Chapter 29: Battle Once More, The Lich Dungeon

The Lich Dungeon is a D-rank secret realm located in the Ruined District, a frequent destination for many novice hunters. Compared to the mining and forest sectors, the Ruined District is the area closest to Junyang City. It was once the site of the old city.

Decades ago, a monster riot erupted, with a massive swarm flooding out of the secret realm. It took the mobilization of over a thousand hunters—and the tragic fall of three Level 4 hunters—to finally suppress the crisis. While the threat was neutralized, it caused immense destruction to Junyang City. Nearly a third of the city was leveled; although it was largely rebuilt, portions remained abandoned, transformed into magical pollution zones due to the lingering influence of the monsters.

Once an area becomes a magical pollution zone, it becomes a breeding ground for secret realms, and local wildlife often mutates into monsters. Simply put, these zones are uninhabitable for humans. Today, over sixty percent of the Earth has been reduced to such zones, leaving humanity to survive only in fortress cities like Junyang, which are protected by Spirit Energy Towers.

Upon entering the Ruined District, the number of hunters increased. There are four secret realms here: the Lich Dungeon, the Shadow Sewers, the Upside-Down Mansion, and the Crimson Factory. The latter is a B-rank realm, considered the highest-level and most difficult one in the vicinity of Junyang City. The entrance to the Lich Dungeon is a subway station.

"Once we enter, we’ll head straight to the second level. Let’s not waste time on the first," Lu Yi directed. Fang Na and Jing Mei prepared their equipment. Lu Yi’s gear consisted of energized gauntlets, while the two women carried standard mana-guiding staves—the go-to equipment for sorcery and control-type hunters, used to extend the range and precision of their mana.

"Mi Chen, what about your equipment?" Lu Yi asked, assuming he would be carrying a shield or armor. To his surprise, Mi Chen produced a blade. "This is my equipment."

The group couldn't help but feel skeptical. Could this guy really handle defense? "Mi Chen, this isn't a joke. Can you really manage with just a sword?" Jing Mei asked.

"No problem," Mi Chen replied confidently.

Fang Na dismissed him with a scoff. "If you get injured before we encounter the Boar King, I won't be responsible for healing you." Mana for healing-type hunters is precious. Usually, they conserve it carefully, relying on potions or self-recovery for non-essential injuries to ensure they remain at peak capacity for critical moments.

Faced with their doubt, Mi Chen remained silent. Lu Yi, despite his own reservations, decided to trust him for now. "Mi Chen, I’ll be counting on you then." Mi Chen nodded.

The team entered the Lich Dungeon. As they stepped into the abandoned building, a frigid chill washed over them—the miasma unique to the secret realm. When Mi Chen was still a civilian, he would have relied on a phlogiston lamp to ward it off, but now, he could easily repel it with his mana. Lu Yi took the lead, while Mi Chen covered the rear.

The lights from their gear barely illuminated the path ahead. The walls were stripped of paint, revealing mottled concrete marked with strange symbols and patterns. The corridors wound in a complex maze, but as experienced hunters, they easily identified the correct route.

"There’s a sound!" Lu Yi raised a hand, signaling a halt. Before he could issue an order, Jing Mei channeled her mana. Her staff expanded like a radar, and a pale green magic circle appeared on the ground. It was clear they were a well-coordinated veteran team.

"Five Tomb Wraiths, heading this way!" Jing Mei warned.

"Prepare for combat!"

No sooner had Lu Yi spoken than five translucent, mist-like figures with glowing blue eyes surged toward them. Tomb Wraiths often lurked in the deep dark, wielding frost daggers capable of inflicting significant damage. It was said that these daggers could drain the vitality of the living, causing victims to wither away while the wraiths grew stronger. Though only Level 1, they were notoriously troublesome monsters.

"Mi Chen, cover me!" Lu Yi injected mana into his gauntlets, which began to emit a powerful, steaming aura. At six-foot-three with such heavy-hitting gauntlets, he was clearly a formidable offensive fighter.

