Congratulations, stranger
Alex stood outside the cave for a long time.
After confirming that the sixth-tier monster was securely bound by chains and unable to move, he finally mustered the courage to slowly step inside.
"ROAR!!"
As expected, the moment the Earthrend Sovereign noticed him, it let out an ear-splitting roar, thrashing violently against its restraints. The chains rattled noisily, and the entire cave shook with the force of its struggle.
Truly, a sixth-tier monster was a force to be reckoned with.
But soon, the Earthrend Sovereign realized it couldn't reach Alex. In a fit of rage, it grabbed a massive boulder nearby and hoisted it high above its head.
Alex, who had been on high alert, immediately paled.
"Scatter!"
The moment he gave the command, the plants around him dispersed in all directions, and he himself darted to the side.
A second later, with a deafening crash, the boulder landed where they had just been standing, creating a terrifying crater and shaking the entire cave.
The sheer force of the impact was enough to kill any fifth-tier creature on the spot!
It was clear that this sixth-tier monster had to be dealt with first.
Fortunately, the creature was currently restrained and unable to unleash its full power. Otherwise, Alex would have had no chance.
"Attack! Use ranged attacks to take it down!"
Alex quickly retreated to a safe distance, well out of the Earthrend Sovereign's range.
Meanwhile, the Wood Drakes and Pink Enchantresses, with their ranged abilities, launched a barrage of attacks from afar.
In an instant, the ground erupted with vines and Wooden Spikes, lashing out at the enraged Earthrend Sovereign and binding its massive form.
The Explosive Mushrooms didn't hold back either, plucking mushrooms from their bodies and hurling them at the monster's feet, triggering a series of violent explosions.
"ROAR—"
Caught between attacks from all sides, the Earthrend Sovereign roared in fury and struggled even harder.
With a mighty pull, it snapped the vines binding it, even breaking the Wooden Spikes that River and the others had summoned.
Thankfully, the Wood Drakes had healing abilities. They immediately cast a glowing mist to mend the Pink Enchantresses' vines.
Seizing the opportunity, the three Wood Drakes used their speed to harass the Earthrend Sovereign, buying time for the others.
The monster continued to roar and pound the ground with its massive fists.
The earth-shaking noise even reached the outside, terrifying those nearby and sending them fleeing in panic. No one dared to stay near the entrance.
The news quickly spread through the Regional Chat.
"Holy crap! There really is a sixth-tier monster in the western desert! It's terrifying!"
"I was nearby earlier—the commotion was insane! I thought it was an earthquake!"
"You could hear the noise from miles away. It's definitely a sixth-tier monster."
"Wait, there's really a sixth-tier monster? Is it going to break out?"
"Very likely! Everyone should stay far away. Don't go there and get yourself killed."
"Already on the run!"
The chaos caused by the Earthrend Sovereign was too much for these lords to handle. None of them had ever witnessed such a scene before. Terrified, they scattered in an instant, and no one dared to approach the western desert.
Some, fearing that the sixth-tier monster might escape, even left the Scorched Wasteland entirely and hurried back to their own territories.
The Regional Chat was in an uproar.
Meanwhile, deep inside the cave.
Alex and his plant army were still locked in a fierce battle with the Earthrend Sovereign.
In just a few minutes, he had already lost six units, most of them crushed by the boulders the monster hurled. There hadn't even been time to heal them.
But the Earthrend Sovereign wasn't faring much better.
Pummeled by the relentless attacks of the plants, its rocky body was riddled with cracks, and its roars grew weaker by the minute.
"Everyone, push harder! We're almost there!"
Alex's eyes were bloodshot.
To think that dealing with a restrained sixth-tier monster would cost him so many units.
These were units that had been with him for a long time, having slain numerous fifth-tier monsters. Their experience and stats were far superior to newly recruited units.
Losing them hurt more than he cared to admit.
He shouted commands while keeping a close eye on the Earthrend Sovereign, wary of another boulder attack.
Fortunately, his fears didn't come to pass.
After several more minutes of relentless assault, the Earthrend Sovereign's rocky body finally shattered. Pierced by countless vines and Wooden Spikes, it let out one last roar of defiance before collapsing to the ground with a thunderous crash.
[Congratulations, you have successfully slain the sixth-tier Earthrend Sovereign. You have gained 105 Mana.]
"Finally… it's over."
Alex let out a long breath and slumped to the ground.
The Mana gained from killing a sixth-tier monster was double that of a fifth-tier.
Still, the reward felt meager.
But he was too exhausted to complain. His tense expression relaxed as he let out a sigh of relief.
Crash—
The massive body of the Earthrend Sovereign crumbled into pieces, scattering rocks everywhere. Beneath the rubble, something was revealed—a stone chest, bound by the same chains that had restrained the monster.
"A chest?"
Alex's eyes widened, and he scrambled to his feet.
So the chains had been running through the Earthrend Sovereign's body to secure this chest?
Or was the chest the true reward for defeating the monster?
But he hadn't received any notifications about it.
Alex was stunned.
Who would have thought that such a thing would be hidden inside the Earthrend Sovereign?
With the monster's death, the chains snapped, releasing the chest from its bindings.
Hesitating for a moment, Alex cautiously approached the chest and examined it closely.
Unlike the chests he had seen before, this one was made of solid stone, with crude carvings etched into its surface.
It didn't look like a system reward. Alex was more inclined to believe it had been crafted by someone.
But who would go to the trouble of creating such a chest and hiding it in such a bizarre place?
Could it be a trap?
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
Not wanting to take any chances, he stepped back and ordered a Pink Enchantress to open the chest with her vines.
After all, vines could regenerate. There was no risk of losing them.
Soon, several vines wrapped around the stone chest and, under Alex's tense and expectant gaze, slowly pried it open.
There was no explosion, no poison darts—just a gray orb and a yellowed piece of paper lying inside.
A piece of paper?
Alex was baffled.
How could there be paper here?
They had crossed into this world from another realm. It shouldn't have been possible to bring anything with them, unless someone had been carrying paper at the time.
And yet, here it was.
The paper looked old, its edges yellowed with age.
Faintly, he could make out some writing on it—it seemed to be a letter?
Curiosity piqued, Alex stepped closer to the chest and carefully picked up the paper.
The first line caught his eye immediately:
"Congratulations, stranger. If you're reading this, it means you're about to die..."