Chapter 186: Fallen King’s Tomb
"You already claimed that."
"I’m reminding you."
He laughed.
"Fine."
Then...
A system notification appeared.
[Regional Quest Discovered!]
The Fallen King’s Tomb
Recommended Level: 30
Potential Reward: Guild Foundation Stone Fragment
Jiang Feng’s eyes widened.
LittleMaple gasped.
"CAPTAIN!"
He smiled.
"There it is."
Then...
Another player stepped beside them.
A familiar voice spoke.
"Found something interesting?"
Jiang Feng turned.
Shen Tian.
Jiang Feng’s smile immediately disappeared.
"..."
Shen Tian smiled.
"What?"
Jiang Feng slowly closed the quest window.
"Nothing."
"I saw it."
"No you didn’t."
"Fallen King’s Tomb."
"Stop reading."
"Guild fragment."
Jiang Feng pointed at him.
"Stay away."
Shen Tian laughed.
LittleMaple moved protectively in front of Jiang Feng.
"You already stole our reputation token!"
"I earned it."
"You steal everything!"
"Not everything."
Jiang Feng narrowed his eyes.
Shen Tian smiled.
Then...
Xu Ning appeared.
Golden Fate exploded around the quest.
Far more than before.
Her expression became excited.
[Host.]
Shen Tian’s smile slowly changed.
Jiang Feng noticed.
"...No."
Xu Ning displayed the panel.
Major Destiny Event Detected
Target: Jiang Feng
Current Fate Value: 173,000
Event: Founding of Windfall
Final Requirement: Fallen King’s Tomb
Destined Rewards:
Fifth Guild Foundation Fragment
Hidden Legendary Equipment
First Guild Establishment Bonus
Silverbrook Territory Priority
Unique Guild Skill
Associated Fate Value: 18,000
Shen Tian stared.
Eighteen thousand.
In one dungeon.
Xu Ning smiled.
[Host.]
That’s a lot.
[Very.]
Jiang Feng slowly looked toward Shen Tian.
He didn’t know what Shen Tian was seeing.
But...
After playing together for days...
He knew that expression.
Jiang Feng immediately pointed toward him.
"Don’t."
Shen Tian blinked innocently.
"Don’t what?"
"Whatever you’re thinking."
"I’m not thinking anything."
"You’re smiling."
"I smile frequently."
"Not like that."
LittleMaple nodded.
"That’s the suspicious smile."
Shen Tian looked offended.
"You people have named my smiles?"
"Yes."
MoonPetal’s voice suddenly came from behind him.
"They have categories."
Everyone turned.
She had finally logged in.
Shen Tian smiled.
"Morning."
MoonPetal’s heart immediately betrayed her.
"Morning."
Jiang Feng looked between them.
Then...
His eyes narrowed.
Something was different.
MoonPetal looked happier than usual.
Nervous too.
Then he remembered she’d wanted to meet Shen Tian in real life.
Jiang Feng smiled.
"So..."
MoonPetal immediately knew.
"No."
"I didn’t ask anything."
"Your face did."
Shen Tian laughed.
MoonPetal glared.
Then Jiang Feng pointed toward the Fallen King’s Tomb quest.
"Focus."
Shen Tian looked toward the quest.
His golden eyes gleamed.
Jiang Feng tightened his grip on his sword.
One final fragment.
One final dungeon.
One final step before Windfall became real.
But now...
Shen Tian was here.
And somewhere above them...
Invisible threads of Fate had begun moving again.
Xu Ning smiled.
[Host.]
[What are you going to do?]
Shen Tian looked toward Jiang Feng.
Then MoonPetal.
LittleMaple.
Then the quest.
Eighteen thousand Fate.
A legendary item.
A unique guild skill.
Territory priority.
And the final fragment Jiang Feng needed.
Shen Tian slowly smiled.
I’m not taking the fragment.
Xu Ning blinked.
[You’re not?]
I told you.
I’m letting him build his guild.
[Then what are you taking?]
Shen Tian looked at the other rewards.
His smile widened.
Everything else.
Xu Ning stared.
Then burst out laughing.
[Host.]
What?
[That’s somehow meaner.]
Shen Tian shrugged.
Jiang Feng immediately became suspicious.
"Why are you smiling wider?"
