Ranger Abandon was heartbroken.
He jokingly chose "Abandon" as his ID, and ironically, his name came true. His team got lost in the vast Black Forest.
A member of the Homeward Saints Guild and somewhat of a team leader, his four-person team comprised older amateur Players with a mobile combat style.
They couldn't compete with professional gamers and had no aspirations for the frontline, making their leveling pace lag behind the main force. Their leader, Hot Ash, sensibly assigned them to exploration, studying dungeons.
Fairly, it was a sound decision. Eager to prove his worth, Abandon chose the legendary "Paradise" in the Black Forest.
However, he underestimated the difficulty!
They accidentally entered a terrain dungeon called [Ancient Battlefield Miasma] and wandered for fourteen days without finding a way out.
The gray fog obscured their vision; the ground was a mix of rotting mud and skeletons. A misstep could lead them into black-green marshes, sinking their boots into stench. Trees hung with vines and cobwebs, and amidst the fog created a scenery that looked eerily similar.
The dungeon's monsters were various undead creatures—will-o'-wisps or skeletons with rotting flesh hanging off them. Day and night made no difference here, and even after clearing them out, new ones emerged after a few hours, aimlessly wandering.
The torment seemed endless.
While water needs were met with magic, their food supply dwindled. The area lacked even insects, let alone edible prey. On this day, they could only muster two finger-length pieces of jerky and a walnut-sized pack of butter.
"We can't possibly die here. That would be too embarrassing," lamented the team's Paladin, near tears.
"Should've read the task prompt before accepting… it's all Abba's fault, saying he could clear the maze in seconds. Can he clear this thirty-day mission in seconds?" The Forest Archer, the attack output, complained weakly.
"It's not all his fault. Who knew there'd be no supplies? Even some mushrooms would've been nice."
The Priest leaned on his staff, barely standing. "Do you smell instant noodles? Beef flavor… though I prefer shrimp and fish cake flavor…"
Abandon trudged forward, nearly tripping over bones. Death wasn't the issue, but their exhaustion, pain, and hunger were very real. Worst-case scenario, they might become eternally immobile living corpses due to "starvation".
Upon encountering the same giant rock for the twentieth time, the team couldn't go on. Everyone nibbled on a bit of butter, lethargically swallowing. Abandon didn't dare to eat. He climbed atop the rock, hoping to glean some insight from the rolling fog.
That was when he saw something remarkable.
Far off, another team seemed to be advancing. Years later, Abandon couldn't forget that scene—
"This is the periphery of the 'Ancient Battlefield Tombs', where the number of undead is relatively constant, and they're not very strong."
A young man's gentle voice explained. "Everyone can take a few hits, then let the younger members handle them."
His voice was pleasant, but the shadows in the fog were not. Abandon immediately spotted the large Ironbone Bear, his hair standing on end.
How could so many monsters suddenly appear?
"Once we enter the Ancient Battlefield, there will be more undead and high-level carrion creatures. We'll split the enemies in half—half for us, half for your mercenary group," the young voice said politely.
"Sure, we'll take good care of your subordinates," a rich, pleasant male voice responded.
A mercenary group!
Abandon was overjoyed—regardless of the monster count, mercenaries could only mean humans! He slid down the rock, grabbing his teammates and rushing towards the source of the voices.
"Help!" he called hoarsely. "We're trapped here, help us!"
The conversation stopped abruptly, and a figure approached them through the fog.
The moment they saw the newcomer, Abandon was nearly moved to tears—
Before him was a man who seemed to slowly emerge from the gray ocean, his silver-white hair almost blending with the fog. He was extremely handsome, and if not for the lack of a Player's earring, Abandon would've mistaken him for a highly skilled Player.
It was like a divine messenger had arrived.
But soon, he noticed something odd. The man had a pair of hard black horns on his head and a glossy, full tail swaying behind him.
…A male succubus?
Well, it's not strange! Succubi love socializing, and Abandon had heard of mercenary groups with succubus members.
The golden eyes moved through the fog, locking onto the trembling four. They looked like four desperate kiwis, having rolled in mud and avoiding excessive magic use for cleanliness.
