Your secret game is absolutely poisonous!

When Mengbai re-enters the border area.

Cat Mengmeng asked curiously, "Little White Boss, what are your plans this time?"

"Our goal today is clear: to take down Grek and seize the Great Rune from him!"

Mengbai is full of fighting spirit and energy.

The adventurers were all invigorated.

Meng Bai has only been in Miracle City for three days, but he is already convinced of the rich treasures and profound heritage of this territory. This is a great territory that can change the whole world!

I won't mention other secret realms or those that are too far away.

After watching four episodes of "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" yesterday.

Meng Bai has already comprehended the second-tier Origin Force, along with several methods of using Origin Force. This unique power created by Miracle City is absolutely different from any mainstream cultivation system and has extremely high research value. If it spreads in the future, it is very likely to have a profound impact on the world.

Such amazing creativity.

What can other territories compare to?

Although Miracle City contains many opportunities and treasures, Mengbai is determined to fully explore the secrets of the border area. As a fragment of the Elden Ring, the Great Rune may contain profound mysteries at the level of laws!
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Mengbai's challenge has begun.

She entered Stoneville by following the path along the cliffside walkway.

Within this ancient castle, there are numerous wandering exiled soldiers, storm eagles, and a few knights. Even Meng Bai suffered many losses, dying seven times before finally being able to officially enter the castle.

"Stoneville City is really quite difficult!"

Everyone couldn't help but sigh.

Including yesterday's deaths, Mengbai has now died ten times on this route.

This is a formidable person who can defeat the Tree Guardian without any enhancements. She still needed to make so many attempts to break in, so you can imagine how difficult it is for ordinary adventurers!

Although Stoneville's exploration is quite difficult.

However, the design of the map and scenes is very neat and reasonable.

The entire Stoneville can be seen as a huge miniature structure similar to Ashina Castle, with a realistic and reasonable layout that connects all directions.

The structure of Stoneville in Miracle City is similar to that in the game, except that in order to look more realistic, the scale of the buildings and the area it occupies have increased several times. There is not only a battlefield at the main gate of the castle where a large number of exiled soldiers are deployed, but also an area where Grek soldiers and knights are stationed.

In addition to military personnel, the castle was also home to residents engaged in service, production, and odd jobs.

The total number of people one could encounter was nearly ten thousand.

Even if only a third of them are combat troops, there are still three thousand elite soldiers in Stoneville, which is definitely not something a single Faded One can handle. Therefore, exploring Stoneville in the Miracle City Secret Realm is quite different from the game.

Just kill your way through the old man's ring game.

There are only a few hundred monsters in total.

The Miracle City Secret Realm requires disguise, concealment, infiltration, and assassination.

There are some places you can't force your way in, and some monsters you can't kill indiscriminately. Because if you make too much noise, or if you're discovered or surrounded, even if you have three heads and six arms, you're doomed.

However, because the layout and activities of the people are closer to the real situation, the sense of immersion is also stronger. Exploring such a large-scale miniature maze is both exciting and fun, with various potential threats and a variety of resources and treasures.

There seems to be an auditorium up ahead.

When Meng Bai arrived at a wide open space, there were no annoying exile soldiers patrolling nearby. Ahead of her, a sizable building resembling a chapel appeared, emanating a strong stench of decay and blood.

Not only that.

Near this church.

There are also large numbers of giant rats and wild dogs.

Meng Bai glanced at her location.

She said to the other adventurers, "This seems to be the place Little Red Riding Hood Rodrikica mentioned. Her companion participated in the limb-splitting ritual here. Since we're passing by, let me go in and see what's going on!"

Meng Bai was about to approach the area.

Suddenly, a person dressed as a knight walked out towards us.

This knight's attire differed from that of the Knight Grek; his armor was devoid of any superfluous decorations, and his weapon was a massive knight's sword.

"not good!"

"The Knight Who Lost His Homeland!"

Meng Bai's expression changed drastically upon seeing the knight dressed like this.

The Knights of Lost Home are not the knights who serve alongside Grek; they are descendants of the Knights of Storm King, and therefore worship the storm. It is for this reason that they are suppressed and ostracized by the Golden Tree Dynasty.

