CHAPTER 643

【 OUR ADVENTURE’S ONLY JUST BEGAN AFTER ALL 】

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Over thirty Silver-ranked members of the Knights Templar floated helplessly in midair, completely stripped of their combat ability.

On the ground, every All-Star member could only stare wide-eyed at the absurd sight before them, their faces frozen in disbelief.

The entire hall fell into silence.

No one had expected that Féng could incapacitate so many Silver-rankers without even uttering a single incantation.

To instantly defeat a whole squad of elite players in such a casual manner was nothing short of terrifying, to say the least.

And these weren’t just low-level players either, but fully maxed-out Silver-ranked veterans, many of whom ranked among the top in their respective classes.

How… how had she done it?

Was she truly only a silver-ranker?

Even someone at the top rank couldn’t achieve such feats.

The disparity was simply unimaginable.

All the players in the vicinity exchanged uneasy glances, eyes filled with astonishment and awe as they looked toward Féng.

At the same time, a deep sense of reverence settled over everyone.

Féng, the one who had unleashed that unknown crowd control spell, still carried an air of calm composure, as if what she’d done was nothing of significance.

Her tranquil demeanor only made her seem all the more enigmatic and unfathomable.

Yeye and Nana, however, appeared far less stunned.

Though their expressions still held traces of shock, excitement and admiration shone brighter within them.

Of course, they had already witnessed Féng’s power firsthand and knew well just how formidable she truly was.

Not to mention, the four Silver-ranked guardian statues in this hall—strictly speaking—had also been defeated by her.

She had merely allowed the others to take credit for the kills.

The two newbies looked at Féng with eyes full of admiration, as if tiny stars were sparkling in them.

Then Féng’s voice broke the silence once again.

“Gather the obsidian and leave. This place is not suitable for newcomers.”

Yeye and Nana froze for a moment before realizing that she was addressing them.

When Féng’s gaze fell upon them, the two newcomers straightened up instantly and nodded repeatedly, like obedient students before their teacher.

After giving her instructions to them, Féng turned her attention to Achan, the leader of All-Star group.

This max-level Silver-rank assassin stood speechless, overwhelmed by the complete reversal of the situation. He could only stare blankly at the thirty or so Azeroth players still floating helplessly in the air.

It wasn’t until Féng’s calm voice reached his ears that he snapped back to his senses.

“There are still quite a few artifacts deeper in the mausoleum. They’re of decent quality, but the mobs guarding those areas are numerous. I suggest you bring more people before you attempt to clear them.”

Achan blinked, momentarily dazed, before his face lit up with joy.

“Boss Féng… is that true?” he asked eagerly.

Féng gave a slight nod.

His excitement grew even stronger.

For silver-rankers like him who’ve already maxed-out their levels, nothing was more tempting than acquiring artifacts.

Still, after a moment of hesitation, he asked nervously,

“Then… don’t you need those loots, Boss Féng?”

She gave him a small smile and shook her head.

“I’ve already obtained what I came for.”

With that, she stood, walked gracefully past the floating bubbles that encased the Knights Templar, and exited the hall under the watchful gaze of everyone present.

Her steps were unhurried and light, as though she were merely passing through.

Only after her figure completely disappeared from sight did the quiet hall erupt into lively chatter once more.

“Holy shit! That was so incredible…”

“So that’s the top-ranking Druid in the entire server? Miss Féng’s is so ridiculously OP!”

“I can’t imagine ever reaching that level…”

“I’m so jealous…”

The members of All-Star whispered among themselves, their faces full of awe and admiration. Even the party led by FacetheWind was bubbling with excitement.

They then turned their eyes back toward the floating Templar Knights trapped in the faint green bubbles, their bodies stiff and only their eyes moving, and couldn’t help but exclaim,

“Damn… I’ve heard there can still be huge gaps even amongst max-level Silver-rankers, but I didn’t think someone could pull this off…”

“To be able to take on a whole raid party and utterly crush them all by herself! I can’t tell if Miss Féng’s just downright amazing or if these Azeroth guys are way too weak…”

“It’s definitely the former! She’s simply too amazing!” Nana said excitedly. “She could even cast her spells without incantation, instantly killing the Worm King and those four obsidian statues!”

