Special Dungeon: The Queen’s Shield III

## **Special Dungeon: The Queen’s Shield III Summary**

[Entering single-player special dungeon!]

[Dungeon difficulty: 6th dungeon]

[Background: The Prairies men were defeated but Riverdale hasn’t returned to its peaceful state, many malicious figures started to place their eyes on the capital…]

[Main mission: Ensure Mary ascends to the throne as Queen in 30 days (0/30)]

[Temporary language pack, disappears upon exiting the dungeon]

[Clothing, backpack, weapons, and other items remain unchanged. Temporarily altered appearance returns to normal upon exiting the dungeon]

[Note: This is a 6th special dungeon. You can fail the Main Mission, but you will have to pay 600 Points as a penalty and your highest attributes will drop by 2 ranks If your points are insufficient, the system will deduct from your equipment. If your equipment is insufficient, you will fail] (Ch 1189)

Kieran had predicted that he would eventually have to help Mary become Queen, but he started theorizing at potential issues within this dungeon; he concluded that there would be many different groups who would be greedy for the throne.

After realizing that he was still in the tent that he stayed in during [The Queen’s Shield II], he sent the Fire Raven out to scout and he saw that the Warren’s were still cleaning up the battlefield, meaning the gap between this dungeon and the previous one was only a day or two. Kieran walked out of the tent, and some Prairie captives started calling Kieran the Devil out of fear. That cry sent fear throughout the rest of the captives, who all tried running from Kieran despite all of their limbs being tied up. The Warren soldiers brought order back to the panicking captives, and greeted Kieran, grateful that he was on their side. The Duke of Zilin also left his tent, and looked at Kieran with admiration; Duke Zilin approached Kieran, wanting to ask if Kieran could teach him some techniques, but before he could say anything, Mary exited her tent.

Mary cried out when she saw Kieran and ran to him, diving into his arms. The soldiers and Duke Zilin decided to give Mary and Kieran privacy, and they all left. After a moment, another soldier rushed over and hurriedly reported to Mary that the Duke of Will was approaching with tens of thousands of troops. Two days ago, Duke Will sent a letter saying his troops were four days away. Now that the victor had been decided, his four day journey turned into a two day journey. Kieran asked Mary what she wanted to do, hoping to prepare her for the throne. Mary was shocked, instinctively wanting to hear Kieran’s opinion, but she responded that she would like to meet with Duke WIll in Riverdale. Duke Zilin praised Mary, realizing that her intention was to split Duke Will from his troops. A convoy then left for Riverdale after sending a letter with Mary’s order to Duke Will.

The convoy contained one carriage, inside of which King James VIII was laying on a bed, close to death. Mary was sitting by his side, while Kieran and Duke Zilin rode on horses beside the carriage. As they rode, Duke Zilin finally started asking Kieran what he wanted to say earlier; Duke Zilin told Kieran that he would like to learn the Viper Sect Ultimate Technique from Kieran in order to perform his family’s Ultimate Technique, Snake Ascending To Dragon. Duke Zilin offered a lot in exchange. Kieran was a little confused, before remembering that he had used [Snake Molt] while fighting the Prairie King, which might have been misunderstood for the Viper Sect Ultimate. Kieran didn’t correct the misunderstanding, and told Duke Zilin that he would think about it.

Kieran then remembered the leader of the Viper Sect, Perry Kaner, and he remembered the goat scrolls in the Prairie Camp; he wondered why she would abandon the scrolls. Kieran then sent the Fire Raven ahead of the convoy to Riverdale, where he hoped Maxim from the Raven Sect would recognize it and come to him, where he could then get Perry’s location from Maxim.

The convoy arrived at Riverdale, where they received a report saying that Duke Will had been assassinated. Kieran started wondering what Duke Will could have achieved by dying, and he wondered if this was a trap to lure Kieran and Mary to the graveyard, where Mary was obligated to pray to Will’s grave. Mary, Kieran, and Duke Zilin discussed what they should do, and they eventually concluded that Kieran and Mary would leave to fight against Duke Will’s troops, while Duke Zilin would manage and protect Riverdale in their absence. As Kieran and Mary left, Duke Zilin started managing the guards.

Kieran and Mary left in a carriage driven by Jyaichi, Fanner, and Torstar, the three men under the control of [Mesly Ring]. They rode, until they came across a tipped over carriage, with horses tied to a tree. Luggage was spilling out of the broken carriage, but there were no people in sight. Kieran sent Fanner to investigate, when Kieran felt a judgemental gaze land on him. Kieran felt a few more gazes, but he did not react to them.he just leaned back, and silently ordered Jyaichi to take out the sources of the gazes. Mary could tell something wasn’t right, but Kieran told her nothing was wrong as Jyaichi silently killed all of the people. There was one person who tried rushing at Kieran and Mary, but Kieran silently killed him with [Dandelion’s Pierce] which was hiding in the shadows. Jyaichi, Fanner, and Torstar returned, all of them unharmed, but none of them recognized the attackers. Kieran ordered them to move the toppled carriage out of the road, and they continued.

There was a person hiding in the shadows with a technique different from a regular [Undercover]. The trio of Jyaichi, Fanner, and Torstar didn’t notice him as he snuck slowly towards the carriage where Mary and Kieran sat. Just as he reached out to the carriage, the person suddenly heard breathing behind him. He grabbed his dagger and attacked behind him, but as he turned around, he realized that there was no one behind him. He then hastily raced toward the carriage, hoping that holding Mary as a hostage would give himself some protection. As he reached out to open the carriage door again, Kieran opened it from the inside and used [Mesly Ring] on him.

Kieran learned from this person, Ganarde, that he was from the Ape Sect. Ganarde was also one of Perry Kaner’s enemies, and Ganarde knew about the Goatskin Scrolls. Kieran learned that the Ape Sect was split into three different divisions, the Blade Ape, Aqua Ape, and Flame Ape, while the White Ape was the leader of the Ape Sect.

As they got closer to the reinforcement campsite, they felt an ominous air above the campsite. Kieran could see dark clouds rumbling above it, although the soldiers in the campsite didn’t seem to be bothered. Mary looked out of the carriage and asked Kieran what it was, and Kieran explained that it was the power of a curse. They finally reached the campsite, and the reinforcements rolled out a red carpet as they welcomed Mary. Bosco, King James’ private consultant was also here, and he was silently signaling to Kieran about two men next to him. Kieran looked at the two men, seeing that there were six more men standing behind them, followed by a sole elder. Kieran concluded that the two men were Duke Will’s sons, the six men were Barons from the Will Prefecture, and the elder was another, different Duke Will; a duke-in-name only. Kieran released his aura, causing everyone except for Bosco and the elder to stagger back. He and Mary then started walking into the campsite, ignoring the eldest of the two sons, Celder, when he was about to speak to Mary.

Celder followed Kieran and Mary, and was about to speak again when he was interrupted by Mary who lamented how gloomy it was. Kieran summoned a devil fire fireball and shot it at the dark clouds, breaking the curse and allowing a little bit of sunlight to seep down. From within the camp they heard a scream from the person who cast the curse, as they suffered recoil from it being dispelled. Kieran then charged up a larger fireball, causing Celder to stagger back in shock. He believed Kieran to still be weakened from the fight against the Prairie King, but he also couldn’t believe that Kieran was able to break through their plans so easily. The fireball finished charging, and was thrown into the sky, which caused another agonized scream from the caster of the curse. Everyone in the camp silently blamed Celder, who was in charge of the intel, for the plans being ruined before they could even start them.

