29: Chapter 29: Three floors cleared in a row! Is this all there is to this dungeon?

As the white light dissipated, Lin Feng appeared on the second floor.

He blinked, adjusting to the light.

The scene before him made him pause.

It wasn't a courtyard, but an open grassland.

The grass was emerald green, a gentle breeze carrying the fresh scent of grass.

The sky was a clear blue with a few white clouds drifting by.

"Quite the sudden change in scenery..." Lin Feng muttered.

The first floor was a solemn ancient battlefield, and the second floor became a scenic grassland?

Something wasn't right.

He gripped the tree demon scepter tightly, cautiously observing his surroundings.

The grassland was quiet, eerily so.

There wasn't even the chirping of insects or birds.

"Where's the guardian?" Lin Feng frowned.

As soon as the words left his mouth—

The sound of hoofbeats came from the distance.

Clip-clop, clip-clop...

The sound grew louder and closer.

A black dot appeared on the horizon.

The black dot rapidly enlarged.

A few seconds later, Lin Feng could see clearly.

It was a pure black warhorse, its hooves burning with ghostly blue flames.

On its back rode an Archer clad in silver light armor.

The Archer wore a full-coverage helmet, obscuring his face, with a longbow taller than a person strapped to his back.

He held a silver lance in his hand—wait, an Archer using a lance?

[Ancient Trial Tower Second Floor Guardian · Silverwing Mounted Archer]

[Rank: 1 (Lord-tier)]

[Health Points: 90,000]

[attack power: 40-500]

[Defense: 20]

[Skills: ???]

[Description: Speed-type guardian, skilled in long-range attacks and high-speed movement]

"Ninety thousand HP, attack power 40 to 500?" Lin Feng's mouth twitched.

This attack power was even higher than the Black Armored General's!

And judging by that warhorse with its burning blue flames, its speed was definitely not slow.

"Can't let him create distance."

Lin Feng made his judgment immediately.

He brought his hands together, golden-red light beginning to gather.

But the Silverwing Mounted Archer was too fast!

The black horse's hooves, trailing blue flames, transformed into a black lightning bolt, closing the distance to within a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

The Archer let go of the reins, took the longbow from his back with his left hand, and grabbed at the empty air with his right—

A silver arrow composed entirely of energy appeared in his hand.

Nock, draw, aim.

The entire process took less than a second.

Whoosh!!!

The arrow tore through the air, trailing a silver streak as it shot towards Lin Feng!

"So fast?!" Lin Feng felt a chill on his scalp.

He didn't have time to complete his skill Fusion, forced to interrupt the casting and dive clumsily to the side.

The arrow grazed past his shoulder, embedding itself in the grass behind him.

Boom!

The grass exploded, leaving a crater two meters in diameter.

[That was close!]

As soon as Lin Feng scrambled up, a second arrow was already coming.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A triple shot!

Three silver arrows formed a triangle, sealing off all possible escape routes.

"Holy Healing Ring!"

Lin Feng activated his shield while backing away.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

All three arrows struck the shield.

[Holy Healing Ring absorbed damage: Mental Energy 307 x 5 = 1,535]

[Remaining shield value: 0 / 1,535]

The shield shattered once again!

And this time, the impact of the arrows sent Lin Feng stumbling back seven or eight steps.

"Can't drag this out any longer!"

A fierce glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes.

He timed it perfectly, bringing his hands together the moment the Silverwing Mounted Archer drew his bow again.

Left hand, golden light—Light Bullet Technique!

Right hand, golden-red light—Light Flame Slash!

"Fusion! 150 mana!"

With the experience from the first time, the Fusion speed was noticeably faster this time.

But it still required two seconds of channeling.

And those two seconds were enough for the Silverwing Mounted Archer to fire four arrows!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Four arrows whistled through the air.

Lin Feng gritted his teeth, neither dodging nor evading.

With all his attributes reduced by 3%, he simply couldn't dodge.

He had to tank it!

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

All four arrows struck his chest.

"Cough!" Lin Feng spat out a mouthful of blood.

But he held on!

And the Fusion skill in his hands was complete!

"Die, damn it—Radiance: Destruction Impact!"

The golden-red light pillar erupted once more!

This time, Lin Feng was smarter. He didn't aim at the Silverwing Mounted Archer himself, but—

He aimed at the warhorse beneath him!

To shoot the rider, first shoot the horse!

The Silverwing Mounted Archer seemed unprepared for Lin Feng's ruthlessness. He tried to turn the horse to evade, but it was too late.

BOOM!!!!!!!!!

The light pillar engulfed both horse and rider.

Blinding light once again illuminated the grassland.

[Radiance: Destruction Impact dealt damage: 13,500 (Skill Fusion Critical Hit)]

As the light faded.

An even larger crater appeared in the grass.

The Silverwing Mounted Archer and his warhorse had vanished.

Only a few glowing items and a patch of scorched earth remained.

[Defeated Ancient Trial Tower Second Floor Guardian · Silverwing Mounted Archer. Experience +9,000]

[Level Up! Level 1!]

Golden light enveloped him.

