16: I Just Want to Grab the NPC’s Gear

"You have acquired quest items: Holy Life Staff, Silver Dragon Rhino Pauldrons…"

Hazel's lost equipment automatically flew into Orson's inventory, and with a quick glance, he couldn't help but blurt out, "Whoa!"

[Staff of Divine Light] 

Quality: Legendary 

Level Requirement: 50 

Class: Mage 

Magic Attack Power: 1200 

Attack Speed: 1.30 

Critical Rate: 30% 

Effect 1: Restores 5% HP per second 

Effect 2: Increases max HP by 30% 

Awakening Skill for Full Set: Hymn of Life 

Effect: Increases all allies' max HP by 50% within 100 meters. Lasts 30 minutes, 2-hour cooldown.

Orson stared at the rows of orange text detailing the staff's attributes, practically drooling. Every piece of Hazel's equipment was a legendary, top-tier item—each one a masterpiece. Only her apprentice hat seemed oddly out of place with its basic stats.

"If only I could swipe the NPC's gear and log out," Orson thought, his eyes gleaming with desire. Who wouldn't be tempted by such loot?

"This item is Hazel's exclusive weapon. It cannot be used, dropped, or destroyed."

Orson gave a bitter chuckle. Of course, it was too good to be true. Infinite Dimensions didn't deal in free lunches—Hazel's equipment was bound to her alone. No one else could use or even pick up these items.

He turned back to grab the three hero-grade items dropped by the boss, but before he reached them, a seductive, whispering voice echoed from the dimensional rift, sending chills down his spine.

The voice was hypnotic—exactly his type. No wonder so many male players in his past life had gone wild over the Dark Elf Queen. That sultry voice was enough to make any man's knees weak.

From the portal stepped one perfectly shaped, porcelain-white leg, a sight so stunning it felt like an arrow to the heart. Another leg followed, and Orson's mouth went dry as flames of excitement shot through him.

Then… a third leg appeared.

And then… a fourth.

"Are you kidding me?"

Orson's expression shifted from infatuation to disbelief, then from disbelief to horror.

All eight legs, each two or three meters long, gathered together in a spider-like formation. Above them, a massive head crowned with a black diadem and six enormous wings slowly unfurled. 

The Dark Elf Queen's face was as beautiful as a flawless sculpture, yet cold and lifeless, radiating an aura of death and decay.

"Oh, hell no…"

Cold sweat beaded on Orson's forehead as both his arachnophobia and fear of giant creatures hit him all at once.

"Whoever wrote that guide… come out here so I can kill you!" he muttered in disbelief. No wonder the previous guides had detailed every single step of the Night of Terror quest, except for the most crucial part. 

No one who had unlocked this hidden dungeon ever mentioned what the Queen looked like.

This wasn't a regal elf queen; this was a gigantic, terrifying spider.

[Dark Elf Queen: Level 15] 

[Boss Tier] 

HP: 500,000/500,000 

Attack Power: 680 

Skills: Mastery of Dark Mage Techniques

A notification popped up, and Orson felt a twinge of anxiety. This creature had 500,000 HP—and it was only a projection of the Queen, with around 3% of her actual power. He couldn't even fathom how strong her true form must be. She was likely a late-game world boss.

Though only one skill was listed, Orson knew what that meant. In Infinite Dimensions, mages could only reach the "Dark Mage" rank by mastering ten or more C-level or higher spells, all leveled to 10. This boss, then, had at least ten dark magic spells.

As the Queen began to stir, Orson glanced at the hero-grade loot on the ground and the still-motionless pixies. For now, he'd have to give up on the loot; he wasn't about to risk waking the boss prematurely.

He turned and dashed, creating as much distance as possible between himself and the eight-legged queen.

When neither the boss nor the minions followed, Orson retreated 800 meters into the underground passage, keeping himself within attack range.

"Half my range will have to do," he muttered, steadying himself.

He threw Hazel's equipment into the cellar, completing that part of the quest in case he got killed and lost everything.

"You have returned Hazel's lost equipment." 

"Please escort Hazel to the city of Pandanolin."

"Got it, got it…" Orson sighed.

He'd briefly considered luring the Queen toward Hazel, hoping that Hazel would fight the Queen while he watched, collecting the spoils when it was over. But each time he'd approached the cellar to "kindly invite" Hazel out to help, she had a response that instantly shut him down.

"Waaah… I can't put on my own equipment without my servant. Won't you give me a hand, my ordinary and oh-so-vulnerable adventurer?"

"Reliable as ever, disgrace of the mage world…" Orson muttered. Dealing with Hazel was like dealing with a storm of complications.

If he didn't know she could kill him a hundred times over, he might have tossed a fireball her way just to blow off steam.

In the distance, the injured pixies began to transform, merging into black cocoons that broke apart to reveal a formidable new form.

[Queen's Elite Guard: Level 15] 

HP: 20,000/20,000 

Attack Power: 230 

Skills: Blink Strike, Dark Energy Burst, Blood Frenzy

Twelve of them emerged, clad in dark grey armor and wielding spears—the Queen's Royal Guard, each with power equivalent to a Level 10 boss. The guards spread out, searching the area for Orson.

Taking a deep breath, Orson prepared to follow the first rule of dungeon-clearing: always kill the minions before the boss.

In Infinite Dimensions, the minions weren't your standard MMO fodder. Under hardcore conditions, even the strongest players could get careless and wind up dead.

Summoning his six-pointed star, Orson unleashed a volley of fireballs at the closest groups of enemies.

Using the experience he'd gained sniping the Goblin Emperor, he aimed with deadly accuracy, igniting the guards with his Blazing Burn passive.

-1554! 

-1554! 

…

His attacks landed just outside the enemies' detection range, confusing the minions. But the Dark Elf Queen wasn't like the Goblin Emperor. Highly intelligent, she split her guards into three teams and ordered a search.

With quick repositioning and relentless fireballs, Orson managed to kill three of the guards. The remaining guards went berserk, activating their Blood Frenzy, which boosted their speed but drained their HP over time.

"You have slain the Queen's Elite Guard. EXP +900." 

…

He repositioned himself and began the traditional mage's dance—kiting the mobs. But each of these minions had massive HP, and even with 1500+ burn damage, it took him nearly a minute to whittle down each one.

The guards didn't reach him until four remained. With practiced calm, he raised a Sacred Sun Shield to block their Blink Strike, preserving his mana. Dodging precisely, he sidestepped Dark Energy Burst and countered with fireballs.

To anyone else, it would have looked like magic: a mage effortlessly dodging attacks while casting spells with pinpoint accuracy.

After a grueling struggle, he finally killed the last of the elite guards. As he looked up, a colossal shadow descended over him.

The Dark Elf Queen hovered above, her gigantic wings stirring up powerful gusts of wind as she looked down on him, her chilling gaze piercing into him like a god looking at an insect.