Flames roared.
John cast Rain of Fire, enveloping a large area of fire lizards below.
With screeches, the fire lizards stood no chance against his attack and were effortlessly annihilated.
[Killed level 70 fire lizard, gained 100 experience points]
[Plunder talent activated, gained 1 spirit]
…
The air filled with angry roars and hisses as the fire lizards were infuriated by John’s assault. They launched huge fireballs, which came hurtling towards the sky.
Black dragon Avis faced the onslaught of hundreds of fireballs without flinching, letting them explode against its body.
Boom, boom…
-1
-1
…
Pathetic damage numbers flickered. These fire lizards’ magic attacks couldn’t even scratch its defense.
“Master, these creatures are too weak,” Avis’s large eyes were filled with disdain, almost enjoying the attack.
John ignored Avis.
As a 100-level tier-four epic dragon, if it couldn’t withstand attacks from these level 70 ordinary monsters, that would be truly disgraceful for the dragon clan.
“Old man, I’ve leveled up to 56,” Tracy’s joyful voice came through.
At this rate, she would reach level 60 and advance to a tier-three profession in two days.
“John, I’ve leveled up too,” Sini added happily. Her lower level allowed her to level up even faster, having already gained two levels in this short time.
Soon, the area was cleared of fire lizards, with no more monsters in sight.
John directed Avis to continue flying towards the distant, sand-buried abandoned city.
The journey was eerily quiet, with no other monsters appearing, making the Secret Area seem unusually calm.
“John, should we land?” Sini asked warily, eyeing the desolate abandoned city below. Her intuition told her there was danger ahead.
John nodded, signaling Avis to descend.
The Secret Area’s treasure was surely hidden within this abandoned city.
Whoosh!
Avis’s wings flapped, stirring up a cloud of yellow sand as it landed steadily on the ground. John and his companions leaped off Avis’ back, curiously examining their surroundings.
The buildings here had long been weathered and were extremely fragile.
Besides the pervasive yellow sand, there was no sign of life.
The abandoned city had no monsters lurking within.
“Could the treasure of the Secret Area not be here?” John wondered aloud.
“Old man, look over there! There’s a building,” Tracy pointed to a distant spire-like structure that resembled a clock tower, the tallest building in the area that hadn’t been completely buried by sand.
“Let’s go check it out. Avis, you keep watch from the sky,” John instructed. He chose to walk instead of riding Avis, thinking they might discover some clues on the ground.
Rustle…
The sound of their footsteps was muffled by the swirling wind and shifting sand, which quickly erased their tracks.
Rustle!
Suddenly, as John led the way, he felt the ground give way beneath him. The sand around them began to sink rapidly.
“Quicksand!”
John exclaimed, quickly warning the others, “Stay back!”
But it was too late. Both women, caught off guard, stepped into the quicksand and began to sink rapidly.
“Old man, help!” Tracy cried out, panic evident in her voice as she struggled.
“Don’t move!” John commanded. He knew that struggling would only make them sink faster in the quicksand.
“Give me your hands,” he said, grabbing Tracy and Sini’s hands. The three of them formed a circle, which slowed their descent.
“Avis!” John called out to the dragon circling above, urgently seeking help.
Avis, startled, finally noticed their predicament. “Master, what happened? Why are you sinking?” Avis asked, confused.
“Stop talking and pull us up!” John ordered.
Avis nodded, swooping down toward them.
However, John quickly realized the danger and shouted, “Don’t land!”
“Huh?” Avis didn’t understand. The dragon’s massive body caused a whirlwind as it descended uncontrollably.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, Avis landed, causing the quicksand to surge more rapidly, engulfing John and the others almost instantly.
Rustle…
The sand continued to flow, revealing a pit where they had been, resembling a well with something hidden beneath.
Avis, realizing its mistake, moved away from the hole and called out, “Master, are you all
right?”
John and the others managed to crawl out of the sand.
“Ugh!” Tracy spat out the sand from her mouth, her hand clutching her chest in relief.
Rustle…
Just then, more sand started pouring in from above as Avis tried to find a way inside.
“Avis, stop!” John yelled.
The dragon’s large size posed a real threat. If it came down, none of them would be able to
escape.
“Master, the entrance is too small for me to get in. I’ll find another way to help you,” Avis said, relieved that John and the others were safe.
