Stunning Invitation

A sea of players crowded before the entrance of the Dead Silence Forest dungeon, all gathered around the portal.

The elite teams from the various guilds in Red Leaf Town had arrived, and they were prepared to challenge the Dead Silence Forest. These teams were far superior to the scattered elite parties; every member was decked out in standard gear, with some even sporting Bronze Equipment.

"That's Bu Dong Ru Shan, the main MT for Crown of Heaven. I never expected him to show up here. With him, the Dead Silence Forest is sure to be cleared."

"Hmph, what's Crown of Heaven? Just a third-rate guild. Look over there—Cixin, the vice-captain of the Assassin Alliance's elite team, is here. And that Guardian Knight beside him is Zhan Po, one of the top five knights in the Assassin Alliance. He's much stronger than Bu Dong Ru Shan."

Players began to discuss among themselves, favoring the major guilds. After all, there were over a dozen guilds present, the most famous being the top-tier second-rate guild, Assassin Alliance, followed by the third-rate Crown of Heaven. The others were lesser-known, but these small guilds were not to be underestimated, as each was backed by a professional studio. The players in these studios were high-salaried experts, far beyond the reach of ordinary high-level players.

To build their reputation in Red Leaf Town, the guilds had chosen the Dead Silence Forest—the first dungeon to appear—as their primary target. They were fully prepared, having spent significant funds on gear and potions, and had even purchased extensive intelligence on the dungeon, making them highly confident in their success.

"Tian Wang, the guild teams' gear is so flashy. They're definitely going to clear the Dead Silence Forest," the Priest, Bu Yu Xia Ye, said with a hint of sorrow.

The Ranger, Tian Wang Hui Hui, crossed his arms and nodded slightly, his tone laced with helplessness. "Who could have guessed the Dead Silence Forest would be this difficult? We were wiped out before we even saw the boss. Now, a party like ours has been reduced to a scout team for these guilds."

"What's so great about guild experts? Boss, it's not that our skills are lacking, but that this dungeon is too terrifying and the gear requirements are too high," the Shield Warrior, Yi Zhan Dao Di, said with a pout, looking down on the guild experts and insisting that their failure was purely a matter of equipment.

"Exactly, Boss. If our party had that kind of gear, we would have cleared the Dead Silence Forest long ago," Bu Yu Xia Ye said with great confidence.

Speaking of dungeon runs, Bu Yu Xia Ye thought of Shi Feng's party and said with a smirk, "Besides, it's not like we didn't gain anything. We killed two Night Rabbits and even got a Berserker skill book. We're much stronger than that party led by a 'noob.' They haven't shown their faces yet; they probably ran off because they were too embarrassed. It's just a pity for Lonely As Snow. If he had joined us, that skill book would be his. If he knew, he'd probably regret not running the dungeon with us."

"Exactly, Lonely As Snow doesn't know what's good for him. He must be regretting not joining us," Yi Zhan Dao Di laughed.

"Lonely As Snow's skills aren't bad, but that noob somehow managed to latch onto that expert named Heizi. But no matter how good that expert is, with a dead weight dragging him down, they probably got wiped. They're likely too ashamed to show their faces now. If he'd followed us, we might have already cleared the Dead Silence Forest," Tian Wang Hui Hui said, feeling smug.

"Boss, look, the guilds are going in," Bu Yu Xia Ye said.

Just as everyone watched the major guilds prepare to enter, the dungeon portal suddenly changed color, shifting from silver-gray to pitch black, with a faint, roaring skull appearing within.

The members of the major guilds couldn't help but step back.

"What's going on?"

This question crossed everyone's mind, but they soon received an answer.

Six figures suddenly flashed before the dungeon entrance. Each was dressed in magnificent attire, and their mere presence exuded a faint pressure. In particular, the Cursemancer with the black staff wore a set of dark gray gear that was clearly a matching set; it was obviously not ordinary, with a texture far superior to even Bronze Equipment.

"Huh? Why are there so many people?" Shi Feng scanned his surroundings and was surprised to find elite teams from various guilds blocking the entrance.

Shi Feng's party members also felt a bit nervous; being watched by so many people was just as intimidating as facing a boss.

"Boss Tian Wang, look, isn't that the noob?" Bu Yu Xia Ye, who had sharp eyes, pointed at Shi Feng.

Tian Wang Hui Hui frowned slightly. He didn't just see Shi Feng; he also saw Lonely As Snow. He asked, puzzled, "How are they here? Didn't they leave a long time ago?"

"I bet they didn't even enter the forest. They knew they couldn't clear the dungeon and were afraid of losing face, so they just stayed inside and are only showing up now," Yi Zhan Dao Di laughed. "This is funny. They got caught the moment they came out. Look at how ugly Lonely As Snow's face is."

"Hahaha, what a noob. He came back without even having the courage to run the dungeon, and now everyone knows it." Bu Yu Xia Ye pointed at Shi Feng, laughing so hard he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Tian Wang Hui Hui felt Bu Yu Xia Ye's reasoning made sense. Otherwise, how could he explain Shi Feng's party returning unscathed? Having run the dungeon themselves, they knew the terror of the Dead Silence Forest. Once you entered the woods, you either cleared the dungeon or were wiped out—there was no third option. Since Shi Feng's party returned safely, there was only one possibility: they never entered the woods. As for clearing the dungeon, that was impossible.

Just as Tian Wang's party mocked them, the surrounding players also burst into hysterical laughter. This confused Tian Wang's party—why was everyone laughing at Shi Feng's group? Was Shi Feng's party famous?

Tian Wang's party didn't know that after they entered the dungeon, Shi Feng's party had already become famous in the Dead Silence Forest. A party of level 1 noobs attempting a Hell-Grade dungeon was the most brainless move imaginable; it was hard not to pay attention.

After all, good news never leaves the house, but bad news travels a thousand miles.

"Hahaha, that weirdo is back. I actually admired him for a second, thinking they were badass enough to try the Hell-Grade Dead Silence Forest. Turns out they're just cowards."

"I can't take it, my stomach hurts."

The surrounding players who knew the situation understood Shi Feng's party's actions. They knew that attempting a Hell-Grade dungeon was foolish, so they assumed the party hadn't ventured deep into the forest, instead waiting by the entrance for a chance to slip away unnoticed. Unfortunately, fate wasn't on their side, and they were spotted by everyone just as the major guilds were entering.

"Brother Feng, what's wrong with these people?" Heizi saw the players rolling on the ground laughing and scratched his head in confusion. "Are their brains broken? Why are they all lying on the ground clutching their stomachs?"

"Who knows? Maybe they have cramps. It seems you shouldn't play God's Domain for too long," Shi Feng didn't think their behavior had anything to do with their arrival. "Let's go; it's creepy."

The rest of the party nodded; the players in the Dead Silence Forest were all too strange.

"Excuse me, please wait a moment."

Just as Shi Feng's party left the entrance, a crisp voice reached their ears. A beautiful, pure-looking woman in white robes walked toward them.

Shi Feng recognized her: Xiaoyuer, a top-100 Priest in the Star-Moon Kingdom.

Xiaoyuer walked up to Shi Feng, looking a bit embarrassed, a faint blush appearing on her delicate, fair cheeks. She whispered, "Hello, I am Xiaoyuer from Snake of the Void. We saw each other before the dungeon run. My party leader would like to talk to you about the Dead Silence Forest dungeon. I don't know... if you're interested?"