CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44 : KHAN 2.0

Chapter 44 : Khan 2.0

*Ding*

[Congratulations!]

[You have defeated the dungeon boss]

"Yaaaaaayyyy!!!"

The entire dungeon erupted in cheers.

The members of Dragon Claw couldn’t hold back their excitement, and their voices shook the ground as they celebrated.

They had done it!

They had cleared the dungeon, on Hell Mode no less.

It wasn’t just a victory.

It was a feat worth remembering.

A milestone that only a handful of guilds across the server could even dream of attempting this early.

For Dragon Claw, this was glory.

But for Axton... it was only the beginning.

******

*Ding*

[You have killed the King Griffin]

[+500 EXP]

[+1 Grade 4 Gift Box]

[+1 Grade 2 Griffin Coat]

[+1000 Copper Coins]

Because of his critical bonus, the usual rewards twisted into something far greater.

While others would have received standard loot, Axton’s results were multiplied and upgraded.

He had chosen quality over quantity, and the game had delivered.

[+1 Grade 5 Gift Box]

[+2 Grade 4 King Griffin Cloaks]

Gasps filled the room.

"What... the hell is that?"

"A Grade 5 box?!"

"No way..."

The other guild members stood frozen, staring at the shimmering golden chest that materialized in front of Axton.

Even QueenBee’s eyes widened.

She had never seen anything like it before.

Neither had Axton.

For a moment, even he felt stunned.

Then he quickly pulled up the details of the King Griffin Cloak.

...

[King Griffin Cloak]

Grade : 4

Level : 10

Skill : Griffin Call

Drawbacks: Requires Level 10 Mage or Warrior to use

******

[Skill : Griffin Call]

Rank : 4-star

Level : 1

Description: Summons a group of smaller griffins (2–5) for 60 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 minutes)

Drawbacks : Consumes 60 mana points. Requires Level 10 Mage or Warrior to use. Summoned griffins cannot exceed Level 50.

Note : Every level up (up to Level 15) increases skill level by 1, time limit by 10 seconds, and the number of griffins summoned by 2.

...

Axton rubbed his chin as he read.

"Summoning griffins, huh? Not bad at all."

The ability to call out several flying beasts during a fight meant he could easily push aside mobs and focus his strength on bosses.

These summons weren’t just tools, they were an army of their own.

And now, he could summon two species of creatures at will. That was flexibility no one else had.

The second cloak, however, was redundant.

For now, it sat in his inventory like dead weight.

’I need to find a way to upgrade this bonus fast,’ Axton thought. ’Otherwise I’ll just be stockpiling useless gear.’

He quickly turned his attention to the Grade 5 gift box.

With anticipation burning in his chest, he cracked it open.

Inside was a glowing scroll.

His lips curled.

"A skill scroll."

He pulled it free, and the notification appeared before his eyes.

...

[Doppelganger Skill Scroll]

Grade: 5

Description : Allows the user to create an exact copy of themselves with identical attributes. The doppelganger can level up to a maximum of level 300. Weapons and external items do not apply.

Note : The doppelganger lasts as long as it is supplied with mana.

...

Axton blinked. Then he laughed.

"A copy of me? That’s... insane."

Without hesitation, he learned the skill.

His body shivered as the system fused the new ability into him.

The meaning was simple.

Axton now had the potential of doubling his strength.

He could fight at the front while guarding his back.

He could split his enemies, overwhelm them, confuse them.

He could become two people at once.

It was like he had become the original Khan, and this clone was Khan 2.0.

Axton couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

"But what the hell is even Level 300? I’m not even Level 10 yet."

The absurdity of it made him grin like a fool.

Regardless, his progress was real.

With the Exp he gained from slaying the King Griffin, Axton’s level finally reached 10.

The cloak he wore also leveled up to its maximum.

Now, when he summoned griffins, it wouldn’t just be three or five—it would be thirteen to fifteen.

It was like he had a small air force under his command.

As for the [Doppelganger], he decided to hold back.

Summoning it in front of others was too risky.

For now, it would remain his secret weapon.

Even so, he quietly invested Exp into it, raising it by five levels.

That meant when he finally tried it, his double would start at Level 6 with roughly thirty free stat points.

A terrifying prospect.

While Axton was immersed in his newfound strength, the world outside didn’t stay quiet.

Another notification rang out.

*Ding*

[Congratulations to Player Khan on being the first to reach Level 10]

[Level Rankings have been unlocked!]

The system announcement echoed across the entire server.

******

"Level 10?!"

"No way, already?"

"What the hell, man..."

Murmurs rippled around Axton.

His temporary guildmates glanced at him as if he were some kind of monster.

He finally turned his head, realizing all eyes were on him.

*Ding*

[You have gained 100 Reputation Points]

*Ding*

[+10,000 Reputation Points]

******

Then came another barrage of announcements.

[Level Rankings have been activated!]

[New Eden Server Ranking has been activated!]

[World Ranking has been activated!]

The flood of messages blinded every player across New Eden.

"Level 10? Seriously?"

"Who even is this guy?"

"I thought the highest was Level 7!"

"This Khan dude... he’s busted."

QueenBee froze.

She had predicted he might reach Level 7, maybe 8 if he had pushed himself insanely hard.

But 10? That was beyond anything she imagined.

The gap between levels grew steeper the higher one climbed.

This wasn’t just grinding.

It was unnatural!

******

[General New Eden Channel]

"He’s already Level 10."

"I’m still Level 5..."

"You’re lucky, I’m stuck at Level 2."

"Still Level 2? Wtf? Work harder, man."

"The highest besides him is Level 8, right?"

"Yeah, ArashiKage."

"And they say this Khan isn’t cheating? Hah!"

"I swear he’s cheating, just can’t prove it."

"Maybe he’s a staff member. That would explain everything."

"That’s so unfair."

"Life’s not fair, bro."

"Not gonna lie, if I had the chance to cheat like that, I would too."

Chat channels exploded with complaints.

Some ranted.

Some cursed.

Some just gave up.

But one thing was clear, many now believed Axton was untouchable.

A cheat the developers were shielding.

And those hit hardest by this reality were the high-ranking players.

Especially ArashiKage, the strongest known player so far, sitting at Level 8.

******

"What is he doing that I’m not?!" ArashiKage slammed his fist on his desk.

His rage boiled over.

He had trained harder than anyone in his guild.

He had dozens of hands grinding resources for him as well.

And still... Khan was ahead.

"Khan is a fucking cheat!" he spat, his face twisting with frustration.

But as if the universe wanted to crush him further, another announcement appeared.

*Ding*

[Congratulations to Player Khan on being the first to slay a Grade 5 monster!]

[Gaining 1 Mythical Point and 300 Reputation Points]

ArashiKage’s eyes bulged.

His veins pulsed red with fury.

"This is just insane..."

His voice trembled between disbelief and hatred.

No matter how much he fought, no matter how much he pushed, the name Khan shone brighter than his own.

And the whole world was watching.