The group traveled westward, walking along the forest path for the entire morning. They encountered many monsters along the way, which they easily dealt with. However, the frequency of monster appearances was too high, and even Zhao Feng, who was known for his stamina, was starting to feel tired. Chen Beipan was already complaining incessantly, and if Zhang Shi hadn't been forcing him, he would have quit long ago.
Finally, before anyone knew it, layers of white mist appeared before them, completely obscuring the scenery ahead and even blocking out the sunlight, causing visibility to drop rapidly.
Zhang Shi had a peculiar obsession with mist, unconsciously equating it with danger. Before anyone could react, Zhang Shi had already unleashed a slash; the sword energy of Shadow Slash arrived in an instant, piercing through the mist and revealing the scenery within.
There's a building!
The moment Ge Dalong was pierced through the mist, he saw the scene inside.
The fog quickly gathered again, obscuring everything ahead. Zhang Shi turned to look at Chen Beipan and asked in a deep voice.
Is this the place?
Chen Beipan looked hesitant, repeatedly checking the map several times.
"I'm not sure if this is the place. There was no fog when I came last time, and I didn't see any buildings either."
Zhao Feng angrily cursed him as a piece of trash, then stepped forward and peered into the mist with his battle axe. Zhang Shi glanced at it briefly with his Dingzhen, and seeing nothing unusual, did not stop him.
The moment Zhao Feng's battle axe came into contact with the mist, the system notification sounded.
Ding! Random copy detected. Do you want to enter?
Zhang Shi was surprised that there was a dungeon within a dungeon, so he checked the detailed description of this dungeon through the system interface.
[Dungeon - Fog City (Gold). This dungeon features monsters of epic quality. There is no limit to the number of players or the time limit. The dungeon contains various fixed and hidden objectives. Survivors will receive rewards and unlock special features upon completing each stage of the objective.]
[You can teleport to the dungeon entrance at any time after disengaging from combat]
[Phase 1 Objective: Team kills 1000 monsters (not achieved), unlocks the teleportation point - Fog City]
Zhang Shi carefully examined the description of the teleportation point and figured out that it was one of the nodes in a huge teleportation array. Survivors could teleport freely between the activated nodes, and the stone tablet and the teleportation gate on the mountaintop of the transfer station should be some of these nodes.
Zhang Shi pondered to himself that this "Mist City" instance was not only of a high level, but also guaranteed to offer rich rewards and the opportunity to unlock teleportation points, which would be extremely beneficial for their future actions. He quickly made a decision and said to everyone, "We're entering this instance. Everyone, please proceed with caution and remain vigilant."
Upon hearing this, Chen Beipan's expression changed slightly, clearly showing fear of the unknown dungeon, but due to Zhang Shi's authority, he could only grit his teeth and follow. Ge Dalong and Zhao Feng, on the other hand, appeared extremely excited, knowing that every challenge was an excellent opportunity to improve their strength.
As the group stepped into the mist, they were instantly swept away by an invisible force. When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves in the ruins of an ancient and mysterious city. This city seemed to have been forgotten by time; its buildings were dilapidated, yet they still exuded an extraordinary aura.
"They are all Western medieval style buildings."
Ge Dalong looked around and exclaimed in amazement.
Zhang Shi also cautiously observed his surroundings and found it unusually quiet. He could sense something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
"Everyone stay close, don't fall behind, or you might get ambushed by monsters."
Zhang Shi realized that the monster might be lurking in the shadows, waiting for them to let their guard down. He whispered a warning.
Everyone nodded and cautiously moved through the city ruins. Soon after, they discovered a hidden entrance to a basement within the ruins of a collapsed temple.
Zhang Shi carefully inspected the entrance with his True Senses and, after confirming there were no traps, led the group inside. The basement was dimly lit, so Zhang Shi lit an oil lamp. By its light, they discovered a wall covered with ancient runes. These runes seemed to record some events and were intricately connected to this instance.
"It seems we've found the right direction," Zhang Shi said softly. He tried to decipher the runes, hoping to find more clues. After some effort, he found the runes extremely familiar; he was certain he had seen them before.
“Take a look at these runes.”
Ge Dalong was searching for clues in the basement when he turned his gaze toward the sound, then his expression froze.
"These aren't runes, they're English letters!"
Zhang Shi was startled, and then he realized what had happened. Because of the carved characters, these letters were angular and sharp, and coupled with his preconceived notions, Zhang Shi mistook these letters for runes.
What's written on it?
Zhang Shi was a poor student, so the translation work had to rely on top students like Ge Dalong and Wu Qing.
"This mentions a place called the 'Well of Souls,' which may have been the site of important ceremonies in the old Fog City, and it's also the target we're looking for next," Ge Dalong explained to everyone.
Just as they left the basement to continue their exploration, a low roar came from the street corner. Immediately afterwards, a large group of half-human, half-beast monsters of various shapes appeared around the street, surrounding the group, clearly attracted by their commotion.
Zhang Dazhuang, wielding a curved sword, stood in front of Zhang Shi, warily watching the monster before him. Chen Beipan, on the other hand, quietly moved to the back of the group.
"Prepare for battle!" Zhang Shi quickly commanded.
A fierce battle ensued, with Zhang Shi shining brightly on the battlefield thanks to his newly acquired epic skill, "Shadow Slash." Each strike was accompanied by the release of a curse effect, causing the monsters immense suffering. Ge Dalong and Zhao Feng also displayed their respective strengths, engaging in a desperate struggle with the monsters.
Although there were many of these monsters, most of them were of high quality and their levels were not high. Zhang Shi and his companions quickly cleared out nearly a hundred monsters and gained a lot of experience.
"Hehe, these monsters have such high experience and are so easy to deal with, I'd like more of them."
Zhao Feng wiped the blood off his battle axe and joked.
Suddenly, the street began to tremble violently. "Treating" wasn't quite accurate; Zhang Shi felt as if the ground was writhing. Yes, writhing. The entire street seemed to transform into a giant, living creature, and the monster corpses scattered on the ground sank into the earth like mud, disappearing without a trace.
A moment later, the street stopped crawling, the ground returned to its flat state, and the entire Fog City fell silent once more.
Zhang Shi then noticed the anomaly. The entire street, and even the buildings and streets of the entire Fog City, had no gaps, as if they were built in one piece using 3D printing, resembling a complete living organism.
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