Inside the alchemy workshop in the Slums of the City of Glory, which was filled with various junk and strange odors, the air seemed to have solidified.
Lin Mo's voice was not loud, perhaps even calm, but every word was like a stone dropped into a deep pool, stirring up monstrous waves in the heart of the alchemist Pete, which had already been muddied by fanaticism.
"Tell me everything about the 'Thorn of Shadow'."
The obsession and intoxication on Pete's face instantly receded the moment he heard the name. A complex mix of emotions—surprise, nostalgia, and even a hint of deep dread—flashed across his eyes, which had originally been shining brightly because he had obtained the [nether grass].
He did not answer immediately, but nervously glanced around, as if worried that unseen eavesdroppers were hiding in the dilapidated workshop. He walked to the creaking wooden door, laboriously slid the bolt into place, and then dug out a thick, dust-covered black cloth from a pile of scrap metal and junk, completely sealing the only window that let in light.
The entire room instantly plunged into pitch-black darkness.
"Snap!"
A cluster of eerie green flames lit up on Pete's fingertip, illuminating his face, which looked slightly contorted from excitement.
"Kid, where did you hear that name?" Pete's voice was extremely low, carrying an unprecedented solemnity. "I warn you, this is not a word you can casually say. It represents the deepest shadow of the City of Glory, representing a forbidden legacy forgotten by the light and abandoned by history!"
Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat.
He knew he had found the right person!
"It was inadvertently revealed by a mentor who couldn't handle my class change." Lin Mo answered, mixing truth with fabrication. He could sense that the alchemy master before him possessed an unusual understanding of the "Thorn of Shadow."
"Couldn't handle your class change... Of course, of course!" Pete realized suddenly. He looked at Lin Mo, his gaze growing hotter. "Only they could possibly bear the power of the 'Source Poison' within you! Because they themselves are a group of fanatics who pursue the 'Source Poison'!"
He seemed lost in some distant memory, his voice becoming somewhat faint.
"The Thorn of Shadow is no ordinary assassin organization. In their doctrine, Stealth and assassination are only the lowest-level methods. What they truly believe in is 'Poison'! It is an extreme and fanatical belief that elevates toxins into an art form!"
"They believe that poison is the most efficient and elegant form of slaughter in the world. It is silent, formless, capable of Corrosion of armor, dissolving will, and even... slaying gods!"
Pete's words profoundly shook Lin Mo's spirit!
Slaying gods! How similar those four words were to the bottomless potential of his talent, the [Endless Poison Source]!
"They were once the kings of the night, nightmares that made all monarchs tremble. But their methods were too extreme, and their power too bizarre, eventually leading to a joint extermination effort by the Holy Light Church and the major kingdoms." Pete shook his head, his tone laced with regret. "After that battle, the Thorn of Shadow was severely weakened and vanished without a trace, gradually forgotten by the world. Only old fellows like us, who constantly deal with forbidden materials, know from ancient documents that they weren't truly annihilated. Instead, like geckos, they severed their past glory, broke into fragments, and lurked in the deepest shadows of this city, awaiting the emergence of an inheritor."
Lin Mo took a deep breath, the desire in his heart reaching its peak. He knew this was the class tailored specifically for him!
"Master, where should I look for them?"
Pete chuckled, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes: "Since I promised you, I will naturally give you clues. However, I must warn you, those maniacs are not kind people. Their trial is extremely dangerous. If you fail, your character might even be forcibly deleted. You can still back out now."
"My mind is made up." Lin Mo's reply was decisive.
"Very good! You have guts!" Pete nodded approvingly. He pulled out a rusty black badge, shaped like a snake's pupil, from his pocket and handed it to Lin Mo.
"Go to 'Black Serpent Alley' in the deepest part of the Slums. That place is the most filled with Chaos and the least Orderly area in the entire City of Glory. At the end of the alley, there is an abandoned Goddess statue. At midnight, when the moonlight is at its dimmest, place this badge into the eye socket of the statue."
Pete paused, his voice growing eerier: "Remember, if you are qualified, the 'door' will naturally open for you. If you are not qualified... then just wait to be torn apart and devoured by the ghouls in the alley."
[Ding! You have obtained the quest item [Shadow Emblem]!]
[You have triggered the hidden quest chain — [Forgotten Legacy]!]
[Current Quest: Go to Black Serpent Alley at midnight and find the entrance to the 'Thorn of Shadow'.]
Lin Mo took the cold badge and nodded solemnly to Pete: "Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Having said that, he no longer lingered. He turned, slid the bolt open, and without hesitation, merged once more into the labyrinthine alleys of the Slums... Time passed, minute by minute.
Lin Mo did not rush to Black Serpent Alley. Instead, he found an inconspicuous inn, spent a few silver coins for a room, and made final preparations for the upcoming trial.
He put the two silver-tier pieces of equipment and a large pile of bronze items he had obtained from the dungeon onto the auction house in batches, exchanging them for a large amount of gold coins. Afterward, he purchased a large supply of health and mana potions, antidotes, and several "Lesser Resilience Scrolls" that could save his life at critical moments.
