Although many players who reached level 8 began moving to other areas around Soma Town better suited for leveling, the forest ruins remained, without a doubt, the most popular grinding spot in the region.
Even on ordinary days, it was bustling with activity.
Not long ago, a forum post exploded in popularity, causing the number of players in the ruins to multiply several times over, almost rivaling the hordes of monsters within.
The reason for this frenzy was the entrance to the forest’s depths, located in the southeast of the ruins—
Mid-Sized Dungeon: Black Prison Forest Depths (Level 8)
At first, no one knew when this dungeon appeared in a corner of the forest ruins, nor did anyone know what its clear rewards were.
But once players noticed the minimum entry level, those details became irrelevant.
Epoch offered a variety of dungeons—some with intricate, thrilling storylines, others with grand, spectacular scenes—but all required high levels, far beyond what current players could access.
Most players were eagerly grinding to reach level 10, looking forward to exploring dungeons with their friends.
Now, a dungeon accessible at level 8 was an unexpected delight.
For ordinary players, it was exciting; for guilds and studios, it held even greater significance.
Fastest clear times, first clears on the highest difficulty—these achievements on the dungeon leaderboard were symbols of honor and strength, especially with the added prestige of being the first dungeon ever opened.
As a result, the Black Prison Forest became a top priority for many guilds and studio pioneering teams, while casual players called their friends to enjoy the dungeon’s fun together.
When Zhiye dragged the paladin, Galaxy Vast, to the forest ruins, she was greeted by a crowd at the dungeon entrance that accounted for nearly half the players in the ruins.
Some teams confidently entered the Black Prison Forest dungeon with their companions, while others emerged from the entrance in disarray.
Many were shouting to recruit suitable teammates, turning situe, turning the area into a makeshift gathering hub.
“Good grief, Deep Sea, Eternal Tower, Nightwalker, Radiant Saga—all the veteran guilds are here.”
Galaxy Vast, who’d been dragged along the way, finally stood up, gaping at the gathered teams with a look of astonishment.
“No need to be so shocked. Even Storm, Epic Empire, and Starry Myth sent over a dozen pioneering teams. Some of the big guilds that started in the north even teleported their elite squads here,” Yichen, who’d just caught up, said calmly, as if he’d expected the situation.
Zhiye, hearing this, couldn’t help but do the math.
“Teleporting from there costs at least a dozen silver coins per person. An entire elite squad? That’s got to be four or five gold coins. That’s a huge investment.”
“It’s a big deal for them,” Yichen replied.
“Alright, enough talk—let’s get to the dungeon!” Otaku Ayuan cut in, sounding eager.
In fact, everyone in the group seemed just as impatient, but Yichen poured cold water on their enthusiasm. “As much as I’d love to, we can’t right now.”
“Why not?” the group asked, puzzled by his caution.
“We don’t have enough people.”
“…”
The Black Prison Forest was a mid-sized dungeon, requiring at least twelve players to start. Their group only had six.
“So we need to recruit more players here?” Bullhead, the shield warrior, glanced around. “What roles are we missing?”
“A healer, obviously!” everyone agreed. Their team indeed lacked an essential support role.
But Otaku Ayuan’s next comment threw them off. “A busty healer type would be perfect, right?”
“…”
“You’re thinking wrong, Ayuan,” Galaxy Vast countered with mock seriousness. “A girl-next-door type can be just as cute, no?”
“I get it, I get it—like a JK you bump into on the way to school, biting into bread. So we should also grab a tsundere archer, right?”
“And a gentle mage girl.”
“Plus a fierce warrior lady for the frontline.”
Before Galaxy Vast and Otaku Ayuan could finish assembling their dream team in their heads, Zhiye kicked them both back to reality.
“Stop spouting weird stuff! Ahao, where’s your girlfriend squad? Call them over, and we’ll have enough.”
Otaku Ayuan, still wincing from his bruised backside, looked at Galaxy Vast in shock, as if betrayed. “Since when did you get a harem?!”
Galaxy Vast ignored the single dog’s resentment, awkwardly avoiding Zhiye’s gaze and coughing. “They’re just friends, pure and simple. Besides, they’re busy right now.”
“What’s so special about now?” Zhiye stared at him, trying to spot any hint of guilt.
Catching Galaxy Vast’s pleading look, Yichen stepped in to defuse the situation. “Those girls might not have time. We need to find suitable teammates here. Bullhead, don’t just stare at people like that—you’ll scare them off.”
Bullhead scratched the back of his head, but before he could muster a friendly smile as instructed, White Rabbit Candy dropped a bombshell.
“Xiaoquan’s team just came out and asked if we want to join them. I told them to come over.”
The two groups had hung out before and got along well.
“So soon?” Zhiye recalled White Rabbit Candy mentioning earlier that Xiaoquan’s team had gone in, but it had only been about ten minutes.
“They tried easy mode first.”
“No wonder. Easy mode should be a breeze to clear.”
The group nodded in understanding.
White Rabbit Candy took another bite of her bread, glancing at her messages. “They wiped.”
“…Huh?”
“What?!” ×N