Orson decisively learned the new skill but refrained from upgrading it for now.
While A-tier skills were undeniably powerful, their resource consumption was staggering—four times that of C-tier skills. Additionally, their upgrades came with stringent level requirements.
But even at its base level, [Celestial Descent] had absurdly high damage, making it a trump card against all but the strongest players.
After vanquishing the final boss, Orson delved deeper into the underground dungeon. The elite minibosses scattered throughout were too good a resource to pass up.
Testing his new skill wasn’t an option here due to the low ceiling and confined spaces, so Orson made do with his usual arsenal.
He continued clearing enemies as he moved. For the lesser mobs, [The Flame Dragon] rained fiery death, quickly stacking his passive bonus.
Perched atop rooftops and platforms, Orson picked off minibosses from a thousand meters away, systematically luring them out for quick defeats.
Though these minibosses had high HP, their simple mechanics made them far easier than King Mancalan. From such a safe distance, they posed no threat to Orson.
Two hours later, Orson stood at the entrance of the royal palace.
“Warning: The palace is riddled with traps and hazards.”
Orson took a step forward, crouching low. A volley of arrows shot out from the palace’s interior, narrowly grazing his head.
Pillars along the walls lit up with magical runes, and six stone serpents emerged, spewing deadly flames.
The fiery beams swept across the corridor, leaving no safe zones—any careless adventurer would instinctively retreat, triggering a trap that dropped them into a pit of blades.
Orson, however, remained motionless.
The flames crept closer, but as they neared him, a small gap in their deadly sweep appeared. Calmly, Orson stepped through it, unscathed.
“Die enough times, and you learn the way.”
Orson chuckled, recalling the countless times his team had been wiped out here. The healer reviving them on repeat had nearly broken down in frustration.
Inside the ornately decorated throne room, the absence of Mancalan left an eerie void. The majestic throne sat at the center, undisturbed.
Pausing to gather his thoughts, Orson approached the throne and carefully pushed it aside, revealing a hidden trapdoor beneath.
A spiral staircase descended into the depths. Orson crouched and slipped through the opening.
“You have discovered the Royal Tomb of the Ascension Kingdom!”
The system prompt appeared as Orson emerged into a vast, foggy chamber.
Magic torches flared to life, gradually illuminating the grand tomb.
The air was thick with an unsettling silence, and a strange, unplaceable dread hung over the atmosphere.
For most players, especially those playing solo, this place would be a nightmare. Orson, however, felt a familiar thrill—he loved exploring ancient ruins, always chasing the dream of unearthing god-tier Soul Seals.
For him, the tomb wasn’t frightening; it felt like home.
“What’s this…?”
As the fog cleared, Orson spotted an altar at the chamber’s center.
On it stood a massive black coffin, flanked by three smaller silver coffins as if paying homage to the one in the center.
“Just coffins? Where’s the treasure?” Orson muttered, frowning.
Still, his gaze sharpened as he approached the black coffin. Using his Fox Clan Mage Staff as a makeshift crowbar, he pried it open.
The heavy stone lid fell with a loud crash, sending dust into the air. Orson peered inside.
No remains lay within. Instead, he found a set of dark purple-gold armor adorned with serpent motifs and an exquisitely crafted longsword.
“Jackpot!”
Excitement lit up Orson’s face. The armor and sword radiated power; they were at least high-tier purple items!
But the moment Orson touched the sword, rust spread across its blade like wildfire. In seconds, it crumbled to dust.
“What the—?!”
Stunned, Orson watched as the once-glorious armor followed suit, disintegrating into nothingness.
Frustrated but undeterred, Orson moved on to the silver coffins. Inside each lay human remains, but no treasures.
“So the black coffin belonged to Mancalan. After his transformation, he became the bone dragon…”
Orson speculated, piecing together the tomb’s story.
Behind the black coffin, Orson spotted a small treasure chest. Carefully, he opened it.
“Obtained: [Heart of the Warlord] x3!”
Description: The hearts of Ascension Kingdom’s greatest warriors.
“Obtained: [Skyfeather Crystals] x5!”
Description: Rare forging materials of immeasurable value.
Relieved, Orson exhaled.
He had feared the rare materials needed for his legendary weapon had been lost. To his delight, they were all here in the hidden tomb.
It was a testament to how challenging crafting with the [Elven Gemstone] truly was.
As Orson reached to claim the treasures, the air shimmered. A cacophony of battle cries and screams echoed around him.
Orson blinked, finding himself on a chaotic battlefield.
Above him, an enormous shadow darkened the sky. A massive magical warship flew overhead, unleashing a devastating barrage of spells.
BOOM! BOOM!
The earth trembled under the onslaught. Explosions and deafening roars filled the air as the warship’s cannonfire tore through enemy lines.
Orson’s ears rang. Observing closely, he realized he was witnessing a memory—a vivid recreation of a past battle.
The soldiers bore the black serpent emblem of the Ascension Kingdom, charging valiantly toward a distant foe.
As Orson followed their line of attack, his breath caught.
Their enemy was a colossal black dragon, its wings so vast they blotted out the sky.
[Dark Dragon King: Rebellion]
Level: ???
Orson’s blood ran cold.
This was no ordinary foe—it was a King-Class entity, a creature of myth and legend.
In his past life, even the strongest dragon tamers only managed to control Domain-Class dragons. Compared to this behemoth, they were mere hatchlings.
“The kingdom wasn’t consumed by self-immolation… It was destroyed by the Dark Dragon King!”
As Orson watched, four powerful figures aboard the warship charged at the dragon. Each wielded legendary weapons, their strikes cleaving the sky itself.
Yet, even they were no match for the King-Class beast. One by one, they fell.
Only a single survivor, a man wearing a crown, managed to flee.
The Ascension Kingdom’s army was annihilated.
Its cities were ravaged by plague and curses spread by the dragon, leaving millions dead in a tragedy of apocalyptic scale.
The scene shifted.
Orson found himself in the royal palace once more, witnessing a broken King Mancalan return.
His body twisted grotesquely as bone spikes erupted from his arms, his skin cracking under the curse of undeath.
A priest offered him a glimmering red fruit. Mancalan consumed it, slowing his transformation, but the curse remained unstoppable.
“A divine artifact?”
Curious, Orson examined the fruit.
[Fruit of the Tree of Rebirth]
Quality: Divine Artifact
Effect: Increases maximum HP by 1,000. Usable 0/3 times.
Orson’s eyes gleamed.
If Mancalan had used such an artifact, perhaps more could be found in the tomb.
The vision ended as Mancalan succumbed to the curse. His servants laid him to rest within the royal tomb, clutching a mysterious black rune stone.
Shaken, Orson snapped back to reality.
“This scene… the amount of information is insane.”
Recalling the black rune stone from the vision, Orson searched behind the coffin.
“You have found a key to an unknown door.”
Effect: Unknown.