This was driving Marcus insane.

He could walk away from the Earth’s Divine Water if he had to. Losing that opportunity hurt, but it was survivable. The Bodhi Stone, however, was different. That was not optional. It was his quest objective, the reason he had come this deep into the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb in the first place.

Which made him wonder, not for the first time, whether Liam Windrunner was trying to help him... or quietly arrange his funeral.

After confirming that the green giants roaming the grove relied entirely on melee combat, Marcus guided Blackie to hover roughly ten meters away from one of them and activated Insight.

—

Bodhi Giant

Level: ???

HP: ???

Effect: ???

A high-level guardian of the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb, evolved into a more powerful Bodhi Giant after absorbing energy from the Bodhi Grove.

—

Just as expected.

High-level monsters. The kind that punished mistakes instantly.

"Let’s go."

Marcus urged Blackie higher into the air, rising above the canopy of the Bodhi Grove while scanning carefully for any sign of the stone he sought. The grove stretched far wider than he had anticipated. Ancient trees and towering green pillars filled the landscape in every direction, their dense formation turning navigation into a slow aerial search.

It took more than ten minutes before he finally reached what looked like the grove’s center.

He stopped immediately.

Below him lay a vast circular clearing carved cleanly out of the forest, its ground perfectly flat as if shaped by deliberate hands. Massive green pillars surrounded the area like silent sentinels. At the very center stood a modest stone pedestal, barely three feet tall, simple and unadorned.

Resting atop it was an oval green stone no larger than his thumb.

Despite its small size, it drew the eye instantly. The crystal surface was flawless, almost liquid in clarity, and soft green light pulsed gently from within, spreading across the clearing like calm breathing.

Marcus’s heart quickened.

"The Bodhi Stone."

There was no doubt. That gem was his objective, the item he had crossed half the tomb to obtain.

Every instinct urged him to dive straight down and grab it.

But Marcus had survived this long precisely because he distrusted easy victories.

The clearing itself contained no Bodhi Giants, yet the pedestal was far from unguarded. Arrayed around it stood more than thirty mounted warriors, perfectly still yet radiating oppressive presence.

Stone grunt knights.

Each rider was carved from dense black stone, tall and broad-shouldered, mounted atop equally massive black warhorses sculpted from the same material. One hand held a gleaming golden lance, the other a heavy golden shield. Both rider and mount were completely encased in thick golden armor that reflected the Bodhi Stone’s green glow, giving them an almost sacred, untouchable aura.

Marcus let out a quiet breath.

"Seriously?"

The difference was obvious at a glance. These golden stone knights were on an entirely different level from the Bodhi Giants outside the grove. He doubted his regular attacks would deal more than two or three hundred damage to them, if they even penetrated the armor at all. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

And then he noticed the final guardian.

Standing directly at the base of the pedestal was a lone stone grunt archer, roughly six and a half feet tall.

Its body resembled forged black iron rather than ordinary stone, smooth and refined. Over that frame rested a set of exquisite armor woven from living green vines, glowing faintly with an almost dreamlike radiance. The armor alone made the archer stand out from every other guardian in the clearing, giving it an air of nobility and authority that bordered on heroic.

There was no question. This was the true guardian of the Bodhi Stone.

The archer held a heavy black longbow nearly four feet in length. Two earth-yellow short swords hung at its waist for close combat. A full quiver of dark arrows rested across its back, and folded neatly behind its shoulders was a pair of mechanical wings designed for aerial movement.

Marcus stared for a moment despite himself.

"Perfect."

He almost felt reluctant admitting it, but the design was flawless. A ranged attacker capable of aerial maneuvering, equipped for melee combat if enemies closed the distance. Balanced, efficient, and deadly.

And completely terrible news for him. Marcus forced a bitter smile and gave the order anyway.

"Pebble, scout ahead."

Pebble advanced cautiously toward the pedestal from afar.

The reaction was immediate.

The stone archer’s attack range surpassed even the Carp Demon guarding the Well of Earth. When Pebble was still more than one hundred and forty meters away, the archer calmly drew its bow.

THWACK.

A black arrow streaked through the air, energy crackling along its shaft as it crossed the distance almost instantly.

Pebble was destroyed in a single hit. No hesitation and no wasted motion.

"Go!"

Pebble resurrected midair, protected by the familiar invincibility shield, and continued charging toward the Bodhi Stone. Below, the archer had already drawn another arrow, its movements smooth and unhurried as it tracked Pebble’s approach.

One second passed.

Two seconds.

Three.

THWACK.

The instant Pebble’s invincibility expired, the arrow released. Pebble disintegrated again while still more than one hundred and twenty meters from the pedestal.

There was no dramatic combo attack, no taunting display like the Carp Demon. The archer simply executed its role with perfect efficiency.

And somehow, that made Marcus far more uneasy.

The silent ones were always worse.

He exhaled slowly, frustration building as he considered the situation. The quest Liam Windrunner had handed him felt absurdly difficult, something even level eighty players might struggle to complete. What exactly had the old man been thinking? Was this a test? A trap? Or a polite way of telling Marcus to give up?

Was he meant to remain trapped inside the First Emperor’s Tomb indefinitely until exhaustion broke his will?

Marcus glanced across the vast tomb landscape. Monsters were everywhere. Resources were plentiful. Given enough time, he could probably grind his way to level eighty here.

Two years, maybe. But patience had never been his strength.

"No."

"I refuse."

He pulled out the Pure Mist Cloud Cluster, his last remaining idea forming rapidly. If the stone archer could not detect him, perhaps stealth would succeed where force had failed.

"Pure Mist Cloud Cluster."

His body dissolved into drifting mist, spreading thinly through the air as he descended slowly toward the Bodhi Stone while carefully avoiding the archer’s direct line of sight.

One hundred and forty meters. That was the confirmed attack range against Pebble. So far, so good, the archer did not react.

At one hundred and thirty meters, Marcus felt a flicker of excitement.

"Ha... this might actually work."

He continued drifting forward, confidence rising as he slipped closer to the pedestal without triggering any response.

Then, at roughly one hundred and twenty meters, everything changed.

The stone archer, which had been standing with its back turned the entire time, suddenly rotated smoothly toward him. A faint, unmistakable smirk appeared at the corner of its mouth.

THWACK.

A black arrow shot directly into the mist where Marcus floated.

"Damn it!"

Understanding hit instantly; he had never been hidden.

The archer had noticed him from the very beginning and deliberately allowed him to approach, patiently baiting him closer before attacking. At this distance, even resurrection would not save him. The moment he revived and attempted to flee, his three seconds of invincibility would expire while still inside the archer’s killing range.

Below, the stone archer calmly drew another arrow and aimed at the exact spot where Marcus would reappear.

It had already calculated everything.

The instant his invincibility ended, the next arrow would fly. And this time, he would not escape.