Kalis strode toward the seriously injured militiaman, asking calmly: "Warrior, where is the Silverpeak Mine?"
"You cursed heretic, get lost!" Affected by the Eternal Hatred Curse, the militiaman's eyes were filled with disgust and anger.
He roared and pushed Kalis away: "I'll never reveal any information to you!"
Kalis's expression darkened slightly. He should have expected that soldier-type NPCs would be affected by the curse.
He turned to a woman drying herbs nearby, softening his tone: "Madam, could you tell me the location of the Silverpeak Mine? I heard the mine was attacked by monsters and I want to go help."
The woman harbored no hostility toward him. She smiled kindly and pointed west of the town: "Adventurer, the mine is at the foot of the mountain to the west, a deep, dark cave. But it's very dangerous now, so be careful."
"Thank you." Kalis nodded in thanks, immediately rushing in the direction the woman had indicated.
The entrance to Silverpeak Mine was hidden behind bushes, pitch-black and bottomless.
It wasn't marked on the system map clearly a hidden dungeon. Several miners and militiamen lay scattered at the entrance, covered in wounds with less than 10% HP remaining, letting out painful groans.
"Young adventurer, could you fetch some healing potions from the town for us?" A miner begged weakly.
A system notification popped up immediately:
[Emergency Supplies], Reward: 5,000 Experience Points, 2 Gold Coins.
Kalis refused firmly: "Hold on, more adventurers will come to help you later."
With that, he stepped into the mine without hesitation. He had no time to waste on errand runs.
In the next second, a system notification sounded:
"Ding～ You have discovered the Level 75 Main Quest Dungeon [Silverpeak Mine]!"
"Notice: Main quest dungeons are closed during initial clearance. You cannot exit unless you complete the dungeon or the entire team is defeated!"
"It's actually a main quest dungeon?" Kalis was stunned for a moment, then a look of wild joy curved his lips. "Shadow Claw dared to provoke me with announcements. I'll repay them with this dungeon's first clear announcement!"
The mine tunnel was narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass. For ordinary player teams, a Knight would have to tank in front while Mages and Archers dealt damage from behind.
Kalis walked alone. After taking dozens of steps, the first wave of monsters surged forward five [Umbral Lizards] the size of young wolves, covered in dark purple scales with glowing emerald eyes.
[Umbral Lizard]
Level: 72
HP: 11,000/11,000
(Target level is too high to display additional data)
The five Umbral Lizards clustered together. Kalis unleashed Thunder Chain without hesitation. Blue thunder spread like a spider web, instantly enveloping all five monsters.
Zap!
-248,400 (207 Attack Power × 120% Skill Coefficient × 10000 Amplification)
-248,400
-248,400
-248,400
-248,400
Five one-hit kill damage numbers popped up. The Umbral Lizards fell instantly, dissolving into clouds of black smoke.
"You have defeated Umbral Lizard, gained 2100 Experience Points!"
"You have defeated Umbral Lizard, gained 2100 Experience Points!"
...
Dungeon monsters gave more than three times the experience of wild monsters.
Kalis nodded in satisfaction, picked up the scattered copper coins, and continued deeper.
Every dozen steps, he encountered another wave of Umbral Lizards. With Thunder Chain's area damage efficiency, he cleared them all unimpeded.
After consecutively eliminating ten waves of mobs, Kalis reached a thirty-to-forty-square-meter transfer area.
Mining tools and several miner corpses lay on the ground. In the center, a massive Umbral Lizard coiled—this was the dungeon's first Boss.
[Umbral Lizard King (Rare Lord)]
Level: 78
HP: 275,000/275,000
(Target level is too high to display additional data)
"Too weak to be worth mentioning." Kalis gathered magical energy in his hand. A Magic Missile shot out, accurately hitting the lizard king's head.
-2,070,000
Before the Umbral Lizard King could even scream, its massive body crashed to the ground, turning into a pile of loot.
"You have defeated Umbral Lizard King, gained 156,000 Experience Points!"
"You have gained 35 Silver Coins, 12 Bronze Ore!"
Kalis picked up the drops. After checking, he found only ordinary materials, no equipment suitable for him. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
He continued down the slope of the transfer area. After going deeper more than a hundred meters, the tunnel suddenly opened up into the mine's second floor.
The space was spacious, with dark green slime covering the ground. The monsters had also changed to a new type.
[Mouldering Earth Thrall]
Level: 78
HP: 13,800/13,800
(Target level is too high to display additional data)
These monsters looked like small mud men covered in decaying soil.
Their movement speed was not slow, and they were scattered, making it difficult for Thunder Chain to trigger bounces.
Kalis had to kill them one by one with Magic Missile. Although the efficiency was slightly reduced, they were still one-hit kills.
Squelch!
Two Mouldering Earth Thralls sneaked behind him while his skill was on cooldown. Their slimy fists slammed heavily into his back and thighs.
-235
-228
"Dare to ambush me? You're asking for death!" Kalis's expression darkened. As he turned around, Magic Missile's cooldown ended just in time. Two pale blue projectiles shot out, instantly killing the two monsters.
He realized that pure physical attacks didn't benefit from the Ultimate Amplification talent. In his haste earlier, he had swung his staff at a monster, dealing a pitiful -16 damage.
"I guess I should avoid melee attacks from now on," Kalis muttered to himself. He dodged the remaining monsters' attacks and waited for Thunder Chain's cooldown to clear the area.
The second floor of the mine had far more monsters than the first.
Kalis advanced steadily for two kilometers, taking nearly forty minutes. He successfully reached Level 38, and his Spell Attack Power increased to 213 points.
Passing through a crystal-studded stone door, he finally arrived at the second Boss room, a huge cave with a fifty-meter radius.
Dark purple magic crystals were inlaid in the ground. Four massive Mouldering Earth Lords stood at the four cardinal directions, each with a distinct color: crimson, azure, emerald, and indigo.
[Mouldering Earth Lord - Crimson (Rare Lord)]
Level: 82
HP: 318,000/318,000
(Target level is too high to display additional data)
The other three lords had identical attributes to the Crimson one, differing only in color.
"Four Bosses? Interesting." Kalis's eyes lit up, calculating mentally. "Magic Missile has a 2.3-second cooldown, Thunder Chain has an 8-second cooldown. If I kill them quickly, I should be able to take out most before they surround me."
For an ordinary player team, this scenario would likely result in heavy losses.
But for Kalis, it would only take a few more skills. He walked slowly toward the nearest Crimson Lord. The Bosses didn't attack actively, still wandering in place.
"Let's go!"
Kalis raised his hand and cast Magic Missile. The pale blue projectile hit the Crimson Lord's brow precisely.
-2,130,000!
The Crimson Lord fell instantly, dissolving into black smoke.
However, at that moment, the remaining three lords suddenly let out deep roars. Black energy surged around them, their bodies swelling nearly twice in size, their attributes skyrocketing!
[Mouldering Earth Lord - Azure (Rare Lord)]
Level: 82
HP: 424,000/424,000
(Target level is too high to display additional data)
Kalis's pupils contracted slightly: "There's actually such a mechanism? Killing one strengthens the others?"