Before him stretched a sight so unexpected that Marcus instinctively slowed Blackie to a halt, unsure whether he had truly stepped deeper into the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb or somehow escaped it entirely.

A gentle green hill rolled beneath a clear blue sky, forests swayed in the breeze, and a stream wound peacefully through the land like a silver ribbon. Soft white clouds drifted overhead, sunlight bathing everything in calm warmth. Nothing about this place resembled a burial ground. If anything, it looked like a forgotten paradise hidden away from the world.

Animals darted freely across the grass without fear, small creatures chasing one another while colorful birds glided lazily through the sky. Their calls blended with rustling leaves and flowing water, creating a living harmony that felt almost sacred. The air itself carried a quiet vitality, as if the land breathed alongside him. For a moment Marcus felt an irrational sense of peace, the tension of the trials fading from his shoulders.

"Did I leave the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb?"

He turned in his saddle and looked behind him. Five passageways stood there, each glowing faintly with the power of the five elements, unmistakably the exits from the Elemental Trial. The realization settled quickly. He had not left the tomb at all. This had to be the fourth level.

"Incredible... the First Emperor’s Tomb really is beyond imagination."

Still taking in the scenery, Marcus urged Blackie forward, moving cautiously into the lush landscape while scanning his surroundings. The beauty of the place did nothing to ease his vigilance. A tomb this famous would never present paradise without danger hiding somewhere beneath it.

"Where would the Bodhi Stone even be?"

The area was enormous, far larger than anything he had explored so far. Searching blindly would take forever. Then another thought surfaced.

"And where’s Forest Court?"

He had not forgotten what Liam Windrunner had told him. Liam had discovered a divine-grade treasure there called Stone Milk Nectar, an item rare enough to change a player’s fate. If Forest Court existed here, there was a good chance it held more secrets, perhaps even a clue connected to the Bodhi Stone itself.

"Treasures, treasures... where are you hiding?"

He muttered the words half jokingly, then suddenly stopped.

Figures moved ahead. Not animals this time. Guardians.

Several types of stone constructs wandered the grassy expanse: massive Stone Grunt Warriors carrying battle axes as tall as a man, Stone Grunt Archers with longbows resting against their shoulders, robed Stone Grunt Sorcerers holding shields and staffs, along with knights, assassins, and other combat forms. It looked less like a patrol and more like a perfectly organized army waiting for intruders.

There was no doubt about their purpose. The moment they noticed him, combat would begin.

"Can’t underestimate these guys," Marcus murmured.

He had encountered Stone Grunt guardians before, but these were clearly different. Their bodies were carved from flawless stone that gleamed faintly under the sunlight. Intricate patterns flowed across their armor and limbs, elegant rather than crude. These constructs were masterpieces, far superior to the rough guardians found elsewhere.

"Sea Demon Soul, pull one over."

He refused to rush in blindly. One Sea Demon Soul moved forward at a controlled pace, approaching the nearest axe-wielding warrior while keeping enough distance to avoid alerting the entire group. Testing the enemy first was always safer.

Fortunately, the guardians were spaced far apart, giving him room to maneuver.

Marcus watched carefully. Even when the Sea Demon Soul entered twenty meters, the Stone Grunt Warrior showed no reaction at all. It continued wandering slowly, as if unaware of the approaching threat.

"Slow response time, huh?"

A faint grin crossed his face.

"You won’t attack me? Then I’ll start things."

He gave the command immediately.

"Taunting Light!"

An icy-blue sphere shimmered into existence before the Sea Demon Soul and shot forward, trailing dreamlike colors. It struck the warrior with a dull thud.

A tiny damage number floated upward.

-1.

Pathetic damage, but that was never the point. The warrior’s head snapped toward the attacker.

"ROAR!"

Its howl echoed across the field as it raised its axe, instantly summoning reinforcements. A Stone Grunt Knight and a Stone Grunt Archer materialized nearby, forming a small combat squad.

The warrior and knight charged, activating enhancement skills that wrapped their bodies in glowing light, while the archer remained behind and began firing in rapid succession. Arrows cut through the air with sharp, rhythmic sounds as they slammed into the Sea Demon Souls.

So they summoned allies automatically. That explained why the guardians were spread so far apart.

Each arrow dealt roughly six hundred damage. Marcus narrowed his eyes.

’Level sixty monsters. At least.’

As the warrior closed in, Marcus activated Insight while urging Blackie forward alongside Pebble, entering the fight himself.

