After Lin Mo, in his peak state, failed to kill a Dream Spirit with a single SSS-rank Seven-Star Rapid Shot, he immediately found the problem through his SSS-rank Eye of Insight.
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Dream Spirit Archer (Physical · Normal Monster)
Level: 72
Physical Attack: 35,360
Magic Attack: 37,400
Physical Defense: 19,500
Magic Defense: 20,150
HP: 56,020/631,800
Skill: Rapid Shot (C-rank)
Weakness: After being corrupted for a thousand years by a fragment of the Ghost Clan's ancient demonic artifact, the Eye of Chaos, these wandering souls in the Forsaken Land have gradually been assimilated. Tainted by the aura of the Ghost Clan, one of the Supreme Races of the Divine Oracle Continent, the Dream Spirits are flawless and have no weaknesses...
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"The monsters here have much higher stats than other monsters of the same level."
After seeing the data Lin Mo shared in the party chat, Ning Xi immediately noticed the problem as well.
"Yeah, about a thirty percent boost."
Looking at the faint crimson glow surrounding the Dream Spirits, Lin Mo thought for a moment, "These Dream Spirits don't have any strengthening talents or skills."
"If nothing unexpected has happened, it's because they're being affected by that fragment of the Eye of Chaos hidden inside Nightmare Town."
It was, after all, an ancient demonic artifact of the Ghost Clan.
Lin Mo guessed, "In that case, the Eye of Chaos's ability should be to greatly enhance the attributes of Ghost Clan beings."
These Dream Spirits weren't Ghost Clan members by nature.
But according to their description, they had been corrupted by the Eye of Chaos and had one foot in the Ghost Clan already, essentially becoming its puppets.
So it made sense that they were affected by the Eye of Chaos.
Ning Xi said in surprise, "It's only a single fragment, and it can already provide such a huge boost?"
"How powerful would the complete Eye of Chaos be?"
Only now did Lin Mo finally understand why the first stage of this class advancement quest had a difficulty rating as high as 7,190, almost on par with the S-rank hidden quest Heart's Knot.
So that was it.
It was the Ghost Clan's ancient demonic artifact, the Eye of Chaos, that had raised the quest's difficulty.
On the surface, these were Level 72 monsters.
But after receiving a thirty percent attribute boost from the Eye of Chaos fragment, their actual strength was no weaker than Level 75 or 76 monsters.
And these Dream Spirits only possessed traces of the Ghost Clan's aura, yet they still received a thirty percent attribute boost.
If it were a pure-blooded Ghost Clan member receiving the Eye of Chaos's blessing, the increase would probably be even greater.
At that moment, Lin Mo fired a basic attack. Combined with the 208% basic attack bonus from the SS-rank Black Dragon Clan divine artifact, the Black Dragon Emperor Ring, its damage was equivalent to an A-rank single-target skill, killing the Dream Spirit Archer ahead that had only a little over fifty thousand HP left.
With a mournful cry, the Dream Spirit died, turning into a cloud of smoke before disappearing.
[Ding! You killed a Level 72 Dream Spirit Archer. EXP +1,300,000!]
At the same time, Ning Xi raised the Heaven-Defying Staff and joined the fight.
Fortunately, Lin Mo and Ning Xi were both SSS-rank talent holders and ranked first on Inferno City's Heavenly Rankings. Their strength was more than enough.
Even with the Dream Spirits' thirty percent attribute boost, they posed little difficulty for the two of them.
So while killing one Dream Spirit after another, Lin Mo and Ning Xi searched the Forsaken Land for the entrance to the hidden map, Nightmare Town.
Drawing on the experience he had gained in his previous life from discovering hidden maps, dungeons, and secret realms, Lin Mo found a ruined magic formation among the ruins.
"Knowing how Divine Oracle works..."
"There's an eighty percent chance this is the entrance to Nightmare Town."
Ning Xi nodded, "Hidden entrances usually have special activation methods, but they're probably related to those Dream Spirits."
