I wasn’t sure why Galaxy Vast was so insistent about avoiding contact with his cousin, but I didn’t dwell on it.
With Morning Season and his group joining, our team reached 18 members. While not a full roster, it was a decent setup for a dungeon-clearing squad.
Doran hesitated, asking if I wanted her to call over a few well-geared priests from her guild. I declined—my plan had all the key pieces in place, and I was confident we wouldn’t hit any major snags.
After brief introductions, Morning Season’s group was surprised to learn two team members were seniors from their school.
Meanwhile, Doran’s group, being new students, was unaware of the inter-school rivalries. Nightwish and Mushui didn’t elaborate, and Doran’s team, not wanting to disrupt team harmony, stayed quiet despite their tense expressions.
“Alright, everyone’s here. Let’s head into the dungeon,” I said, clapping my hands.
Morning Season’s group was shocked that a loli held the team’s leadership, but seeing no objections from the others, they swallowed their doubts.
What intrigued them more was my strategy requiring four fire mages. Aren’t they afraid of blowing up the Shadow Swamp? They’d experienced the explosive consequences firsthand and were wary.
Regardless, we gathered at the dungeon entrance, drawing curious stares from the crowd due to our odd team composition.
Ignoring the onlookers, I opened the dungeon.
System: Enter Dungeon – Black Prison Forest?
Yes.
System: Select Dungeon Difficulty: Easy, Normal, Hard, Nightmare, Abyss.
Hard.
After I chose Hard mode, a prompt appeared for everyone to confirm entry. No one hesitated, clicking “Confirm” immediately.
Except Yoyo, who tugged my sleeve. “Didn’t you promise to carry me through Nightmare mode?”
“How are we supposed to tackle Nightmare when we haven’t cleared Hard?” I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, right,” Yoyo mumbled, having forgotten that detail.
In Epoch, first-time dungeon runs allowed a choice between Easy, Normal, or Hard. Nightmare and Abyss modes required every team member to have cleared Hard mode at least once.
What I didn’t mention was that achieving high completion in Nightmare or Abyss modes for Black Prison Forest required clearing Hard mode first, regardless of prior runs.
With a flash of white light, we appeared in a familiar scene: a lush forest, sunlight filtering through the leaves, the air rich with the scent of earth.
Playing in-person feels different from designing in the dungeon editor.
The vibrant greenery was refreshing, but I wasn’t here to sightsee. I quickly issued orders to push forward.
Our 18-person team advanced in a standard formation: warriors and holy knights in front, archers and mages in the rear.
Soon, we encountered the fixed “Assist the Investigation Team” segment.
The monsters had higher health and defense compared to Normal mode, but our team’s gear and levels far surpassed the dungeon’s initial difficulty.
Plus, with four fire mages’ explosive output, we swiftly dealt with the investigation team’s pursuers.
Following the scripted dialogue, we received the quest from Sien to defeat the Mutated Treant Lord in the forest’s depths and collect Corrosive Vines, officially starting the dungeon.
But before delving deeper, we had prep work.
“Sister Nightwish, come with me to scout for traps up ahead,” I said.
Before Nightwish could respond, Dream Cradle and Fallen Sunny voiced confusion. “Wait, there are traps?”
Doran frowned. “You haven’t run Hard mode?” Though directed at everyone, her pointed glance at Nightwish and Mushui carried a mocking edge only they’d understand.
Judging by the team’s puzzled looks, it was clear some members—likely the fire mages—were the reason for their inexperience.
Mushui and Nightwish glanced at Yoyo, who hummed and looked away. Galaxy Vast and Otaku Source turned to Weaving Night, who kicked them back.
“If anyone who’s cleared it wants to scout ahead, be my guest,” Nightwish retorted coolly, firing back.
I didn’t know why the two groups were so at odds, but Morning Season stepped in to defuse. “We haven’t cleared it either. It’s probably not a big deal.”
Not wanting the team to spiral into a feud, I grabbed Nightwish. “Let’s go scout, Sister.” I shot Doran a pleading look.
Thankfully, Doran’s jab was just that, and Nightwish didn’t push further.
High school rivalries are intense.
Trap-scouting was a rogue’s job, and with my rogue template, it was only natural I’d join. But my main goal was to avoid wasting time.
“Sister Nightwish, 10 yards to the left-front.”
Following my soft prompt, Nightwish quickly spotted a slightly raised patch of grass.
She stepped on it and dodged back as a wooden pendulum swung down from the canopy, crashing into the ground with a thud.
If I hadn’t been warned, I’d have been hit.
Glancing back at the petite figure diligently scanning the surroundings, Nightwish noted we’d already disarmed over a dozen traps, most thanks to my guidance.
This allowed the team behind us to focus on fighting monsters without the chaos of unexpected traps.
A rogue’s skill wasn’t solely about trap detection, especially for Nightwish, who specialized in combat.
But she had to admit my techniques—picked up casually from me—outshone her own.
A kid who looks eight or nine is outdoing my two years of MMO experience.
Nightwish sighed but quickly regained her composure. Watching me deftly disarm another trap, she asked, “You seem to know exactly where these traps are?”
“You’ll spot them if you observe closely,” I replied.
“Why can’t I see them?” My rogue trap detection feels useless compared to her.
“Maybe because I’m really good at spot-the-difference games~” I laughed off the question.
Though traps were mostly randomized, as the dungeon’s designer, I had an edge. If I couldn’t spot them with my past-life experience countering rogues, what was the point?