Kieran sent the Fire Raven to track the source of the screams, while he had Mary cover her ears. Kieran then summoned the Devil Mirage, whose roar forced all of the reinforcement troops to kneel. Kieran took Mary’s hand and they continued walking into the camp. They skipped the main tent, where the red carpet led to, but instead first visited the source of the curse. They found her just inside the nearby forest. Mary was curious, as her aunt and this person came from the same Ghastly Woods Sect, but Kieran didn’t allow her to get too close, since he had a lot of experience with curses; even he himself did not get too close to the woman.

She summoned a black crow and threatened Kieran, but the Fire Raven quickly burned the crow to death before perching on Kieran’s shoulder. The woman stopped her threats and screams, and sat up, laughing at her realization that Kieran is the Crown Raven, the leader of the Raven Sect. She then died, and the Fire Raven burnt her body.

Kieran and Mary then went to the main tent, where several people were waiting. They all knelt when Mary entered, and Celder, also kneeling, asked Mary if they could bring his father, Duke Will’s, body back to the Will Prefecture to bury. Mary did not answer, and asked if there were any leads on the assassin. Celder said not yet, but they would absolutely find the assassin. Mary then asked to see the body, as she had an obligation to pay her respects. Celder and everyone else were silent, as they all knew that Duke Will had faked his death, meaning there was no body. Celder then agreed, and led Mary and Kieran into another tent, where Duke Will’s coffin was. The barons were shocked to see Duke Will’s body in the coffin, and the younger of the two sons, Peder, started crying when he saw blood seeping out from his father’s body.

Mary could see that the blood was still fresh, and that the body had still been alive until just a little bit ago. She looked at Kieran with confusion, and he told her that reality was cruel, and that Celder had killed him in order to save his own life. Celder got angry and denied it, but Kieran started listing undeniable proof, which Peder dutifully confirmed. Peder asked Celder if he could see his sword, which Kieran claimed had not even been cleaned of blood. Celder demanded to know why Peder was believing Kieran instead of his own brother, before unsheathing his bloody sword and holding it against Peder’s neck. Peder asked why Celder was doing this, and Celder explained that Duke Will was considering begging Mary for forgiveness, and he was also preparing to give the Will Prefecture to Peder; Celder felt he was more deserving of inheriting the Prefecture. Celder then took Peder hostage, threatening to kill him if they didn't allow him to leave.

Kieran and Mary were unmoved, and Kieran started explaining to Celder that his father wanted to beg for forgiveness to stabilize the Prefecture. Due to Mary’s character, both Duke Will and Celder would at most be imprisoned, and would likely have been released to take over the Prefecture from Peder. Celder started hesitating, realizing he had been rash, but then Kieran quickly killed him. A few minutes later, the barons submitted to Mary, and she prepared to leave, as Peder’s tears over his dead father and brother made her uncomfortable. Before they left, Mary asked the elder, named Eldar, to come back to Riverdale, as her father requested. Eldar started sobbing in happiness, and he asked if he could walk back instead of taking the carriage; Mary agreed, and had Bosco accompany him. As Mary and Kieran started traveling back to Riverdale, Mary explained that Duke Eldar was an old friend of her father, who was granted Dukedom without land. He was only supposed to stay in the south for a few months, but due to incident after incident he ended up staying there for twenty years.

As they traveled, Mary asked Kieran about what it meant to be strong, and then she eventually was curious about his past. Kieran didn’t tell her anything about his past, but he reassured her when he sensed she was worried about him. He then gave Mary the seven goatskin scrolls for her to decipher. The trip, which was initially very short, ended up taking all day as they followed the walking Duke Eldar. He again burst into happy tears when they arrived at Riverdale, and he boarded the carriage to quickly reach the palace.

Duke Eldar got off first, and Duke Zilin escorted him to the King. Mary and Kieran followed, and they watched the dying King wake up at Duke Eldar’s greeting. Mary and Duke Zilin were about to leave, to give Eldar and James privacy, but Kieran looked at a beautiful painting on the wall, and asked for them to move James to a different room. After some maids moved James, Mary watched as Kieran took down the painting, asking what was wrong. Kieran explained that the painting was poisoned, pointing at the mold growing on the canvas. Perry Kaner then climbed into the room from the window, saying that she never expected Kieran to know about poisons.

Kieran asked her if she knew who sprayed water on the painting, allowing it to mold, but she said that the person was killed before she could make a move. Perry then offered to collaborate with Kieran, but Kieran reminded her that their last collaboration did not work out well. She then offered everything she had, including her life, to show her sincerity. She then explained that some remaining Viper Sect members, who she had thought to be dead, attacked her and her subordinates; only she survived the attack.

[Discovered sub-mission: Remaining Viper Sect]

[Remaining Viper Sect: The Viper Sect that Folly once destroyed didn’t only leave behind Perry Kaner and her branch. There was another unknown branch that survived too and their reappearance has brought death and destruction to Perry Kaner’s side. Now, the leader of Viper Sect seeks help, and your decision will be very important…] (Ch 1199)

Kieran did not trust Perry Kaner, so he did not accept immediately, but he did not reject the mission either. Through the eyes of the Fire Raven he saw that they had guests, which he asked Duke Zilin to greet, and he then told Perry to lead him to the culprit who was killed. When they arrived, Mary was shocked to recognize the culprit as Tenar, her father’s chief attendant. Tenar had started serving her father when he was a child, and had saved her father’s life countless times in the past. She denied that Tenar would try to kill King James. Kieran used [Tracking] to see what happened, and he followed the attacker’s tracks outside of the castle. Mary and Perry followed, though Perry was a little lost in thought about the attack that had killed off the rest of her branch. Lost in thought, Perry staggered a little, but she was caught by Mary. Mary tried playing it off, but Perry was touched by Mary’s kindness.

Mary continued to wonder why Tenar would be killed, and Kieran explained that Tenar was also one of the killer’s targets. The killer came to the palace with the intention to kill both King James and Tenar. Kieran said that he did not know why Tenar was a target, though; they would need to interrogate the killer to learn that. They stopped at a two-story civilian house that Kieran had concluded was a hideout for the group of killers, and he summoned his two-headed serpent to demolish the building. The serpent then captured three people that Kieran had targeted using his Intuition. The serpent brought the three people to Kieran; the three of them refused to speak during Kieran’s brief interrogation. Kieran then gave the three to Perry, and he instructed her to just watch them, not interrogate them. Kieran, Mary, and Perry left, and Kieran left the Fire Raven and the Frost Wolf pup to watch the building.

They went back to the palace, and Kieran and Mary were being briefed about James’ condition from a doctor. The doctor advised them to not tell him of Tenar’s death, as a shock like that could be ruinous. Kieran then summoned Bloody Mary, who was disguised as Tenar. Mary, Perry, and the doctor were shocked, unable to comprehend how Kieran had created such a precise Tenar body double. Bloody Mary then knocked on the door, which was answered by Duke Eldar; the Duke welcomed “Tenar'' into the room.

