The Esteemed NPC

The four of them, with ten Gold Coin they had scraped together, went to the Tiefling Exchange and bought the [Mysterious Invitation].

When Single handed the gleaming Gold Coin to the Tiefling merchant, Steamed Bun looked heartbroken. He thought to himself, "How many pieces of equipment could this buy? You spendthrift!" The invitation in his hand felt incredibly heavy.

They arrived at the rented cabin and eagerly opened the invitation.

The paper inside has a pale yellow pattern. It's a thin sheet and doesn't seem any different from ordinary paper, but the words on it are all made by burning flames, flickering incessantly.

There is only one short sentence above—

You will meet the most distinguished person here.

"Is it someone with such a powerful background?"

"Looks like I made the right bet this time; at least I'll break even."

Looking at the small print on the invitation, Steamed Bun was filled with anticipation.

Singo, however, remained calm. "I told you long ago, the rewards from the quest items you get for spending so much money are definitely substantial."

The Born Battle Maniac chuckled, "Come on, stand in line, I'm about to use it."

"Good."

[Confirmed use of the [Mysterious Invitation]!] Instantly, the space in front of the four people rippled, then gradually twisted and cracked, forming a door-shaped Space Rift. Flames burned around the rift, like the "frame" of this Dimensional Door.

"Holy crap, a teleportation portal? This is so advanced!"

"Steamed Bun exclaimed in surprise."

As the game has progressed, no magic-based class has developed a teleportation skill. Not to mention Sorcerer who can't learn anything without scrolls, even warlocks, who are now called "true mages," don't have this advanced ability.

Xia Ye Qiuyu and the Born Battle Maniac were naturally overjoyed, and even the usually grumpy-faced Singo was a little excited.

However, he still cautioned, "The item description says that there might be danger or a reward behind the door, so we need to be fully prepared."

"That's true. We don't want to get in only to be wiped out."

The Steamed Bun nodded.

"Bless!"

Xia Ye Qiuyu waved his wooden staff, and beams of light descended, bathing everyone in them.

This spell grants the target an advantage on attack and saving throw checks, making it a versatile spell for Cleric in the early game.

"Healing Potion, Poison Resistance Potion, Wyvern Venom, Slippery Oil, Precision Oil."

Singo pulled out one item after another from his backpack, introducing them as if they were his own treasures, and soon the items piled up into a small mountain.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" Steamed Bun couldn't help but ask.

In this resource-scarce early stage, many new players couldn't even afford a basic set of equipment, and some couldn't even beat the goose raised by Aunt Tiefling next door. Yet, Singo had already managed to accumulate so much savings.

"Watch more, practice more, and work harder."

Singo simply said it Yun Danfengqing.

Steamed Bun finally understood the extraordinary abilities of these top professional players, and in this respect, he had to admit defeat and concede defeat—referring to their ability to show off.

After applying oil to his weapons and armor and placing potions in his backpack to deal with various situations, Single was finally ready to go. However, he looked quite bloated at the moment, a dream come true for those who prioritize strength, and a nightmare for those who prioritize appearance.

"Let's go."

"OK."

The four stepped into the mysterious Flame Teleportation Gate.

A wave of heat swept over us, seemingly leaving its mark on everyone's face.

"Holy crap, it's so dark."

Where is this?

"It seems a bit hot."

"Qiu Yu, cast a Light Spell, we can't see clearly."

"Good."

Xia Ye Qiuyu raised his wooden staff and began to cast his divine spell.

"Light Spell!"

One end of the wooden staff emitted a faint glow.

Although the light was rather dim, it was enough for the four of them to barely see their surroundings.

They were now in a dark, narrow rock tunnel. The air inside was strangely stuffy, and there was nothing on either side except for the hard rock walls. The tunnel led to an unknown, dark place.

"What should we do? Should we continue going in?"

The narrow, rocky tunnel made Steamed Bun feel somewhat oppressed, and even the Light Spell couldn't bring him any peace of mind.

Singo gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "We're already here, we can't just go back now, let's go all in!"

They walked carefully along the passage.

Finally, the four of them seemed to have emerged from the tunnel, and the space in front of them opened up considerably.

"This should be it."

"Everyone, please stay alert and report any incidents you discover."

However, the Light Spell could no longer reach the rock wall, and the surroundings were completely dark. Occasionally, sounds came from the huge, dark cave, making everyone even more nervous and sweating profusely.

Suddenly, an unknown light appeared, followed by more lights.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

With the sound of flames burning in the air, hundreds of exquisite oil lamps shaped like dragon heads were lit one after another along the rock wall, illuminating the surrounding darkness and allowing the four people to see the entire spacious cave.

Waves of heat washed over us.

Suddenly, a wide road appeared before them, with raging fires burning on both sides.

At the end of the road, there was a man.

He had black hair and golden eyes, with exquisite features. The deep golden pupils reflected the raging flames, revealing a hint of arrogance that ran deep in his blood. Crimson scales were faintly visible on both sides of his face, and long, bone-white dragon horns grew on his forehead.

His tall figure was draped in a dark red, luxurious robe with gold trim, exuding a unique aura of nobility and irresistibility.

Xia Ye Qiuyu blushed slightly and exclaimed, "Ah, the official model is so beautiful!"

Steamed Bun complained, "Damn, is this NPC Gouba really that handsome? He's almost as handsome as me."

Xia Ye Qiuyu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Singo urged, "Steamed Bun, quickly send out a detection, we must have encountered someone important."

"Oh well."

"Steamed Bun said subconsciously, then skillfully brought up the control panel."

[The Mysterious Dragon Vein Sorcerer - Keosius]

Faction: [Burned-Out Nest]

Basic Abilities:??? Challenge Rating:??? (Extremely Dangerous!)

Favorability: -5 (Mild Dislike) Steamed Bun then remembered and couldn't help but curse, "You bastard Xin Gou, you tricked me again, my favorability dropped again!"

Upon hearing his nickname, Singo maintained his usual expressionless, sour face. "Everyone will remember your sacrifice. So, Steamed Bun, what did you see?"

Steamed Bun shook his head. "I can't see anything, all the information is unknown."

Singo clenched his fists and said excitedly, "Great! We really found it!"

"From what I've observed, only [Oathbreaker Sword - Mezhuolash] in the entire Bator City has Challenge Rating that's not visible. Others, like Captain Damakos, do have visible Challenge Rating. And since we found this second important NPC first, we can definitely—"

However, a deep, steady male voice suddenly came from afar, interrupting his rambling.

"For our invited guests, it seems rather impolite to start detecting each other upon arrival, doesn't it?"