Chapter 2462 – Gold Gate
Aqua Rose and the others couldn’t help their surprise when the set of golden doors appeared before the entrance to the Fortress Lord’s Mansion.
Although the doors were only eight meters tall, they radiated a sacred aura that tamed the nearby ambient Mana. This aura even affected the Mana within Zero Wing’s members.
Although the divine runes and images had been engraved on the doors, these runes and images were indiscernible when players tried to examine them. Even so, the blurred runes and images felt somehow heavy and inspired curiosity.
“What are the markings on the doors? I tried to examine them for a moment, but it made me feel even more exhausted than using Advanced Combat Techniques multiple times in a row,” Aqua Rose wondered aloud. After examining the engravings, she pried her gaze away from the doors.
She had seen plenty of amazing items in God’s Domain, but this was the first time she had encountered something that could deplete her Concentration so drastically after looking at it for a few seconds. She didn’t doubt that if she had stared at the doors for a few more moments, her mind would’ve been overloaded.
Fire Dance and the others also turned away from the doors, afraid they’d pass out if they continued to stare.
God’s Domain’s players rarely fainted from Concentration depletion, but if it happened, the results would be even more severe than from Stamina depletion.
When a player’s Stamina depleted, they’d lose the ability to move, but when they lost all of their Concentration, they’d be forced into a deep slumber, which took an incredibly long time to recover from. This could be a fatal setback for players fighting on the frontlines.
“This is normal. The information on this Gold Gate is a Legacy that has been passed down from ancient times. Moreover, this is a relatively complete Legacy and far more complex than the combat techniques we’ve seen thus far. It isn’t something players can simply glance at,” Shi Feng said. When he saw his teammates’ curiosity, he revealed a bitter smile and continued, “If you look at this Legacy for too long, your recovery could take more than five days.”
The Legacy Gates left behind in ancient fortresses fell into three ranks: Bronze Gate, Silver Gate, and Gold Gate.
Each gate was stronger than the last, and the Legacies they contained were more complete with each subsequent rank. Similarly, the higher the gate’s rank was, the more difficult the Legacy Trial would be. Many Tier 3 experts would already struggle to clear the Normal and Hard Mode Legacy Trials on the Bronze Gates.
The Gold Gates only contained Asura and God Mode Legacy Trials, which were so difficult that even peak experts would despair at the challenge.
Shi Feng had assumed that, even in the worst-case scenario, the Starlight Fortress would house a Silver Gate. He had never considered that the Legacy Gate would be Gold-rank. Taking control of this Fortress Lord’s Mansion would be nearly as difficult as capturing a Large Fortress’s Fortress Lord’s Mansion...
Has the system elevated the trial’s difficulty because we’re the first to capture an ancient fortress? Questions filled Shi Feng’s mind as he gazed at the Gold Gate before him.
Normally, Small Fortresses had, at most, Silver Gates, and Medium Fortresses would only have a small chance of containing a Gold Gate. He had never heard of anyone finding a Gold Gate in a Small Fortress.
Forget it. Let’s just take this one step at a time. Shi Feng shook his head, banishing his worries. He then gritted his teeth and led his team through the Gold Gate.
If he refused to participate in the trial now that he had activated it with the Fortress Lord’s Token, he would have to wait for the token’s Cooldown to end before he could try again. Moreover, the appearance of a Gold Gate wasn’t all bad; this could be a blessing for them.
A high-ranked Legacy Gate might be very difficult to clear, but it would also provide greater help as players learned how to control their Mana Bodies.
A Legacy Gate was an Ancient Fortress’s most valuable treasure. It was also the greatest benefit to controlling an ancient fortress. The various powers hadn’t initially been aware of this fact in Shi Feng’s previous life and had treated the Legacy Gates as a way to gain more control over their fortresses.
The various powers had only discovered the Legacy Gates’ true value after some time, learning that these gates were the fastest way for players to unlock the full potential of their Mana Bodies. If players tried to explore and adapt to their Mana Bodies without such help, unlocking their Mana Bodies’ potential would take ages.
As Shi Feng and the others walked through the Gold Gate, the world around them warped.
The world settled into place again, and Shi Feng found himself before a sacred, golden mountain, alone. This golden mountain was several thousand meters tall; Shi Feng couldn’t even see where the mountain ended. The mountain’s aura was just slightly less intense than that of the Tower of Four Gods. While bathed in the mountain’s aura, Shi Feng felt an intense pressure bear down on him, reducing his mobility.
So, this is a Gold Gate’s trial? Shi Feng looked around him, shocked.
During his previous life, he had only ever entered a Bronze Gate, and he had only acquired the entry slot after paying a huge sum. Even so, he had paid the price gladly. If he hadn’t, he would’ve had to rely on his own experiences to explore and adapt to his Mana Body, like independent players, wasting a lot of precious time in the process.
The stronger one’s Mana Body was, the more difficult it was to unlock its potential. Because of this, independent Tier 3 players struggled to surpass the various superpowers’ Tier 3 experts.
Unfortunately, it couldn’t be helped. It was simply a benefit of having access to a Guild’s resources. If that weren’t the case, so many players wouldn’t be so desperate to join the various superpowers.
Within the Gold Gate, Shi Feng discovered that the difference between a Bronze and Gold Gate was far greater than he had expected.
When he had entered the Bronze Gate, its environment hadn’t affected his mental state, but within the Gold Gate, he could feel a void in his mind. Within spaces that had thin traces of Mana, such a mental state would be extremely helpful. While players operated in spaces that lacked Mana, the harsh environments would affect their ability to learn and grow, even with the support of their Mana Bodies.
While Shi Feng and the others quietly observed their surroundings, the phantom of a goddess in dark-blue armor appeared before them all.
“I am this Legacy Gate’s creator, Eliadi. Trial taker, you have two days to climb the sacred mountain and pass the trial. If you fail, you will be removed from this place. Only if three or more of you reach the sacred mountain’s first shrine, will you obtain the Starlight Fortress’s Bronze Mark, securing your hold over the fortress. Remember, this is your only opportunity. You will not be allowed to reach this place again for another month,” Eliadi explained, watching Shi Feng carefully.
The moment Eliadi finished speaking, she vanished as if she had never existed.
Fortunately, we have two days. Shi Feng breathed out a sigh of relief after listening to the trial’s introduction.
He had only been given one day to ascend the sacred mountain when he had challenged the Bronze Gate in the past, but now, he would have two days to complete the trial. Fortunately, this amount of time should be more than enough for Aqua Rose and his other companions to adapt to this environment. This was, after all, the first time they had entered a Legacy Trial.
Before Shi Feng could celebrate his good luck, however, three Knights in exquisite armor appeared on the sacred mountain. Each of the Knights carried swords, and the weakest among them was Level 110 and Tier 3. The moment these Knights manifested, they charged toward Shi Feng.
The Knights were quick, and despite the lack of Mana in the area, dense Mana surrounded each of them.
Three Knights with fully unlocked Mana Bodies, right off the bat? Shi Feng was stunned as he watched the approaching Knights.