Chapter Sixty-Two: The Weakness of Phoenicia

Page 1 of 3

The Deep Woods of Locke Forest.

The appearance of this mutated dungeon didn’t strike Zhao Nan as odd—in fact, it seemed almost expected. The only thing unusual was that it had manifested a bit earlier than he’d anticipated.

No one knew the true cause of its emergence. Historically, it was first discovered by Bloodshadow, and it was also Bloodshadow who cleared it. Zhao Nan didn’t know much about this particular variant, but what little he did know about its rewards was already enough.

If standard dungeons existed to raise the average power of players, then mutated dungeons were rare opportunities—once-in-a-lifetime encounters. It was an established truth that a mutated dungeon would always yield a secret treasure.

These so-called secret treasures were simply a special category of rare items. The two rainbow-colored seven-hued keys Zhao Nan carried counted as such, their purpose still a mystery. The double reward card he owned was also a secret treasure.

But the secret treasure of this special dungeon was the Source of Mana—a consumable item capable of storing ten thousand mana points. A mage could draw directly from it to cast spells.

For a mage, to remain unmoved by the Source of Mana was simply impossible. Zhao Nan felt the stirrings of desire.

“Shall we set out now?” Gao Mingyang frowned, his eyes burning with excitement. Ever since acquiring his hidden class, he’d felt his power soar, the rush of hormones surging within him.

“Let’s finish Xu Feng’s quest first,” Zhao Nan said, tapping the table. The crisp sound rang out as he looked at the others, speaking gravely. “Safety first—one life is all we have.”

Xu Feng’s quest was already nearly complete; the only step left was the return trip, and with a teleportation stone on hand, they managed to finish within two hours. By dusk, Xu Feng emerged from the Thieves’ Guild in Eastsource City, his face wreathed in joy.

While Xu Feng was busy with his class change, Zhao Nan took the chance to buy some supplies and paid a visit to the city’s information broker.

Afanti never strayed from his spot beneath the park bench, his swollen, gray eyelids drooping as he stared at Zhao Nan.

“Information on the mutated dungeon.”

There was no need for small talk with an information broker. Going straight to the point was always the best approach.

“One hundred fire plum seeds.”

“Deal.”

Afanti chuckled, baring the three yellow, irregular teeth left in his mouth. He seemed pleased. “There’s a sealed beast-god statue in Locke Forest. Three hundred years ago, it belonged to a grand duke of the Empire of Night. The beast—Phoenici—escaped its master and wreaked havoc here, until it was defeated by one of the Six Heroes, the Azure Archmage. Because it was a grand duke’s pet, the mage chose to seal it instead of destroying it—punishment enough.”

This was the story behind the mutated dungeon. Zhao Nan frowned. The Empire of Night—no one had unlocked that map before level fifty, but this lifetime, he’d already heard the name more than once.

“The seal has been broken?”

“The statue’s sealing power was already waning. This time, it was released early because the beast-god statue absorbed too much blood from zombie rats, corrupting the seal and freeing Phoenici ahead of time. Its power has diminished greatly after years of imprisonment, but it waits now for a Chosen One, hoping to devour their life force to restore itself.”

Page 2 of 3

“How do you defeat Phoenici?”

“Five thousand fire plum seeds.”

Zhao Nan’s frown deepened. The price was outrageous—five thousand seeds would take three or four days of grinding to collect.

“Tell me,” Zhao Nan sighed. For the Source of Mana, it was worth it.

“There’s a scar about a foot long hidden in the fur on Phoenici’s forehead—a wound left by the Azure Archmage. When its health drops to one-tenth, attack the scar and you can destroy it completely. Miss the opportunity, and Phoenici will use the blessing bestowed by its master to fully recover.”

“I need to clear the dungeon first. I can’t pay you immediately.”

“That’s fine. I’ll give you a month.” Afanti said, crawling out from under the bench, brushing dirt from his clothes as the stench of decay filled the air. He didn’t mind it at all, grinning. “I’m leaving this place anyway. Just deliver my payment to the owner of the Eck Flower Shop—she’ll know how to get it to me.”

