corpse Demon.

Could it be a unique boss-exclusive equipment line?

The idea immediately reminded Marcus of his Cabaro set, which only dropped from Werewolf Cabaro. The possibility sent a spark of excitement through him.

Without hesitation, he activated Identification on the armor.

Light flashed across the equipment. The already dark surface deepened into a heavier, almost abyssal black. As the identification completed, a faint mournful cry echoed from within the armor itself. For a brief moment, Marcus could see shadowy spirits drifting beneath its surface like trapped souls struggling to escape.

Ding!

[Congratulations. Player Stonehaven has successfully identified Corpse Demon Armor. Identification skill proficiency increased.]

—

Corpse Demon Armor (Golden Equipment)

Requirement: 250 Strength or 250 Constitution

Forged by the Corpse Soul Digger Demon using countless corpse souls. The armor carries lingering resentment and restless spirits. Weak-willed users may experience haunting effects.

Effects:

Defense +350

Strength +30

Constitution +30

Health +200

Mana +100

Dark Element Resistance +10%

10% chance to trigger Soul Entanglement, summoning angry souls to protect the wearer and grant temporary magic immunity.

—

Marcus raised his eyebrows. That was... impressive. He immediately identified the gauntlets next.

—

Corpse Demon Gauntlets (Golden Equipment)

Requirement: 250 Strength or 250 Constitution

Forged by the Corpse Soul Digger Demon from bound corpse souls.

Effects:

Defense +150

Attack Speed +2

Strength +30

Agility +30

Wind Resistance +10%

10% chance to trigger Soul Drain, allowing bound souls to siphon enemy vitality and restore Health equal to 10% of damage dealt.

—

Marcus exhaled slowly as realization settled in.

So the monster he had instantly killed earlier was actually named the Corpse Soul Digger Demon. That explained everything. It was not merely an upgraded Frenzied Digger Corpse but an entirely different boss variant, which was why it dropped the Corpse Demon equipment set instead of the ordinary Frenzied gear.

Meaning one very important thing; that boss had been extremely dangerous.

At minimum, it was likely a level 50 Golden-tier boss. Unfortunately for it, Lethal Strike had erased any chance of proving its strength.

Marcus studied the equipment again, excitement growing.

Like the Cabaro set, the Corpse Demon gear clearly belonged to a unique system set. Beyond raw stats, each piece contained passive trigger effects, and there were almost certainly hidden set bonuses waiting to be unlocked once more pieces were collected.

The requirements were steep. Two hundred fifty Strength or Constitution was not something most players could reach until level fifty, even with focused builds. The set was obviously designed for frontline classes like Warriors and Knights, characters who relied heavily on equipment to survive brutal close-range combat.

That design philosophy fit Dominion perfectly.

Unlike traditional games that locked equipment strictly behind level requirements, Dominion emphasized attribute specialization. Two players at the same level could look completely different depending on how they allocated their stats. A pure Constitution Knight, a Strength-focused Warrior, or an Agility hybrid would all pursue entirely different gear paths.

Every character evolved uniquely.

Marcus smiled faintly. His own stats were more than enough. With 372 Strength and 340 Constitution at level thirty-nine, he could equip the set immediately.

Curiosity got the better of him.

He switched into the Corpse Demon Armor.

The transformation was striking.

Compared to the lighter Cabaro set, this armor felt heavier and more imposing. Its pitch-black surface absorbed light, while faint ghostlike patterns drifted across the metal as if spirits were breathing beneath it. The moment he equipped it, Marcus’s presence changed. The heroic aura he normally carried gained a darker, more intimidating edge, as though he had stepped out of a battlefield soaked in death itself.

He flexed his shoulders, testing the weight.

’Nice. Very nice.’

Still, after checking the overall bonuses, he shook his head slightly. With only two pieces equipped, the set could not compete with the completed advantages of his Cabaro gear, especially since the Cabaro set granted the powerful Battle-Wolf’s Fury skill.

A partial set simply was not enough.

Reluctantly, Marcus swapped back to the Cabaro equipment. Once he gathered additional Corpse Demon pieces, he would reconsider the upgrade.

He searched the surrounding ground again, but aside from the weapons and armor, nothing else had dropped. That meant the remaining rewards would come from Gathering.

Marcus approached the corpse and activated Advanced Gathering.

Ding!

[Congratulations. Player Stonehaven has collected Shattered Black Netherstone. Gathering skill proficiency increased.]

A small black stone appeared in his palm.

—

Shattered Black Netherstone

A rare material unique to the First Emperor’s Tomb. Essential to the tomb’s construction yet extraordinarily scarce. The Corpse Soul Digger Demon spent thousands of years collecting this single fragment.

Five Shattered Black Netherstones may be forged into one Cracked Black Netherstone.

Five Cracked Black Netherstones combine into one Solid Black Netherstone.

Five Solid Black Netherstones can ultimately be refined into a Divine-grade material: Perfect Netherstone.

—

Marcus froze.

"Holy crap... Divine-grade material?"

He stared at the finger-sized stone resting in his hand. It looked dull, almost lifeless, with no brilliance or special glow. Apart from its surprising weight, it appeared completely ordinary.

And yet, this unremarkable fragment could eventually become a Divine-grade crafting material.

Appearances really meant nothing in Dominion.

"Perfect Netherstone..." Marcus murmured thoughtfully. "What would something like that even be used for?"

There was only one person he could think of asking. Liam Windrunner, the King of the Mountains, would definitely know.

The corpse had not disappeared yet, which meant one more attempt.

Marcus activated Advanced Gathering again.

Ding!

[Congratulations. Player Stonehaven has collected Corpse Demon Nether Soul. Gathering skill proficiency increased.]

"Corpse Demon Nether Soul?"

He examined the new item with growing curiosity.

Everything he had gathered from this boss felt increasingly bizarre. The object in his hand resembled a drifting cloud of gray mist, yet it pulsed faintly as though alive. The vapor twisted, flickered, and writhed between his fingers, almost as if it were trying to escape his grasp and return to the world it once belonged to.