secret dice.

Chapter 795 First Encounter with the Fifty Floors

The receptionist looked with some surprise at the tall girl in front of the counter, clad in a form-fitting leather armor embroidered with magic runes, carrying a magnificent spear on her back.
"Oh, the official raiding force plans to officially advance to the fiftieth floor the day after tomorrow, so let us come back and rest first." Duan Feilan, who was half a head taller than most men and had a thick, long braid, laughed and said, "We've only done two missions, let's retreat for the rest."

"Oh, okay..." The receptionist skillfully handled the transaction: "Is the process so fast this time?"

“Each layer mutates earlier than the previous one, and we don’t have much time left.” A middle-aged bald man wearing heavy plate armor walked up behind Duan Feilan; it was Zong Zhiyong.

"Based on speculation, the mutation period of the fiftieth floor is likely to be within a month, so we must prepare a strategy as soon as possible."

"So fast?" the receptionist asked, somewhat surprised.

"Based on experience, the quality of monsters will take a leap every ten floors, and the mutation period will be faster than in normal floors."

“I see…” the receptionist said, “The last time we reached level 10 was many years ago, and I haven’t been working in a guild since then.”

As they finished the paperwork, the receptionist handed the documents back to the two of them: "By the way, two people came this morning to inquire about your team's whereabouts. They said they were acquaintances of yours and wanted to join your team?"

"Someone we know?" Zong Zhiyong frowned. "They've never seen us before, how do they know?"

"As soon as I mentioned your group's name and your new group leader, they confirmed your identities. They claimed to have just come from the Lost Lands as well," the receptionist said.

Upon hearing the receptionist's words, the two exchanged a glance and immediately understood that the main world had sent someone in again!
"Where are they now?" Zong Zhiyong asked.

"They must be looking for you inside the Tower of Babel," the receptionist replied.

"Okay, thank you for the information." Zong Zhiyong nodded and left the mercenary guild headquarters with Duan Feilan.

"The main world has sent people again! We need to hurry back and tell everyone!" Duan Feilan looked very excited: "Brother Zong, do you think it might be another Ascension cultivator?"

“Unlikely,” Zong Zhiyong shook his head. “No one can get out. The outside world knows absolutely nothing about our situation here. In their eyes, we’ve already lost an Ice Queen, so it’s unlikely they’d send another Ascension expert down. But I reckon it’s someone who’s very knowledgeable about other worlds or Yuan Qi!”

"Someone like Elder Yuan?" Duan Feilan had long heard of Elder Yuan's reputation.

"More or less, but although Elder Yuan didn't pass away, his position in the association is still very important. We shouldn't be willing to let him 'go to his death' in such a high-risk, unknown world. But I guess it's probably some kind of expert or scholar." Zong Zhiyong shook his head: "There's no use guessing. Let's go back and discuss it with everyone first."

The two returned to the team and explained the matter of the newcomers from the main world.

The team of over fifty people had earned quite a bit of money from missions these past few days, and had bought a multi-story mansion with over a hundred rooms on the outskirts of the capital city as their base. Everyone was excited to hear about the new helpers, but soon their excitement turned to worry.

"With only two people, how much use can they be if they haven't ascended to immortality?" The speaker was a red-haired woman named Jennifer, a pinnacle of the Federation, who wasn't optimistic: "If it's just about being at the pinnacle, there are already six here!"

“Even if he is truly at his peak, he would only be around level 30 or 40 when he first arrived in the capital, right?” said a tall, thin man with dark skin. His name was Kubal, and he was a peak-level player from the Primal Continent. “In this world, one’s inherent strength is only part of the equation. The attributes, skill points, learning abilities, and so on that come with leveling up are also quite significant!”

“Indeed…” The speaker was Georgia, a tall, middle-aged man from the peak of Xiluo: “Those S-rank mercenaries above level 90 have peak-level strength. Considering the level suppression, our group of level 60 or 70 mercenaries are at a disadvantage against them.”

“But our advantages are also obvious,” said a short old woman. “Once we reach level 90, not only will we not be suppressed, but we will also have double the combat power of a peak-level expert!” Her name was Chiyo, and she was a peak expert from Yingzhou.

