“Fine, but we need it now, otherwise I’m afraid you’ll try to pull a fast one.”
The squad leader about to enter the Abandoned Cellar spoke. As soon as the words left his mouth, Truth tossed twenty Gold Coins without hesitation, causing the man’s originally stern expression to instantly soften.
“Brothers, make room for this cute lady!”
Adventurers eager to experience a Dungeon for the first time usually do so to scout the situation and sell the information once they exit, which can net them a handsome profit.
However, it was already noon, and the basic situation of the Dungeon was already known to many adventurers. Selling information now would be lucky to get a few silver coins, so getting five Gold Coins per person was an incredibly profitable deal!
“Thanks for the lady’s generosity.” The departing squad members bowed to Truth one by one; five Gold Coins was nearly four months of income for their group. Meanwhile, the adventurers waiting behind them wore expressions of envy.
‘Damn it, if I had been just a little later, I could have been at the front, and I would have gotten five Gold Coins!’
“Hmm? Anderson?” At this moment, the departing squad leader suddenly found the young man acting sheepish behind Truth to be very familiar. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was an old acquaintance.
“Hey, Jibusi, I didn’t expect to run into you here.” Seeing his identity exposed, Anderson had no choice but to greet him openly.
“So you two know each other.” Alice said in surprise, not expecting to meet someone they knew in such a vast fog; it was quite a coincidence.
“Hmph, ‘know each other’ is an understatement. We are old acquaintances who became friends only after a brawl!” Jibusi snorted coldly at Anderson, who looked obviously guilty.
Anderson and Jibusi had indeed met only after a fight. Back then, Jibusi was selling information about a noble’s scandal at the Black Market. As it happened, Anderson also had information on the same scandal, so to steal the business, Anderson would always bid one silver coin lower than Jibusi.
The result was that Jibusi grew impatient and wanted to give Anderson a good beating, but the Black Market rules strictly forbade fighting. The two had no choice but to publicly agree to settle their dispute at the city outskirts the next day, with anyone who didn’t show up being a coward.
By the next morning, both had arrived as scheduled, and they were well-prepared. Jibusi brought his best equipment and a pair of iron knuckles with an uneven surface. He didn’t use a sword because if he caused a death inside the city, the Enforcers would come knocking, and he was afraid the other party would be dishonorable enough to bring lackeys for a group fight outside the city.
So, fists were better. Besides, both parties just wanted to beat the other until their faces were black and blue. Moreover, as a First Rank Warrior, Jibusi had almost no rivals among his peers in terms of combat!
It was just a pity that Anderson had prepared much more thoroughly for this fight.
The previous night, Anderson had visited Jibusi’s elderly mother carrying a crate of fruit, where he eventually learned the weakness that Jibusi was allergic to peanuts. After that, the result was self-evident…
On the day of the fight, Anderson used fists covered in peanut butter to leave Jibusi panting and struggling for air, winning the fight easily.
It was just a little dishonorable.
“What’s the situation between you two? Do you have a grudge? Either fight now or stop wasting time, the Dungeon is about to open.” Truth stood at the front of the line, showing zero interest in their past grievances.
“No, no, fighting now would be such a waste of time. There will be plenty of opportunities later, right, Anderson?”
Jibusi wore a meaningful expression, and the three Warrior teammates behind him also had malicious smiles; their squad was entirely composed of tough male Warriors.
Everyone in Deya City knew that robbery and theft were prohibited, but every adventurer also knew that there were no rules in the Mist. You could do whatever you wanted. Although the Adventurers’ Guild had regulations, as long as you weren’t caught, it was as if you had never violated any rules.
Therefore, the intentions of Jibusi and his group were already very clear. They planned to wait outside for Anderson’s squad to come out of the Dungeon to play the role of the oriole stalking the mantis…
“The Dungeon is open.” Truth reminded them, ignoring the malicious intent leaking from Jibusi and the others, signaling for Anderson and his party to hurry in and suffer.
“Ha, want to guess if I have peanut butter on me?” Anderson ignored Jibusi and walked straight toward the opened gate of the Abandoned Cellar.
“Wait!” Jibusi suddenly called out to Anderson again:
“Aren’t you already over Level 20? You’ve exceeded the Dungeon’s limit. Do you think the Mist will let you inside?”
“Heh, I have my own ways.” Anderson smiled with disdain. Once Truth and her group entered the Dungeon, he bowed his head in front of everyone, leaned forward, and performed a perfect forward roll into the Dungeon.
The white fog door at the entrance didn’t stop him at all.
After the second update, Truth could place white fog doors at the entrance of every Dungeon to block adventurers who didn’t meet the level requirements, unless they had a way to deceive the fog door. But even if they managed to trick it, it didn’t matter; the DPS detection mechanism was always running anyway.
“He actually got in?!”
The other adventurers in line didn’t know what had happened, but Jibusi was shocked. Earlier, he had seen with his own eyes several adventurers who exceeded the level limit being rejected directly by the entrance, yet this Anderson was able to roll right in?
