Chương 387: [The Witch Of The End] Opening!

A bomb of information suddenly spread everywhere as fast as a forest fire. Two friends were traveling in a group when one of them suddenly heard a few people speaking.

"Did you hear about the <Dungeon>?"

"Dungeon?"

"Yeah, it seems that…" The friend was stunned and asked those people.

"What do you mean that Lord Wert has discovered a hidden <Dungeon>?"

"You haven't heard? Are you living under a rock or something?" The second friend sighed.

"... Can you not be that condescending and tell me what happened?" That man felt a bit awkward for a second. Clearing his throat, he answered.

"Cough. Sorry. Either way, Lord Wert was patrolling a nearby city where the Nexus had attacked a few years ago. That place had been smeared with some evil curses, so it was closed to the public. However, who would've expected that a <Dungeon> suddenly appeared there! Moreover, it is a <Named Dungeon>!"

"Named!? Named dungeon rewards are always much better than normal dungeon rewards!"

"While that's true, being named is not that important if it is too low-level. However, from what I heard, this is a <Third Energy Cycle> dungeon!" The two friends opened their eyes wide and then looked at each other.

"We need to move to Golden Sap City before prices skyrocket!"

"You are too late!" That man laughed.

"The one who announced the <Dungeon> was the government. I am sure that they already have a thorough plan about how to deal with it." One of the friends commented, slightly dissatisfied.

"Isn't the Golden Sap City's government a bit too meddling? They poke their noses too much in our private matters!" The man looked at that friend strangely.

"Are you comparing an Arboracy with a normal government? The leader is a World Tree, an active one that helps the citizens! If you have complaints, go and do as much as Lady World Tree for the people. The entire Golden Sap City was built by Lady World Tree's own efforts as well." The people around shook their heads with a sigh. A Sylvan at the side suddenly spoke.

"Speaking of buildings, I heard that a Colosseum-like building is being constructed near the city's most populated area. Why would Lady World Tree build something so barbaric?" A tiger beastkin at the side answered with a pondering expression.

"I would say it is to appease conflicts. Since Lady World Tree's ruling is very strict, there is a lot of unvented dissatisfaction that can explode at any moment. Creating a way for people to fight to the death with each other and vent is quite a good idea, in my opinion. Laws and penalties can also be created around it if necessary." The Sylvan frowned, half-convinced.

"Hm… If Lady Liu Shu thinks so, she must've had serious considerations about it." Then, she muttered.

"I wish I could go and visit Lady Aurelise again."

"Aurelise?" One of the two friends asked again, confused.

"Is that a new World Tree?" The people traveling with the two friends looked at them strangely. The Sylvan woman asked, curious and somewhat cautious.

"So, where are you two from? Not knowing so many things is, with no intention of offending, beyond ignorant." The two friends laughed awkwardly. One of them spoke.

"I am Grant, a C Tier Explorer. He is Frant, my brother. We came here from the Azure Rose Continent because we heard that there are a few interesting opportunities." A man at the side felt his lips twitch.

"Your parents weren't too original, eh?" Frant answered with a raised eyebrow.

"Tell me where else you've heard the name Frant. If that's not originality, I don't know what it is." The man was speechless. Meanwhile, the Sylvan had a face of realization.

"No wonder. That journey is by no means short, so you should be completely out of touch." Her face became more amiable, and she commented.

"What's your objective? I mean, 'opportunities' is too broad of a term." Frant commented.

"Well, we are dungeon delvers. So we wanted to explore the Wild Continent's Dungeons. Before that, we wanted to explore this area a bit since, well, with the ongoing war on the north side of the continent, it is not safe to explore beyond the Wall Forest." Everyone turned silent. The Sylvan muttered.

"Who would've thought that the Covenant would be so cornered in just four years? I guess the Nexus is giving the Wild Continent much more importance than the other three global powers."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Grant said.

"What's the name of the Dungeon? You said it was named, right?" The Sylvan smiled.

"<The Witch Of The End>. Quite ominous. Being a Level 50 to 74 dungeon, I am honestly not too eager to delve into it while I am just 213 years old. Perhaps in another century… Two more centuries? Who knows?" The non-long-lived races in the caravan rolled their eyes. Meanwhile, Frant and Grant arrived at the Golden Sap City. The enormous walls and the even more imposing World Tree towering over everything in the area were so impactful that they stood dazed at the entrance for a while.

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"Woah… She is the tallest World Tree I've ever seen in person."

"She should be close to 2, 000 meters tall, right?"

"As if I can measure something like that by eye! Did you just say something at random?"

"Cough. I didn't; I just heard a few people on the side saying it."

"..." Frant muttered once they were checked at the entrance and paid the entry fees.

"It's not too expensive. One <Tyn> per person is acceptable for such a large city."

"Yeah. Let's go to one of the inns." They asked and walked around, and once there, their eyes and mouths opened as they looked up at the ginormous and thick tree.

"... This is an inn? An inn is supposed to be humble… No?"

"It's bigger than some of the super mansions of rich people on the Azure Rose Continent's mainland."

"Well, size isn't everything, right?"

