[Mushroom Face-Slap on First Encounter] Skill Description: Mushroom-type attacks to the enemy's front have a 50% chance to crit (double damage).

[Mushroom Headshot] Skill Description: Mushroom-type attacks to the head deal 5x damage.

Soulshadow Tianyou sat before the stairs of the Hidden Map, lost in thought. She snapped out of it quickly. This game loved to mess with players. After being scared a few times, you just got used to it.

Though the first time she saw those two skills, she’d been stunned…

Her three new skills were almost like the Assassin’s legendary trio. Only two felt weird. But it made sense. Assassins killed from behind. As the inheritor of the Mushroom Evil God, she specialized in frontal assassination.

Frontal assassination… That phrase sounded off. It felt deeply unnatural.

“Master, what do we do now?” Loli Monkey waved her little paw in front of Soulshadow Tianyou’s face, puzzled.

“What to do…” Soulshadow Tianyou was confused too. Should she enter the Hidden Map or just give up?

Entering would trigger stat adjustments. She’d get a hidden quest. But she only had one chance. One death, and the map vanished forever.

“Master, no need to think! A Hidden Map is a once-in-a-millennium chance. We must clear it!” Loli Monkey patted Soulshadow Tianyou’s thigh, grinning.

“Right. Worst case, I die. Death penalty’s just losing one level. I’m only level ten anyway. No big deal.” Soulshadow Tianyou stood up, rubbing her nose.

“Exactly! Let’s go, Master!”

Loli Monkey grabbed Soulshadow Tianyou’s hand. They stepped into the dark stairs. Their figures faded into the shadows.

After they entered the hidden stairs in the forest’s heart, the grass and soil stirred. An unseen force pulled them together. They covered the exit, hiding it once more.

And this time, it would never open again…

---

Inside the stairs, the air felt different. Outside, the forest was deep but alive. Here, it was damp, narrow, and pitch-black. An eerie chill seeped in.

Each step was tall. Jagged rocks hung low overhead. Loli Monkey and Tianyou had to duck and bend with every step. They stretched their feet to feel for the next stair’s height.

“Master, it’s so dark!” Loli Monkey clutched Soulshadow Tianyou’s wolf-skin cloak. Her short legs made her extra careful on each step.

“Careful. Don’t fall.” Soulshadow Tianyou held Loli Monkey’s hand, moving slowly.

Ahead lay unknown darkness. The Hidden Map demanded constant caution. One mistake, and this rare chance would vanish. Legendary gear would slip away like a sure thing flying off.

“How much longer? How long is this staircase?” Loli Monkey pouted.

“I don’t know. We’ve walked a while. It should end soon.” Soulshadow Tianyou whispered.

“Ah! Master, light!” Loli Monkey suddenly squealed in delight.

“I see it too. We’re here.” Soulshadow Tianyou pulled her pet forward. They hurried down the last steps. Finally, the long staircase ended.

They stepped out onto a small hilltop. No trees—just damp, uneven stones. The air was thin. Everything glowed with an eerie blue light. Death hung heavy in the atmosphere.

“Master, is this underground?” Loli Monkey asked.

“Not sure. Let’s move closer. Maybe we’ll trigger the hidden quest.” Soulshadow Tianyou’s voice was low, weighed down by the scenery.

Not a trace of life stirred here.

[System Message: Hidden Map [Lost Fishing Village] discovered.]

[System Message: Hidden quest triggered: Investigate the Lost Fishing Village.]

…

“Lost Fishing Village? An underground fishing village? The quest is to investigate it?” Soulshadow Tianyou stroked her chin, muttering to herself.

“Master! Master! Come look!”

Unnoticed, Loli Monkey had reached the hill’s edge. She waved her finger frantically, eyes wide with shock.

Soulshadow Tianyou rushed over. She stood at the edge and stared. Her breath caught.

A single path wound down the hill. At its base lay a deserted village—neither large nor small. That must be the fishing village from the system message.

The village was cradled by mountains. Sheer cliffs rose on both sides, vanishing into the inky sky. Behind it stood the small hill where Tianyou and Loli Monkey stood.

But the true shock lay ahead. Before the village stretched a murky sea. On the distant horizon hung a ghostly blue sun. It felt impossibly close, yet infinitely far.

That eerie sun was hauntingly beautiful. It pulled at your soul, luring you into a daze.

Soulshadow Tianyou glanced at the cloud-choked sky. “Feels like we’ve entered another world…”