After fleeing from the royal city of Rhodel to Stoneville, Grek was short of manpower and troops, so he was recruiting a large number of exiled soldiers and also winning over a group of knights who had lost their homeland.

Although he did not recognize Greck as the so-called Golden King.

Because Grik allowed them to return to the ancient Storm King's Castle, these lost knights devoted themselves to Grik, fighting and eliminating the invaders who had invaded Stoneville for him.

"The Fader!"

The knight who had lost his homeland recognized Meng Bai at a glance. A white storm, visible to the naked eye, swept around him, and his figure, aided by the wind, attacked like an arrow.

Meng Bai quickly unleashed a spinning slash.

The two sword blades clashed.

when!
Sparks flying!

Despite activating his combat skill, Meng Bai was forced back several steps. The latter then unleashed a storm of sword energy, striking Meng Bai again and sending him flying several meters away.

Fortunately, they were protected by armor and shields.

Meng Bai was not fatally wounded. She quickly drank the red Holy Grail Dew, and her wound healed rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye. The Lost Knight did not hesitate for a second and immediately rushed up to attack again.

"Try this trick!"

Suddenly, Meng Bai conjured a ball of flame in her left hand, which slammed into her opponent like a cannonball. The Lost Knight clearly did not expect the Faded One to have this move, so he suffered a slight loss for a moment.

This is the prayer spell "fire throwing" used in border areas.

She learned it from the clergyman Colin in the Round Table Hall. It sounds like a basic fire-based prayer, but it is quite powerful. It can release high-temperature flames instantly and cause explosive damage.

boom!
The knight who had lost his homeland stamped his foot.

A whirlwind swept around me.

The remaining flames were instantly dispersed by the wind, and then the sword was swung down again.

This Lost Knight is very strong, with strength around Tier 2, 3 or 4 stars, making him somewhat difficult to deal with. Fortunately, this is the second Lost Knight that Meng Bai has encountered since entering Stoneville.

She was now aware of and mentally prepared for the Knight of the Lost Home's tactics.

Mengbai is someone who can fight against the Tree Guardian without any enhancements, relying solely on experience and skill. Although the Lost Knight is very strong, he is still quite a bit weaker than the Tree Guardian.

After more than a dozen rounds.

Although a considerable price was paid.

But they still managed to defeat the homeless knight.

Meng Bai was already covered in wounds. She took out a red dewdrop and took a sip. She breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but sigh, "Luckily, I had the Holy Grail Bottle that Melina gave me. Otherwise, it would have been even more difficult to defeat such an opponent!"

After resolving the issue of the lost knight.

Mengbai began to explore the area in front of her.

She was overwhelmed by the stench. The scene inside the building was no different from a slaughterhouse. Blood was still flowing in the drains on the ground, and the walls, floors, and even the ceiling were the color of blood that had repeatedly congealed.

Not only that.

Screams rose and fell.

At least dozens of residents from the border area were tied to the execution platform, and several elderly, zombie-like Grik citizens were chopping off the hands and feet of these victims one by one with rusty machetes.

The blood flowed from these victims.

Moreover, several spacious halls were filled with all sorts of limbs, at least a thousand or even more, some still bleeding, some already rotting and stinking.

"Is this where Grek acquired and stored spare limbs?"

"My God, what's the difference between this and a slaughterhouse? Is limb reattachment really this simple and brutal?!"

"This place is simply hell on earth!"

"It's horrifying. There must be more than one such human slaughterhouse. I wonder how many people have had their hands and feet chopped off by Grik. No wonder most of Stoneville's people are missing limbs."

"Can this method really make you stronger? I think Grek has already gone mad!"

"..."

This chapel for limb transplants not only housed butchers and their victims, but also Grik's men undergoing limb transplants. Those eligible for transplants were all Grik's trusted henchmen and descendants of the Golden Family.

After their hands, feet, or even heads were cut off.

The victim of limb reattachment will turn into a human pupa-like thing.

They would be wrapped in burlap and straw and left haphazardly near the slaughterhouse or piled up in a personal cocooning chamber.

