The entrance to the Silent Forest dungeon was swarmed with players, all gathered around the gate.
The elite teams from every major guild in Red Leaf Town had shown up, and they were preparing to take on the Silent Forest. These teams were far superior to casual elite squads—their gear was uniformly standard equipment, and some even sported Bronze Equipment mixed in.
"That's the main tank of Crown of Heaven, Bu Dong Ru Shan. I can't believe even he's here. The Silent Forest is definitely going down this time."
"Hmph, Crown of Heaven? They're nothing but a third-rate guild. Look over there—Ci Xin, the vice-leader of the Assassin Alliance's elite team, showed up. And that Guardian Knight beside him is called Zhan Po, one of the top five knights in the Assassin Alliance. Way more formidable than Bu Dong Ru Shan."
The players buzzed with discussion, all placing their bets on the major guilds. There were over a dozen guilds of various sizes here, but the most renowned was the second-rate top guild, the Assassin Alliance, followed by the third-rate Crown of Heaven. The rest were lesser-known outfits, though even those small guilds couldn't be underestimated—each one had a professional studio backing it, staffed with high-caliber players recruited for top pay, not your average skilled gamers.
Every guild wanted to establish its reputation in Red Leaf Town, and the Silent Forest—the first dungeon to appear here—was the perfect target to prove themselves. To that end, they'd prepared thoroughly, spending substantial sums on equipment and potions, and purchasing a good deal of intelligence on the Silent Forest. They were brimming with confidence.
"Boss Tian Wang, the guild teams' gear is incredible. The Silent Forest is going down for sure," said Priest Buyu Xiaye, his expression tinged with melancholy.
Ranger Tian Wang crossed his arms and nodded slightly, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "Who could've imagined the Silent Forest would be this brutal? We got wiped before we even laid eyes on the boss. Now our little squad's been relegated to being scouts for these guilds."
"What's so great about guild elites?" grumbled the Shield Warrior Yizhan Daodi, puffing out his lips dismissively. In his heart, he still looked down on those guild hotshots, convinced that the failure to clear the dungeon was purely an equipment problem. "It's not that we lack skill, boss. It's just that this dungeon is terrifying and the gear requirements are insane."
"Exactly, boss! If our squad had gear like that, we would've beaten the Silent Forest ages ago," Buyu Xiaye said with remarkable confidence.
Speaking of running dungeons, Buyu Xiaye's thoughts drifted to Shi Feng's party. A grin spread across his face. "Besides, we didn't come away empty-handed, did we? We took down two Night Rabbits and even picked up a Berserker Skill Book. We're leagues ahead of that squad led by the 'noob.' They haven't even shown their faces yet—probably too ashamed and ran off. Poor Jimo Ruxue, though. If he'd joined us, that Skill Book would've been his. If he ever finds out, he'll probably regret not running the dungeon with us."
"Totally. Jimo Ruxue really doesn't know how good he had it. He's definitely kicking himself now," Yizhan Daodi laughed.
"Jimo Ruxue's skills are actually decent. It's just that noob somehow latched onto some guy named Hei Zi. But no matter how good that expert is, with deadweight dragging them down, they probably got wiped. They're probably too embarrassed to show up now. If they'd joined us, we might've already cleared the Silent Forest," Tian Wang declared with smug satisfaction, secretly reveling in the thought.
"Boss, look—the guilds are heading in," Buyu Xiaye said.
Just as everyone watched the guilds move to enter, the dungeon's teleportation gate suddenly changed color, shifting from silvery gray to pitch black. A skull flickered within, seeming to roar.
The members of every guild instinctively took several steps back.
"What's going on?"
The question flashed through everyone's minds, but an answer came quickly.
Six figures materialized at the dungeon entrance, each dressed in resplendent gear. Just standing there, they radiated an oppressive aura. The Warlock with the black staff was especially striking—his dark gray equipment was clearly a matching set, obviously far from ordinary. Even the material quality far surpassed that of Bronze Equipment.
