Strength Potion (Basic): Upon consumption, increases Strength by 2.

  Antidote: Upon consumption, purges Corpse Toxin.

  These two potions were fairly mediocre. Compared to something like a Dragonblood Potion, which granted a massive 20-point boost to all four core attributes, the difference was night and day.

  Still, any potion that permanently increased attribute points was a precious commodity. A single bottle of Basic Strength Potion could easily fetch around three hundred thousand credits on the market.

  As for the Antidote, it was only effective against Corpse Toxin, making it significantly cheaper.

  As the scion of House Sterling, Chloe held the final say in loot distribution. She handed the Strength Potion directly to Lucian, while Gareth and Jared each received an Antidote.

  The Strength Potion was the most valuable item by far, and Chloe’s decision to give it to Lucian was a clear gesture of goodwill.

  Not bad, Lucian thought. She carries herself with the pragmatism of a seasoned professional, not a spoiled socialite.

  Lucian had no intention of refusing. As soon as the bottle touched his hand, he downed it. No one in their right mind would complain about higher stats.

  After a brief rest, the group of eight set off again, pushing deeper into the heart of the village.

  Every single-story house in the area seemed to harbor several zombies. The moment the group drew too close, the creatures would burst through the doors with guttural snarls, swarming the intruders.

  As they neared the village center, the number of powerful Blood Zombies increased, steadily ratcheting up the pressure on Gareth and the frontline.

  Eventually, a third type of zombie emerged: the Iron-skin Zombie.

  Iron-skin Zombie (Mini-BOSS, Aggressive)

  Level: 20

  Strength: 106

  Agility: 85

  Spirit: 20

  Endurance: 122

  Skills:

  Corpse Toxin: Claws and teeth carry a toxin that causes continuous health loss. Victims slain by this toxin reanimate as Iron-skin Zombies.

  Grappling Bite: Pins a target before delivering a devastating bite.

  Iron Skin: Enters a hardened state, increasing Endurance by 40%.

  Compared to the Blood Zombies, these creatures possessed far superior stats—especially their Endurance, which had more than doubled. Jared’s knight lance struck the Iron-skin Zombies with a dull thud, unable to pierce their hide.

  When the monsters activated Iron Skin, even Gareth’s massive greatsword only sent sparks flying off their flesh. It was nearly impossible to break their physical defense.

  Fortunately, their Spirit stat was abysmal, meaning they had little resistance to magic. Chloe and the other mages were finally able to contribute meaningful damage, though the kills were still slow.

  Of course, there was one other person who posed a lethal threat to the Iron-skin Zombies: Lucian.

  His Strength was simply too high. While the Iron-skin Zombies boasted incredible defense, for Lucian, the only difference was that it took three swings to kill them instead of one.

  Despite the tougher enemies, Chloe was nowhere near reclaiming the top spot on the damage charts. Every time Lucian unleashed Dragon Tooth Strike, he pulverized entire clusters of zombies. His damage output soared to heights the rest of the team couldn't even fathom.

  Four hours passed in a blur of combat.

  The team had scoured the Village of Despair, leaving no zombie standing and no treasure chest unopened.

  In total, they had looted eleven chests. The haul included three pieces of Bronze Tier equipment, twenty-one bottles of Antidote, and seven attribute-boosting potions.

  Chloe handled the distribution, and Lucian offered no objections. Her bias toward him was blatant; of the seven attribute potions, she gave him all three that boosted Strength.

  Lucian only took one Antidote for emergencies, leaving the rest to the team.

  Of the three pieces of equipment, only the Bracers of Despair suited his build. Chloe handed them over without hesitation, keeping the other two Bronze Tier items for her own people.

  Bracers of Despair (Bronze Tier)

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Level Requirement: 10

  Class Requirement: None

  Stats: +16 Strength, +17 Endurance

  As a Level 10 Bronze Tier item with a total of 33 attribute points, it was a high-quality piece of gear.

  Admittedly, compared to his Gold Tier Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword, the stats were a bit underwhelming. Still, 33 points were 33 points. Lucian equipped the bracers immediately, feeling another slight surge in his Strength and Endurance.

  After four hours of systematic purging, the screams and moans that had once filled the Village of Despair had vanished. A heavy, unnatural silence settled over the ruins.

  Lucian checked his quest interface. The kill count read 1199/1200.

  Clearly, there was one monster left in the Secret Realm. Following the standard logic of such places, the final kill would be the Boss. Only after defeating it would they receive their final rewards and be allowed to leave.

  The group spent another hour scouring the village, but they found nothing.

  Aside from the eight of them, the village was a ghost town.

  "This is ridiculous," Celia muttered, her patience wearing thin as she ground her teeth. "Is the last one invisible or something? We’ve turned this entire place upside down. Where the hell is it?"