"No reason."
"Shen."
"Fallen."
"Don’t screw me."
"I would never."
LittleMaple looked toward MoonPetal.
"He’s lying."
MoonPetal nodded.
"Absolutely."
Shen Tian sighed.
"No faith."
Jiang Feng drew his sword.
"Just stay away from my fragment."
Shen Tian equipped Eclipse.
"No promises."
"SHEN!"
Shen Tian laughed.
And together...
The four players accepted the quest.
[Fallen King’s Tomb]
[Major Regional Dungeon Accepted]
[Warning: Hidden Conditions Detected]
[Warning: Fate may change.]
Shen Tian’s eyes briefly moved toward that final line.
Then...
He smiled.
Oh...
It absolutely would.
. . .
[Fallen King’s Tomb]
[Major Regional Dungeon Accepted]
[Warning: Hidden Conditions Detected]
[Warning: Fate may change.]
The final message lingered in Shen Tian’s vision.
Fate may change.
"..."
Shen Tian stared at those words for several seconds.
Then...
A smile slowly spread across his face.
Xu Ning floated beside him.
[Host.]
Hm?
[I don’t think that warning is supposed to make you happy.]
Then they shouldn’t have worded it like a challenge.
Xu Ning sighed.
[Of course.]
Ahead of them...
Jiang Feng was already examining the dungeon information.
His expression had become serious.
This wasn’t simply another dungeon.
This was the final step.
Four black fragments currently rested inside his inventory.
Guild Foundation Stone Fragment: 4/5
One more.
Just one.
And Windfall could finally be created.
LittleMaple leaned over his shoulder.
"Captain."
"Hm?"
"If we get the last one today..."
"We should."
"Then we’re making the guild immediately, right?"
Jiang Feng smiled.
"That’s the plan."
LittleMaple immediately raised both hands.
"YES!"
Several nearby players turned.
She didn’t care.
"I’M FINALLY GOING TO BE IN A GUILD!"
Jiang Feng looked at her.
"You could have joined hundreds already."
"Not yours."
His expression paused.
LittleMaple smiled brightly.
"I was waiting for yours."
"..."
For a moment...
Jiang Feng didn’t know what to say.
Then his expression softened.
"Thanks."
MoonPetal watched them.
A faint smile appeared.
Then...
Her attention naturally drifted somewhere else.
Toward Shen Tian.
He was standing several feet away.
Dark green Ranger cloak.
Eclipse Longbow resting against his back.
Golden eyes focused on the dungeon entrance.
His expression...
Far too amused.
MoonPetal immediately narrowed her eyes.
She’d learned.
That smile meant trouble.
She walked over.
"What are you planning?"
Shen Tian looked toward her.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
"That’s hurtful."
"You have the smile."
"What smile?"
"The one where Jiang Feng loses something."
Jiang Feng immediately looked over.
"What?"
Shen Tian stared at MoonPetal.
"...Traitor."
MoonPetal laughed.
Jiang Feng walked closer.
"What am I losing?"
"Nothing."
"Shen."
"Fallen."
"Don’t touch my fragment."
Shen Tian smiled.
"I already said I’m not taking your fragment."
Jiang Feng studied him.
"You promise?"
"Yes."
LittleMaple immediately relaxed.
"Good."
Jiang Feng didn’t.
Because Shen Tian’s smile remained.
"...Then what are you taking?"
Shen Tian shrugged.
"Whatever else looks nice."
Jiang Feng stared.
"..."
MoonPetal covered her mouth.
LittleMaple looked horrified.
"Captain!"
"I know."
"He’s robbing us again!"
"I know."
Shen Tian laughed.
"I’m standing right here."
LittleMaple pointed accusingly.
"Thief!"
"Competitive acquisition specialist."
"THIEF!"
Jiang Feng drew his sword.
"Just stay away from the fragment."
"No problem."
"The legendary equipment too."
"No."
"Shen."
"You only specified the fragment."
"I hate you."
Shen Tian smiled.
"No you don’t."
"...Unfortunately."
MoonPetal laughed.
And together...
The four entered.
The world changed instantly.
Sunlight disappeared.
Cold darkness replaced it.
An enormous stone staircase stretched underground.
Ancient blue flames burned inside braziers lining the walls.
