Chapter Eighty-Two: The Ancient Tree Boss, Old Hu Shows His Skills (First Update)

“In the future, I’ll definitely surpass Zichuan,” Huang Hong said, a proud arc curling at the corner of his lips.

A legendary king among the gun-wielders—one can imagine the upheaval such a player brought to the world of ‘Divine Mourning’. Not only did he reshape the game’s dynamics, but he also altered the very style of professional tournaments. Nightfeather was, of course, familiar with the player known as ‘Zichuan’. This was someone even stronger than many of today’s renowned professionals. Zichuan and his group perfected the synchronization of their skills and attributes with the unique effects of Sacred and Imperial-grade equipment, achieving a flawless one hundred percent compatibility. The power such harmony unleashed was self-evident, enough to awe every onlooker.

Thus, the players of ‘Divine Mourning’ began a frenzy of blind idolization, pursuing Sacred and Imperial gear to a degree that defied explanation. Unconsciously, many believed that as long as they possessed these legendary items, they too could bask in the glory of a legend like Zichuan, their names echoed through eternity. This almost addictive obsession, like a malignant tumor, came to be known among players as the ‘Zichuan Dynasty’.

Afterward, Nightfeather and the others gradually swapped out their old gear for newly forged equipment. The game had an excellent feature: when you equipped new gear, the refinement levels and qualities from your previous equipment would automatically transfer. This greatly reduced the expense for players—a design choice ‘Divine Mourning’ had executed exceptionally well.

Soon after, Nightfeather’s party stepped into the vortex. As anticipated, the instance returned them to their original location—still at the dungeon’s entrance. But from here on, the density of monsters matched what they’d seen in the forest’s depths: swarms everywhere. They had yet to move when they saw, not far off, shadowy figures darting through the woods—massive forms that made one’s heart tremble with dread.

Within minutes, the group felt numb. It had become commonplace to see packs of a dozen or even dozens of monsters moving together. Right at the dungeon entrance, such groups patrolled back and forth. Even more unsettling, a silver beast icon now hovered beside monster names—marking these as elite creatures with distinct levels.

To find so many monsters right at the entrance was rare. Even Old Hu shook his head in disbelief, unable to comprehend why things were this way. Not even in the old servers had he encountered such a situation. If not for the lingering effects of their earlier herbal concoctions, Nightfeather’s team would likely have been ruthlessly slaughtered by these elites, ending in a swift Game Over.

“I never knew ‘Divine Mourning’ had such a mechanic,” Old Hu remarked, watching the monsters pass before them with a rueful shake of his head. “If not for joining you all, I’d never have experienced this effect.”

“It’s almost impossible to survive in the depths of this forest, after all—it’s a grey zone. Even top-tier experts rarely make it this far. On the old servers, these dungeons weren’t even explored until much later in the game. So, seeing this many monsters at once… normally, it’d be hopeless to even try.”

“With a team like yours, your guild must be formidable,” he finished with a smile.

Huang Hong chimed in, laughing, “You think I’m joking? With our third in command holding the fort as the guild’s soul, we breeze through big dungeon raids—ordinary players wouldn’t manage it.”

“But no matter how strong you are, it doesn’t change things for the rest of us. Your fixed team makes all the difference, but what if you’re not around?” Old Hu smiled slightly, tossing the question to the group, catching them off guard.

Yes, everything went smoothly with their ace strategist present, every step calculated to perfection. But what if he wasn’t there?

“Practice and learn more,” Old Hu said, patting Huang Hong’s shoulder.

Soon after, Nightfeather and the others set off again. Before long, fatigue set in, and they had no choice but to light a campfire and rest.

They had already succumbed to fatigue three times along the way—a troublesome situation, to say the least.

“This is already the third time we’ve been fatigued. Seems this dungeon is truly massive.” Nightfeather shook his head with a helpless smile as he started the fire, resigned to their predicament.

“If you’re tired, just say so. We can always continue tomorrow—it’s not a problem,” Old Hu offered. “I’m fine, but you’re all together, right?”

Everyone nodded with a smile. Seeing this, Nightfeather said nothing more, and they pressed on. Their gear was solid, and with a bit of teamwork, Nightfeather was confident in facing whatever lay ahead.

With luck, clearing this dungeon would let everyone upgrade their equipment again, boosting their stats without question. If fortune truly favored them, they might even leap several tiers—and reaching the level cap would be a breeze.

Once the fatigue had worn off, Qu Zheng was sent ahead to scout. Thanks to his talent tree, he gained a 5% boost to all attributes when acting alone, increasing to a maximum of 20% with higher levels—a boon hard to overstate.

“Most minor monsters don’t need to be cleared out. Occasionally, a few can recognize we’re outsiders, but they won’t draw the whole pack. I’ve identified which ones are the problem and taken care of the nearby threats,” Qu Zheng reported upon returning.

“All right, let’s move on,” Nightfeather replied.

They advanced swiftly, and after about half an hour of in-game time, arrived at a vast, open clearing. At its center stood a towering ancient tree, enveloped in faint, mystical light—yet its roots seethed with a sinister black mist. There was not a single other creature in sight. Clearly, this colossal tree was their boss.

“This must be the boss we’re looking for,” Old Hu said, his eyes narrowing.

Nightfeather glanced at him with a lazy air, prompting Old Hu to shake his head with a wry smile. “Eager to see for yourself, are you? In that case, I’ll leave it to your gunners and stealth experts to assist me with support. Healers, just give me a buff.”

…