“Yezi, Candy~”
“Otaku Ayuan, got any more gal game recommendations like the last one?”
“Forget gals—emergency! Anyone finish the math homework? Let me copy it!”
Since they were already at the forest ruins, Xiaoquan’s group quickly found them. Their twelve-person team had a solid mix of classes, a standard setup for the dungeon.
Being from the same school, though not formally introduced due to the semester not starting, they’d gotten to know each other through class group chats and had a pretty good relationship.
Out of respect for their friends, Zhiye’s group didn’t pry too much into why Xiaoquan’s team wiped on easy mode, despite their curiosity. They just exchanged quick greetings.
Since Xiaoquan’s team had already tackled the dungeon and knew more about it, they handed command to their leader, Trigonometric Function.
“We need to warm up too, so how about we stick with easy mode this time?” Yichen suggested.
“No, let’s go with normal mode.”
Unexpectedly, Trigonometric Function shot down the idea.
Catching the skeptical looks—mostly from Zhiye and her group—he coughed awkwardly. “Last time was just a fluke. We’re absolutely prepared this time.”
But with their wipe on easy mode as a precedent, his words lacked conviction, especially under the doubtful stares from Zhiye and company.
“Don’t worry, there won’t be any accidents this time.”
“Yeah, we’ve got to redeem ourselves!”
“The biggest mistake last time was you, wasn’t it?”
The others’ enthusiastic support convinced Zhiye’s group after a brief hesitation.
System: Enter the dungeon – Black Prison Forest?
Yes.
System: Select dungeon difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard, Nightmare, Abyss.
Normal.
With the selection, a white light enveloped the team, and they vanished from the dungeon entrance, blending into the flashes of other teams entering, unnoticed.
When they opened their eyes, they stood in a lush forest. Though rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy, they couldn’t fully dispel the faint, ominous air lingering around.
Xiaoquan’s team, having been through this before, quickly adjusted. Zhiye’s group, however, looked around curiously until Trigonometric Function took charge.
“Let’s head deeper. Normal mode shouldn’t be much different from easy. The first part is probably the task trigger point.”
No one objected. The team moved forward in formation—warriors and paladins in front, damage dealers in the back.
They hadn’t gone far when, as Trigonometric Function predicted, they encountered a situation: a seven-person guard squad fighting a group of treants in a forest clearing.
Clearly, the guards were no match for these ferocious monsters, mutated by the forest’s anomaly. Their scratched leather armor and numerous wounds screamed their desperate need for aid.
A timely system prompt confirmed this.
System: Dungeon Task [Support the Investigation Team] activated.
No need for Trigonometric Function’s orders—everyone knew what to do. Melee fighters charged forward to draw aggro, while the backline unleashed their strongest attacks on the monsters.
Zhiye’s group, though a half-step slower, quickly caught up. Bullhead and Galaxy Vast, the shield warrior and paladin, raised their shields, taking some pressure off the front.
“We’ll handle the right side,” Yichen said to Trigonometric Function.
“Got it.” Knowing they had their own synergy, he didn’t micromanage.
Twenty-odd monsters looked intimidating, but with the team’s coordination and the guards’ help, they easily dispatched the treants maddened by the forest’s anomaly.
It was just an appetizer for a level 8 normal-mode dungeon. Failing this would’ve been too humiliating.
On the grass littered with broken vines, the guard squad’s paladin captain, Sean, instructed his deputy to tend to the wounded before approaching the team.
“Brave adventurers, I’m Sean, captain of the Seventh Investigation Team. Thanks to your help, we survived those monsters’ attacks. Please accept my sincerest gratitude.”
“No need for thanks, Captain Sean. We’re here on the same investigation task. Helping each other is only natural,” Trigonometric Function replied, engaging in formal game dialogue.
“You’re also investigating the Black Prison Forest’s anomaly?” Sean looked surprised.
“Yes, but we know nothing about the situation. Has Captain Sean found any clues?”
Sean’s expression turned odd, almost hesitant. “To be honest, while investigating deeper in the forest, we encountered a pitch-black Treant Lord. The trees and land ensnared by its roots lost all vitality. We believe it’s closely tied to the forest’s anomaly, so we fought it. Unfortunately, we lost, and my team and I were injured.”
“Where’s that monster now? We can help take it down.”
“It’s very powerful. Don’t approach it without absolute confidence, young adventurers. You’d best retreat and let the guards handle it.”
Retreating was obviously not an option.
“No, we can’t predict what might happen. The Treant Lord’s existence is a constant threat,” Trigonometric Function said with a righteous air. “For the people of Soma Town, for the Goddess of Light, we have no reason to back down.”
The clichéd but effective speech clearly struck a chord with the NPC. Sean’s resolute face showed admiration, and his address shifted.
“Honored adventurers, your spirit is admirable. Follow this path southwest, and you’ll find the monster. I must lead my team back to recover, so I can’t assist you directly, but please take this. I found it at an altar in the Treant Lord’s domain. My instincts tell me it’s important.”
System: Dungeon Task “Investigate the Treant Lord’s Domain” activated.
System: Obtained item “Broken Cross.”
Broken Cross
Level Requirement: None
Stats: Defense +30, Strength +10, Resilience +10, HP +150, increases healing received by 10%.
Usage Restriction: Only usable within the Black Prison Forest dungeon; disappears upon leaving.
Otaku Ayuan glanced at the item’s stats and then at Bullhead’s sturdy frame. “Tch, with this HP and stat boost, even I could tank up front.”
“Then I’ll announce in the team channel that we’re swapping roles,” Galaxy Vast, tired of eating hits in the front, said eagerly.
“Stop messing around, you two. But seriously, how did they wipe last time? With this cross and easy mode, there’s no way they should’ve failed,” Zhiye said, focusing on another issue.
“Just ask,” White Rabbit Candy said, tugging at a delicate girl from the other team. “Xiaoquan, how’d you guys wipe last time?”
“Well…” Xiaoquan glanced at her captain before explaining quietly.
Through her explanation, Zhiye’s group got the gist: they underestimated the easy-mode Black Prison Forest dungeon, breezed through to the boss, found it unbeatable, and wiped. Only then did they realize they needed to complete side quests to weaken the boss.
“There are side quests?”
Zhiye hadn’t expected an easy-mode dungeon to have such requirements, but her curiosity was piqued. “What kind of tasks?”
White Rabbit Candy and the others looked over, clearly curious too.
Just as Xiaoquan struggled to explain, a sudden burst of coughing echoed nearby, making her eyes light up. “That’s it—you’ll see soon enough.”