As Kaito once again distributed the equipment, many team members immediately swapped out their older gear for the new drops. The excitement was especially clear on Lucian's face, fortune had favored him most. Among the nineteen pieces of Mysterious Iron equipment, two belonged to the Fire Breath Set, designed exclusively for fire elemental mages.
The Fire Breath Set was considered the apex of all level 15 mage equipment. Equipping just two pieces granted a powerful set effect, raising the level of Infernal Arrow by one. Lucian's Infernal Arrow was already at level 4. With the new equipment, it instantly advanced to level 5, and its destructive power increased by a massive leap.
Hiroto's luck was not far behind. He obtained a gleaming Mysterious Iron Shield, its surface lined with faint runes that pulsed with defensive energy. After equipping it, his defense rose far beyond what he had previously relied on, giving the frontline an even sturdier backbone.
Although the team was thrilled with their gains, Kaito only gave the equipment a glance before shaking his head indifferently. None of these items truly attracted his attention—only the Mana Cores were worth noting.
At that moment, Mei Rin approached him, curiosity in her voice.
"Brother Kaito, why don't you take this Bronze equipment for Swordsmen? Even if you're wearing Silver gear, these are still level 15 items."
But even after hearing her suggestion, Kaito's expression remained calm and detached.
"The attributes of this equipment are almost the same as what I'm currently using. There's no point in changing. I'll store these in the guild's warehouse. When I obtain something more powerful, I'll swap it then."
With that, he stored the leftover equipment and items into his inventory. Afterward, he turned back to the group.
"Everyone should rest and recover. We'll move forward in just two minutes. Any longer, and new Wraith soldiers may arrive."
The party nodded and settled down, drinking potions and catching their breath.
...
Meanwhile, outside the Misty Palace, chaos reigned among the players attempting to follow in Kaito's footsteps. Using the guide he had uploaded, countless guilds and independent players managed to cross the Mist Illusion Formation in the Misty Valley and arrive at the palace's entrance. Many pushed onward and began exploring the maze within.
But success was rare. Again and again, guilds charged into the dungeon, only to meet with disastrous results. Parties were wiped out by illusions or ambushed by the relentless Wraith soldiers. Some groups died so many times that their members suffered crippling experience loss, forcing them to give up their conquests entirely. For weaker guilds, the Misty Palace became a nightmare rather than an opportunity.
Only a handful of the stronger guilds continued pressing deeper, slowly carving a path into the dungeon bit by bit. Yet even with their strength, two hours after Kaito's team had first entered, not a single group had managed to clear the palace.
The failures eventually cooled the frenzy. Even the major guilds halted their reckless charges and began calmly analysing the information they had gathered, trying to formulate proper strategies instead of rushing blindly.
It was at this point that Storm Life and Crimson Rose arrived at the Misty Palace entrance. Previously, they had delayed their assault in order to properly form their teams and prepare. They had also made special arrangements to acquire the rare Lumina Sight Potions, a necessity inside the dungeon where vision was heavily restricted.
At first, they discovered the market nearly empty of these potions and their recipes, the scarcity causing their prices to skyrocket. But both guilds quickly realized that this shortage might have Kaito's hand behind it. Remembering their prior dealings, they reached out to kaito's second uncle directly. As expected, he provided them with Lumina Sight Potions. Thanks to their existing contract with Kaito, they were able to purchase them at only ninety percent of the market price.
Fully prepared, both guilds now stood at the threshold of the Misty Palace, determined to make their own mark on the dungeon.
...
Inside the dungeon, Kaito and his party rose to their feet after their brief rest. Two minutes had passed, their mana fully restored by recovery potions. Every member was back at full condition, their weapons gleaming faintly in the misty light.
"Let's move," Kaito ordered calmly.
Without hesitation, the team tightened formation and followed him deeper into the shadowed halls of the Misty Palace.
