Fang Zhen opened the main interface of the Dungeon Life Game.
He found "Ancient Castle Caverns" in the dungeon progress queue.
"You have 40 Merit Points in your profile. Do you wish to spend 20 Merit Points to obtain information regarding the dungeon āAncient Castle Cavernsā?"
Fang Zhen clicked confirm.
"You have obtained information regarding the dungeon āAncient Castle Cavernsā.
Scanning dungeon data...
Scanning...
Dungeon data acquired. Information on āAncient Castle Cavernsā is as follows."
"Scanning dungeon background...
Dungeon background confirmed.
The Ellick Territory is a noble domain in the Curse Seal World. Its ruler, Lord Ellick, is a mysterious noble rumored to be two hundred years old. He has always maintained a firm grip on his territory, and numerous signs indicate that Ellick is an inhuman being who subsists on human bloodāin other words, a vampire. However, in the Curse Seal World, it is not surprising for an inhuman being to become a ruler. In fact, their much longer lifespans, greater power, and accumulated wisdom and wealth make it easier for them to rise above the rest.
A considerable portion of this worldās rulers are inhuman beings in human form. Ellick is one of these rulers, but he is by no means the only one.
For the past decade, however, Ellick has rarely appeared before his subjects, instead living in seclusion in the mountainās Ancient Castle. Rumor has it that the Vampire Lordās power is waning and he has fallen into a deep slumber. But such rumors have spread countless times over the past two hundred years, and each time, the outcome has been the same: rebels would walk into the Vampire Lordās trap, lose their lives, and plunge the populace into even deeper despair.
And now, you have arrived in Ellickās territory, prepared to challenge the authority of this cruel ruler."
"Generating Key Dungeon Information:
Curse Seals: A power system unique to the Curse Seal World, derived from ancient Magic. After constant refinement over generations, it has become a simplified magic system that can be instantly cast with hand gestures and brief incantations. Compared to Magic, its power and range are reduced, but its casting speed is faster and it consumes less energy, making it a more economical way to wield Extraordinary Power.
Curse Sealers: Masters who carry on the tradition of Curse Seal power. In addition to their Curse Seal abilities, they have also trained in combat skills. Most remain hidden among the common folk.
Whig Society: An underground faction in the Curse Seal World, known for its resistance against the ruling class composed of inhuman beings. It counts many skilled artisans and craftsmen among its ranks, and a number of Curse Sealers are secret members.
Eternal Night Council: A legendary alliance of inhuman rulers. It is a hybrid organization focused on more efficiently extracting value from humanity and the human world to maintain their rule. It also serves as a sort of rulersā club, where long-lived beings find peculiar forms of amusement."
"Generating Dungeon Threats:
Abnormal Ghost: A humanoid creature that crawls on all fours. Its eyes have degenerated, but it possesses a special sensory ability. It is relatively agile and attacks with razor-sharp claws.
Behavior 1: Despite having no eyes, it fears bright light.
Behavior 2: Fresh blood is a powerful lure. It is drawn to any type of blood, but most strongly to human blood.
Special Trait 1: Immune to most toxins.
Ghost-faced Spider: A massive, agile spider. Different types of Ghost-faced Spiders possess different specializations and exhibit a degree of coordinated tactics among their kind.
Behavior 1: They live in groups. When you see one Ghost-faced Spider, you are already facing a swarm.
Behavior 2: They like to wrap living prey in silk, injecting a venom that dissolves the victimās insides into a fluid-filled shell, which they then suck dry.
Behavior 3: Fears fire.
Vicious Ghost: A further mutated variant of the Abnormal Ghost. They possess unique mutated organs, with each Vicious Ghost mutating in a different way, giving each one distinct characteristics.
Behavior 1: Like Abnormal Ghosts, they are drawn to blood.
Behavior 2: When injured or enraged, they may cannibalize their own kind.
Behavior 3: Despite being frenzied and violent, they surprisingly possess a capacity for learning and can learn from the mistakes they observe in both their own kind and other species.
BOSS: Maticvia: Twenty years ago, when rumors of the Vampire Lord Ellickās slumber were also circulating, Maticvia was a heroic figure who led a party into the Ancient Castle to challenge him. No one knows what happened that day. The party was wiped out, and only Maticvia survived. In doing so, however, he lost not only his status as a hero, but his human form as well.
Behavior 1: He only appears at the very end of the Ancient Castle Caverns.
Behavior 2: He is constantly searching for something.
Special Trait 1: Madici has not forgotten the combat skills he possessed as a human and retains his tactical intelligence.
Special Trait 2: Legend says that Madici was also once a Curse Sealer."
Fang Zhen carefully reviewed the dungeon information for āAncient Castle Cavernsā.
The 20 Merit Points he spent had unlocked much more comprehensive information this time, even including details on the BOSS.
āThe key to this strategy is Curse Seals and the Whig Society.ā
āCurse Seals are undoubtedly the most valuable reward I can obtain in this dungeon, and the Whig Society will allow me to contact Curse Sealers, giving me a chance to learn their arts.ā
āI donāt need to worry about the Vampire Lord. That old coot didnāt show up in the BOSS information, so heās either really in a deep sleep or heās immobilized.ā
āStill, this dungeon sounds pretty tough. Does the Dungeon Life Game really think I can speedrun it?ā
The information was insufficient. He decided to go in and assess the situation before planning his next move.
āIāll go in for some on-the-ground recon, find the simplest strategy to clear it, and keep my losses to a minimum.ā