Chapter 467 (2/2)

Simon blinked, and then his smile split his face widely. They were back!

The Raid Dungeon party was there, looking considerably the worse for wear, even the Ghosthound. His once fearsome cloak of bones now truly looked like something that had been kept in a crypt for 100 years, crisscrossed with broken bones and holes.

In fact…

The longer Simon looked at the group the more his smile faded away. Something was… definitely wrong. The group’s faces were grim and said. There was very little talking, and most of it was the Ghosthound speaking quietly to Rose and Alana, while the whole group was very specifically not looking at-

Thea.

Kneeling on the ground, next to Chrysanthemum.

The urge to vomit was so strong that Simon was knocked out of his trance, brought back to standing in front of his and his mom’s garden. His vomit was acidic and yellow as he spewed it over the ground, and he took several long seconds to blink away his tears and regard the stomach liquid he had produced. It seemed so chemical, so foreign, so far from how he would describe himself, even his most inner workings. So close to being something… other.

Shivering, Simon closed his eyes and looked at Chrysanthemum again. Her hair had fallen out and her skin was coming off in large flakes. She seemed to be some sort of rotten fruit, lumpy yet soft, unnaturally shaped, her previously strong bulk now emptied like a spent water balloon.

Gently, Thea stroked Chrysanthemum, whispering something that not even Simon’s Astral ears could hear. Out of habit, he had formed a small Astral Projection of a bird, but he let that dissipate, hoping that no one had noticed. Simon’s thoughts were bouncing around his head, violent and strange, and he couldn't deal with the Ghosthound turning his baleful green eyes to him, issuing some order.

Simon needed time to understand what had happened.

Next to Thea’s body, there lay a sword and an antlered helmet, which he recognized as the Regalias of the Champions. At least they had accomplished that goal. And as suddenly as he had thought of goals, there was a flicker from the Dungeon behind the group, a burst of golden light, and a notification appeared in Simon’s vision.

Congratulations Zone 32! Your strongest warriors have cleared the Raid Dungeon! The ambient energy in the air will be increased to 1.5x previous levels. In addition, the Raid Dungeon will remain a powerful Dungeon with great rewards in its depths. Continue to defeat this Dungeon and you will perhaps discover hidden secrets!

Due to the victory, the area of Zone 32 will be increased by an extra 50 miles in each direction. Warning, when this planet entered into the System, some smaller portions were frozen in time. Some humans might be contained within these areas. However, the monsters in the new area will be between Level 35 and Level 45, so act quickly! Those areas will open tomorrow.

Contained in the new areas will also be an additional Rare natural treasure due to being the 2nd group to clear the Raid Dungeon on your planet, and the 5th in your Cohort! All humans born in your Zone will receive an extra +5 to all Stats while within your Zone!

In 6 months, your Zone 32 will be connected to the New Earth. The New Earth will be composed of resource-rich Danger Fields and other Zones that have cleared their Raid Dungeon. Each Danger Field will produce powerful spawn unless the Field Boss is defeated once every 6 months. Each Zone that joins the New Earth will cause 2 Danger Fields to connect to the New Earth.

In the next 6 months, prepare, because once the New Earth has 7 Zones, the System will progress to the testing stage. Beware, humans. A Calamity approaches…