"What?" Zheng Yuan stared wide-eyed. "You want to bring someone else? Who do you want to bring?"
Lu Yang asked, "Is there a problem with that?"
"Of course there is. We already gave you all the mage equipment, so why are you still bringing someone along? Do you think our party works for you?" Zheng Yuan pointed at Lu Yang.
"Yeah, if it's just some low-level account, don't bring them. We already have twenty-four people here, and they all want to enter the dungeon."
"Even if you're the party commander, you can't do this. We need to level up too."
The others in Xia Yuwei's party immediately joined in. They were all hired players who took their cues from Zheng Yuan.
"You're going too far." Fierce Wine Clear Wind knew Lu Yang's identity and also knew that Chi Mu wanted to recruit him into the guild. Seeing this, he immediately stepped forward to defend Lu Yang.
But before he could finish, Lu Yang patted Fierce Wine Clear Wind on the shoulder, signaling him not to act rashly.
Fierce Wine Clear Wind looked at Lu Yang in confusion. He did not understand why Lu Yang would not let him continue.
"Expert, if you need people, my boss said he can send over a guild elite party to run dungeons with you anytime. Why should we bother with these people?" Fierce Wine Clear Wind secretly sent Lu Yang a message. He did not want Xia Yuwei and the others to know that he was the vice guild leader of Chi Mu's guild.
Lu Yang did not want to bring Zheng Yuan and the others either. If not for Lan Yu, he would have long since had Chi Mu's guild elite party accompany him. Dungeon runs would have been much easier, without all this nonsense. But to help Lan Yu, the little sister he had been closest to in his previous life, Lu Yang could only endure it.
"Don't rush. Let me take another look." Lu Yang replied to Fierce Wine Clear Wind, then turned to Xia Yuwei with a questioning look in his eyes.
Xia Yuwei immediately felt incredibly embarrassed. She turned and glared furiously at Zheng Yuan. "Shut up. Can you stop embarrassing me?"
"I-I, what did I do?" Zheng Yuan argued.
"You tell me." Xia Yuwei's gaze turned icy.
"Fine, fine, I admit it." Zheng Yuan immediately wilted and did not dare say another word.
Only then did Xia Yuwei's expression ease somewhat. She swept her gaze across the others, and the subordinates who had echoed Zheng Yuan hurriedly shut their mouths.
"From now on, Lu Yang is the captain of this party. Whoever refuses to accept him is refusing to accept me. Do you understand?" Xia Yuwei said firmly.
"Understood. We'll follow all commands." Zhang Zibo and the others replied.
"Oh." Zheng Yuan answered weakly, though he still muttered under his breath, "Let's see what kind of thing this person he brought is. If he doesn't have any ability, I definitely won't let him off."
Xia Yuwei could not be bothered with Zheng Yuan. She turned to Lu Yang and said, "I'm sorry you had to see that. Please have your friend come over. I have no objections. If he needs equipment, we can give him some as well."
Lan Yu also walked to Lu Yang's side, pouting as she said, "Expert, you're not angry, are you?"
If it weren't for your sake, I would've left long ago. These people aren't even worthy of a second glance from me.
"How could I be? Wait a moment. I'll call my friend over," Lu Yang said.
Opening the communicator, Lu Yang said to Xiao Liang, who was already online and killing beastmen in the cave hall, "What level are you?"
Xiao Liang looked at the beastmen he had just slaughtered all over the ground. "Boss, I'm already level 8."
"How's your equipment?" Lu Yang asked.
"I didn't expect beastmen to drop level 8 equipment. I've already put together a full set, but it's all white gear," Xiao Liang said.
In Second World, monsters on the world map dropped equipment within a level range, generally fluctuating by around eight levels.
"Report your stats," Chen Nuo said.
"HP 576, defense 109," Xiao Liang said.
Lu Yang did the math. With Shield Wall, those stats should be enough to tank the hidden boss.
"Return to the city and come to the bank. We're running a dungeon," Lu Yang said.
"I'll be right there." Without another word, Xiao Liang used a Return Scroll and teleported back to St. Gall City.
The trip from St. Gall City's plaza to the bank in the East District took only a minute. Lu Yang soon saw Xiao Liang running over from the distance.
"Boss, I'm here!" Xiao Liang shouted loudly when he spotted Lu Yang from afar.
Lu Yang smiled and waved to him.
From Xiao Liang's tone, Zheng Yuan and the others could tell that he was not capable. Anyone capable would not, first, call someone else boss, and second, speak in that tone.
"Sure enough, he's here to leech experience and equipment," Zheng Yuan said unhappily.
Zhang Zibo and the others looked displeased as well, and the rest of the party wore similarly annoyed expressions.
Just as the atmosphere became somewhat strange, Lan Yu suddenly asked, "Expert, what is your friend's name?"
A faint smile curled across Lu Yang's lips. With a slightly mischievous expression, he said, "Why are you asking for his name?"
When they had been grinding monsters yesterday, Lan Yu had heard Zhang Zibo's analysis of Lu Yang and the Black Armored Warrior. She knew Lu Yang was the mage standing before her. Therefore, she believed there was a high chance that the person Lu Yang had called over was the Black Armored Warrior. Seeing Lu Yang's expression now, she knew she had guessed correctly.
"I knew you were up to something." Lan Yu looked at Lu Yang with her beautiful big eyes.
Lu Yang shrugged. "What are you talking about?"
"Then tell me his name," Lan Yu pressed.
Xia Yuwei was curious why Lan Yu would ask that. Zheng Yuan, Zhang Zibo, and the others also looked over curiously. They knew Lan Yu was not usually this nosy.
Seeing everyone looking at him, Lu Yang knew there was no need to keep hiding it. He also could not be bothered to play dumb any longer. Pretending to be weak to catch the strong really isn't something just anyone can do. All that setup was exhausting. I'm never doing this again.
"Boss, I'm here!" Xiao Liang had just reached Lu Yang's side.
Lu Yang patted Xiao Liang on the shoulder. "Come, introduce yourself to everyone. They're asking who you are."
Xiao Liang looked at the more than twenty pairs of eyes fixed on him. Never having received so much attention before, he immediately blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Hello, everyone. My name is Black Armored Warrior."
Xia Yuwei, Zhang Zibo, and the others were stunned. Zheng Yuan's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're the Black Armored Warrior?" Xia Yuwei asked.
"Yeah."
"The Black Armored Warrior ranked second on the level leaderboard?" Zhang Zibo asked again.
"Yeah." Xiao Liang found these people rather strange.
"Pfft!" Fierce Wine Clear Wind could no longer hold it in when he saw Zheng Yuan and the others' expressions. He covered his mouth and struggled to suppress his laughter, his gaze toward Lu Yang filled with surprise and admiration.
Lan Yu, meanwhile, "angrily" punched Lu Yang lightly in the chest with her little fist. "You bastard."
Xia Yuwei, Zhang Zibo, and the others immediately realized something and all turned to look at Lu Yang.
"If he's the Black Armored Warrior, then you're... Lu Yang?" Xia Yuwei's mouth felt terribly dry, and she could not help swallowing.
Lu Yang said, "That's right. I'm Lu Yang."
Before you continue