As the light of teleportation faded, Kaito and the rest of Genesis stepped out of the Misty Palace dungeon gates.
The moment players nearby saw them, the crowd went wild. Cheers erupted, and in the blink of an eye, a wave of players rushed toward them like a flood. They surged forward, only to halt a single meter away, as if some invisible barrier of respect and fear kept them from crossing the line.
"Genesis, please start recruitment!" someone shouted, voice cracking with excitement. "We've been waiting to join you!"
"Raen!" a girl screamed at the top of her lungs, her face flushed red. "I'm willing to give birth to monkeys for you!"
Another voice rose above the din. "Raen, marry me!"
The crowd pressed tighter, jostling one another. In the chaos, a player yelled, "Hey! Stop pushing! Who's touching my butt?!"
Laughter followed as another player shouted back, "Brother, be glad it's only your butt. Some aren't even sparing my balls!"
The mob burst into roars of amusement, though the pressure of bodies only increased. Dozens of hands reached forward, eager just to brush the air near Genesis, as if touching them would grant a piece of their glory.
Kaito stood at the center of it all, calm yet wary, his hand subtly near his weapon. The attention was overwhelming, but he had expected it. After all, clearing the King-level dungeon first had made Genesis the center of the entire Astralis region overnight.
At that moment, two groups pushed through the crowd. Zephyr and Velena, leading their respective guilds Storm Life and Crimson Rose approached with weary steps. Their faces carried the exhaustion of long battle, their armor scratched and dented.
Despite their best efforts, both guilds had fallen inside the Hard-level run, wiped out by the Wraith General. Their attempts had only lasted a minute longer than each other's timeline inside, a reminder of how unforgiving the dungeon truly was.
Realizing Genesis had already returned, they decided not to wallow in failure. Instead, both guild leaders came forward, their teams following close behind.
"Step aside, give them space," Zephyr's voice carried authority, and players instinctively shifted to make way. Velena flanked the other side, her team falling in with Storm Life's to form a protective circle around Kaito and the rest of Genesis.
Kaito finally let out a small breath of relief when he saw Zephyr and Velena step closer with their teams. Until now, he had kept his guard raised, eyes flicking over the crowd for hidden threats. In his previous life, he had seen too many incidents where assassins used chaos like this to strike down their targets. Even though no such case had happened yet in this life, he knew better than to take chances. Prevention was always better than cure.
Just then, another familiar group appeared. His fourth aunt, leading the hundred members of Genesis who had been waiting outside the Misty Palace, pushed her way through the crowd. She had already stationed the members there after receiving Kaito's message that the dungeon had been cleared and that they would soon be coming out.
Storm Life and Crimson Rose members recognized them immediately. Without hesitation, they opened a path, allowing Genesis's reinforcements to enter the protective circle around Kaito and his team.
As the formation tightened, the atmosphere shifted. The crowd pressed in close but didn't dare cross the line. Instead, players could only stare as the Genesis members passed by. Their eyes followed the guild with a mixture of awe and envy.
At that moment, a crisp system prompt appeared in front of Kaito's eyes.
[System Reward – World First Clear: King Difficulty]
Congratulations, Captain Raen. As the first team to clear the Misty Palace on King Difficulty, you have been granted:
The Misty Palace Dungeon Proceeds (1 Month): 30% of all entry fees collected from players entering this dungeon for the next 30 days will be automatically transferred to your Bank.
Honor Points: +100
After the familiar prompt faded, Kaito opened his status and checked his honor points. They had risen to 700, leaving him just 300 points short of becoming an Earl in the Solaris Kingdom.
This was exactly why he had turned down Princess Leona's offer of Earlship earlier. He didn't need titles handed to him. He could earn them himself through honor points, on his own terms, without being bound by the Solaris Kingdom's rules or political chains.
And He already had another steady source of income. Even though the entry fees for dungeons were the same everywhere, small amounts stacked up quickly after all, even scraps of meat could fill a pot when gathered in enough numbers.
As he was thinking this over, he saw Zephyr and Velena walking toward him with their teams. Zephyr's expression carried a mix of admiration and bitterness.
"Brother Raen," Zephyr said with a wry smile, "you've done it again… leaving us in the dust once more."
