If the people Xiao Hua saw were chasing monsters, encountering them here could be considered a coincidence. This was a deeper part of the Greenlight Forest where the chances of finding premium mount eggs were higher. However, Xiao Hua saw several individuals slowly walking around a cluster of gray-white rocks, occasionally touching the tall boulders.

Having traversed the forest for a long time, Xiao Hua had noticed these occasional gray-white rocks scattered throughout the forest. They generally appeared in pairs, standing alone amidst the greenery, adding a bit of decoration to the forest. But the scene before him suggested that these rocks might conceal a secret unknown to others.

Curious, Xiao Hua stealthed closer.

As he neared the group, he recognized them as the same party he saw purchasing the unicorn egg at the exchange. It seemed he had stumbled upon something good!

Xiao Hua felt a surge of excitement. The archer with the dark golden weapon, the Sky Splitting Bow, was among the group, moving around the rocks. Whatever they were looking for must be valuable!

Six people searched the brownish-gray ground around the rocks for a while but found nothing. Yet, they didn't leave, seemingly certain they were in the right place but unsure how to proceed.

Xiao Hua observed for a while, his gaze following the movements of the group.

This cluster of gray-white rocks was larger than any he had seen elsewhere. Typically, there would be four or five rocks scattered around, but here there were over ten, forming a small stone forest within a radius of less than ten meters. Xiao Hua noticed that the six people were examining each rock individually, forming a pentagram shape, excluding the central rock.

Recalling the six-pointed star illusion magic array from the Silent Forest, Xiao Hua realized there must be a hidden mechanism involved. The rock formation was unique, yet it hadn't attracted much attention from players hunting mount eggs, suggesting it required a specific item to activate!

Thinking this, Xiao Hua hid himself better.

The group rotated positions, examining different rocks. One warrior approached the central rock, pushing it gently. Surprised, he found it wobbled slightly, unlike the outer rocks which showed no reaction.

"Wind Traceless, come over; let's move this rock together!" the warrior shouted.

Wind Traceless was the archer's name, a notable figure among the six. Besides the warrior, he was the only one who had invested points in strength and possessed considerable strength equipment, making him ideal for moving objects.

With great effort, the two men moved the central rock aside under the watchful eyes of the other four and Xiao Hua. A small pit appeared beneath the rock, but it seemed unremarkable.

Could it be wrong? Pondering, the female priest bent down and cleared some dirt from the pit.

As she moved her hand, a smooth gray-white rock emerged, covered with gray-black engravings. The others joined in, digging up a circular gray-white stone with intricate patterns resembling circuit board lines. At the center was a recessed diamond-shaped slot. Five wrist-sized stones extended outward, connecting to the pentagram-shaped rocks.

"That's enough. Damn, hiding so well almost made us fail!" the warrior said, dusting his hands.

"Brother One Blow, if it weren't like this, this outdoor dungeon wouldn't be ours," Wind Traceless replied with a smile.

Outdoor dungeon? Xiao Hua was surprised. When learning about dungeons on the forums, he had read about outdoor dungeons and spent extra time understanding them.

Unlike regular dungeons entered via NPC teleportation, outdoor dungeons required a "key" to activate. This key was not a physical key but an item similar to one. With the key, players could find the dungeon entrance and activate it.

Outdoor dungeons were one-time experiences, with keys also being single-use items. Once used, the key would disappear, and the dungeon would vanish after the first entry, never to return. Multiple keys could exist for a single dungeon, but if another player used the key first, the remaining keys would become void and respawn elsewhere after a period. Outdoor dungeons were unique, more like separate game worlds than regular dungeons.

Upon entering, players wouldn't encounter typical dungeon interfaces. There were no campsites, and death meant respawning at the nearest city. There were no options to leave the dungeon, nor were there specific quests. Instead, outdoor dungeons might contain high-experience grinding spots without missions, except that monsters wouldn't respawn. To exit, players needed to find the exit portal, otherwise dying would be the only way out.

Like regular dungeons, outdoor dungeons usually allowed only six players. Wind Traceless instructed the nearby knight to retrieve an item.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

The knight produced a green fluorescent diamond gemstone and inserted it into the recessed slot. With a click, a soft green light flowed along the stone's patterns, reaching the outer stones and triggering a white light from each rock!

The white light merged above the circular stone, creating a blinding white glow!

The sudden light momentarily dazzled players far and wide, leaving them puzzled about the unprecedented phenomenon.

After the glow subsided, a space distortion formed a white, human-height teleportation portal!

System Prompt: The outdoor dungeon "Maze Forest" has opened. Please enter within five minutes!

Xiao Hua received the prompt while stealthed nearby. His stealth duration was almost over, so he stealthed towards the portal.

"Okay, everyone, hurry in. Otherwise, the commotion will attract other players," Wind Traceless urged, leading the way.

Suddenly, a black silhouette appeared at the portal, someone else entering first!

It was Xiao Hua, whose stealth broke upon entering the portal.

"Damn! Master-level Stealth!" the warrior reacted quickly, striking with his sword!

But Xiao Hua had already teleported inside, disappearing from sight.

