Divine Slash: "Light Dragon Mage! Or... Orsix!"
Luna Frost: "Why is an Imperial NPC here? Could that map really be genuine?"
"Light Dragon NPC? How is that possible?!"
Raven's expression changed drastically. He suddenly realized that the orcs around them were frozen like statues. Simultaneously, dark fiery streaks erupted from their bodies.
Burn -20,000!
Burn -20,000!
...
"What the hell is going on?!"
Raven broke out in a cold sweat. He instinctively looked at his arm and was shocked to find ice fog magic swirling around him.
Divine Slash: "Blessed be our path to wealth! We must have triggered a hidden map quest! This powerful NPC is here to guide us!"
Dragon's Kiss Guild Cloudwave: "Blood Axe Clan Orc Warriors have an incredibly high resistance to ice. A C-class Ice Binding spell should be dispelled instantly—how can they be completely immobilized?"
The Dragon's Kiss Guild players on the hill stood dumbfounded as a young mage in a white robe stepped out from the forest. He was like an elemental god's envoy, with ice mist and ghostly flames following him, his immense magical power shaking the entire space!
"This NPC is not right!"
Seeing Orsix intervene to help, Raven wasn't relieved. Instead, he furrowed his brow and locked onto him with his bow and arrows.
Raven: "What are you doing?! This is our quest NPC, our great savior!"
Divine Slash rushed forward to stop Raven's reckless behavior.
Luna Frost: "Put down your weapons! This NPC is level 48! With such a powerful mix of ice and fire magic, he could wipe out the Dragon's Kiss Guild single-handedly!"
Divine Slash: "NPC leader! I give my utmost praise to the Light Dragon Emperor! Please unleash your full power and annihilate them!"
At these words, Cloudwave and the others of Dragon's Kiss Guild were stunned. Who would dare call on an NPC for help in a fight?
"What's happening? My god! In just a few seconds, the orc warriors' health has dropped by almost 100,000!"
The Dragon's Kiss Guild players' scalps tingled, and they quickly began to retreat as the ice mist closed in.
Cloudwave, his face stiff, glared at Orsix and arrogantly said, "Don't worry. Although we're opposing the Light Dragon Empire now, there hasn't been a war between the two empires. Even Light Dragon Empire mages can't just kill players!"
Cloudwave nodded to himself, grinning. He knew the rules of the game well. At most, this mage would help Divine Slash and his team deal with the orcs, but he couldn't directly interfere in player combat.
"Do as you will."
Orson's eyes glinted as he suddenly looked up. The Heavenly Fire Staff roared with a thunderous sound, sending a fireball the size of a basin crashing into Cloudwave.
Boom!
Critical Hit -80,000!
A terrifying number appeared, and everyone's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"My god!! What kind of damage is that?! Our captain still owes him 60,000 health!"
"My game knowledge… is failing me!"
Cloudwave lay on the ground, wide-eyed, realizing that this NPC was comparable to a Saint-tier monster!
Even Raven was stunned. "…Just like that? Infinite Dimensions NPCs are supposed to only have whole-number levels, right? How is there an insanely powerful level 48 imperial mage?"
Divine Slash: "Haha! Bless the Light Dragon Empire! Comrades, let's sing victory songs and strike it rich together!"
Luna Frost: "I know my thinking is a little off, but… he's just too damn cool!!"
Seeing Raven and the others frozen in place, Orson's face beneath his hood was harder to read than an AK47.
"Imperial Mage Orsix requests to join the team."
Divine Slash didn't hesitate and quickly accepted the request. He knew that NPCs in Infinite Dimensions had high intelligence, and it wasn't uncommon for them to apply to join a party. They had encountered this before during demon hunting quests.
"Adventurers, your courage will forge an epic tale! Defeat all the enemies of the Light Empire!" Orson raised his staff, his voice filled with majestic authority.
His inspiring words caused the team to feel pumped, as if their heads were full of expired energy drinks!
"Kill them! For the Light Dragon Empire!"
"For Infinite Dimensions' treasures! To become god-tier explorers!"
...
Divine Slash and the others cheered wildly, hacking away at the orc warriors, who were barely able to move due to their debuffs.
"We can't do it! It's impossible to even deal a single blow! Let's go get help! Kill them all!"
The Dragon's Kiss Guild players started running, but they were targeted one by one by Orson's Chaos Magic Ball and were swiftly eliminated.
Orson: "The light of the gods shines upon all!"
Orson spoke loudly, his tone mechanical, filled with blind loyalty to the empire.
"Damn it, wait for it! What's so special about an NPC mage? Going against my Dragon's Kiss Guild? You'll regret it!"
Cloudwave, lying on the ground, was still commanding his guild to call in reinforcements.
Dark Dragon Empire, Blood Axe Clan City-State.
"What! Are you sure?"
Skyslasher received the report, his face full of disbelief. Why would a Light Dragon NPC suddenly show up here?
Ivy: "Let's go check it out. Those guys were killed earlier but haven't given up, and they might be holding a high-level treasure map."
Recently, many Light Dragon Empire players, bypassing the main quests, had been blindly exploring Infinite Dimensions with treasure maps. They had already made their way into the Dark Dragon Empire.
Skyslasher, looking skeptical, pondered for a moment before saying, "Fine, bring in the newly joined Vanguard of Dark guild and let's test their strength."
Meanwhile, back with Orson and the group, the orc warriors had been wiped out.
Divine Slash: "Great Light Dragon Mage! You must have eaten ten miracle pills! Your magical power knows no bounds!"
He showered Orson with praise, almost wanting to hug him, but Orson quickly took a step back, continuing to exude a mysterious aura.
"Why, as followers of the light, are you here?" Orson asked.
"To reach the pinnacle of life, to marry a beautiful and wealthy woman! Please show us the way forward!"
Divine Slash chuckled awkwardly, pulling out a damaged map and handing it to Orson, thinking of him as the guide to treasure.
However, just as he was about to pass it over, Raven quickly stopped him, signaling to the others to stay quiet. "We're just like you—lost and stumbled in here."
Divine Slash: "What are you talking about?!"
Luna Frost pulled him aside, lowering her voice: "Do you not trust Raven's instincts? If he feels something's off, it's probably true."
"Golden-tier treasure map?" Orson's eyes flickered. He whispered to himself, "This could be interesting."
The map that Divine Slash handed over was a type of treasure map obtained through hidden or exploratory quests in Infinite Dimensions. It ranged from black iron to diamond-tier, and depending on the clues, there was a chance to uncover lost treasures.
Maps of higher tiers were harder to decipher, but the rewards were substantial. However, the maps could be in poor condition, with less information, and sometimes the treasure would have already been taken.
Infinite Dimensions had no shortage of opportunists, and a few lucky players had found top-tier equipment or Soul Seals, gaining unimaginable wealth in a single night.
Raven and his team had acquired this golden-tier map from a thief for 1000 gold coins. It was of low quality, with only a third of it intact, but it had led them here, to this very location.
Orson's thoughts raced. "These guys… all thanks to Raven, they've made it here."
It was clear that Raven had played a huge role in getting them this far, and Orson couldn't help but form a plan.
"The Divine Legion's Treasure quest is incredibly difficult, but it's probably not a combat instance. There will be puzzles to solve… Raven's expertise in that area will come in handy."
Since they were old friends, why not let him help out?
Divine Slash was eager and handed the map to Orson. Raven shot him an annoyed look, but he didn't say anything.
Orson, pretending to hesitate, sighed. "Personally, I think this treasure might be a mirage. But since we all serve the Empire, I'll gladly lend you a hand!"