Speculation

Black Stone Town was the lowest-tier Adventurer Town. Although several hundred to nearly a thousand new Dungeons appeared every year, it could usually maintain only five or six hundred at most. Most Dungeons were either driven out of business or destroyed by the Dark Race.

Thus, Second Order monsters were extremely rare in Black Stone Town.

As a newly established Dungeon, Miracle City had produced a Second Order monster in its very first secret realm. It was undoubtedly an exhilarating surprise!

To put it this way, if the Tracker were placed alone in any other small or mid-sized Dungeon in Black Stone Town, it would be enough to become that town's signature attraction—or even be marketed as its mascot.

One monster could support an entire town's traffic!

That was how valuable it was!

White Little Deer said, "Lord Qi has really been hiding his strength. He has such a powerful monster, yet he never hyped it up or announced it beforehand. This could totally be made into the territory's star attraction!"

Wool Warrior said, "Exactly! This surprise was too huge. None of us were mentally prepared for it!"

Black Stone Hammer King could not help saying, "Then is there a chance that this isn't even Miracle City's strongest monster?"

Pig King said, "Impossible, absolutely impossible. A new Lord being able to produce a monster like this already makes him extraordinarily gifted. If he has even stronger cards up his sleeve, won't he be heading straight for the heavens?"

"I don't think it's impossible!"

"This is only the Second Level."

"We shouldn't hope for too much. Lord Qi's performance so far already makes him one of the most talented Lords I've ever seen. If he isn't driven out of business and keeps developing, he'll definitely bring us even more good things!"

"We should be thinking about how to get this Second Rank Essence Soul!"

"That's true!"

"That's the key!"

"..."

While the adventurers were enthusiastically discussing it.

Nan Xi Li Ya let out a long sigh of relief!

No wonder the Lord was always so calm. So he had such a trump card in hand. Judging by this monster's strength in the secret realm, it was more than enough to stop the adventurers at the Second Level!

As long as the secret realm was not cleared.

Miracle City could maintain its popularity and continuously harvest adventurers, allowing it to develop better and better!

Of course.

She could not let her guard down!

Nan Xi Li Ya had already quietly blended in among the adventurers, eavesdropping on their discussions and tactics. She would report back to the Lord afterward so he could make targeted countermeasures and ensure the Dungeon's maximum benefits!

Cat MeowMeow said, "Dean, I feel that this monster's physical strength is no weaker than the Tank Zombie's, and it's even wearing clothes with bulletproof properties. What can we do to defeat it?"

"With your current level and skill, it is nearly impossible for you to defeat this monster head-on and speed-clear the Second Level of Doomsday Frenzy!"

White Crane Hermit continued, "However, in my personal opinion, the Lord is someone with ideas and artistic aspirations. He would not design an unsolvable challenge. You must learn to seek the answer from the Lord's hints and design philosophy."

What did that mean?

The younger adventurers were utterly confused.

White Crane Hermit patiently guided them. "Why did the Lord deliberately place the exit point somewhere so conspicuous and easy to find?"

Cat MeowMeow said, "It's a trap!"

White Crane Hermit said, "Not enough. Think more carefully."

After pondering for several seconds, Bright Moon Reflecting Snow said, "The focus of this level isn't finding the Safe Door!"

Sleeping in the Wind said, "I understand. This is the Lord's trap, but it's also his direct hint."

Lonely Swordsman suddenly understood. "Through this layout and design, the Lord is telling us not to try taking shortcuts. No matter how many times we try, it'll only be wasted effort."

Black Stone Hammer King said, "I see now. We should resist the temptation to clear the level and thoroughly explore the Second Level's map first!"

White Crane Hermit revealed an approving expression. "Correct. This monster may be difficult to defeat, but given the Lord's style, he will certainly have left behind a way to defeat it. If I am not mistaken, it is hidden somewhere in the city."

All the adventurers suddenly understood.

Irritable Little Chicken said, "This is Lord Qi's style!"

Lone Wolf said, "He said so himself before: he would never design a secret realm that couldn't be beaten. All the answers must be somewhere on the Second Level's map!"

"Our strategy from here on is very clear!"

"Hahaha, Lord Qi probably thought we would need to hit a wall several times before realizing this, but we understand him better than he imagined!"

"We have the Old Dean to thank for showing us the way!"

"..."

Little spy Nan Xi Li Ya's brows were practically knotted together.

Damn it, these adventurers were far too cunning. They had seen through the Lord's intentions so quickly!

Especially that hateful Old Geezer, White Crane Hermit. If not for his timely guidance and reminders, with these adventurers' stubborn style, they would never have considered changing tactics before dying dozens of times.