Meng Bai seized the opportunity to enter a large hall and quickly killed the working Grik citizens. These citizens were basically zombified and were just mechanically carrying out orders. Although they would attack the Faded Ones, they would not call for help or run away and were not difficult to deal with.

"This is……"

A huge painting hangs on the wall of the hall.

In this painting, there is a tall and mighty white-haired man holding a giant axe and wearing armor, looking majestic. A semi-transparent white lion, a spirit, is coiled behind him, facing forward and roaring, looking fierce and full of power.

"It's the famous War King, Gretel!"

"The first King of Elden of the Golden Tree Dynasty!"

"He marched south all the way to the Weeping Peninsula, and north all the way to the snowfields where the giants lived... It can be said that a large part of the territory of the Golden Tree Dynasty was conquered by Godfrey."

"..."

This is absolutely a hero that everyone admires.

It's not surprising that Greco, as Gree's eldest grandson and a direct descendant of the Golden Family, would hang his grandfather's portrait in the castle to demonstrate his legitimacy.

But the problem is...

Meng Bai turned to look at the stench-filled, filthy, blood-soaked hall.

Everywhere you look there are execution platforms for slaughtering people, the ground is covered with human cocoon bodies wrapped in straw, and hundreds of arms hang in mid-air with fingers pointing downwards, densely packed together, creating a grotesque and ritualistic atmosphere.

The adventurer couldn't help but complain.

How ironic!

"Old Ge was a hero and a fierce man of his generation."

"I never imagined that my descendants would turn out like this."

"If Lao Ge comes back and sees this, he'll probably smash Xiao Ge's brains in himself!"

“I remember that the beginning of the French Ring story mentioned Gravely. He should also be a Faded One now. Why didn’t I see him in the Round Table Hall? Could it be that he hasn’t arrived at the Borderlands yet?”

"..."

I didn't linger in the lobby for long.

Because there were limb-splitting nobles patrolling nearby.

Once these limb-splitting nobles discover that a faded individual has invaded, they will definitely search frantically. If surrounded by more than one noble, Meng Bai will have no chance of escape given her current abilities.

She walked through the hall and into one of the human cocoon chambers.

This person was indistinguishable from the body and was tied up and hung in mid-air.

Meng Bai speculated that only human pupae of higher status and those with golden bloodlines would be hung up in mid-air to prevent them from being eaten by wild dogs, while ordinary human pupae would be discarded at will, left to be eaten by nearby wild dogs and rats.

The blood hanging there was still very fresh.

It's highly likely that she's one of Rodrik's companions who came to Stoneville with her.

Meng Bai glanced around and saw that besides dozens of human cocoons hanging in mid-air, there were four or five hundred human cocoons piled up haphazardly on the ground. The surrounding phantoms were faint and indistinct, and the wails and cries could be heard indistinctly.

“The borderlands have long since abolished death at the level of laws…” “The soul in this world cannot be completely destroyed.”

“All life will return to the golden tree, but they have not completed their return.”

"In other words, although these people's physical bodies are broken, they are not really dead; their souls still remain in their bodies or linger around them!"

"..."

Immortality may not necessarily be a good thing.

This abolishes the boundary between life and death, so life cannot truly die. In the end, one drags a broken body but cannot die and find release... In the end, it only adds more suffering, or even eternal suffering!
Meng Bai discovered an item with a faint glow amidst the pile of human cocoons that had formed a small mountain.

This light is a guide to the secret realm, indicating that this item is special or related to the quest. Quickly go forward and pick it up.

【Relics of the Pupa Swarm】(Secret Realm Quest Item)...Description: Relics held by the pupa swarm that became limb-splitting sacrifices...Souls can be faintly seen floating above them, and it feels like they are telling something, but no sound can be heard.

It is a quest item.

Bring it to Rodrigo.

That should be enough to fulfill her request.

At that moment, a screeching sound rang out.

Suddenly, a spider-like nobleman with over a dozen arms rushed in.

"not good!"

"Discovered!"

Seeing this, Meng Bai quickly assumed a fighting stance.

This was not the first time they had fought against the limb-splitting nobles. Adventurers almost always had to be defeated by them at least once, and they would occasionally encounter nobles sent by Grek near Stoneville.

