Finally, Lin Feng pulled a bronze-colored booklet from his robes.

Several large characters were embossed on the cover—【Class Change Book: Rockstone Warlord (Warrior second promotion)】. He handed the booklet to Tie Dun.

Tie Dun was stunned. He stood with his mouth agape and eyes wide, staring at the booklet as if he were seeing something impossible.

Then his eyes reddened and his lips began to tremble. He reached out to take it, then pulled back, vigorously wiping the sweat from his palms on his clothes before reaching out again, his hands still shaking.

"Lo... Lord... is... is this... for me?"

His voice was halting and incoherent.

Lin Feng shoved the booklet into his hands. "Take it."

Tie Dun cradled the booklet as if it were a rare and priceless treasure.

Arrow Eye and Wang Wu watched from the side, their eyes full of envy, but even more so, joy.

Zhao Hu patted Tie Dun on the shoulder without saying a word.

Su Yurou handed over a handkerchief. Tie Dun took it and wiped his face haphazardly, then carefully tucked the Class Change Book into his robes. He patted his chest and grinned, laughing like a fool.

Lin Feng waited for everyone's emotions to settle a bit before mounting his Great-Horned Deer and sweeping his gaze over them.

"Our destination this time is the Dungeon near Lucky Town. It's about one hundred and eighty li from here." He paused. "Depart."

The nine Great-Horned Deer set off, their hoofbeats crisp.

Meng Yi led Bai Yi to Bai Liu and one hundred Beacon Guards in a column behind them, their steps uniform and silent as iron.

The group departed from the West Gate and headed east along the road.

Once past the walls of Fenghuo County, the endless Golden Ear Plain stretched out before them.

The name Golden Ear Plain came from the long, golden-yellow grass that swayed in the wind.

The ears of grass were very high, reaching above a person's knees; when the wind blew, they rose in layers of golden waves, like a frozen ocean.

Low-level Nightmare creatures occasionally appeared among the grass: Long-horned Rabbits, Gray-furred Mice, and Iron-beaked Birds. They were all level two or three creatures, and upon seeing this murderous group, they fled far away.

The road was in disrepair, with stone slabs pushed aside by wild grass. As the Great-Horned Deer walked over them, their hooves crushed several loose slabs with a cracking sound.

Abandoned villages could occasionally be seen along both sides of the road, with earthen walls half-collapsed, roofs overgrown with grass, and doorframes slanted as if pushed from the inside by something.

There was no sign of human life, not even a stray dog. These villages had all been destroyed during the Nightmare Tide; once the people were gone, the villages fell into ruin.

When passing Qingmu County, Liu Ming stood at the city gate with several county clerks. He cupped his fists toward Lin Feng and said, "Safe travels, Lord." Lin Feng nodded and did not stop.

Past Qingmu County, the road grew narrower, and the grasslands on both sides gradually thinned, replaced by low shrubs and scattered gravel.

The terrain began to undulate with one hill after another, and the pace of the Great-Horned Deer slowed slightly.

After traveling for about four hours, the sun moved from the east to the west, staining the horizon a deep orange-red.

"How much further?" Tie Dun asked from atop his deer, his stomach letting out a loud growl.

"Eighty li more," Zhao Hu said without looking back.

Tie Dun let out a wail, but no one paid him any mind.

After another three hours of travel, the sky turned completely dark.

The moon rose—not a blood moon, but a normal, silvery-white moon that illuminated the wilderness with a cold light.

No one in the group spoke; there were only the sounds of footsteps, hoofbeats, and the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ occasional gust of wind.

Tie Dun leaned against the deer's back with his eyes half-closed, looking as if he were asleep or perhaps lost in thought.

Half an hour later, Lucky Town finally appeared in their line of sight.

Under the moonlight, the silhouette of a small town slowly rose from the horizon.

The walls weren't high—only eight meters—but they were prominent enough in the open wilderness.

The city gate was of green quality, gleaming with a cold luster under the moon.

Torches were planted along the walls, their flames flickering in the night wind and casting shifting shadows of the battlements onto the ground.

Lin Feng sat on his deer, watching the town draw closer, a complex mix of emotions welling up in his heart.

He hadn't visited Lucky Town once since its establishment. Seeing the scattered lights in the town and hearing the faint sounds of voices and barking dogs, he felt a surprising sense of everyday life.

He suddenly remembered Liu Ming's report from a few days ago, stating that a group of residents had been relocated to Lucky Town to handle its daily operations and logistics.

It seemed Liu Ming was indeed thorough, managing even such a remote town in an orderly fashion.

The group entered through the East Gate. The eight-meter-high walls weren't tall, but they were sturdily built, with the gaps between the bricks tightly filled with mortar.

The green-quality city gate was very heavy, but its hinges were well-oiled, making almost no sound as it was pushed open.

The residential area was in the northeast corner, where one hundred terraced stone houses were neatly arranged in several rows, each two stories high and housing four families.

Three-meter-wide alleys were left between the stone houses, their surfaces paved with gravel, and deep drainage ditches were dug along the base of the walls.

Although it was already night, some windows were still lit. The orange light shining through the window paper added a touch of warmth to the small town.

In the center of the town was a deep water well built of bluestone, with a windlass mounted on top and a well rope hanging down into the bottomless depths.

