The air in the tunnel turned frigid, carrying a sound so wretched it made Rex Holloway’s skin crawl. Even for a seasoned veteran, the low, guttural moaning echoing through the stone was enough to set teeth on edge.
"Who’s there?" Rex barked, his voice echoing into the gloom. "Show yourself, dammit!"
"Easy, Rex," Grant said, shifting his shield. "We just crossed the threshold into one of The Undying Realm’s dungeons."
As if on cue, shimmering translucent windows flickered into existence before their eyes.
[Notification: You have entered 'The Maw of Oblivion'.]
[Team Quest Initiated: This passage serves as a conduit between The Undying Realm and The Plane. Eliminate all Undead Creatures within the corridor and sever the connection.]
[Rewards: +30 to All Stats, 30,000 Gold, +3 War Merit.]
"Level 130," Ash Valor noted, eyes scanning the dark. "Shouldn’t be too much of a headache."
He wasn't being lazy; he simply had absolute faith in his team. As long as he followed the rhythm of the squad, his arrows would find their mark.
"Ash," Vera called out, her eyes glowing with a faint arcane light as she scouted ahead. "You’re still a bit short on range. We’ll need to push forward about a hundred meters."
She pointed toward a looming structure in the distance. "There’s an Undying Sanctum up ahead. Do you see the Lifetide Font in front of the temple? That’s the priority. If we don’t shatter that fountain, these monsters will just keep regenerating. We'll be stuck in a loop forever."
This was the dungeon’s primary gimmick. Most squads would have to fight through a grueling three or four hundred meters of meat-grinder combat just to get close enough to touch the fountain. The passage was a sea of white bone—Undying Skeletons packed shoulder-to-shoulder on the ground, while the air above was thick with a swarm of screeching Wraiths. These weren't the mindless husks Ash had hunted in the past; the Sacred Flame flickering in their eye sockets burned with a malevolent, sentient intensity.
"The fountain, right?" Ash gripped his bow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Actually, I think I can take it from right here. Forgot to mention—my range increased again."
As his level climbed and his soul-bound gear evolved, Ash’s capabilities had reached a terrifying new plateau. The fountain was seven hundred meters away. He had sixty meters to spare.
"Once the fountain is down, we go for the bosses inside the Sanctum," Vera continued, ignoring his boast for a moment to analyze the enemy. "Look at the mobs. They’re carrying three distinct buffs: Aura of Fortitude, Lifesteal, and an Aura of Evasion."
"Three auras means at least three bosses," Ash deduced. "Based on the buffs, we’re looking at an Undying Knight, an Undying Sorcerer, and an Undying Skeleton Sovereign."
The tactical map was clear: break the healing source, kill the aura-bearers, and then sweep the remaining trash. To any other team, this setup was a nightmare. Fighting mobs that could dodge, lifesteal, and regenerate simultaneously was a recipe for a wipe.
"So, Vera," Grant chimed in, "same as usual? We just huddle up and play defense while the archer does all the heavy lifting?"
"It doesn't seem like there's much else for us to do," Nina added with a sigh.
"Man, I feel like a total freeloading scrub whenever I run with Ash," Brett grumbled.
"You are a scrub, Brett," Nina shot back.
Vera rolled her eyes. "Quiet down, all of you. Focus on the formation and listen for my commands."
Ash had already tuned them out. His vision zoomed in, locking onto his target.
[Target: The Lifetide Font]
[Level: 140]
[HP: 1.7 Billion]
[Regeneration: 1 Million/Second]
The numbers were staggering. For a moment, Ash considered just putting his bow away. But then he remembered his skill kit.
"Is this thing a fountain or a world boss?" Ash muttered. "Whatever. It’s going down."
He glanced at the Sanctum. The three bosses remained hidden in the shadows of the temple, likely assuming their position was impregnable behind the wall of thousands of undead. Their arrogance—or perhaps their inability to move through their own packed ranks—would be their undoing.
Whist-whist!
Ash didn't even bother with precise aiming. He simply tilted his bow skyward and let fly. The Galeforce Squad moved with practiced ease—the tanks held the perimeter, the healers stayed on standby, and Nina simply stood there, bored.
"We're clearing this faster than a two-hundred-man raid," Grant remarked.
