Blackstone Town was the lowest-tier adventurer settlement.
Every year, hundreds or even nearly a thousand new dungeons appeared, yet the total number that survived at any given time barely held at five or six hundred. Most dungeons either collapsed financially or were outright destroyed by darkspawn.
That was why second-tier monsters were extremely rare in Blackstone Town.
For a newly established dungeon like Miracle City to reveal a second-tier monster in its very first mystic realm was nothing short of exhilarating.
To put it bluntly, if the Tracker were taken on its own and placed into any other small or mid-sized dungeon in Blackstone Town, it would be more than enough to serve as that dungeon's signature attraction, or even be packaged as its official mascot.
A single monster could carry an entire city's popularity.
That was how valuable it was.
White Fawn exclaimed,"Lord Kanzaki Ren really knows how to keep things hidden. With a monster like that, he never even hyped it beforehand. This could've been the dungeon's headline attraction!"
Wool Warrior nodded vigorously."Exactly. That reveal was massive. No one was mentally prepared for it."
Blackstone Hammer King couldn't help chiming in."Then let me ask you this. Is it possible… that this isn't even Miracle City's strongest monster?"
Pig King shook his head immediately."No way. Absolutely no way. A rookie lord pulling out a monster like that already borders on absurd talent. If he had something even stronger, he'd be breaking the sky by now."
"I don't think it's impossible."
"This is only the second stage."
"I'm not daring to hope for more. Lord Kanzaki Ren's performance so far already puts him among the most gifted lords I've ever seen. If he doesn't get wiped out and keeps growing, we'll definitely see even crazier things."
"Let's focus on how to get that second-tier soul core first."
"Exactly."
"That's the real key."
"…"
As the adventurers debated excitedly, Nancy Liya finally let out a long breath of relief.
No wonder the lord was always so calm. He had been holding a trump card all along. Judging by the Tracker's performance inside the mystic realm, it was more than enough to block adventurers at the second stage.
As long as the realm wasn't fully cleared, Miracle City could maintain its popularity and continue drawing adventurers in, growing stronger day by day.
Of course—
She couldn't let her guard down.
Nancy Liya quietly blended into the crowd, eavesdropping on discussions and tactics, planning to report everything back to the lord so countermeasures could be prepared to ensure the dungeon's maximum benefit and long-term profitability.
Nekomi Momo asked anxiously,"Headmaster, that monster's physical strength rivals a Tank zombie, and it's wearing bulletproof armor. How are we supposed to defeat something like that?"
"With your current skill and technical level, defeating it directly and speed-clearing the second stage is almost impossible," White Crane Adept replied.
He continued calmly,"However, in my opinion, Lord Kanzaki Ren is an artist at heart. He would never design an unsolvable challenge. You must learn to find answers within his hints and design philosophy."
"What does that mean?"
The younger adventurers looked confused.
White Crane Adept guided them patiently."Why would the lord deliberately place the exit in such an obvious, easy-to-find location?"
Nekomi Momo blurted out,"It's a trap!"
"Not enough. Think deeper."
After a few seconds of thought, Shirasawa Yukari said,"The focus of this stage isn't finding the safe door."
Wind-in-Slumber's eyes lit up."I get it. It's a trap, yes, but also a direct hint from the lord."
Lonely Blade suddenly realized,"He's telling us not to take shortcuts. No matter how many times we try, brute forcing it is pointless."
Blackstone Hammer King nodded hard."So instead of chasing the exit, we should fully explore the second-stage city."
White Crane Adept smiled with approval."Correct. That monster is difficult, but knowing the lord's style, there must be a way to defeat it. If I'm not mistaken, the solution is hidden somewhere within the city."
The adventurers finally understood.
Raging Chick shouted,"That's totally Lord Kanzaki Ren's style!"
Lone Wolf agreed."He's said it himself. He never designs unwinnable dungeons. The answer must be somewhere in the second-stage map."
"Our strategy is clear now!"
"Hahaha, Lord Kanzaki Ren probably expected us to smash our heads against the wall dozens of times before realizing this. Turns out we understand him better than he thought!"
"All thanks to the headmaster!"
"…"
Nancy Liya's brows knotted tightly.
