Shirasawa Tsuruya.
Ninety-one years old this year.
Adventurer codename: White Crane Hermit.
The former number one adventurer of Blackstone Town.
At his peak, he once reached the Fourth Rank. Over the past several hundred years in Blackstone Town, only a handful of people had ever been able to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
However.
Ten years ago.
The dungeon he was contracted to was defeated by a dark race.
That single defeat did not merely erase decades of painstaking development for the territory. It also dragged down every adventurer bound to that dungeon. Though none of them lost their lives, they all suffered severe losses in cultivation, and their lifespans were drastically shortened.
The once high-spirited, peerless First Adventurer vanished overnight.
All that remained was an elderly man in the twilight of his years, his face etched with the weight of time.
The blow dealt to the White Crane Hermit was devastating.
From that day on, he retired completely and abandoned adventuring.
He took over the Adventurer Academy of Blackstone Town and personally assumed the role of headmaster.
Relying on his vast experience, he trained generation after generation of young adventurers, constantly helping them unravel the countless challenges encountered within dungeon realms.
Over the course of ten years.
His students spread far and wide.
He remained one of the most respected and authoritative figures in the entire town.
Thousands of young adventurers owed their growth to the White Crane Hermit's guidance. As the foremost strategist of Blackstone Town's strongest raiding groups, he frequently cracked dungeon mysteries, earning the bitter resentment of hundreds of dungeon lords.
Today.
The White Crane Hermit was furious.
He was known for his strict teaching.
Yet recently, there were signs that several students had begun skipping classes in groups.
They had not bothered to study the latest updates and layouts of renowned dungeons such as Skycloud City and Nine-Star City. Worse still, they had failed to complete their assigned dungeon challenges and had no one knew where they had gone fooling around.
That alone would have been tolerable.
What truly ignited the old man's anger was this—
His most cherished granddaughter, Shirasawa Yukari (adventurer codename: Moonlit Snow), had also joined the ranks of the truants. This was absolutely unacceptable.
Moonlit Snow had been cultivated as his successor.
He had spared no effort in pulling strings on her behalf, securing her a contract with Skycloud City, the finest dungeon in Blackstone Town.
If she followed his plan and continued developing there, reaching the Third Rank, Fourth Rank, or even surpassing him in the future was not impossible.
"Headmaster!"
An adventurer instructor rushed over.
"We've already investigated. Miss Yukari and Nekomi Momo's group haven't been slacking off these past two days. They've been exploring a newly opened dungeon called Miracle City."
"What kind of nonsense is Miracle City?"
The White Crane Hermit's beard practically twisted with rage.
"Another backwater trash city popping up from nowhere? A nameless place like that has any value worth exploring? Absurd. Utterly absurd!"
Bring them back.
Every single one of them.
The instructor hurriedly added, "Headmaster, I've checked. Miracle City is a brand-new dungeon that's only been open for a few days, but it's already stirring up quite a bit of discussion on the forums."
Anger alone would not solve the problem.
The priority was to understand the situation.
The White Crane Hermit immediately opened the Adventurer Forum.
There were already plenty of discussions about Miracle City.
The earliest post came from the adventurer Blackstone Hammer King, titled 'Evaluation Report on Miracle City's Dungeon: Apocalypse Frenzy!'
The White Crane Hermit glanced through it.
The entire post was filled with exaggerated praise, no different from a scam advertisement for some garbage dungeon. Completely not worth reading.
He skimmed the remaining posts.
A sharp glint suddenly flashed through his cloudy old eyes.
One post was signed by Wind-Sleeper.
He muttered to himself, "Wind-Sleeper? Isn't that girl Higanbana's younger brother? Why is he fooling around in this so-called Miracle City as well?"
Wind-Sleeper was not particularly famous among Blackstone Town's adventurers.
But his older sister was another matter entirely.
The female adventurer codenamed Higanbana was the leader of Blackstone Town's top adventuring group, a leading figure among the younger generation.
Even her own younger brother was mixed up in this?
Could Miracle City really have something special about it?
The White Crane Hermit opened Wind-Sleeper's post, titled 'Miracle City Experience and Strategy Suggestions'.
"Hello everyone!
"I'm Wind-Sleeper!
