Chapter 126

Words : 1294 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 126: Chapter 126 Confused, Clayton came to a halt and began inspecting the area carefully, worried he might overlook something important. After scanning his surroundings, he still couldn’t find any clues. His only option was to move deeper into the area. At first, everything seemed normal. But as soon as Clayton crossed a certain point, the world in front of him abruptly vanished—and a flood of mysterious information surged into his mind. After calming himself, he stepped back and saw that the area he had just come from was still visible. That’s when it hit him—there was some sort of invisible boundary that prevented anyone from seeing what lay beyond from the outside. With renewed confidence, he stepped forward again, entering the hidden zone. From the information that had just been imprinted into his mind, Clayton learned that in addition to the strange purifying light—which had cleansed his body and granted him knowledge of manipulating light energy—he was also entitled to claim all the items in this area as his reward... if he was strong enough to take them. In truth, even without additional rewards, Clayton already felt incredibly fortunate to be exploring this trial dungeon alone. The purifying light appeared only once per visit. Had others been present, its benefits would have been shared—and thus greatly diluted. The information also revealed that Clayton would remain in this reward zone for a while before needing to find a gate similar to the last one to return to the main trial area. Eager and excited, Clayton began scanning the environment with high hopes. The area around him was filled with trees and wide, open land—like a magical forest. But upon closer inspection, it became clear that many of the living beings here had been affected by the element of light, mirroring the dominant energy of the place. Brimming with excitement, Clayton explored freely, not paying much attention to possible dangers. When he spotted a sunflower that looked particularly valuable, he rushed toward it, ignoring the risks. Sure enough, as soon as he stood in front of the man-sized sunflower, a surge of violent energy shot straight at him. Stunned, Clayton relied on instinct. Thanks to his mastery of Water Circulation Armor, his body was instantly wrapped in a protective layer. While fending off the attack, Clayton ordered his mini skeletons to engage. Snap! Snap! Water bullets zipped through the air, striking several small, flying entities. As his skeletons counterattacked, the pressure on Clayton lessened. He now had a moment to assess the situation properly. On the ground lay two small birds with dazzling feathers. Thanks to his high Observation entry, Clayton quickly identified them as Lumen Sparrows. These social creatures weren’t particularly powerful, but they were extremely rare and valuable due to the special effects their bodies could produce—so rare, in fact, they were often hunted nearly to extinction. Typically, Lumen Sparrows shared a symbiotic relationship with Essence Sunflowers—beautiful yet deadly plants. These flowers emitted a halo of light that created special optical illusions to lure nearby prey. Their true goal? To absorb energy and nutrients from those who came too close. As the name implied, these sunflowers were rich in light-element essence that could strengthen the body. Their seeds, in particular, were filled with energy and could be processed into blood-replenishing medicine. Clayton approached the beautiful but dangerous flower with caution. As he got closer, a yellow, flower-shaped beam of light suddenly shot toward him. But Clayton dodged it with ease. Of course, as a predatory plant, it couldn’t rely solely on illusions—it also had limited offensive capabilities. With a clean, swift slash, Clayton severed the sunflower’s stem. Just like that, he obtained two types of low-grade one-star magic materials—items that would cost a fortune if purchased in a city. With the threat neutralized, Clayton collected the sunflower and sparrows, then continued his search. But with no clear direction, he wandered aimlessly. Eventually, he noticed that water dominated the landscape more than land. Not wanting to take unnecessary risks in an unfamiliar setting, he stuck to the edges. There, he found a few small but useful items—such as the Peaceful Light Koi and Fresh Air Lotus, two light-element, zero-star magical creatures. One brought calm to those who saw it, and the other purified the air around it. Clayton stored them in his entry’s dimensional space, hoping they would bring vitality to the realm inside. After that, however, his search came up dry. He kept finding more Essence Sunflowers and Lumen Sparrows, but no other valuable materials. As night fell, Clayton decided to stop. He looked for a safe place to camp and released his familiars from the dimensional space so they could stretch and breathe fresh air. The furry little creatures ran around him joyfully. He played with them for a bit before returning to his tasks. With help from his skeletons, Clayton built a tent in no time. Feeling bored, he brought out the sunflowers and sparrows he had gathered. His familiars were curious. Clayton gave the plant stalks and leaves to Gemma and her fawns, while Dingo got the sparrow innards. They were thrilled, and Clayton continued with a lighter heart. He roasted the sparrows along with some whole wheat bread over charcoal, while toasting the sunflower petals and seeds in two separate pans—using a method similar to brewing magical tea. Having done this many times before, Clayton had become quite skilled. After an hour, the food was ready. He took a sip of the sunflower tea and smiled in satisfaction. Then, he cracked open the seeds and was amazed—even with simple preparation, the effects were excellent. He devoured the sparrow meat sandwich with enthusiasm. Warm energy flooded his body, making him feel so invigorated it was almost like he’d taken a dose of... magical Viagra. Worried about potential side effects, he stopped eating and saved the rest for later. His familiars were just as satisfied with their meals. But just as Clayton was finishing up, one of the guard skeletons suddenly cast a spell. Swoosh! Boom! A basin-sized water projectile launched toward a specific direction. Startled, Clayton turned sharply, his expression tense. The plants in the distance shook—then a group of ragged, thin people emerged from the foliage. "Hahaha! Who would’ve thought the kid we assumed was dead turned out to be this capable!" "Right? He must be some rich brat! Bet he’s carrying top-tier loot!" They stared at Clayton with greedy eyes—like starving wolves eyeing a roasted pig. One of them even drooled with desire. Clayton instantly snapped to attention. These had to be the same people who had seen him enter the gate earlier. But he didn’t attack right away. With a cocky tone, he asked: "If you really believe I’m from a rich family, why would you attack me with such pathetic strength? Aren’t you afraid I might be carrying powerful weapons or deadly spell scrolls that could wipe you out?" They went silent, clearly considering his words. Clayton smirked. Maybe he could avoid a fight this time. But moments later, they exchanged glances—and seemed to reach a shared decision. They turned back to Clayton, eyes full of determination. Clayton’s smile faded. "...So you don’t believe I’m armed?" "Oh, we believe you," one of them replied confidently. Clayton frowned. "Then... aren’t you afraid of getting seriously injured—or even dying?" One of them sneered. "So what?" "Hahaha! You think your best scroll or weapon matters? At most, you’ll take out one or two of us. But the rest? We’ll still profit!" Clayton’s eyes widened in disbelief. Rage surged within him. "Whoever gets unlucky, that’s their problem. What matters—is the gain!" Those cruel words hit Clayton like a hammer. He stood silently, fury building behind his calm expression.

Chapter 126

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