“Just guard this place,” John instructed, not giving Avis any further thought as he surveyed
his surroundings.
They found themselves in a vast palace with deep, labyrinthine corridors stretching out into
the distance, leading to unknown destinations.
“John, what do we do now?” Sini asked, moving closer to John for comfort.
The place was chilly and unsettling, making her uneasy.
“Let’s explore,” John decided, choosing a random corridor and casting Rock Armor before
proceeding deeper.
He sensed danger lurking within.
The corridor was long and illuminated by beams of light from above, preventing it from being
too dark.
John stopped suddenly, frowning. He had a nagging feeling of being watched by unseen eyes. “Old man, what’s wrong?” Tracy asked, nearly bumping into him.
Without a word, John summoned his staff and cast Rain of Fire, engulfing the corridor ahead.
Hiss…
A sharp hissing echoed as enormous.
A ghostly creatures writhed in the flames, their forms twisting in pain.
[You’ve killed an 85-level Water Fog Demons, gaining 120 experience points.]
[Plunder talent activated, agility attribute +1.]
…
[Water Fog Demons: The restless spirits of soldiers from the Gates Empire, now powerful
beings adept at concealing themselves and proficient in water magic. Immune to 50%
physical damage.]
“As expected, there are monsters here,” John observed, reading the creature’s attributes. These were rare undead entities, immune to half of all physical damage.
Unfortunately, this trait wasn’t a talent or skill he could plunder.
Still, their high agility and mental attributes.
It made them prime targets for John’s plunder.
Swoosh, swoosh…
A barrage of water arrows shot toward them as the Mist Wraiths revealed themselves, launching a fierce attack.
-8
-10
-7
…
The damage numbers were pitiful, barely scratching John’s magical defenses. The highest
number only reached double digits.
In the narrow corridor, John stood at the front, effectively shielding the two women from the
water arrows.
Buzz!
A gentle light enveloped him as Tracy quickly healed the few hundred points of health he had
lost.
“Old man, am I getting stronger?” Tracy asked, her face lighting up with pride.
John nodded. Sini teased, “Your healing is indeed plentiful. I guess some things didn’t grow
in vain.”
Tracy blushed, annoyed. “Sini, stop teasing me!”
Ignoring their banter, John pressed forward, clearing the corridor of Water Fog Demons.
The hall echoed with their dying screams as John cut them down, the continuous notifications reflecting the women’s rapid experience gain.
John enjoyed the plundering process, having gained 107 mental and 23 agility points in a short
time.
Eventually, they arrived at a spacious hall with numerous corridors branching off in different
directions.
John halted, frowning as he examined the maze-like layout.
“John, did we make it out?” Sini asked curiously.
John shook his head, looking up at a hole in the ceiling. He called out, “Avis!”
A massive, menacing dragon head appeared at the hole, looking down. “Master, have you
found a way out?”
“Avis? How did you get up there?” Tracy asked, confused.
“I’ve been here the whole time,” Avis responded, puzzled by her question.
Tracy blinked in realization and turned to John. “Old man, are we lost?”
John nodded, saying, “It seems we’re in a labyrinth.”
He chose another corridor and ventured further inside.
The women following closely.
The number of Water Fog Demons dwindled as they advanced.
After a while, they emerged back into the same large hall from another corridor.
John confirmed that they were indeed in an underground labyrinth.
But how to escape?
They tried several more corridors, only to end up back in the central hall each time.
He had already tried all the dozen or so deep, dark passages surrounding him, only to find that
they all led back to this hall.
Each passage interconnected.
“Do you have any ideas?” John asked the women.
They shook their heads, equally baffled by the situation.
“Master, why don’t you try destroying this place?” Avis suggested from above, eager to help.
John hesitated, but it seemed like the only option left. Provided they didn’t get buried in the
process.
The hall had no visible support pillars.
John wasn’t sure what was keeping the structure intact.
He chose a random corridor and cast Thunderstorm, triggering Spell Combo. Two bolts of
lightning struck in rapid succession.
Boom! Boom!
The hall shook violently, sand pouring from above. From one of the corridors came the sound
of rushing wind.
“Wind?” John perked up. This suggested another entrance or exit.
“Let’s go,” he said, leading the way into the corridor, with the women close behind.