It was an objective truth. This was one of the hardest Level 130 dungeons in the region, with Elite mobs pushing Level 139. Yet, under the rain of Ash’s arrows, the terrain—a valley of death with the Sanctum at its heart—felt like a shooting gallery.
Five minutes later, the air vibrated with a heavy thud.
[Critical Hit: Death Strike Triggered! -1,653,690,000 damage.]
[Kill Count +1. War Merit +10. Gold +60,000. Guild Contribution +100,000.]
The fountain shattered. Ash didn't gain any experience, but the rest of the team’s XP bars surged. Golden light erupted around several of them as they leveled up instantly.
[Loot Obtained: Phantom Summon - Skeleton Ranger (Epic-Tier).]
"Holy shit, we hit the jackpot!" Ash breathed. He knew the cost of raising a summon to Epic-Tier; this single drop was worth a fortune on the open market.
"Cap, that drop rate is insane!" Brett yelled. "My own Skeleton Ranger took years to hit Gold, and you just pull an Epic out of a fountain?"
"Be happy with Gold, Brett," Nina laughed. "Most people never see Epic gear in their lives. We can actually afford to gear up properly now."
Ash was already thinking ahead. "One more upgrade for the Soulbound Weapon, and my range hits 800 meters."
But the job wasn't done. "Vera, you were right about the bosses. Here they come."
The three Undead leaders were finally trying to push through their own minions, but the sheer density of the mob was working against them. They were powerful, sure, but they were trapped.
"This is almost bullying," Grant grinned. "I love it."
Ash didn't even check their health bars. If they were within his sights, they were already dead.
"Red-blooded human!" the Sorcerer boss shrieked, its voice a telepathic hiss. "Stop this! You invite calamity upon your kind! Why is someone of your power here?"
"You will regret this!" the Knight roared.
Ash didn't reply. He’d learned the hard way that dungeon bosses were masters of psychological warfare. Silence was the only way to stay focused. Curiosity was a luxury that got people killed.
Within sixty seconds, all three bosses slumped into piles of dust.
[Kill Count +1. War Merit +3. Gold +60,000. Contribution +100,000.]
(Notification repeated 3x)
"Alright, time to sweep!" Ash called out.
Meteor Volley!
He burned through his Mana pool instantly, not caring about efficiency. He downed an Epic-Tier Berserker’s Draught, doubling his raw attack power. Each arrow was now screaming through the air, hitting for seventy thousand damage per strike. Four volleys cleared an entire sector of the map.
More golden light. More level-ups. By the time they reached the final stretch, the team had gained an average of one level each—a staggering pace for high-level players.
"Clear," Ash panted, lowering his bow as the last skeleton crumbled. "Wait... why hasn't the quest ended?"
"The conduit," Vera said, looking at the Sanctum. "We have to destroy the temple itself."
Ash drew his string back and loosed a single, heavy shot. With a thunderous explosion, the temple collapsed into a heap of blackened stone.
"That's it?" Grant asked.
But as the dust settled, something remained. Standing amidst the rubble was a two-meter-tall statue of jet-black stone. It looked human, save for the distinct cat-like ears and a long, tapering tail.
"What is that?" Nina whispered. "That's not an undead."
Ash didn't wait for an answer. He raised his bow, but before he could release, the statue’s eyes snapped open.
"A hidden boss?" Brett whispered, his camera out. "I've never seen this on the forums. I'm taking a picture; this guide is going to be legendary."
The statue’s eyes glowed with a sickening, ethereal light. The air grew heavy, thick with a pressure that felt like it was trying to collapse their lungs.
[Warning: You are being observed by a Special Entity.]
[Warning: You are under extreme Psychic Pressure.]
-213,687!
-221,583!
"Return... to the soul..." a voice echoed inside their skulls.
"Shit! It's a Psychic Assault!" Ash yelled, watching his HP bar vanish in chunks. "Healers, now! Full output!"
The damage was bypass-type; Grant’s shield was useless against a mental strike.
"Are we really going to wipe here?" Brett groaned. Even with five healers focused on the group, the health bars were barely holding steady. Ash, possessing the highest Willpower, was the only one not at death's door yet.
Ash gritted his teeth and fired.
