Six hours after Mist went live, at noon.
At the Mist Entrance, packed with people, Mailun, who had just reached level nineteen not long ago, was gathered with several companions, discussing how to sneak into the Mist Dungeon.
Normally, Dungeons have a level requirement like “at least level ten” to ensure adventurers aren’t too weak to even beat the small monsters inside, but the Mist Dungeon was different.
Mist protected adventurers’ upper limits—this was the first time anyone had seen such a thing.
“Only allowing those under level fifteen in—this rule is so weird! I’ve been working so hard lately to break into the Second Rank just so I could clear more Dungeons, but now that I’m higher level, I’m not even allowed in?!”
Mailun was extremely frustrated, so he was now trying, together with his companions, to find a way to bypass the level limit and enter the Mist Dungeon. After all, there’s always a workaround.
Ever since having his heart broken by two women, Mailun had changed—becoming more steady, less arrogant. Even his father, Maina, had unusually praised him.
But it wasn’t because Mailun had come to his senses. It was because Suna and Truth had mercilessly trampled his pride, leaving him unable to hold his head up among his peers.
He’d always thought Suna had a crush on him because of his talent, but in reality, she had never really looked at him—spending her days either studying ancient birdsong or hanging out with that little priestess.
And as for the little priestess, Mailun had hoped to use her to win Suna over, killing two birds with one stone.
Yet, this nobody with no background looked down on him as well. And that Reg, who couldn’t even use magic, turned out to be her loyal lapdog!
But after Suna was admitted to the Royal Magic Academy, the priestess was chosen as Saintess, and even Reg, who couldn’t use magic, became a Hero Candidate, Mailun’s lifelong pride and world-view shattered completely.
Only then did Mailun realize Suna’s talent far surpassed his own, and she wasn’t tsundere at all—it had all been his own delusion.
Everyone he’d looked down on had a bright future, while he remained an ordinary young master in a small town…
So Mailun decided he had to prove himself. Maybe he couldn’t compete with the Saintess, but he could at least surpass Reg!
“There’s news!”
Just then, a few of his informants, tasked with gathering intel in the Mist, returned to Mailun and his group:
“We got info at the Slime Plaza from several teams. Starting at noon, there’s been a woman in a maid outfit standing guard at the Dungeon entrance. She looks really tough, and when someone went up to ask her what she was doing, she just said she was keeping order at the entrance and told people not to bother her—she had a really bad attitude.”
“We also heard from a few team captains that the same woman used to hang around the entrance to the Deya Underground Labyrinth. Seems like she’s a staff member specially hired by the Mist?”
“Staff?” Mailun was stunned. Dungeons… can hire staff?
After asking a few more questions, Mailun had a rough idea. Since the girl was guarding the Mist Dungeon entrance, could he try to bribe her and sneak into the Dungeon?
His father always said most things can’t be done simply because the benefits offered aren’t enough.
Following this principle, Mailun used his ability to cut the line with his team and quickly reached the Dungeon entrance…
Unlike the chaos at the Mist’s main entrance, the order at the Dungeon entrance was excellent.
All the adventurers were lined up in six orderly columns, entering the Novice Tutorial in turn, and no one was shouting.
The reason for this was a certain person’s oppressive presence.
Under an old tree near the lines, a tall girl with red-and-yellow-streaked long hair, wearing a standard black-and-white maid outfit, was standing there, face dark, scanning everyone present with an expression like she was looking at garbage.
It was Elis.
To adventurers, Elis was extremely eye-catching. With her outstanding looks and her slightly unusual outfit, she easily stirred their imaginations.
Maids should be dressed neatly, right? But Elis was different—her headband was askew, her hair sticking up in messy tufts, and under her short skirt, her long legs… Why was she only wearing a single black stocking over the knee?
Only wearing one stocking, and the other leg bare, seemed even more provocative…
Unfortunately, most people present had already seen Elis at the entrance to the Deya Underground Mausoleum. They knew her temperament.
Adventurers who didn’t know her were thinking about how to strike up a conversation; those who did were already far away.
Plus, Elis seemed to be in a bad mood today, so better not interact with her for now. Two hours ago, someone had tried to get close to Elis.
But just blowing a lewd whistle near her, Elis, with a blank face, raised her hand and used a flame imbued with Heavenly Fire to burn off all of that guy’s equipment.
