Legend of Mir 2: Seeking the Truth in Marfa

"Hahahaha, I was wondering why the sheep in Tucheng were bleating so cheerfully this morning. Turns out it's a sign that I'm going to meet two fellow villagers!" The warrior laughed heartily as he chopped down the Clawworm. Then, turning around and cupping his fists, he said, "From Biqi Border Village, a level 2 warrior. So handsome!"

"Bichi Ginkgo Village, level 27 Taoist priest, Brook." Brook also saluted in return.

"Venomous Snake Valley Village, Level 27 Mage, Bayin." Bayin returned the greeting.

"Hey, I thought my level was ranked first in this session. I didn't expect that there is always someone stronger than the strong, and there is always someone better than the one on the mountain, and there are two of them at once. But it doesn't matter, we are all cultivators, I won't be jealous. As long as they are not those bastards from other worlds, it's fine." Xiao Shuai seemed to hate the warriors from other worlds.

"Do you have a grudge against the alien warrior?" Brook asked.

"Bullshit alien warriors, bah! They're all treacherous, treacherous, and despicable villains, bastards with sores on their feet and pus on their heads, disgusting things with rotten tongues and rotten butts, black-hearted seeds that will be struck by lightning and torn into pieces by the five ghosts, despicable embryos worse than animals, and bastards that everyone deserves to kill." Xiao Shuai immediately became furious when he heard about the alien warriors. He raised his axe and cursed at the sky, leaving Brook and Bayin stunned. Finally, he spat fiercely, curled his lips with an unsatisfied expression, and then calmed himself down and asked Bayin and Brook, "Let's not talk about this for now. Do you have any warrior equipment? Give me some."

"Um~ Let me see. There is only one 1-1 Death Glove left. Do you want it?" Brook had given away many of his samurai equipment, and this was the only one left in his backpack. He handed it to Xiao Shuai.

"Haha, come and give it to me. It's a perfect pair." Xiao Shuai took the gloves and asked, "What are you doing here? This place is quite remote."

"Let's go find a place called the Unknown Dark Temple." Brook replied.

"The Unknown Dark Hall? I've been to that place once. It's full of various sect leaders and chiefs. It's very dangerous." Xiao Shuai said.

"Are there a lot of monsters in there?" Brook asked.

"The monsters were not densely packed. But they were very perverted. As soon as I entered, I met a scarecrow, which took away nearly 100 HP from me in one blow. Damn, it crippled me in two hits. If I hadn't reacted quickly and used the return to city function in time, I would have lost my 2-pound body in there." Xiao Shuai said with the memory still fresh in his mind.

"Oh, as long as it's not crowded. We are going to find something called holy water. As long as we are careful, it should be fine." Brook said lightly.

"I've said so much, you still want to go?" Xiao Shuai said in horror.

Brooke nodded and asked, "Do you want to come with us?"

Xiao Shuai bared his teeth and paced back and forth twice. Finally, he stopped and looked at Bayin and Brook for a while before finally making up his mind: "Okay, let's go together! I can't just watch you die in vain when we just met. But I have to tell you in advance, if I find something wrong, no matter what you do, I will never show my strength and will return to the city immediately."

Brook looked at Bayin, then at Xiao Shuai. He certainly wouldn't joke about anyone's life or death, so he said cautiously, "Of course, if things are impossible, we will retreat immediately."

So Xiao Shuai joined the group, and the three of them moved forward together into the depths of the connecting passage.

"Warriors are only useful when they are at a high level. Those at a low level will only be bullied." Xiao Shuai chopped the centipede. He would not let go of any of the monsters along the way. He would kill them all and turn them into his own experience.

