Forgotten Lands - Chapter 44 (Book 1)

They defeated more than 150 Monsters on the 3rd Floor and decided to take a short break near the staircase that led up to the 4th Floor.

While not every monster dropped a Soul Essence or Card Shards, the drop rate was fairly decent.

‘Finally, I understand why everyone was so crazy about the Tower of Nature.’

The Tower of Nature had been considered the Golden Tower in the past. It was only a few weeks after Forgotten Lands’ launch when Players realized that the drop rate in various Beginner Dungeons was higher than elsewhere.

No gamemaster or moderator explained anything about the increased drop rate in the Beginner Dungeons, or how long the drop rate would be amplified, but everyone found out about it sooner or later.

‘Increasing the drop rate in Beginner Dungeons to distribute more Cards and accelerate the game’s progress will elevate Forgotten Lands’ hype all over the planet… sly bastards.’

Zayn cursed the Primordial Pantheon, but the corner of his lip curled upward. It was a good marketing strategy to make Forgotten Lands more exciting for Players by temporarily increasing the drop rate in certain areas and dungeons, and it worked out well. Zayn had already seen a few reports in several forums.

Most Players were hyped for Forgotten Lands’ future. They were excited about the game, the possibility to earn a fortune, and the exciting adventures that awaited them. Even Zayn was a little excited. However, his excitement had a different source.

‘I think only a few groups managed to clear the Nightmare Difficulty of the Tower before the amplified drop rate disappeared. Grinding the Tower of Nature’s Nightmare Difficulty until the increased drop-rate disappears seems like a more enticing plan than ever.’

As Zayn changed his plans ever so slightly, the others combined a few Common Cards. They inspected them together and distributed them to whoever needed them.

David and Melanie were lucky enough to procure some useful Common Cards, whereas Zayn was left behind empty-handed. He couldn’t find anything useful.

But he was fine with that. He had some things to test with the Cards in his Heart Deck, either way.

Once everyone was ready, they moved up to the 4th floor. The 4th floor was even larger than the first three floors. It looked like an expansive valley spanning over two kilometers in each direction. They couldn’t even see the end of the floor as they emerged from the flight of stairs.

The entire 4th floor was overgrown with flourishing nature. Melanie and the others blinked several times, wondering if they had been thrown back into the Arylin Forest.

“We’re still in the Tower of Nature…right?” Natalia looked left and right, her eyes wide open.

“Yes, we are. The 4th floor is just a little bit bigger than the other floors. We’re given a choice here. Either we search the monsters’ hideouts and attack them, or we pass through the 4th floor and head straight to the Boss Room.”

Zayn’s voice reached everyone and they turned to him simultaneously. Even David stared at Zayn.

“That’s…right. The guide says that the 4th floor is a small forest filled with traps and hundreds of monsters. It’s possible to go straight to the Boss Room. If we’re fast, we will only encounter one or two monster groups. However, the professional’ guides also said that large groups of monsters will attack us once we trigger the traps. They recommend making a detour and traveling alongside the 4th floor’s walls until we reach the Boss Room.”

Monsters from all directions would charge toward the commotion made by the traps. That could easily lead to a teamwipe, the death of the entire team, if they didn’t take the necessary precautions.

Zayn was confident that he would survive, but he didn’t want to take chances with this team.

“Since it’s our first dungeon dive as a team, how about we lure smaller monster groups to us instead? David’s Enrage Card is pretty useful and we can prepare for the incoming battles better. Running into monsters by chance may lead to unwanted scenarios. Luring them to us will give us an essential advantage in battle!”

David’s Enrage Card was already at Level 10 at this point. It was more than enough to attract well-hidden monsters from farther away.

“It’s not necessary to hunt all monsters though. Isn’t it just a waste of time?” Natalia asked, but it was Melanie who intervened.