Seeing her still puzzled, I shifted the topic. “Even disarmed traps need a second check. Some might still be active.”
Her attentive expression stroked my ego, so I added, “But the chance is low. Once disarmed, people stay alert, so traps like that are rare.”
No sooner had I spoken than I stepped on a branch I’d just disarmed by the path. A vine shot out, wrapping around me and hoisting me into the air, leaving me face-to-face with a stunned Nightwish.
“…”
“…”
“Stop laughing and help me down!” I huffed, embarrassed, as Nightwish’s stifled grin broke through.
She cut the vine with her dagger, freeing me. “It’s just… you looked a bit like…” she trailed off, unable to hide her amusement.
“Like what?” I pressed, drawn by her unfinished thought.
“A teru teru bozu,” Nightwish said, finally letting out a light laugh, her clear features glowing with charm. “If the vine was around your neck, it’d be perfect.”
“That’d kill me!” I snapped, realizing she was teasing. I swung at her, but my pathetic attack power made my punches more like playful taps.
Nightwish parried easily, chuckling and feigning surrender. To her, it was like a little sister throwing a tantrum, and for some reason, she felt lighter than ever.
The playful exchange eased the mood. Nightwish hesitated, then said, “We’ve met before, you know?”
“I remember. What about it?” I looked up, puzzled.
“I saw you use that Ghost Step technique.”
“Oh, that…” I hadn’t thought much of it. It’s not like anyone can master it just by watching.
But then I caught something. “Wait, what did you call it?”
Nightwish paused, realizing her slip. “Sorry, I call it Ghost Step. I don’t know its actual name…”
“It’s called Ghost Step,” I confirmed, ignoring her momentary shock. I studied her clear, elegant face. She named a top-tier rogue skill from my past life without ever learning it? That’s no coincidence.
It reminded me of someone—a mysterious rogue from my past life who’d developed Ghost Step.
A low-profile player, ranked outside the top 20 rogue leaderboards, she’d posted about it on a forum, overlooked by most.
Yet her skill allowed rogues to rival warriors and knights in PvP, striking fear into squishy classes.
Some speculated her true skill matched the top ten rogue gods.
Details about her were scarce, but I recalled she was a female college student.
Calculating the timeline, Nightwish’s age fit perfectly. Her serious, rational demeanor, long black hair, and… C-cup combat power—a trait Satahia would blacklist—sealed it.
Could it really be her?
Nightwish’s voice snapped me out of it. “Is there something on me?”
“Huh? No,” I shook my head, blinking innocently. “Did you want to ask something, Sister?”
After a pause, Nightwish steeled herself, bowing slightly. “I think it’d help me a lot, so… could you teach me that technique?”
Asking a child for guidance was embarrassing, and her pale cheeks flushed. As an experienced MMO player, she knew high-level skills were closely guarded.
But Ghost Step’s importance to her was undeniable since that day, so she couldn’t help but ask.
Prepared for rejection or conditions, she was stunned by my casual reply.
“Sure,” I nodded.
Teaching her a skill she’d invent in the future felt like returning it to its rightful owner.
Besides, I respected players who created such game-changing techniques.
“But to fully utilize it in combat, there are stat requirements,” I explained, outlining Ghost Step’s basics. “You can start with a simplified version to build up to it.”
Nightwish memorized every detail, resolving something inwardly. Her serious gaze met mine. “Thank you. I’ll remember it all, Teacher.”
“Uh, it’s no big deal…” I scratched my cheek, then froze. “Wait, what’s with that title?”
“You’ve guided me, so I’m your disciple. The title’s fitting,” she said earnestly.
“You don’t have to be so formal…”
“It’s a matter of respect, Teacher. Don’t mind it.”
“How can I not mind?!” I protested, but her serious expression and tight-lipped resolve reminded me of her stubborn reputation from my past life. Sighing, I gave up. “Fine, whatever.”
“Understood, Teacher,” Nightwish said, her face relaxing into a light, joyful smile.
And so, I inexplicably gained a disciple—the future creator of the rogue’s god-tier Ghost Step.
The silver lining? One less rogue to worry about sneaking up on me later. That’s something, right?
With all traps cleared, the team advanced smoothly to the Shadow Swamp’s entrance—one of the dungeon’s trickier areas—without major incidents.
“I know this part. We need to spread out the monsters’ positions, right?” Scarlet Rain said eagerly, raising her hand like an excited student.
“Then pull their aggro separately,” Mushui added.
“And take them down one by one!” Yoyo finished dramatically.
Elk and Nightwish watched quietly, while Autumn Waters smiled like a teacher overseeing rowdy kids.
Morning Season shook his head, his scholarly face showing little emotion but a hint of hesitation. “Hard mode monsters have much higher stats than Normal. It’ll be tougher to pull off.”
“Not just tough—extremely tough,” Doran said from nearby.
Red Coral chuckled. “Our pioneering team struggled to get through. It demands a lot from the healers.”
The team realized they had only one priest, Elk, with additional healing from holy knights Dream Cradle, Galaxy Vast, and Watermist.
“What do we do?” Weaving Night blinked, secretly wishing she could just boom-boom-boom the monsters.
Fallen Sunny stayed silent, glancing at the petite figure at the team’s center.
She’d seen my trap-handling prowess, but she was more curious about how I planned to tackle Hard mode with four fire mages.
This is just the appetizer. Someone was about to get their wish.
Doran, informed about the high-completion Hard mode strategy, was equally curious about my plan.
“Let’s ask our dear little captain what’s up her sleeve.”
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