Flame Dragon City, Underground Arena.
At this moment, the main entrance was already surrounded by a crowd of players above Level 40. These players wore pitch-black armor and snow-white cloaks, resembling a disciplined and well-trained army. Passing players who spotted them couldn't help but give them a wide berth.
"Who are these people? They're openly blockading the Underground Arena and not letting anyone in — how unreasonable can you get!"
"It's your first time in the Imperial Capital, so it's normal not to know."
"Has this Underground Arena been booked out by a Super Guild?"
"Not just booked out — did you see those guards? They're a combined defense squad made up of several Super Guilds. Every last one of them is wearing the Level 40 Gold-grade set 'Soul of Darkness' for melee classes, specifically tasked with guarding the Underground Arena and keeping unauthorized people out."
"Super Guilds really are something else. Even a hastily assembled guard squad is this impressive. I just barely made it to Level 40 and I don't even have a handful of Level 40 weapons or gear, yet here are all these people wearing full Level 40 Gold-grade sets…"
The guard squad's immaculate equipment didn't just drive home the power of the Super Guilds to the independent players — even the members of the major guilds who had received invitations were stunned.
The mainstream player level in the Divine Realm was currently around thirty-seven at most, with expert players sitting at thirty-nine or forty. Even for experts in major guilds, simply reaching Level 40 and obtaining a full set of Gold-grade weapons and equipment was already considered impressive. A full Gold-grade set was pure wishful thinking.
Yet every single member of the guard squad sent by the Super Guilds was decked out in a full Level 40 Gold-grade set — gear that would be considered top-tier in any major guild.
Assembling a full Gold-grade set in the Divine Realm was actually harder than putting together a full Dark Gold-grade set.
An individual Gold-grade piece might not rival a Dark Gold-grade item, but the set bonuses of some Gold-grade sets were far more important than the base stats of Dark Gold-grade equipment on their own. That was why many players who had assembled a Gold-grade set at Level 30 were perfectly willing to keep using it all the way to Level 40 before swapping.
The Level 40 Soul of Darkness set, for example, was more than good enough to carry a player all the way to Level 50 without needing another upgrade.
Just as the crowd was gazing at the guard squad's equipment with naked envy, two graceful silhouettes walked past, instantly drawing every pair of eyes in the vicinity.
The arrival of these two female players — though their faces were hidden, their elegant figures alone were enough to suggest they were both stunning beauties — caused the grim, battle-hardened members of the guard squad to bow and part ways, clearing a path for them as though welcoming a queen. The sight was nothing short of spectacular.
"Who on earth are they?"
"They're wearing black cloaks that hide their IDs and faces, so how could anyone recognize them? But I'd wager they're at least high-ranking members of a first-rate guild. Otherwise, why would the guard squad be so deferential?"
"First-rate guild? You're giving first-rate guilds way too much credit. That's an elite guard squad composed of Super Guilds — they probably wouldn't even blink for the leader of a first-rate guild. My guess is they're high-ranking members of a Super Guild or even a top-tier guild."
"Fair point. If I could ever enter the Dark Arena and have a guard squad treat me with that kind of respect, I'd consider my life well lived."
"The only way they'd ever be that respectful is if you joined a Super Guild and became one of their top experts."
"…"
While the crowd buzzed with discussion, the two beautiful players stepped inside the Underground Arena.
And the moment they entered, a tall, striking woman was already waiting to one side — dressed in a refined dark-grey mage robe, clutching a staff of black wood, her entire being radiating an aura of death.
A closer look revealed that this woman was a Level 42 Summoner.