The area outside the Dead Silence Forest dungeon was packed with players, all gathered around the entrance.
The elite teams from Red Leaf Town's major guilds had arrived, and they were preparing to challenge Dead Silence Forest. These teams were far stronger than the elite groups of unaffiliated players. They were decked out in matching Common Equipment, with even some Bronze Equipment mixed in.
"That's Bu Dong Ru Shan, the main tank for the Crown of Heaven. I can't believe he came here too. Dead Silence Forest is sure to be cleared now."
"Hmph, what's so special about the Crown of Heaven? It's just a third-rate guild. Look over there—the Assassin Alliance's vice-leader, Cixin, is here with their elite team. And the Guardian Knight beside him is named Zhan Po. He's one of the Assassin Alliance's top five knights, much stronger than Bu Dong Ru Shan."
The players began discussing the teams, and they all had high hopes for the major guilds. After all, over a dozen large and small guilds had gathered here. The most famous was the top second-rate guild, the Assassin Alliance, followed by the third-rate Crown of Heaven. The rest were lesser-known guilds, but they couldn't be underestimated either. Each guild had a gaming studio behind it, and the players in those studios were highly paid experts—not your average skilled players.
The major guilds wanted to make a name for themselves in Red Leaf Town, and Dead Silence Forest was the first dungeon to appear there, making it the perfect target. They had prepared thoroughly, spending a great deal of money on equipment and potions, as well as purchasing plenty of information about Dead Silence Forest. They were confident they could conquer it.
"Boss Tian Wang, the guild teams have such impressive gear. They're sure to clear Dead Silence Forest now." Bu Yu Xia Ye, the Priest, spoke with a hint of sorrow.
Tian Wang Hui Hui, the Ranger, folded his arms and gave a slight nod. His words carried a trace of helplessness. "Who could have guessed Dead Silence Forest would be so difficult? We were wiped out without even seeing the BOSS. In the end, a small team like ours just became a scout for these guilds."
"What's so great about guild experts? Boss, it's not that our skills aren't good enough. This dungeon's just too terrifying, and it demands much better gear." Yi Zhan Dao Di, the Shield Warrior, pouted and said disdainfully. He still looked down on those guild experts, convinced that their failure to clear the dungeon had been a gear problem.
"Exactly, Boss. If our team had gear like theirs, we'd have cleared Dead Silence Forest first." Bu Yu Xia Ye sounded quite confident.
Speaking of dungeons reminded Bu Yu Xia Ye of Shi Feng's team. With a grin, he said, "Besides, we didn't come away empty-handed. We killed two Night Rabbits and even got a Berserker skill book. We're much stronger than that 'noob' leader's team. They still haven't shown up, so they probably ran off in embarrassment ages ago. I almost feel sorry for Lonely As Snow. If he'd joined our boss, that skill book would've been his. He'd probably regret not running the dungeon with us if he knew."
"Exactly. Lonely As Snow was too full of himself. He's definitely regretting not joining the boss now," Yi Zhan Dao Di said with a hearty laugh.
"Lonely As Snow's pretty skilled. It's just that noob somehow latched onto that expert named Heizi. But even if that expert's good, having a deadweight around would still get them wiped out. They're probably too embarrassed to show their faces now. If they'd joined us, maybe we'd have cleared Dead Silence Forest already." Tian Wang Hui Hui was smug, secretly pleased with himself.
"Boss, look! The guild teams are going in," Bu Yu Xia Ye said.
Just as everyone watched the major guilds preparing to enter, the dungeon's portal suddenly changed color. It shifted from silvery gray to pitch black, and a skull seemed to roar faintly within it.
The members of the major guilds couldn't help taking a few steps back.
"What's going on?"
The question sprang into everyone's mind, but they soon got their answer.
Six figures suddenly appeared by the dungeon entrance. Each wore splendid clothes, and simply standing there, they gave off an intimidating presence. The Cursemancer with the black staff stood out in particular. His dark-gray gear was clearly a complete set, and it was obviously no ordinary equipment—it was made of much finer material than even Bronze Equipment.
"Huh? Why are there so many people?" Shi Feng looked around and saw that they were all elite teams from the major guilds. He wondered why they were all blocking the entrance.
The members of Shi Feng's team looked a little nervous too. With so many people watching them, the pressure was no less than facing a BOSS.
"Boss Tian Wang, isn't that the noob?" Bu Yu Xia Ye, whose eyesight was excellent, pointed at Shi Feng.
Tian Wang Hui Hui frowned slightly. He had spotted not only Shi Feng, but Lonely As Snow as well. He said in surprise, "Why are they here? Didn't they leave a long time ago?"
"I bet they never even made it into the forest in Dead Silence Forest. They knew they couldn't clear the dungeon and were worried about being humiliated, so they stayed inside until now," Yi Zhan Dao Di said with a loud laugh. "This is perfect—they've come out right in front of everyone. Just look at Lonely As Snow's face!"
"Hahaha! They really are noobs. They didn't even have the guts to run the dungeon, and now they're back with everyone watching!" Bu Yu Xia Ye pointed at Shi Feng and laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
Tian Wang Hui Hui thought Bu Yu Xia Ye made a fair point. Otherwise, how could Shi Feng's team have returned unscathed? They knew how terrifying Dead Silence Forest was. Once you entered the forest, there were only two possibilities: clear the dungeon or get wiped out and return. There was no third option. Since Shi Feng's team had returned unharmed, there was only one explanation: they hadn't entered the forest. Clearing Dead Silence Forest was out of the question.
While Tian Wang's team mocked Shi Feng's group, the players around them were laughing too. This puzzled Tian Wang's team. Why was everyone laughing at Shi Feng's group? Were they famous or something?
Tian Wang's team didn't know that after they entered the dungeon, Shi Feng's team had already made a name for themselves in Dead Silence Forest. A team made up mostly of Level 1 noobs had entered a Hell-Grade dungeon. There was nothing more foolish than that, so it was hard not to pay attention.
After all, bad news traveled fast.
"Hahaha! That weirdo's back again. I actually admired him before. I thought they were tough for taking on Hell-Grade Dead Silence Forest. Turns out they're all cowards."
"I can't take it anymore. My stomach hurts!"
The players who knew what had happened understood Shi Feng's team's plan. They knew it was foolish to venture into a Hell-Grade dungeon, so they hadn't gone far into Dead Silence Forest. Instead, they'd waited by the entrance for the right moment to leave without anyone noticing. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side. They'd happened to emerge just as the major guilds were entering, with everyone watching.
"Brother Feng, what's wrong with these people?" Heizi looked at the players around them, sprawled on the ground and laughing. He scratched his head in confusion. "Are their heads broken? Why are they all lying on the ground, holding their stomachs and laughing?"
"Who knows? Maybe their brains short-circuited. Looks like you shouldn't play God's Domain for too long the first time." Shi Feng didn't think their appearance had anything to do with the players' behavior. "Let's get going. They're creeping me out."
The other members of the team nodded. Everyone in Dead Silence Forest was acting strangely.
"Excuse me, could you wait a moment?"
Just as Shi Feng's team was leaving the dungeon entrance, a clear voice reached them. A beautiful, pure-looking woman in a pristine white mage robe walked toward the group.
Shi Feng recognized her: Xiaoyuer, one of the top hundred Priest experts in the Star-Moon Kingdom.
Xiaoyuer stopped in front of Shi Feng, looking a little embarrassed. A blush appeared on her fair cheeks as she said softly, "Hello, I'm Xiaoyuer from the Snake of the Void. We met before you entered the dungeon. Our team leader would like to talk with you about Dead Silence Forest. I was wondering...would you be interested?"