The streets of the City of Glory were bustling with noise and traffic. Players were either exchanging tips on quests in small groups or arguing fiercely over the price of a piece of equipment at a stall, presenting a scene of prosperous order.
However, a black shadow, moving at a speed completely discordant with the surrounding prosperity, tore through this harmonious picture.
Lin Mo's figure, like a black arrow shot from a bow, darted rapidly through the gaps in the crowd. His every turn and every leveraged movement was executed with extreme precision, as if calculated a thousand times over. The surrounding players only felt a blur before their eyes, a slight breeze passing, and the shadow had already vanished at the end of the street before they could even clearly see his appearance.
"What the hell! What was that that just passed by?!"
"I don't know, it was too fast! Was that some high-level Agility Assassin rushing somewhere?"
"That speed... they must have at least 100 Agility, right? That's terrifying!"
Leaving the onlookers' gasps of astonishment far behind, the only thing in Lin Mo's eyes was the blood-red countdown constantly ticking in the upper right corner of his vision.
[Remaining Quest Time: 28 minutes 17 seconds]
Time is Life!
His brain was currently operating at an unprecedented speed, like the most precise supercomputer.
"City of Glory East Gate... Howling Cave... The distance is about fifteen kilometers. Running at full speed will take at least ten minutes."
"Howling Cave is a Level 25 Elite Monster area. The Venomous Banshees inside are between Level 24 and 26, they are aggressive, gregarious, and specialize in sonic attacks and poison magic."
"My level is 17, meaning there is a 7 to 9 level suppression. This means my attacks have a certain chance of missing, and the damage I receive will be amplified."
"The molten heart breastplate requires Level 20 to equip, so defense is a weakness. I must rely on the invincibility of Poison Shadow Shift and Stealth to avoid fatal damage."
"The biggest problem is the Guardians deep within the cave. Information is unknown, strength is unknown; I must prepare for the worst."
Key pieces of information were rapidly integrated and analyzed in his mind, and corresponding strategies were generated at the speed of light.
He showed no trace of panic; the more Life-or-death the crisis, the calmer his thoughts became, chilling like ten thousand years of profound ice. This was the most precious quality he had honed over two lives and countless adversities.
Ten minutes later, when Lin Mo's figure finally burst through the tall city walls of the City of Glory's East Gate, the scene before him suddenly opened up.
Unlike the prosperity inside the city, the world outside the walls was a vast and desolate plain. Withered yellow grass stretched to the horizon, and in the distance, a continuous, undulating black mountain range, like the fangs of a demon, was faintly visible.
That was the location of the Howling Cave.
Lin Mo did not hesitate for a moment. After confirming his direction, he accelerated again, sprinting toward the ominous mountain range.
[Remaining Quest Time: 18 minutes 02 seconds]
As he continued deeper, the surrounding scenery began to change. The air grew increasingly cold and damp, and strange, pale green glowing fungal plants started appearing on the ground. Occasionally, he could spot the skeletal remains of animals, scattered in the grass, silently testifying to the danger of the place.
Finally, beneath a steep cliff, a massive, pitch-black cave entrance appeared in Lin Mo's field of vision.
The entrance looked like a giant mouth opened by the earth, bottomless, constantly exhaling a spine-chilling, cold wind. The wind also carried a faint "woo-woo" sound, like a woman weeping, which made one's scalp crawl.
This was the Howling Cave!
Not even the lowest-level monster could be seen around the entrance, but the terrifying pressure emanating from within, belonging to high-level monsters, was enough to deter any player below Level 20.
Lin Mo glanced at the countdown.
[Remaining Quest Time: 15 minutes 45 seconds]
Time was pressing. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately activated Stealth. His figure instantly dissolved into nothingness, and silently, he plunged into the profound darkness.
The moment he entered the cave, a dense stench of rot and Decay, thick enough to be almost tangible, assaulted him, nearly suffocating him.
The light inside the cave was extremely dim, with visibility less than five meters. The ground was slick and sticky, covered in unknown moss and mucus, making a sickening squelching sound with every step.
Lin Mo heightened his senses to the extreme, cautiously exploring inward step by step.
"Woo... woo woo..."
The sound, like a woman weeping, grew clearer here. It seemed to possess a kind of magic, constantly irritating the nerves and attempting to stir up the deepest fears in one's heart.
Suddenly, Lin Mo's footsteps halted abruptly.