“We gain combat experience, Soul Essences, Card Shards, and our Cards Level up rapidly. I don’t think it’s a waste to hunt all monsters…or do you think it was a mistake that we hunted the monsters on the 3rd floor to procure several useful Cards?”

Melanie’s attitude improved ever so slightly since they started raiding the Tower of Nature. She was not imposing and still rather bubbly, but Zayn could see glimpses of a more serious nature developing, though slowly.

Natalia couldn’t say anything to rebuke her cousin’s words. Melanie was right, after all. They gained a lot in the last few hours.

“Looks like we have some guests,” Zayn intercepted, pointing at a group of Earthen Hounds, Herculean Wolves, and Sabertooth Hounds that emerged from the nearby thicket. There were no more than 30 monsters, but there were more Earthen Hounds and Herculean Wolves than before.

Zayn licked his lips and used Blink twice before using Coalesce and Root Strike together. He combined several roots near the thicket with Coalesce, pushing three Herculean Wolves to the ground while whipping the Earthen Hounds with the thick, intertwined roots.

Merging several roots turned Root Strike into an even deadlier attack than it used to be. The Earthen Hounds died one by one. They tried to resist but their focus was on Zayn. That was a grave mistake. After all, Zayn was not alone anymore.

Melanie and David reached the monsters shortly after Zayn’s first attacks commenced. Three fireballs sizzled past them, destroying two hurriedly erupted earthen walls. Natalia used Empower to strengthen Zayn, David, and Melanie one by one, whereas David used Enrage to taunt the monsters in the Card’s range of effect.

Melanie’s daggers glowed faintly and a weak gale shrouded her feet. She used Gale Steps, a Common Movement Card, to accelerate, and Sharpness, a Common Weapon Enhancement Card, to sharpen her daggers and push ahead. Four Sabertooth Hounds fell victim to Melanie’s stabs and slashes in no time, whereas David clashed with three Herculean Wolves simultaneously.

He struck down one of them, only to be attacked by the others. David managed to block one of them but the other inflicted a deep gnash on his upper arm. Natalia was ready and used Healing Light in no time, allowing David to go wild.

The battle against the small monster group ended quickly. Nobody lost a limb and they didn’t consume too much Stamina and Energy either.

Melanie smiled sneakily at Zayn with three Uncommon Card Shards in her hand, whereas everyone else focused on collecting the dropped Card Shards.

“Let’s farm like crazy!” Natalia mumbled, her eyes gleaming brightly at the sight of multiple Common Card Shards and one Uncommon Card Shard.

Everyone improved tremendously since they entered the Tower of Nature, and Zayn’s prejudice against his teammates dissolved swiftly.

‘Maybe…it’s possible with them.’

They didn’t rush anything in the next two hours. David used Enrage now and then to pull monsters out of the thicket. Their hideouts were exposed and the big hunt began.

Zayn’s role in the team was still the determining factor that led to most victories. Without him supporting the rest of the team, everyone would have a much harder time against the ever-increasing threat of the monsters. As they approached the Boss Room, they didn’t encounter anymore Sabertooth Hounds.

Common Demonic Treants, Vile Pixies, and Vinean Wolves were more common near the Boss Room. They were harder to defeat due to the great synergy of the monsters’ abilities, however, Zayn, David, and Blake managed to take their enemies by surprise.

Everyone in the group gained some understanding of each other’s capabilities. Their teamwork improved considerably and they rarely obstructed each other in combat.

More Cards entered their hands and the Cards linked to their Heart Deck leveled up several times. Even Zayn made some major gains from the last two hours.

[Proficiency of Blink reached 100%. Level Up!]

[Proficiency of Aegis Natura reached 100%. Level Up!]

[Proficiency of Aegis Natura reached 100%. Level Up!]

[Proficiency of Aegis Natura reached 100%. Level Up!]

[Proficiency of Coalesce reached 100%. Level Up!]

It was great to level his Cards, but there was one downside for Zayn.

He had yet to find more suitable Cards to link to his Heart Deck.