This had to be the place. There was no mistaking it. According to Liam Windrunner, the divine-grade ingredient Stone Milk Nectar had been discovered somewhere inside this very cave.

"Jackpot."

Marcus’s eyes brightened instantly, excitement surging through him. For a brief moment he almost rushed forward without thinking, already imagining the reward waiting inside.

But impulse killed careless players.

"Pebble, scout ahead."

Greedy did not mean reckless. With a calm command, Marcus sent Pebble forward first. The armored warrior stepped past him and entered the Stone Milk Sacred Cave while Marcus remained outside, watching closely.

Divine-grade ingredients never came without danger. Anyone who believed otherwise usually died quickly.

The moment Pebble crossed the cave’s threshold, the air inside erupted with violent magic.

"Dragon’s Roar, Fury Strike!"

Five massive water dragons materialized from spiraling torrents of blue energy. They surged forward one after another like living tidal beasts, jaws snapping, claws tearing through the air as they rushed straight toward Pebble.

"Adamant Shield Wall!"

Pebble reacted instantly. Golden light flared around him as the Adamant Shield activated, reducing incoming damage by seventy percent and turning him into a shining bastion of defense.

The first dragon struck.

BAM.

-4000.

Pebble’s health dropped sharply, but the real problem came immediately after. Frost spread across his body in an instant, locking him completely in place.

Frozen.

Marcus’s eyes widened.

"No way..."

Before he could even finish reacting, the second and third dragons slammed into Pebble in rapid succession.

BAM. BAM.

Another eight thousand damage vanished from Pebble’s health bar.

The armored warrior shattered into particles of light. Dead.

Marcus stared in disbelief.

"No way!"

The attack had been merciless. There was no room to resist, and no chance to counterattack. Monsters capable of that kind of burst damage had to be at least level eighty, possibly higher. Of course a divine-grade treasure would not sit unguarded. Anyone charging in blindly would have been erased instantly.

Fortunately, Pebble’s body reformed moments later as the Ring of Resurrection activated, restoring him to life.

The remaining two water dragons immediately adjusted their trajectory and lunged toward the resurrected target.

"Pebble, move! Now!"

The upgrade to Temple Covenant level two finally proved its worth. Back when the ring was weaker, resurrection barely bought him time. Now, Pebble revived with enough strength to act immediately.

Just before the dragons reached him, Pebble spun his mount and sprinted out of the cave entrance at full speed.

The two water dragons followed, rushing into the sunlight outside.

The moment they crossed the boundary of the cave, brilliant light struck their bodies. Both dragons dissolved instantly into pools of water that splashed harmlessly onto the ground.

Marcus let out a long breath.

He had not even seen the monsters guarding the treasure, yet he had already been forced into retreat.

Worse still, the Stone Milk Nectar inside the cave was completely unreachable.

It felt almost cruel.

Was there anything more frustrating than knowing a divine treasure sat just meters away while lacking the strength to claim it?

He clenched his jaw slightly, then shook his head.

"Fine. I’ll come back someday and settle this."

Casting one last reluctant glance toward the Stone Milk Sacred Cave, Marcus forced himself to turn away. Staying here would only tempt him into making a stupid decision.

His gaze shifted toward the massive green stone pillars standing at the center of Forest Court. As he studied them more carefully, something caught his attention. On the far-right pillar, faint world had been carved into the surface.

Two simple words.

Bodhi Grove.

Marcus’s heart jumped.

"Heh."

A quiet chuckle escaped him. After wandering for so long, he finally had a lead on the Bodhi Stone.

Then reality tempered his excitement. The brutality of the Stone Milk Sacred Cave lingered fresh in his mind. His smile faded, replaced by cautious suspicion. For a fleeting moment he wondered whether Liam Windrunner had knowingly sent him into danger.

He peered through the gaps between the towering pillars.

Inside the grove, massive figures moved slowly between the stone columns. Hulking monsters carved from luminous green rock patrolled the area like silent sentinels. Even from a distance, their presence felt oppressive.

The Bodhi Stone was almost certainly hidden somewhere within that grove.

Which meant recklessness was no longer an option.

Marcus turned his attention toward the pond on the right side of the courtyard. Near the entrance to the wooden bridge stood another stone tablet. Ancient words were etched deeply into its surface.

Well of Earth.

"Well of Earth? What’s that supposed to be?"

He looked across the water. At the pond’s center stood a square, six-sided pavilion rising above the surface. Something about it felt important, almost ceremonial. If the inscription meant anything, the pavilion was likely the key.

Unfortunately, the wooden bridge leading there was packed with fish-headed warriors gripping long tridents.

"Pebble, scout again."

Pebble reappeared after revival, immediately activating defensive buffs and raising the Adamant Shield Wall once more. Mounted on Blackie, he advanced cautiously toward the bridge while Marcus remained behind, preparing to analyze the enemies with Insight.

The reaction was instant.

"Trident Fury!"

One of the fish-men hurled its weapon the moment Pebble entered a twenty-meter radius.

The trident struck like a lightning bolt.

-8200.

Marcus blinked.

"Seriously?"

A critical hit. Over eight thousand damage in a single throw. Before Pebble could recover, two more tridents flew through the air.

Pebble collapsed again without even landing a counterattack.

This time the Ring of Resurrection remained silent.

Gone.

Marcus stood still at the bridge’s entrance, staring at the fish-headed monsters and feeling absolutely no desire to step any closer.

Both paths inside Forest Court were guarded by overwhelmingly powerful enemies. The Stone Milk Sacred Cave held a divine ingredient, and these bridge guardians were just as terrifying.

"What exactly is the Well of Earth...?"

His curiosity only deepened.

If the cave protected divine treasure, then the Well of Earth might hold something equally valuable.

"Could it be another divine resource?"

He murmured the thought aloud, turning possibilities over in his mind.

Then inspiration struck.

"Alana."

His retainer.

Alana was a Grandmaster Alchemist, someone whose knowledge of herbs, materials, and rare resources bordered on encyclopedic. If anyone could explain what he was looking at, it would be her.

Marcus opened a private channel.

"Alana?"

Under normal Dominion rules, players could not directly message system NPCs. But retainers were different. His contract with Alana allowed communication regardless of distance.

Her reply came almost immediately.

"Master, did you finally leave the First Emperor’s Tomb?"

"...Almost."

Marcus felt faintly embarrassed admitting that. He had already spent more than ten days trapped inside the tomb’s layers, far longer than he originally intended.

"Alana, do you know what the Well of Earth is?"

There was a brief pause.

"The Well of Earth?"

Her tone changed instantly.

"Master... you found the Well of Earth?"

Surprise and disbelief filled her voice.

"Yeah."

So she definitely knew something.

Marcus quickly summarized everything he had experienced in the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb so far, describing Forest Court, the Stone Milk Sacred Cave, the Bodhi Grove, and the guarded pavilion at the pond’s center.

When he finished, Alana inhaled sharply.

"Master... your luck is incredible." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Excitement colored her voice as she began explaining what the Well of Earth truly was.