Malik and his companion—Young Star—arrived at the entrance of the Feral Dungeon, and Malik couldn't help but gape in awe. The entire area was teeming with players. Hundreds.
There were different guilds stationed, alongside numerous adventurer teams, all bustling with energy and purpose. Most of the players here were high-leveled, geared up in impressive equipment that screamed power and prestige.
Malik's eyes gleamed when he spotted members of the Shadow Guild among the crowd. However, most of them were still at Tier 0. They wouldn't recognize him—not like this. Since stepping into the Realm of Cultivation, his presence had changed. His face hadn't altered much, but his aura was no longer the same. He wasn't a swordsman anymore. His path was different now. Recognizing him would be near impossible.
"So you've seen it for yourself, Brother Man Like Malik," Young Star said with a resigned tone, noticing the shock still frozen on Malik's face. "This dungeon ain't meant for folks like us."
Malik snapped back to the present. "What's the criteria to enter?"
"We need a party of at least seven," Young Star explained. "One MT, a Guardian Knight, a Cleric, and the rest can vary. Most guilds cap out at the max party limit—which is ten."
"So why can't low levels be picked? At least one per group?" Malik asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
"That's the reason." Young Star pointed toward the dungeon exit.
Malik turned his gaze just in time to see several players exiting the dungeon—each of them frowning, clearly frustrated. All of them were high-leveled, the lowest among them being level 12. That was three times Malik's current level, yet they still failed to clear the dungeon.
More players kept coming out, their expressions ranging from disappointed to defeated.
Malik narrowed his eyes. "Is it really that hard?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it still caught some attention.
When a few players saw he was just level 4, they couldn't help but shake their heads, scoffing with contempt.
Another clueless noob who doesn't know the difference between heaven and earth, their eyes seemed to say.
Then—
Ding!
A system message popped up in front of Malik.
[Player 'Waraxe' has invited you to join their party.]
He looked up and saw someone waving at him from a short distance away.
"Brother Man Like Malik, looks like you've been summoned," Young Star whispered with a knowing smile. Malik's gear had clearly caught attention.
"Let's go." Malik nodded, striding toward the group while Young Star followed quietly behind.
When they arrived, seven players stood waiting. The one who messaged Malik was level 13. Three others were level 10, two were level 8, and the last member was level 6.
"Brother, what do you think of my offer?" the level 13 player asked with a confident smile.
Malik nodded. "Your offer is great. But can I ask... is it extended to my friend as well?" He gestured toward Young Star, whose eyes widened in surprise.
The level 13 player—Waraxe—sized up Young Star. He didn't see anything impressive in the guy. The only reason he had reached out to Malik was because of his gear—clearly a high-quality, full set. At this point in the game, only players with real backing could afford such things.
"Well… we have limited slots, and your friend isn't that—"
Bing!
Before he could finish, a notification appeared on his interface. Two more players—both level 10—had just requested to join the party. Only one slot was left.
"I'm sorry, brother," Waraxe said. "We can't extend the offer to your friend."
Malik's expression darkened slightly. He had seen what just happened. Waraxe was going to consider it, but the arrival of two higher-level players made him change his mind.
"Brother Man Like Malik… don't worry about me," Young Star whispered with a small, strained smile. "You don't have to miss this opportunity because of me."
Malik frowned. Deeply.
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline your offer," he said curtly, bowing slightly before turning around.
His sudden refusal stunned everyone in the party.
He just gave up a golden opportunity… for a level 4 noob?
As they walked away, Young Star caught up to him, blinking in disbelief. "Now that you've rejected their offer… what are you going to do?"
Even though he felt oddly proud, Young Star couldn't help but think this guy was a bit crazy.
"What am I going to do?" Malik's lips curled into a smirk. "Of course, I'll form my own party. Since they don't want us—we don't want them either."
Their conversation didn't go unnoticed. One of Waraxe's teammates overheard everything, and soon others nearby did as well.
"They're forming a party with two level 4s?"
"What are they gonna do, recruit other noobs?"
"Haha! I bet they won't even last three minutes inside before getting booted."
Laughter echoed around them.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The level 6 player from Waraxe's party suddenly stepped forward. Waraxe turned to him.
"What's wrong, White Emperor?"
White Emperor shook his head. "I'm sorry… I don't feel comfortable here. I was only accepted because of my sister's recommendation, and I'm the lowest level here. I'm sorry to disappoint you."
With a respectful bow, he dashed off—heading straight for Malik's direction.
Waraxe's eyes narrowed.
"Boss, don't worry about that ungrateful guy," one of his teammates said. "We only need two more people. We'll fill it easily."
Waraxe shrugged. "I did my best, Miss White," he muttered under his breath, before turning to send invites to other high-level players in the area.