Chapter 328: The Strange Archer

Marcus checked the white flower’s stats.

—

Nine-Leaf King Flower: Originally a Nine-Leaf King Grass. It grows one leaf every hundred years, and its normal lifespan is only five hundred years. If it survives for nine hundred years, it becomes Nine-Leaf King Grass. If it is fortunate enough to bloom, it becomes the Nine-Leaf King Flower.

Gently shaking the Nine-Leaf King Flower releases a unique fragrance. Any player carrying it will not be attacked by monsters below Divine Beast level. However, the scent reduces movement speed by 80%. Remaining duration: 10 minutes.

—

No attacks from anything below Divine Beast level. Honestly, that was even better than his Pure Mist Cloud Cluster.

But an 80% movement penalty? That flaw was crippling.

No wonder the Greedy Demon had moved like he was dragging chains while carrying it. In a critical moment, every second mattered. His failure proved it. Otherwise, he would have escaped with the Red Locust Spirit already in hand.

And compared to the three hours remaining on Marcus’s cloud cluster, this flower only had ten minutes left.

’Tried to outplay a cheat and got cheated instead.’

With a sigh, Marcus stuffed the Nine-Leaf King Flower into his backpack, urged Blackie forward, and flew east toward Black Dragon Pond in Ghost Rain Marsh. He still needed to find the Black Earth Cellar and the Black-Horned Pangolin Madam Jane had mentioned.

Along the way, he checked the loot he had taken from Red Locust Grove.

The first thing he pulled out was the Red Locust Wood Basket. Inside, the Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Cicada was still chirping.

—

Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Cicada: Mythic-grade herb. A mystical creature nurtured for a thousand years within Red Locust Grove. Possesses miraculous effects for improving blood circulation and strengthening the body. Extremely cunning, with the mythical skill Cicada Sheds Its Shell. No one has ever successfully captured it.

Legend says that ten years ago, Demon Doctor Tarno, one of the Demon Lord’s Eight Guardians, spent two full autumns trying to catch it and still failed. It is also said that anyone who fully refines this herb may gain a chance to learn Cicada Sheds Its Shell.

—

’Ridiculously powerful.’

Marcus could only stare for a moment before grinning. The moment he got back, he was handing this straight to Alana.

He had been absurdly lucky. If he had not encountered the cicada in the middle of its casting, frozen in place while activating the red sealing barrier, he would never have caught it in a hundred lifetimes.

And all of that opportunity had come because of the Red Locust Spirit.

Thinking of it, Marcus eagerly rolled up his right sleeve. There it was.

A red locust-flower petal mark had appeared on his arm, almost identical to the pink peach blossom petal mark left by the Ten-Thousand-Year Peach Blossom Spirit.

The two petals rested side by side, forming an elegant design across his skin.

Marcus laughed under his breath. He touched the mark. A faint floral scent lingered there.

’Weird… but impressive.’

Next, he pulled out the Red Locust Bee Hive. Nourished by the Red Locust Spirit’s energy, the hive had undergone a mutation.

—

Red Locust Bee Hive: Originally an ordinary hive. After the Thousand-Year Queen Bee inside absorbed sufficient Red Locust Spirit energy, it mutated and gained two abilities.

Summon Red Locust Bees: Speak the incantation, and the Thousand-Year Queen instantly releases a number of Red Locust Bees to fight for the player.

The bees are ten levels below the summoner. Their number equals the summoner’s level. Combat duration: five minutes. Afterward, they return to the hive. Usable once per day.

Collect Red Locust Honey: Once each month, the Thousand-Year Queen automatically produces one jar of Red Locust Honey.

Red Locust Honey: Extremely sweet. Possesses cooling and detoxifying effects. Can be used to craft health-restoring potions.

—

The Red Locust Spirit had turned an ordinary hive into something extraordinary.

Marcus glanced again at the petal mark on his arm. The power of these ancient spirits was no joke.

This trip had paid off handsomely.

His only regret was losing the Pure Mist Cloud Cluster. Those cloud clusters were unique treasures born from the Spring of Purity, one of the five legendary springs of Dreamland Continent.

He could only hope to cross paths with the Greedy Demon again someday and reclaim what was his.

Riding Blackie toward Black Dragon Pond, Marcus looked down at the passing landscape and opened the chat system. He spoke with Lily, his sister, and with the Nance sisters, Jade and Crystal, to pass the time.

Anya and Chloe had already been online for a while, but aside from a few quick exchanges while he was catching the cicada, he had barely spoken to them. Now the two of them were enthusiastically taking mercenary quests, trying to raise Monarch Squad’s rank.

When they realized Marcus finally had a quiet moment, Anya eagerly began describing the missions they had accepted. She and Chloe were obviously enjoying themselves.

The long journey suddenly felt far less dull.