Could it be that his level hadn’t reached 20 yet? Impossible. The Association had already awarded him a Second Rank badge; it couldn’t be below 20. And since he said he had his own ways, could it be…
A bold idea appeared in Jibusi’s mind. Why not try? He wouldn’t die anyway.
*
After all four members of Anderson’s squad entered the Dungeon, four large characters appeared before everyone’s eyes:
[Abandoned Cellar]
The entire cellar was dim and damp, with the distance being pitch black, leaving one with no sense of safety. Only the bonfire not far away gave people a sliver of hope to yearn for.
“I’ve heard from my predecessors that the bonfire in a Dungeon is absolutely safe, so if you encounter one, you must activate it immediately!”
Alice ran toward the bonfire at once, while Anderson and Eldon kept observing their surroundings. This was their first time entering a Mist Dungeon, making them both very curious and cautious.
Suddenly, several consecutive sounds of armor clashing echoed from behind them, startling Anderson into turning around with his crossbow raised, only to see the familiar face of Jibusi.
“So it really is possible to enter! You only need to roll to ignore all the restrictions of the Mist!”
Taking advantage of the gap while Truth deactivated the Dungeon entrance restrictions, Jibusi had successfully led his three teammates inside, which suddenly made Truth chuckle:
“Oh, so proactive?”
Anderson, however, acted as if facing a great enemy, immediately standing shoulder to shoulder with Eldon while blocking Truth behind him, saying in a low voice:
“Looks like today it’s either you or me.”
“Heh, I hope you actually brought peanut butter today.” Accompanied by the crisp sound of swords being drawn, the four men led by Jibusi also raised their weapons, their expressions fierce.
“I also hope your peanut butter jar has a factory address on it, because today I am going to chop you into pulp and throw you into that peanut butter factory to provide an extra meal for the people of Deya City!”
One First Rank Warrior, one First Rank Mage, one Tier 2 Ranger, and a Priestess not worth mentioning… Jibusi quickly observed the members of Anderson’s squad, finding them miserably weak.
Although the configuration of Anderson’s squad was quite reasonable, everyone was low-ranked now. At low ranks, the Warrior was the most overpowered profession!
To a Warrior, Mages, Priests, Contract Masters, and Druids were all weaklings who would die as soon as they were closed in on, while other professions were just weaklings that were slightly more troublesome to deal with.
Take Anderson, for example. So what if he was a Tier 2 Ranger? This was a Dungeon. If he tried to run and kite, he would surely bump into monsters hiding in the dark. He had to fight head-on.
And if he fought head-on, he would face the righteous group-beating of four Warriors with an average level of around 17!
So today was Anderson’s doomsday!
“Don’t move yet, let me fight him one-on-one. Go to hell and wallow in regret!”
Jibusi charged out first, the great curved sword in his hand aiming directly at Anderson’s neck.
Anderson also pulled his crossbow trigger without a second thought.
“Stop.”
In the next second, just as both sides were about to collide and break into a major battle, Truth suddenly stepped between them out of nowhere, leaving Anderson and Jibusi both horrified as they exclaimed:
“Get out of the way!”
Since she could toss out 20 Gold Coins so casually, it meant this little girl’s background was definitely extraordinary.
If they hurt her here, they would definitely be hunted down by her family later!
Jibusi thought to himself, hurriedly pulling back his force with all his might.
He only wanted to target Anderson!
On the other side, Anderson couldn’t take any remedial measures because the bolt had already been fired.
In the next moment, it would pierce straight into the back of Truth’s head.
If that happened, maybe the Holy Maiden would forgive him with kindness, but the Holy Maiden’s reclusive great family certainly wouldn’t.
‘My life is finished!’ Anderson closed his eyes in despair.
*
“Clang!” “Clang!”
Two crisp sounds echoed almost simultaneously.
Immediately afterward, Jibusi only felt a numbness in his palms, while Anderson discovered the crossbow bolt had struck something incredibly hard, causing it to bounce upward and backward.
The shock forced him to dodge sideways, and the bolt lodged itself straight into the cellar wall.
Truth had raised her hand, casting the Lens Shield twice in rapid succession, deflecting both of their attacks:
“Without my permission, nobody is allowed to engage in PVP!”
“A shield? You are a Second Rank Priest?!” Jibusi retreated repeatedly, gritting his teeth as he spoke.
“I only want Anderson’s dog life; I don’t care about you all! And you, a lowly little Priest, aren’t qualified to order me around!”
“So you want to settle this with mutual destruction?” Truth questioned coldly, appearing very difficult to mess with.
“This…”
Jibusi hesitated. He looked again at Anderson, at the Level 18 Warrior Eldon behind him, and at Alice, who was ready for ranged support at the bonfire.
Originally, this group was no challenge for Jibusi and his men, but the problem now… they had a Second Rank Priest!
A First Rank Priest had essentially no role in combat other than healing after the battle, but once reaching the Second Rank and being able to cast a shield, it was a qualitative change.
Just think: if two Warriors of equal strength were trading blows, it would usually end in mutual destruction. But what if one of the Warriors possessed a Priest’s shield that could negate an opponent’s attack?