After completing all this, he finally calmed down, sat on the bed, closed his eyes to rest, and adjusted his mental state to its peak.
When the sky outside the window was completely shrouded in ink-like darkness, and the two cold moons were obscured by thick black clouds, Lin Mo's eyes snapped open!
Midnight had arrived!
Silent as a civet cat, he left the inn. After a few flashes of his figure, he disappeared into the deep night of the Slums.
Black Serpent Alley was located in the deepest part of the Slums, lacking even a single dim magic lamp. The air was filled with a nauseating stench, a mix of garbage, sewage, and blood. The narrow alley was piled high with mountains of trash, and occasionally, large rats with glowing red eyes could be seen scurrying through the refuse heaps.
This was a paradise for crime, a restricted area for Order.
Lin Mo's figure was like a ghost merged with the darkness, making no sound whatsoever. Relying on his superior agility and perception, he carefully used Stealth to avoid the unknown viscous liquids and hidden traps on the ground, moving toward the end of the alley.
The further he went, the more dilapidated the surrounding buildings became. Dark brown, long-dried bloodstains could even be seen on the walls. The feeling of being watched persisted, like needles pricking his back.
Lin Mo knew that in this darkness, at least a dozen pairs of malicious eyes were secretly observing him, the uninvited guest.
But he ignored them. As long as he didn't show any weakness, those rats hiding in the gutters wouldn't dare to easily attack him—the "God of Slaughter" whose fierce reputation was already well-known.
Finally, after much winding and turning, a ruined Goddess statue, half of its body already collapsed, appeared at the end of his sight.
The Goddess statue's face was unrecognizable, covered in moss and cracks. Her eyes were two empty sockets, looking particularly eerie in the darkness.
This was the place.
Lin Mo took a deep breath, gripped the [Shadow Emblem] in his hand, and slowly walked toward the ominous-looking statue.
However, just as he was about to approach the statue, a sudden change occurred!
"Shh... shh..."
A grating friction sound came from the garbage pile behind him. Immediately following, a hunched humanoid creature with sickly gray-white skin and ten fingers sharp as knives suddenly leaped out of the trash heap, bringing a foul stench as it lunged straight for his back!
[Ghoul (Elite)]
[Level: 18]
Ambush!
Lin Mo's pupils contracted instantly, but he seemed to have anticipated this all along. There was no trace of panic on his face.
Just as the sharp ghoul claw was about to touch his back, his body suddenly shifted half a meter to the left with an uncanny footwork that completely defied physics!
[Dodge]!
"Pch!"
The ghoul's sharp claws, carrying a fierce wind, grazed the edge of his clothes and slammed hard into the wall ahead, leaving five claw marks deep enough to expose the bone!
What speed! What high attack power!
If it had been any ordinary player, caught unprepared, being hit by that strike would definitely have resulted in an instant kill!
However, Lin Mo's counterattack was faster than its strike!
"[Poison Blade]!"
A dark light shone on his fist. Without even turning his head, he executed an extreme twist of his body, and the fist, tipped with Deadly Poison, shot out like a venomous snake, arriving first despite starting late, and stamped with perfect precision onto the ghoul's hideous skull!
[-55!]
A massive critical damage number burst forth!
The ghoul let out a shrill roar, its body momentarily freezing.
But Lin Mo's combo had only just begun!
"[Venom Spray]!"
Using the momentum of his turn, a mouthful of dark green venom was plastered onto the ghoul's face at point-blank range!
Following that were ordinary attacks like a fierce storm!
The man and the ghoul engaged in the most primitive and bloody melee fight in the dirty, narrow alley!
Ten minutes later.
When Lin Mo plunged his final punch through the ghoul's heart, the encounter finally ended.
He shook off the foul, sticky fluid clinging to his fist, glanced at his health bar which was less than half full, and his expression grew increasingly solemn.
Was this the appetizer for the "Thorn of Shadow"?
He no longer hesitated. He walked up to the Goddess statue and slowly embedded the cold [Shadow Emblem] into the empty left eye socket of the statue.
"Click."
With a soft sound, the emblem fit perfectly into the eye socket.
Following this, a grinding "creak-creak-creak" sound began. The ruined Goddess statue slowly slid to one side, revealing a pitch-black, underground entrance barely wide enough for one person to pass through.
A chilling aura, ten times thicker than the outside air and mixed with blood and Deadly Poison, rushed out from the opening.
A line of blood-red system prompts simultaneously appeared before Lin Mo's eyes.
[You have discovered a Hidden Area — Shadow Sanctuary.]
[Warning: Upon entering this area, you will automatically accept the 'Thorn of Shadow' initiation trial. During the trial, you cannot log off, cannot use any communication tools, and upon death, you will receive a severe penalty ten times that of a normal death penalty!]
[Do you confirm entry?]
Ten times the death penalty!
Lin Mo's pupils suddenly constricted.
This was no longer simply "a near-certain death"; this was clearly a road of no return!
He took a deep breath, the solemnity in his eyes slowly replaced by a hint of frantic determination.
"Confirm!"
Without the slightest hesitation, he took a step, resolutely entering the Endless Darkness that symbolized both opportunity and death.