Kieran then went to a small tea room, where Maxim and Celty from the Raven Sect were waiting. As he entered, he heard the two of them talking about himself and the Tale of the Virtuous King, which he asked them more about. Maxim explained that, according to the Tale, anyone who fought underneath the King would have significantly improved courage and strength. The two then apologized for talking about him; Kieran unleashed his Devil’s aura on the two of them until they were on the brink of passing out. Kieran drew his aura back when he did not feel any maliciousness or killing intent from either of them. The Tale of the Virtuous King reminded Kieran of Nikorei’s prophecy from [The Shaman’s Partner] and he decided to ignore the Tale.

Mary and Perry Kaner then entered the room, causing an argument between the Raven and Viper Sect members. Kieran interrupted them and gave Maxim and Celty orders to gather the Raven Sect at the palace, while he ordered Perry Kaner to continue her contact with the Ape Sect. Kieran and Mary left, and everyone started acting out their orders.

A family of three exited from a carriage and entered their home, which had been damaged. They started cleaning, and the father left to steal some wood from his neighbors' destroyed house to repair his own. When he returned, he realized that his young son was not where he left him. He started calling for his son, and he was nervous when he didn’t get a response; not even his wife responded. He approached the door, but then threw the pieces of wood aside and tried retreating. Suddenly, he was kicked forward with such force that he broke through the door to his home. As the man picked himself up, he saw his unconscious wife and son, along with Mary who was sitting on a chair. He started panicking when he remembered that Kieran is always with Mary. He trembled as he tried to bite the poison hidden in his teeth, but Kieran knocked him out. Kieran tied up the three people, and he and Mary returned to the palace.

When they returned, Maxim had gathered ten Raven Sect members. He was extremely unsatisfied with this turnout, but he could only blame his lack of leadership qualities. He was filled with disbelief though when Kieran praised him for gathering so many people; Kieran had honestly expected Maxim to not be able to gather a single person.

That night, a group of people attempted to attack the palace, but they were all killed by [Dandelion Pierce] before they could even reach the palace. [Dandelion Pierce] leveled up from killing so many people since Kieran had first got it. There was one opponent that defended against the sword, and continued charging at the palace. He activated a skill that reduced the temperature of the area, and caused snow to fall. The enemy merged with the freezing wind and snow, but as he approached Kieran, he was melted by the heat of Devil Fire. Kieran summoned the White Wolf to kill him. Kieran then looked at the palace, which should have been brightly lit up, but instead was shrouded in darkness. Kieran shrouded himself with Dawn Force, dispelling the darkness; the white wolf also killed the person who summoned the darkness.

Kieran returned to the palace, where Perry, Maxim, and Celty couldn’t figure out how Kieran knew the palace was going to be attacked. He did not tell her, but mentally revealed that he located the Viper Sect branch from the Fire Raven and the Frost Wolf pup, and he kidnapped a few catives to lure the Viper Sect here. Kieran then ordered the Raven Sect to clean up the battlefield, as he went with Mary to eat dinner. Kieran looked at the loot he had gotten recently, the [Crystal of Messy Thoughts (Excellent)], [Dark Stream Dagger], and the [Curl Snake Sculpture]. Kieran thought about the prerequisites of the items, before standing up.

Kieran walked to his door and opened it, where Eldar was standing behind it. Kieran allowed Eldar into his room, and Eldar was shocked about how plainly it was decorated and how small it was. Eldar then thanked Kieran for helping Mary and King James, before asking Kieran if he wanted to know why James and Tenar were being targeted at the same time. Kieran declined simply, shocking Eldar. Eldar then started wondering about Kieran’s past and started talking, but Kieran stopped listening and tried to use his intuition to figure out what Mary was cooking for dinner. Kieran then interrupted Eldar before he could talk about James and Tenar, telling Eldar that he declined to know the secret because Mary is more deserving to know than himself. Eldar was shocked, but left when Kieran asked him to.

Mary then brought Kieran the food she cooked, and Kieran ate it quickly. When he finished, Eldar returned, to Kieran’s annoyance. Eldar told Kieran that he wanted to tell Kieran a secret related to him and the Viper Sect. Eldar then first asked Kieran if he ever looked down on King James, which confused Kieran. He told Eldar that he doesn't look down on James, and Eldar told Kieran that, twenty years ago, James had planned to eliminate all of the sects in Warren; James even had Folly, who he was collaborating with, eliminate the Viper Sect. The plans succeeded, and they managed to drive the sects out of Warren, however the sects also planted spies within the palace. Two spies that Kieran knows of were Ellen, Mary’s mother and previous First Seat of the Raven Sect, and Jeanne James, James’ sister and First Seat of the Ghastly Woods Sect. Kieran then realized that other than Folly, who Kieran already killed, and Eldar, the other people that James collaborated with to destroy the sects are probably all dead already. Eldar started yelling at Kieran, and Kieran kicked Eldar out of his room. Kieran told Eldar that their extermination of the Viper Sect was unsuccessful as he left his room.

The Frost Wolf pup was walking around the city, covered in dirt to make itself look like a stray dog. The Frost Wolf pup was watching a building where groups of men were repeatedly arriving and leaving. The pup approached the building, and eavesdropped. It heard people inside arguing about the attack on the palace last night, and they eventually started slaughtering each other. Kieran entered the room and finished killing them. They all dropped skill books, and Kieran learned [Thousand Viper Kick], [Soundless Trick], and [Viper Body]. He then praised the pup for locating this building, before telling it to continue scouting. As the Frost Wolf pup left, a person with an eight-headed viper tattoo revealed himself.

[Sub-mission: Remaining Viper Sect (Complete)]

[Triggered special event: Hidden Viper]

[Hidden Viper: After you decided to help Perry Kaner, you slowly realized that the so-called remaining Viper Sect wasn’t the remains, after all. They were not only intact, but they were also hiding in the shadows all along, like a real poisonous viper ready to eat its foe. You are the one they had their eyes on…] (Ch 1210)

The man attacked with a giant mirage of a viper, which reminded Kieran of his fight with the Prairie King. Kieran summoned the Devil mirage, which easily ripped the viper in half. The man was sneaking up on Kieran with a dagger coated in poison, but Kieran countered with [Hundred Violent Kicks] and [Thousand Viper Kick]. The man recognized [Thousand Viper Kick] and started underestimating Kieran, only to be overwhelmed with the strength of the kicks, and killed. As Kieran looked toward the body, another Viper Sect man thrust a dagger at Kieran’s back. This man was killed by the white wolf before he could reach Kieran though.

Perry Kaner then walked out of the shadows, in shock. She recognized the eight-headed viper symbol as the Eight Leaders, a group of elites who worked under the Prime Viper. She was filled with fear when she saw them, but now she was afraid of Kieran and the white wolf who killed two Eight Leaders without breaking a sweat. She then suddenly remembered a legend about the Wolf Sect, where there is only ever one member of that sect at a time; the White Wolf. She then watched as the Frost Wolf pup ran up to Kieran, with loot in it’s mouth, and she watched as Kieran picked it up and started petting it. She became convinced that Kieran was the leader of the Wolf Sect, not the Prairie King. The white wolf, which was sitting next to Kieran, started to howl so loudly that it could be heard from the palace.

