Chapter 23: The Invitation

Lava Fortress, the respawn point near the city's east gate.

This place was close to all the supply shops, so many players had bound their respawn point here. As usual, players came and went, faces full of energy and determination.

Suddenly, the magic circle at the respawn point burst into brilliant light, dazzling the surrounding players so much that they had to turn their heads away.

As the light dimmed, everyone looked closely—and what a sight! At least thirty people emerged together from the respawn point, with white flashes still sparkling at its core.

Each of them wore a sullen expression, as if everyone owed them five million. Any player who moved too slowly was rudely shoved aside, and the rest quickly stepped out of the way.

“Probably another group that went to pioneer the Black Desert, got wiped out and sent back,” someone said.

“Tch, so what if they got wiped? Why act so tough? Anyone who didn’t know might think they’d all been humiliated together…”

“Shh… Keep your voice down. Don’t you see they’re all from the Glory Guild?”

A round of low murmurs rippled through the crowd. Moonlit Meteor could hear bits of it, and it made his already foul mood even worse. He looked at everyone around him as if they were enemies.

Beside him, Expert was calm. After all that turmoil, Expert had gained a clear understanding: that old Deer was clearly on a different level from himself, and even from most members of the guild.

The one who had just wiped them out must have been a boss, but any observer could see that the boss’s sudden appearance was certainly connected to that old Deer.

“Boss, maybe we should just let this go,” Expert walked over and, seeing Moonlit Meteor’s face dark enough to drip water, quietly advised, “Let him go for now. There’s no need to let one person hold up the whole guild’s plans…”

“Impossible!” Moonlit Meteor glared at Expert, his voice gritted with anger.

Someone nearby, equally frustrated, shot a look at Expert. “Old Chrysanthemum, what’s with you? Afraid of being killed now? Have some backbone! If we don’t take revenge, how will we ever establish ourselves in Lava Fortress?”

Everyone chimed in, and the team channel was filled with curses.

At that moment, someone walked up to Moonlit Meteor and lowered their voice. “Boss, the big boss wants to see you.”

Moonlit Meteor’s heart jumped. He quickly checked his message manager—sure enough, two new messages had appeared, and the call notification light was flashing incessantly.

His mood had been so terrible he hadn’t even noticed! He hurriedly connected the call, adjusted his tone, and spoke respectfully, “Mr. Liu.”

The communicator was silent for two seconds. Moonlit Meteor grew nervous, but then a deep male voice came through.

“Meteor, hurry and lead your people to complete the class quests. I’ve heard that Dark Paradise’s branch in Lava Fortress is being led by Eternal Night of Paradise, and they’re making swift progress~”

The tone was steady, but Moonlit Meteor felt no relief. Dark Paradise was Glory’s direct competitor, and the big boss mentioning it meant he was already displeased.

“Yes, understood,” Moonlit Meteor quickly composed himself and answered quietly.

The call ended without another word. Moonlit Meteor straightened, expressionless, and ordered, “Everyone, prepare for the class quests. Remember today well—there will be a time for revenge.”

…

Star Camp.

After what had just happened, Qian Duoduo became much quieter. Lu Kuan switched to monster-grinding mode, and Qian Duoduo dutifully followed, collecting reputation points.

But this kid kept glancing at Lu Kuan with a strange look, as if a hint of barely suppressed delight slipped through, giving Lu Kuan goosebumps.

“System notification: You have gained 5 reputation points in Lava Fortress.”

“Congratulations, your reputation in Lava Fortress has risen to: Friendly.”

Finally, after nearly an hour, the long-awaited system prompt appeared.

Lu Kuan smiled in relief. Whew… Finally done. This completed the most time-consuming part of the class quest.

Seeing Lu Kuan’s expression, Qian Duoduo immediately asked, “Master, did you get enough reputation?”

Lu Kuan nodded, and Qian Duoduo grinned, “Hehe, time for the next step? Go ahead and do your thing. I’ll finish soon, and then tag along with other teams for more reputation.”

Lu Kuan looked around. As Qian Duoduo said, other players had begun appearing in the camp—the efficiency of these experts was not to be underestimated.

“All right, see you,” Lu Kuan said goodbye to Qian Duoduo, left the team, and jogged toward the camp’s east gate.

He remained alert, watching his surroundings carefully. The Glory Guild had just suffered a team wipe, and they might desperately gather more people for revenge.

Cautiously, he made his way toward the exit. Just as he was about to leave the camp, a familiar voice called out.

“Master, leaving so soon?” Eternal Night of Paradise appeared from behind a thick tree with several followers, waving to Lu Kuan.

Seeing a familiar face, Lu Kuan stopped and smiled. “Yes, born to toil, never idle. By the way, thanks for the heads-up earlier.”

Eternal Night approached, his once jet-black breastplate replaced by a sharp-lined azure piece, striking in design and making the already imposing Eternal Night even more distinguished.

A rare plate chestpiece!

Lu Kuan raised his brow instinctively. He’d seen this item before—it dropped from the final boss of the Lava Fortress prison, and only within a limited time frame. Currently, it was the best chest armor for tank classes.

“No need to be formal, we're all friends. And drop the ‘guild leader’ title—it feels awkward. Just call me Paradise,” Eternal Night laughed heartily, his gaze lingering briefly on Lu Kuan’s hunting bow and ring before moving on. “Just one day and your gear has already changed so much, I’m envious~”

“Likewise,” Lu Kuan laughed it off, ignoring the probing tone.

Eternal Night, well used to Lu Kuan’s banter, just smiled and continued, “By the way, once the class quest is done, my team plans to tackle the second boss in the Black Desert. Interested in joining?”

Lu Kuan was taken aback. Coming from Eternal Night, this was practically a formal invitation.

Join a formal guild’s raid team? To be honest, Lu Kuan was tempted.

“Just the second boss?” Lu Kuan asked thoughtfully.

“That’s up to you. If you’re willing, you can join as a permanent team member anytime. Not to brag, but my team’s two rangers are far below your level,” Eternal Night said frankly, his tone sincere.