Just as Ning Xi finished speaking...
"Watch out!"
Lin Mo suddenly noticed a Dream Spirit Mage launching a sneak attack on Ning Xi.
He immediately tackled Ning Xi onto the magic formation, helping her avoid the Dream Spirit Mage's attack.
Pinned beneath Lin Mo, Ning Xi blinked her clear, beautiful eyes as she looked at him, "Brother Lin Mo, this is only a game. Besides, I have ninety percent damage reduction. It's okay even if I get hurt a little."
"You don't have to worry about me so much."
Ning Xi was saying one thing while meaning another.
Lin Mo said, "Whether it's Divine Oracle or reality, there's no difference to me."
"As long as I'm here, I'll protect you no matter where we are."
After saying that, Lin Mo got up, drew his bow, and fired an SSS-rank Heaven-Burning: Wildfire Scorches the Plains, inflicting a heavy wound. He followed it with a basic attack to finish off the Dream Spirit Mage that had ambushed Ning Xi.
Just then, the cloud of smoke left behind by the Dream Spirit Mage drifted into the ruined magic formation beneath Lin Mo and Ning Xi's feet.
At the same time, the formation's core flashed with a faint light.
Lin Mo and Ning Xi exchanged smiles, "Brother Lin Mo, you guessed right! It really is the entrance!"
Lin Mo nodded with satisfaction, "Looks like the way to activate it is to stand at the entrance and kill Dream Spirits."
Following the same method, Ning Xi stood inside the formation and used two S-rank skills to kill a Dream Spirit Archer.
Sure enough, after the Dream Spirit Archer died, the cloud of smoke it turned into also drifted into the magic formation.
Now that they understood the trick, Lin Mo and Ning Xi summoned Strong-Maned Pig and Ah Li at the same time and had them lure monsters over.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo and Ning Xi stayed inside the magic formation and killed the Dream Spirits.
The Dream Spirits in the Forsaken Land were divided into two types.
Physical-type Dream Spirit Archers and magic-type Dream Spirit Mages.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lin Mo dealt with the Dream Spirit Mages, which had high magic resistance but low physical defense.
Ning Xi handled the Dream Spirit Archers, which had high physical defense but low magic resistance.
The two divided the work clearly.
Most of the time, Lin Mo only needed one SSS-rank skill followed by a basic attack to easily kill a Dream Spirit Mage.
Ning Xi was slightly behind.
Even after her talent's tenfold damage boost, she still needed two S-rank skills to kill a Dream Spirit Archer.
While recovering with mana potions, Ning Xi lowered her head and said, "Brother Lin Mo, you're so strong. I'm so weak~"
Lin Mo immediately felt a chill run down his back.
He didn't dare get cocky at all.
Because he knew that although he was stronger than Ning Xi now, once she reached Level 70 and equipped the full Level 70 Tier 6 gold-grade Yama Set dropped by the Yama Hall boss, Hellfire Phoenix, her strength would instantly soar to the point where she could crush him with ease.
And Ning Xi was already Level 68.
She was only two levels away from Level 70.
Before Ning Xi completed that leap, Lin Mo quickly replied with every survival instinct he had.
"You beat Nether, an SSS-rank hidden class holder. And you call yourself weak?"
"You're weak? Stop being modest. You're not weak at all!"
"You're practically an unmatched Empress!"
Ning Xi couldn't help laughing, "Brother Lin Mo, you're so fake!"
As they joked, neither of them knew how many Dream Spirits they had killed.
Then suddenly...
Whoosh!
The magic formation beneath their feet burst with silver light.
[Ding! Rulebound and Liuli, congratulations on discovering the hidden map: Nightmare Town. Exploration reward: EXP +200,000,000, Reputation +1,000, Gold +1,000!]
[Ding! Enter the hidden map Nightmare Town?]
Lin Mo and Ning Xi were immediately excited.
They chose to teleport to Nightmare Town.
Whoosh!
Wrapped in silver light, the two disappeared from the Forsaken Land.