Chapter 315: Chapter 48: Going Further and Further Down the Path of Cheating

Just as I thought!

This is the quest system!

As long as I complete the weekly quests issued by my Talent, I can get some pretty good rewards!

As the thought crossed his mind, Qin Feng quickly formulated a plan. The specific situation in the Dragon Realm was still unknown, and he would never recklessly lead his army there to wage a head-on war against the powerful Ancient Giant Dragons and their various vassal states.

The most prudent course of action for now was undoubtedly to send some envoys and scouts first to thoroughly investigate the situation in the Dragon Realm.

This included things like the division of their forces, the habits and power levels of the Ancient Giant Dragons, and the attitudes of their various vassal states.

Once he had a clear understanding of these details, he could then consider whether he could subdue them through peaceful means, allowing the entire Dragon Realm to naturally fall under his command.

Therefore, the most important thing for Qin Feng to do right now was to conquer an Expedition Gate first and secure this week’s quest rewards.

"Alright then."

"Time to get moving."

Having made up his mind, Qin Feng quickly assigned tasks. Establishing contact with the Dragon Realm required someone with both significant status and communication skills. As the Princess of Gulad, Amilia was undoubtedly the best choice. He entrusted the matter entirely to her, and also had Fenrir and Yugudora accompany her to help deal with any problems they might encounter along the way.

As for himself, he followed the directions from his Talent’s quest and hurried to the area where the Expedition Gate was located.

Then, following the challenge requirements of the Lost Secret Realm, he brought five Divine Chosen Soldiers or five Divine Chosen Heroes, preparing to step into the Expedition Gate and begin the challenge.

[Entering Expedition Gate (Easy)!]

[Current Level: 1!]

[You have received a Divine Chosen reward: All Expedition Coins you obtain from any source are increased by 100%!]

[You have been afflicted by Jianqi’s Curse: All healing effects on you are reduced by 50%!]

[Enemies have received a Divine Chosen reward from Jianqi: Upon death, there is a chance for an enemy to split into two new enemies (their strength will be weaker than the original monster)!]

[Note: Inside the Expedition Gate, all enemies will be the same tier as you, but their specific Attack and Defense Attributes will depend on their own strength and the overall difficulty of the Expedition Gate.]

"Ugh... What is this?!"

"Plague?!"

Before Qin Feng could even process it, his vision suddenly blurred. The environment around him changed in an instant; the once open plain vanished, replaced by a dense, lush forest like the Northern Forest, where the canopy blotted out the sky.

A thick layer of decaying leaves cushioned the ground, making a slick SQUISH sound when stepped on, mixed with the musty, faintly fishy smell that permeated the air.

It was the unique, foul stench of the Skaven Ratmen—a smell like rotting rat droppings and damp fur fermenting in the heat, wafting over on the forest breeze and forcing one to scrunch up their nose in disgust.

Towering ancient trees shot up from the ground, their thick branches intertwining overhead to form an impenetrable canopy. Only a few stray sunbeams managed to pierce through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled patches of light on the ground but failing to illuminate the dark corners hidden in the folds of tree roots and the shadows of rocks.

​A few Skaven Ratmen were still wandering about aimlessly. They were hunched over, their claws unconsciously pawing at the dirt, occasionally letting out sharp "SQUEAK SQUEAK" sounds as if exchanging information.

One of them, slightly larger in build, had a ragged piece of sackcloth wrapped haphazardly around its waist. The cleaver in its hand was missing more than half its blade, but the edge was still caked with dark brown, dried blood. It would occasionally stop to sniff the air, its small, scarlet eyes glinting shiftily in the dim light as it scanned the surrounding woods with vigilance.

Two smaller, scrawnier Ratmen followed behind it, with a few messy tufts of hair tangled around their clubs. Their claws scraped against tree trunks, leaving behind faint white marks, as if they were marking a path or venting some strange anxiety.​ 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

A gust of wind rustled the treetops, carrying a few withered yellow leaves that landed on the shoulder of a Skaven Ratman.