Within the palace, Maxim and Celty started wondering if the Wolf Sect was still alive, and wondered if Kieran inherited the position of White Wolf from killing the Prairie King. They denied it, remembering that he had the Fire Raven, not a wolf, as they had never seen the Frost Wolf pup before. They calmed down just in time to see Kieran enter the palace with the Frost Wolf pup sleeping in his arms. Kieran ignored the stunned Raven Sect duo and went into his room, where he asked Perry to follow him so they could talk. Maxim and Celty, when they recovered from their shock, started wondering about what would happen if the Crown Raven and the White Wolf are the same person. In Kieran’s room, Kieran asked Perry about the Viper Sect, ignoring that she believed him to be the White Wolf.

Perry told him briefly about the Eight Leaders of the Viper Sect, before telling him that she came to the realization that everyone who was truly powerful in the sect went into hiding, abandoning Perry and everyone else who they deemed to be weak. She asked Kieran to kill her, but he threw her out of the room, telling her she was too weak for him to bother killing her. She laid on the ground, briefly wondering about what it meant to be strong, when Mary arrived and comforted her. Mary told Perry what Kieran told her about strength, and Perry felt inspired as she merged into the shadows.

Mary then entered Kieran’s room, and told him that Duke Eldar offered to tell her about the history of her parents, though she declined. He also told her that Kieran is the White Wolf, and she asked Kieran if that was true. Kieran remembered that the Prairie’s worshipped the Wolf Sect, so if Kieran was the White Wolf, that would indirectly make him an enemy of Warren. Kieran assured her it is not true, and wondered if he should get revenge for the false rumours. Mary left, and Kieran wondered what he could do to draw out the Viper Sect. Kieran jumped onto the roof of the palace and used [Wolf’s Remnant Feast]’s [Body of the White Wolf] to turn into a werewolf. Kieran then let out a howl that resonated all throughout Warren, and reached into the Prairies; it caused every wolf that heard it to start running toward the Prairies.

Within the palace, where the Prairie captives were still locked up, they heard the wolf howl and believed it to be their God. They celebrated, but did not riot. Rover, the royal wizard of the Warren royal family who was in the Lightning Forretress, sent a messenger to report the wolf activities to the palace. Rover had a bad feeling that Warren was going to struggle, so he started laying down some spells in preparation.

Enmorder is a chieftain of a tribe in the Prairies, and he was wondering about how to allow his tribe, which had suffered many defeats in the war, to survive. Suddenly, they heard the wolf howls, and they started cheering and praying, as they believed it to be their God. The tribe was fearful before, but now they are full of confidence.

In the northern Prairies, there was a tower in a secluded valley. In this tower was a flame, which was very large, but was now only the size of a trach, and getting even smaller. There was one person in the tower, who was excited, as the small flame signified his plans were close to succeeding. Suddenly, the flame burst back to life, much larger than it had ever been. The person suffered from repulsion, and was also slightly burnt from the hot flames. The man declared that he would end the Wolf Sect.

Duke Zilin approached Werewolf Kieran who was still on the roof of the palace. Kieran undid the transformation and jumped down. Zilin was conflicted, feeling it was unlikely he would receive the Viper Sect techniques he had previously asked for if Kieran was actually the White Wolf. Kieran returned to his room and he started looking at the loot he got from the two Eight Leaders, the [Cunning Viper Sword] and the [Essentials of Viper Sect Technique Record]. Kieran was interested in the [Essentials of Viper Sect Technique Record] and decided to visit Perry Kaner to learn the prerequisite Viper Sect [Mystical Knowledge].

Perry Kaner was in a dark room. She was recovering after a sudden molting, when her skin shed; she felt like her Spirit had dramatically increased after the process. She sensed an intruder, and tried to fight them, but they had a large difference in strength, and she was pinned down. She managed to escape from the constraints, and the intruder was suddenly attacked by another hidden intruder. The two, who she suspected to be from the Viper Sect and Ape Sect, had a brief fight before escaping when Perry summoned a snake. Shortly after they left, Kieran walked into Perry’s room with their heads in his hands. He was doubtful that they were from the Viper and Ape Sects, and ordered Perry to go get Maxim and Celty. He got the [Ghastly Woods Short Knife] and [Combustion-support Powder] from the two (Ch 1217).

Since the [Combustion-support Powder] is from the Raven Sect, Kieran was hoping that he could have Maxim and Celty identify the body that the powder was looted from. As he waited, Kieran habitually used [Tracking] to inspect the room and noticed that there were footprints from the two intruders that were made earlier than today. He realized that the footprints were searching for something, and Kieran also searched around the room. When Maxim and Celty arrived, he found nothing.

Maxim and Celty did recognize one of the intruders as Ackerman, a Raven Sect member that was Maxim’s rival in becoming the Raven Sect’s recorder. The two told Kieran that they would investigate Ackerman and left. Duke Zilin then arrived and apologized to Kieran, because he was supposed to be in charge of security. Perry Kaner told him what happened, and Duke Zilin said that he would get more guards here before leaving. Kieran asked Perry for some of the Viper Sect’s hidden knowledge, and Perry agreed without hesitation; she no longer had any loyalty to the Viper Sect after learning she was merely a sacrificial pawn. She taught Kieran [Mystical Knowledge. Viper Sect (Basic)] (Ch 1218) before he left.

The next morning, there was a crowd of people waiting outside of the gates to Riverdale, returning to their home city after learning that the war was over. Mary knew that within this crowd would also be spies and Sect members, but she allowed everyone to enter Riverdale after ordering the guards to thoroughly register everyone who was entering.

Kieran visited Eldar, who does not like Kieran. Kieran accused Eldar of having malicious intentions against Mary, but Eldar just told Kieran that Mary is not queen yet. After a brief argument, Kieran reminded Eldar that he would be dead if not for Mary’s kindness, and told him that he could pay a debt of gratitude if he tells Kieran what the secret of Warren’s palace is that the two intruders were looking for. Eldar agreed, and told him that the Dragon Sect had hidden some secret techniques in the Warren Palace.

Kieran returned to his room where he and Mary ate breakfast. When he was done, he used [Essentials of Viper Sect Techniques Record] on [Dormant Viper], leveling it up to [Dormant Viper (Pro)] (Ch 1220). Mary then showed Kieran a letter she received from the Royal Wizard Rover, which warned Mary about the people returning to Riverdale after fleeing from the war; Rover said that they would scheme to regain their positions that they lost from fleeing. Mary expressed her disappointment at the nobles, and Kieran explained that living a sheltered life made them cowardly. Mary then asked Kieran if he would rule beside her, but he declined and told her that he would pave the way to being Warren’s ruler for her instead. Kieran then summoned the White Wolf and rode it away, while Mary tried to chase after him.

At the gates, the crowd of refugees were being treated fairly and orderly, under Mary’s instructions. The refugees, after learning that their good treatment was ordered by Mary, started viewing her more and more favourably. Not every refugee was satisfied though, since there were nobles in the crowd. One noble, from the House Zardin, started whipping the other refugees and made his way to the gates, where he saw Bosco. He demanded to know why he was being treated like a commoner, and Bosco reminded him that any nobility that fled during the war would have their titles stripped. Viscount Zardin started spinning a tale about how he didn’t flee, and was actually a war hero.