"Huh? Why are there so many people here?" Shi Feng surveyed his surroundings, noticing the elite teams from every major guild. He found it odd—why were they all crowding the entrance?
Shi Feng's party was a little tense themselves. Being stared at by this many people, the pressure was no less intimidating than facing a boss.
"Boss Tian Wang, look—isn't that the noob?" Buyu Xiaye, whose eyesight was excellent, pointed at Shi Feng.
Tian Wang frowned. He spotted not only Shi Feng but also Jimo Ruxue. "What are they doing here? Weren't they long gone?"
"Looks like they never even made it into the forest of the Silent Forest. Knew they couldn't handle the dungeon and were afraid of losing face, so they've been hiding inside all this time. Now they're finally coming out," Yizhan Daodi laughed heartily. "Oh, this is great. They walked right into the spotlight. Look at the color of Jimo Ruxue's face."
"Hahaha, what a bunch of noobs! Didn't even have the guts to run the dungeon and slunk back—and now everyone knows it." Buyu Xiaye pointed at Shi Feng, clutching his stomach with laughter, nearly doubling over.
Tian Wang found Buyu Xiaye's reasoning convincing. How else could you explain Shi Feng's party returning in one piece? Having been inside the Silent Forest themselves, they knew its horrors. Once you entered the forest, you either cleared the dungeon or got wiped and came back. There was no third option. Now Shi Feng's party returned unscathed—there was only one explanation: they never entered the forest. As for clearing the Silent Forest? Absolutely impossible.
While Tian Wang's squad ridiculed Shi Feng's party, the surrounding players had all burst into laughter as well. This left Tian Wang's squad puzzled—why was everyone laughing at Shi Feng's party? Were they famous or something?
What Tian Wang's squad didn't know was that after they'd entered the dungeon, Shi Feng's party had become infamous in the Silent Forest. A squad made up mostly of Level 1 noobs attempting a Hell Difficulty dungeon—there was no more brainless move than that. It was impossible not to take notice.
After all, bad news travels fast.
"Hahaha, that bunch of weirdos is back! I was actually impressed for a second, thinking they were something special for running the Hell Difficulty Silent Forest. Turns out they're just cowards."
"I can't take it—my stomach hurts from laughing."
The surrounding players who knew the backstory understood exactly what Shi Feng's party had done. Realizing how foolish it was to attempt the Hell Difficulty dungeon, they'd never gone deep into the Silent Forest at all. Instead, they'd lingered at the entrance, waiting for the right moment to slip out unnoticed. But fate wasn't on their side—they walked out right as all the guilds were heading in, and everyone saw them.
"Brother Feng, what's wrong with all these people?" Hei Zi scratched his head in confusion, watching the players around them lying on the ground howling with laughter. "Did they all lose their minds? Why is everyone on the ground clutching their bellies laughing?"
"Who knows. Probably some kind of brain spasm. Guess you shouldn't play Divine Realm too long on your first time," Shi Feng said, not believing their appearance had anything to do with the crowd's reaction. "Let's just get out of here. This is creeping me out."
The rest of the party nodded in agreement. The players around the entire Silent Forest were acting far too strangely.
"Excuse me, sir, could you wait a moment?"
Just as Shi Feng's party was leaving the dungeon entrance, a clear, melodious voice reached everyone's ears. A beautiful young woman in pristine white priestly robes was walking toward them.
Shi Feng recognized her—Xiaoyue'er, one of the top hundred Priests in the Star Moon Kingdom.
Xiaoyue'er walked up to Shi Feng, looking a little shy. A faint blush crept across her fair cheeks, and she spoke softly, "Hello. I'm Xiaoyue'er from Snake of the Body. We met before the dungeon run. Our party leader would like to chat with you about the Silent Forest dungeon, and I was wondering… if you'd be interested?"