Not far in front of him, several pale green figures were aimlessly wandering in the darkness.
[Venomous Banshee] (Elite)
Level: 25
Life Points: 8000 / 8000
Skills: [Piercing Wail], [Venomous Arrow], [Corrosion Slime]
Description: Tragic souls bound to the underground cave by an ancient curse. Their wails and Deadly Poison are the nightmares of all intruders.
These Venomous Banshees looked like human females, but their skin was a sickly, pale green. They had no feet; their lower bodies were illusory mist, floating half a meter above the ground. Their hair, meanwhile, consisted of small, venomous snakes constantly writhing and flicking their tongues!
Lin Mo quickly scanned the area; there were no fewer than ten Venomous Banshees wandering just in this entrance section of the cave!
Their distribution was completely random, and they were positioned very close to one another. Disturbing even one would inevitably trigger a chain reaction, instantly drawing the attack of all the Banshees.
"This is trouble."
Lin Mo's brow furrowed tightly.
With his current strength, he might have a chance fighting a single Level 25 Elite monster. But facing ten at the same time... that was no different from seeking death!
[Remaining Quest Time: 13 minutes 20 seconds]
Time did not allow him to waste it here.
He had to find a way to pass through this area without alerting them!
Lin Mo's mind raced, his gaze sweeping over every inch of the surrounding environment like a hawk, trying to find a safe path.
Suddenly, his eyes fixed on the ceiling of the cave.
The cave ceiling was not a smooth rock wall, but was covered in countless stalactites hanging down like sharp swords. These stalactites varied in size, were scattered unevenly, and formed natural, suspended "pathways" between them.
An extremely bold plan instantly formed in his mind!
He slowly retreated to a corner, took a deep breath, and then violently pushed off with his legs!
His body, like a leopard, silently leaped upward, his hands accurately grabbing the nearest stalactite. Immediately afterward, using his core strength, he nimbly flipped his body up, settling steadily into a crouch on the stalactite, which was only the size of a washbasin.
The entire process was fluid and seamless, without making a single unnecessary sound.
The Venomous Banshees below were completely unaware, continuing their aimless wandering.
"Success!"
Lin Mo felt a surge of joy. He looked up at the "three-dimensional maze" composed of countless stalactites ahead, his eyes shining with confidence.
Next was the ultimate test of a top-tier assassin's balance, jumping ability, and timing!
He adjusted his breathing, slightly crouched, and then, like an ape, leaped violently toward another stalactite about three meters away.
He landed steadily!
Jump again!
His figure began a breathtaking "parkour" routine across these suspended stalactites. Every jump landed precisely on the next foothold; every movement perfectly avoided the pale green figures of death below.
He was like a dancer walking on the edge of a knife, displaying skill and daring to the absolute limit!
However, accidents always happen unexpectedly.
Just as he was about to cross this area and prepare to jump to the final stalactite, the one beneath his feet—whether due to years of moisture Corrosion or its inability to bear his weight—emitted an extremely faint "crack" sound!
Though the sound was small, it was jarringly loud in the dead silence of the cave!
"Woo—?!"
Below, the nearest Venomous Banshee abruptly stopped wandering. Its pale green face slowly lifted upward!
Not good!
Lin Mo's heart instantly leaped into his throat!
Without hesitation, he immediately activated Shadow Strike, targeting the shadow of the final stalactite ahead!
In the nick of time, his figure transformed into a black shadow, instantly traversing several meters and landing on that stalactite.
But he was still a step too late.
That Venomous Banshee had already spotted the residual shadow of his disappearance!
"Hiss—!!!"
A shriek sharp enough to pierce eardrums suddenly erupted from the mouth of the Venomous Banshee!
[Piercing Wail]!
A visible ring of pale green sonic waves, like ripples on water, suddenly spread out!
"Ooom—!"
Lin Mo felt a roaring in his brain, as if he had been struck hard by an invisible heavy hammer, plunging him into a [Stun] state lasting 1.5 seconds!
This alarm, like a bomb dropped into a calm lake, instantly detonated the entire cave!
"Hiss—!!!"
"Hiss—!!!"
All the surrounding Venomous Banshees shrieked simultaneously, their eyes, filled with malice and hunger, locking onto the immobilized figure suspended in mid-air!
The next second, overwhelming Venomous Arrows, flashing with pale green light, rained down like a storm from all directions toward Lin Mo's position!
The shadow of death completely enveloped him at that moment!