Chapter 94: Dark Mage

At this moment, the minds of all the players who had entered the heart of the volcano were filled with the system's prompt.

"This place was actually the origin of a powerful ancient tribe millions of years ago?" Vicky was a bit surprised. She looked again at the four murals on the rock wall.

To be precise, those four murals were an apocalypse left behind by the ancient tribe.

[Players who have entered this place have a chance to obtain the legacy left by the ancient tribe!]

[The method to acquire the legacy is hidden here, and the last one standing will have the right to unlock the true treasure…] the system's voice announced once again.

Immediately, the magma began to churn violently, and a stone platform slowly rose up from the center of the lava.

All eyes were fixed on the platform at the center of the lava.

In the very center of the platform, a crimson gem hovered, surrounded by trails of red light. It was crystal clear, with what seemed like lava slowly flowing inside it, glowing with a scorching brilliance.

Ancient runes were carved on the surface of the gem...

"That must be the Treasure of Inheritance!" a player exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment.

Every player present was filled with desire, eager to rush forward and grab the gem. However, they were standing forty to fifty meters away from the platform in the center of the lava.

Below was the boiling, seething lava. One misstep, and they would be instantly incinerated without a trace.

The Treasure of Inheritance was right in front of them, but they could only watch helplessly. No one could come up with a solution for the moment.

"Irving, how are we going to get across such a distance?" Vicky fretted, her eyes on the gem on the platform, letting out a sigh.

A distance of thirty to forty meters was impossible for anyone to cross.

James and the players behind him furrowed their brows, racking their brains but unable to come up with any solution.

However, Irving merely glanced at the Treasure of Inheritance and then turned his gaze to the group of men in black facing off against the Angel Guild. He said calmly, "The problem now isn't how to get the gem. It's about dealing with those people first..."

Even if they figured out a way to obtain the Treasure of Inheritance, the Night Blades wouldn't let them go.

"Everyone, listen up!"

A mysterious man in a cloak stepped out from the group of men in black sent by the Night Blades. His voice was somewhat hoarse as he addressed those in the heart of the volcano, "The Treasure of Inheritance now belongs to us. If you don't want to die here, leave immediately!"

"Otherwise... you all would have died!"

As he spoke, the mysterious man waved his staff. Several dark phantoms swirled in the air, and the next moment, they converged and rapidly transformed into a gigantic entity.

The creature's face was shrouded in thick, black fog, floating in the void, and emitted an eerie laugh.

At that moment, everyone was stunned.

Anna and Aron, who stood at the forefront of the Angel Guild, instantly turned pale.

They were closest to the gigantic exotic beast conjured by the mysterious man and simultaneously felt a spine-chilling terror.

The massive exotic beast, formed from dark phantoms, was glaring intently at every player present, exuding a powerful sense of oppression that made their scalps tingle.

"He... he can also summon an exotic beast?" Vicky was shocked, glancing instinctively at Irving.

Among the three factions that had entered the heart of the volcano, the Night Blades had the largest number of players, over a hundred. The Angel Guild came next, while Irving's group was the weakest.

The Green Ivy Group had suffered heavy casualties while dealing with those Fiery and Passionate Snakes, leaving only about twenty players, and their stamina was already at its limit, leaving them with little combat capability.

The mysterious leader of the Night Blades cast a casual glance at Irving's group near the entrance of the cave, as if he didn't even consider the small faction worth his attention.

"Angel Guild?" The mysterious man snorted, eyeing Anna and Aron before him. "The largest guild backed by the authorities? How laughable. Your good days are about to end. Leave now, and you might live a few days longer."

"Damn it! You know we're with the authorities, yet you still dare to be so arrogant here." Aron's face turned ashen, the veins on his forehead bulging and throbbing.

He shouted angrily, "We haven't even begun to settle accounts with you Night Blades for the recent events, and now you dare to threaten us."

First, there was the attack in the park, and then the blatant murders in the capital city, causing widespread panic.

Most crucially, according to intelligence, the Night Blades had already secretly taken control of several influential families in the country. Their aim was a power grab, making them a ticking time bomb for the upper echelons of the government.

"As long as we're here with the Angel Guild, your conspiracies won't succeed." Aron declared.

"Jokes!" The mysterious man shook his head with a hint of mockery. "Do you really think the world is still the same as before? The apocalypse is upon us, and the weak don't deserve to live. With just your Angel Guild, you're hardly qualified to settle scores with us."

"And as for what you know, it's just the tip of the iceberg of what Night Blades is capable of."

His words carried a veiled threat.

Aron couldn't help but recall the last siege on the Brotherhood of Night Blades' castle and the decisions made by the high-ranking officials of the authorities, along with the mysterious death of the Night Blades member arrested by the security bureau.

He knew that Night Blades had likely infiltrated the highest echelons of the authorities...

"The treasure in this secret realm is for every player to claim, not just for Night Blades." Anna stepped forward at this moment, her voice icy.

"Oh really?" The mysterious man sneered. "Then try to take it!"

As he spoke, he brandished his staff, and the massive exotic beast formed from condensed shadows roared, charging toward the members of the Angel Guild. Simultaneously, the hundreds of players standing behind him also launched their attack.

On the side of the Angel Guild, the escort team led by Aron had mostly perished protecting the guild's members, though fortunately, there were still sixty to seventy players within the guild.

These players were elite selections from across the country.

"Kill these bastards!" Aron took the lead, charging forward. His profession in the game was a warrior.

The two factions instantly clashed violently, shouts and cries filling the narrow passage.

Yet, with loose rocks constantly falling, many players at the forefront were not directly killed but fell into the roiling lava below. Searᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

A variety of spells and skills were unleashed, players from both sides continuously engaging in combat.

The enormous exotic beast seemed like a phantom. Swords and spells passed right through its body without causing any harm.

On the contrary, the players from the Angel Guild, once touched by the massive exotic beast that had formed, their bodies immediately began to decay...

Horrific screams echoed through the heart of the mountain.

"Irving, should we go help?" James hesitated, his eyes on Irving, seeking guidance.

The Angel Guild represented the domestic authorities, while Night Blades symbolized an invasive foreign force.

Before James finished speaking, Irving gave a bitter smile. "Help? With what little manpower you have?" Irving asked.

James was stunned. He turned and looked at the remaining players of the Green Ivy Group—fewer than twenty, all exhausted. Even if they joined the battle, it wouldn't change the outcome...

"Irving, that man seems to have the same power as you. The exotic beast he summoned is terrifying." Vicky said, her voice filled with fear.

In just a few minutes, ten or so players from the Angel Guild had perished at the hands of the gigantic exotic beast formed from dark phantoms.

Those players touched by the enormous beast suffered horrific fates: their skin rotted away, and they appeared to be in unbearable agony, collapsing to the ground within seconds. Their bodies then seemed to melt, first shedding skin, then disintegrating flesh, until nothing remained but a pile of white bones.

Even James and his group couldn't help but gasp at this sight.

"What kind of exotic beast has he summoned that possesses such terrifying power?" James's face was ashen.

Although the Night Blades had brought only around twenty players, most of them were mages backed by the formidable resources of a powerful family, giving them a significant numerical advantage.

The giant exotic beast summoned by the mysterious leader was unstoppable, moving as if in a realm without opposition.

"That's not a summoned exotic beast." Irving said slowly, a sharp glint flashing in his deep eyes. He continued, "If I'm not mistaken, his class is also that of a mage, but with a different attribute…"

Irving had been carefully observing the mysterious man's every move. To seize the Treasure of Inheritance from the secret realm, this person was the greatest threat.