“Do you think it might be someone carrying a special mythical artifact?” said a man with a blond beard and a gaunt face. His name was Harrison, and he was a top figure from the Land of Exile. “If that’s the case, wouldn’t we be walking right into a trap?”

“If you ask me, let’s stop guessing.” The speaker was a tall, Aurora man who looked to be in his fifties or sixties. His name was Shi Lei, the head of the Shi family in Shuncheng, and the pinnacle of power in Aurora: “Let’s find them first, and then everything will be clear.”

As he spoke, he looked at a silver-haired woman sitting in the corner, her face turned upwards, eyes closed in rest.

The woman looked to be around forty years old, with very delicate features. Even with her eyes closed, she exuded a cool and elegant aura. The protective energy around her was only a thin layer, clinging tightly to her body, yet it conveyed a sense of resilience.

"Aunt Xue, you make the decision," Shi Lei said. "Should we continue resting here, or go to the tower to find someone?"

The silver-haired woman opened her eyes, and instantly, a faint chill enveloped the room. Only the legendary Snow Queen, Sherry, could possess such an aura.

"The fiftieth floor is key to our escape," the Ice Queen said. "The raid starts the day after tomorrow, and most people need to be in peak condition... As for those two... Xiao Lei, take Mu Ning, Fei Lan, Ying, and Thomas to look for them. Focus on searching the forty-ninth floor, and don't rush into the fiftieth floor. Even if you can't find them, you must be back tonight!"

Shi Lei is a master of defense, Mu Ning is a top expert in the Insight School, and Duan Feilan is extremely agile, excelling in speed and close-quarters combat. As for Sakura from Yingzhou and Thomas from the Federation, both are masters of creation, capable of using their abilities to create various tools and creatures to cope with diverse situations, and are also more adept at area-of-effect searches.

This team can be said to have both combat effectiveness and search capabilities.

As for teamwork, the multinational teams have already developed a strong synergy through these past few days of collaborative efforts to conquer the Tower of Babel. Here, everyone belongs to the main world; nationality doesn't matter...

No one objected to the Snow Queen's arrangements. The few people whose names were called stepped forward, and after a short rest, they set off.

Meanwhile, on the forty-ninth floor of the Tower of Babel.

Because the area had just been cleared out, the monsters had been almost completely wiped out and hadn't had time to respawn. Along the way, Luo Jun and Mu Lanshi only saw some mercenaries mining minerals and collecting medicinal herbs, and didn't encounter any obstacles.

However, they encountered obstacles when they approached the massive, building-like tombstone.

"Gentlemen, ahead lies the lord's tombstone leading to the forty-ninth floor, which is also the path to the fiftieth floor." Blocking their way were two mercenaries clad in armor; judging by their markings, they were likely official mercenaries from the Mercenary Guild.

This is different from the official conquest army, which is organized by the Empire and recruits powerful mercenaries specifically to conquer the Tower of Babel. Official mercenaries, on the other hand, belong to mercenary guilds and are used to maintain order and rules.

You can understand it this way: the raiding army is a team temporarily formed to complete the mission. Once the Tower of Babel is completed, the raiding army will be disbanded. However, the official mercenaries of the guild are formally employed. As long as the mercenary guild exists, they will have work.

"The fiftieth floor has just opened and is extremely dangerous. We advise you two not to go any further," the two guild mercenaries advised. "But isn't the duty of mercenaries to conquer the Tower of Babel?" Luo Jun asked.

"Do you two have mission slips?" The guild mercenary held out his hand: "If you two received a mission from headquarters to conquer the 50th floor, we can let you pass."

Conquering the 50th floor is indeed a rewarding task, but its extreme difficulty prevents it from being awarded to ordinary mercenaries. Only the official conquest team and a few S-rank mercenary groups can receive this task, the youngest of whom is the 'Cerebral Thrombosis Commando Team.' These members are known to all the guild mercenaries, so they naturally know that Luo Jun and Mu Lanshi could not possibly receive this task.

“We’re the newest members of the ‘Cerebral Thrombosis Commando Team’!” Mulanshi said. “They’re up there, right? Let us in.”

"Since you're team members, how could you not know the team's movements?" The guild mercenary on the left sneered. "Don't try to get away with this. This is for your safety..."

"Wait... I remember now!" At this moment, the mercenary on the right suddenly said, "I've seen them before, they are indeed from the 'Cerebral Thrombosis Commando Team'!"