The succubus let go of his hand gripping the hunting knife. "Pfft!"
Abandon's good impression shattered in seconds at the merciless laugh.
"We can't find the way out," he said dryly. "Please ask your mercenary group to help us. We'll pay handsomely!"
"I'm not part of any mercenary group."
The golden eyes glanced at their mud-spattered Player earrings, showing disdain. "Never mind, come here, Miss Prude."
Another figure soon emerged from the fog.
This time, Abandon almost burst into tears—
Heaven be praised, it was Miss Anakin, the Homeward Saints Guild's top healer Anakin!
He ran up to her, almost tripping. "Fellow countryman, give us something to eat. We haven't eaten for three days!"
Hearing this classic scam line, Anakin instinctively stepped back. "..."
Anakin: "You are…?"
"The 42nd Exploration Team of the Homeward Saints Guild." Abandon sobbed, his voice cracking. "I'm Abandon."
"Oh!" Anakin immediately remembered upon hearing the peculiar ID. "You're exploring the Black Forest?"
"Yes, yes. We've been trapped for half a month. We can't contact the outside world! Are you on a mission nearby? Can you take us with you? We'll be useful!" Abandon's voice was tearful.
If they were just sent out of the dungeon, it would be too humiliating. They wouldn't meet their monthly work goals. Better to ride on this big shot's coattail and submit a decent report.
In Abandon's mind, healers were high-status, especially a top-three Player like Anakin. Whatever task Anakin was on, if she agreed to help, it was almost a sure deal.
But Anakin seemed nervous.
She inhaled sharply, glancing at the succubus, who remained silent. She hesitated before saying, "Okay, I can ask for you. But I can't promise you can join the quest."
She then handed out four ham sandwiches and two large cans of sugary milk, retreating back into the fog. The succubus remained at a distance, scrutinizing them.
"What are you looking at… Mmph!" The typically irritable archer was about to retort, but Abandon quickly covered his mouth.
The others didn't see, but he did. When Anakin looked at the succubus, her eyes held fear and caution.
Although succubi weren't the most powerful, caution was warranted.
The succubus's tail twitched slightly, and after another glance at the four, he disappeared back into the fog.
On the other side.
Nol had a bit of a headache.
The locals had to be saved, but he couldn't let them freely join the team—Paradise's neighbors had no hobbies other than chatting. If these four stayed among the monsters for fifteen minutes, unless they were fools, they'd guess Paradise's true situation.
But isolating them left only one option—stuffing them into the Drifting Mercenary Group.
And they were from the Homeward Saints Guild of the Temple of Life, making the situation delicate, like asking someone to take care of an ex's child.
To be honest, Nol didn't want to speculate on Painter's view of him at this moment.
Just a few days ago, Teest openly gave him roses and remnants of a Supplement Demon, with Painter smiling politely but saying nothing.
Today, as the team set off, Teest, citing the need to "conceal his identity in front of the Drifting Mercenary Group", excitedly dressed up as a succubus. He donned the traditional scanty succubus attire, and his tail frequently coiled around Nol's wrist.
Anakin and Solo seemed indifferent, but Painter's gaze was intriguing. Nol's face burned, forcing himself to act normal.
Was it that he seduced the Mad Monk, or that the Mad Monk seduced him?
Either way, it was far from the "upright and reliable" image Nol wanted to show. Now he had to trouble Painter further—
"Little one, I think your Paradise might not be convenient for human guests." Painter smiled, suggesting, "Give us some more supplies, and we'll handle this for you."
"You don't mind them being…"
"Oh, I didn't leave the Temple of Life because I hated the Goddess. She's indifferent to mortals, so I didn't want to wait around, that's all." Painter shook his head speaking in a casual tone. "Besides, the Saints come from afar, unfamiliar with the land. I would've relied on the Temple too if I was in their place. Why mind? It's all business."
"I'll give you supplies for ten more people," Nol promised earnestly.
With only sixteen members in Painter's Drifting Mercenary Group, Paradise was being very generous.
"You're so generous. I'm deeply grateful!"
As the atmosphere seemed to be getting better, Mr. Succubus Teest moved closer, his plump tail coiling around Nol's wrist again. Painter made an "ah" sound, smilingly closing his mouth.