In that case, he could hit the enemy, while the enemy could only hit the shield…
Fortunately, all four of Jibusi’s men were Warriors:
“I really didn’t expect someone as small as you to be Second Rank. This is indeed a huge threat to us, but even so, you still have no chance of winning. Don’t forget that we are all four Warriors. A single charge would be enough to finish you all off, with at most a little more injury to ourselves!”
“Then are you not planning to challenge the Dungeon anymore?” Truth asked. This one short sentence made Jibusi fall into deep thought again.
Oh right, he’d been so focused on Anderson that he’d forgotten they were in a Dungeon!
For a one-time PVP, four Warriors were overwhelmingly strong. But if they went to explore the Dungeon together, the weakness of lacking sustainability would be exposed.
And now, they were about to clash with a squad containing a Tier 2 Ranger and a Second Rank Priest.
Although they could win, they would definitely win in a miserable state.
Being covered in injuries was a given, and if that happened, they shouldn’t even think about exploring the map.
Exploring a Mist Dungeon while injured? That was just a great way to commit suicide.
So, Jibusi was now faced with two choices: one, kill Anderson to satisfy his hatred; two, let Anderson go for now, explore the Dungeon, and maximize their gains.
What to do? He wanted both outcomes…
“You’re currently torn between Anderson and the Dungeon, right?” Truth saw through Jibusi’s thoughts and said:
“I actually have a way for you to satisfy both wishes at once. Want to hear it?”
Two wishes at once? After a few seconds of silence, Jibusi signaled his teammates not to act rashly and replied:
“Let’s hear it.”
“It’s simple. Both our sides explore the Dungeon together. Whoever gets the reward first gets to keep it. Once the exploration is finished, you and Anderson can continue your business.”
“How can I trust you? Exploring the Dungeon together is fine, but how do I know you won’t help Anderson escape after the exploration?”
“I never break my word. Besides, I’m not close to Anderson; I only met him this morning. I only require him to accompany me in exploring the Dungeon; I don’t care about what happens afterward.”
That was true… Jibusi nodded. People from great families like Truth definitely cared about their reputation and generally wouldn’t lie… So the four tough male Warriors gathered again to whisper among themselves.
Taking this opportunity, Anderson hurried to Truth’s side and whispered:
“You were lying to them just now, right?”
‘There’s no way you’d let Jibusi and the others continue with me after the exploration! Something so cold-hearted must be a lie. After all, you’re a Priest who spreads love and healing.’
“I’m not lying.” Truth shook her head, then said to Alice and Eldon behind her:
“When the time comes, don’t you two meddle either; otherwise, it’ll be easy to bring trouble upon yourselves. Let Anderson solve it himself.”
“Huh? That doesn’t seem right…”
Eldon felt quite guilty about this. Just as he wanted to say something to Anderson, Jibusi spread his arms and laughed loudly at Truth and the others:
“Haha, I hope our upcoming joint exploration goes smoothly!”
Ignoring Anderson, Jibusi walked toward the depths of the cellar, laughing as he led his three teammates forward. Truth also gestured for Anderson and the others to follow, otherwise, the rewards would all be snatched up.
“Wait, you’re really giving up on me?!” Anderson pointed at himself in disbelief.
“If you want to survive, follow along.” Truth’s reply was perfunctory and harsh. Anderson had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.
Soon, after walking 30 meters, the group discovered the first item in the cellar—a glimmering light emitting a conspicuous white glow in the darkness.
“Ah, I know that. The seniors at the Academy said there are two types of rewards in the Mist; one is a treasure chest, and the other is this kind of light that only reveals the reward after you touch it!”
Alice said excitedly. According to Truth’s words, as long as she went up and touched it, she could put the reward into her pocket! Alice immediately ran forward.
Then she was grabbed by the back of her mage hood by Jibusi:
“Hey, we clearly saw this first. Don’t you know the rule of ‘finders keepers’? Haha!”
“It’s not ‘finders keepers’, you… you’re cheating!” Alice tried to break free, but the strength gap between them was simply too vast.
“What cheating? This is our own rule. Besides, didn’t your little Priest just say that whoever touches it first gets it? You haven’t touched it yet, so it definitely doesn’t count as yours. Isn’t that right, Priestess?”
“That’s right.” Truth nodded earnestly.
“So the first reward is ours. Weidaer, go get it.” Jibusi ordered one of his teammates.
“You got it!” Weidaer ran forward excitedly, leaving Alice and the others feeling dejected. How could it be like this…
‘Why did Truth say it like that… Forget about not choosing to help Anderson, she even set a rule that favors these four rogue adventurers. They already crush us in combat power, how are we supposed to snatch any rewards like this…’
Alice felt extremely wronged. Eldon wanted to speak out but dared not, and Anderson was busy thinking of an escape plan in his head.
Following this, the 16-level Warrior Weidaer finally touched the white light.
As the light gradually faded, a strange, palm-sized item emitting a milky white glow appeared in his hand, and at the same time, the name of the item appeared before his eyes:
“Huh? Lure Skull?”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.