69: Hidden copy

Boom—!!!

A gigantic Dragon Claw phantom, tens of meters in size, constructed purely from golden-red Dragon Flame, descended from the sky!

Like stomping on a pitiful bug, it instantly crushed the massive body of the Level 15 Lord BOSS firmly under its foot!

There were no screams, no struggles.

Only the sizzling sound of it being instantly incinerated to ash under extreme high temperature…

When Lin Feng slowly withdrew his foot, retracted the mythical Dragon Scale Armor on his body, and reverted to his most ordinary appearance, wearing old sportswear, the entire world had already fallen into an absolute, eternal… silence.

Silence.

A suffocating silence, as if tangible, enveloped the entire battlefield.

When the arrogant Abyssal Corrosive Megalisk was easily burned to ash under that mythical, giant Dragon Claw, all the survivors’ minds entered a prolonged, unrecoverable state of shutdown.

They just stared blankly, watching the young man who slowly retracted his mythical Dragon Scale Armor and returned to his ordinary appearance, watching him calmly finish speaking those oracle-like words, then calmly turn and leave.

It wasn’t until his figure was about to disappear into the thick black mist that everyone finally seemed to awaken from a dream, slowly recovering from the extreme shock and Fear.

What followed was not gratitude for the savior, nor anger over the BOSS being snatched, but a more pure, more primitive, deep-seated… confusion…

“…Just now… what… was that?”

Li Hu looked at his broken giant axe, then at the large pile of loot scattered on the ground, shimmering with various dazzling lights, dropped because the BOSS was instantly killed.

There was no joy on his face, only a dead-ash-like blankness.

His proud strength was a joke in front of the Megalisk.

And that Megalisk, which he considered invincible, was as fragile as a bug in front of that young man.

This immense, food-chain-like crushing, completely shattered his already shaky heart of pride, which was on the verge of collapse due to the tragic defeat.

“…A Dragon… It’s a Dragon…”

Instructor Lei Yan slumped to the ground, his Soul lost, muttering to himself repeatedly, “…That was definitely… the Bloodline Power of an ancient Dragon! No mistake! I once saw related records in the military’s top-secret files…”

“…But… how could it… how could it appear on a newcomer? And a… Gatherer?”

His worldview, his understanding of combat, the entire job class System he had built over decades, were all shattered in that moment by a mysterious force he completely failed to comprehend…

And Su Qingxue just stood silently in place.

She didn’t look at the loot that would drive any newcomer crazy, nor did she pay attention to her companions around her who were still immersed in the huge shock and unable to extricate themselves.

She just fixed her eyes, which had long lost all their coldness and were filled with endless complexity and confusion, on that lonely figure who was about to disappear into the black mist.

She wanted to catch up, to ask for clarification, to know what was going on, to know what had happened to him in the past half-month.

But her feet felt as if they were filled with lead, too heavy to move an inch…

However, just as this atmosphere of confusion and loss was about to completely engulf the entire battlefield, an anomaly suddenly occurred!

Buzz—!!!

The entire Black Mist Swamp trembled violently without warning!

As if an ancient beast, a hundred times more terrifying than the Abyssal Corrosive Megalisk, was awakening from the deepest part of this swamp…

An terrifying will, even more “ancient” and “vicissitudes of life” than the Dragon’s might Lin Feng had displayed earlier, filled with the purest Law of death and protection, instantly swept across the entire dungeon space like an invisible tide!

【System Warning! The slumber of the hidden BOSS ‘Swamp Lord’ has been disturbed by an unknown powerful force!】

【Dungeon rules have undergone mandatory changes!】

【All units that have not received the ‘Gatekeeper’s’ approval will be immediately expelled!】

“What?!”

Instructor Lei Yan’s face drastically changed when he heard the cold System prompt!

However, before he could react, white pillars of light, filled with the Power of Law and irresistible, descended from the sky, precisely enveloping him, Su Qingxue, and all the surviving students!

“No—!”

They didn’t even have time to pick up the loot on the ground before they were forcibly teleported out of this increasingly dangerous dungeon by an irresistible powerful force, amidst screams filled with unwillingness and terror!

…Within a few short seconds, the entire bustling battlefield once again returned to a deathly silence.

Only Lin Feng remained, walking unhurriedly towards the exit.

He was the only one not enveloped by that white pillar of light.

He slowly stopped, then turned around with interest, casting his deep, unperturbed gaze towards the deepest part of the violently churning swamp.

He could clearly feel that the ancient will, filled with the Law of protection, had noticeably paused for a moment as it swept over his body, as if hesitating, or perhaps scrutinizing.

Ultimately, that will seemed to sense a hint of… a kindred spirit… from the Dragon Bloodline on his body, which was also filled with an ancient and noble aura.

Thus, it abandoned its expulsion of him, and even sent him a vague message filled with warning and invitation…

“…Outsider…”

“…Your power… is strong…”

“…You are worthy… to witness… the ‘Master’s’… awakening…”

“…But… those who trespass the ‘Forbidden Ground’…”

“…Die!”

…Lin Feng listened to the ancient voice filled with the meaning of Law in his mind, then looked at the unclaimed loot on the ground, emanating tempting light, and the massive… kill rewards he had just received for instantly killing the BOSS.

A playful smile, one that only he could understand, appeared on his face.

“…Am I worthy to stay?”

“…Alright.”

“…I haven’t gathered enough yet anyway.”

He no longer walked towards the exit, but turned around and slowly stepped forward, picking up the skill book — 【Corrosive Domain】— which glowed with an epic purple aura, from the ground and placing it in his backpack.

Immediately, he cast his expectant gaze towards the depths of the swamp, which was stirring up monstrous waves…

A true, hidden BOSSStrategy War, belonging only to him!