Just as Viscount Zardin began slandering Mary, Kieran descended from the sky, atop the White Wolf, and landed on the Viscount, crushing him to death. Bosco told Kieran what happened, and Kieran ordered the White Wolf to slaughter the rest of the House Zardin. As soon as the slaughter ended, the White Wolf continued running south, avoiding the other refugees, and let out a howl to summon more wolves. The swarm of wolves and Kieran left quickly.

Mary eventually reached the gate, where nothing remained of the slaughter except for the smell. She met Bosco, who told her about what happened, and how the refugees had been even calmer since. Mary ordered Bosco to have Rover transferred to the gate, and Duke Zilin expressed admiration towards Kieran’s actions against the cowardly nobles.

In a house in Riverdale, a person was throwing a tantrum after learning about the slaughter. He calmed down and gave a pigeon a letter before releasing it. As the pigeon flew away, the Fire Raven spotted it and followed it.

In a forest on the outskirts of Riverdale was Jarles, the First Seat of the Ghastly Woods Sect, surrounded by a few nobles who had managed to escape the slaughter. Jarles read a report about the slaughter and laughed, while the nobles were asking Jarles for help. Jarles agreed to help them kill Kieran in exchange for payment, and then noticed the pigeon arriving. Jarles prepared to receive the letter from the pigeon, but the group was killed by a fireball. Kieran got the [Insect Flute] from Jarles.

Kieran investigated the campsite and noticed that they had been there for a few days, and the amount of provisions implied that they were planning on staying for a few more days. Kieran realized that these nobles had been preparing to leave even before the Prairies had invaded Warren, which made him think that the nobles had anticipated that Warren would be invaded. Kieran was able to guess that the nobles had a plan, and even though he was not sure what the plan was, he knew that he needed to stop it. Kieran thought about the Ghastly Woods Sect, and revealed that he had been planning for a while to eliminate the remains of that Sect, when the Fire Raven noticed someone walking toward him.

A Ghastly Woods Sect member approached Kieran and started rambling about the White Wolf and the Wolf Sect, saying that he was both relieved and disappointed that the Prairie King was not the Whte Wolf. The man then asked Kieran to leave Riverdale in exchange for compensation. Kieran noticed that insects were surrounding him, and when he pointed it out, the man ordered the insects to attack Kieran. Kieran burned all of the insects with Devil Fire, and burned the man, Changrott. As he burned to death, another Changrott appeared, and Kieran pierced through his heart with his hand. Changrott’s body turned to sand and blew away; Kieran’s hand that was pierced through his body also turned to sand, and slowly started eating away at his body.

Changrott was watching Kieran slowly turn into sand as he mocked Kieran for daring to fight against someone from the Ghastly Woods Sect. He then noticed a blind man approaching him, and Changrott was suddenly full of fear. Changrott recognized the blind man as the Aqua Ape, and hastily tried justifying why he had to kill Kieran. Aqua Ape told Changrott to be quiet, and then Changrott was suddenly killed by a fireball. Aqua Ape started provoking Kieran, and Kieran suddenly realized that there was something going on in Riverdale.

Oboard, the Marquis that sent out the messenger pigeon, was very anxious. He drank a potion that he got from the Ghastly Woods Sect, which put him in an intoxicated state that relieved his anxiety. Oboard then noticed Gluttony was also in the room, and Gluttony stole the rest of the potion from him and drank it. Gluttony was disgusted by the taste, and spat it out; he was enraged by how nauseous the taste made him. Oboard started screaming for his guards, but the guards were already asleep because of Sloth. Changrott entered the building, and Sloth complained to himself that he had to take care of him and several other intruders.

In the Warren Palace, Mary was drafting documents with Duke Eldar and Duke Zilin. Duke Eldar wanted to complain about Kieran, but remained silent after being chided by Mary. Eldar read the document Mary was writing and gave her some advice, allowing her to flawlessly draft the document. As Eldar was proofreading it, King James entered the room with the help of a servant.

James asked Duke Zilin to leave, as he wanted to speak with Mary and Eldar privately. Mary and Zilin were confused as to why James did not want the servant to leave also, but James soon explained that this servant would be replacing Tenar as Mary’s servant. Eldar approved of the servant without jealousy. King James then asked Eldar to tell Mary a secret that he felt he personally was not qualified to tell her. Eldar started talking about a secret involving the Warren Palace and the Dragon Sect, but before he could say anything, Pride stepped out of the shadows and interrupted Eldar.

Pride walked toward Mary and sheltered her behind his back, and Mary grabbed Eldar and also dragged him behind Pride. Eldar and Mary instantly knew that something was wrong with the servant. The servant lamented how he was so close to learning the secret, and asked Kieran if he would like to hear the secret also. Pride sneered at the servant, who is a member of the Ghastly Woods Sect, and the servant reached out to grab the King. Before he could grab James, Wrath reached out to grab the servant’s wrist. Wrath killed the servant. Pride then sent Eldar and Mary out of the room, leaving James there.

James asked Pride if he found the secret, and due to Pride’s arrogant expression, James believed that Kieran did find the Dragon Sect secret. James then appeared behind Wrath, punching a hole through his chest; Wrath vanished. As James turned back to Pride, Greed appeared and attacked, but was quickly killed by James. Then Envy, then Lust appeared, and they were also quickly killed in turn. They fought for a while, and James believed that he would easily win this fight as he thought Pride was the real Kieran. As he was about to deal a finishing blow, Kieran appeared behind him and kicked him, dealing a great amount of damage. James continued to attack, and Kieran fought against him with [Arrogant Word]. James was beaten badly, and Kieran revealed that this James was actually the Crown Raven.

Kieran revealed that he figured out that James was the Crown Raven through realizing that even though the Viper Sect and Ghastly Woods Sect are still searching for the secret within the Warren Palace, the Crown Raven had been missing for years.

James then shrouded himself with a healing flame that completely healed himself, and offered to let Kieran live if he tells James about the Dragon Sect and Wolf Sect. James also charged up a fireball in his hand and threatened Kieran with it. Kieran laughed and charged up a fireball made of Devil Fire, which scared the Crown Raven. Kieran used [Reckless Rush] and charged at James, and their fireballs collided and exploded. The Devil Mirage was then summoned, and killed James. Kieran got the [Fire Shower] (Ch 1232)

[Eliminated Crown Raven Soul Fragment, triggered special event: The Hidden Secret, 20 Years Ago.]

[The Hidden Secret, 20 Years Ago: Time is a scary thing, it doesn’t just change the sea into mulberry fields, it changes people as well. What happened exactly 20 years ago? Other than the participants, no one knows! Now, one of the participants has died, and the rest will surely show themselves…] (Ch 1231)

Kieran left to meet Mary, Duke Eldar, Duke Zilin, and the guards that had arrived from the commotion. They went to a tea room and Kieran explained to them what had happened. Eldar asked if that James was an imposter, Kieran explained that he both was and was not an imposter. Kieran revealed that James was being used as a puppet by the Crown Raven in a conflict between the Raven Sect and the Viper Sect. Eldar ran out of the room in grief and shock, and Kieran stopped Mary from chasing after him.

Kieran then gently told Mary that they need to prepare a funeral for James, and a coronation for her. Kieran comforted her as she cried, before leaving so she could be alone.

