Apocalypse Gachapon

The Eartheart dungeon was a vast, straight path, resembling a canyon or a massive cavern, without any twists or turns. The monsters within were varied and bizarre, larger, tougher, and stronger versions of different animals.

Lin Moyu directed his Skeletal Warriors to lure out the creatures hiding in the dungeon. Each time, 80 to 90 monsters were gathered, allowing Mu Xianxian to use her Group Collection skill, after which they were swiftly eliminated. This strategy effectively doubled the rewards.

As time passed, Lin Moyu and Mu Xianxian grew more accustomed to working together. Mu Xianxian, though timid, was otherwise flawless. Despite being level 59, she retained a sense of innocence, her life experiences simple, and her thoughts and personality just as uncomplicated, as if a blank sheet of paper.

After another group of monsters was dealt with, the Skeletal Warriors moved on to lure more. Mu Xianxian, having overcome her initial panic, quickly adapted to Lin Moyu’s method of mass extermination, her Battle Instinct having kicked it.

While walking, Lin Moyu asked, "Why did you set up a tombstone for me?"

Mu Xianxian replied softly, "When you lured the Archaic Luanniao away, we thought you sacrificed yourself so we could survive. We saw the explosions from a distance and assumed you hadn't survived, so we set up a tombstone in remembrance."

…

Lin Moyu found her reasoning sound and couldn't refute it. And seeing as the tombstone was already in ruins, the matter could be put to rest.

Another wave of monsters approached, and Mu Xianxian diligently played her part. Lin Moyu efficiently cleared them, reaping double the amount of Earth Shards. In just two hours, they had collected 1,000 Earth Shards, which fused into a mass of earthy-yellow light, eventually forming an unremarkable yellow stone emitting a faint, peculiar earth elemental aura.

[Heart of the Earth: essential item for becoming an Earth Knight.]

Lin Moyu had encountered many pure element-type gems before, but the Heart of the Earth was different. It wasn’t just pure element; it held a strange energy as well—an energy that felt oddly familiar.

After a moment of contemplation, it dawned on him: "It feels somewhat similar to the energy released during class awakening."

The Heart of the Earth could help a Sacred Knight transition to an Earth Knight and even increase the probability of class sublimation during the second awakening. With this item, the human race might once again witness the birth of a new Earth Knight.

Mu Xianxian's big eyes lit up with wonder, "So this is the Heart of the Earth! I heard Earth Knights are incredibly powerful."

"Have you ever seen one?" Lin Moyu asked.

Mu Xianxian shook her head, "No, but I've read about them. Earth Knights are said to be the pinnacle of the Knight class, even stronger than Sacred Light Knights or Elemental Knights. Not even Dragonkind's Dragon Knights can compare."

The Dragon Knight was the most powerful Knight class among the Dragonkind and was shockingly rare. However, when Dragon Knights and Earth Knights clashed in the past, the Earth Knights emerged victorious, solidifying their class's reputation as the strongest Knight class.

Lin Moyu gazed into the distance, "Maybe one day, we'll see one in person."

After all, records could never capture the full picture; nothing compared to witnessing it firsthand. Lin Moyu was eager to see the true might of the Earth Knight class.

When they reached the end of the canyon, they were met with intense heat, the air filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. The surroundings were tinted in red and yellow, shrouded in a hazy yellow fog. At the canyon’s edge lay a cliff, below which molten lava flowed freely.

The landscape below was a stunning mix of flowing lava and boiling water.

"Awesome." Mu Xianxian couldn't help but exclaim again. Lin Moyu, having seen her react this way many times before, was already accustomed to it.

His keen eyes and strong spirit attribute allowed him to sense things beyond his immediate line of sight. Amidst the lava, he noticed scattered black dots—hidden monsters lurking within. The lava and boiling water intertwined, flowing into the distance. Far off, a lava waterfall seemed to cascade down, partially obscured by the thick yellow fog, making it difficult to see clearly.

With a thought, Lin Moyu sent his Skeletal Warriors down the cliff. Although the dungeon was of nightmare rank and the monsters weren't particularly strong, Lin Moyu remained vigilant.

Without Mu Xianxian, he would have only gathered half of the materials needed for the Heart of the Earth at this time. The remaining materials would have to be obtained from the dangerous world of lava and boiling water.

This was the latter part of the dungeon, where the difficulty was bound to escalate. The Heart of the Earth wasn't easily acquired; if it were, Earth Knights wouldn’t be so rare.

Suddenly, a tentacle shot out from the lava, wrapping around a Skeletal Warrior and dragging it into the molten depths. It was so swift that Lin Moyu couldn’t react in time. The Skeletal Warrior, scorched by the lava, fought back instinctively, slashing at the tentacle with its blade. However, the more the tentacle was injured, the tighter it clamped down. The strikes from the Skeletal Warrior sent up columns of fire, which shot from the lava and reached heights of over ten meters.

The tentacle trembled, on the verge of being sundered, but it stubbornly held on. What kind of creature could this be? Hidden beneath the lava, its shape was hard to discern with the naked eye. The tentacle desperately coiled around the Skeletal Warrior, pulling it down further. Meanwhile, several nearby Skeletal Warriors rushed over to help.

Soon, a large amount of lava and sulfurous boiling water erupted into the air, and more tentacles shot out, dragging the nearby skeletons into the lava.

Lin Moyu, observing the situation, gave an order, and a Lich General swiftly made its way down. However, just as the Lich General reached the edge of the lava, another tentacle emerged and dragged it in as well.

Lin Moyu commanded the skeletons to stop resisting, allowing the tentacles to drag them further into the depths. As the tentacles moved swiftly beneath the lava, traveling over a thousand meters in the blink of an eye. Lin Moyu mentally mapped the terrain below—a network of winding tunnels filled with powerful fish-snake hybrid monsters about two meters in length.

As the Skeletal Warriors were dragged past these creatures, they swarmed to attack. Their strikes were formidable, and Lin Moyu estimated their strength attribute to be between 50,000 and 60,000. They were stronger than the monsters he had defeated earlier.

Meanwhile, the Lich General continued to cast its healing spell, emitting white light that treated the injuries of both itself and the Skeletal Warriors. For the time being, they were safe from immediate danger.

After several dozen seconds, Lin Moyu finally glimpsed the owner of the tentacles—a colossal flower blooming in the lava. The tentacles were its roots, stretching from its base and spreading across the entire lava field. Above the flower, the lava waterfall poured immense amounts of molten rock over it, effectively watering the gigantic bloom.

"A plant-type boss? How rare! Let's go!" Lin Moyu said, jumping down with Mu Xianxian close behind.

As soon as Lin Moyu started moving, the Skeletal Warriors trapped in the lava unleashed their skill.

Skill: Berserk Strike!

The Skeletal Warriors executed powerful attacks, severing the tentacles. Lava shot into the air, followed by a rain of fire that scorched the ground. When the fire fell into pools of sulfurous water, it created large clouds of yellow smoke.

The Skeletal Warriors broke free from their restraints, bringing the Lich General up with them. A swarm of monsters followed them out of the lava. These creatures had numerous small legs beneath them, enabling them to move swiftly even outside the lava. They chased after the Skeletal Warriors and the Lich General, biting at them with sharp teeth that made metallic clanging sounds upon impact.