Her words immediately drew renewed attention from the other All-Star players.

“What? She instantly killed the Worm King too?”

“No way… that mob is an intermediate Silver-rank magical beast, right? And she one-shotted it? Isn’t she a Druid?”

“That’s insane…”

“But wait, isn’t she only ranked fifth on the combat leaderboard, right? If that’s the case, just what kind of monsters are in the top four, then?”

“Wow… I hope I can be that strong one day…”

The hall once again buzzed with admiration, envy, and awe at Féng’s overwhelming strength.

That was until a discordant voice broke the mood.

“Hold on, guys… now that I think about it, something feels off. I’ve seen Boxlunch in action before, and even he couldn’t pull off something like that. Don’t you think… maybe she’s cheating? I mean, think about it—chantless casting, disarming an entire squad of elites… it’s a bit too overpowered, isn’t it?”

The speaker was a Silver-rank who had not yet reached max level.

The atmosphere in the hall shifted instantly.

Some players frowned but also nodded slightly.

“Now that you mention it, it does seem suspicious. Even with skill differences, the gap shouldn’t be that massive…”

“Yeah, and did anyone notice? When she attacked those guys, her name didn’t even turn red! I know for sure that as soon as someone uses combat spells—even crowd control magic—on another player, it should trigger a red-name warning and broadcast it to the entire server!”

Another Silver-ranker added, frowning thoughtfully.

His words instantly drew everyone’s attention.

The players in the hall once again fell into heated discussion, but this time, the topic had shifted to suspicion.

“Wait, you’re right… I didn’t even notice that before.”

“I actually did, but since everyone else was admiring her, I didn’t dare say anything…”

“Hold on, let me check the system logs… You’re right! There really wasn’t any red-name alert on the global channel!”

“No way… maybe it’s just a bug?”

“No, that can’t be. I’m sure she’s cheating.”

“It has to be cheating, right? There’s no way someone could be that overpowered.”

The more they talked, the more uneasy the crowd became. What started as simple curiosity quickly spiraled into speculation, theories, and half-baked accusations. Their admiration for Féng’s strength gradually warped into doubt, and that doubt spread like wildfire through the gathered players.

Even the members of FacetheWind’s party began to second-guess what they had witnessed.

After all, Féng’s performance had completely defied common sense. Her ability to incapacitate so many elite Silver-rankers in an instant—and the absence of any red-name warning—was too strange to ignore.

A tense silence began to settle over the hall as glances turned uncertain and whispers grew sharper.

At that moment, All-Star’s captain, Achan, let out a sharp snort. He activated his Assassin skill [Intimidate], which instantly drew everyone’s attention back to him.

[Intimidate] was a mental-type ability that projected pressure directly into the minds of nearby targets, causing a psychological shock effect.

As soon as the skill was cast, chaos erupted in the hall.

“Hey! Captain, don’t just use [Intimidate] without any warning! That skill gives people the creeps!”

“Geez! You scared me half to death… I thought some monster was targeting me!”

Seeing everyone fall silent and their discussion subside, Achan crossed his arms and sneered slightly.

“How pathetic. Just because you’re not as skilled as her, you think Boss Féng’s cheating? Come on, stop making excuses for your own shortcomings.”

“But, Captain,” one player protested, “she didn’t trigger the red-name alert! How do you explain that? Remember last time when we clashed with those Azeroth bastards? Even a single crowd control spell got our names red-flagged!”

Achan gave the speaker a dismissive glance and shook his head. Then, with a flick of his hand, he gestured toward a nearby player—a Silver-ranked Priest—and said, “Dora, take a closer look at those bubbles, I’m sure you’ll find something really interesting.”

“Doraemon” was the Priest player’s username, and she happened to be the only priest among the All-Star group.