Kieran looked at the [Fire Shower] and got excited at the idea of merging the Raven Sect’s Ultimate Technique with his Devil Fire. Kieran needed to learn [Mystical Knowledge (Raven Sect, Grand Master)] though, so he sent someone to get Maxim. As Kieran waited, the Aqua Ape visited Kieran. Kieran revealed that he had run away from the Aqua Ape when he noticed the Crown Raven had appeared, and he was not surprised that Aqua Ape had followed him to the palace. The two sat in silence until they heard footsteps outside of the door. Aqua Ape quickly told Kieran that he would help Kieran fight against the Prime Viper before he vanished.

Kieran thought about the Ape Sect and the Viper Sect briefly before Maxim entered the room. Maxim gave his report about Ackerman, saying that a few years ago he gathered some Raven Sect members and infiltrated the palace. He said that he found the Raven Sect members, and they renounced their loyalty to Ackerman after seeing Kieran’s control of fire. Kieran then asked if Maxim would teach him some of the Raven Sect’s teachings, and Maxim gladly agreed; Maxim left to prepare. When Maxim left, Perry Kaner revealed herself and asked KIeran if he would be working with the Ape Sect, or if he would be continuing the conflict between the Wolf Sect and the Ape Sect. Kieran was very happy when he learned that the Wolf Sect and the Ape Sect previously had conflict.

Kieran spent the next five days in his room, only learning about the Raven Sect from Maxim. He leveled up his [Mystical Knowledge, Raven Sect] to (Master) (Ch 1234). Kieran knew that it would take a lot longer to reach the necessary (Grand Master) level, so he took a break while ordering Maxim to gather the necessary supplies to continue the studies.

Kieran met with Perry Kaner, and the two of them left the Palace and headed toward Riverdale’s inner city area, which largely belonged to Mary, since many of the nobles had their titles and properties stripped after fleeing during the invasion. They met with Fanner, Jyaichi, and Torstar, who reported about Aqua Ape, who they were watching.

They went to the building that the Aqua Ape was staying in, and Aqua Ape’s servant greeted them at the gate. Perry Kaner then revealed a warrant for Aqua Ape’s arrest for trespassing on private property, authorized by Mary. The servant, Rubart, thought that Kieran was joking, but Kieran released his aura onto Rubart, making him stagger back. Aqua Ape then appeared and gave Perry Kaner a sack of money to pay off the fine for his arrest. Kieran and his group left with the money to Rubart’s confusion; Aqua Ape explained to him that Kieran was too powerful to fight against.

In a hall in the Palace, Mary was writing another document. She handed the finished document to a servant, and then Perry Kaner told Mary that she was expecting a retaliation from the Ape Sect after Kieran insulted the Aqua Ape. Perry then delivered a nonsensical message from Kieran to Mary, which Perry did not know the meaning of.

Mary and Kieran then ate lunch together. Mary told Kieran that James’ funeral would be tomorrow night.

At the funeral, a coffin was being carried to a royal tomb outside of Riverdale. As the coffin was being lowered, Kieran noticed a statue of King James I, and wondered why there was no statue of King James II or his wife, who made considerably more contributions to Warren. Eldar refused to answer Kieran’s question, but told him “The light of dead silence, pierce the sky and land.” (Ch 1237). When the tomb was sealed, Eldar drank some wine and then died just outside of the tomb now that he had fulfilled his mission.

The next day, a small tomb was built right next to James VIII’s tomb for Eldar, which was the source of some controversy. Duke Zilin reported to Mary that it was the runaway nobles that were the source of the bad rumours surrounding Mary and Eldar, and she ordered Zilin to remind them of the slaughter Kieran started against them.

Kieran was pondering what Eldar meant by “The light of dead silence, pierce the sky and land.” Since Eldar was dead and therefore could not give Kieran any hints, Kieran got Maxim and Celty to help him go through books to figure the riddle out. Maxim found something in a book and ran over to Kieran, but Kieran suddenly left the room without an explanation. The two heard explosions from outside.

Outside of Riverdale, the path to the Lightning Forretress was severed. There were craters from the explosions everywhere, and there were many corpses. Kieran headed towards the largest crater and saw tracks from Aqua Ape, which looked like he had been attacked and wounded. Kieran guessed that the craters were formed by Flame Ape, and that the giant slash severing the road was formed by Blade Ape. Kieran followed the tracks from the Ape Sect members and discovered that they had planned an ambush on someone.

Before he could figure out who the target of the ambush was, Mary, Maxim, Celty, and Warren guards arrived. Mary went to Kieran and the two of them concluded that the target was the Prime Viper, and that the Prime Viper had set a trap to lure the Ape Sect to attack them.

There was a moving ball of liquid, which turned out to be Aqua Ape. Aqua Ape revealed himself, and immediately was attacked by a member of the Viper Sect. The Viper Sect member pinned Aqua Ape to the ground with arrows, and started stomping on Aqua Ape’s body. Aqua Ape’s blood started flowing, until there was enough spilt that he could form a dagger out of his own blood and kill the Viper Sect member. The Viper Sect member’s blood sprayed onto Aqua Ape’s body, healing his wounded body, but Aqua Ape staggered and realized that the blood of the Viper Sect member was poisoned.

When Aqua Ape regained consciousness, he saw Mary and Duke Zilin. Mary explained that she got a doctor to cure the poison, but he still needed to rest to finish recovering. Aqua Ape still tried getting up, saying he needed to warn Kieran, but Duke Zilin calmed Aqua Ape, telling him that Kieran already knew; he also said that the Ape Sect had Kieran’s gratitude for attacking the Prime Viper.

Deeper in the forest was a Ghastly Woods Sect member named Zoyedark who was brewing a potion for the Viper Sect member Pheter. Pheter and the Prime Viper started talking, and Pheter reported that they were ready to start the blood sacrifice, and that there was a trap ready for Kieran. Bloody Mary was sneaking up on Pheter, but he noticed it and sent a punch through its chest. The White Wolf then killed Pheter.

Bloody Mary reappeared and continued sneaking, this time her target was Zoyedark who was still creating a potion. It turned into a spirit form, which Zoyedark shouldn’t have been able to perceive, but he did notice as Bloody Mary grew closer to him. Zoyedark attacked, and Bloody Mary disappeared. Zoyedark then cast a spell that formed a barrier in the sky out of vipers made of shadows, revealing that Zoyedark was actually the Prime Viper. With the barrier in the sky, he could see everything within the barrier. Zoyedark found Kieran and teleported to him, but it was actually Sloth, who dodged his attacks by lying down on the ground.

Zoyedark continued to attack Sloth with spears made of shadows, but Sloth was able to easily dodge the spears by rolling around on the ground. Zoyedark summoned hundreds of shadow spears that aimed at the ground, making it so the only way a person could dodge the attack would be to run toward Zoyedark, where he would then kill them with his shadow sword. Zoyedark was surprised when Sloth did not dodge, and took the attack. When he realized that Sloth had taken shelter underground, the Devil Mirage ripped apart the shadow barrier in the sky.

As the sunlight dispelled Zoyedark’s shadows, Pride jumped down through the hole ripped in the barrier and attacked Zoyedark with his greatsword. Zoyadark was sliced into dozens of pieces, but the chunks of his flesh came back together to reform Zoyedark’s body. Zoyedark was about to attack agan, stronger now after his regeneration, but before he could attack, a [Seal of Dawn] that had previously been carved into the ground started glowing.