"When I was level 18, my cousin and I were fighting a skeleton elf on the second floor of the Bi Qi Skeleton Cave. Then two mages with偃月 came. They didn't say anything and directly killed my cousin with lightning. Then they took away the skeleton elf. Do you know how those two dealt with me later? They didn't use lightning, but they used the Fire Resistance Ring. They pushed me all the way from the depths of the second floor to the entrance of the first floor of the Skeleton Cave. It took more than an hour. When they left, they said, you are a rubbish warrior with rubbish equipment. It's meaningless to kill you. I will use you to practice the Fire Resistance Ring." Xiao Shuai talked about the past angrily.

No wonder Xiao Shuai hates the alien warriors so much.

"What are the names of those two mages? If we meet them, we will definitely treat them well." Brook asked.

"Their names are very mean. One is called Grandpa and the other is called Baba." Xiao Shuai said coldly.

"Sure enough. We'll remember that." Brooke had never met these two people. A name like that was something you'd never forget.

"Today we met Zhici Qinglv deep in the Centipede Cave. She was with several warrior friends from other worlds." Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit heavy, Bayin changed the subject.

"I met her yesterday too. This girl has no ambition and is only level 23. She has no idea how treacherous people are and how dangerous the world is. Everyone has their own aspirations, so let her be. If she's gone, I'll kill all those alien bastards with her." Xiao Shuai said.

"A few days ago, I seemed to hear someone scolding you in Tucheng Square. What happened?" Brooke recalled some words he had heard in the square before.

"Hehe, it's a small matter. I met some people hunting white wild boars in the stone tomb, so I snatched a Purgatory and sent them back to the city for free. They actually scolded me, they are so heartless. Well, this one in my hand, isn't it cool?" Xiao Shuai showed off while holding up the big axe.

"Cool!" Brook said.

"It's not easy for warriors to get equipment. Fortunately, I can level up and make money in the Centipede Cave. Most of the equipment I have was bought with gold coins myself. But making money by killing monsters is still too slow, so I have to find a business to do." Xiao Shuai seemed to be thinking about something, as if he had thought of a way to make a fortune.

The three of them slew monsters and chatted casually until they reached the end of the connecting passage. Entering it, they found a second passage, also called the connecting passage. However, the walls were no longer the karst rock of the Centipede Cave, but instead the earthy, mining-grade rock of the mining caves. Besides centipedes, pincer worms, and black maggots, zombies also appeared. The archer guard's claim that the connecting passage led to the Viper Mine seemed to be true.

Aside from the monster, there was no one else here. Perhaps there had been before, but according to Xiao Shuai, he had driven them all away. He had monopolized the entire connecting passage for at least two days. Following the connecting passage, after a few circles, they entered a third cave, still called a connecting passage, but the path became even narrower.

Xiao Shuai, familiar with the area, led the two of them onward. On the way, Bayin's pet rebelled again. This time, he was lucky enough to summon four level 2 pets in 10 minutes. The remaining one died from enticement, so he had to find a level 4 black maggot to entice it again. This was Xiao Shuai's first time seeing a mage enticing a pet, and he found it quite amusing at first. But then, after nearly 7 minutes to successfully entice the last maggot, he suddenly felt the need for more.

"Unfortunately, the success rate of tempting the baby is too unstable, it takes too long, and it will rebel. The mage's baby is a bit useless. Although it is very powerful now with the evil maggots, it will probably be useless at a higher level. If the baby doesn't rebel, it's fine." Xiao Shuai commented on the mage's baby, and then said, "The most interesting thing about your Tempting Light is that it can freeze monsters. Do you think it can freeze the leader?"

Bayin and Brook were shocked. Yes, the light of temptation can not only lure babies, but also be used to immobilize monsters.

After Bayin summoned the five babies, the three continued along the path. Finally, they reached a bend. Instead of continuing along the path, Xiao Shuai slipped into a hidden rock crevice nearby, one that could only be squeezed through sideways. The other two followed in. Fortunately, the crevice was narrow, and the path widened slightly after they passed. After another five minutes of walking, they came to a fork in the road and stopped.

