The next morning, Xia Miao was once again roused from her drowsy state by Nangong Wen.
She washed up, ate, and logged on in a daze.
Don’t think playing games for one day yesterday wasn’t tiring, all right? Playing games is physical labor too!
Yesterday, Hua Luo Hongchen added Xia Miao as a game friend, becoming the third person on Xia Miao’s Friends List.
As soon as Hua Luo Hongchen saw Xia Miao and Nangong Wen log on today, Hua Luo Hongchen’s Message immediately came over.
Hua Luo Hongchen: Morning, Little Shrimp Sprout~
She sure was energetic for this early in the morning...
Xia Miao stared at the message, sighed inwardly, and replied with a perfunctory “Morning.”
By her usual schedule, this was when she would be deep in pleasant dreams. How had playing a game made her get up earlier and earlier?
Because they had gotten up early, Nangong Wen wanted to drag Xia Miao back to the Eternal Forest to farm monsters for a while. But when she learned from Hua Luo Hongchen that the Outdoor Instance would open soon, she abandoned the plan.
Xia Miao escaped another arduous trip.
But the outdoor instance didn’t sound like a place where she could slack off either...
The two wandered around the Main City for a while, then waited at the Knight Instructor’s location when the time drew near.
Before long, Hua Luo Hongchen arrived with three figures.
The four people behind Hua Luo Hongchen were all members of the Tulip Studio whom she had recruited. Apart from the part-time Gold-Farming Players, Xia Miao and Nangong Wen made up the entire Battle strength of the Tulip Studio.
Xia Miao turned to Nangong Wen. Including the two of them, the group had only seven players. That seemed somewhat inconsistent with the strength of the Tulip Studio Nangong Wen had described earlier.
With the BOSS included, there were only seven people. This scale looked more like a small workshop...
Nangong Wen seemed not to notice Xia Miao’s questioning gaze and ignored her.
“They’re all old friends who have followed me for a long time. They’ll be family from now on. Let me introduce you.”
Hua Luo Hongchen placed her hand on the shoulder of the tallest man among the four figures behind her and smiled. “This is the Imperial Guards, a reliable Knight Player.”
The Imperial Guards looked over thirty. His gaze was indifferent, as though nothing unrelated to him could hold his interest. He seemed somewhat dejected and gave the two a slight nod in greeting.
Hua Luo Hongchen turned to a tall woman and introduced her with a gesture. “This is the Embroidered Uniform Guard, an Assassin. Her killing techniques are cool. If you get the chance, I’ll let you see them.”
Embroidered Uniform Guard wore a close-fitting outfit. Her figure was slender, and a black veil covered her face, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes.
Beside the corner of her eye, one could faintly make out half of a pink petal pattern, most likely a tattoo or something similar.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard swept her gaze over the two of them and fell silent.
Next, Hua Luo Hongchen took a fair, delicate hand and led out a little girl who looked only about ten years old and had been hiding behind her. “This is the Spirit-Calling Snail, a Mage. She’s a little introverted.”
The Spirit-Calling Snail timidly waved, then hid behind Hua Luo Hongchen again.
Hua Luo Hongchen smiled helplessly and was about to introduce the last member when he jumped out and extended his hand toward Xia Miao and Nangong Wen.
“Hi, beauties. My name is Handsome Hua Manlou. I’m an Archer, the core heavy damage dealer of the entire team. My status is exalted, so mention my name if you need anything in the future!”
A young man in animal hides approached the two with a smile he thought was handsome but that came across as greasy.
His familiarity left Xia Miao and Nangong Wen at a loss for a moment.
Thud!
Hua Luo Hongchen’s fair fist struck Handsome Hua Manlou squarely on the head without the slightest hesitation, making his head dip.
“Sorry, this is my Dog Bro. He didn’t scare you, did he?” Hua Luo Hongchen said with an awkward smile.
The first three were a Disheveled Uncle, a mute delinquent girl, and an introverted Loli. Together, they could not force out a single word, which was difficult enough to process.
And then the last one turned out to be a narcissistic younger brother...
What an absurd combination!
Xia Miao tilted her head toward Nangong Wen again, an invisible question mark seeming to appear above it.
This time, even Nangong Wen lost her composure. She covered her forehead and turned away, unwilling to meet Xia Miao’s scrutinizing gaze.
At the time, circumstances had forced her hand, and Hua Luo Hongchen’s personal charm had drawn her in. Who could have known that the Tulip Studio was devoted to absurdity?
Still, since she had already signed the contract, she could only grit her teeth and go along with it. At least the benefits were genuine.
After a light cough, Nangong Wen smiled. “My name is Wen Wu Shuangquan, and this is my friend, Shrimp Sprout. It’s a pleasure to meet everyone.”
“Wenwen! I’m happy to meet you too!” Handsome Hua Manlou jumped out again, excited.
The way he called her “Wenwen” sent a shiver through Nangong Wen, raising goosebumps all over her body.
It hardened!
Nangong Wen’s fist!
Bang!
Bang! Hua Luo Hongchen sent her Dog Bro flying with a Mount Lu Rising Dragon Strike. As though nothing had happened, she took out the five pieces of level 10 Common-Grade Equipment Protective Gear and three pieces of level 10 Common-Grade Equipment Accessories she had prepared, then handed them to Xia Miao and Nangong Wen.
This was the condition they had agreed on. Although the Equipment would lose much of its value as their levels rose, assembling a complete set of Common-Grade Equipment was still difficult at this stage.
“The outdoor instance will open in half an hour. Without further ado, let’s set off.” Only after handing over the equipment did Hua Luo Hongchen remind them.
The other three members of the Tulip Studio also seemed accustomed to this and set off one after another.
Without time to examine the Equipment, Nangong Wen and Xia Miao put on their full sets and followed.
This was their first mission, so they couldn’t afford to perform poorly.
Of course, with Xia Miao’s BUG-like existence, Nangong Wen felt not the slightest bit nervous. A mere outdoor instance was a sure victory!
The Outdoor Instance lay north of Glar No. 1 City, near the Ice Mountain Range.
A broad river called the “Icebreaker River” flowed there. Formed by the ice on the mountains melting without end, it cut between the Ice Mountain Range and the northern plains like a sharp blade.
They discovered the Outdoor Instance near the Icebreaker River.
The seven members of the Tulip Studio soon reached the site. More than ten minutes remained before the Dungeon opened, but the area was already packed with people.
The once-empty wilderness was now surrounded by large numbers of players.
Apart from the Independent Players who had come to watch, only capable groups could compete for this Outdoor Instance.
This was a level 15 outdoor instance. Players first had to reach level 15 to qualify for entry.
The monsters inside the Dungeon were no ordinary Leveling Area monsters. They were a tier stronger, so Ordinary Players would not find the Dungeon manageable until they reached around level 20.
Entering at level 15, the Dungeon’s threshold, was like crossing a single-plank bridge. One careless mistake would send a player back to the Main City Respawn Point, wasting time and experience.
No player present had reached level 20, but everyone who had come here belonged to the First Tier of players since the game’s launch. Veteran players, Professional Players, Gaming Studios, Guilds, and other factions had gathered here.
Everyone trusted their own strength and refused to miss this opportunity to strike it rich.
✦✦✦