[Those four people will barely not hold us back.] Teest's tail tip caressed between Nol's fingers. [The Paladin and Ranger are passable, the Archer is too impulsive, and the Priest is indecisive and not very useful. It would be best to let Painter take care of them. After all, you don't need a second knight.]
[Mr. Painter has already agreed to take care of them.]
[Truly, he's a cunning red-haired fox.] Teest glanced at Painter.
...
At the beginning, Abandon was ushered into a dream-like life.
As expected, the healing profession held significant weight. Anakin led them to a small mercenary group of about a dozen people. They were provided with tents, potions, and food.
The faces in the mercenary group were unfamiliar, but they were cheerful and friendly. Except for their extra closeness to one of the members, they seemed no different from a normal mercenary group.
It seemed the danger level of this mission wasn't high.
The team moved forward at a relaxed pace, with someone handling the monsters ahead. Abandon and his companions, sipping corn soup from their cups, had almost nothing to do—apart from the sweet soup, they also received steaming meat pies and apple cider.
"Sister, what kind of mission is this?" Abandon couldn't help but ask Anakin.
With food and drink provided and someone leading the way, it felt like being carried in an online game—if it weren't for the mercenaries laughing and eating meat, Abandon might have felt too comfortable.
"A joint mission between Paradise and the human mercenary group," Anakin whispered. "Just grinding for experience points, nothing much."
"That succubus is from Paradise?!" Abandon was shocked. "Hey, apart from him, how many other monsters came?"
Anakin looked at him with a nearly pitying gaze.
"You guys just follow along and level up. Don't think about anything else," she said. "I'm here to show the Players' sincerity to Paradise. Remember, no matter what happens next, everyone will be safe."
…Anakin's words were a bit subtle, and Abandon was taken aback. They already felt safe. Was this something that needed to be specifically mentioned?
The dream-like life ended on the second day.
As the fog cleared, the team arrived at the center of an Ancient Battlefield Tomb—
The sky was dark and lightless, and the air was damp and cold, seeping into one's bones.
A giant's skeleton lay scattered there, its eye sockets filled with numerous ferns collecting water. A thin stream of water trickled down from its eye socket. Various giant beast carcasses were piled in its ribcage, and among them grew a tall, slender red pine, like a blood arrow piercing through the heart.
Centered around this skeleton, rough graves were scattered around, easily numbering in the thousands.
Some graves barely had tombstones with names, others were marked simply with a sword and shield, making for makeshift graves. The more unfortunate dead had their bones scattered by wild animals, exposed to the elements.
Poison-feathered giant vultures perched on tall trees, skeleton soldiers slept amidst the dry bones, and zombie rats scurried rapidly among the remains, emitting an extremely foul smell.
Their destination wasn't far away—by the right rib of the skeleton, there was a clearly visible underground entrance.
Abandon gulped. This was definitely a new dungeon, and they hadn't received any information about it. It was a pure exploration mission. Normally, he would have turned back and left the opportunity to someone more capable.
But what could he do now? This place was found by Paradise.
He hadn't finished his dilemma when the system's notification happily popped up—
[You have entered a hidden area.]
[You have triggered the hidden dungeon quest: The End of the War King.]
[Normal completion condition: Enter the tomb of the War King, successfully trigger, and complete at least one E-level side quest.]
[Perfect completion condition: Enter the tomb of the War King, successfully trigger, and complete at least one S-level side quest.]
[Mission reward: A large amount of experience points [Normal]; 10% permanent increase in attack power [Perfect]]
[Rejection/Failure Penalty: Unable to accept any tasks within 'The End of the War King' dungeon again.]
[Do you accept the quest?]
…It's actually a series of tasks?! Abandon's mouth fell open.
Usually, such hidden locations involved only 1-2 related tasks, but a series of tasks was another matter—
Once tasks were graded, it meant there were at least 10 or more side quests to explore on the map.
And more tasks meant more content to uncover. The quality of related tasks was definitely not low, perhaps even better than ordinary hidden tasks. Of course, it also meant geometrically increasing danger.