Next to the well was the Council Hall, a two-story stone building significantly taller than the surrounding structures. Its roof was covered in gray tiles, and the words "Lucky Town" were carved into the lintel.

In front of the Council Hall was a small open space paved with stone slabs, serving as the town square.

The commercial area was to the southeast, with a tavern, general store, blacksmith shop, Tailor shop, and herb shop planned along both sides of the main street.

Most of the shops had not yet opened, their doors closed, with only low voices and the clinking of glasses coming from the tavern.

The Adventurers Guild was at the very back of the commercial area, a three-story building with an "Adventurer" flag hanging from the pole in front, fluttering gently in the night wind.

The military area was on the northwest side, directly facing the direction of the Dungeon.

There was a barracks and a training ground; several straw targets still stood on the training ground with arrows stuck in them, left behind by someone practicing.

The artisan and warehouse areas were on the southwest side, with eight workshops lined up, all their doors closed.

Three large warehouses were adjacent to the workshops, their doors locked and piles of lumber and stone stacked outside.

Lin Feng rode his deer along the main street, his respect for Liu Ming's abilities growing.

"We rest here tonight," Lin Feng said, turning to the group from atop his Great-Horned Deer. "Tomorrow morning, we explore the Dungeon."

Zhao Hu nodded and began arranging the Beacon Guards' camp.

Meng Yi took Bai Yi and the others to settle in the barracks, while A Wang and Scarface Liu followed Su Yurou to find lodging.

Tie Dun had already jumped off his Great-Horned Deer and was walking toward the tavern while rubbing his backside, only to be yanked back by Zhao Hu.

Lin Feng dismounted, handed the reins to a resident who came to meet him, and pushed open the door to the Council Hall.

The Council Hall was much smaller than the one in Fenghuo County, but its layout was very clean.

The first floor was a large hall with several long tables and chairs. Maps of Lucky Town and the surrounding terrain hung on the walls, and several oil lamps sat on the tables. At the far end was a staircase leading to the second floor.

Lin Feng went up to the second floor.

There were only two rooms on the second floor: an office and a lounge.

He first pushed open the door to the office. It wasn't large, containing a desk and a chair. Several ledgers and a pen were neatly placed on the desk, and a detailed panoramic map of Lucky Town hung on the wall.

He turned and pushed open the door to the lounge, and his eyes lit up.

This lounge was much more spacious than the office. The floor was covered with a thick wool carpet that was soft to the touch and completely silent when stepped upon.

A wide mahogany bed stood by the window, covered with fresh cotton padding and a silk quilt. The pillows were plump, clearly stuffed with high-quality silk.

Beside the bed was a mahogany wardrobe with its door half-open, revealing several sets of folded clothes inside.

In the corner was a writing desk with a set of celadon tea set on it, and a copper incense burner was lit next to it, emitting a faint scent of sandalwood.

Deep blue silk curtains hung over the window; they could be opened during the day and drawn at night to create total darkness.

A delicate glass oil lamp sat on the bedside table, its frosted shade casting a soft and warm light.

Lin Feng stood at the door, stunned for a moment, and then smiled.

This was hardly a lounge for a frontier town; it was clearly a high-end room from a county inn.

Bedding, carpet, incense, tea set—everything was provided, and even the blankets were silk.

On the surface, Liu Ming was respectful and soft-spoken, but behind the scenes, he arranged everything perfectly, making this room so comfortable.

Lin Feng leaned his Wildfire Spear against the bed and lay down.

The bed was incredibly soft, and his body sank into it as if supported by clouds.

After traveling for nearly eight hours, the exhaustion of his entire body surged up as he lay on the bed.

He closed his eyes, his mind still turning over tomorrow's plans—the Dungeon. He wondered what it looked like inside, how many floors it had, and how strong the monsters were.

Moonlight from outside leaked through a gap in the curtains, drawing a thin silver line on the floor.

Laughter and the clinking of glasses drifted from the distant tavern, while nearby were the footsteps of patrolling soldiers and the wail of the wind through the alleys.

Lin Feng rolled over, his breathing gradually becoming steady.

Before falling asleep, he thought hazily: Liu Ming is quite good.

...

The next morning at dawn, everyone was ready outside the West Gate of Lucky Town.

The nine Great-Horned Deer snorted as Zhao Hu, Tie Dun, Wang Wu, Arrow Eye, Su Yurou, A Wang, Scarface Liu, and Jiang Yelan mounted them in turn.

Lin Feng rode at the front with his Wildfire Spear strapped to his back. He glanced back at everyone, nodded, and nudged the deer's flanks, heading west.

Meng Yi followed behind with Bai Yi to Bai Liu and one hundred Beacon Guards in a column.

The five li journey took less than fifteen minutes.

A dark cave entrance appeared on the flat ground in the distance.

The entrance wasn't large, about two zhang square, with jagged edges as if it had been torn open from the ground.

A semi-transparent light screen slowly emerged in the air at the edge of the entrance, with a line of text written on it.

【Dungeon Entrance】.

The light screen rippled slightly like water, with a faint blue light flashing occasionally.

Lin Feng dismounted and walked to the edge of the entrance, peering down.

He could see nothing but pitch black, seemingly bottomless.

He withdrew his gaze and turned to look at everyone: "Zhao Hu, level twenty-one. Jiang Yelan, level twenty. Tie Dun, level twenty. Su Yurou, level twenty-one. The rest, level nineteen."