Since the light from the [Seal of Dawn] was Zoyedark’s weakness, he started screaming in pain. Pride took advantage of this weakness and attacked him with his greatsword. Zoyedark managed to ignore the pain, and even stopped taking damage from the light, and caught the greatsword before it hit him. Then [Dandelion’s Pierce] severed his head, but the headless body still moved. Pride attacked Zoyedark’s headless body. Just like with the [Seal of Dawn] though, the two swords also lost their effectiveness. Zoyedark caught his head and repaired his body.

Zoyedark revealed that the Prime Viper was actually an ouroboros, meaning he could not die, but Pride and Sloth both knew he was bluffing, and that he had a weakness. Sloth shouted that they should all attack at once before disappearing. Pride attacked with both the greatsword and [Dandelion’s Pierce], but it didn’t do anything against Zoyedark, until Pride revealed the greatsword to be [Arrogant Word]. Pride used [Arrogant Word]’s [Fury Slash], which dealt a great deal of damage to Zoyedark, and he revealed that he had plans for Riverdale.

In RIverdale, the real Zoyedark was walking around. As he reached the location where he was to carry out his plans, he noticed Kieran and couldn’t figure out how he knew that he had been fighting with a clone. Kieran started spewing some half baked assumptions about the Crown Raven, King James VIII, the Prairies, the Wolf Sect, and claimed that the Viper Sect was the common link between them all. Zoyedark confirmed this, and then formed another shadow barrier in the sky.

Under the barrier, Zoyedark claimed that all of Kieran’s powers shouldn’t be usable. Kieran noticed that his Devil Fire was greatly weakened, but the Saint Thorns Force was being strengthened under the shadow barrier. Kieran used [Blade of the Daybreaker]’s [Dawn Descent], which neutralized Zoyedark’s attacks, and created an even darker darkness. While Zoyedark’s eyes were still adjusting to the darkness, Kieran used [Dawn Sword Veil] to make copies of [Extreme Night], and Kieran attacked Zoyedark with three [Extreme NIght]s.

Zoyedark bore three hits of [Night Slash], which managed to break his defences. Kieran used [Night Slash] three more times, which was the maximum amount of times that attack could be used, since [Extreme Night] was still damaged. Kieran then used attacks from a lot of the miscellaneous items he had gathered in this dungeon, and used the attacks to disguise [Mardos’ Web], which he had shot at Zoyedark. When he got caught in the web, [Mardos’ Terror] was used on him, and he suffered a mental attack equivalent to Kieran’s rank IV Spirit attribute. Kieran then used [Lionheart]’s [Lion’s Courage] to dispel the restraints on his fire, Kieran charged up a fireball and threw it at Zoyedark, killing him.

[Eliminated Prime Viper, deemed as special completion of main mission. Player will leave the dungeon in 10 seconds…]

[Please take whatever items you wish to keep with you.]

[Note: Any items that exceed the maximum weight will be discarded!] (Ch 1247)

Kieran picked up the [Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Techniques Record] and [Shadow Crystal I] before sensing a great danger. He wielded [Extreme Night] and used [The Warden]’s [Priority Timing] to reset the cooldown on [Dawn Descent]. He realized suddenly that he was not in Riverdale anymore, but a world that was only black and white. When he took a step to investigate, he felt his body weaken greatly.

[Entered unknown domain, all attributes – rank I. Dawn, Plague, Devil, Cardinal Sins, Saint Thorn greatly decreased…] (Ch 1248)

Just before the timer ended, Kieran saw a black boat on the white stream, and heard the passenger on it say a riddle, and asked Kieran if he would board the boat. Kieran did not answer, because the words of the riddle were implying that Kieran had died. Kieran stayed silent until the timer ended.

[Special Dungeon: The Queen’s Shield III]

[Dungeon Type: Free mission]

[Dungeon Difficulty: Below Average]

[Main Mission: Ensure Mary ascends to the throne as queen in 30 days]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Basic Rating: F)]

[Sub-mission: Remaining Viper Sect]

[Mission Completion: 100% (Rating F → D)]

[Special Event: Hidden Viper (Perfect Clear)]

[Rating: D → A]

[Special Event: The hidden secret 20 years ago (Perfect Clear)]

[Rating: A → SSS]

[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating: SSS → Z)]

[Exploration Performance: Excellent (Rating Z → ZZ)]

[Special Rating 1: Eliminated Crown Raven Soul Fragment (Rating ZZ → ZZZ, Rep +1)]

[Special Rating 2: Eliminated Prime Viper (Rating ZZZ → V, Rep +1)]

[Special Rating 3: Entered Unknown Domain (Rating V → VVV, Rep +3)]

[Player’s final rating: VVV]

[Calculating player’s final reward…]

[Final player reward as stated…]

[Points: 300,000; Skill Points: 60; Golden Skill Points: 7; Golden Attribute Points: 7]

[Acquired special dungeon: The Queen’s Shield IV]

[Acquired special reward 1: Practise dagger]

[Acquired special reward 2: Charts of the southern barons]

[Acquired special reward 3: Remains of James III’s diary]

[Acquired special reward 4: Charts of House Zilin] (Ch 1248)

## **Special Dungeon: The Queen’s Shield III Received Items**

[Name: Dandelion Pierce]

[Type: Weapon]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack: Strong (Extreme)]

[Attribute: 1. Wail of the Dead; 2. Soaring Pierce; 3. Slaughter Accumulation]

[Effect: None]

[Prerequisite: Spirit B+]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Remark: An ominous sword soaked in blood. It absorbs the souls of the dead]

[Wail of the Dead (+2): All targets have to undergo a Spirit authentication no lesser than C+(B) while facing the wielder. Targets who fail will be induced in Panic and Fear. When the wielder chooses a target of his will, the target has to undergo a Spirit authentication no lesser than B+(A). Targets who fail will be induced in Panic and Fear together with a powerful mental blast.]

[Soaring Pierce (+2): The wielder can control the sword to perform range attacks no further than 20 (40) meters in rage. The sword itself will automatically be buffed with Master level Undercover and Acceleration effects]

[Slaughter Accumulation: Whenever 150 souls of the slaughtered are absorbed into the sword, attack level +1 (Unable to exceed Extreme rank), Wail of the Dead +1, Soaring Pierce +1. Current accumulated souls: 300] (Ch 1205)

[Name: Crystal of Messy Thoughts (Excellent)]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attribute: 1. Absorb; 2. Enhance]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Ghastly Woods, Master)]

[Remark: This is a must-have item for an excellent Ghastly Woods Sect member. Most of them were a gift from their own teacher.]

[Absorb: Slowly absorbs human emotions that are within a 100-meter radius (positive and negative emotions), stores them and transforms them into 3 times the Extreme level of enhancement or 1 Advance Rank level enhancement.]

[Enhance: Transforms the absorbed emotions into the power of a curse, strengthening oneself.] (Ch 1206)

[Name: Dark Stream Dagger]

[Type: Weapon]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack: Strong]

[Attribute: 1. Soundless; 2. Dark Blessing]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)]

[Remark: This isn’t a weapon that was forged in the traditional way but was instead found in a secret room in certain historical ruins and was stabbed into an unlucky body.]