"Huh?" The mercenary on the left was taken aback. "When did you see him? Haven't you been on guard duty with me these past two days?"

"Oh, you'll believe me, won't you!" The mercenary on the right stepped aside: "Please come in, both of you..."

Mu Lanshi was still a little stunned when Luo Jun took her hand and walked over, quickening his pace to the huge tombstone. He activated it and successfully completed the teleportation.

Even after watching the two figures disappear, the mercenary on the left was still somewhat in shock, looking at his companion on the right: "You really know them? Are they really from the 'Cerebral Thrombosis Commando Team'?"

The mercenary on the right looked dazed, shook his head, and asked, puzzled, "What did you just say? What do you mean, 'knows someone'?"

"You don't recognize them?!" The mercenary on the left widened his eyes. "Then why did you let them in? Besides, the 'Cerebral Thrombosis Commando Team' isn't up there right now; there are only the raiding army's reconnaissance units up there..."

"What are you talking about?" The mercenary on the right looked confused. "I don't understand a word you're saying."

…………

The 50th floor.

"Why did he let us up?" Mu Lanshi was also confused and looked at Luo Jun: "Could it be that you're behind this again?"

"Since you know so much information, you should know that I was also involved in the Hades incident, right?" Luo Jun laughed. "Even the illusions of the Reincarnation King couldn't harm me."

"You just used illusion magic to control that gatekeeper?" Mulan Shi immediately realized.

Luo Jun looked at her [Soul Stealing] skill. This thing couldn't be explained; the easiest way to understand it was as an illusion.

"Is this the fiftieth floor?" Luo Jun looked around. The two of them were in a huge sand pit. The air blowing in was mixed with sand and gravel, which scraped against their skin, making them feel as if all the moisture had evaporated instantly.

"It's really the opposite of the environment on the previous floor."

As they spoke, the two climbed to the edge of the sandpit and looked up to see the view outside.

This wasn't just a simple desert; besides the undulating sand dunes, there were also numerous strangely shaped rocks, resembling twisted buildings standing on the sand. Luo Jun jumped onto the top of a giant rock and saw in the distance the ruins of a severely weathered ancient city. In the center of the ruins stood a massive palace.

"If nothing unexpected happens, the BOSS should be in that palace. This time the direction is quite clear."

Luo Jun jumped off the rock: "It's all sand and rocks everywhere, not even a cactus, and there's absolutely no sign of life. If they've come to this level, they should be in that abandoned ancient city."

In reality, given Luo Jun's perception, that abandoned ancient city wasn't much of a concealment, and there was no sound coming from inside, so it was highly likely that there was really no one there...

"I thought there would be raiding forces and mercenaries here... Has the official raiding not started yet?" Mu Lanshi was a little worried. Although both of them were at least at the Condensation Realm, their levels were still too low. This world has a level suppression system. If the monster's level is high, even if its attributes are not strong, it will be difficult to deal with.

"Maybe they haven't arrived yet. Shall we go down first and ask around?"

Luo Jun also thought it made sense. Although he was confident, his primary goal was not to conquer this broken tower, but to find the Ice Queen.

“Okay, let’s go down first…” Luo Jun nodded and was about to return when suddenly his ears twitched.

He vaguely heard a call coming from the direction of that ancient city, or more precisely, that palace…

Although the call was vague and in some unknown language, Luo Jun knew that it was calling him!

"How about... Sister Mu, you go down first, I'll go check the situation." Luo Jun looked in the direction of the ancient city.

"That won't do, it's too dangerous!" Mu Lanshi immediately objected: "If we're going, we'll go together. After all, we have teleportation scrolls. How can I trust you to go alone?"

"I'm only at ease when you're around..." Luo Jun thought to himself. Just then, his ears twitched, and he suddenly pulled Mu Lanshi close, shouting, "Watch out!"

The next instant, the sand exploded where Mulan Shi had just stood, and a giant scorpion emerged from it!

This scorpion was entirely black, about the size of a bus, with its tail held high and a stinger at the end that looked like the size of a water tank; it was a sight to behold and inspired fear.

What's even more deadly is that this thing doesn't display its level above its head, but its health points exceed 15,000!

(End of this chapter)