Thanks to his constitution, Bennett was not afraid of blazing fire, so he had passed through the domain of flames easily. But against lightning, his body had no defense. When several bolts of lightning simultaneously descended from the sky and struck toward him, he could only dodge.
But he had underestimated his own misfortune. After evading one wave of lightning strikes, even more lightning gathered above the Valley of Despair and came at him with thunderous force. Behind him, the adventurers who had hoped to use Bennett as a lightning rod to cross this zone also suffered. They immediately understood: not only was Bennett unlucky himself, he also spread that bad luck to those around him. Following him was asking for trouble.
So they quickly retreated, distancing themselves from Bennett to avoid being caught in his misfortune.
Just then, more lightning struck at Bennett. He could only dodge again and again. In the past, when Benny's Adventure Team did missions, his companions would share the burden of these strikes. But now, Bennett faced them alone. No matter how fast he was, he could only evade most of them.
Finally, a streak of lightning caught him. With a crash, he was blasted over a dozen meters.
The adventurers behind him flinched.
"Bennett was struck!"
"Any ordinary adventurer would be dead from that."
"Is Bennett alright?"
"Should we go check on him? Help him?"
"Help him? Didn't you see the lightning targeting him? Anyone who tries to help Bennett is asking for death."
They all watched Bennett get struck, but none dared to go near him.
Then, to their shock, Bennett stood up again as if nothing had happened.
"Bennett got back up!"
"Wow, is he even human?"
"He's a monster."
All the adventurers marveled.
Meanwhile, Bennett, who had just risen, sensed more lightning gathering above. He muttered, "Targeting me, are you? I won't lose."
With that, he burst forward like a bullet. This time, instead of dodging, he drew his sword and swung at the lightning. With a crash, he managed to block one strike.
Relying on his extraordinary vitality and the swordsmanship taught by his seven dads, Bennett finally made it through the lightning zone. But at the end, he did not find treasure. Just like the old adventurers over a decade ago, he faced howling winds.
"No matter how many dangers, Bennett won't give up. Charge forward! The more dangerous the path, the greater the treasure at its end."
Like his dads before him, Bennett was not discouraged by the relentless obstacles. Instead, he grew more determined, believing that the best treasure awaited him at the valley's end. He stepped into the domain of howling wind, once again taking the lead.
But as soon as he entered, the wind—sharp as blades—lashed at him, as if trying to flay his skin. Bennett fought with all his might to withstand it. But these winds exceeded his expectations. They not only tore at his flesh, leaving wounds, but also attacked his very soul. It felt as if his soul was being ripped from his body. Unbearable.
An ordinary adventurer would have lost consciousness instantly. But Bennett held on.
"My dads made it through this wind. So can I."
Muttering to himself, he pushed forward against the blade-like gusts. But as he advanced, wounds appeared on his arms, cheeks, and legs—almost every patch of skin was torn. Blood trickled out.
After what felt like ten minutes, relying on his abnormal constitution and immense endurance, Bennett succeeded in crossing the wind zone.
But just as he eagerly anticipated finding the treasure, he was stunned. Even after the wind, it was still not the end of the valley?
He was shocked. How had his dads overcome so many obstacles? No matter. As long as he hadn't reached the end, no matter how many barriers or dangers lay ahead, Bennett would keep going.
So he stepped into the hellish domain where wind, fire, and lightning intertwined. The moment he entered, countless flames, thunderbolts, and blade-like winds attacked him. The boy cursed by misfortune was greeted with the fiercest assault.
With a crash, Bennett's body was thrown back another dozen meters, worse than before. He coughed up blood.
Under this grievous injury, the raging winds, lightning, and fire did not let up. They continued to strike him. Blood poured from his mouth and wounds. His face turned deathly pale.
"This much blood loss… this is bad."
In a team adventure, such injuries would mean retreating for treatment. But like his dads over a decade ago, Bennett's first thought was not his wounds, but the treasure ahead.
The treasure was right there. How could he give up?