Damn it. These adventurers were too sharp. They figured out the lord's intent far too quickly.
Especially that White Crane Adept. Without his guidance, these hard-headed adventurers would've died dozens of times before even considering a tactical shift.
Now that they had the correct approach, how much potential revenue would Miracle City lose?
It would even shorten the lifespan of the Apocalypse Frenzy stage mode itself.
No good.
That old man was far too dangerous.
This had to be reported to the lord immediately.
Nancy Liya was truly exhausting herself for Miracle City's sake.
After reorganizing their thoughts, the adventurers launched another wave of attempts. This time, four full teams challenged the second stage simultaneously, deliberately avoiding the plaza and beginning a carpet-style exploration.
The city was filled with danger.
Zombie hordes and special infected were everywhere, and the difficulty far surpassed the first stage.
Yet the exploration itself was immensely enjoyable.
The second-stage environment was larger, richer, and packed with everyday details. As they explored, adventurers felt they were gradually uncovering the world's past.
For example—
From the layout and condition of residential apartments, they could piece together the daily lives of families before the disaster, reconstructing fragments of stories from before and after the collapse.
Or—
From zombies wearing protective suits, along with ambulances, quarantine vehicles, and wire-fenced barricades scattered throughout the streets, they could tell that organized resistance had once taken place, but ultimately failed.
These environmental narratives.
These fragmented clues.
Left many adventurers fascinated.
Not all adventurers chased profit alone.
Many sought adventure itself.
"This world feels so alive."
"Every corner seems to have a story. No building feels like meaningless decoration. There's text, records, data everywhere. It's a massive treasure trove."
"Exactly."
"Mysterious and fresh at the same time."
"I just want to know what really happened before the disaster."
"From the materials collected so far, we can already infer some things."
"I think this was once an extremely advanced civilization, with unique technology, a massive population, and a thriving culture. It seems to have been destroyed by a catastrophic plague."
"As for how that plague started, we still don't know."
"…"
An adventurer known as Lightchaser Wanderer was discussing the Apocalypse Frenzy world with his companions.
He was no ordinary player. Long active on the forums, he specialized in analyzing dungeon lore and deciphering hidden clues, earning a reputation as a hardcore lore analyst.
Compared to material rewards, adventurers like him valued compelling stories far more.
At that moment, White Crane Adept joined the discussion.
"I believe the plague in the Apocalypse world may not have been a natural disaster," he said. "It could have been man-made."
Lightchaser Wanderer asked eagerly,"Headmaster, what makes you think that?"
"There are already many hints," White Crane Adept replied."For instance, that elite monster in the second stage looks more like a manufactured weapon than a natural mutation."
"That's true!"
"Could there be a hidden evil force behind this world?"
"Some details definitely suggest that."
"I hope the story mode comes out soon."
"Only then can we fully investigate and uncover the truth."
"…"
Lightchaser Wanderer was completely captivated by the Apocalypse Frenzy world.
He urgently wanted to uncover its past and secrets. To that end, he began gathering like-minded adventurers to form the Miracle City Investigation Team.
Observing all this, White Crane Adept's eyes reflected genuine appreciation.
Though he had never met the lord in person, he could feel the man's talent and ambition.
These days, dungeon lords across the land were filled with malice, obsessed with exploiting adventurers.
Their dungeons were crude, uncreative, riddled with cheap tricks and despicable designs.
Whether due to limited ability or a complete lack of artistic pursuit, they cared only about maximizing short-term gains, turning their dungeons into nothing more than gambling dens meant to harvest players.
Such dungeons deserved to collapse.
Only lords who truly cared about their creations—who possessed real talent—could earn adventurers' respect and loyalty.
Only such lords…
Were worth fighting for.
White Crane Adept couldn't help recalling his own past.
And that once-promising dungeon that had ultimately fallen into ruin…
He had never truly moved on from it.
Now, with Miracle City's sudden rise, he finally saw the emergence of a lord with genuine vision and perhaps even greater potential.
This was a blessing for Blackstone Town.
And even more so, for these young adventurers.
He eagerly anticipated how far this dungeon would go, and whether it could one day create a mystic realm even greater than Apocalypse Frenzy.