The East Gate’s Skeletal Tide

Lin Shenyue and the other three, upon reaching the East Gate, discovered that a guild still had the area cordoned off. It was a guild Ye Jue had known in his previous life.

In that past life, Drunken Beauty, also a super guild, was noticeably weaker than the domineering Undying Dynasty, yet it was also free from the latter’s various corrupt practices.

Ultimately, Drunken Beauty lost the struggle for Vermilion Bird City, which caused them to fall from a super guild to a large guild. They were even forced to completely withdraw from Vermilion Bird City.

However, Undying Dynasty couldn’t fully claim such a massive prize. Due to their fierce battle with Drunken Beauty, they themselves nearly faced a downgrade.

In the end, Vermilion Bird City was instead ruled by numerous large guilds. The other super guilds had no intention of interfering, as the “cake” had already been divided, and any rash entry would be met with joint resistance.

The four, arriving at the East Gate, were still warned, but they weren’t truly obstructed. After all, the Drunken Beauty guild held no significant animosity towards them.

After smoothly exiting the city, Lin Shenyue gazed with slight surprise at the sheer number of skeletons. During their last departure, the Skeleton Warriors had been sparse, but now their numbers had clearly swollen.

While Skeleton Warriors typically ignored players who didn’t attack them, they would strike directly if a player blocked their path. Although many players were present, few teams dared to charge into the vast skeletal tide.

After bypassing the Drunken Beauty guild’s controlled area, Lin Shenyue’s party of four surged forward. Their current team lacked nothing essential; perhaps a sub-tank, but against such a multitude of Skeleton Warriors, its absence was negligible.

With a direct charge, Ye Jue dashed ahead, instantly drawing the aggro of two Skeleton Warriors. Meanwhile, Lin Shenyue checked the Skeleton Warriors’ attributes, noting their level had risen from 10 to 11.

[Skeleton Warrior (Normal): Level: 11. Health: 17000/17000. Physical Attack: 250-280.]

Although their attributes were quite ordinary, players found them troublesome to kill. Crucially, if one was too slow, approaching Skeleton Warriors would also be drawn, potentially leading to an overwhelming swarm. However, as Lin Shenyue and her companions were all elite players, battling them proved relatively easy.

As they plunged into the skeletal sea, Drunken Beauty’s guild leader, Red-Faced Drunkenness, noticed them. Seeing a team charge directly into the horde and continue unimpeded, Red-Faced Drunkenness was slightly astonished.

She immediately instructed her subordinates to investigate, hoping to recruit these individuals into her guild. Drunken Beauty’s top-tier strength was comparatively weak, lacking the god-tier experts that anchored other guilds.

Drunken Beauty’s status as a super guild stemmed from the exceptional unity of its members and Red-Faced Drunkenness’s absolute authority, which ensured decisive leadership. This capability was, in fact, one of the primary reasons for Drunken Beauty’s success.

Unaware that their team had once again caught someone’s attention, Ye Jue and his companions pressed onward. Skeleton Warriors offered generous experience, each yielding a full 5000 EXP, whereas ordinary Level 11 monsters typically gave only around 2000 EXP and were less reliable.

Consequently, many players dedicated their time to grinding Skeleton Warriors for leveling.

While Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue were leveling up, Xu Linglong and Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze also reached Level 7. However, their reputation in this novice village was not particularly good, so no one would party with them.

Yet, some players remained clear-headed, like the priest in their current party, Flowing Light. Flowing Light had once been in a team with that group of people, understanding their true nature, but his words carried little weight, and no one would listen.

Still, he sought out Xu Linglong and Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze, asking to join their team. Both Xu Linglong and Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze were delighted, as the lack of a healer meant they used many potions and struggled to defeat bosses.

They had only dared to tackle difficult-level dungeons, knowing that good items rarely dropped there. But with a healer, even one with average skills, they could attempt abyss-level dungeons. After several adjustments, they finally cleared one.

Having grown familiar with them, Flowing Light consulted their opinions and brought in two of his friends. Their skills were similar to his, but the addition of two more people, even with occasional mistakes, did not sway the overall outcome.

After clearing the dungeon, Xu Linglong’s level rose to 8. She suggested they visit the forest. Thanks to Lin Shenyue, she had secured the novice village’s teleportation array quest. While others hadn’t received the quest, it didn’t prevent them from gaining experience.

Upon hearing Xu Linglong had a quest in that forest, everyone agreed without hesitation.

Although Xu Linglong and Embracing the Moon, Clear Breeze had poor reputations in the novice village, very few people genuinely knew them. If they concealed their names, virtually no one would realize they were the two who had been silenced by so-called justice not long ago.

However, everyone now knew that the target boss for the teleportation array quest was the Tiger King (only main quests featured the Black-Robed Man). Consequently, many individuals were staking out the Tiger Forest, driven by the mindset that if they couldn’t complete the quest, no one else should either. They intended to disrupt anyone who received the teleportation array quest, as their own levels would surely not rise as quickly as those who had the quest.

Upon arriving at the forest, the five frowned at the sight of so many people. They understood the purpose of these individuals, but what they hadn’t anticipated was that if the teleportation array quest remained unfinished, no one in the village would be able to leave. Despite this, some still sought to cause trouble.

Xu Linglong narrowed her eyes, pondering a solution. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and an idea sparked within her.