Now.

The adventurers had directly found the right line of thinking.

How many potential losses had this invisibly brought to Miracle City?

It would probably also directly affect the lifespan of Doomsday Frenzy's Checkpoint Mode!

No!

That old geezer White Crane was too great a threat!

She had to report this to the Lord immediately!

Nan Xi Li Ya had truly worried herself sick for Miracle City.

After sorting out their thoughts, the adventurers continued their challenge. This time, four teams challenged the Second Level simultaneously. All of them avoided the plaza area and began methodically sweeping the map.

This city was filled with danger.

There were too many Zombie hordes and Special Zombies. Its difficulty far exceeded the First Level.

Yet the exploration process was also full of enjoyment. The Second Level's setting was larger, and every building was filled with everyday details. As they explored, the adventurers felt that their understanding of this world was steadily growing.

For example:

From the decorations and condition of rooms in residential buildings, the adventurers could see traces of every family member's life before the disaster broke out, piecing together fragmented stories from before and after the catastrophe.

For another example:

From Zombies wearing epidemic-prevention gear, as well as the ambulances, epidemic-control vehicles, and barbed-wire quarantine walls visible throughout the streets, the adventurers could tell that after the disaster erupted, the locals had once organized resistance but ultimately failed.

This environmental storytelling.

This fragmented information.

Left many people feeling immensely intrigued.

Not all adventurers were Only Seeking Profit.

Many of them enjoyed adventuring because they pursued the enjoyment itself.

"This world feels so vivid and alive!"

"Every corner seems to have a story. Not a single building is an empty, useless prop. There are even huge amounts of text and materials to interpret. It's practically an enormous treasure trove!"

"Exactly!"

"It's both novel and mysterious!"

"I just want to know what exactly happened here, and what this place was like before the disaster broke out."

"We can get a glimpse of that from the materials the big shots have gathered so far."

"I think this world was a highly advanced one before its destruction. It had unique technology, a huge population, and a flourishing culture. In the end, it seems to have been destroyed by a natural plague."

"As for how the plague broke out, the current materials offer no answer!"

"..."

An adventurer named Light Chasing Traveler was discussing information about the world of Doomsday Frenzy with his companions.

Light Chasing Traveler was no ordinary person. He was active on the forums year-round, interpreting and deciphering secret realm information for adventurers. He was a rather famous lore-focused, story-focused adventurer.

Compared with generous rewards.

Such adventurers looked forward more to encountering exciting adventure stories.

At this moment, White Crane Hermit joined the discussion.

"I believe the plague in the Raging Tide World may not have been a natural disaster. It may have been man-made!"

Light Chasing Traveler said, "Why do you say that, Old Dean?"

White Crane Hermit said, "Many clues have actually already hinted at it. Take the elite demon monster on the Second Level, for example. It looks more like a monster that was created."

"That's true!"

"Could there be some unknown evil force hidden behind this world?"

"It's possible. Certain details seem to hint at it."

"I hope Story Mode comes out soon."

"Only then can we investigate more thoroughly and unravel all the mysteries!"

"..."

Light Chasing Traveler had clearly been completely captivated by the world of Doomsday Frenzy!

He now desperately wanted to learn about the Raging Tide World's past and everything that had happened there. To that end, he had specifically gathered a group of like-minded adventurers to form the Miracle City Investigation Team.

Facing all this.

White Crane Hermit's eyes also revealed appreciation.

Though he had never met this Lord, he could sense the other party's talent and aspirations.

Nowadays.

Dungeon Lords everywhere were brimming with malice, with their minds focused entirely on harvesting adventurers.

These Lords' secret realms were crudely made, utterly devoid of creativity, and filled with cheap, despicable designs.

Either limited by ability or simply lacking any artistic aspirations, they only wanted to Maximize Benefits in the short term. All they knew was how to create casinos designed to harvest adventurers!

Such Dungeons deserved to go out of business!

Only Lords who truly put their hearts into making secret realms, Lords with genuine talent, could earn adventurers' respect and loyalty!

Only for such Lords!

Would adventurers truly fight.

White Crane Hermit could not help recalling his own experiences.

He also recalled that Dungeon from long ago, one that had held limitless promise but had ultimately met an unfortunate end...

Even after so many years, he had never been able to move on. Now, with Miracle City's sudden emergence, he had finally seen the birth of another Lord with true aspiration and talent—one who might even possess greater aptitude!

This was Black Stone Town's fortune!

And the fortune of these young adventurers as well!

He truly looked forward to seeing how far this Dungeon could go, and whether it could create secret realm works even better than Doomsday Frenzy in the future!