These spider-like, deformed, and grotesque creatures.

He is definitely the strongest fighter under Grek's command.

His strength surpasses that of the Knight of Grik and the Knight of Lost Home.

Meng Bai threw a fireball directly at the enemy, the flames striking the limbed nobleman and exploding. Although it caused considerable damage, it could not kill this tenacious creature.

"Ow—!"

A piercing shriek erupted, not only generating a shockwave to disperse the attack, but also containing a trace of mental attack, making Meng Bai feel dizzy and lightheaded.

next moment.

The limb-splitting nobleman leaped up, climbing walls and rooftops like a spider, before falling like a giant spinning top, his rapidly flying sword light resembling a meat grinder.

"not good!"

Mengbai barely managed to roll away from the attack range.

The aristocrat with the limbs had a massive body that was always with him.

Sword lights rained down like raindrops, quickly cornering Meng Bai against the wall.

"hateful!"

"This guy is still so difficult to deal with!"

"Am I going to die at the hands of this thing again?"

Although the limb-splitting nobleman and the chapel of the Marquis were not the same one they faced this time, their strengths were roughly equal, and the one they encountered this time was even stronger.

Insufficient preparation.

The win rate in a one-on-one situation is not high.

Meng Bai managed to block a few rounds with her shield and weapon, but soon became exhausted under the onslaught of attacks. To make matters worse, more footsteps could be heard outside, indicating that other limb-splitting nobles were rapidly approaching.

There's no hope!

It seemed certain that they would die.

Suddenly, a burst of magical light bloomed above their heads.

It released dozens or even hundreds of meteor-like rays of light, each one as powerful as a bullet striking the limb-splitting nobleman.

This magical attack caught the limb-splitting noble off guard; while it wasn't enough to kill him, it was enough to disrupt his attack rhythm.

A figure fell through the skylight.

He was dressed as a magician, holding a staff in his left hand and a rapier in his right, surrounded by a dozen magical swords. The moment he approached the limb-splitting nobleman, the magical swords following closely behind shot out simultaneously.

The aristocrat with the limbs already on guard immediately waved several arms and four or five longswords to deflect the radiant sword.

At that moment, Roger's staff in his left hand emitted light, instantly transforming into a giant Kalia Greatsword, which slashed down at the limb-splitting nobleman, shattering several of his swords and arms in one fell swoop.

good chance!
Meng Bai seized the opportunity to launch an attack.

A sword pierced the body of the nobleman who had undergone limb amputation.

This enormous, ferocious, and ugly monster immediately let out a shrill and angry roar, but it was too powerless to fight back and could only fall down unwillingly.

"Holy crap! They actually turned the tide and won? And they even killed a nobleman with a limb extension!"

"Mengbai is so lucky!"

"..."

Meng Bai was naturally overjoyed.

Although adventurers don't die, they certainly don't like dying. Not only did they save their lives and runes, but they also killed a limb-splitting noble and got revenge. It's so satisfying!

"Thanks, Roger. What are you doing here?"

"It's not convenient to talk here, let's get out of here immediately!"

"it is good!"

At this moment, two or three more limb-splitting nobles approached. Meng Bai and Roger did not linger in battle and quickly retreated. Roger was quite familiar with the terrain of Stoneville City, and under his leadership, Meng Bai quickly shook off the pursuers.

finally.

The two arrived at a church.

There is a blessing point here, and around the blessing point are the figures of three faded beings.

Meng Bai looked at the three faded beings and felt that each of them was quite strong, and those who were capable of coming here were definitely not ordinary faded beings.

According to Roger.

One of them was an old man with white hair, a gloomy face, and holding a skull flail. He was "Gorris the Death Warlock," a master of the third tier, one-star level.

In addition, there is a warrior named "Fearless Ryannir" who wears bulky armor, an iron hat, and carries a shield and sword. He is a second-tier, five-star Faded Warrior with superb combat skills and some magic.

The last one was a burly man wearing knight's armor and wielding a greatsword in both hands. His name was "Knight Kaint," a second-tier, five-star faded being who was once a genuine knight.

The strongest among them is the Death Warlock.

