Mist Forest, in front of the dungeon entrance.
As the portal's light flickered, the figures of Ye Yi and Bing Xin reappeared in the open space of the camp.
The previously bustling camp was now eerily quiet. Almost everyone's gaze was fixed on the "Record Stele" standing at the dungeon entrance.
[Gloomy Forest (Normal Difficulty) Clearance Record]
First place: Captain - Ye Yi, Member - Bing Xin. Time: 32 minutes 15 seconds.
The team in second place was a strong party of unaffiliated players, all level 10, with a time of 58 minutes 40 seconds.
A difference of nearly double.
"Th-this is impossible!"
The shield warrior from before, "Iron Shield," was staring wide-eyed at the stele, his mouth open wide enough to fit a fist.
The team he had formed earlier hadn't even defeated the first elite monster before they were wiped out and sent back. He had been waiting at the entrance to mock Bing Xin when she came out, but what he got instead was this despair-inducing record.
"Two people... how is it possible to clear it with just two people? And in 32 minutes?"
Iron Shield looked at the two people walking out of the portal, completely unscathed. His expression was a kaleidoscope of emotions, as if he had swallowed a fly.
Ye Yi brushed off non-existent dust from his body and walked straight up to Iron Shield.
"I recall someone saying they would delete their account?"
Ye Yi's voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet camp.
Iron Shield's face instantly turned the color of a pig's liver. In the early stages of this game, where leveling was as difficult as ascending to heaven, deleting an account and restarting meant falling at least three days behind the main force. This was worse than killing him.
"Y-you must have cheated! You used a BUG!" Iron Shield roared, putting on a brave front. "Red names are never good news, everyone, don't believe him! This record is absolutely suspicious!"
Although the surrounding players also found it unbelievable, seeing Ye Yi's dark red ID and the strange, cold-emitting sword on his back, no one dared to agree.
"Can't afford to lose?"
Ye Yi's eyes turned cold, and he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Just then, a sound of uniform footsteps came from the edge of the crowd, accompanied by the crisp clanking of metal armor.
"Move aside."
The crowd of onlookers was rudely pushed aside, and a team of well-equipped, imposing players walked in.
There were five of them in total.
Two warriors wearing full sets of refined iron armor, one elemental mage holding a diamond-encrusted staff, one rogue with a sinister gaze, and finally, a priest wearing holy white robes with a golden angel emblem on his chest.
If the previous "Holy Light · Judgment" and his group were street thugs, then these five in front of them were a well-trained regular army.
All of them had reached level 10, and their equipment was at least a mix of green (excellent) gear.
The leading warrior, whose ID was "Holy Light · Tie Bi".
He was the core tank of the Angel Guild, and in reality, an ace instructor at a certain security company.
"You are that 'Yi'?"
Holy Light · Tie Bi did not even glance at Iron Shield, his gaze locked onto Ye Yi like a hawk.
"That trash Holy Light · Judgment said that you wiped out their entire team by yourself. At first, I didn't believe it, but seeing this clearance record, I'm starting to."
Holy Light · Tie Bi's voice was steady, revealing no joy or anger, but the sense of oppression made the surrounding unaffiliated players unconsciously retreat several meters.
"People from the Angel Guild?"
Ye Yi narrowed his eyes slightly.
They came faster than expected. It seemed Lin Tianyu was truly anxious, having actually dispatched the main team aiming for the main city's first kill.
"Since you know, I don't need to waste my breath."
Holy Light · Tie Bi drew the two-handed greatsword from his back, pointing the tip at the ground. "The Guild Leader has ordered: kill you once, and the bounty is two thousand. Kill you until you delete your account, and the bounty is fifty thousand. Hand over that black sword you have, and I can let you die with some dignity."
"As for you..." Holy Light · Tie Bi's gaze turned to Bing Xin, who was trembling slightly nearby. "Teaming up with a red name is the same crime. Even if it's a useless account, you still have to die."
Bing Xin was so scared her face turned pale. She instinctively gripped the staff in her hand and hid behind Ye Yi.
"Don't be afraid."
Ye Yi's voice came calmly.
He took a step forward, completely shielding Bing Xin behind him. Facing this top-tier elite squad of the entire server, there was not only no fear on his face, but instead, a playful smile.
"Want to kill me?"
Ye Yi slowly drew the heaven-swallowing demon sword, the blood patterns on the blade flickering in the mist.
"That depends on whether you have the ability."
"You think you can block my sword with these pieces of scrap metal?"
The whole place was in an uproar.
This was too arrogant! The people opposite were the main elites of the Angel Guild!
Iron Shield hid in the crowd, watching this scene with schadenfreude: "Let's see you be arrogant! You've kicked a steel plate this time! The Angel Guild's elite team is not to be trifled with!"
Holy Light · Tie Bi's eyes turned completely cold.
"Do it."
These two simple words instantly ignited the battle.
The rogue instantly entered stealth mode and vanished into thin air. The two warriors, one to the left and one to the right, launched a [Charge] like two tanks. The mage in the back row raised their staff high, and the chanting had already begun.
Their coordination was tacit, smooth as flowing water.
This was the manifestation of a large guild's foundation.
However, the data stream in Ye Yi's eyes was faster than them.
"Bing Xin."
Ye Yi didn't even turn his head, giving the order in a low voice.
"Don't worry about me, you only have one target—that priest."
"Huh?" Bing Xin was stunned. "But they are charging over..."
"Do as I say."
Before the words fell, Ye Yi's figure moved.
He did not retreat, but instead headed straight towards the two charging warriors, colliding with them head-on!
A battle of few against many, worthy of being recorded in textbooks, officially kicked off in the Mist Camp.