Max Level is 100? I Can Upgrade All skill s to Lv99999!-Chapter 159 --Blighted Lands

Caelan and Audrey did not linger in their current location any longer.

The two of them immediately pressed forward, advancing at a brisk pace.

The [Plague Walls] they had encountered earlier served as a warning: they were about to leave the Forsaken Lands and enter one of the four Deadly Zones, the Blighted Lands.

Unlike the Forsaken Lands, the Blighted Lands felt more expansive, the space opening up into wide corridors and strange clearings.

Every so often, glowing spores clung to the walls, flickering with brilliant colors, as though the very environment had been infused with life.

For a fleeting moment, Caelan experienced a sensation that reminded him of wandering through a familiar bar back in his world, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over him.

But beside him, Audrey spoke with serious concern.

"Master Caelan, you need to be careful. Everything here is likely highly toxic. We should move quickly and avoid disturbing the spores at all costs," she warned.

Caelan nodded. Although he had no fear of plague or poison, Audrey was a genuine fragile type.

He was also pressed for time and didn’t want to deal with any unnecessary complications.

Unexpectedly, the monsters of the Blighted Lands seemed to fear him immensely.

Whenever Caelan approached, they made no move to attack.

Instead, they reacted as if confronted by a natural predator, bolting away with astonishing speed.

The velocity of their retreat made even Caelan feel a hint of humility.

Why... why would these monsters be afraid of me? he wondered, slightly amused.

Audrey, too, was stunned by the bizarre sight before her.

She could not comprehend why the monsters fled.

Could it be that they sensed the overwhelming aura radiating from Caelan?

Just then, Audrey sensed a strange energy fluctuation nearby.

Her eyes widened slightly, and a spark of uncontrollable excitement lit her face.

"Master Caelan! Over there, right there! Azure Lapis!" she exclaimed.

"This is an extremely rare material. A single fist-sized piece can be worth 100 million gold coins!"

Hearing this, Caelan froze for a brief moment, then immediately scooped Audrey up into his arms and dashed toward the Azure Lapis.

In just half a minute, Caelan’s hands were holding a piece of Azure Lapis about the size of a pomelo.

Its value was at least 500 million gold coins, an incredible windfall.

"Well done, keep it up!" Caelan said, glancing at Audrey with a warm smile.

At that moment, in his eyes, Audrey had become his very own treasure radar.

No matter what, he resolved to protect her.

Audrey, after a moment of initial shock, quickly became thrilled.

The method of power growth for a [Treasure Hunter] differed from that of ordinary awakeners.

They did not gain strength primarily by defeating monsters.

Instead, their progress relied on the discovery of treasures and the value of those treasures.

For Audrey, being guided by Caelan meant her growth rate skyrocketed.

She could feel her abilities increasing at an astonishing speed.

Her excitement and energy surged so strongly that she temporarily forgot all concerns for her own safety.

"Master Caelan! There’s more treasure over there!" she called out eagerly.

Following Audrey’s guidance, Caelan swiftly located a vast collection of treasure.

To his surprise, the treasures were mostly deep within a cluster of nests.

He could be certain that these nests had originally been guarded by monsters.

Yet, for some unknown reason, the guardians were entirely absent.

Caelan was able to claim the treasure without any resistance.

Strange... what could have caused this? he wondered.

He frowned but did not dwell on the mystery.

After all, the treasure was right in front of him, and he saw no reason to leave it behind.

The next period was a pure joy for Caelan, experiencing the thrill of gathering wealth as if picking up coins from the ground.

In less than half an hour, the treasure he collected exceeded 3 billion gold coins in total value.

Such rapid acquisition was something Caelan had never imagined before.

It was at least ten times more efficient than earning gold from monster hunting.

Thinking this through, Caelan looked at Audrey and smiled, the warmth in his eyes reflecting the harmony of their teamwork.

Such a capable teammate might even be someone he could bring along frequently in the future.

However, as they continued, even Audrey began to feel a faint sense of unease.

She paused, hesitating several times before speaking cautiously.

"Master Caelan... something doesn’t feel right. Why are all the monsters gone?" she asked tentatively.

At the same time, Caelan was equally puzzled.

Although he had located a great deal of treasure, the most crucial item, the [Universal Gel], remained elusive.

Additionally, the absence of monsters meant that his level progression had stagnated.

Scratching his head, Caelan admitted, "I don’t entirely understand this either. But according to records, there seems to be some sort of awareness among the bosses."

"Could it be that the destruction of the [Plague Walls] frightened them off?" he suggested.

He spread his hands helplessly, a faint look of resignation on his face.

"If I had known this, I would have held back a little earlier. Now there’s nowhere to gain experience!"

Audrey was stunned by his words.

Wait... what do you mean "hold back"? she thought incredulously.

You’re supposed to be stronger than the monsters themselves, yet you complain about holding back?

Of course, Audrey would not voice her thoughts directly to Caelan.

After a brief pause, she spoke cautiously, trying to reason.

"Master Caelan... maybe think of it this way. Could this actually make it easier for us to travel?"

Caelan nodded, acknowledging the logic in her words.

Yet, questions still lingered in his mind.

"Audrey, I understand your point. But I have to ask... in a Deadly Zone this large, is there really no Lord-grade boss?"

Audrey responded instinctively.

"Normally, the Blighted Lands would contain Lord-grade bosses," she said.

"Perhaps we haven’t encountered them yet due to... a matter of luck?"

"Or... maybe they were intimidated by your presence, Master Caelan?"

Hearing this, Caelan immediately shook his head.

Come on... a Lord-grade boss can’t be scared off so easily.

Besides, he hadn’t deliberately emitted any aura or presence.

Even if he had, it would have been useless.

At only four stars, his current strength wasn’t enough to frighten such a being.

The only reasonable explanation, he concluded, was that he simply hadn’t met them yet.

Just as Caelan was about to relay this to Audrey, the ground beneath them suddenly trembled violently.