"Recently, Miracle City's dungeon Apocalypse Frenzy has sparked a lot of debate on the town forum. Especially under @Blackstone Hammer King's post, many people believe he was paid off by Miracle City."
"Here!
"I formally clarify the following!"
"First, Apocalypse Frenzy is a real, one-of-a-kind masterpiece dungeon!"
"Second, we have never taken a single grain of soul sand from Miracle City. If there is even the slightest falsehood in what I say, I am willing to withdraw from Blackstone Town and never appear on the forums again!"
"Third…"
The White Crane Hermit's expression gradually turned serious.
Wind-Sleeper had long lived in the shadow of his sister's brilliance.
As a result, outsiders had severely underestimated the young man.
But the White Crane Hermit knew better.
This youth possessed great ambition.
Wind-Sleeper dreamed of surpassing his sister. While that was, at present, nothing more than a dream, he was certainly no spoiled playboy.
The fact that he was willing to step forward personally to defend an unknown dungeon—staking his reputation on it—was proof enough that this dungeon had genuine merit.
He continued reading.
"…
"Today is my second day experiencing Apocalypse Frenzy.
"I'm becoming increasingly obsessed.
"I can barely pull myself away!"
"Lord Kanzaki Ren has used breathtaking design and inspiration to create a dungeon world that is bizarre, magnificent, and completely unheard of!"
"That's right!
"I believe—
"This isn't just a dungeon!
"It's a world!"
"According to Lord Kanzaki Ren's revelations, Apocalypse Frenzy will feature at least a dozen different monsters!"
"These monsters are not only uniquely designed and unprecedented, but are also deeply intertwined with the dungeon's world background."
"This is what I admire most about Lord Kanzaki Ren. I believe he isn't merely crafting a top-tier dungeon—he's polishing a living, breathing work of art."
"Every time I walk through this apocalyptic world, I feel as though—
"We aren't here simply to hunt, but to explore a genuine otherworld. We can't help wanting to learn its history and story. That level of immersion is something I've never experienced in any dungeon before!"
"Lord Kanzaki Ren has promised us—
"He will introduce a story-driven mode for the dungeon. When that happens, we will truly experience and participate in the events of this world, just like protagonists in a biographical epic!"
"Based on this alone—
"I'm willing to call Lord Kanzaki Ren the strongest dungeon lord in Blackstone Town!"
"No more nonsense.
"Starting today, I will join forces with Moonlit Snow, Blackstone Hammer King, and others to create a comprehensive Miracle City guide from scratch, detailing monster abilities to help future participants."
"And as a preview—
"I, Wind-Sleeper, plan to establish an adventuring party!"
"All like-minded companions are welcome. Our goal is to build the strongest adventuring party in Blackstone Town!"
"…
The post was long.
But it was written with exceptional care.
He lavished praise on Miracle City and carefully introduced the monsters that had already appeared in the dungeon.
The White Crane Hermit's emotions shifted from disdain, to doubt, and finally to surprise and curiosity.
Could it really be as good as this boy claimed?
He still found it hard to believe.
Perhaps it was simply a dungeon that was fun to play, but mediocre in true potential. These young adventurers might have been blinded by novelty, unable to distinguish a dungeon's real value.
"No."
"For a dungeon like this—
"I must see it with my own eyes!"
"If these youngsters are heading down the wrong path, I will drag them back no matter what!"
"Skycloud City is Blackstone Town's true number one dungeon. I refuse to believe this so-called Miracle City can surpass it!"
The White Crane Hermit had not personally entered a dungeon in many years.
Today, to understand Miracle City—and to bring his students back—
He decided to enter Miracle City himself.
At that moment, less than ten minutes remained before the dungeon opened. The application channel was already active.
[You are applying to enter Miracle City…]
[Ding! Current applicants: 953/160. You are number 953 in line. Would you like to pay contribution points?]
"What?"
The old man was stunned.
A dungeon that had only been open for a few days—
And it was already this popular? Completely overcrowded, requiring lightning-fast reflexes just to get in?
Unless one possessed Miracle City contribution points to jump the queue through bidding, entry was simply impossible.
Without a doubt.
The former First Adventurer of Blackstone Town—
Was about to be rejected by a newly opened dungeon.