She stepped forward reluctantly, studying the faint green bubbles floating in the air with a serious expression. Her staff glimmered faintly as she examined the lingering traces of magic around them.

After a moment of careful observation, her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“I see! You’re right captain. Miss Féng didn’t cheat at all. It’s just that her understanding of the game’s mechanics has probably reached an extraordinary level.”

Her words drew puzzled looks from the players around her.

“She’s not cheating? What do you mean?”

“Then why didn’t her spell trigger the red-name warning?”

Meeting their questioning gazes, the female priest sighed softly and began to explain, “Because the skill Miss Féng used wasn’t a crowd control spell at all… it was a healing spell.”

As murmurs spread through the hall, she raised her staff slightly and pointed toward the floating Knights Templar still trapped inside the green spheres.

“If I’m not mistaken,” she continued, “the spell Miss Féng used is a fifth-circle divine healing spell from the Priest class called [Mass Healing Sphere]. It’s an advanced version of [Spirit of Restoration].”

“I’ve seen Saintess Alice use this spell before. Its effect is to generate healing bubbles that envelop its target and restore their health over time. The benefit is that it covers a wide area and can heal multiple people at once. The drawback, however, is that while being healed, the targets are immobilized—just like what you’re seeing now.”

At that moment, realization began to dawn on the gathered players.

“Looks like Miss Féng simply repurposed the spell,” Doraemon explained, her tone a mix of awe and disbelief.

“By using [Mass Healing Sphere] in an offensive manner, she effectively turned a healing ability into a crowd control skill. Since the system still classifies it as a restoration spell, it doesn’t count as an attack—so the red-name warning never gets triggered.”

Her explanation left the hall in stunned silence. Even the skeptics who had accused Féng of cheating now found themselves speechless, trying to process the sheer ingenuity behind such a move.

“No way… is that even possible? What a strange piece of information!”

The surrounding players gawked in disbelief.

“So, in other words, Miss Féng has truly mastered her skills to an unparalleled degree…”

The Priest spoke with genuine admiration.

After a pause, she added,

“Technically, the spell can be broken if the target’s mana surpasses that of the caster. But with Miss Féng’s mana reserves being comparable to those of Salty Cat herself, those Azeroth players simply didn’t stand a chance.”

“But wait,” another player interjected, “isn’t a fifth-circle divine spell restricted to intermediate priest class and above?”

Before the Priest could respond, Achan chuckled.

“Heh. You think Boss Féng’s six divine-grade equipment pieces are just for show? Even Salty Cat managed to use Meteor Strike just by relying on her P2W gear. For Boss Féng, casting a fifth-circle divine spell is nothing.”

“But isn’t she a Druid?” someone else asked. “How could she use advanced holy spells?”

Achan turned to the speaker and gave him a look that could only be described as exasperated.

“What, you think Boss Féng didn’t pick Priest as her subclass?”

He shot the player a pointed look, as if the answer should have been obvious.

Their group’s Priest also nodded in agreement.

“If you’re still skeptical, just check the Priest class leaderboard. You can see there that Boss Féng’s Priest class has been maxed out for a long time.”

All-Star players: “…”

“A dual-class powerhouse…? That’s incredible.”

“So this is what it takes to be in the top five…”

The hall once again filled with exclamations of admiration and wonder.

Yeye and Nana listened with growing excitement.

“So the Priest class can be that powerful too? Once I could change my jobclass, I’m definitely taking Priest as a subclass! I’ll master both!” the boy said eagerly.

“Me too! I’ll dual-class as a Priest and become a Holy Mage!” the girl added, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.

In Elven Kingdom, the term “Holy Mage” referred to players who combined the Mage class with the Priest subclass.

At her proclamation, Yeye glanced at Nana and couldn’t help but picture a “Holy Mage” recklessly charging into melee battle, staff in hand, whilst swinging it wildly like a club.

“A combat Holy Mage, huh. That’s… really something,” he muttered, a shiver running down his spine at the thought.