The other two are about the same strength as Roger.

While not as good as the Death Warlock, he's still better than Moeshiro.

Meng Bai couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to deal with Grek?"

The sorcerer Goris sneered, "With just our numbers, we can't deal with Grek. Our goal is to infiltrate the underground of Stoneville and find the substance that spreads the corruption of death!"

That's it!

Roger said, "Although Stoneville is heavily guarded, there are no guards underground. With the strength of the five of us, we should be able to get in... Mengbai, would you like to come with us?"

"I'll join!"

Meng Bai didn't think much of it.

Although her target is Grek.

But he had promised Roger, and he couldn't go back on his word.

In addition, Roger had just saved me, so I owe him a favor.

Of course, Mengbai herself is also very interested in the truth about the Death Prince, the Deathborn One, and the Night of the Black Knife, and she would naturally not miss the opportunity to participate in the investigation.

Roger, Grace, and others are also faders with unique skills.

Winning them over would definitely be a great help on my path to becoming king.

……

The five immediately took action.

A secret passage was found in Stoneville.

There were a small number of exiled soldiers, plus a knight-errant who had lost his homeland to guard the town.

The Knight of the Lost Land was a formidable fighter, but how could he possibly stop five people? So, without any suspense, he passed through the secret passage in no time. During the process, Meng Bai even learned a new skill from Roger: "Kalia Greatsword".

A considerable amount of runes were consumed in order to condense magical memories.

But it's definitely worth it for Mengbai, because the skill is very practical and has a powerful effect and value in actual combat.

Several Faded Ones were also very shocked that Meng Bai could learn the Kalia Greatsword in one go, because most gifted people in the borderlands need to practice magic several times, or even more than ten times, to condense a complete magical memory.

Success on the first try?

Such people do exist.

They are all geniuses who appear once in a century!

This is the location of the Faded One, played by the adventurer, in the Borderlands.

They started out unknown and weak, but possessed a strong learning ability and rapid growth, which will be one of the main reasons why they were recognized by Melina and other figures.

The five people hopped and leaped their way through a deep tunnel to the underground.

This is a dark and gloomy place, shrouded in a dark and cold gray mist. Collapsed stone pillars, ruins, and statues are everywhere, while a large number of mutated giant rats are active.

The rats here not only grow to be about the size of bears, but they are also severely polluted and deformed, covered in tumors.

As the five of them joined forces to hunt down the giant rats, they ventured deeper into the ruins.

Then we arrived at a relatively open area.

This place may have been a stone hall for ceremonies many years ago, but now it is full of skeletons and bones, and judging from the scale, there are at least several hundred people. You can see black tree roots on the walls and the ground.

These black roots are distributed like blood vessels, making them look rather menacing.

It also exudes a very ominous aura.

Roger: "I can sense a strong curse here. Godwin's remains should be nearby."

Before the group could even begin searching, they started looking for it.

Suddenly, I felt the ground shake.

Goreth's expression changed, and he immediately said, "Something is about to emerge; it's a very strong aura..."

next moment.

A loud bang followed.

A colossal creature burst forth from the earth.

A powerful aura of death and a putrid stench immediately filled the entire hall.

[You have unlocked the monster encyclopedia entry: Rotten Tree Spirit!]

When the adventurers saw this BOSS, they couldn't help but widen their eyes, because this BOSS looked quite special. At first glance, it looked somewhat similar to the Sakura Dragon of Ashina Country.

The Rotten Tree Spirit is clearly a monster mutated from the roots of a giant tree. Its appearance is somewhere between a dragon and a lizard. Its body is rotten and covered with fleshy tumors, and it has several pairs of deformed arms of different sizes.

Although he looks strange and ugly.

But their strength is by no means inferior!
Meng Bai even felt that the Rotten Tree Spirit was no less powerful than the Ominous Demon. Its madness, brutality, and aura filled with death curses, coupled with its unusually large size comparable to a flying dragon, made this monster even more oppressive than the Ominous Demon!
Obviously.

Unlike ominous demons and limb-splitting Grik.

This rotting tree spirit is the hidden boss of Stoneville City! (End of Chapter)