Gray Knight Purification Altar, Nightmare Difficulty!

"Is something the matter, Faye?"

I smiled slightly, "You're not going to invite me to dinner, are you?"

"Ahem, we can eat a little later."

Fey Courtier was somewhat embarrassed. "I have something important to discuss with you today. Here, let me show you something first."

The next moment, he sent me an item catalog. After opening it, I was immediately stunned.

[Team Instance Crystal - Gray Knight Purification Altar] (Nightmare Difficulty ★★★★): Up to 3 players can enter the dungeon together. Completing the dungeon will reward you with very generous rewards.

"Holy crap..."

I couldn't help but shudder. "A four-star Nightmare Difficulty dungeon, wow, Night Fae... Where did you get this thing? Don't laugh at me, I've never even seen a four-star Instance Crystal before!"

"Hehe, this is my first time seeing this too."

Fey Courtier said, "Just yesterday, a friend and I teleported to the Westfall near the Star Maple Federation's territory. We used the terrain to take down a Revenant-class mech from the Dark Tide Organization, an Orange BOSS. By sheer coincidence, it dropped a four-star crystal."

He paused, then continued, "I don't even dare to imagine the difficulty of a four-star dungeon, and it can only accommodate a maximum of three people. I've thought about it for a long time, and besides my friends, I need to invite another expert to join, otherwise it might not be appropriate. So Ding Han, I thought of you."

"I see..."

I took a deep breath, feeling a little embarrassed. "If I join, wouldn't that be like getting a four-star Instance Crystal from you for free?"

"What are you saying?"

Fey Courtier laughed heartily, "Your joining is a necessity for the team. Besides, you're a friend. It's better to give you a good deal than to give it to someone else, right?"

That makes sense.

I nodded. "Sure, I'll be free after get off work. Where should we meet?"

"How about 7 PM, at the entrance of the Central Park in the South City District?"

"Can!"

"Then we'll meet there!"

"See you there!"

Shortly after, I clocked out.

Fatty, Shen Yue, and I ate some rice noodles in the square. Afterwards, Fatty kissed Shen Yue a few times, which actually got rid of her.

What happened?

Standing in the cold wind, I watched Shen Yue get into a taxi and said, "Why didn't you continue being all lovey-dovey with Shen Yue today?"

"Snort!"

The fat man sneered, "A true man's ambition should be like the Yangtze River flowing eastward to the sea. Why linger in a gentle land? Ding Han, we good men live between heaven and earth; how can we remain subservient to others for long? Although I don't have any great ambitions, if I continue to live a mediocre life, how am I any different from withered wood and rotten grass?"

I looked at him with a cold smile, "After all that grandstanding, what is it all about?"

"Hey-hey!"

He grinned. "You go back first. I've made plans with Cai Cai, Kou Mei, and Ruolin to go to the Cloudy Coast for a few days to train, basically level up. The monsters there are low-level, so it's safer to level up. The four of us are planning to catch up in levels, otherwise... look, you're already level 42, we can't catch up..."

What he said makes sense. Every time we go on an adventure, my damage output is the highest, so I get the most Experience Points and level up the fastest in the team. If the other four don't get extra help, they will definitely fall further and further behind me.

"Alright, just be careful!"

I understand and agree with them not helping me level up.

"But I'm not going home either; I have another appointment to attend to."

"Ha?"

The fat man was taken aback. "Going to meet Lin Qingying?"

"Of course not. Fey Courtier. He offered me a four-star Nightmare Difficulty Instance Crystal and asked me to help him clear it."

"Grass..."

The fat man couldn't help but raise his middle finger. "Cai Cai, Ruolin, Kou Mei, and I were planning to give you extra help to catch up with your level, but you went straight to a four-star dungeon. How are we supposed to catch up?"

"Don't worry, there's no need to chase levels."

I chuckled and said, "Version 2.0 has only been running for a short time, and it'll probably last for at least another 2-3 months. That's enough time for all of you to reach level 50, so there's no need to rush."

"Yeah, I'd better not say anymore, I should go."

"Um."

I nodded, flagged down a car, and headed straight for Central Park.

Shortly after, we arrived at Central Park.

In the distance, the sound of speakers drifted from the park, where a group of elderly men and women were dancing in the square. The lead dancer was even a young and pretty woman dressed in Hanfu (traditional Han Chinese clothing). I wondered which of the elderly women or men was their daughter; they were truly blessed.

"Ding Han!"

Not far away, a voice emerged from the shadows of the park's outer wall. It was Fey Courtier, dressed in a jacket, with short hair, and looking very energetic.

"Faye."

I nodded and smiled, "Long time no see!"

"Yes, it's been a long time!"

Fey Courtier pointed behind him and said, "Let me introduce my friend..."

From the shadows, another person emerged, grinning foolishly at me.

"Holy crap, Bingzi?"

"Hmm, Ding Han..."

That person turned out to be Huo Bingzhi Ri who sold me the Battle Roar skill book. He often set up a stall in the black market courtyard, so we saw each other all the time and he was an old acquaintance.

"You two actually know each other?"

Fey Courtier was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "That's great, it's easier to get things done if you know someone."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Huo Bingzhi Ri, "With Ding Han here, this dungeon mission is basically a sure thing!"

"Let's get started!"

Fey Courtier said, "If we're fast enough, we can have a nice night market hotpot together when we get back to Huaining City."

