Over thirty skeletons emerged from the room behind the puzzle board, each standing over two meters tall. They wielded large, rusted scimitars that still looked quite sharp. The skeletons wasted no time; the moment they were freed from their confinement, they attacked their enemies with vengeful fury.

"Level 30 Vengeful Skeleton Beasts are preparing to attack!"

The system announced, just as the skeletons charged at their enemies with surprising speed for their size.

"Eek!"

Peach Blossom screamed as three skeletons quickly surrounded her. She was not skilled in close combat and could easily be in mortal danger without help nor someone to guard her.

"Are you okay!"

Oliang and Lidded Wet Trash Can rushed in to defend her, blocking the skeletons' attacks just in time.

"Yes, thank you,"

Peach Blossom said, retreating from the skirmish to gather her focus. Then she shouted loudly,

"Hey, you trash, look at me!"

Everyone, including the thirty grim-faced skeletons, paused to look at her.

Peach Blossom guessed correctly that these skeletons were once men, which caused them to weaken with 10% less force. Her succubus set's attribute reduced the strength of any male opponents who looked directly at her by 10%. However, for it to worked fully, the opponent had to directly look at her.

"What's wrong with the guys?"

Valentine asked, puzzled. Not only were the skeletons staggering, but the male members of their group were also affected, having glanced directly at Peach Blossom in surprise. Who told her to yell something that sound too stunning for her age!

"Idiots..."

Chang Long shook her head, half-amused and half-exasperated. She struggled to block the simultaneous attacks of three vengeful skeletons. Even with their strength reduced by 10%, their assaults were still formidable.

"Come on." How could you all be such a fool!"

Peach Blossom complained as she hurled a fire spell at an approaching skeleton.

"Next time... warn us before you do something like that. Shouting like that makes everyone look!"

Siegfried scolded his sister sharply, fending off two skeletons with difficulty.

"Exactly. Let us know in advance next time!"

Kimhant added, his frustration evident. Peach Blossom, feeling unappreciated as she was reprimanded despite her efforts, grew more irritated.

"Fine, fight on your own. I'm not helping anymore!"

Peach Blossom huffed, sitting down in annoyance and refusing to participate further. Meanwhile, Kitsune, Lycanth, and Firetail proved to be excellent allies. Despite the 10% reduction in strength, Lycanth remained far stronger than the skeletons and fought them off effectively.

Not long after, Chang Long's group managed to defeat all the vengeful skeletons. They later discovered that the golden Caduceus symbol on their chests acted as a talisman, boosting their health. The group took a long break to catch their breath before resuming the task of solving the stone puzzles to open the way forward.

Captain Columbus answered the questions of the visitors from both guilds as Chang Long had instructed. He wanted to avoid any fighting on his ship. Though the guild members seemed only half-convinced, they returned to their ships to discuss with their comrades, leaving Captain Columbus feeling somewhat satisfied.

On the Sea Maiden, the Assassin Guild players were deep in discussion about what they had learned from Captain Columbus. They could not decide whether to sail back to verify his claims or wait for Siegfried and his group to emerge.

Similarly, the Dark Horse Guild players on the Adventurous Lamb were in a tense meeting. They could not make the decision on their own because this involved significant guild interests, If Siegfried of Pendragon really possessed the map to the Pirate King's secret tomb.

If what they heard from Captain Columbus was true, this meant they could be the first to venture into the island that no other players had yet set foot on. With no conclusion, they decided to call back to consult with the headquarters.

The Dark Horse Guild leader instructed them to hold their position, suspecting it might be a trap laid by Siegfried. He would send other guild members on Europa Island to verify the quest. The high-ranking Assassin Guild members similarly ordered their team to monitor and wait for Siegfried to exit the island, disregarding the potentially false quest.

With their instructions clear, both groups remained on their rented ships, sending patrol dinghies to scout the island for any signs of activity. While there were occasional skirmishes, they avoided full-scale conflict until the truth about the map was revealed.

The second puzzle board slid open, revealing more than forty level 35 Iron Armored Fly Beasts that flew straight to attack intruders who had disturbed their rest. Though numerous, Chang Long's group, with their higher average levels, defeated them without much difficulty. The important discovery was that the second puzzle opened inward from the outside, meaning that the path outside both on the left and right were also opened. It was not hard to guess that the correct path must be the middle puzzle.

Forced by the progression mechanics to solve all puzzles and open every exit for the correct path to open, Chang Long's group had no choice but to face what lay behind the dark rooms of four puzzle boards. With each puzzle they solved, they heard a faint click, and the central puzzle board would shuffle its image once.

The second panel on the right revealed Bloodthirsty Flora, which Chang Long knew well. They were easily dispatched with Kitsune and Firetail's fire. The second panel on the left unleashed Dwarf Demon beasts. These creatures resembled dwarves with ragged beards, blackened skin like corpses, sharp nails, teeth, and entirely black eyes with no whites. They leapt out unexpectedly, causing injuries and poisoning the group, necessitating a frantic search for antidote crystals buried in their bags.

"These last ones were brutal! Fast and poisonous with almost every attack!"

Jane exclaimed, sitting down exhausted. The speed and small size of the Dwarf Demon Beasts had her reeling, and their level 40 status meant the group had to struggle to defeat them without getting hurt.

