The Dark Dispelling Lantern and the Explorer Robert

"Hey there, newcomer. This is the great adventurer Robert. By the time you read this, I should have already ventured deep into the dungeon.

It's strange, really. This is supposed to be just a small dungeon, but it's unexpectedly dangerous. There's even an elite-level Dungeon Guardian guarding the entrance.

But no matter what, the spirit of adventure never stops. I'll be setting up safe houses in a few secure locations. You can rest well and recover your strength in these rooms lit by fire. Oh, and I've left a lantern for you, don't forget to take it.

Quick tip: Aim for the joints of skeleton creatures. Knocking them apart will save you a lot of energy.

Press on, newcomer! Adventurers never refuse a dungeon!"

The writing on the letter ended there. Xiao Yang noticed the waist lantern on the table and picked it up. It turned out to be an item of Excellent quality.

Dark Dispelling Lantern

Quality: Excellent

Type: Illumination, Purification, Healing

Effect: Dispels the deep darkness of the dungeon, purifies the faint curses brewing within, and restores 1 HP per minute after combat ends.

Description: A gift from a kindhearted explorer to those who follow.

Mr. Robert is truly a good person, to give away such a versatile, Excellent quality lantern.

Although it seemed to do nothing exceptionally well, only capable of dispelling weak curses and requiring combat to end before restoring health.

Still, as a lantern whose primary function is illumination, with these additional effects, it would be a small treasure even in a game.

He hung the lantern from his waist, picked up the hatchet he received in the beginner's gift pack, and checked his personal inventory. A stack of faintly red health potions and a basket of bread were neatly arranged.

Right, he seemed to have forgotten something. Xiao Yang chose to summon his little servant. Amidst a swirl of gray light, a small skeleton, barely taller than Xiao Yang's knees, clad in tattered black robes, carrying a large sack on its back, and clutching a rusty dagger, appeared before him.

This was the gift Xiao Yang received from the Dungeon Delver: the Skeleton Rogue.

After being summoned, the little guy didn't seem scared or try to run off. It just slightly lifted its head. Within its rather bony little skull, two faint white soul fires flickered.

For some reason, this demeanor reminded Xiao Yang inexplicably of a kitten.

He recalled the description in its stats: a little guy who dislikes loneliness. He reached out his hand and gently patted the little creature's head. It seemed a little scared and tried to dodge, but ultimately did nothing.

Of course, Xiao Yang didn't do anything either. He just patted the little guy's head.

"I'll call you Little Bone. You have to work hard!"

The little creature lifted its head.

With that, Xiao Yang had completed most of his preparations. Now, it was time to begin exploring the Skeleton Dungeon.

Gazing at the dim corridor outside the door, he uttered a phrase that was unintentionally boastful.

"I wonder if these preparations are enough."

Such words were incredibly out of touch. As the first, and possibly the only, player in Plane 33214 for a long time, Xiao Yang's circumstances already surpassed ninety-nine percent of players.

His very existence was an anomaly.

Plane 33214 had not yet entered the era of supernatural resurgence and the start of the God Game's testing phase. For some unknown reason, Xiao Yang's basement was connected to a Skeleton Dungeon. As the first human in this world to step into a supernatural realm, this sudden development had jolted the dormant God Game servers awake.

This was not a normal situation. In such circumstances, the game's content, the version updates that should have unfolded gradually, all of it... the God Game, forcibly booted up, wasn't ready. It hadn't even generated a beginner's assessment for Xiao Yang.

As a result, Xiao Yang had exploited a bug. He had logged in early and entered free mode. However, this usually wouldn't be a big deal, because Plane 33214 hadn't even experienced a magical tide yet. Even if Xiao Yang logged in early, he wouldn't be able to access much content, nor would he be able to level up or unlock other functions of the God Game.

But, as it happened, the current situation was a bit different. Xiao Yang's basement was connected to a Skeleton Dungeon.

In the dim, narrow room.

Xiao Yang narrowly dodged an attack from a rusty iron sword and brought his hatchet down hard on the sword-wielding skeleton before him.

By now, a pile of pale skeletons lay before him.

Xiao Yang had been pushing deeper into the skeleton territory for nearly half a day. During this time, he had explored a considerable length of corridor and several dimly lit rooms. The Skeleton Dungeon wasn't so outrageous as to place an elite enemy like the Dungeon Guardian in every section of the path. The enemies Xiao Yang had encountered so far were mostly ordinary skeletons that would suddenly crawl out of the ground.

These reanimated skeletons ranged from level one to three. Besides having higher defense, they had no other notable characteristics. They would suddenly stand up from the ground when you approached, swinging their bone clubs and lunging at you with bared teeth.

But as long as you weren't afraid, these skeletons wouldn't pose a significant threat.

Once he overcame his fear, Xiao Yang found these lowest-level skeletons not difficult at all. Following Robert's advice, he swung his Wilderness Hatchet. As long as he hit the joints of these bony fellows, it usually only took a few strikes to bring them down, their bodies scattering on the ground. At this point, Xiao Yang could completely kill them by smashing their skulls that rolled on the floor.

Everything had been going smoothly until now. As Xiao Yang entered a room and steadily cleared out the skeletons, a larger, more polished-bone skeleton, wielding a rusty short sword, rose to its feet.

And behind this larger skeleton, Xiao Yang saw a square chest.

Please collect, please follow up, thank you very much, friends!