The group hesitated, their momentum dampened.

"Check around for anyone else!" Wind Traceless ordered, wary of more intruders.

They surrounded the portal, casting spells to detect any presence. Finding none, they relaxed.

"What should we do, Wind Traceless?" the knight asked, looking to their leader.

"Momo, your gear isn't optimal; stay outside. We'll deal with the intruder inside. He's either a thief or an assassin, and shouldn't be too hard to eliminate. Don't worry, you won't be left out; we'll share the loot. Go back to the supply point once we enter," Wind Traceless reassured the female mage.

The mage reluctantly agreed. She had the worst gear among them, and the others needed every member to increase their chances of success.

"While he can't stealth, let's go in." Time was limited, and they acted quickly.

"I'll go first!" The knight stood up, heading for the portal. With healing potions, assassins and thieves posed little threat.

The others followed the knight into the maze forest. As the last person entered, the portal vanished, the green gem disappeared, and the stone cracked, turning the rocks even grayer.

The scenery changed, revealing a sparse banyan forest bathed in sunlight. Quiet and empty, no one was around.

"He might be hiding behind a tree, observing us. Let me lure him out. Be ready to eliminate him if he appears," Wind Traceless told his team.

"Will he come out?" the priest doubted anyone would reveal themselves willingly.

"Let's try. We can't risk him sneaking up on us during crucial moments," Wind Traceless insisted.

"Friend, I am Wind Traceless of Phoenix City. Only six can enter this dungeon. We have the quest token. Please come out and meet us. We don't want your interference to ruin our quest. Let's discuss terms. You compensate our teammate outside, and we'll complete the quest together," Wind Traceless said convincingly.

"If you still refuse, I'll consider you an enemy. Together, we outnumber you. Come out now, and we'll stick to our agreement," Wind Traceless added, switching to a tougher stance.

"Seems he won't fall for it... Wait, he's coming out. Be cautious; he can stealth again. Don't let him escape. Mages, prepare area spells!" Wind Traceless alerted his team as a figure emerged from the forest.

"Great, friend. What's your name? Let's discuss the terms," Wind Traceless greeted the black-clothed, masked assassin, his demeanor harmless yet calculated.

Xiao Hua, hiding, felt the man was a natural actor but dismissed the idea. He entered the dungeon, hiding behind a banyan tree, deciding to play along.

"Friend, about the compensation, how about sharing half the quest rewards?" Wind Traceless proposed, distracting the newcomer.

Xiao Hua controlled the illusion, moving cautiously. The illusion couldn't speak, so he made it appear overly cautious.

"Any thoughts, friend? Speak up, or we won't reach an agreement," Wind Traceless said, feigning displeasure.

Xiao Hua continued moving the illusion, marveling at Wind Traceless's acting skills.

"Attack!" Seeing the illusion within range, Wind Traceless ordered the assault.

"Hmph! Met fools, but not this foolish. Master-level Stealth wasted! Trying to leave? Dream on!" Wind Traceless sneered as the illusion entered stealth, invisible even to his master-level Eagle Eye.

Xiao Hua's illusion entered stealth upon the attack, but a fire spell instantly revealed it!

Wind Traceless was surprised at the ease of breaking the illusion's stealth, but Xiao Hua intentionally delayed the illusion's actions to ensure it stayed within the spell's range.

Upon stealth breaking, the illusion drew its weapon and charged!

"Pathetic!" Wind Traceless fired an arrow.

The illusion dodged the arrow, surprising Wind Traceless with its agility.

"One Cut, protect Momo. He's going all out!" Momo was the priest, and the warrior nodded, standing guard.

The illusion closed in, and Wind Traceless released an explosive arrow!

Bang! -550!

The illusion barely avoided total destruction but lost half its HP from the explosion. Followed by a fireball, it lost another 480 HP, leaving it critically damaged!

Xiao Hua's expression changed. If the illusion died, his plans would fail, exposing his critical asset. He ordered the illusion to self-destruct, just three meters from the warrior and priest!

-500! -500! Both the priest and warrior suffered damage.

Witnessing the self-destruction, Momo recoiled, while the warrior was astonished.

"Self-destruct? He really wants to fight us. Skillfully executed, but foolish," Wind Traceless said, relieved.

"Foolish? You're foolish!" Xiao Hua thought, planning to prove who was smarter.

"No corpse, nothing dropped. Is that okay?" the warrior asked, noting the lack of loot.

"No corpse means it's a skill effect. Self-destruct probably prevents item drops. He preferred suicide to letting us kill him. 500 HP, not enough to kill anyone. Our attacks made us gray names, no mistake," Wind Traceless explained.

"Okay, a village seems nearby. Let's check it out. Stay close, watch for traps. Monsters might spawn here, especially protect Momo, or we'll lose everything," Wind Traceless said, spotting houses beyond the forest.

They nodded, surrounding the priest, and set off.

Wind Traceless's caution was unnecessary. Reaching the edge of the forest, they found a clearing with a few old wooden houses.

Xiao Hua, having reduced their vigilance, stealthed behind them, planning to see if he could clear the Maze Forest solo and claim the rewards.