As expected, the weapon turned out to be high-tier golden equipment. Its raw bonuses did not quite rival his Mythic-grade Bat Dragon Cloud Sword, but as far as one-handed attack power went, the Corpse Demon Dark Soul Sword easily ranked among the best weapons he had seen so far. What truly set it apart was the Dark Soul Entanglement passive. That ability alone gave the blade a completely different tactical value.

Marcus equipped the sword immediately and tested a few swings. The weight distribution felt different from the Bat Dragon Cloud Sword, slightly heavier and less agile, but the motion carried a strange, oppressive smoothness. Each swing left trails of dim gray wraiths drifting through the air, faint spectral colors twisting behind the blade as if invisible spirits followed its path.

He watched the fading afterimage with a satisfied nod.

’Not bad at all.’

The Corpse Demon equipment set clearly catered to both warriors and knights. The Ice-Fire Twin Dragon Hoe he had seen earlier was a two-handed warrior weapon, which meant the loot table should logically include a one-handed knight weapon as well. Pulling it himself, and in golden quality no less, felt like hitting the jackpot.

’Nice.’

He opened his inventory and checked the remaining pieces. Only one item was missing now, the Corpse Demon Helm. Once he obtained it, the entire set bonus would activate. Yet despite killing the Corpse Soul Digger Demon countless times, he had not even seen a blue-quality version of the helm drop.

The helmet was clearly the bottleneck.

"Kill."

Marcus tightened his grip on the sword.

He had already reached Level 45, but he refused to descend to the third level without completing the full Corpse Demon set. Full equipment synergy meant a massive spike in combat efficiency. Without it, pushing forward would only slow him down.

Leveling was not simply about challenging stronger monsters. Efficiency mattered more. At the moment, he was cutting through Level 48 enemies effortlessly, clearing packs faster than they could respawn. That was far better than struggling against Level 50-plus dark creatures on the next floor while undergeared.

"Charge!"

Both Sea Demon Souls surged forward, instantly pulling aggro from another dense swarm. The battlefield shifted as monsters converged, drawn helplessly toward the towering spirits.

Marcus advanced alongside his companions.

"Hundred Phantom Strike!"

Ranged attacks from his pets opened the engagement, bolts of energy and magic crashing into the incoming horde. A heartbeat later, Marcus and Pebble struck together in perfect synchronization. Blades flashed across a four-meter radius, carving wide arcs through clustered enemies. Blood sprayed, damage numbers burst into the air like fireworks, and the monsters’ howls blended into a chaotic roar.

It was deeply satisfying.

At this pace, another week of grinding would push him to Level 50. Becoming the first player to reach that milestone would be enormous. The mysterious Royal Knight dominating the leaderboard would transform into the most talked-about figure in Dominion.

He corrected himself almost immediately.

’Not Royal Knight. Temple Knight.’

Level 50 was the true evolution of his class.

"Stone, you ready?"

"It’s about to start!"

The voices of Drunkard and Invincible Strong crackled through the mercenary communication channel, both sounding unusually excited.

Marcus finished cutting down the last monster before replying.

"Tickets going on sale now?"

"Exactly."

The premiere screening of Star Lake: Home of the Nightmare Dragon Steed was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Today marked the official ticket release.

Under the management of Boss Blaze and Path to Heaven, the Nightmare Auction House had exploded into popularity almost overnight. Instead of auctioning equipment or rare materials, they were selling something entirely new: cinematic experiences created from real in-game footage. The concept alone had captured players’ curiosity, but the subject of the first screening turned curiosity into frenzy.

The Nightmare Dragon Steed.

Over the past several days, system-wide announcements had appeared every few hours, relentlessly promoting the exclusive showing. Real footage. Legendary mount. Limited screenings. Tickets available today. Premiere in two days.

The effect was explosive. Dominion’s forums had been flooded with discussion about the Nightmare Auction House and the Nightmare Dragon Steed, pushing nearly every other topic into obscurity.

Well, almost every other topic.

Magnolia Restaurant had also announced that they would soon serve a legendary dish crafted from a Divine Beast Venomous Horned Serpent, which sparked its own wave of excitement among players obsessed with rare food buffs.

Still, the true centerpiece remained the Nightmare Dragon Steed.

Boss Blaze and Path to Heaven had handled the marketing masterfully. Promotion never stopped, yet the actual premiere schedule remained tightly restricted. Only five screenings were planned for opening day, totaling just fifteen thousand tickets.

Fifteen thousand seats for Dominion’s enormous player population was practically nothing.

They were testing demand. If players fought over tickets, prices would inevitably rise.

"How’s the response?" Marcus asked. Despite knowing the Nightmare Dragon Steed’s reputation alone could carry the event, he had been stuck inside the First Emperor’s Tomb and completely cut off from outside developments.

"Stone, there’s zero problem," Drunkard replied, barely containing his excitement. "As of yesterday, players were already lining up outside the auction house asking when tickets would drop. Boss Blaze and Path to Heaven finalized the price today. Fifty gold per ticket for the first screening."

"Fifty gold?"

Marcus nearly choked. The original discussion had floated around thirty gold. They had raised the price by twenty without hesitation.

"And people are fine with that?"

"More than fine," The Drunkard said. "There’s already a massive line. Each player can only buy five tickets, but we’re estimating all fifteen thousand will sell out before nightfall."

Marcus shook his head slowly.

"Crazy."

He glanced down at Blackie and reached out to pat the Nightmare Dragon Steed’s dark mane.

"Didn’t realize you were this famous."

Neeeeigh.

Blackie snorted softly, pawing the ground and nudging Marcus as if understanding the praise.

Still, Marcus knew the real credit belonged elsewhere. Boss Blaze possessed the instincts of a seasoned business veteran, while Path to Heaven handled logistics with terrifying precision. One was a fox, the other a commercial prodigy. Together, they were unstoppable.

"Crazy? Stone, that’s not crazy," Drunkard protested immediately. "That’s just business."

He continued without pause.

"Players come into games for all kinds of reasons, but in the end they want enjoyment. They want experiences. Fifty gold for a premium screening is basically the cost of five large health potions. Once people watch it, they’ll know it’s worth every coin."

"Exactly!" Invincible Strong added enthusiastically. "Life’s short. If something’s fun, you enjoy it. If you calculate every little expense, you’ll spend your whole life tired and stingy."

Marcus stared silently for a moment.

He had made one casual comment, and somehow it turned into a full philosophical lecture.

"Oh!"

Both voices suddenly exclaimed at the same time.

"Stone, tickets are going live. We gotta go. Time to make money!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The channel disconnected before he could reply.

Marcus exhaled slowly, feeling a faint itch of curiosity. He genuinely wanted to see how the sales were unfolding, but being trapped deep inside the First Emperor’s Tomb left him completely removed from the excitement.

Annoying.

"Kill."

He turned back toward the battlefield, channeling that restless energy into combat. The Corpse Demon Dark Soul Sword swept forward, wraiths swirling behind every strike as another wave of monsters collapsed under relentless slaughter.