Wailing Cavern

[Wailing Cavern]

[Challenger: Lin Mu]

[Class: LV.4 Necromancer]

[Entry Time: 00:00:16]

[Current Rating: None]

That simple line of information was like a massive rock tossed into a tranquil lake.

In an instant, it sent shockwaves through the crowd of class holders waiting to enter other dungeons!

"A level four Necromancer? Soloing [Wailing Cavern]? Am I seeing things?"

A burly man who had just registered and was preparing to enter [Goblin Mine] rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding! Someone went into [Wailing Cavern] before—a First Advancement [Shield Guard]—and didn't make it out alive! They say the monsters in there are at least level five, and there are elite monsters and boss monsters too!"

Another experienced class holder exclaimed, his face plainly saying, "That kid's going to his death."

In the crowd.

A middle-aged man who was well-informed suddenly lowered his voice and spoke to the companions beside him:

"You guys haven't heard? Lin Mu's the ruthless guy who got an SSS-Rank score in the Second Vocational College's practical trial a couple of days ago!"

He cleared his throat and continued with the scoop:

"I heard he's challenging [Wailing Cavern] to qualify for admission to Shengjing Academy. My nephew goes to Second Vocational College, and he told me all this himself. It's absolutely true!"

"An SSS-Rank score?!"

"A Necromancer got an SSS-Rank score?"

The surrounding class holders erupted into an even louder commotion, their gazes fixed on the Light Gate and filled with mixed emotions.

Though the story of an SSS-Rank score was shocking enough,

the infamy of [Wailing Cavern] had long been etched into everyone's minds.

Almost no one believed Lin Mu would make it out alive.

Even the staff member who had registered him moments ago

now gazed at the spot where Lin Mu had disappeared into the Light Gate and gently shook his head.

His eyes were full of regret.

"Geniuses... often come with extreme stubbornness."

Beyond the Light Gate lay a vast, profound darkness.

Lin Mu felt a slight sensation of weightlessness.

Then the scenery before his eyes quickly came into focus.

Cold, damp air swept over him, carrying a faint, strange odor—a mixture of decay and blood.

Somewhere nearby, faint sobs and wails could be heard.

It was as if countless tormented spirits were weeping here, sending a chill down anyone's spine.

As expected of [Wailing Cavern]. The environment alone was enough to make one shudder!

Lin Mu's expression remained calm as he quickly surveyed his surroundings.

He was in a narrow stone passage.

The rock walls were covered in dark bluish-green moss, and water droplets occasionally fell from above.

They made a "drip, drip" sound, especially clear in the silence.

He focused his mind.

[Resurrect Skeleton]!

[Resurrect Skeleton]!

With a faint tremor of the ground, ten, twenty... a full ninety [Steel Skeletons] gleaming with a metallic sheen

silently burst out of the ground and rock walls around him!

They gripped icy steel blades, and the ghostly blue Soul Fire in their empty eye sockets formed an unbroken line.

In an instant, they packed the narrow passage from wall to wall.

They formed a Steel Torrent that struck fear into anyone who saw it.

This was the confidence he had now!

Just then.

A dense cloud of gray-black mist began to gather around the bend ahead.

The mist churned.

Within it, countless twisted faces seemed to struggle and howl.

[Mist of Despair]: An area filled with negative energy. Any living being who enters will be consumed by endless despair, their mind will collapse, and they will eventually become a tormented spirit within the mist.

The description clearly read: "Any living being who enters will be consumed by endless despair."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Lin Mu's lips.

His talent, [Description Tamperer], activated!

His consciousness locked precisely onto the word "despair."

"Change 'will be consumed by endless despair' to 'will be consumed by endless hope'!"

In an instant, the churning gray-black mist twisted violently. Its deep, deathly gray-black color visibly transformed into a soft milky white.

The twisted faces within vanished, replaced by specks of warm light.

[Mist of Hope]: An area filled with positive energy. Any living being who enters will bask in the faint light of hope, feel invigorated, and be filled with fighting spirit.

When Lin Mu led his skeleton army into the mist,

he felt a warm current course through his body, clearing his mind as well.

The gloom weighing on his heart—the grief over his parents' deaths and the heaviness brought on by the black-clad man's warning—

seemed to lift somewhat under the glow of the "Mist of Hope."

His gaze grew even more resolute.

"Survive for twenty-four hours and kill the final Boss, [Cave Lord]..."

Lin Mu silently repeated the challenge's objectives, entirely unafraid.

"This world is full of the unknown and danger. Only absolute strength can help me pierce through every layer of fog and find the truth!"

Beyond the "Mist of Hope," the passage suddenly opened up.

A fairly spacious cavern came into view.

He noticed several strange scratches on the cavern walls.

They didn't resemble the claw marks of any known animal.

The scratches were arranged strangely, as if... they followed some kind of pattern?

Lin Mu ordered the skeleton army to stand guard where they were.

He walked forward slowly and examined the scratches closely.

His gaze finally settled on a relatively smooth section of the rock wall.

There, besides the claw marks,

were some blurry symbols that looked as if they had been carved by human hands.

[A Forgotten Warning]: Ancient writing that records a certain "rule" hidden deep within the cave. A special "key" is needed to decipher it.

"A rule? A key?"

Lin Mu raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

It seemed [Wailing Cavern] was more than just a nest of monsters.

He tried to alter the description with [Description Tamperer].

But nothing happened.

Perhaps he had touched upon some deeper restriction, or perhaps it was simply beyond his current modification level.

"Interesting."

Lin Mu looked away, no longer dwelling on it.

For now,

he needed to ensure his survival and explore the cave step by step.

"Grrroar!"

Before Lin Mu could think further,

a low growl echoed faintly from farther away.

It carried a clear note of savagery and hunger.

Lin Mu's eyes narrowed.

"Here they come?"

He waved a hand.

The ninety Steel Skeletons marched in perfect unison,

surging toward the depths of the cave!

"Clang, clang, clang..."