"It's right in front. There's a one-armed old man there who says some strange things. Talk to him, give him 5 gold coins, and you can enter the Unknown Dark Palace." Xiao Shuai pointed to the road on the left and then asked Brook, "Are you sure you want to go in? There's still time to leave now."

Brooke said nothing and led the way inside. Soon, a large indentation appeared in the rock wall ahead, as if it had been carved out by humans. Upon closer inspection, they discovered a wooden room within, clearly indicating someone was living there. But for some reason, the room had no roof. Could it be that they ran out of lumber halfway through construction? As they entered the room, they encountered a one-armed old man with a goatee.

"Hello, respected senior. We are looking for the unknown dark palace." Brook stepped forward to greet him.

"Is someone seeking death again? Ah, I remember you. You insisted on entering at level 23, you reckless warrior. Since you survived the disaster and came out alive, you should know how terrible the Unknown Dark Palace is. Why do you come again? And you brought two new faces and a delicate girl. Let me see, a level 2 mage, a level 27 Taoist priest, and a level 27 warrior. Haha~ Do you think that you few can conquer the monsters in the Unknown Dark Palace?" The one-armed old man had a bad temper and spoke bluntly. He looked down on the levels of the three people.

"Respected senior, we don't want to conquer the unknown dark palace, we just want to find the holy water." Brook said calmly.

"Holy water? There is indeed holy water inside, but it can only be obtained by defeating powerful monsters. Young man, you don't know the horror of the Unknown Dark Palace." The one-armed old man shook his head and said slowly: "Since you are all Marfa monks, I can tell you the story of the Unknown Dark Palace."

"Long ago, three heroes from the Marfa continent were ordered to eliminate the evil centipede lurking deep within the Centipede Cave. After three days and three nights of fierce fighting, the three heroes finally defeated the evil centipede. With the fall of the evil centipede, a wall of the cave also collapsed, revealing an unknown passage leading to an unknown dark palace. However, no one could have anticipated that the appearance of this unknown dark palace would be a punishment: the creatures within were of completely opposite strength to those outside. This was caused by the violent nature of some humans. They did not know how to cherish life and slaughtered kind and weak creatures: docile deer, harmless chickens, were all their targets. And humans, obsessed with challenging powerful leaders, did not know what was real and what was fake. The unknown dark palace would be their greatest punishment."

"People who enter the Unknown Dark Palace will gradually become violent and vicious, and become murderous. Therefore, anyone who enters can only stay there for a maximum of three hours, otherwise they will lose their true nature."

"Finally, I have a suggestion for you: don't go in. At least don't go in now, and temporarily give up your dream of obtaining the holy water. Live well, and come back when you are strong enough." The one-armed old man finished the story.

"Thank you for your advice. I never bully weak creatures. We will value every creature, no matter how powerful it is, no matter whether it is real or fake. We have agreed to other people's requests and must obtain the holy water. Respected senior, we will be very careful and will not stay in there for a long time. Please let us in." Brook said.

"Since you insist on entering, I will not stop you. Please think about it carefully again. If you are ready, as long as each of you gives me 5 gold coins, I will open the passage and teleport you in." The one-armed old man finally stopped blocking him.

"Okay. Let's get ready." After Brooke finished speaking, he took Bayin and Xiao Shuai out of the room and came to the open space outside.

"Did you understand what the senior said just now?" Brook asked.

"I understand. The creatures in the unknown dark palace have completely different strengths from those in the outside world." Bayin said.

"That's right. And there are real and fake ones. Now I'll tell you in detail about the strength of the monsters within." Brook began to explain the details of the Unknown Dark Palace. He drew a map of the Unknown Dark Palace on the ground and then discussed the attributes of the more than ten monsters within, including health, attack, defense, magic resistance, etc. He spoke for a while, and finally said, "The monsters within are all very fast, about the same speed as a wedge moth. Everyone, be careful."

