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Chapter 1055: Echoes of the Wicked: Dangerous Quest

[New Quest Unlocked]

Quest Name: Lair of the Wicked

Quest Description: You have discovered the ancient Lair of the Wicked, sealed by powerful runes long ago. This place is said to house unimaginable darkness and untold dangers. Enter the lair, uncover its secrets, and confront whatever evil lies within. Be warned, the risks are high, and the rewards may be even higher.

Quest Objectives:

Open the ancient stone door. Explore the Lair of the Wicked. Confront and defeat the evil entity within.

Rewards: Rare artifacts, powerful weapons, and significant experience points.

Ding!

[ The system strongly advises the players to not accept the quest, the quest will take place in a pocket dimension and the dangers present are far too high for the players in their current tiers. ]

[ The system advises the players to wait until they reach the Power Realm before accepting the quest, with Tier VII being the minimum realm the system recommends for one to undertake this quest. ]

Ding!

[ Warning, the door is siphoning power from player Reign, the system strongly advises him to step away from the door and keep a distance of meters from it, otherwise the door might open by itself and the quest will be forcefully accepted. ]

Ding!

[ Warning, the door is siphoning power from … ]

Reign quickly jumped back as he felt the door take his mana. It was an incredibly uncomfortable sensation, and he knew right away that something was wrong, even without the system notifying him.

"Everyone, step back!" Reign shouted, his voice echoing through the cavern. The team immediately complied, sensing the urgency in his tone. They retreated several meters away from the door, watching as it stopped glowing.

"What was that?" Wolf asked, his eyes narrowing at the door.

Reign took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "The door was siphoning my mana, and the system gave a warning about the dangers inside."

"Yeah, it advised that we wait until we're at least Tier VII before attempting to open it." Shadow said with his eyes narrowing at the door.

"Monsters of the Power Realm are inside, huh?" Tank asked with a wide smile on his face. "Seems like we already know where to go after we evolve further."

"A pocket dimension, that will definitely serve well for hunting, but I wonder just how dangerous it is, after all, the system mentioned that Tier VII is the minimum realm that it recommends, does that mean that there are monsters of higher realms present inside as well?" Beast asked in a slightly worried tone as the others nodded their heads, thinking of the same thing as him.

"Just how many things are present in this underground area, why the hell would the system place something so dangerous here?" Laura asked as she stared at the door.

"I mean, if it can just siphon mana from others, shouldn't it be able to take the mana from some monsters and open itself?"

"No, it seems to have only taken my mana, did any of you sense your mana being drained by it?" Reign asked as the others shook their heads.

"That means only I was affected, and I think we all know why."

"So, it is connected to the Nephilim, is that why the system placed it here so that you could come across it?" Shadow asked Reign who shrugged his shoulders.

"Who knows, the system works in odd ways, but it is highly possible that it placed the door here because of me, at least, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case."

Reign sighed, looking back at the stone door. "It's definitely something we need to deal with, but not now, we have other priorities."

The team agreed, each one feeling a mix of curiosity and trepidation about the lair behind the door. They took one last look at the ominous entrance before turning to leave, their minds already on their next objectives.

As they continued to explore the underground desert, their focus shifted back to training and finding more resources. The days were filled with battles against various monsters, each fight honing their skills and pushing them closer to their goal of reaching Tier VII.

Aelrinder's new spear proved to be an invaluable asset, its power and precision making a significant difference in their encounters. The team noticed his improvement and was glad they had made the right decision to give him the essence of the Guardian.

Weeks passed, and the team grew stronger with each expedition. They encountered new types of monsters, some more challenging than others, but their teamwork and determination saw them through every battle. They gathered rare materials and artifacts, storing them away for future use.

One evening, as they sat around a campfire in one of the safer areas of the underground desert, Reign called a meeting to discuss their progress.

Thanks to the weeks they spent in the underground, their strength had increased by leaps, they were now all at the peak of Tier VI, incredibly close to reaching the very peak of the realm and becoming Tier VII combatants.

"We've come a long way," Reign began, his eyes scanning the faces of his team. "Our strength has increased significantly, and we've gathered a lot of valuable resources."

"But we still have a long way to go," Shadow added, his voice thoughtful. "Nicholas is out there, and we need to be ready for him."

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Mia nodded. "We've made great progress, but we can't let our guard down, we need to keep pushing ourselves."

"We also need to start thinking about how to use the materials we've gathered," Laura said, her eyes reflecting the firelight. "We have enough to create some powerful weapons and armor."

Reign agreed. "Let's start by identifying what we need most. Aelrinder has his spear, but what about the rest of us?"

"What upgrades do we need to maximize our strength?"

The team spent the next hour discussing their needs and preferences. Each member shared their thoughts on what type of weapon or armor would best suit their abilities. Adrian's craftsmanship and the materials they had collected would be crucial in creating these new items.

Reign summarized their discussion. "Alright, we'll start with these upgrades."

"Adrian will help us craft what we need. In the meantime, we'll continue our training and exploration."

The team nodded, their determination renewed. They knew that every step they took brought them closer to their goal. With a clear plan in mind, they settled in for the night, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

The following morning, they returned to Doncaster and met with Adrian. Reign presented their plans, detailing the specific weapons and armor each team member needed.

Adrian listened carefully, nodding as he took notes. "I can work with these materials to create what you're asking for, it'll take some time, but you'll have what you need."

"Thank you, Adrian," Reign said. "Your skills are invaluable to us."

Adrian grunted, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You lot keep bringing me interesting challenges. It's good to see my work put to such use."

"Huh?" Reign and the others suddenly all stared at Adrian, their eyes not leaving him at all.

"What?"

"Are … are you alright, do you feel unwell?" Reign asked Adrian who smiled dangerously at them.

"What exactly do you mean, kid?"

"I mean, you smiled at us for bringing you new orders, are you sure you're feeling fine?"

"We can wait for a bit, you don't need to start making the items right now, at least not while you're not feeling good," Shadow said from the side with a concerned expression, causing Adrian's dangerous smile to widen as a dangerous aura started covering him.

"You damned brats, I tried being nice once and this is how you treat me, huh?!"

The team couldn't help but laugh at Adrian's reaction. The tension of their recent battles and the weight of their quest were momentarily lifted by the humorous exchange. Adrian's gruff demeanor was something they had all grown accustomed to, and seeing him react this way was oddly comforting.

"Alright, alright," Reign said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "We'll stop teasing, we appreciate everything you do for us, Adrian."

Adrian grumbled but the dangerous aura dissipated. "Just make sure you lot don't get yourselves killed out there, I put a lot of work into your gear."

The team nodded, their expressions turning serious. They knew the risks they faced, but they also knew that they had come too far to turn back now. With Adrian's help, they would be better equipped to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

They would continue exploring the underground while they waited for their items to be completed, and then, they would change locations.

They had put it off for quite some time, but it was time for them to explore New York.

They initially planned on waiting till they reached Tier VII, but certain matters needed their attention, and they had to go to New York for that.