—

Dark Stone Axe Warrior

Level: 63

HP: 30,000

A guardian carved from refined Light Stone and reinforced with ancient talismans to defend the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb. Designed solely to destroy intruders.

Trait: Resonant Stone

Emits a battle howl to summon two Light Stone guardians and form a combat squad.

Skills:

Light Stone Radiance: Increases attack power.

Dark Stone Press: A crushing axe strike dealing heavy area damage. Cooldown: 5 seconds.

Light Stone Scatter: Stone energy detonates on impact, causing massive single-target damage. Cooldown: 5 seconds.

—

"Yeah... definitely not weak."

Before Marcus could finish evaluating, the warrior attacked.

"Light Stone Scatter!"

The massive axe descended, smashing into the Sea Demon Soul.

-1500.

At the same time, the knight relentlessly hammered the second Sea Demon Soul, each strike dealing more than five hundred damage.

"Dragon-Roar Critical Strike!"

Marcus surged forward without hesitation. Blackie lunged ahead while Pebble followed, and the skill erupted instantly.

-12000.

-12000.

Good damage. Against a level 63 enemy, his normal strikes averaged around two thousand, but the triple multiplier combined with critical hits produced devastating results.

"Triple Surge!"

The follow-up attack finished the Light Stone Axe Warrior outright. Without pausing, Marcus redirected his assault toward the knight. This time the critical strike failed to trigger, forcing him to grind through the enemy’s thicker defenses. After three solid exchanges, the knight finally collapsed into scattered fragments.

Marcus exhaled slowly.

"The Sea Demon Souls really are monsters themselves."

Watching the two summons absorb punishment like immovable walls, he felt genuine admiration. Without them acting as living shields, facing three level 63 enemies simultaneously would have been suicidal. The archer alone was dangerous enough. Its triple-shot attacks constantly dealt around six hundred damage per arrow. If those hits had targeted him instead, more than half his health would already be gone.

"Blackie, let’s move."

Rather than finishing off the archer, Marcus chose efficiency over pride. He guided Blackie upward, lifting himself, Pebble, and both Sea Demon Souls into the air. Once they rose beyond the archer’s range, the arrows ceased, and he continued flying deeper into the mysterious fourth level.

"Quest first. Focus on the quest."

The brief battle had given him confidence. He could handle the monsters here, no question. Farming experience would be profitable, but wandering around grinding would waste precious time when the Bodhi Stone’s location remained unknown. Avoiding unnecessary fights was the smarter decision.

As Blackie flew onward, Marcus looked down at the terrain below and quietly muttered, "Lucky..."

The deeper they went, the denser the monsters became. Patrols overlapped, formations tightened, and entire stretches of land crawled with guardians. Had he attempted to advance on foot, he would almost certainly have been surrounded.

He leaned forward and patted Blackie’s neck.

"Seriously, I’d be stuck without you."

Half an hour passed in flight. Mountains and forest paths blurred together beneath him, and Marcus began to wonder if he had chosen the wrong direction when suddenly a faint flash appeared ahead and slightly to the right. It vanished almost instantly, so brief he might have imagined it.

But instinct told him otherwise.

He turned Blackie immediately toward the location of the light. If it had been visible from the air, it was worth investigating. Another thirty minutes of travel later, a structure finally emerged from the greenery.

A courtyard stood quietly ahead.

Above its gate hung a plaque carved with ancient words.

"Forest Court."

Excitement surged through Marcus. After searching blindly for so long, he had finally found it.

"Blackie, descend."

The area around the courtyard was strangely empty, devoid of monsters. He landed carefully, stepped onto solid ground, and walked through the open gate.

Inside, the layout revealed itself at once.

Directly ahead stood a massive stone forest, towering green pillars rising more than ten meters high. They formed dense layers that completely blocked the view beyond, creating the feeling of a maze carved from living rock.

To the right lay a vast pond filled with blooming flowers. A winding wooden bridge crossed its surface, and along that bridge stood fish-men warriors gripping tridents, their bodies half submerged in mist rising from the water.

To the left opened a large cave glowing with soft light. A narrow stream flowed cheerfully from within, its clear water running toward the pond and completing the tranquil scene.

Marcus’s gaze shifted instinctively toward the cave entrance. There, a massive stone tablet stood upright.

Four bold words were carved deep into its surface, each stroke heavy with ancient authority.

The moment he read them, his breath caught.

"Stone Milk Sacred Cave."

Marcus stared, unable to hide his shock, and a realization struck him all at once. He had not merely found Forest Court.

He had stumbled directly onto the place where divine treasure once appeared.