The Ratman jumped up in alarm, its club smashing against a nearby stone with a loud CLANG, producing a jarring noise.

It warily scanned its surroundings. Seeing nothing amiss, it relaxed again, though a low "GURGLE" continued to rumble in its throat, as if expressing unease and hostility toward this unfamiliar jungle.

Meanwhile, more faint rustlings seemed to be spreading from the distant thickets, as if a number of Skaven Ratmen far greater than what was visible were hidden there, using the dense woods as cover while constantly watching for any intruders that might appear in the area.​

"Indeed..."

"Even though it’s not a map from the original game..."

"...this Expedition Gate is definitely modeled after Plague 2."

As he thought this, Qin Feng flicked his wrist, the Poison Fang Bow already in his hand. He held his breath and focused, his posture as erect and agile as the female Elf from the Five Little Strong Ones, his eyes locked on the unsuspecting Skaven Ratmen in the distance.

The next second, the bowstring hummed softly, and an arrow shot out like a meteor. His masterful archery was on full display.

Combined with his nearly Invincible Multi-shot Arrow Passive, the Skaven Ratmen, who hadn’t even realized an intruder had arrived, were struck through their vitals before they could so much as let out a single "SQUEAK" of alarm. They fell heavily into the piles of decaying leaves, silenced for good.

’Killed an enemy.’

’No equipment drops.’

’No experience points.’

’But I can stack Bloodthirsty Layers.’

’And I can also get the Pigeon Expedition Coins that can only be used in the Plague 2 expedition.’

’Hmm.’

’Looks like it’s time for solo Dynasty Warriors mode.’

’I just wonder if those Elite Monsters and boss monsters count as Heroic Units, and if they have any Exclusive Talents for me to plunder...’

With these thoughts in mind, Qin Feng stepped forward and began to explore. At first glance, the forest within the Expedition Gate seemed to stretch on endlessly, its foliage a continuous expanse that created an illusion of vastness.

But upon closer inspection, he discovered that the surrounding mountain walls, though they appeared ordinary, were actually covered by an invisible barrier.

Placing a hand against it, he could feel a cold resistance, but there was no physical barrier to be seen.

This meant that whether he tried to break out by climbing the mountain walls or by using Summon Mount to take to the skies, he could not leave this fixed area.

Clearly, the design here was just like a level from Black Soul, a self-contained "sandbox" map. He had to follow the preset path to the end to find the next exit or objective, with no room for shortcuts.

But to Qin Feng, such a minor restriction was hardly worth mentioning.

He hadn’t planned on exploring in-depth anyway. His core objectives for this trip were simple: either get the quest reward or stack Bloodthirsty Layers. It would be best if he could do both.

As for what unknowns were hidden in this strange forest, he had no interest in investigating.

It would be nothing more than fighting his way through, anyway.

He hadn’t walked for long before his continued advance triggered the Expedition Gate’s unique "Corpse Tide"!

The next second, a dense swarm of Skaven Ratmen poured out from piles of decaying leaves, root-hollows, and rock crevices all over the forest, surging toward him like a black tide.

What was more troublesome was that the horde was interspersed with numerous Storm Shield Rats. They held heavy metal shields that could block normal attacks. There were also Plague Monk Rats wielding dual blades, wreathed in a foul stench. These were all Elite Monsters with extremely strong close-combat capabilities, clearly much harder to deal with than ordinary Ratmen.

If it were any other Lord Player, they would have likely fallen into disarray by now.

Even if they had reached the Extraordinary Realm and possessed considerable combat power, the Expedition Gate’s rule of fixing the Attack and Defense of both sides was too harsh.

Furthermore, once a Corpse Tide was triggered, players were forced to stand their ground in the current area; they couldn’t use mobility to bypass the enemy. Facing a charge from so many Skaven Ratmen at once, with Storm Shield Rats and Plague Monk Rats mixed in, would be simply impossible to fend off.

"However..."

"I’m no ordinary player..."