The first clear victory.
For the adventurers, this was a historic moment.
Nanshiriya stood amid the cheering crowd, emotions tangled.
She had to admit it.
This entire adventure had been thrilling, intense, and full of twists.
The sheer quality and brilliance behind the design of Stage Two of the Frenzy Apocalypse far exceeded anything anyone could have imagined.
The secret realms she knew… and the ones in Miracle City… were like two different worlds entirely.
This wasn't just a dungeon.
It was art.
As a spectator, she felt like she had just watched an epic drama unfold.
She would never forget the sight of tens of thousands of zombies flooding the streets like a tidal wave, nor the image of an adventurer manning a heavy multi-barrel gun, mowing down the undead in a storm of flesh and blood.
Too grand.
Too shocking.
Did such weapons truly exist?
Could they be produced in reality?
If the territory could equip just a few of those heavy cannons, it could crush nearly every early-stage threat and repel any invading force.
As for the adventurers…
They adapted quickly, fought bravely, stayed calm under pressure, and made the correct decisions in split seconds.
Though she hated to admit it, they deserved this glorious victory.
But what she feared most… still happened.
A dungeon of this level—high difficulty, top-tier design—should logically take days or even weeks of repeated trial and error. Dozens or hundreds of deaths per person.
Only then should a clear attempt happen.
Yet now…
From unlocking to clearing the stage…
It hadn't even been three full days.
Too fast.
For a territory hoping to run long-term operations, this was not exactly great news. She wondered how Kanzaki Ren would react upon hearing it.
Of course, little Chaser had done its best.
It wasn't that the territory's elite general didn't work hard.
It was simply that these adventurers were too cunning and too difficult to deal with!
Suddenly, the adventurers burst into another wave of cheers, making Nanshiriya's expression tighten.
"A soul dropped!"
"A soul dropped!"
"Everyone come look! The Old Master got a soul drop—and it's the Pursuer's!"
"What?!"
"Already?!"
"Let me see!"
The crowd swarmed.
[Pursuer Soul] — Two-star white soul!
"So it was an elite monster!"
"A genuine two-star quality item!"
Everyone's faces lit with delight.
White Crane Hermit had once reached the fourth tier, but was now only first tier.
For a first-tier adventurer to get a soul drop from a higher tier wasn't impossible… but the odds were tiny.
Even so, the Frenzy Apocalypse still produced this precious soul.
A tremendous surprise and encouragement—not just for White Crane Hermit, but for every adventurer present.
"Not bad."
"Faster than expected."
Kanzaki Ren received the news immediately. He was thrilled.
The very first second-tier soul in Miracle City!
If he could reclaim it…
He would secure true high-end combat power.
Forget crushing the goblins occupying Blackbone Camp.
He could even go toe-to-toe with the Dark Lord Bloodthroat.
So Kanzaki Ren appeared personally in the secret-realm hall.
As expected, the villagers-turned-adventurers could barely contain their smug grins.
"Lord Kanzaki!"
"Couldn't sit still, huh?"
"Let's see if you can still smile this time. Another one of your elites got defeated—after the Tank and the Witch!"
"Not that you're weak… we're just too strong!"
"Don't feel bad. Keep working hard. We believe in you!"
"No need to force a smile. It's okay for a man to cry!"
The adventurers eagerly searched Kanzaki Ren's face for frustration.
This was their favorite pastime—teasing the dungeon lord.
But once again…
They were disappointed.
Kanzaki Ren remained calm, smiling lightly.
As if he'd never worried about his monsters being defeated.
"Clearing the flamethrower Pursuer so quickly is impressive. Congratulations on your progress." Kanzaki Ren paused, then continued:
"However, even though you cleared Stage Two in only two days, you're still quite far from fully exploring the secret realm. There's much more ahead—so you'll need to work harder."
Smiles froze.
Blackstone Hammer King blurted, "What does that mean? You got more monsters waiting?!"
Angry Chick sputtered, "No way! The Frenzy Apocalypse is already the biggest first-tier dungeon in Blackstone Town!"
Wind-Sleeps-In-The-Breeze asked, "You mean… Stage Three has something even stronger than the Pursuer?"
Country bumpkins would always be country bumpkins.
They had no idea.
Kanzaki Ren replied calmly:
"I cannot reveal too much. But the Frenzy Apocalypse is far from reaching its limit. And no—the Pursuer is definitely not the strongest monster in the realm."
"What?!"
"There's something stronger?!"
"Stage Two was already insane!"
"Don't tell me Stage Three is even harder!"
Bright-Moon-Over-Snow's eyes widened. "So Stage Three isn't even the final stage?!"
Nekomi Momo gasped. "Lord Kanzaki, just how many stages are you planning?!"
Kanzaki Ren began dropping hints:
"The exact number cannot be disclosed.
But I guarantee every stage will have entirely new designs and brand-new monsters.
Stage Three is only the beginning.
From that point onward… each stage will connect directly with storyline quests and other gameplay modes.
In short—the more stages you clear, the more story you unlock, and the more gameplay modes become available.
So please continue working hard."
Everyone went blank.
"Hold on… is Lord Kanzaki's inspiration bottomless? How does he have so many ideas?!"
"This is amazing!"
"Forget three stages! Give us thirty!"
"Is this young lord even human? Does he not have a creative limit?!"
"We need MORE secret realms like this! Lord Kanzaki, when's the next update?!"
The adventurers quickly shifted from shock… to excitement.
Some suspected he was bragging.
But secretly, every single one of them hoped he was telling the truth.
After all, adventurers were like locusts—devouring one dungeon after another.
Who would ever complain about too much content?
More was always better.
Rich content meant more visitors.
More content meant contracted adventurers would feel secure.
The stronger the foundation, the brighter the future of Miracle City.
Nanshiriya had been sulking earlier after seeing the Pursuer defeated.
But hearing Kanzaki Ren speak now… her eyes lit up.
If he wasn't bluffing, he might be the most talented lord she'd ever heard of.
And something told her he wasn't bluffing.
Though she had only been in Miracle City a short while, she already sensed how unfathomable Kanzaki Ren was.
Bright, honest, and never one to speak empty words.
Which explained…
Why he remained calm through every breakthrough the adventurers achieved.
They kept firing more questions, trying to pry out more details.
Kanzaki Ren would soon try persuading them to hand over the Pursuer Soul, so he didn't mind tossing out a bit more bait.
The adventurers asked most eagerly:
When will new stages be released?
Truly greedy creatures.
They weren't even done with existing content, and already they were begging for more.
Kanzaki Ren answered:
"The Frenzy Apocalypse still has vast potential, but I will not create further stages until you clear Stage Three and complete two storyline chapters.
However… I will be dedicating my time to preparing the second secret realm."
He withheld details about further Frenzy Apocalypse content…
But he dropped news of an entirely new dungeon.
Instantly sending shockwaves through the crowd.