Statues of armored knights stood silently along either side.
Every statue faced downward.
Toward something deeper.
Something ancient.
Something waiting.
LittleMaple immediately moved closer to Jiang Feng.
"...I don’t like this."
Jiang Feng smiled.
"We’ve been inside for ten seconds."
"Exactly."
MoonPetal raised her staff.
A small sphere of light appeared above them.
The illumination revealed faded murals.
Battles.
Armies.
A king wearing a black crown.
Then...
The final mural.
The king kneeling before something enormous.
Something with wings.
MoonPetal stopped.
"That’s probably important."
Jiang Feng examined it.
"A dragon?"
Shen Tian looked closer.
"Maybe."
Xu Ning floated toward the mural.
Her eyes glowed.
[Ancient Draconic creature.]
Shen Tian’s eyebrow rose.
Boss?
[Eventually.]
Eventually?
She smiled.
[This dungeon is larger than the quest description suggests.]
Shen Tian looked down the staircase.
How much larger?
[Significantly.]
That...
Was interesting.
They continued.
After several minutes...
The stairs ended.
A massive stone doorway waited.
Words were carved above it.
MoonPetal read them aloud.
"Only those who carry the burden of command may enter the resting place of King Aeron."
LittleMaple looked toward Jiang Feng.
"Captain."
Jiang Feng sighed.
"Don’t."
"Burden of command."
"Maple."
"Captain."
"Stop."
She smiled.
Shen Tian walked toward the door.
The moment he approached...
Nothing happened.
He stepped back.
Jiang Feng approached.
WOOOOOM!
The entire doorway illuminated.
Shen Tian stared.
Jiang Feng slowly smiled.
"Well."
MoonPetal laughed.
LittleMaple looked unbearably proud.
"CAPTAIN!"
Jiang Feng turned toward Shen Tian.
"Looks like it likes me better."
Shen Tian stared.
Then looked toward Xu Ning.
Can I break the door?
[Host.]
Hypothetically.
[Please allow the protagonist to open one door.]
Shen Tian sighed.
Fine.
Jiang Feng touched the stone.
The doors opened.
[Hidden Condition Satisfied!]
[A player possessing the Leadership trait has entered the Fallen King’s Tomb.]
[Dungeon difficulty increased.]
[Reward quality increased.]
Everyone became quiet.
LittleMaple looked toward Jiang Feng.
"You have Leadership?"
Jiang Feng frowned.
"Apparently."
Shen Tian smiled.
"Former captain."
Jiang Feng glanced toward him.
"Probably."
MoonPetal looked interested.
"Hidden traits?"
"Looks like it."
Shen Tian’s system vision saw something else.
Golden threads.
Thousands of them.
They wrapped around Jiang Feng.
Xu Ning’s expression became serious.
[This entire dungeon recognizes him.]
Because he’s destined to found Windfall?
[Partly.]
A panel appeared.
Destiny Resonance Detected
Jiang Feng
Current Fate Value: 173,000
Leadership Path Active
King’s Inheritance Compatibility: 92%
Shen Tian stopped.
Inheritance?
Xu Ning nodded.
[That’s the legendary reward.]
Shen Tian smiled.
Interesting.
[Host.]
What?
[You have zero compatibility.]
"..."
Xu Ning smiled sweetly.
[Congratulations.]
Shen Tian stared.
I’ll find a way.
[That’s exactly what I was afraid you’d say.]
The first chamber contained fifty knights.
Not monsters.
Not exactly.
Undead soldiers.
[Fallen Royal Guard]
Level 29 Elite
HP: 18,000
Fifty pairs of blue eyes opened simultaneously.
LittleMaple stared.
"...Can we close the door?"
Jiang Feng drew his sword.
"No."
"Captain."
"No."
"CAPTAIN."
Shen Tian equipped Eclipse.
MoonPetal raised her staff.
The first knight charged.
Jiang Feng met it.
CLANG!
The impact echoed.
Then...
Everything erupted.
Shen Tian fired.
One arrow pierced the first knight’s eye.
CRITICAL HIT!
MoonPetal cast.
"Chain Lightning!"
Electricity jumped between four enemies.
Jiang Feng moved through the center.
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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
SEND POWESTONES!!!
ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!