Chapter 687: Whispers of a Forbidden Dungeon

Saying that, ‘Where exactly is this so-called dungeon? And you’re telling me it holds special missions inside?’

Inside a sealed metal room, the Rebel Third-Stage spoke coldly. Though his tone dripped with suspicion, his mind couldn’t help but wander into wild possibilities.

If what this squad claims is true, it might just be his golden opportunity to soar to success!

Don’t be fooled by his affiliation with the Safe Zone Military—in these parts, seniority reigns supreme. This is a haven for veteran Third-Stagers, where faction politics are as tangled as they come!

It’s no exaggeration to say that raw talent and strength alone won’t get you far here. Every top officer has a powerful network backing them!

Noticing the rebel’s eager glimmer, Ming Luo quickly fabricated a tale, all while waiting for Yenir to make his move.

“Sir… the dungeon is located roughly 200 kilometers to the southwest of our Battle Zone, nestled deep within the mountains. We stumbled upon it while being chased by a Third-Stage Mutant!”

“It’s a meme dungeon. Inside, there’s an altar, and the Blood Shadow device was spewed forth by a small boss guarding it!”

“We considered ourselves lucky—the meme dungeon is tied to ancient legends, so we accidentally stumbled upon it without needing overwhelming strength.”

“However, we couldn’t complete it. The later stages were too difficult; the final enemy was at least a Third-Stage Advanced! If it weren’t for having to stick close to a particular weapon, we would have been wiped out!”

Ming Luo’s recollection was detailed and convincing, expertly playing to the rebel’s desires.

When greed takes hold, it’s all too easy to be deceived.

Sure enough, as Ming Luo described the dungeon’s ‘features,’ the Rebel Third-Stage’s face suddenly darkened. He hurriedly urged Ming Luo to continue:

“The final challenge was at the Third-Stage Advanced level! Weapon? What weapon!? Did you check its exact grade!?”

He couldn’t help but demand urgently. He hadn’t noticed that during his first move, he’d revealed his weapon was remarkably low-grade—and every word Ming Luo uttered seemed to hit his mark.

“It appears to be a battle axe, at least of Epic quality! And we’ve long suspected that the Blood Shadow device was designed to complement that very weapon!”

“Sir, we actually brought back a whole load of supplies this trip, planning to sell them off so we could hire more people to re-enter the dungeon.”

“Honestly, we were too scared to reveal the Blood Shadow device all at once. Instead, we split it into four portions, each taking a share.”

As soon as the words fell, the interrogated Rebel Third-Stage visibly trembled, a spark of excitement lighting up his features.

Still cautious, he hadn’t yet let go of his doubt.

Yet Ming Luo’s description was simply too tantalizing! His weapon had been acquired when he was a Second-Stage fighter! Otherwise, with the prowess of a Third-Stage Advanced, why would he only be serving as a guard captain?

After a long silence filled with Ming Luo’s feigned apprehension, the man seemed to hesitate before asking in a low voice:

“Aside from you four… no, aside from you four and that kid, who else knows about this message?”

A glimmer of murderous intent flashed in his eyes before vanishing.

Had he been absolutely certain about the truth of this info, in that split second he’d have killed to silence everyone!

A weapon that pairs with a gadget like this is best matched by his very own battle axe. He couldn’t even imagine the surge in power he’d achieve once he got his hands on that weapon—his strength might even skyrocket enough to challenge the Peak Third-Stage!

Noticing the fleeting murderous glint in his eyes, Ming Luo pretended not to see and stammered,

“Sir, this information is exclusive to our squad. As for the outsiders…”

Ming Luo gave a bitter smile, but before he could finish, the Rebel Third-Stage impatiently interjected:

“Forget about the outsiders!”

“Aren’t you planning to request another Third-Stage entry? Don’t bother—the Military will verify it for you!”

Without hiding his own lust for a cut of the deal, the man stood up, his mind racing with plans to maximize his profit.

He couldn’t risk silencing them permanently—killing Ming Luo and the others might be simple, but Yenir was another matter entirely.

Though Yenir was merely a Second-Stage fighter, he was highly valued by the high-ups. Rumor had it that a top-ranking officer would be present tomorrow.

“Once communications are blocked, contact Lin Ming in your squad directly. Just tell him I need to see him!”

“You won’t need to participate in the next test either—just stay here!”

In a cold tone, he made it clear he intended to keep Ming Luo in check.

Before the Rebel Third-Stage could add anything further, a soft laugh rang out from behind him.

“You called for me?”

Hmm!?

His expression changed drastically!

A jolt ran through the man, and he instinctively spun around.

He had made it crystal clear to his subordinates not to let anyone in—so how had someone managed to get inside without him noticing?

Only someone at the Peak Third-Stage level could pull that off!

But even the fastest reaction couldn’t match Yenir’s Mental Shock.

In an instant, a burst of red light exploded. Under the relentless barrage of Yenir’s Mind Storm, within the blink of an eye, the Rebel Third-Stage cried out in agony as blood streamed from his mouth and nose!

Caught completely off guard, he wasn’t even a Third-Stage Advanced—nor could any Peak-level Awakener withstand Yenir’s Mental Shock!

————–

Three minutes later.

Yenir glanced down at the Rebel Third-Stage, now firmly under his control, a trace of exhaustion flashing in his eyes.

Fortunately, the rebel captain’s strength wasn’t all that impressive; under Yenir’s relentless mental onslaught, he was easily subdued.

Without wasting a moment, Yenir barked for the man to stand and quickly demanded:

“What is it inside the metal dome on the 19th level? A Sea Beast or something else?”

As soon as the words hit, Ming Luo and the others stared at the Rebel Third-Stage with dead intensity.

They were desperate to know—what exactly was inside?

After a tense three or four seconds, the recently subdued Otherworldly Ghost Third-Stage began to answer slowly:

“It’s… it’s the Deep Sea Summoner…”

“Not a Sea Beast… it’s… it’s a very peculiar creature.”

“It isn’t truly alive…”

Hmm?

Much to Yenir’s surprise, after the Otherworldly Ghost Third-Stage finished speaking, he paused in confusion.

Not a Sea Beast, and not even something living!?

How could that be? He was sure he heard noises coming from inside!

“Explain! What do you mean by ‘not alive’? Could it be a machine!?”

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