"Let's begin then."

I'm also a little impatient to try out the Power Sword!

Fey Courtier took out a dark gold crystal, flicked his wrist, and the crystal shattered, transforming into a beam of energy that flew into the distance. The next moment, a golden icon appeared on the map, which was our dungeon entrance.

"It's not far, about a mile. Shall we walk there?"

"Walk."

The three of them crossed the road, slipped into a small alley opposite the park, and then passed several fruit-laden tricycles before arriving at a particularly crowded place—the Guangming Grand Theater!

This is an old-fashioned movie theater, and there are quite a few young couples queuing up to buy tickets.

"Holy crap..."

Fey Courtier was taken aback and asked, "What should we do?"

"Let's take advantage of the chaos and go in one by one."

Huo Bingzhi Ri said, "It's alright. Even if you're seen and suddenly disappear, it's fine. Surveillance isn't widespread in this era, so it won't be captured."

"Too!"

So the two pulled up their hoods to cover their heads, then put their hands in their pockets and walked into the movie theater lobby. After two quick "whoosh" sounds, they disappeared into the dungeon Teleportation Gate.

For me, it was even easier. I activated my Bio-Optical Invisibility in the shadows, my entire body vanishing into thin air. I jogged into the Teleportation Gate, and immediately a series of ringing sounds filled my ears—

[Please note that your party has already entered the raid Team Instance Crystal Gray Knight Purification Altar (Nightmare Difficulty ★★★★)!]

[You have entered the map: The Corrupted Sanctuary!]

[Objective: Destroy the altar's power core!]

[Hint: Defeating the Plague Source will grant you Purification Core, which can purify corrupted warriors. The Altar Power Core is located in the air and needs to be destroyed using ranged weapons!]

"Whoosh~~~"

A bright light appeared before my eyes, and I was already inside the dungeon map. I instantly switched into Combat Form, donned a suit of armor, and had a cloak billowing behind me. In my hand, I held the gray Power Sword, Wind Chaser.

"Huh?"

Huo Bingzhi Ri was taken aback, staring at my sword for a long time. "Ding Han, why is your sword so dull and gray, without any light? Is it some kind of gray equipment?"

"Cough cough..."

I smiled and said, "Don't focus on unimportant things, concentrate on the dungeon."

"Yes, what you say is absolutely right!"

Huo Bingzhi Ri nodded and stopped paying attention to the sword.

I turned my attention to the environment inside the instance. It seemed to be the ruins of a building in space. Mountains stretched across the sky, connected by iron chains. The badly damaged mountain paths led to the top. At the top of the mountain, there was a tall, shady tree that seemed to have lost its vitality and was completely dull.

"You living beings, you all deserve to die..."

At that moment, a deep, hoarse voice came from ahead, followed by a hunched figure climbing down the steps, its body shrouded in a blood-red light. It seemed to be a person, but it was not human at all. It resembled Gollum from Lord of the Rings, with large, bright eyes, but filled with a violent aura.

[The Plague Source] (Elite)

Level: 50

Attack: 1250-1850

Defense: 500

Qi and Blood: 8000

Skills: [Bite Lv6] [Curse Lv6] [Demonic Plague Lv6]

In detail: These Plague Source were originally servants of the Holy Land. After the Chaos Demon from the Warp invaded this land, they became the first victims. Their souls were corrupted by demonic power, and their bodies began to decay, becoming vessels for spreading demonic energy.

"Holy crap..."

Huo Bingzhi Ri suddenly swung his right arm, instantly drawing a black longsword. He frowned and said, "It's a demon-type monster... This is a bit tricky. It's a pity I'm Dark Priest, not Light Priest, otherwise it would be much easier!"

As he spoke, he brandished his longsword, and with a "whoosh," his health bar dropped by 20%, but a hazy gray afterimage appeared beside him.

Dark Ritual, Tier 1 Skill: Sacrifice the Dark Priest's health to summon a Chaos Creature to aid in battle!

"Depend on..."

I frowned, reached out and touched the head of the Chaos Creature. It was icy cold, and it seemed like I couldn't touch anything concrete, as if I had put my hand into cold air.

"No need to try, it's nothing."

Huo Bingzhi Ri laughed and said, "It's similar to demonic power, a power that doesn't belong to this real world."

"Um..."

I nodded. "So, demons really exist in <Star Abyss>?"

"Certainly."

Fey Courtier, standing to the side, said, "In this world, technology exists, as do supernatural powers like elemental energy and Mental Power. Demons naturally exist as well, and I've even heard that gods truly exist in this world..."

"Oh?"

I was slightly taken aback, recalling the system notification when I broke free from the Initiator's control; at that time, I sensed a divine aura...

In that case, there are simply too many unexplored areas of knowledge in <Star Abyss>!

"Roar~~~ You will all die!"

The next moment, the Plague Source pounced!

I immediately switched to the Explosive Gun and Continuous Shooting at its head. Amidst the "bang bang bang" of gunfire, the Plague Source was blown apart before it even hit the ground. But just as it was about to be killed, a blood-red figure detached from its body and pounced directly at me.

"Buzz~~~"

My head suddenly felt a burning sensation, as if I could see the figure of an evil spirit appearing in my mind.

But in the next second, its body rapidly burned and annihilated, actually crushed by my powerful Mental Power!