[South Glade Town System Announcement]
Congratulations to Raen and his team members Scarlet Rin, Echo Mist, Shiru Blade, Star Flare, Velia Moon, Iron Fist, Lucian Dusk, Raven Blade, and Nina for completing the first clear of the King-Level difficulty of the Misty Palace Dungeon. Their victory has brought honor to South Glade Town. Each player has been rewarded with 100 reputation in South Glade Town and 5 free attribute points.
…
The players inside the Hard-level dungeons froze.
Zephyr's Storm Life team halted mid-battle, their eyes wide. Marek Vos nearly dropped his shield, his face pale as he stammered, "King-level…? Brother Raen has done it again. They already cleared King-level?"
The words felt heavy in the room. No one dared to breathe for a moment. Their swords and spells hung mid-swing, the announcement echoing in their ears.
In another subspace of the Misty Palace, Velena's Crimson Rose team reacted the same way. Ravera, her staff glowing faintly, bit her lip so hard it almost drew blood. Her hand shook as she struggled to cast her next spell. "Impossible," she whispered. "The King-level isn't even supposed to be clearable at this stage."
Hearing the announcements, both Zephyr and Velena though far apart shared the same thought. They could only sigh bitterly.
When they had first entered the Misty Palace, both guilds had entertained the idea of one day clearing the King-level. It was the ultimate prize, after all. But that ambition had been shelved quickly after facing the dungeon's horrors in Elite and then in Hard.
They had survived Elite only thanks to Raen's guide. Without it, they would have been wiped clean. Even with the Hard-level guide, detailed as it was, every step demanded their full effort, their full focus, and perfect teamwork just to follow along.
And yet, while they struggled just to keep up, Raen's team had gone far beyond them and achieved something unthinkable.
A complicated mix of awe and relief settled in their chests. Both Zephyr and Velena, despite their pride, felt a little happiness as well. They were under contract with Raen. His rise meant their guilds rose with him.
"Brother Raen…" Zephyr murmured under his breath, his sword hand tightening. "You really don't let anyone rest easy."
Velena, in another subspace, allowed herself a small smile. "At least we chose the right ally."
….
Outside the Misty Palace, the crowd of players was as noisy as a marketplace. Shouts overlapped one another as groups hawked for team members.
"Normal run, need one healer!"
"Looking for DPS, level 15 minimum!"
"Tank for Normal, fast clear!"
Most players were only daring enough to tackle Normal. For them, even finishing that once was a big achievement. The Misty Palace's reputation as a dungeon was growing rapidly it was the graveyard of countless parties.
Among the chaos stood Everhold Dominion. Grave mind was already assembling his players, his expression tight with barely hidden anxiety. Despite all his earlier confidence, they had still not cleared even the Normal difficulty once. Each failure piled more pressure onto his shoulders.
"Let's go," Grave mind barked. "We'll run Normal again. This time, no mistakes."
His guild members nodded, but many of them looked uneasy. Their morale was shaken.
Then it happened.
The system announcements that had stunned Zephyr and Velena rang out across the entire South Glade Town.
…
[Solaris Kingdom System Announcement]
Congratulations to Raen and his team members Scarlet Rin, Echo Mist, Shiru Blade, Star Flare, Velia Moon, Iron Fist, Lucian Dusk, Raven Blade, and Nina for completing the first clear of the King-Level difficulty of the Misty Palace Dungeon. Their achievement will be recorded in the Annals of History of Glory. Each player has been rewarded with 100 reputation in the Solaris Kingdom and a random rare skill book based on their profession.
[Astralis Region System Announcement]
Congratulations to Raen and his team members Scarlet Rin, Echo Mist, Shiru Blade, Star Flare, Velia Moon, Iron Fist, Lucian Dusk, Raven Blade, and Nina for completing the first clear of the King-Level difficulty of the Misty Palace Dungeon. Their names will forever be marked in the history of the Astralis Region. Each player has been rewarded with 150 reputation in the Astralis City Region and a chance to draw a Gold-level equipment suited to their class.
[South Glade Town System Announcement]
Congratulations to Raen and his team members Scarlet Rin, Echo Mist, Shiru Blade, Star Flare, Velia Moon, Iron Fist, Lucian Dusk, Raven Blade, and Nina for completing the first clear of the King-Level difficulty of the Misty Palace Dungeon. Their victory has brought honor to South Glade Town. Each player has been rewarded with 100 reputation in the South Glade Town and 5 free attribute points.
…
The plaza outside the dungeon erupted like an explosion.
"What the hell? King-level? Already?"
"They must be monsters! How did they even survive in there?"
"No way… this is rigged! It has to be!"
"Shut up, sour grapes! They did it fair. You think the system lies?"
Independent players gawked at the announcements, their mouths hanging open. Small guilds whispered among themselves, some in disbelief, others in admiration. The names Raen, Scarlet Rin, Echo Mist, and the rest of the Genesis team were burned into their memories.
Even Grave mind froze where he stood, the words echoing in his head.
King-level clear.
He had thought Raen was just a nuisance, someone Everhold Dominion could eventually crush underfoot. But this? This was something far beyond his imagination.
The anxiety in his chest turned to dread. He realized the situation had slipped completely out of his control. Raen was no longer just a rival; he was becoming a legend before everyone's eyes.
Grave mind's face darkened. Without hesitating, he immediately opened his interface and contacted his guild leader. This was beyond him now only the higher-ups of Everhold Dominion could decide how to deal with Raen from here.
On the forums, the discussions exploded into chaos.
Moon Fang: "Can someone explain what just happened? King-level cleared? My party hasn't even finished Normal!"
Silent Arrow: "Unbelievable. Storm Life and Crimson Rose are still stuck in Hard, and Genesis took King? What kind of freaks are they?"
Lava Hound: "South Glade Town, you guys just became famous. The first King clear in the region comes from your backyard. How proud are you?"
Frost Petal: "Honestly, I thought Raen was just hype. But after this… respect. Pure respect."
Stone Claw: "No respect here. Nobody clears King this early without hidden tricks. I bet they exploited something."
Blue Mist: "Exploited? Please. You just don't want to admit they're better than your whole guild."
Dusk Crow: "I don't care what anyone says this is insane. A group of independents beating all the major guilds to King? History in the making."
Ashen Fire: "I wonder if Raen will upload The Misty Palace guides like he did for The Echoing Deep. Imagine the gold he'll make!"
Silver Rose: "Guides or not, the man just carved his name into Glory. Love him or hate him, we're all going to remember Raen."
Shadow Dagger: "I'm just waiting for Genesis to start recruiting."
….
The reactions were the same across the Solaris Kingdom. Admiration, envy, doubt, and awe spread like wildfire. For most players, it was the first time they had ever seen someone do the impossible right in front of them.
At the entrance of the Misty Palace, the plaza still buzzed with noise, even some eyes turned towards Everhold Dominion. Grave mind, who had once been seen as a symbol of power, now looked like a shadow.
South Glade Town was no longer talking about other guilds. All anyone could speak of was Raen and Genesis.
And Grave mind knew it.
He clenched his fists tighter, his message already sent to his guild leader. One thing was certain after today, nothing in Astralis would be the same.
Raen's team had stepped into history.
And the rest were just forced to watch.