"You didn't mention the attributes of the chicken." Bayin was very careful. The one-armed old man had mentioned deer and chicken before. Since the weaker ones become stronger, the chicken must be more powerful. When introducing the monsters, Brook mentioned deer, but not chicken.

Brook shook his head. It wasn't that he forgot to mention it, but the notes didn't mention chickens. Situ Haoyun probably hadn't encountered a chicken either. He thought for a moment and said, "That senior mentioned the three heroes fighting the evil centipede. The owner of the weapons shop also mentioned the evil centipede before, saying it might appear on the seventh floor of the stone tomb, but it didn't actually appear. So, I guess it must be a legendary ancient monster, probably gone now. This chicken might just be a legendary monster too. If we really encounter one, we must be very careful."

Bayin thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright. We'll just have to be careful. If we encounter one... don't hesitate, return to the city immediately!" According to Brooke, the deer's attack range was 0-100, so the chicken's attack range must be even higher. Although she was already level 27, the mage had only 111 HP, so if she encountered a chicken, she would be killed instantly.

"How do you know so much?" Xiao Shuai asked in surprise. He listened for a while, very shocked, because Brook's words were very precise and credible. According to Brook, the scarecrow's attack reached 0-90, while its defense and magic defense were as high as 30. No wonder he was so hurt when he was hit. Since what Brook and Bayin said was very important information, he didn't want to interrupt. After the two finished speaking, he hurriedly asked.

"A senior Taoist priest told me." Brook replied.

"Senior Taoist? A senior Taoist from the Biqi Taoist House?" Xiao Shuai asked doubtfully.

"No, it's Senior Situ Haoyun, who's in charge of the Taoist priest assessment," Brooke replied, then added solemnly, "This mission is indeed very dangerous. Everyone, think about it. Do you have any other questions?"

The attributes of the monsters in the unknown dark palace are too strong. It is a matter of life and death, and several people began to think about it.

After a while, Bayin said, "The old man said to open the passage and teleport us in. Xiao Shuai, when you entered earlier, where on the map did the teleportation point land?"

Xiao Shuai was stunned by the question. He looked at the map on the ground, recalled carefully, and then pointed to a room in the lower right corner of the map and said, "I see a turning road and a corner. It should be here."

"According to Brook, this unknown dark palace is very large, and there is no entrance or exit inside. So, can we be sure that the landing point must be at this location? Or in other words, after the three of us enter, will we all land at the same location? The one-armed old man said that it is an unknown world, and there will always be a sequence for us to enter. Will it be like the people in Tucheng, who went to the Snake Valley and were automatically withdrawn from the group because they were in two different large maps?" Bayin asked a series of questions.

Brooke and Xiao Shuai were both startled. If the three of them were separated after entering, it would indeed be very troublesome. Especially Bayin. The monsters inside were too powerful and would be extremely dangerous for her. And if she left the group, there would be no way to contact her, which would be even more troublesome.

"I'll ask the seniors later if we can teleport in as a team and get us to the same drop-off point," Brook said. "If we can't teleport as a team, then I'll go in first. The Taoist priest will be safer because he'll be invisible. Let's test whether he'll automatically quit the group. If I quit after I go in, then we'll meet in this room in the upper right corner. If he doesn't, that'll be convenient. We can all communicate within the team and adapt to the situation. You'd better find a relatively safe place to hide first, and I'll come find you."

"If you encounter danger, remember to use the scroll. Don't be too brave. No matter what the mission is, saving your life is the most important thing." Xiao Shuai added.

Bayin and Brooke both nodded in agreement. Finally, Brooke said, "Everyone, check your backpacks again. Potions, sun water, random scrolls, and city return scrolls. Are they all in good condition? Okay, let's go in."

Brook wiped the map off the floor, then turned and led the way back to the mysterious old man's room. They were fully prepared; the rest depended on luck.

Man proposes, God disposes; just keep moving forward, regardless of east or west.