Velena didn't speak, but the small, helpless smile tugging at her lips said enough. She too acknowledged how far ahead Kaito had already pulled.
Kaito only smiled back. "You both shouldn't feel resentful. Don't forget you've gained a lot too. Clearing Elite and Hard at this stage is no small feat."
Both guild leaders nodded, though their eyes still showed a trace of envy. Kaito had expected that.
Before leaving the dungeon, he had already skimmed through the system announcements and the forum chatter. Among them, what caught his eye most was the congratulatory message from Everhold Dominion. The guild had praised him publicly, trying to save face. Kaito could only scoff at their attempt. He knew the truth it was nothing more than a desperate pretense to limit their losses.
Although In this timeline, Everhold Dominion had yet to make a direct move against him. But Kaito hadn't forgotten. In his past life, their schemes had been a key factor in the downfall of his studio and family. He wasn't going to forgive or forget so easily. Even if they had not yet touched him in this life, the blood-debt they owed remained.
"Enjoy your act for now," Kaito thought coldly. "I'll deal with you in due time."
Kaito then looked at Zephyr with a faint smile. "With this achievement, your battle for the guild leader seat in Storm Life will be set in stone."
Zephyr scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. He knew Kaito was right. The announcement of Storm Life's Elite clear, paired with the public's recognition, had already given him momentum. With Raen's words, it felt even more certain.
Kaito then turned to Velena. "And you've also gained a lot from this. Your position as Crimson Rose's guild leader is more solid than ever. I imagine your board of directors will start investing even more resources into you. Just remember if you ever release more shares, you can count me in to buy some."
Velena's lips curved into a small smile, her calm confidence returning. "Don't worry. You'll get your share. According to the contract, you're already promised ten percent."
Kaito gave a satisfied nod. Business and strength went hand in hand, and he was glad Velena understood that balance.
Glancing at the restless crowd around them players still shouting, pushing, and trying to catch a glimpse Kaito raised his voice. "Alright. Let's get out of here first."
Zephyr, Velena, and the others all nodded in agreement. Together, the three groups began moving toward a quieter, more secluded corner away from the suffocating noise of the crowd.
Once they had moved to a quieter corner, Kaito then turned towards his fourth aunt and whispered. "Aunt From here on, you divide our one hundred members into five smaller teams. Lead them through the King-level Misty Palace dungeon again and again. Leveling up here will be far more efficient than wasting time on the Lower Difficulty runs."
As both Zephyr and Velena thought Normal level difficulty of The Misty Palace as nothing, for Kaito also anything below King-level was "nothing." This difference in mindset was something only a reborn player like him could have.
Kaito then sent the full guide for clearing the King level difficulty Misty Palace to his fourth aunt. "This is the complete guide for the King-level difficulty. Every trap, every pattern, and every skill rotation from the Mist Queen Demon has been recorded. Follow it carefully."
Then he turned towards Mei Rin and other "You all also join them."
Mei Rin, Suzune, Raven Blade, Hiroto, Kaede, Daichi, Nina, Lucien, and Aika exchanged hesitant glances. Memories of the brutal fight still lingered in their hearts the endless phases, the Abyssal illusions, the resurrection of the Royal Guards. They could not imagine going through all that again without Kaito.
"Brother Kaito," Mei Rin finally said softly, "without you, I don't think we can do it. The Queen nearly killed us even with you leading. How can we possibly clear it now?"
The others nodded, their expressions heavy with doubt.
Kaito smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Don't worry so much. The reason it was so difficult before is because no one had cleared it yet. The first clear always comes with extra challenges hidden by the system. Now that we've broken through, the difficulty will drop slightly."
He let his gaze sweep over them, his voice calm yet steady. "It will still be hard don't expect an easy fight. But with the full guide in your hands, you already have the answers. As long as you follow the patterns and trust each other, you can clear it."
What Kaito didn't say out loud was the other reason. The Misty Palace had grown weaker after he rescued Princess Leona. The hidden quest was one of the dungeon's true sources of difficulty, and now that it was completed, the system had automatically adjusted the balance.
Kaito's eyes softened as he looked at his team. "You've all grown stronger. It's time you believe in yourselves as much as I believe in you."