Chapter 183: Clashing Steel and Galloping Horses
Similar to the expedition heading north, the team heading south under Rachel's leadership also suffered losses—four to five members perished, including a professor and the second-ranked second-year student from the Mage Department.
A significant number of undead creatures and ice elementals had emerged in the south as well, with sightings even of living followers of the Cursed God Cult. There, they discovered a structure reminiscent of the Four Heroes era and countless altars. But before they could delve deeper into the building, they were overwhelmed by a swarm of undead.
Upon hearing the news, Edwin's expression turned slightly grim. To be frank, the expedition had been a success overall.
Though the cause behind the meteorological tide's outward expansion had yet to be uncovered, at least the team had mapped the outer perimeter of the phenomenon, laying the groundwork for a more thorough exploration later. But the real concern was that even the things found on the outer edge alone sent a chill down Edwin's spine.
A massive temple with traces of the God of Death inside, guarded by the legendary knight Archibald—and the party had nearly been wiped out halfway through exploring it.
Not to mention there seemed to be another similarly sized structure to the south, where the shadow of the Cursed God Cult had surfaced. Who knew what else might lie within?
The top priority now was to report their findings to the Temple and the upper echelon of Bryston, and let them decide whether to proceed with further actions.
"Our current condition isn't suited for continued exploration. Since we've basically fulfilled our objectives, I suggest we withdraw for now and wait for the next full-scale expedition," Edwin said solemnly.
No one present objected. They all began packing up their gear in preparation for the return trip.
Their rendezvous point was near the entrance to the meteorological tide, so forty minutes later, Zhou Ning had already returned to West Lin Town and their previous camp.
After more than a day, the blizzard in West Lin Town had lessened significantly. Having experienced the meteorological tide's wildly shifting weather for a full day, even this milder snowfall felt unusually comforting to Zhou Ning.
At the northern train station, Zhou Ning learned that most of the railway lines had been gradually restored and that service might resume as early as tomorrow morning—meaning he could finally return to Darkland. A look of relief appeared on his face.
Back at the camp, Zhou Ning was immediately summoned by Warren to Edwin's main tent.
Upon entering, he saw Edwin and several professors distributing the spoils of the expedition.
According to their agreement, the hammer obtained from killing the half-man mammoth, along with various materials, the Traveler's Ring, and a sword and staff dropped by two rare undead, were considered communal loot. However, the runed sword acquired from killing Archibald belonged solely to Wayne Sturwell.
"As the one who contributed the most on this expedition, you get first pick—twice," Edwin said with a smile.
No one objected. Zhou Ning's contributions were evident to all. By merit, he definitely deserved to pick twice.
Zhou Ning didn't stand on ceremony. He immediately reached for the ring. "I'll take this one."
With this ring, his survivability and mobility would be significantly improved, giving him far more flexibility in combat.
"No problem," Edwin nodded. The choice was expected. The ring was arguably the second most valuable item from this expedition. Even for non-spellcasters like Zhou Ning, it offered great utility. As Edwin watched Zhou Ning reach for the pile of necrotic cores, his expression changed slightly.
"You're sure about that?" Edwin asked in surprise. Necrotic cores were rare, yes, but their only use was in crafting Scourge Slayer potions that enhanced damage against undead—a niche application. He'd honestly expected no one to pick them.
"I'm sure," Zhou Ning replied with a smile. He could've chosen something better—like the staff, which was in some ways superior even to the ring—but he wasn't a hoarder who clung to everything shiny. Especially when it came to items he didn't really need.
Edwin gave a thoughtful nod and silently reassessed Zhou Ning:
"Alright."
After the loot was distributed, Zhou Ning returned to his tent, took out his stored clean water, gave himself a quick wash, did his laundry, and then lay comfortably on the bed to review the spoils from the meteorological tide expedition.
First were over 300 high-quality necrotic cores. According to rumors, that old man near the trade zone only needed ten to trade for a single vial of spirit-enhancing potion—these 300 cores would be enough to make him sick of drinking the stuff.
Then came the Traveler's Ring and the Runed Sword—two extraordinary items—along with a rare crafting material and a dungeon gathering stone.
The Traveler's Ring needed no elaboration; it was extremely valuable for him. As for the Runed Sword—Zhou Ning took it out. The touch was icy cold, and its surface was covered with layer upon layer of disturbing, unholy blue runes that made him feel instantly irritable just by looking at it.
Archibald's Oathblade
Type: Two-Handed Sword
Quality: Epic
Damage: 169–574
Attack Speed: 3.0
Attributes: +20 Strength, +21 Agility, -10 Constitution
Use Effect: Revive the dead.
Required Level: 60
Required Willpower: 90
Required Spirit: 90
Description: A dark aura clings to the blade. Five words are engraved on the hilt: [Wield This Blade for Justice].
The stats were fairly standard—essentially a mini version of Frostmourne. The equipment requirements weren't particularly high either. Zhou Ning figured he could probably equip it by the time he hit level 60. But the problem was that the sword looked far too sinister. It instinctively gave him a strong sense of danger.
He returned the sword to his inventory and examined the remaining two items.
His initial thought for the rare material was to hire someone to craft it into a new extraordinary item. But he wasn't sure if Darkland had craftsmen capable enough. The creator would need expertise in alchemy, enchanting, and blacksmithing—and a deep knowledge of mysticism. Zhou Ning's own alchemy was only at the expert level and still far from sufficient.
The last item was a dungeon gathering stone, and from the looks of it, it wasn't something he could challenge anytime soon.
[Lv55–Lv72 Dungeon Summoning Stone – "Temple of the Death God (Upper Tier)"]
[Description: The most devout followers of the Cursed God built a massive temple here to pray to the God of Death day and night. Over the years, this place has become a forbidden zone of life, impenetrable to outsiders. Yet the God of Death's servants still roam the halls, trying to bring their master back to the material world—hoping that his presence will once again plunge the war-ravaged Apocalypse World into darkness.]
[Type: 40-player Retrospective Raid]
[Clear Count: 0]
[Highest Completion Rate: 0%]
[First Clear Team: None]
A level 72 raid dungeon for 40 players... At this stage, Zhou Ning had zero desire to even attempt it.
Checking the time, it was only 8 p.m.—still early. After some thought, Zhou Ning decided to grind the game a bit. Now that he'd completed his class advancement quest, the only thing holding back his progression was his skill set.
He opened the simulator panel. The last dimension jump had refunded him 56 Traversal Coins. Over the past three days, he'd collected 3 more from the daily minimum, giving him 59 total. Zhou Ning then spent 210 Vecktas to recharge another 21 Traversal Coins and chose the newest map, Clashing Steel and Galloping Horses, to jump once more!
[Preparing to Traverse… Traversal Coins -80]
[Please select your traverse mode…]
[1. Direct Traverse]
[2. Traverse using Parallel World Template]
Sticking with his usual method, Zhou Ning chose the second option to preview the scenario first. After the past few days of gains, he suspected he could finally be considered truly wealthy... A tinge of emotion stirred in him at the thought.