The interior of the cave was a labyrinth of uneven paths, where one wrong turn could lead to being trapped with no escape.
Yet, as if guided by an unseen force, Alexander confidently strode forward, navigating the twists and turns until he reached the entrance of a secret chamber.
The entrance was blocked by a rock with unique, light blue patterns covering its surface.
Alexander surveyed the area, realizing this was the only way into the chamber. To enter, he had to break through this peculiar rock.
Having been a miner in Hurricane City for ten years, shattering a rock was a simple task for him. He decisively pulled out his worn pickaxe and started striking the rock.
Unexpectedly, after an hour of relentless effort, he was exhausted but hadn't even made a dent in the rock.
Wiping sweat from his brow, Alexander pondered, "How is this rock so special? I never thought there would be such a hard stone in this world!"
Taking a deep breath, he raised the pickaxe again and swung with all his might.
"Clang!"
The pickaxe collided with the rock, emitting a clear sound.
This time, Alexander exerted all his strength, and the old pickaxe couldn't withstand it, breaking in half.
The rebound from the pickaxe numbed his arms, and he stumbled against the rock wall, scraping a small wound on his arm.
Alexander stood up, leaning against the wall, and glanced at the wound. It was just a minor cut, so he didn't pay much attention to it.
But something was off.
Though the wound was small, blood spurted out like a fountain, reaching ten feet away.
Alexander was utterly stunned. What was happening? Was this a bug? Wasn't this a bit too exaggerated?
Such a minor cut causing such a dramatic effect!
As time ticked by, blood continued to gush out, rapidly depleting Alexander's health points, almost reaching zero.
Having survived in the game world for ten years, Alexander knew all too well what it meant for his health points to drop to zero.
He sighed, "If nothing unexpected happens, I'm afraid I'll die here. Am I really a failure? But I can't accept this!"
It seemed as if the heavens heard Alexander's plea, for at that moment, his wound miraculously healed itself.
"Can someone tell me what's going on? Is someone playing a prank?" Alexander shouted, but no one responded.
Looking ahead, he noticed his blood had sprayed everywhere, especially on the strange rock in front of him, leaving a large red stain.
Shockingly, the blood on the rock bubbled like boiling water, gradually seeping into the stone.
Soon, all the blood was absorbed, and the rock's surface began to glow like a gem.
Alexander gently touched the rock with his finger, and it crumbled like quicksand, breaking apart and scattering on the ground.
Behind the rock, a thick bronze door with an ancient aura was revealed.
Creaking softly, Alexander pushed open the bronze door.
Inside was a secret chamber of about 300 square meters, dimly lit by a few oil lamps.
Surveying the room, Alexander noted its sparse contents: aside from the lamps, there was only a chest and a marble statue, nothing else.
The statue, as tall as an average person, seemed ordinary but emitted a strange aura of intimidation, deterring anyone from approaching carelessly.
Cautiously avoiding the statue, Alexander approached the chest, his eyes fixed on it, full of anticipation.
He believed that if he could find something useful in the chest, it might compensate for his lack of talent.
In this world, chests were categorized into different levels: bronze, silver, gold, and diamond, with higher levels typically more ornate.
Alexander hoped, in this mysterious chamber, to find at least a silver-level chest.
But to his disbelief, the chest looked plain and unadorned, resembling a rusty iron box covered in dust.
"Not even bronze?" Alexander felt disappointed. "What bad luck, getting excited for nothing."
As he reached out, a notification sound rang in his ear.
"Ding, you have discovered an Ancient Pandora's Magic Box. Do you wish to open it?"
"Open it."
Alexander responded instinctively, puzzled.
"This looks just like an old iron chest. When did it become an Ancient Pandora's Magic Box?"
Alexander was baffled but soon realized, "Could this be the legendary unassuming appearance?"
He placed his hand on Pandora's Magic Box, and a light flashed. The box slowly opened, he found something resembling an amulet inside.
Before he could examine it closely, another notification sounded:
"Ding, you have obtained the Undead Amulet. This item requires the owner's blood to bind, or it will disappear in 1 minute."
Alexander bit his finger, squeezing a drop of blood onto it. The item's attributes then appeared.
Item: Undead Amulet (Bound)
Level: Supreme God-Level
Attributes: 10% increase in soul summoning effects, 10% increase in undead combat power
Trait: Quest Item
[This is a very rare god-level item that grants the holder the power to control souls. It is also a quest item. It is said that some legendary figures are seeking it, and if you can deliver this item to the right person, you will receive unimaginable rewards.]
As Alexander observed the Undead Amulet, he fell into deep thought.
Though the item seemed powerful and even possessed special abilities, it was useless to him.
Moreover, the item was bound and couldn't be traded with other players.
Then he remembered it was also a quest item.
He didn't know where to find the so-called legendary figures, but handing over the Undead Amulet would grant him an unimaginable reward.
What could this unimaginable reward be? Could it help him defeat Smith with ease?
Lost in thoughts of how to deliver the amulet to the legendary figure, Alexander didn't notice the statue beside him beginning to vibrate.
As the frequency of the vibrations increased, the marble exterior crumbled away, revealing a beautiful figure leaping out.
Alexander felt something was off and turned around just in time to collide with the emerging figure.
The figure was unharmed, while Alexander was knocked to the ground, struggling to get up.
Who was this? Lurking in the shadows, could they be after his treasure?
Lying on the ground, Alexander looked up.
The first thing he saw were a pair of long, alluring legs.
Looking further up, he spotted a short white skirt, simple yet elegant. The hem of the skirt ended just above the knees, gracefully highlighting the curves of her thighs.
Then, he noticed a pair of white panties, semi-visible through the thin fabric, reminiscent of a delicate blooming flower.
Alexander wanted to see more, but couldn't see clearly.
"It's so dark in this chamber, I can't see anything," he muttered to himself.
He stood up, trying to get a clearer view.
"What are you looking at?" a pleasant voice echoed through the chamber.
"Ah?"
Startled, Alexander quickly stood up and met the gaze of the figure.
"Wow!"