Arriving more than ten minutes early, as Hua Luo Hongchen had arranged, already counted as being late.
The seven members of Tulip split up and threaded their way through the crowd. After several minutes of squeezing through, they finally reached the Outdoor Instance entrance.
The Outdoor Instance was a cave covered in damp soil. Unless one examined it closely, it would be difficult to notice.
“An unlimited-time dungeon with rewards for ten clears, capable of accommodating a party of up to ten people. The first party to clear the dungeon will receive a mysterious reward…”
Hua Luo Hongchen glanced at the dungeon requirements and muttered.
The ten-clear reward meant that only the first ten parties to clear the Dungeon could receive rewards. Every other party would return empty-handed!
“Hey, Hongchen, you can’t even put together a full party, so stop wasting your time. Why not stay outside and be my cheerleader?”
A provocative voice came from nearby, prompting the members of Tulip and many other players to turn their heads.
The voice belonged to Big Dipper, who had failed to compete with Hua Luo Hongchen for recruits the previous day.
Given Star Studio’s size, it could not possibly miss this Outdoor Instance.
Nearly twenty imposing players with fierce auras stood behind Big Dipper. Their levels ranged from 15 to 17, while two level-18 players stood beside him like left and right guardians.
Big Dipper was clearly still angry that he had failed to recruit Xia Miao and Nangong Wen the previous day. He had come to reclaim his standing.
“Big Dipper Dog! Come out and fight me one-on-one! Let’s see if I can’t blast your 24K titanium-alloy laser dog eyes apart!”
Before Hua Luo Hongchen could respond, a figure leaped out, pointed at Big Dipper from afar, and shouted insults at the top of his lungs.
It was Dog Bro, Handsome Hua Manlou.
If the Imperial Guards had not been holding him back, he probably would have charged over and challenged Big Dipper to a solo fight on the spot.
He was a complete hothead.
“Why is that mad dog here again…” Big Dipper’s expression became as pained as if he had eaten a fly. As the leader of Star Studio, he could hardly lower himself to trade insults with the other party, could he?
But if he did not talk back, Dog Bro’s insults would keep coming without mercy!
He never stopped talking, like a Gatling Gun!
Big Dipper suspected that, in the pre-virtual era, this guy had been a keyboard warrior who could verbally bully people into depression.
“All right, ignore him. The Dungeon is about to open.” Hua Luo Hongchen shook her head, pressed down Dog Bro’s head, and soothed him.
“Hongchen, not bad. Your party has gained two more pretty girls?!” Just after Big Dipper suffered that setback, another voice came from the other side.
The members of Tulip turned toward the voice and saw a Female Knight in iron armor. She held a broad-bladed greatsword, wore wine-red hair, and smiled at them.
“Heh heh, we were lucky.” Hua Luo Hongchen smiled and nodded at the red-haired Female Knight. She then introduced her to Xia Miao and Nangong Wen: “This is Bloodstained Rose, the BOSS of Violet Studio. She’s my equal in rank, and we’re both under the Hundred Flowers in Bloom Guild.”
Nangong Wen uttered an “Mm” to indicate that she understood.
Xia Miao also nodded as if she half understood.
Hua Luo Hongchen could not help smiling at her vacant appearance.
Ten minutes passed. A faint light flickered at the cave entrance of the Outdoor Instance, and the sealed entrance opened wide.
The players who had been waiting charged toward the cave like hungry wolves!
The players’ parties became streaks of white glow and vanished through the Outdoor Instance Entrance.
With the crowd surging behind them, the members of Tulip barely needed to move. The players pushed them toward the Instance Entrance like a rising tide.
Just as the crowd of players was about to crush them, a streak of white glow appeared before their eyes.
Whoosh—
The scene before them changed. Their surroundings darkened, revealing a wide, lengthy passageway stretching ahead.
“Is everyone all right? Don’t rush. We’ll move after we adjust our formation,” Hua Luo Hongchen said.
After their eyes gradually adapted to the dim environment around them and their vision became somewhat clearer, they began advancing along the passageway.
The Imperial Guards led the way, with Hua Luo Hongchen and the Embroidered Uniform Guard close behind. The Spirit-Calling Snail and Handsome Hua Manlou brought up the rear.
They had clearly worked together for a long time and had excellent rapport.
Xia Miao and Nangong Wen, newcomers who had joined the Gaming Studio, had no sense of this formation. They followed behind the others in a daze.
Although Nangong Wen realized that she was expected to do something, she was a complete novice at games and knew little more than Xia Miao.
She handled farming Normal Monsters in the Leveling Area well enough, but entering a Dungeon—a more involved activity—left her at a loss.
Xia Miao was even more of a lazy donkey at a mill; if no one tugged her along, she would not move on her own.
Fortunately, Hua Luo Hongchen’s voice came at the right moment.
“Wenwen, come over here with me. Little Shrimp Sprout, follow the imperial guards and take the off-tank position.”
Nangong Wen looked as though she had been pardoned. She pulled Xia Miao into the party, took her position, and moved forward with the group.
The Dungeon was far more difficult than farming monsters in the Leveling Area. Even a seasoned party as well coordinated as Tulip could only feel its way through an unfamiliar Dungeon at a slow pace, afraid to venture deeper without caution.
Even Dog Bro had become much more well-behaved. Nangong Wen had thought that, given his personality, he would rush straight ahead.
He seemed reliable enough at critical moments.
Still dazed, Xia Miao ended up beside Disheveled Uncle. The Imperial Guards glanced at her and reminded her in a low voice, “Stay behind me and keep close.”
“Oh, oh.” Xia Miao nodded like a pecking chick and edged closer behind the imperial guards.
“You don’t need to get that close…” The Imperial Guards was speechless.
He could not help wondering whether Hua Luo Hongchen had any use for these two clueless girls she had recruited…
Could these two have only reached level 15?
With some doubt, the imperial guards opened Xia Miao’s information.
《Within the gods》, only a player’s name was displayed above their head; their level was not shown. However, checking their information revealed more detailed data, such as the player’s name, class, and level.
To be honest, none of the members of Tulip Studio had thought much of the two girls Hua Luo Hongchen had recruited.
Not a single person had even checked Xia Miao and Nangong Wen’s information.
Otherwise, they would not have remained silent until now.
That was, until the imperial guards saw Xia Miao’s information.
Name: Shrimp Sprout
Level: 19
Class: knight
What the hell? Level 19?
The Imperial Guards’ eyes widened, and he almost shouted.
The Imperial Guards turned toward Nangong Wen at the back of the party and checked her information.
Name: Wen Wu Shuangquan
Level: 19
Class: mage
As the party’s only frontliner, the Imperial Guards already had the highest level among Tulip Studio’s five members.
But he had only reached level 17!
These two girls, who looked as though they knew nothing at all, were level 19?
What kind of monsters were they?
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