[Soundless: Attack without air-breaking sounds]

[Dark Blessing: Acquires +1 attack buff during the night or in a dark environment] (Ch 1206)

[Name: Curl Snake Sculpture]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: 1. Black Mist (1/3); 2. Dark Herd]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Viper Sect, Master)]

[Remark: This is a specially forged item of the Viper Sect core members. Once, it was spurned upon by people and now it isn’t even anywhere as good.]

[Black Mist: Creates a 150-meter radius of negative energy mist that could hide the user and spirit beings; duration of 2 minutes]

[Dark Herd: Collects the souls of the specially killed to fight for you (Contains: 0)] (Ch 1206)

[Name: Cunning Viper Sword]

[Type: Weapon]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack: Powerful]

[Attribute: Cunning Sting]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Grand Master)]

[Remark: One of the decent weapons forged specifically for assassins by the forging master of Viper Sect]

[Cunning Sting: While in shadow or darkness, launch an Extreme attack on a single target within 3 meters of seeing-range. When attacking, user will automatically gain an accelerated effect, 2 per day] (Ch 1216)

[Name: Essentials of Viper Sect Technique Record]

[Type: Book]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: Able to level up any Viper Sect skill level after reading (The level of increment depends on the rank and level of the skill)]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Viper Sect, Basic)]

[Remark: It isn’t an orthodox book to read but was accidentally created to store special knowledge. However, it ultimately becomes another type of inheritance within Viper Sect, you will need special knowledge to read it.] (Ch 1216)

[Name: Ghastly Woods Short Knife]

[Type: Dagger]

[Rarity: Magic]

[Attack: Average]

[Attribute: 1. Rapid Lvl 1; 2. Nimble Lvl 1.]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Sharp Weapon, Dagger (Master)]

[Remark: This is one of the special weapons of Ghastly Woods Sect, owned mostly by the official members of the sect.]

[Rapid Lvl 1: When user Agility is lower than C, increase extra 10% attack speed]

[Nimble Lvl 1: It will not slow down the user’s actions] (Ch 1217)

[Name: Combustion-support Powder]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: Magic]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: Combustion-support (When using Raven Sect’s burning technique, increase fire element attack)]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Raven Sect, Master)]

[Remark: This is owned, used by the official members of Raven Sect. It didn’t just require skill but an inheritance of knowledge as well.] (Ch 1217)

[Name: Insect Flute]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Attribute: Summon Insects (2/2)]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Ghastly Woods, Basic)]

[Remark: This is an item owned only by Ghastly Woods core members. Most of them were self-made, but some came from their teacher as well.]

[Summon Insect: Use the flute to gather insects within a 100-meter range to serve you. (Doesn’t include reptiles; includes but is not limited to spiders and scorpions.) 10 minutes duration.]

[Note: When summoning, user needs to maintain the playing of the flute. When the flute stops, the insects will disperse.] (Ch 1224)

[Name: Fire Shower]

[Type: Book]

[Rarity: II]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: Able to learn Raven Sect Ultimate, Fire Shower, after reading]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Raven Sect, Grand Master)]

[Remark: It isn’t complete, it’s broken but it can’t be denied as Raven Sect’s ultimate. Each generation’s Crown Raven would do their best to perfect this technique and it’s also one of the necessary missions for every generation] (Ch 1232)

[Name: Essentials of Prime Viper Secret Techniques Record]

[Type: Book]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: Able to level up one or more Viper Sect or Dragon Sect skill level(s) after reading (The level of increment depends on the rank, level and number of the skills)]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Viper Sect, Grand Master)]

[Remark: Zoyedark was an orthodox Viper Sect member. After much scheming for part of the Dragon Sect Ultimate, Zoyedark recorded it in a very traditional way, together with the skill itself] (Ch 1249)

[Name: Shadow Crystal I]

[Type: ETC]

[Rarity: I]

[Attack: None]

[Defense: None]

[Attribute: Increases negative energy (shadow) item’s abilities, rarity]

[Effect: None]

[Able to bring out of the dungeon: Yes]

[Prerequisite: Mystical Knowledge (Pro)]

[Remark: Zoyedark’s biggest secret was how he got his hands on this crystal. No one knew before and no one will know in the future] (Ch 1249)

## **Special Dungeon: The Queen’s Shield III Learned Skills**

[Detected Viper Kick at Transcendence level, Thousand Viper Kick automatically set as Grand Master level]

[Name: Thousand Viper Kick (Grand Master)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offense]

[Effect: Your leg muscles and joints could be altered greatly in an unimaginable way, increasing your kicking attack range and causing a small air stream that could tear skin. (Air stream attack is Feeble; range is a 2-meter radius from you)]

[Special effect: Viper Hiss (Whenever you launch a kick, your muscles will produce snake hissing sounds. Targets who get struck will be forced to go through a Spirit authentication no lower than B-, Fear will be induced when failed)]

[Transcendence: Spirit authentication of foe increase by 1]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Hand-to-Hand Combat, Kick Combats (Transcendence), Viper Kick (Master), Strength B, Agility B, Constitution B]

[Remark: Catching your enemy off guard with your freaky kicking techniques.] (Ch 1210)

[Name: Silent Trick (Basic)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: When walking, control your muscles to produce silent steps.]

[Special effect: None]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Undercover (Grand Master), Strength C+, Agility C+. Constitution C+]

[Remark: This isn’t one of the Viper Sect’s techniques but it is extremely suitable for its skillsets.] (Ch 1210)

[Name: Viper Body (Basic)]

[Related Attribute: Constitution, Spirit]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: Control your muscles throughout your body and move like a viper]

[Special Effect: None]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Dormant Viper (Basic), Strength C+, Agility C+, Constitution C+]

[Remark: It is interconnected with Dormant Viper] (Ch 1210)

[Through learning and teaching, player has acquired a massive amount of Mystical Knowledge. Viper Sect…]

[Learned Mystical Knowledge. Viper Sect (Basic)]

[Name: Mystical Knowledge. Viper Sect (Basic)]

[Related attribute: None]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: You have a basic understanding of the mystical knowledge of this sect, able to reach basic knowledge from the sect records.]

[Consume: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Remark: Each sect has its own uniqueness, their knowledge vastly different, and this knowledge is always more useful than expected.] (Ch 1218)

[Dormant Viper acquired massive amounts of experience, skill leveled up…]

[Name: Dormant Viper (Pro)]

[Related Attribute: None]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: A high ranking technique among the Viper Sect, it uses a special way of breathing to send the wounded into a slumber that heals for 2.0 HP/minute]

[Special Effect: Viper Rest (Decrease amount of Stamina consumed and increase 1.0 recovery rate per minute.)]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Spirit S+]

[Remark: It will consume your stamina but its roots are within Spirit, it is the entry-level technique to the real Viper Sect ultimates!] (Ch 1220)

[Name: Mystical Knowledge, Raven Sect (Master)]

[Related Attribute: None]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: You have an understanding of the secret knowledge of this sect. You are now able to decipher all related basic knowledge and some advance knowledge.]

[Consume: None]

[Prerequisite: None]

[Remark: Each sect has their own uniqueness, their knowledge are vastly different and these pieces of knowledge are always more useful than expected] (Ch 1234)