But it was hard to refuse. Could they just leave them outside? Anxiously, Abandon chose "Yes", praying Paradise would grant them a trivial side quest.
"Speaking of which," as they approached the entrance, Abandon moved closer to the nearest Paladin. "Why does the task specifically state 'enter the tomb of the War King'? I haven't seen such descriptions before."
"Maybe there are side quests outside too." The Paladin swept away a zombie rat with his sword. "Maybe it means 'outside quests don't count'?"
"I find it strange…" Abandon muttered.
At this moment, the vanguard of the large group had already reached the right hand of the skeleton.
Abandon tiptoed. The handsome male succubus was standing at the front, affectionately holding a thin-cloaked person, almost poking his tail tip into the person.
The cloaked person's aura was unremarkable, but just looking at his back, Abandon felt a chill. That must be a high-ranking leader of Paradise, he thought.
Wait, do the high-ranking monsters of Paradise like handsome men?
…Monsters have such tastes too?
Beside the cloaked person stood Anakin, Solo, and a red-haired man he hadn't seen before. After them were various very well-behaved monsters. Between the monsters and the four, the noisy mercenary group separated them, and Abandon could hardly hear the conversation at the front.
He just saw the cloaked person step over the giant's right finger, and the ground rumbled loudly.
Hundreds of giant vultures flew into the sky, and zombie rats scurried madly across the ground. Skeleton soldiers hadn't time to stand up before they were crushed into dust—
The giant's stone-like fingers reassembled into a huge bone hand.
Its jaw bone opened and closed, and the skull was slightly turning. Its face turned towards the people, and the spring water in its eye sockets flowed faster. In the other eye socket, not filled with ferns, a sun-sized blue fire suddenly ignited.
To Abandon's surprise, the monsters at the front didn't panic or avoid, their animal instincts seemingly lost. The mercenaries at the front also jumped and whistled, as if watching an exciting show. Only the four of them stood there shivering.
The undead giant, pinned by the red pine, could only slightly lift its upper body. It raised its right hand, seemingly about to slap down on the people.
The cloaked person moved.
He stretched out his unencumbered hand, slightly reaching upwards, gently making a "stop" gesture.
At that moment, the giant hand, falling like a mountain, came to an abrupt halt, awkwardly frozen in mid-air. After a few seconds of internal struggle, the undead giant withdrew its hand, slowly lying back in its original position, pretending nothing had happened.
It even adjusted its angle a few times, ensuring the waterfall in its eye socket looked picturesque.
Abandon: "Huh?"
It wasn't that he couldn't understand that "entering the tomb of the War King" was a quest point in itself, but he couldn't comprehend this solution… Why? How was he supposed to report this to the Saints Guild? Was the undead giant that reasonable???
While he was still in a daze, a huge cyan-purple snake emerged from the mouth of the necromantic giant. Clearly, the giant was uncooperative. It struggled hard, almost shedding a layer of skin, confusion evident in its snake eyes.
The Undead Serpent King—Abandon recognized it at a glance. This one was definitely high-level. He had only seen lower-level black individuals in burial dungeons, and those with a cyan-purple halo were rare.
The one in front of them was over three meters in diameter, conservatively estimated to be level 100. If it had teamed up with the undead giant, Abandon would have immediately abandoned the mission—this wasn't a job for humans! It would require the elite team led by Boss Ash to fight a team battle!
Unfortunately, the undead giant lay more peacefully than death, leaving the Undead Serpent King to fight alone.
The Undead Serpent King opened its mouth wide, spewing a large cloud of poison. Before the dark purple mist could spread, it bit towards the cloaked person.
The cloaked person didn't even use his staff. Still holding the succubus's tail with his left hand, he only lifted his right hand to push out a ping-pong ball-sized blue fireball.
As soon as the mist touched the fireball, it instantly burned away in reverse. The Undead Serpent King didn't have time to retract its head and inhaled the fireball.
In an instant, it froze like the undead giant.
But it didn't have the chance to go back to playing dead—it remained in its attacking posture, turning from head to toe into snowflake-like ashes. The succubus even grabbed a handful of ashes in the air, happily plucking a small amount.
The entire process took less than two minutes.