  Not even a Swordsman as experienced as Gareth knew where the final monster was hiding. Still, he kept a level head, offering a word of comfort to the group. "Don't worry, there’s no need to rush."

  "The Secret Realm is only so big. How far could one monster possibly go? Maybe we just weren't thorough enough. It could be tucked away in one of those shacks."

  Chloe nodded. "Maybe we should do a floor-to-ceiling sweep of the village again. As a Holy Light Mage, I can still sense a lingering dark attribute. It's close."

  "The last monster is definitely nearby!"

  The others nodded; it seemed like their only option.

  As the group prepared to move out, they noticed Lucian standing perfectly still, lost in thought.

  "Something on your mind? Did you find something?" Gareth stepped forward and clapped Lucian on the shoulder.

  After their recent battles, Gareth’s respect for Lucian had grown considerably, and the air between them was much warmer than when they had first met.

  Lucian shook his head, indicating he hadn't found anything tangible, but he spoke up anyway. "I just feel like we’ve overlooked something."

  "Like what?" Chloe asked, her interest piqued.

  Lucian opened his quest panel, sharing the screen with the group. He pointed to a specific line of text. "Look here. The quest description says the Village of Despair started with a plague. The infected villagers' bodies were all dumped by the lakeside."

  "It took three days for those corpses to mutate into zombies. So I’m wondering... what if the real problem isn't the village itself, but the small lake right next to it?"

  His words were a revelation to the group. There was indeed a small lake in this Secret Realm, situated right on the edge of the Village of Despair.

  It wasn't particularly large—more of an oversized pond, really. It was filled with black, stagnant water that reeked of rot, which was why everyone had avoided it until now.

  If the village was empty, then the final monster was almost certainly lurking at the bottom of that lake.

  Gareth’s face lit up. "You're right. We haven't checked the water yet."

  "I'd wager the source of the plague is down there. That lake is probably the Secret Realm boss's lair!"

  Chloe nodded in agreement, a small smile playing on her lips. "In that case, let's go have a look."

  The group moved out, quickly arriving at the shore. The lake's surface was eerily still, smooth as a mirror. It was hard to imagine what was hidden beneath that placid facade.

  Chloe brandished her staff. Dozens of white fireballs coalesced in the air before raining down like hailstones, blanketing the water's surface.

  The other two Mages joined in, launching their own Fireballs into the pond. Great plumes of steam erupted, carrying a stench of carrion so foul it made half the team wince and recoil.

  The lake had been disturbed. Moments later, the water began to churn. A massive whirlpool formed at the center as thick, black mist billowed from the depths, snuffing out the flames of Chloe and the other Mages instantly.

  "I knew it! The last one's in there!" Gareth’s heart tightened. He gripped his greatsword and stepped to the front of the formation. "Stay sharp, everyone! This is likely the Secret Realm boss. It won't be an easy fight!"

  No sooner had the words left his mouth than the center of the whirlpool exploded. A pitch-black figure shot out from the depths, trailing tendrils of dark energy as it hurtled toward Gareth like a cannonball.

  A thunderous crash echoed as Gareth was sent flying. The sheer disparity in their Strength stats was staggering.

  Blood sprayed from Gareth’s mouth as he tumbled through the air. Without missing a beat, the shadow blurred, lunging toward the backline. Jared, hampered by his low Agility, stood no chance of intercepting it in time.

  Chloe turned pale. Watching the terrifying silhouette close the distance, she felt the blood in her veins turn to ice.

  But then, another figure blurred into motion, moving with a speed that rivaled the monster's own.

  Lucian wasn't about to stand by and watch his teammates get slaughtered. His reflexes were razor-sharp; the moment Gareth was hit, Lucian was already moving, dragging his Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword behind him to cut the shadow off.

  "Down on your knees!" Lucian growled. He unleashed Dragon Tooth Strike, the massive blade coming down like the hand of God.

  A spectral dragon head let out a silent roar as it bore down on the target, pinning the shadow in place and grinding its momentum to a halt.

  The Dragon Tooth Strike didn't kill it outright, but the Obsidian Dragonscale Greatsword bit deep into its shoulder. The blow left a wound that exposed bone and forced the creature to its knees under the sheer weight of the impact.

  In that moment of stillness, the creature’s true form was finally revealed.

  It was a zombie, but far more grotesque than the others. Its body was a void of pitch-black, appearing less like flesh and more like a mass of sentient, humanoid sludge. Its facial features were blurred and indistinct, resembling a corpse that had spent years submerged in water without ever fully rotting.

  Thick, rusted iron chains, each as wide as a man's wrist, were wrapped tightly around its arms.

  Lucian immediately cast an Appraisal skill, and its stats flashed before his eyes.