An hour later, Marcus reached the outskirts of Black Dragon Pond. After circling a tall mountain ridge, the dark waters finally came into view.

“Anya, I’m here at Black Dragon Pond. Send me a message if anything happens. And if you run into a difficult quest, don’t force it. Wait for me to get back, and we’ll handle it together.”

“Okay, Marcus. Be careful.”

Her voice was warm and easy. After ending the call with her, he closed the others as well and focused on the vast pond below.

The water of Black Dragon Pond was dark and glossy, perfectly still, like polished black crystal. Yet if scooped into the hand, it became clear and colorless.

No one knew why.

Legend claimed that a black dragon lived beneath the pond, and that countless scales and scraps of dragon armor had dissolved into the water, giving it that strange sheen. Some even swore they had seen the dragon burst from the surface, churning the pond into chaos while the sky darkened and black clouds rolled overhead.

That, supposedly, was how the place earned its name.

True or not, one fact was certain.

The land around Black Dragon Pond was crowded with monsters above Level 70. The Level 90 Black-Scale Demon Dragons and Dark Horned Dragons dwelling in the waters were especially notorious.

Marcus circled above the area for some time.

Marshes, forests, hills, streams, pools. There were all kinds of terrain below, but nothing that looked remotely like a Black Earth Cellar. Meanwhile, flying monsters such as Black-Eyed Poison Dragonflies and Flying Fang Hounds made staying in the air dangerous.

“Blackie, descend.”

He patted his mount, and Blackie began dropping toward the ground.

The ground was actually more dangerous than the sky, but he had no choice if he wanted to search properly.

’Damn it. Madam Jane’s directions were far too vague.’

Marcus muttered under his breath.

He had already spent an hour searching around Black Dragon Pond and still had not found any sign of the cellar. Worse, he constantly had to avoid monsters or use Pebble to lure them away before they could close in.

It was exhausting.

He checked Silas the Wanderer’s map once more, still nothing. No mention of the Black Earth Cellar at all. It was probably too obscure to be recorded.

“Blackie, you tired?” He rubbed the mount’s head.

Blackie was a super divine pet, light-footed and tireless. This kind of trip meant nothing to him.

Marcus, on the other hand, was reaching the end of his patience. He could not farm monsters here. He could not find the cellar. He was wasting time.

He was just about ready to turn back, drag Madam Jane outside, and make her explain where the hell this place actually was. If necessary, he could return later after leveling up.

The monsters here were all above Level 70. Even if he found the cellar, it would almost certainly be guarded by something dangerous. With his current strength, that was asking for trouble.

Croaaak.

Just as he was preparing to leave, a deep and resonant frog call sounded from the left. It was different from ordinary frog cries the moment he heard it.

And, much like the Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Cicada, the surrounding croaks seemed to echo in rhythm with it, as though answering a command.

’A boss monster.’ There was no doubt about it.

Marcus could barely deal with the regular monsters in this region, let alone a boss. Still, rare bosses were rare for a reason. Even seeing one from a safe distance would be worth bragging about later.

Curiosity won immediately. He nudged Blackie forward and moved slowly toward the sound.

The croaking grew louder as he approached. Through the thinning trees, he could make out what looked like a pond ahead, likely the source of the noise.

Then, through the branches, he spotted a bright multicolored glow near the water.

His curiosity flared even higher. He quickened his pace.

But just as he was about to leave the trees—

Swish.

A lean, short figure appeared beside him without warning.

The man wore dark gray light armor engraved with images of tigers, lions, eagles, and other fierce beasts. It was unlike anything Marcus had seen before.

Yet what drew his eye most was the iron bow slung across the man’s back.

The bow looked dull and unremarkable at first glance, almost like a rough piece of raw iron. But its shape was elegant and fluid, the curves so natural it seemed ready to spring into flight at any moment. Paired with the taut bowstring, it carried a quiet sense of lethal force.

“Hold there, young man. Don’t go any farther.”

The middle-aged archer stood about ten feet away and lifted a hand for Marcus to stop.

He was short and lean, especially compared with Marcus seated on Blackie, yet the difference in stature somehow meant nothing. The man’s eyes were sharp, and he carried himself with calm authority.

Though standing on open ground, he gave Marcus the impression of a mountain rooted to the earth, unmoving, steady, and edged like a blade of wind.

His fierce aura and composed expression made him seem taller than Marcus despite the horse.

Even unreachable.

Marcus reined in Blackie almost instinctively. Seeing him stop, the archer lightly leapt onto a broad tree branch, rested his back against the trunk of a giant tree, and continued watching the distant pond.

Then he crooked a finger.

“Young man. Come.”

Only then did Marcus realize the man had been hidden among the branches all along. He had jumped down solely to stop Marcus from walking into the clearing.

No wonder Marcus had never noticed him.

Who was this archer? And what exactly was he doing here?

Marcus found himself full of questions.

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