Before the group set out, they took a few minutes to pray before the Goddess Statue in the safe zone.

The Goddess—Neferia—was one of the deities who governed Death itself.

Mimi gazed up at the statue, utterly mesmerized.

She still remembered the first time she saw Neferia's design.

Woahhh! How hauntingly beautiful!

Back when she used to play the game, there had even been a special event where her character got to meet Neferia in person!

A goddess with long, wavy white hair and very big chests. She wore a sleek, midnight gown etched with silver bone patterns, the fabric hugging her form, so thin like she's wearing just a layer of mist. Barefoot, she walked with silent grace. And behind her stretched two magnificent wings—one black and feathery, the other white skeletal. Her weapon was a massive bone greatsword that could morph into a whip-blade, snapping like a serpent in battle.

It was a beauty was the kind that could ruin mortals and saints alike, so dangerously enchanting that countless players had formed cult-like fan clubs just to worship her image. Her merchandise always sold out in minutes, and her fanbase only grew with every new appearance.

Now, this statue here in particular depicted her seated upon a throne made of kneeling skeletons, their skulls bowed in eternal reverence. Even though it was carved from stone, her cold, regal stare was already intimidating enough to make anyone bow their head without realizing it.

I wish I could see the real Neferia again… that would be so cool! Mimi thought wistfully.

And I wish I can hear her voice again too! It was sooo hot!

Suddenly—

[Ding!]

[The Goddess Neferia is pleased with your worship.]

[She looks forward to seeing you challenge her dungeons and blesses you!]

[All damage dealt against undead +3%. Experience gain +5%. Fear resistance +20%.]

Well, even though it was just a small blessing, any bit of help counted.

"Alright, I got the blessing. What about you guys?" Emilia asked, turning to Mary and Aron.

"Yup, we got it too," Mary replied with a nod.

"Good. Let's head out, then," Emilia said.

"Let's go." Aron crouched down and carefully scooped Kathy into his arms, carrying her gently like a princess.

And with that, everything was set.

Emilia tightened her grip on her sword. "Once we step out, stay close to me," she instructed.

The other two nodded in unison.

Mimi leapt onto Emilia's shoulder, tail flicking with anticipation.

And just like that, they headed out of the safe zone.

****

Just half an hour later, the group arrived at the dungeon entrance.

Thanks to Emilia's new skill, Terror of Death, they were able to save a lot of time. By unleashing her fear aura, none of the undead monsters dared to come near. The death bears and wolves bolted at the mere sight of her, tails tucked between their legs, whimpering as they fled.

Fortunately, Mary and Aron weren't affected by Emilia's skill—it seemed she could control who it targeted.

And now… before them stood the gate. A towering dimensional rift, swirling with powerful purple ripples of light, formed between two colossal stone pillars. Mimi gazed up at it in awe, though maybe that was also because she was just that tiny.

This was it, one of Duskwald's four-star dungeons.

Amaras' Grave.

And inside waited the boss—Amaras, the Corpse King.

Badump.

Badump.

Mimi's heart thudded in her chest, her fur bristling as she stared at the shimmering gate. The cold air prickled her skin, carrying a faint scent of decay and magic. She could feel Emilia's tension too—the girl's hand clenched tightly around her sword, trembling slightly.

But beneath that nervousness burned something else—pure excitement.

Finally… a powerful boss!

But first, just as Mary mentioned earlier, there was another safe zone nearby, only a short walk from the ominous gate. They went there first and gently laid Kathy down. Aron draped his coat over her as a makeshift blanket, while Mary used a stick to write a short message on the ground, just in case Kathy woke up, so she wouldn't panic.

"Wait for us," Mary whispered with a gentle smile. "We'll be back, and we'll bring the flowers.

Then she stood, took a deep breath, and faced the gate.

"Let's go."

Emilia nodded firmly.

The group turned and began walking toward the swirling portal. The purple light reflected in their eyes, flickering across their faces. Mary hesitated for a brief moment, gulping hard as sweat beaded on her forehead. Aron looked just as tense, gripping his new sword and shield tighter.

Apparently, his shield was gone, shattered by the monsters in the previous battle. But fortunately, they were able to find another shield, taken from one of their fallen companions.

Eventually…

They exchanged one last look, then slowly stepped through.

***

Now, as the group passed through the gate, the scenery instantly shifted.

"Woaaah… this is—!" Emilia muttered in awe.

"Amaras' Grave…" Mary finished her sentence, her voice low.

It was like stepping into a post-apocalyptic world—a battlefield frozen in time.

The land was drowned in shades of white and gray, while above stretched a blood-red sky. A colossal crimson moon loomed overhead, as if someone had zoomed it in a hundredfold and pasted it against the heavens. Below, the earth was pale and ashen, littered with thousands of armored corpses, still rotting, decomposing.

The stench was… insane.

Everyone instinctively covered their noses.

"EUGH!"

Mimi gagged instantly, almost losing her breakfast.

Having known about this place before, she had already half-expected it to be bad. But given that cats had far sharper senses of smell than humans… needless to say, she was hit the hardest. Still, she tried her best to keep her breakfast where it belonged.

"Here, this will help!" Mary said quickly, pulling out a small orb. She crushed it in her hand, and a puff of pink smoke spread out, surrounding them in a gentle mist.

Almost instantly, the foul odor dulled to nothing.

"Puahhh! I can finally breathe again!" Emilia sighed in relief.

Good thing Mary came prepared!

The orb's magic dulled a person's sense of smell—a debuff under normal circumstances, but here, it was a lifesaver.

Then—rumble!

The ground trembled violently, cracks splitting open beneath their feet.

A crimson rain began to pour from the sky, splattering against their armor

And suddenly—groaning voices echoed all around them, accompanied by the metallic creak of armor and weapons.

The corpses were moving.

One by one, their eyes began to glow with a ghostly red light beneath cracked helmets. The sound of dragging blades scraped across the ground.

They were waking up.

"Brace yourselves! The first stage is here!" Aron shouted, gripping his shield tight.

[Ding!]

[Dungeon Boss Battle: Legend of the Lion Sword King begins!]

[Stage 1 of 3: The Army of Death!]

[Objective: Defeat 200 of Amaras' Zombie Warriors!]

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