After Miracle City gained a junior "net admin," Kanzaki Ren's life became remarkably relaxed. Most of the time, he lounged around his lord's residence, watching resources and profits flow automatically into his pocket.
[Adventurer "White Fawn" generated 1 point of Mental Energy!][Adventurer "Nekomi Momo" generated 1 point of Mental Energy!][...][Adventurer "Pig King" has died. Mental Energy +1, Soul Crystal +1!][Adventurer "Shirasawa Yukari" has died. Mental Energy +1, Soul Crystal +1!][...]
Lord Ren happily scrolled through the system panel.
Today alone, there were a full 160 adventurers.
It was destined to be a massive harvest, but expenses were also rising. Some adventurers discovered that clearing the tutorial mode had a high chance of dropping Zombie Soul Cores, so instead of challenging the formal stages, they repeatedly farmed the beginner level, trying to fleece Lord Ren.
[Adventurer "Dumb Goose" obtained "Zombie Soul Core" from Apocalypse Surge. Your Mental Energy -1!][Adventurer "Wool Warrior" obtained "Zombie Soul Core" from Apocalypse Surge. Your Mental Energy -1!][...]
Each ordinary Soul Core extracted from Apocalypse Surge consumed 1 point of Mental Energy.
However—
That cost was nothing to Kanzaki Ren.
The adventurers thought they were making a fortune, enjoying the thrill of exploitation.
But Lord Ren never lost.
Regular zombies had no production cost. A mere 1 point of Mental Energy per Soul Core was insignificant given the territory's current income.
Farm away.Farm harder.
Let them fleece all they want.
Most of it would be recycled anyway.
And that was exactly the resource Kanzaki Ren needed right now.
Today, not only did large numbers of regular zombies drop, but a few special infected appeared as well.
[Adventurer "Lonely Blade" obtained "Smoker Soul Core." Your Mental Energy -4!][Adventurer "Wind in Sleep" obtained "Boomer Soul Core." Your Mental Energy -4!][...]
So far, adventurers had attempted roughly two hundred runs, producing four Special Infected Soul Cores.
Hunters, Smokers, Spitters, Jockeys—these monsters had a deployment cost, but only 3 Mental Energy each. Replacing them after defeat, combined with extraction cost, consumed 7 Mental Energy per unit.
Still well within tolerance.
After all, Special Infected Soul Core drop rates were extremely low.
Rather than seeing this as a loss, Kanzaki Ren hoped adventurers would farm more, enriching the dungeon's unit roster.
While Lord Ren was happily reviewing his mid-stage profits, a sudden surge of noise erupted from the dungeon hall. Slightly puzzled, he personally went to check.
"Why is it so loud?"
Junior net admin Nansyliya was completely absorbed in watching.
She had been utterly captivated by the Apocalypse Surge dungeon.
"Ah—Lord Ren, why are you here…" she froze for a moment before hurriedly explaining, "The adventurers just discovered a huge zombie monster. Several subjugation teams have formed to take it down!"
"Oh, the Tank Zombie?" Kanzaki Ren raised an eyebrow. "It was found already?"
He was mildly surprised.
He had deployed three Tanks and five Witches.
Witches were more numerous and far more sinister, yet the Tank surfaced first.
Still—
That made sense.
The Witches' spawn points were mostly dark malls, underground garages, or enclosed indoor areas, while Tanks were placed on open streets, making them easier to trigger.
Both monsters cost 20 Mental Energy to create.
Their strength might not reach elite-tier monsters, but they were certainly at the peak of normal monsters.
Top-tier five-star units like these were extremely rare in Blackstone Town.
The Tank Zombie's massive frame and brutal fighting style created immense pressure, giving adventurers the thrill of fighting a true raid boss and igniting their desire to conquer it.
"Lord Ren, should we take measures to stop the adventurers?" Nansyliya whispered. "If such a valuable monster is killed, it might be a major loss for a newly established dungeon."
"No need," Kanzaki Ren replied calmly. "If I release it, I can afford to lose it."
He wasn't just saying that to gain goodwill. In truth, he desperately wanted the Tank to drop, because the territory needed that level of combat power.
At present—
At least four teams were already mobilizing.
They located the Tank's patrol street and launched organized assaults.
The results were disastrous.
Before Kanzaki Ren even arrived, seven or eight attempts had already failed. Some teams were intercepted by Chargers or zombie swarms before reaching the Tank, suffering casualties or complete wipes.
Even teams that reached it—
Were brutally crushed.
The Tank's combat power was no joke.
Another team was currently fighting. Four dungeon crystals were surrounded by spectators, all so absorbed they didn't even notice the lord's presence.
"Come on!"
"It's almost out of stamina!"
"Kill that muscle freak this time!"
Learning from past failures, this team avoided direct confrontation. One lightly equipped adventurer kited the Tank in circles, while the other three fired from range.
It was pointless.
The Tank smashed obstacles effortlessly, caught the runner in seconds, and tore him apart.
Then it hurled concrete slabs and cars, killing the ambushers one by one.
The crowd fell silent.
"I told you that plan wouldn't work."
"That was embarrassing."
"Better to fight head-on."
"Your firepower's too weak. A few SMGs won't kill that thing. To beat it, we need better weapons."
"Makes sense."
"Lonely Blade and Yukari's team is starting again."
"This might be the last attempt. Hope it works."
Failure after failure—
But the adventurers refused to give up.
Lonely Blade, Wind in Sleep, Blackstone Hammer King, and Shirasawa Yukari regrouped.
Instead of heading straight for the Tank, they scavenged extensively, maximizing firepower. They secured a shotgun, an assault rifle, and two SMGs.
"With this and three fuel barrels, it should be enough," Lonely Blade said.
Wind in Sleep nodded. "Lure it in. Dodge thrown objects. Don't go head-on. It's dumb. If it hits the trap, we're halfway there."
"I'll draw it out," Blackstone Hammer King volunteered.
They rotated fire while retreating, successfully leading the Tank into the trap—a pile of flammable debris and three fuel barrels.
As the Tank approached, Shirasawa Yukari detonated the barrels.
Flames engulfed the monster.
The Tank howled in agony, electrifying the crowd.
"There's hope!"
"This might work!"
"It's afraid of fire!"
"Now!"
The flames dealt heavy damage—but not enough to kill it.
The team emptied their remaining ammo. The Tank shielded its head with its arms and hurled two cars in retaliation.
Blackstone Hammer King shoved Wind in Sleep aside, taking the hit himself.
"Black!"
The Tank grabbed him, preparing another brutal execution.
Blood pouring from his mouth, Blackstone Hammer King laughed.
"You idiot. Look at this."
In his hand was a lit homemade explosive.
At the instant the Tank tried to tear him apart—
The fuse burned out.
Boom!
Blackstone Hammer King died heroically.
The already-crippled Tank staggered.
"Damn it!"
"For Black!"
The remaining three reloaded and unleashed a final crossfire.
This was everything they had.
And luck finally favored them.
The massive body collapsed like a toppled mountain.
The Tank—
Was dead.
The battlefield was ruined.
The three survivors stood there, battered and gasping, unable to believe what they had done.
[Adventurer "Blackstone Hammer King" has died. Soul Crystal +1, Mental Energy +3!][Adventurer "Shirasawa Yukari" generated 2 Mental Energy!][Adventurer "Wind in Sleep" generated 2 Mental Energy!][Adventurer "Lonely Blade" generated 2 Mental Energy!][...]
Outside, the watching adventurers fell silent—
Then erupted in cheers.
They won.
For these young adventurers, this was a heart-stopping, unforgettable victory.
A truly legendary first kill.