Kaito and his team pressed deeper into the mist-laden halls, cutting their way through the maze. After two more bloody skirmishes with groups of Wraith Soldiers, they finally arrived at a chamber unlike any they had seen so far.
The room opened wide into a mausoleum-like hall, its walls lined with fire torches lit with eerie blue flames. Shadows danced across the stone floor as the cold flames flickered, giving the place an ominous, deathly glow. From this chamber, several paths branched out, all leading deeper into the maze.
The journey here had not been without reward. The two small massacres along the way had yielded more than fifty pieces of equipment, piles of materials, and another handful of level 0 Mana Cores. The team's strength had risen considerably as a result. Hiroto in particular had surpassed the 400 defense threshold, his newly equipped Mysterious Iron Shield reinforcing his bulk. Now, even under the heavy strikes of the Wraith Soldiers, he could take at least two direct hits head-on without collapsing. Confidence stirred among the group until they looked ahead.
This underground room, situated at the central nexus of the maze, was no ordinary chamber. Every team that wished to advance deeper had to pass through here. But blocking the way was not another patrol, nor a mob of soldiers. It was something far worse.
Standing at the very center of the chamber, atop a glowing magic circle, was a towering figure. A knight-like Wraith, more than three meters tall, encased in pitch-black armor. Its presence dominated the hall. In its gauntleted hands it held a massive greatsword engraved with sinister runes, the blade so long it pierced into the stone floor beneath. The knight stood perfectly still, yet its very existence radiated a suffocating pressure, as though daring anyone to step forward.
The team froze. Their eyes instinctively flickered with the glow of Observation Skills as they tried to read its details.
A moment later, the results appeared before them and even Kaito's cousins, veterans who had braved the Echo Flame Sovereign, felt their complexions drain pale.
If this monster was truly only a sub-boss according to kaito, then its attributes were already equal to or perhaps even stronger than, the Echo Flame Sovereign, the final Lord-ranked boss of Echoing Deep.
A wave of fear swept through the party. Cold breaths hissed sharply in the silence. Just imagining what awaited them at the true final boss of this dungeon made their scalps tingle.
The chamber grew eerily quiet. The only sound was the faint crackle of the blue flames. No Wraith Soldiers lingered here; only this black-armored knight, unmoving yet oppressive.
After several tense moments, Hiroto broke the silence, his voice heavy with uncertainty.
"Brother Kaito… what do we do now? Even if this is just a sub boss, it's too terrifying. With our current strength, I don't think it's possible to kill it."
On the other side, Suzune bit her lip, her tone laced with helplessness.
"It seems we won't be able to clear this dungeon after all."
Kaito's other cousins exchanged grim looks, their earlier excitement now swallowed by dread. Attempting something they knew was impossible would be nothing short of folly.
"Are we just going to give up here?" Aika's soft voice trembled. Her long lashes fluttered as her gaze lingered on the towering figure of the knight. They had fought through so much, pushing step by step through the maze, only to be stopped here. To retreat now felt like betrayal of their own determination.
But as their eyes returned to the monster's details, despair sank deeper into their hearts.
...
[Wraith General]
(Lord Rank)
Level: 15
HP: 120,000 / 120,000
…..
Not only was its health staggering, but the words Lord Rank themselves carried a weight that made players tremble. Every adventurer knew what that meant.
A Lord-ranked monster always had a single aspect that was terrifying beyond all reason—whether it be raw strength, inhuman speed, or overwhelming magic. Judging by the aura alone, there was no doubt which category this monster belonged to.
Its iron-like muscles swelled beneath the black armor, its every movement promising catastrophic force. The pitch-black greatsword, taller than an ordinary man, gleamed with malevolent runes, its tip gouging deep scars into the floor. Even without crossing blades, every instinct in the party screamed: there was no way to overpower this foe head-on.
The Wraith General stood motionless, but its presence alone pressed down on them like a suffocating weight. And the team, for the first time since entering the Misty Palace, began to doubt whether clearing this dungeon was even possible.