The familiar warm current flowed through his entire body.

[All attributes +3, Free Attribute Points +15]

Lin Feng continued to allocate everything to spirit.

[spirit: 325]

[Spell Attack: 1,625]

[mana: 325]

But this time, the pleasant sensation from leveling up was noticeably weaker.

And he noticed that after reaching Level 1, his experience bar had turned gray.

[Rank: 1 (0 / ???)]

"Huh? Experience bar locked?" Lin Feng frowned.

He remembered from textbooks that Level 1 was a minor threshold.

One needed to complete a "Class Awakening" or "Talent Evolution" to continue leveling up.

"Seems like after leaving this dungeon, I'll need to figure out how to solve this."

Lin Feng shook his head, temporarily setting the thought aside.

He looked at the loot at the bottom of the crater.

This time, there were three items.

The first was a silver longbow, its body engraved with bird patterns.

[silverwing longbow (Purple)]

[attack power: 9-120]

[Effect 1: Agility +35]

[Effect 2: Attack Speed +3%]

[Effect 3: After an arrow hits, there is a 2% chance to trigger 'Silverwing Mark' (target takes +50% ranged damage)]

[Level Requirement: 1]

[Description: The exclusive weapon of the Silverwing Mounted Archer, light and precise.]

The second item was a silver ring with a blue gemstone set in its face.

[Gale Ring (Purple)]

[Effect 1: Agility +25]

[Effect 2: Movement Speed +2%]

[Effect 3: Evasion Rate +1%]

[Level Requirement: 1]

[Description: A ring imbued with the power of wind, granting the wearer speed like a gale.]

The third item was a silvery sphere of energy.

[silverwing enchantment essence (A-grade Enchantment Material)]

[Use: Equipment Enchantment]

[Effect: Enchants bows, crossbows, or thrown weapons, adding the 'Silverwing Penetration' effect (attacks ignore 3% of target's defense).]

[Description: The condensed essence of the Silverwing Mounted Archer, born for ranged weapons.]

"More purple equipment and A-grade Materials." Lin Feng was very satisfied.

Although he had no use for a bow, these items were extremely valuable.

Especially the enchantment essence. Ignoring 3% defense was practically a Divine Artifact against high-defense bosses.

He stored the loot and looked towards the center of the grassland.

A stone pillar similar to the one on the first floor had appeared there.

The pillar lit up, information surfacing.

[Second Floor Trial Cleared]

[Evaluation: SS-Rank (Excellent Clear)]

[Clear Time: 1 minute 12 seconds]

[Damage Efficiency: 100%]

[Rewards being calculated...]

[Additional Reward: Due to achieving an SS-Rank evaluation, qualification for the 'Hidden Trial' has been obtained.]

[Enter the Hidden Trial now? Yes/No]

"Again?" Lin Feng shook his head.

This Hidden Trial really was offered on every floor.

But he still chose "No."

Although he had reached Level 1, his health hadn't fully recovered from tanking those four arrows.

And the consecutive high-intensity skill Fusions had taken a real toll on his Mental Energy.

"No."

[Choice Confirmed]

[The portal to the third floor will open in 1 minute]

Lin Feng sat down to rest.

He chugged an Advanced health potion and an advanced mana potion, then ate a Concentrated Meat Chunk.

Ten minutes passed quickly.

In the center of the grassland, a light gate appeared once more.

Lin Feng stood up, checking his status.

Health was full, mana was at 175.

"The third floor... what will it be?"

He stepped into the light gate.

...

Third floor.

Lin Feng appeared in a training ground.

The ground was paved with bluestone, surrounded by various weapon racks stocked with sabers, spears, swords, and halberds.

In the center of the training ground stood a giant.

A literal giant—at least three meters tall, with bulging muscles like a small mountain.

He wore simple Leather Armor, holding a shield the size of a door in his left hand and a one-handed warhammer in his right.

[Ancient Trial Tower Third Floor Guardian · Greatshield Defender]

[Rank: 1 (Lord-tier)]

[Health Points: 120,000]

[attack power: 35-450]

[Defense: 40]

[Skills: ???]

[Description: Defense-type guardian, possessing terrifying health and defense, skilled in prolonged battles.]

"One hundred twenty thousand HP, four hundred defense..." Lin Feng's eyelids twitched.

This level of tankiness was even more absurd than the previous two floors combined!

Seeing Lin Feng, the Greatshield Defender slowly raised his warhammer.

He didn't charge. Instead, he stood his ground, planting the greatshield in front of him.

A complete defensive stance.

"Is this going to be a war of attrition?" Lin Feng frowned.

He tentatively fired off a Light Bullet Technique.

Thump!

The light bullet struck the greatshield, erupting in a small burst of golden light.

[Light Bullet Technique dealt damage: spirit 325 x 3 = 975. Actual Damage: 575 (after deducting 40 defense)]

"As expected, the defense is too high." Lin Feng smiled wryly.

At this damage rate, he'd need over two hundred Light Bullet Techniques to whittle the opponent down.

And the opponent only needed one good opportunity to smash him into paste with a single hammer blow.

