Hakutsuru Sennin's performance was simply too impressive.
The adventurers were thoroughly fired up by it.
But Nancy Lia, the junior "net admin," grew increasingly uneasy.
This was bad. Very bad.
How could this old man be this strong?
A top-tier adventurer appearing like this was not necessarily good news for a dungeon. She had to report this to the lord as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, several students were busy showering the old man with praise.
"As expected of the old headmaster! Still sharp as ever!"
"I died ten times before barely clearing the beginner stage."
"I've been running team attempts and still haven't beaten Stage One!"
"Everyone used to say you were the strongest adventurer in the whole town. I didn't really believe it before—but now I'm completely convinced!"
"..."
Seeing Hakutsuru Sennin clearly enjoying himself and in a good mood, Shirasawa Yukari took out the Maotai she had prepared in advance.
"Grandpa, since you finally made a move, how about a couple of drinks to celebrate?"
Hakutsuru Sennin had already acknowledged Miracle City's dungeon in his heart. He just hadn't said it out loud yet. Now, catching the faint aroma of fine liquor, the mellow fragrance of a top-tier brew stirred something in him.
"This wine… produced in Miracle City?"
"That's right."
The old man loved good alcohol. But productivity in the adventurer world was low, and Blackstone Town was a poor, remote place. Even with his status, he rarely got to enjoy truly fine liquor.
"A dungeon meant for long-term operation can't rely on good secret realms alone. Basic material output is just as important," he said seriously. "I'll give it a taste."
Excuse secured.
He took a light sip.
The first sensation was smooth and mellow. The liquor spread like silk, without harshness or bite. Then came the deep, aged aroma, rich and layered, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort and flow.
Hakutsuru Sennin's eyes widened.
"This wine is… quite good."
Quite good?
The basic supplies produced by Apocalypse Frenzy were common foods and drinks from Kanzaki Ren's previous life. But in a resource-scarce, post-apocalyptic world, they were absolute luxuries.
Especially after being produced through a secret realm, their quality rose across the board. Even an ordinary bottle of cola tasted several times better than usual.
Hakutsuru Sennin had never drunk anything so rich and lingering.
Frankly speaking, even if Miracle City were just a glorified latrine and all its secret realms were trash, this level of material output alone would still draw adventurers in by the nose.
Top-tier dungeon design.Unique Essence Soul drops.And now even first-rate material quality.
Alright. Enough.
He was fully convinced.
"This wine really is good. I plan to buy a few bottles to take back…" He coughed. "Why are you all looking at me like that? I'm not some drunkard."
Blushing slightly, he explained, "I just happen to have a few old friends who love their drinks. If they like this Maotai, Miracle City might gain a few more retired old bones."
The adventurers' faces lit up.
The old headmaster's friends would surely be veteran, top-tier adventurers as well.
If they came to Miracle City to guide the younger generation, the overall strength of adventurers would skyrocket.
And with these old legends backing it—
Miracle City would explode in popularity.
Shirasawa Yukari chuckled. "So that means you acknowledge Miracle City now, Grandpa?"
Hakutsuru Sennin said slowly, "I admit Apocalypse Frenzy is an excellent secret realm, and this dungeon does have great potential. But…"
"But what?"
"This dungeon has only just begun. There are still many unknowns. It's not necessarily better than established dungeons like Skycloud City or Nine-Star City."
What?
Even now, this stubborn old man was still thinking about those outdated places?
If that was the case, Yukari and the others would never back down, even if it meant falling out completely.
Then—
Hakutsuru Sennin paused.
"So, out of a sense of responsibility," he continued calmly, "I'll stay here personally and help keep an eye on things for you youngsters."
Everyone froze.
Tch. This old fox clearly wasn't done having fun and wanted to keep exploring Apocalypse Frenzy. Yet he dressed it up as duty, as if everyone else were fools.
Of course.
They all saw through it.
But no one said it out loud.
The old headmaster's dignity still had to be respected.
Though Yukari, Nekomi Momo, and the others were secretly mocking him inside, they were also relieved and visibly delighted. At last, they didn't have to hide or worry anymore. They could stay in Miracle City openly and adventure freely.
Even the seasoned old headmaster had been conquered.
That alone proved their judgment was sound.
Miracle City truly was a top-tier dungeon.
"Old Headmaster," Yukari said, "we've already unlocked the second stage. But we haven't challenged it many times yet, and we're not very confident. Could you help us analyze it?"
"Sure."
Hakutsuru Sennin was extremely interested in the dungeon's content.
He was also curious whether Stage Two would bring new changes.
Several adventurer squads immediately organized and launched new challenges.
Among them was a team consisting of Shirasawa Yukari, Nekomi Momo, Solitary Blade, and Kaze Nemuri. They had already made two probing attempts at Stage Two before.
The second stage was still set in a city.
But the scale was larger, and the details were far richer.
The sense of immersion and realism was taken to another level.
As they moved through the streets, scene after scene unfolded before their eyes, constantly evoking images of the city's former prosperity before the disaster.
What was this world like before?
And why had it become this way?
The questions lingered, fueling anticipation for a future story mode that might finally reveal the truth.
Of course, Stage Two also had a much higher chance of special infected spawning. The number of Tanks and Witches had clearly increased, making it significantly harder than Stage One. That was why they hadn't cleared it yet.
This time—
With Hakutsuru Sennin advising from the sidelines—
The efficiency of Kaze Nemuri and Yukari's team improved dramatically.
They looted supplies, cleared zombies, and survived several dangerous encounters. Though the process was tense, they made it through without catastrophe.
After about an hour of exploration—
They followed the main road into a small plaza.
There, they spotted a military armored transport vehicle.
Even more eye-catching was a sealed red safety door not far behind it.
"Look!"
"That's… a safety door?!"
"No doubt about it—that's definitely the safety door!"
"No way! We're already at the clear point?"
"Hahaha! The lord's probably going to cry in the bathroom!"
Not just the four adventurers—even all the spectators were stunned.
Stage Two had only been unlocked for a single day.
Everyone was still in the exploration phase.
No matter how you looked at it, Stage Two was harder than Stage One. How could the clear point be found so easily?
Blackstone Hammer King: "Could this be a design flaw?"
Pig King: "Possible. Dungeon design slip-ups happen all the time. Plenty of dungeons have had this issue."
"Looks like the lord's still a bit green."
"This clear point is way too easy to find!"
White Fawn: "Momo, Yukari, don't overthink it. Just clear it once first. Let Lord Kanzaki learn his lesson and avoid this kind of rookie mistake next time!"
Just as everyone was convinced this was a design oversight—
A mistake caused by Kanzaki Ren's lack of experience—
"Don't be careless."
Hakutsuru Sennin held a different opinion.
Blackstone Hammer King asked, "Old Headmaster, you think something's wrong?"
Hakutsuru Sennin said gravely, "A mistake this crude might appear in any dungeon—but never in Miracle City."
"That's true."
"With Lord Kanzaki's design standards, he wouldn't make such an obvious blunder."
"But either way, since we've found it, we should test it!"
"..."
After a brief discussion, Kaze Nemuri, Solitary Blade, Nekomi Momo, and Shirasawa Yukari unanimously decided to approach the safety door and see what was really going on.
But the moment they stepped onto the plaza—
Before they could even get close—
A dull, heavy impact echoed from inside the transport vehicle.
Bang.
Just one hit, and the metal hull visibly deformed.
The sheer force behind it was terrifying.