-18.
-19.
"What the hell?" Ash stared at the numbers. He was buffed to the gills with a Berserker's Draught, and he was doing double-digit damage? "This is supposed to be a Level 130 dungeon! This is impossible!"
Even a Level 200 pro would have been crushed by this.
"Don't panic!" Vera shouted, her voice strained. "High-tier entities always have a pressure aura! Mental Ward!"
A shimmering blue dome expanded from her staff. The crushing weight eased, and the damage ticks dropped by half.
"The hell was that?" Grant gasped, gulping a potion. "Usually pressure does a few hundred damage, not hundreds of thousands!"
"Just keep healing!" Vera commanded. "Every minute we stay alive is a minute we're not dead!"
Ash focused. He wasn't looking at the numbers anymore; he was looking at the statue’s eyes. He felt a flicker of emotion coming from the thing—boredom, contempt... and then, curiosity.
"The Azure Prime Plane?" the voice mused in their heads. "Nothing more than a newly birthed world of cannon fodder. And you... Southhaven? The Skystrider Guild? How amusing to watch ants struggle. One day, you will realize it is all for nothing."
The statue paused. "Actually, you won't live long enough to see that day."
Vera’s eyes widened. "It’s reading our memories! It knows where we’re from!"
"Poor strength, but quick wits," the statue sneered. "Yes, I can read you. With your pathetic Willpower, I could rewrite your very identities. I would turn you into puppets, but you are too weak to be of any use. I have been silent for too long, it seems, to be talking to ants."
The statue’s glow intensified. "I will give you a game. Whoever dies last, I shall take as a servant. A rare chance at eternal life." It paused, then scoffed. "Force of habit. I shouldn't even bother with discord. Usually, groups like yours start killing each other just to be the last one standing."
The statue looked away, toward the horizon. "Azure Prime... interesting. Once my strength returns, perhaps I shall pay your world a visit."
[System Alert: IMMEDIATELY CLEAR YOUR MIND. DO NOT THINK ABOUT AZURE PRIME.]
[System Alert: Ash Valor, what is wrong with your luck? Why do you keep finding these things?!]
[System Alert: It’s noticed me. Dammit, I’m going dark.]
The system’s voice cut out abruptly.
"Did the system just talk?" Brett blinked. "Is the system a guy? Hey! Are we really cannon fodder?"
Ash ignored them. He remembered the last time this had happened—back when he had been watched by 'The Eye' and received his Soulbound Weapon. He leaned into that memory, focusing his intent on the statue.
Suddenly, the statue’s psychic pressure didn't just stop—it shattered. The entity’s arrogance vanished, replaced by a spike of pure, unadulterated terror.
"You..." the statue stammered, its stone face contorting. "You have been marked... by Him?"
"You read my mind, didn't you?" Ash spat, his bow glowing with a dark, lethal light. "You think memories can be faked? Who is he? Why are you suddenly acting like a coward?"
The statue didn't answer. It seemed to be trying to physically recoil. "No... I must seal this. I must forget I ever saw that gaze. I cannot have that connection in my mind!"
[Critical Hit: Death Strike Triggered!]
[Target Eliminated.]
[Notification: Level +5.]
[Rewards: 10,000 War Merit. 100,000,000 Guild Contribution Points.]
The team was bathed in a pillar of golden light. Ash jumped five levels instantly; the others jumped seven. It was the most absurd reward Ash had ever seen in his career.
"Wait," Grant said, looking at the empty ground. "Where’s the loot? We just killed a god-tier hidden boss and there’s no loot? System! Is this a bug?"
For a moment, there was silence. Then, a crisp chime echoed.
[Team Reward: Hidden Quest 'The Witness' Completed. Each member is granted one Epic-Tier equipment selector.]
The squad erupted into cheers. The terror of the last ten minutes vanished, replaced by the pure adrenaline of a massive haul.
"One hundred million contribution points!" Brett was doing math in his head. "That’s... that’s a hundred million gold if we convert it! I thought War Merit was hard to get!"
"Grant," Nina said, narrowing her eyes. "Right before you thought we were dying, you mentioned 'The Four Quarters' in Southhaven. You said it was a place to 'relax.' Want to explain that to the rest of us?"