The Silent Ghost Valley

The crimson moon hung high in the sky, its bloody glow like congealed pools of gore, staining the entire valley in an eerie shade of dark red.

The pitch-black valley resembled the gaping maw of a monstrous beast, with gusts of icy wind carrying sand and gravel as they howled through the ravine.

Standing here, one could almost hear faint, fragmented whispers echoing in their ears—

Yet this unsettling atmosphere was abruptly shattered by the relentless roar of explosions.

"Fire Meteor!" A blazing fireball streaked across the night sky like a shooting star, crashing into a horde of wraiths and erupting in a dazzling inferno.

"Frozen Seal!" A wave of biting cold spread outward, freezing wraiths solid before shattering them into icy fragments.

"Heavenly Sword Array!" Countless sword energies crisscrossed through the air like phantom slashes, tearing the wraiths to shreds.

"Demon Light Beam!" A massive azure beam shot forth, illuminating the sky as it annihilated everything in its path.

The bombardment was ceaseless, the kaleidoscopic flashes of energy dancing under the crimson moon.

Even as thousands of wraiths surged toward him like a tidal wave, Ye Chuan showed no fear. His spells poured forth like a storm, ruthlessly carving a path through the undead horde.

He unleashed techniques and magic without restraint, each strike claiming dozens—if not hundreds—of wraith lives.

"Feels like a hack-and-slash game," Ye Chuan mused as he eyed the scattered spirit essences. Without hesitation, he summoned his Blood Wolf Demon to help clear the field.

The wolf threw its head back with a howl before charging into the fray, its razor-sharp claws and fangs tearing through wraiths with savage efficiency.

In no time, the ground was littered with glowing spirit essences, their eerie radiance pulsing under the blood moon.

With a wave of his hand, Ye Chuan summoned the essences into his palm, storing them away.

"This beats the hell out of that Ghost Dorm mission. Nothing like a pure monster-grinding adventure."

As the wraiths continued their endless assault, a satisfied glint flickered in Ye Chuan’s eyes. His peachwood sword slashed relentlessly, each swing unleashing a razor-sharp sword aura!

Wherever the aura passed, wraiths were bisected like stalks of wheat.

Here, he could fight to his heart’s content—testing spells, refining techniques, and pushing his limits.

Freaking awesome!

But even with his Heaven-grade Foundation and Supreme-grade Core, the reckless expenditure of magic was draining his mana reserves.

Beads of sweat formed on Ye Chuan’s forehead, his breathing growing heavier.

"First time I’ve ever run out of MP."

Clicking his tongue, he pulled out hundreds of spirit stones from his bag and crushed them without hesitation.

The moment the stones shattered, a surge of dense spiritual energy flooded into Ye Chuan’s body, instantly absorbed by his Chaos Immortal Physique.

The physique devoured energy at an alarming rate, replenishing his mana without the need for refinement.

Ye Chuan rolled his shoulders, savoring the return of his strength, then unleashed another Demon Light Beam. "Ultimate Flash!"

A blinding streak of light tore through the darkness like a divine blade, obliterating dozens of wraiths in an instant.

"Not enough! Bring more!"

"Did you forget to eat? Faster!"

"Is this your spawn rate? Pathetic!"

...

Meanwhile, outside the Ghost Valley, a cautious party of five crept forward—three men and two women, all decently equipped.

The leader, a burly man wielding a massive battle-axe, scanned their surroundings warily before whispering,

"Silent Ghost Valley is a B-rank dungeon, but even veterans wipe here."

"Remember—once we enter, absolute silence. Grab the target item and get out."

"If we encounter wraiths, run. These things multiply when fought. Never engage head-on."

"Especially you, rookie." He shot a glare at the smallest member. "You’re the weakest link. If you hadn’t paid the most entry points, I wouldn’t have brought you. Don’t screw this up."

The girl, Tian Xiaotian, nodded obediently. "Understood, Captain."

Since clearing the Ghost Dorm mission as Ye Chuan’s carry, she’d received top-tier rewards. Using those and her hard-earned points, she’d finally stabilized her footing in the dungeon world—even briefly returning to reality.

But to her dismay, she soon learned that periodic returns to the dungeon were mandatory. Survival meant constant grinding.

A year had passed, and despite clearing several dungeons, she’d never crossed paths with her mysterious benefactor again.

Part of her missed being carried.

(Except for that terrifying wolf demon.)

Thanks to that incident, she now carried gold bars wherever she went.

"Uh, Captain?" Another female member spoke up, frowning. "You said the valley’s supposed to be silent… So why’s it so loud over there?"

She pointed ahead, where flashes of light and explosions echoed from the valley’s depths.

The captain stared, baffled. "That’s… I’ve run this dungeon four, five times. Never seen it this bright or noisy."

This wasn’t right.

As the explosions continued, the captain gulped, a bad feeling settling in. "We might’ve triggered a hidden boss."

A hidden boss?

A gaunt man’s eyes gleamed. "If it is, mission rewards could multiply."

Their objective was just to retrieve an item—no need to fight the boss directly.

"Let’s move. We’re stuck here until we complete the mission anyway. High risk, high reward!" The captain signaled for them to advance.

Familiar with the route, he led Tian Xiaotian and the others into the valley. The moment they stepped inside, the air turned deathly cold.

[Silence.]

The captain gestured before pressing forward.

BOOM! Another explosion rocked the valley, shaking the ground beneath them.

The captain froze, his face paling as he stared ahead, breath trembling. "…"

Ghostly flames flickered to life around them, followed by wraiths materializing from the darkness.

"You’ve gotta be kidding me! The tremors summon them?!" The captain spun on his heel and bolted.

The group scrambled back—only to find their exit blocked by skeletal warriors.