After that, no one dared to approach Elis again—until Mailun and his group arrived…
“It’s over… It’s over… It’s over, over, over, over…”
But unlike what people imagined as “hard to approach,” Elis had been standing there with her head down and a dark face because her mind had collapsed—her head filled with the thought: “It’s over.”
Because the situation had reversed completely.
This morning, she never expected that Truth would completely ignore her, leaving Elis at a loss.
If she couldn’t complete her spy mission, everything would be finished.
For the sake of her future, and the grand promises Lord Heavenly Fire had painted, Elis had dropped to the floor, clutching Truth’s legs and crying:
“I can’t go anywhere now. Please, take me in! I’ll do anything!”
Truth had just smiled ambiguously and agreed.
Elis was secretly delighted, but then Truth took her to the Mist’s Core Region and told her to strip and put on a maid outfit that had appeared from who-knows-where.
Only then did Elis realize something was wrong…
“Put it on! If you don’t, you can forget about staying in the Mist!” Truth commanded, hands on hips, looking just like a mean old lady bullying her own servants.
“Staying in the Mist…” Elis was stunned for a long time. Wait, isn’t that supposed to be my line?!
Was this her last bit of power?
Elis had thought that if Truth made some truly outrageous demands, she could threaten to quit to push back a little, so she’d have some human rights in the Mist.
But from the moment she’d clung to Truth’s ankle and shouted “I’ll do anything,” the situation had completely changed.
Now, if she didn’t meet Truth’s excessive demands, she’d be thrown out of the Mist…
So Elis regretted it—regretted it deeply. She could already foresee her own miserable future.
Look, as soon as she returned to the Mist, that demon made her change into a maid outfit that barely covered half her thighs, and wouldn’t even let her wear underwear!
This was a short-skirt maid outfit—if the wind blew a little, her panties would be visible! And now she wasn’t even wearing panties, so what would be exposed…
And the stockings! If she could at least wear normal black stockings, it wouldn’t be so bad.
She didn’t mind stockings, but why only let her wear one?!
Didn’t that demon know that only wearing one stocking makes you feel like you’re half-dressed, and the other half is completely exposed—it’s so embarrassing!
Or maybe that demon did it on purpose…
Elis was convinced it was on purpose. That demon definitely wanted to see her embarrassed—how wicked! Now, any time someone got close, she’d have a stress reaction.
Thankfully, not many people bothered her, so she could focus on using the magic core to check whose levels didn’t meet the requirements, then use the Mist’s special info prompt to warn those trying to slip in to leave quickly.
If they refused to leave, Elis would deal with them herself. And this was only the first layer of the Mist’s security measures.
At that moment, Truth’s voice sounded in Elis’s mind, making her dull eyes finally flicker with some life:
“Hey, Elis, get to the Core Region. I’ve got a task for you.”
A task? Was that demon sending her to her death or something?
Forget it, what’s the point in worrying—she couldn’t run even if she wanted to… No, she shouldn’t run.
She’d better hurry over. Anything was better than standing here being ogled by all these rookie adventurers.
So, following the UI prompt in front of her, “Core Region,” Elis turned to leave, but the next second, Mailun—half a head taller than her—suddenly blocked her path:
“So you are here. Hello, my name is Mailun, from Deya.”
Elis instinctively covered her skirt and took two steps back, giving a cold look to the four students in front of her who hadn’t even reached Second Rank:
“Looking for me?”
“Yes, I’d like to make a deal with you, senior.” Mailun took out a small pouch of gold coins, getting right to the point.
“Trying to bypass the Mist’s level cap and get into the Dungeon?” Elis tilted her head.
That demon set up a level restriction in the Mist? Why didn’t she know?
What would happen if someone bypassed the level cap and entered the Dungeon?
Would it collapse, or would there be irreversible losses? If so…
Elis would love nothing more!
If she couldn’t take revenge on the demon head-on, then at least she could do it in secret.
But this bribe was too insulting! Elis pointed at the gold pouch in Mailun’s hand and said:
“Is this for beggars?”
“Beggars? No, there’s a full fifteen gold coins in there!” Fifteen gold coins was Mailun’s entire monthly allowance; he’d already been very generous.
But to Elis, a Seventh-Rank Disaster-class Mage, fifteen gold coins were utterly useless.
What she really needed now was a way to resist that demon…