Delivery was no issue. What unsettled Zhao Nan was Afanti’s departure—he’d never known an information broker to leave a city before.

As if sensing Zhao Nan’s confusion, Afanti sighed, “The magic of a grand duke from the Empire of Night is beyond your comprehension. Now that I’ve told you Phoenici’s weakness, it won’t be long before he finds out. With someone like that after me, I can’t afford to linger anywhere for long. Honestly, I feel I’ve gotten the short end of the stick.”

With that wry remark, a whirlwind rose around Zhao Nan, and Afanti vanished into the swirling dust.

Zhao Nan stood in the park for a while, then rubbed his cheeks vigorously. Now that he knew the weakness, there was no reason not to challenge Phoenici.

...

Locke Forest.

Once merely a level 6–7 monster zone, the forest was now crawling with creatures whose eyes glowed scarlet—not from nighttime frenzy, but from true, unbridled rage.

Phoenici’s resurrection had infused the area with dark magic, driving the monsters mad and raising their levels by four or five. Ordinary players wouldn’t stand a chance here. Only large guilds like Inferno and Guardian Knights could force their way through and reach the forest’s heart.

Under a sparse, starry sky, the grass, the roots of the trees, and the low stones all shimmered with points of phosphorescent light. In this environment, the World’s End guild advanced steadily, unhurried.

Gao Mingyang and Xu Feng had just acquired their hidden classes, and they needed real combat to familiarize themselves with their new skills.

The team’s coordination had unconsciously become seamless.

Page 3 of 3

They halted before a pitch-dark cave, retrieving vials of a special liquid from their packs and applying the substance to their skin. Fenina explained its effects as she worked.

Zhao Nan remembered grinding here for Lucent Crystals not long ago. Now, thanks to Afanti’s information, he finally understood why this mutated dungeon had appeared ahead of schedule.

After Inferno guild learned the fast method for farming Lucent Crystals, they likely hadn’t stopped their grinding. This had allowed the beast-god statue to soak up the blood of countless zombie rats, accelerating its release.

Walking on tiptoe, Zhao Nan was even more cautious than Xu Feng, the King of Thieves—like a child caught misbehaving. The origins of the mutated dungeon were better left unspoken.

“I’ll go ahead and scout,” Xu Feng volunteered, activating his King of Thieves skill—Phantom Mirage. His form flickered, then vanished completely from view.

But his voice remained. He hadn’t truly turned invisible; instead, Phantom Mirage bent all light around him, blending him perfectly with his surroundings. The effect was similar to a chameleon’s camouflage, unlike the stealth of ordinary thieves. Even while attacking, Phantom Mirage wouldn’t break.

Xu Feng moved with obvious delight. Gao Mingyang whispered with a laugh that Xu Feng must be swaggering his hips with all the style he could muster—a bit of mischief to lighten the tension.

Zhao Nan smiled wryly, spinning his Sighing Staff. Every so often, he touched it to the ground, and a tawny glow spread out, illuminating Fenina, Xu Yang, and Gao Mingyang, brightening their path forward.

Only after everyone was fully shielded by the Stone Armor did Zhao Nan’s brow ease. After a brief wait, his expression sharpened and he said quietly, “Xu Feng is back.”

“You can sense me with Wind of Grace?”

Behind him, Xu Feng revealed himself, disappointed.

“It’s Wind of Listening. I can’t sense you directly, but there’s still the faintest sound when you walk. Phantom Mirage is powerful; once you’ve mastered it, not even sound will give you away,” Zhao Nan replied calmly.

Xu Feng shrugged, unfazed by being discovered. By now, everyone had grown used to the quirks of this young but unnervingly powerful mage.

“So, what did you find?” Zhao Nan asked.

Xu Feng nodded, his expression grave. “Inferno and Guardian Knights are fighting each other...”