“All right, work hard. Don’t think reaching max level in Silver rank makes you invincible,” said Achan, the captain of All-Star, shaking his head at the team members before him. “This game’s mechanics are far deeper and more complex than you realize.”

With that, he began directing the others to continue loading the piles of obsidian.

“Captain Achan, what about those guys?” someone asked, pointing toward the thirty or so members of the Azeroth Alliance still floating awkwardly in the air.

“Should we troll them a little? There are plenty of traps around here, hehe.”

At once, several others looked intrigued by the suggestion.

But Achan merely cast them a glance and shook his head.

“No. Boss Féng said to let them float for half an hour, so we’ll do just that. Let them just enjoy the view until the spell duration runs out.”

༺⟐༻

With the Knights Templar no longer interfering, the members of the All-Star Guild wasted no time finishing the collection of obsidian.

Once the last piece had been secured, they gathered around FacetheWind and began handing over the storage rings, one by one. He accepted them carefully and temporarily bound them to himself. These communal rings belonged to the guild, which was a shared resource that any member could use when necessary. Once their task was complete, the user could simply unbind the link, thereby allowing the rings to be reassigned for future operations.

Once everything was secured, the party led by FacetheWind, along with Yeye and Nana, self-terminated themselves to quickly return back to Chosen City, bringing with them the storage rings and several of the largest bound pieces of obsidian.

They did so since self-termination was the fastest way to return to the city while avoiding unnecessary travel risks or random encounters along the way.

The rest of the All-Star members, however, chose to remain behind to continue exploring the deeper parts of the Mausoleum—areas well beyond what Yeye and Nana could handle at their current level.

When the two newbies respawned at the resurrection point in Chosen City, several All-Star members were already waiting for them. The guild’s operations seemed smoother and more efficient than ever, perhaps due to Féng being involved in this whole endeavor. So without any further delay, they checked the loot and calculated contribution shares right there on the spot.

After accounting, all the obsidian was sold for a total of 14.4 million contribution points.

In the end, the two newcomers received 5 million contribution points between them, which was an astonishing amount for beginners.

Even though contribution points had greatly devalued compared to a year prior, the current in-game exchange rate was still 1 RMB for every 400 points. Which meant their share was worth over 10,000 RMB—a small fortune for two ordinary high school students.

After some discussion, Yeye and Nana decided to spend their money on a set of quality equipment and then buy a villa in All-Stars’ main city, Atlantis.

They had already agreed with FacetheWind’s party that once they advanced to Iron rank, they would officially join the All-Star Guild.

Fortunately, that goal was already within reach.

Although they had each lost one level due to dying—since they didn’t have enough resurrection coins—the massive experience they gained from defeating the obsidian statues more than made up for it. In fact, it pushed them straight into intermediate Iron rank territory.

And so they did.

Using the experience gained from exploring the Titan ruins, they quickly rose to Level 10 and proceeded directly to the Temple of Life for their jobclass advancement.

Yeye chose to become a Warrior, while Nana advanced into a Mage. Their progress was swift and steady, and by the time they finished training, both had climbed all the way to Level 23 in one continuous surge of growth.

Repeated bursts of level-up light surrounded them, leaving nearby new players staring in stunned silence.

However, when the two went to purchase property in Atlantis, their earlier excitement quickly turned into shock.

“My god! A villa costs four million contribution points? That’s outrageous!” Nana exclaimed, her jaw nearly dropping at the price.

“Hey, you know, that’s actually pretty cheap,” Yeye replied with a grin. “Villas in Mountpeak City start at eight million, and even the cheapest ones in Chosen City are already over ten million. If that’s too pricey, we can always go for something smaller… a house worth around a million CP should be enough.”

“Ugh, and after buying the house, we’ll have to start saving all over again. I heard even the lowest-grade artifacts cost at least two million contribution points,” she sighed.

“Don’t sweat it,” Yeye said cheerfully, flashing her a confident grin.

“We’ll take things slow. Our adventure’s only just beginning, after all.”

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