"Looks like I'll have to use that move again."

Lin Feng took a deep breath.

He brought his hands together once more.

Golden-red light began to gather.

The Greatshield Defender seemed to sense the threat. He peered out from behind his shield, staring intently at Lin Feng.

But he didn't attack. Instead, he raised his shield even higher.

A complete turtle defense!

"Trying to tank it with defense?" Lin Feng chuckled. "Well, give it a try then."

The two-second channeling time ended.

Fusion complete.

"Radiance: Destruction Impact—third shot!"

The golden-red light pillar shot out for the third time!

This time, Lin Feng aimed at the greatshield.

He wanted to see which was harder: this shield or his Fusion skill!

BOOM!!!!!!!!!

The light pillar slammed violently into the greatshield.

Blinding light erupted.

Lin Feng could hear the sound of the shield cracking.

Crack—Crack—

[Radiance: Destruction Impact dealt damage: 13,000 (Skill Fusion Critical Hit)]

As the light faded.

On the training ground, the Greatshield Defender stood dumbfounded.

The greatshield in his hand was half gone.

The remaining half was covered in cracks, on the verge of complete shattering.

And his own health bar... was empty.

[Defeated Ancient Trial Tower Third Floor Guardian · Greatshield Defender. Experience +12,000]

[Notice: Current level cap reached. Cannot gain experience.]

"As expected, no experience." Lin Feng shrugged.

The Greatshield Defender's body slowly toppled over, dissolving into points of light.

Two pieces of loot were left behind.

The first was a miniature version of the greatshield.

[guardians greatshield (Purple)]

[Defense: 150]

[Effect 1: Physique +30]

[Effect 2: Block Success Rate +4%]

[Effect 3: When attacked, has a chance to trigger 'Iron Will' (defense doubles for 3 seconds).]

[Level Requirement: 1]

[Description: The condensed essence of the Greatshield Defender's shield. Though shrunk, its defensive power remains undiminished.]

The second item was an earthy-yellow sphere of energy.

[earth enchantment essence (A-grade Enchantment Material)]

[Use: Equipment Enchantment]

[Effect: Enchants shields or heavy armor, adding the 'Earth's Protection' effect (Defense +10, Max Health +1,000).]

[Description: The condensed essence of the Greatshield Defender, containing the protective power of the earth.]

"More enchantment Materials." Lin Feng's eyes lit up.

He now had three A-grade enchantment Materials: General's Battle Soul, silverwing enchantment essence, and earth enchantment essence.

If he could find suitable equipment to enchant, his strength could reach another level.

He stored the loot and looked at the stone pillar in the center of the training ground.

The pillar lit up.

[Third Floor Trial Cleared]

[Evaluation: SSS-Rank (Perfect Clear)]

[Clear Time: 58 seconds]

[Damage Efficiency: 100%]

[Rewards being calculated...]

[Additional Reward: Due to achieving an SSS-Rank evaluation, qualification for the 'Hidden Trial' has been obtained.]

[Enter the Hidden Trial now? Yes/No]

"Again?" Lin Feng laughed.

This Hidden Trial really was offered on every floor.

But he still chose "No."

Three consecutive skill Fusions, while successful each time, had taken a real toll on his Mental Energy.

His head was feeling a bit dizzy now; he needed rest.

[Choice Confirmed]

[The portal to the next floor will open in 3 minutes]

[You may rest and adjust here]

The light gate didn't appear immediately.

Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief and plopped down on the ground.

He took out a water flask from his Storage Pouch and gulped down several mouthfuls.

"Three floors..." Lin Feng leaned against a weapon rack, murmuring to himself.

Thinking about it carefully, this S-Rank dungeon... seems like it's not all that?

First floor, one-shot.

Second floor, one-shot.

Third floor, still one-shot.

"Is my Fusion skill just too overpowered?" Lin Feng pondered, stroking his chin.

Radiance: Destruction Impact, base damage starting at over a hundred thirty thousand, plus critical hits.

A Level 1 Lord-tier monster's HP maxed out at around a hundred twenty thousand.

It really was a one-shot scenario.

"But..." Lin Feng looked at his mana.

Only 25 points left.

Three Fusion skills had consumed 450 points of mana.

And his total mana was only 325; he had relied on potions to barely manage.

"If the fourth-floor guardian has over a hundred thirty thousand HP, I won't be able to one-shot it."

"Or, if the opponent has special mechanics, like damage immunity, healing, Clones..."

Lin Feng shook his head, stopping his wild thoughts.

He took out the three enchantment Materials he had just obtained from his Storage Pouch and laid them out before him.

"While I have time now, let's study how to use these things."

Looking at the three energy spheres of different colors, a glint of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

Rest time remaining: twenty-nine minutes.

What would the fourth floor be?

Lin Feng didn't know.

But his current mindset was very relaxed.

"Come on, let me see how many floors this Ancient Trial Tower really has."

A confident smile curled at the corner of the young man's lips.

The achievement of clearing three floors in a row filled him with confidence for the challenges ahead.

(Currently updated to Chapter 4. If you don't see the latest chapter, exit and refresh.)