Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree

[Ding——]

[You have triggered the hidden squad quest: Tracking the Mysterious Shadow Dragon]

[Quest Description: While exploring the Underworld, you discovered a shadow dragon with peculiar movements and decided to track its whereabouts.]

[Quest Objective: Follow the traces left by the shadow dragon, track it, and report the findings to the Divine Favored Zero.]

[Quest Time Limit: None]

[Quest Members: 5]

[Quest Level: Level 40]

[Quest Reward: 3000 contribution points, reserved advancement opportunity]

With the system's gentle chime, new system messages appeared in the field of vision of Boxed Lunch and his team.

"The quest really came!"

"Haha, the captain pulled it off! And it's a hidden squad quest!"

Looking at the quest scroll icon in the game system's task bar, a bright light flashed in the players' eyes.

However, when they saw the quest reward, they were a little disappointed...

"Only 3000 contribution points... Not even enough to buy a resurrection coin for one death, 40 resurrection coins amount to 4000 contribution points."

They didn't care much about experience points. When they reached the max level of 40, their experience points stopped increasing. Even if there were quests to gain experience points, it wouldn't make a difference to them.

But... these 3000 contribution points as a reward seemed too little, right?

The group was somewhat disappointed.

Of course, this disappointment was only momentary, as they quickly noticed there was something more beyond the contribution points reward...

"Hmm? Wait... there's another reward?"

"Advancement opportunity? What is this?"

The players looked puzzled.

Boxed Lunch furrowed his eyebrows slightly, then focused his attention on the reward titled "Advancement Opportunity."

As soon as his attention was on it, detailed information about this reward popped up in a data box —

[Advancement Opportunity: After the next game update, players who obtain this advancement opportunity would have the chance to advance and change classes ahead of others, gaining even more powerful strength under certain conditions...]

[Necessary Conditions for Advancement: 1. Advancement feature enabled; 2. Player reaches level 40; 3. Consumes 30,000 contribution points]

"Advancement? More powerful strength?"

Seeing the description, everyone felt intrigued.

They had already maxed their level, and their equipment reached the minimum standard for graduation.

What remained was merely accumulating more contribution points, striving to replace all equipment with the recently launched Black Iron Upper Golden Legendary Equipment as soon as possible.

At this point, the rare opportunity of advancement appeared before them, causing their minds to wander with possibilities...

"A second class change... during the first class change, we advanced to Black Iron Rank. Could this be the opportunity to advance to silver?! Is this game going to open up the silver level?"

Hu Lu spoke with some excitement.

Although he hadn't enjoyed the thrill of being maxed out for long, after witnessing the increasingly powerful creatures in the game, he longed to advance to a higher level.

He wasn't the only player thinking this way.

A world like "Elf Kingdom" was different from other old online games that extended life with a 10-level increase after a major update. Her levels seemed to be already perfected.

In such circumstances, players naturally yearned more intensely for higher levels.

"Very likely! But... the reward says 'reserved' and mentions game updates, so it's probably after the next version update!"

The Optimist said.

The others silently nodded, agreeing with the Optimist's assumption.

"We must complete this mission!"

They all saw the ambition in each other's eyes.

"Let's go, follow the trail,"

Boxed Lunch said deeply as he drew his dagger.

The other squad members nodded fiercely, then pursued with even faster speed, following the trail of shadow power left by the shadow dragon...

...

The shadow dragon Darkness soared through the vast Underworld.

Along the way, all creatures who saw her scrambled to hide, creatures and Demon Beasts on the ground cowered and trembled, while those flying in the air hurriedly avoided her, some even dropping to the ground, playing dead...

The more intelligent and powerful they were, the more frightened they became.

Because they could clearly sense the terror of Darkness...

And all of this was sensed by this shadow dragon from the Netherworld.

"Hmph, such weak and pathetic beings."

This Demigod Level mythical creature's eyes flashed with disdain and a hint of pride.

She slowed her pace, flying leisurely toward a certain direction underground.

The surroundings changed continuously with Darkness's flight...

After flying past an underground water system, she arrived at a Volcanic Lake filled with rolling lava.

This was a massive Volcanic Lake surrounded by an underground water system, the hot lava roiling within, and the pungent smell of sulfur was overwhelming—the harsh and horrifying environment was like hell.

After circling once in the sky, Darkness released her terrifying pressure, then respectfully called toward the center of the Volcanic Lake,

"Shadow Apostle under the Master of Darkness and Shadow, Devourer Dragon—Darkness, here to pay respects to Your Grace Azazel!"

Her heavy voice traveled far across the Volcanic Lake...

And shortly after Darkness's voice faded, the center of the Volcanic Lake suddenly began to churn. Bubbling and red lava flowers bloomed, and the thick lava continuously rose.

A massive vortex appeared at the center of the Volcanic Lake.

At the moment the vortex surfaced, the entire Volcanic Lake began to tremble, releasing an aura of time, ancientness, evil, and chaos.

In the center of the Volcanic Lake, the vortex surged with viscous, hot lava, then transformed into a goat-headed demon-like face of flames, and a majestic, indifferent voice echoed in the cavern:

"The Shadow Apostle of Holder? Why would that guy Holder suddenly think of me?"

Darkness seemed indifferent to the other party's disrespect toward her True God, lowering her head as she said,

"Your Grace Azazel... My master has sent me to ask you a question..."

"The magic power of the Segis World has started to rise again. Do you wish to swiftly restore your rightful strength?"

After hearing her words, the goat demon's giant face in the Volcanic Lake fell silent.

A moment later, a daunting pressure spread out.

Such pressure was terrifying, even forcing the hovering Darkness into submission on an island at the edge of the Volcanic Lake, prostrating toward the lake...

"What do you want to say?"

The voice from the Volcanic Lake was tinged with a trace of indifference.

Darkness lowered her head even further.

She respectfully answered toward the Volcanic Lake:

"Your Grace Azazel, I've brought some interesting little guys for you to see. You'll know everything then."

Saying this, she turned around, releasing a stream of gray smoke in the direction of a large water system outside the Volcanic Lake. The smoke transformed into a huge cage and swept five bewildered elves hiding underwater, bringing them before the goat demon face...

"Holy crap! When did we get discovered?!"

The members of Boxed Lunch's squad, caught and astonished, were horrified.