The team moved forward again, the mercenaries in front no longer making noise, seriously discussing something. Abandon overheard a few words—they were estimating whether the group leader or that mage was faster, arguing heatedly.
For a moment, Abandon deeply doubted the "absolute strength" of the Players.
…What is the background of this mercenary group?
…And what exactly is the background of Paradise?
At first, several big shots said that they should be cautious about approaching "Paradise", and many Players scoffed at this. Now, looking back, Abandon felt a chill down his spine.
That was definitely main storyline level strength!
He dared not to be overconfident anymore and could only obediently puff out his chest and hold his head high, following the main force into the underground.
In just a few minutes, this team of about sixty "people" disappeared into the darkness.
...
In the distant Eternal Day City, Knight Eugene led his team into the city. Accompanying them was the leader of the "Homeward Saints Guild", Hot Ash, and his elite force of a hundred men.
In the records of the Temple of Life, "Hot Ash" was noted as phonetically similar to "Hot Ash"*.
*Clarity: The leader, Hot Ash, is named (热灰) while the name recorded in the Temple of Life is (霍塔什). They both mean hot ash.
Mr. Hot Ash, whose face was still hidden in his helmet, spoke with a muffled voice. "You didn't set this place before."
"Eternal Day City has been harassed by The Manor and wasn't open before," Eugene replied gently. "Actually, it has always been the most suitable city for a supply point. In the past, the Dragonblood Hero Drake started his journey from here to Desolation Island."
At this point, Eugene paused for a few seconds.
"This time, the person who saved Eternal Day City is also called Drake. What a sacred coincidence."
Hot Ash chuckled dryly. "It's a pity that Mr. Drake didn't stay."
From south to north, the Fini Empire, New Gemino, Shiva, and Gratice bordered the Endless Sea. Among them, New Gemino was the closest and the most severely corrupted by the Demon King.
Before, the elite team of the Saints Guild had been roaming the borders of these four countries, on the one hand dealing with the Demon King's corruption and, on the other, frantically leveling up.
Hot Ash thought such peaceful days would last a little longer, but after the Players arrived, the Demon King became more and more insane. It had been quietly staying on Desolation Island for thousands of years, but in the past few months, it suddenly wanted to come over and take a look.
"…Our astrologers have precisely calculated that the Demon King is moving from Desolation Island to Brick Shadow."
Eugene said seriously, "The number of monsters following it is countless. If it really lands in Brick Shadow, it will cause a huge disaster."
'Indeed.' Hot Ash sighed softly inside his helmet.
Gratice and the Fini Empire were a bit better off, but New Gemino and Shiva were the first to be hit. To say that it was disastrous was an understatement. Especially in New Gemino, where they were, it was possible for the country to be completely destroyed.
"But I still have to say, we are here to confirm the situation." Hot Ash glanced at Eugene, speaking rapidly. "Combat is not the priority. These are the core combat forces of the Saints Guild. I cannot risk them—if necessary, I will prioritize the protection of my people, not the civilians here, nor you."
"I completely understand." Eugene nodded sincerely. "Please believe me. If necessary, I will also prioritize the protection of everyone, not myself."
"So let's regroup for a few days and then head to Brick Shadow." Hot Ash looked toward the nearby mountains.
The Temple of Life had their prophesied "God-slaying Hero" in their party. It was interesting, whether it was for surveillance, protection, or both.
It was noon, and the sky above the Brick Mountain Range was cloudless, with the sun shining brilliantly. Under the scorching sun, the light-colored stones of Eternal Day City glittered like snow.
Knight Hot Ash squinted his eyes and quickly averted his gaze. He tightened the reins and led his team forward.
In just a few minutes, the team melted into the light.
To everyone, it was just an ordinary day. A small adventure, necessary observation, and everything proceeding as usual. This land had been peaceful for thousands of years, and the impending disaster was still far away.
At that time, no one could have imagined that, much later, this day would become a critically important node in the history of Tahe—
The prelude to the "Demon King War" was thus unveiled.
The author has something to say:
The Succubus Knight returns to the stage.
Teest: I am disguising my identity, not because I want to wear it, mm.
Nol: ...
Teest: And definitely not because the tail is very useful ^w^