Hearing someone approach, Ci Xin assumed it was Shi Feng and turned to look toward the entrance.
But the person walking in was no Shi Feng. Instead, it was a twenty-man team. Their equipment was excellent—almost entirely a mix of Bronze and Iron-rank gear, with a few wearing the Level 10 class sets that could only drop from team dungeons. While the pieces were scattered, for a guild in the current era, this was absolutely top-tier gear.
The team leader was a Guardian Knight, roughly twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a sharp look on his face. He wore red-and-white heavy armor and carried a blood-cross shield as tall as a person on his back along with a blood-red longsword. He cut an imposing figure—hard to say how many young women he could charm at a glance.
"No way—is that Guardian Knight wearing a full set of the Level 10 Iron-rank Blood Radiance set?"
"That shield and longsword are radiating a Mythril-rank glow. How have I never seen equipment like that before?"
The Assassin Alliance members whispered among themselves upon spotting the leading Guardian Knight.
The Iron-rank Blood Radiance set only dropped from the ten-man Hard-mode team dungeon. To have assembled a full set already spoke volumes about how powerful this team was.
"They seem to be from the Dark Star Guild." After a careful look, Ci Xin suddenly noticed the guild emblem they wore was Dark Star's. He then studied the Guardian Knight more closely and was visibly startled. "He's Dark Star's Wei Wo Du Kuang."
Chenmo Canjian's expression turned grim.
Dark Star had Wei Wo Du Kuang, the number one player on the level rankings, and had already secured two Hard-mode dungeon First Clears. The guild's reputation in White River City was soaring—who would have thought they'd move this quickly and start attempting the twenty-man team dungeon? If they actually pulled it off, the Assassin Alliance's position in White River City would become even more awkward.
When the Assassin Alliance first entered White River City, they'd had the advantage of a luxurious White River City guide to prepare with, which had brought the Alliance to its peak. Many players had even believed the Alliance had the potential to surpass first-rate guilds.
Now, with Dark Star on the rise, players naturally compared the two. And that comparison was precisely what made the Assassin Alliance's current standing in White River City so awkward.
"Well, well—isn't this the leader of the Assassin Alliance? What a coincidence." Wei Wo Du Kuang looked at Chenmo Canjian with a smirk. "Too bad it doesn't matter that you came. You've wasted your trip, because the Hard-mode First Clear of the Orc Arsenal already belongs to us, the Dark Star Guild."
The other Dark Star members looked at the Assassin Alliance and let undisguised smirks spread across their faces.
Right now, across the entire White River City region, Dark Star's momentum clearly outstripped the Alliance's. And Dark Star had a much shorter history than the Alliance. The Alliance's only advantages were its longer heritage and better benefits—future Dark Star would certainly surpass them.
"I'll be watching." Chenmo Canjian naturally wouldn't rise to the provocation. He simply replied with cold indifference.
The twenty-man Hard-mode dungeon—only those who'd experienced it knew the truth. Arguing with a greenhorn over who could claim the Hard-mode First Clear was pointless.
Seeing Chenmo Canjian unmoved by the taunt, Wei Wo Du Kuang lost interest and turned to leave.
At that moment, a low voice echoed in everyone's ears.
"Sorry I'm late." It was Shi Feng who spoke.
He'd needed to repair his equipment, store items, and put the Sturdy Stones up for auction at the Auction House, which had taken quite some time.
"Brother Yefeng, you're finally here!" Ci Xin had still been irritated by the provocation, but his mood improved considerably upon seeing Shi Feng arrive. He hurried over to greet him.