"Right, the inside is what matters." They stepped inside, and their feet became rooted to the ground once more. At the entrance, a grand reception room welcomed them. The number of people going back and forth was overwhelming, to say the least.

"That's one of the famous Rose Fairies?"

"It seems like so… Look over there, brother, that's a Myconid!"

"Woah… It's like the ants outside. People are not afraid of them at all." A relatively old man at the side snorted.

"Afraid? Have you seen the aggression statistics? The monsterkins are actually the second-least aggressive species in the city, just behind Sylvans." The two of them coughed awkwardly and walked ahead. After registering, they noticed that the price was also very affordable. Of course, there were different styles and levels of rooms. Regardless, the cheapest options were affordable for most of the population. Once inside the room, both of them were satisfied.

"While it is the cheapest one, the quality is very good. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and an empty room. Very generous!" Quickly, a week passed, and they finally heard the news they were waiting for.

"Oh? <The Witch Of The End> Dungeon will open soon! A month, from what it seems." Frant exited the bathroom while drying his hair and asked, curious.

"A month? Why so long?"

"They are sending a few strike teams to test it. After they document the dangers and such, they'll open it to the public for a fee."

"Open to the public? That's very generous!"

"Since it is over Level 50, they can afford it. How many public parties are really qualified to enter a Dungeon of that level?"

"Fair enough." The month passed quickly, and they went out of Golden Sap City. Their one-month stay was extremely pleasant, making them wonder if they should buy a house and settle down. Grant blinked.

"Ah! Today is the day we are officially added to the buff list. I wonder what Lady Liu Shu's buffs are." Frant chuckled.

"They must be good. However, compared to those we've received in the mainland… Well, let's not get our expectations too high." The location where the <Dungeon> was located was a small town near the Golden Sap City. The town was by no means small, having a few buildings constructed by Liu Shu. Before they entered, a notification appeared in front of them. [World Tree Tianlian Liu Shu's auras will come into effect in 4…] [3…] [2…] [1…] [Ding! Congratulations. You are under the effects of World Tree Tianlian Liu Shu's auras!] [You've gained <Defender>!] [You've gained <Summoning Blessing>!] [You've gained…] Message after message popped into their eyes, and simultaneously, the ternary essences around them surged in their bodies. When the powerful auras surrounded them, their eyes widened to the limit.

"HUH!?"

"Brother, I think my System is broken… I am hearing things that shouldn't be possible!"

"Brother, I think we are both delusional, then. My System is doing the same." While they were reading the buffs slowly, the person leading them in the carriage spoke.

"We've arrived." Both men snapped out of their daze and walked out of the carriage. They hadn't snapped out of their reverie even after the carriage was long gone.

"Heh. Look at those two. Seeing how they are checking the system, are they newbies that just received Lady Liu Shu's buffs?"

"Hahaha. Most likely, the Golden Shock, as some people call it, is quite easy to distinguish at a glance." Grant and Frant glanced at the group of Explorers laughing. One of them smirked.

"Brothers, are you new?" Frant nodded and asked, his mind still a mess.

"What's this Golden Shock that you've spoken about?" The tall and muscular man smiled.

"Well, Lady Liu Shu's buffs are ridiculous. So, once they go into effect, many people feel overwhelmed. This happens so often that people have named it after Lady Liu Shu's city. Hence, Golden Shock." Frant and Grant wanted to laugh but couldn't.

'No, these buffs are no joke… If one army has them and the other doesn't.' Frant and Grant couldn't help but feel a chill.

'This is too ridiculous. On equal grounds, Golden Sap Province is nearly invincible.'

"Speaking of which, brothers. Have you both come here to enter the <Dungeon>?" Grant nodded and smiled faintly.

"Indeed. That's our intention." The man smiled widely and slapped his shoulder.

"Great! How about going with us? The recommended group size to enter the <Dungeon> is eleven people, and we are short on two members."

"Oh?" Grant and Frant looked at each other and nodded.

"Sure, let's give it a try together." After going through the due process of registration and earning the permits, Frant and Grant were ready to enter the <Dungeon>. In front of them, a gorgeous swirl of golden and blue colors spun like a vortex. The presence emanating from this <Dungeon> was much different from usual.

"So strange…" A small human woman asked curiously.

"What's strange, big brothers?" Grant spoke with a squint.

"I've entered other <Dungeons>, and they all emitted an ominous and dangerous aura. It was as if they were made out of… evilness? No, that's not the word." Frant took over.

"They were menacing in a dark way, so to speak. This one, though… While it feels intimidating, there is a strangely reassuring aura. As if they <Dungeon> is cheering you up instead of warning you." Grant nodded, and the other nine pondered seriously. After looking for a while, they could also feel what the two brothers were saying. The leader of the group laughed.

"Well, regardless of what challenges lie ahead, we must take them on! System, show <Dungeon Information>."

Dungeon Name: The Witch Of The End. Current Status: Open. Dungeon Level: 50~74. Difficulty Rating: Hard. Number Of Floors: 3. Dungeon Reputation: State-level. Dungeon Theme: Epic Adventure. Dungeon Type: Country.