Mi Chen nodded; there was no need for him to intervene yet. He drew his blade, *Shenyuan*. The moment it left its sheath, it commanded everyone's attention. While they didn't know much about blades, let alone legendary ones, the unique aura of *Shenyuan* made it obvious to anyone that it was no ordinary weapon. *So that’s why he was so confident,* they thought. *He has such a legendary blade.*

"Mi Chen, I'm leaving the defense to you!" Lu Yi shouted as he charged forward.

Mi Chen’s task was simple. He released his mana. The wraiths, as if sensing the scent of fresh meat, immediately locked onto him. With their aggression drawn, Lu Yi unleashed a powerful punch. At that exact moment, a red light descended upon him—an attack buff from Jing Mei. The reinforced punch landed with devastating force, instantly killing one of the wraiths.

However, four remained. Lu Yi prepared to strike again, but the wraiths were faster; they dodged him and swarmed toward Mi Chen with frantic intensity.

"Oh no!" the group realized. The plan had been for Mi Chen to draw the aggro, and for Lu Yi to eliminate two instantly, leaving the remaining three to be controlled by Jing Mei. But they had underestimated the speed of the wraiths and overestimated Lu Yi's output. Jing Mei scrambled to switch from an attack buff to a control spell, but the channeling took time, and the wraiths were too fast. Fang Na raised her staff, ready to heal Mi Chen.

Just as the group braced for Mi Chen to be severely injured, he dodged and parried with exquisite grace, dismantling the assault. Everyone was stunned. The wraiths, taken aback by their failed attack, launched a second wave. As one wraith lunged for him, Mi Chen simply glared at it. The creature froze, its fighting spirit shattered. A split second later, a heavy blow struck it, pulverizing the wraith into bloody mist.

"Brother Mi Chen, my apologies. I underestimated them," Lu Yi said.

"It's nothing. I’ll keep them occupied; you just focus on attacking," Mi Chen replied calmly. While he lacked actual taunt skills, his mana pool of nearly 600 made controlling the aggro of Level 1 monsters a trivial task. With the wraiths' focus entirely on him and Jing Mei's buffs aiding Lu Yi, the latter began taking them out one by one. In the blink of an eye, all five were eradicated.

"Haha! That was great! I haven't had a fight this satisfying in a long time," Lu Yi laughed, wiping dark purple blood from his knuckles. "Brother Mi Chen, we really owe this to you."

Mi Chen remained indifferent, as if the battle had been nothing. He hadn't even broken a sweat or gathered a speck of dust. He sheathed *Shenyuan*. "It was just my job."

Just then, Jing Mei noticed something. "Look! What is that?" She pointed to the pile of remains left by one of the wraiths. A glowing blue stone key lay on the ground, radiating a chilling aura that flickered between solid form and wisps of smoke.

"A Dungeon Key!" Lu Yi gasped. He hadn't expected them to be this lucky. Dungeon Keys were a special mechanic of the Lich Dungeon, with a drop rate of less than one in one hundred thousand. They allowed access to the hidden area: the Lich Altar. However, they could not be taken out of the realm; they vanished once the user exited.

A choice lay before them: whether or not to head to the hidden area. Most secret realms had hidden zones, and they were always rumored to contain unimaginable treasures. A once-obscure team had once passed through a hidden zone and emerged to become one of the largest guilds in Junyang City. It was a massive opportunity.

But the risks were equally obvious. The existence of the hidden area was no secret, but there were no records of anyone actually succeeding. Between the astronomical drop rate and the extreme difficulty, a team of 1-star hunters stood almost no chance. Moreover, escape stones were disabled in hidden areas. While 3-star hunters could handle it, none would bother farming a D-rank dungeon for keys, as the rewards were rarely worth it for them.

It was a challenge and a massive opportunity wrapped in one.

"I abstain," Fang Na said, being the most rational. She knew the dangers—without an escape stone, one mistake meant death. What was the point of opportunity if you were dead? She voted against it. Jing Mei was torn, caught between them.

The deciding vote rested with Mi Chen. "A hidden area? Interesting." He didn't hesitate. He slowly raised his hand. Two to one. They were going in.