Chapter 30: A Sneak Attack! Monster Ambush

Soon, the group arrived at the second floor of the Lich Dungeon.

After slaying a Wild Boar Butcher, Mi Chen couldn't help but sigh. Half a month ago, he would have needed to prepare himself for death to face such a beast, but now, he could dispatch one with a single stroke.

"Brother Mi Chen, it's a good thing you were here to handle that."

"I truly don't know why so many Wild Boar Butchers have gathered here."

Lu Yi looked around. There were nearly twelve corpses of the creatures scattered about. Although the Wild Boar Butchers were only Tier 1, low-level monsters—the weakest entities in the secret realm—their sheer numbers were overwhelming. Once a monster infestation gains momentum, it becomes far more dangerous than a single, powerful beast.

Humanity has always considered monster rampages to be the most terrifying of disasters. Even when they are successfully suppressed, the destruction and loss caused by each surge are immeasurable. The arrival of a standard secret realm is not in itself terrifying; what is truly frightening are the "Boundless Realms." These are extremely unstable, and if left unchecked, they will continuously pour monsters into the real world. This is precisely why the Secret Realm Administration was established—a crucial part of their mission is to monitor the status of these realms 24/7 to prevent the formation of Boundless Realms and the outbreak of monster rampages.

"We've rested enough; it's time to move on," Lu Yi said, eating an energy bar.

During the previous battle, Jing Mei and Fang Na had consumed a significant amount of mana. Jing Mei, in particular, as a crowd-control hunter, relied on her ability, "Mana Link." By linking to a target, she could boost one of their attributes while simultaneously debuffing another. This was fine for a single target, but in a chaotic skirmish like the one they just faced, she had to constantly switch targets to keep the boars in check, placing a heavy strain on her focus.

In truth, Mi Chen did not need her support. The vast gap in their strength meant that no matter how many boars there were, they couldn't scratch him. Nevertheless, he used the opportunity to learn about his companions' abilities.

Fang Na's ability was "Life Ring." She created a healing circle on the ground; those within it could recover from their injuries. What was rare was that, despite being a healer-type hunter, she possessed decent offensive capabilities. The Life Ring could not only heal wounds but also drain the life force of enemies. However, the drain was slow and required enemies to stay within the circle for a certain duration to be effective. This ability worked best when paired with crowd control—which was exactly what Jing Mei provided. Mi Chen had witnessed their seamless synergy: Fang Na would place a Life Ring, and the moment a boar entered the area, Jing Mei would lock it down with Mana Link. Seconds later, the beast would be drained into a dried husk. If the two were stronger, the combination of these abilities would be truly terrifying. Fang Na’s life-draining ability, in particular, was nearly impossible to defend against.

After a short rest, Jing Mei and Fang Na had recovered some of their mana.

"We are still some distance from the Boar King's chamber. I need plenty of time to recover, so let's avoid any more combat if we can," Fang Na suggested.

Lu Yi agreed. "Jing Mei, how many more times can you use 'Monster Detection'?" he asked.

"I can use it twice more," she replied.

Jing Mei’s detection skill was learned from a skill book. Once a hunter acquires a skill book, they can engrave that skill into their mana circuits. While skill books allow hunters to learn a wide variety of abilities, they come with several limitations. First, if the circuit type does not match the skill, the power and effectiveness are diminished. Jing Mei was fortunate; as a manipulator-type hunter, she was already skilled in mana control and sensory perception. Of course, a sorcery-type hunter would be ideal, but for an enhancement-type hunter, learning such a skill would be a waste—they would be better off learning something like "Combat Intuition" or "Sixth Sense Enhancement."

Second, skills learned from books often have a limited number of uses. Once exhausted, they require days or even weeks to recharge, and some skills disappear entirely after their charges are spent.

"Jing Mei, use it once now to ensure we can avoid any monsters for the time being," Lu Yi instructed.

Jing Mei nodded and raised her guidance staff. As her mana radiated outward, a magic circle appeared, and several red dots manifested within it. "If we follow this path, we can avoid the vast majority of monsters."

With pathfinding skills, the pressure of exploring was significantly reduced. The group proceeded along the path Jing Mei indicated.

"This is..." Fang Na noticed a corpse nearby.

"It's been dead for some time. Likely ambushed; the fatal wound is in the abdomen. There are no signs of a struggle in the area, and no teammates nearby. It was a lone hunter," Mi Chen analyzed.

"Brother Mi Chen, you certainly know your stuff," Lu Yi praised. They had seen many hunter corpses before, but none of them could determine the cause of death at a glance like Mi Chen could.

"It's nothing. I've just seen it often enough."

"The monsters in this area must have moved on. As long as we're careful, we won't fall into the same trap," Lu Yi said.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a rusted pipe came crashing down. *Clang!* The massive sound echoed through the corridor. Suddenly, countless crimson eyes appeared in the darkness.

"It's a Mire Lurker!"

A monster covered in eyes and resembling liquid oil emerged from the cracks in the concrete. It grew larger and larger until it filled the entire corridor.

"Prepare for battle!" Lu Yi reacted first. The Mire Lurker was one of the few monsters capable of evading detection. It would disperse itself into the shadows and only coalesce when a target entered its hunting range.

"Brother Mi Chen, I'm counting on you."

Mi Chen didn't need to be told what to do. He released his mana, and the Mire Lurker’s attention was instantly locked onto him.

"You beast, over here!" Seeing the Lurker's aggro diverted to Mi Chen, Lu Yi immediately activated his skill: *Charge!* Mana gathered at the soles of his feet as he unleashed a Charged Punch! His entire body became a cannonball, slamming into the Lurker. The fierce, fearless punch instantly shattered a large portion of the creature's body.

"Hmph, how about that!" Lu Yi turned back, full of confidence.

However, the shattered Lurker was already regenerating at a visible rate. "How is this possible..." Lu Yi couldn't believe his eyes. At that moment, his hands and feet were smothered by fragments of the Lurker, pinning him in place.

Seeing this, Mi Chen cursed Lu Yi's stupidity in his heart. Monsters like the Lurker were extremely difficult to kill with physical attacks.

"Fang Na, use the Life Ring!" Mi Chen shouted.

"But..." Fang Na hesitated, knowing that if she used the Life Ring, Lu Yi’s life force would be drained along with the monster's. On the battlefield, even a moment of hesitation is fatal. The Lurker lunged toward Lu Yi.

"Ahhh!!!" Lu Yi's body began to hiss as the Lurker's slime corroded his flesh.

Mi Chen clicked his tongue. *Serpentine Wind Blade.* A cyan blade of wind shot out, shredding the Lurker's body. But that wasn't enough to kill it. Mi Chen immediately charged forward. *Swift Blade Flurry.* The silver light of his blade instantly engulfed the creature.

[Monster Hunted]
[Mana Increase: 0]

A monster of this caliber wasn't even worth the effort. *Sheathing of the Divine Abyss.*

"Are you alright?" Mi Chen looked at Lu Yi.

Lu Yi gasped for air. "I'm saved..."

Fang Na immediately cast her Life Ring to heal him. Once it was clear he was out of danger, Mi Chen walked over to where the Lurker had emerged.

"Why would a Lurker appear in a place like this..." he pondered. He looked up, and a large gate loomed before them.

That was... the room where the Secret Realm Lord resided!