"Exactly. Just finding a way to the next room has been exhausting. The next room is probably going to be even tougher,"

Hero agreed. Although he and Jane were fast, they were better suited to long-range attacks. Being entangled in close combat with the Dwarf Demon Beasts had put them at a significant disadvantage multiple times.

"This isn't good. We need to be more careful in the next room. We don't know what's waiting for us,"

Siegfried remarked. Despite their high levels, allowing them to fend off large numbers of monsters, the group needed to improve their coordination to avoid ending up in the underworld before reaching the treasure room.

"Let's eat,"

Chang Long suggested. She knew everyone was tired and hungry. A good meal and some rest would clear their minds and help them think more clearly than just sitting around complaining.

"Great, I was starving!"

Lidded Wet Trash Can said cheerfully. He joined Chang Long, Oliang, and Valentine in preparing food from the Cone of Abundance.

After everyone, including pets and spirits, had eaten and rested, it was time to tackle the last stone slab on the last stone puzzle. Everyone agreed that Siegfried, the rightful heir of the secret tomb, should do the honors.

Click!

The final stone slid into place, revealing a carved image of a garden with a pond in the center. It looked beautiful even as just a carving on stone slabs. As the puzzle completed, the board slowly moved aside, revealing a dazzling light that made everyone close their eyes momentarily. When they opened them, they were stunned by the heavenly sight before them.

Green trees, a blue sky with fluffy white clouds flowing by slowly, a meadow of flowers swaying in a gentle breeze, and the distant sound of waves created a serene atmosphere. Various insects flew playfully, a small brown rabbit hopped on the grass, and colorful parrots flew by, singing harmoniously.

"What is this place!"

Valentine exclaimed, awestruck by the beauty, never expecting to find such a sight in this harsh location.

"It's so beautiful, just like a paradise,"

Kimhant said, looking around dreamily. The modern world had no place like this anymore.

"Wow,"

Whack!

Peach Blossom said, wandering around, mesmerized by the scenery, until she walked into a cave wall and fell over. The illusion wavered slightly before returning to normal.

"What was that!"

Oliang rushed over to Peach Blossom, who felt a fleeting joy at being worried about until she realized he was reaching out into the air to touch the cave wall. Frustrated, she got up and went to Chang Long for comfort.

"What are you doing, Oliang?"

Wet Trash Can asked, puzzled by his friend's odd behavior, which resembled someone acting in a mime.

"Try it yourself, and you'll know,"

Oliang replied mysteriously, prompting the others to follow suit.

"A wall!"

Draco exclaimed after fumbling around like a blind person until he felt the stone wall, that Oliang had found. Despite the illusion showing a meadow and flowers with bugs sauntering by the wind.

"It's an illusion spell. A high-level one!"

Peach Blossom said excitedly. This spell was highly coveted by all mage players.

"The pond is real, but the water is an illusion. The bottom seems very deep,"

Chang Long informed them after inspecting the pond in the center of the meadow. In reality, without the illusion the pond was located at the far end of the room, opposite where they had entered.

"Don't tell me we have to go down there…"

Jane asked nervously.

"I'm not sure. Let's try feeling around the room first to see if there are any other exits,"

Chang Long sighed. Everyone spread out, searching the room thoroughly with their hands, but no one found another path.

"That leaves us with only one option…"

Hero said, looking down into the well, hoping to see a path but finding only an image of clear water in a stone well.

"We have no idea what's down there. If we go down blindly, we could be in big trouble!"

Draco pointed out, and everyone agreed. Each previous challenge had been brutal, and they could not help themselves for pacing more carefully.

"We need to find a way to dispel this illusion first, so we can see what the room really looks like,"

Aden suggested. They all started randomly attacking the stone walls and floor, hoping to destroy the source of the illusion.

Boomm!

Peach Blossom's fire spell hit a squirrel standing still on a tree, causing it to shatter into pieces. Instantly, the beautiful meadow vanished, revealing the room's true state. Faint rainbow-colored crystal shards fell from the spot on the wall where Peach Blossom's spell had hit. Kimhant, being closest, picked up a shard and examined it, recognizing it as a magic crystal. He handed it to Peach Blossom, deeming she should have it since she was the one who broke the illusion.

"Look, there's a light reflected from below. It seems we really do have to go down there!"

Draco said, peering into the well and noticing a faint reflection from below, which made him uneasy.

"It seems deep. Let's lower the rope and climb down. That way, if there are any monsters waiting, we'll know beforehand,"

Jane suggested seriously, pulling a thick, almost ten-meter-long rope from her backpack, as did Hero.

"...Why do you carry such long ropes? And they're really thick."

Wet Trash Can asked in astonishment.

"We need good spots to snipe the beasts, which are often high up. So, we often use ropes, that regular players don't care for. We stock up with at least 2-3 of these at a time,"

Hero explained, laughing at Wet Trash Can's surprised reaction.

"Alright, the knot is secure. Who's going down first?"

Jane asked after she and Hero tied the rope tightly to the well, which had a diameter of about two meters, and professionally let the end dangle below. It was clear who they would choose to go first. There was no doubt that it would be the rightful heir to the Pirate King's tomb.

"Siegfried!"

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