Blue Smoke smiled at Arsen as she attempted to recruit him to their party. "One of our party members had something come up, so we still need one more player for this five-man dungeon."
Arsen sheathed his blade, curiosity flickering in his eyes. Of all the players in town, why had this woman chosen him?
"I appreciate the offer," Arsen said, turning to leave. "But next time, you should learn how to approach people properly."
"I didn't mean to make you feel that way—"
Charmi couldn't finish her sentence as a man, clearly a Tank, stepped in and interrupted her.
"We're just short one member, and our party leader didn't mean any harm," Darium said in a calm, polite tone. "So please, don't be rude to her."
Arsen glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Why me? I don't know any of your members. You're not dumb enough to pick a random guy off the street."
Darium sighed. "We're looking specifically for an assassin. It's the only way we'll be able to clear this dungeon."
That caught Arsen's interest. The dungeon itself was intriguing—but he was still trying to understand their real reason for approaching him.
"I'm not the only assassin around. There are plenty. Why not ask them instead of me?"
"We already tried. But they all refused," Darium said sharply. "And if you're going to refuse too, just say so. No need for all the talk—what are you, a woman?" He couldn't hide his irritation, clearly annoyed by Arsen's aloof attitude.
"Don't mind him, sir," Charmi said quickly, cutting in before Arsen could respond. "But he's right about one thing—we do need an assassin to clear this five-man dungeon. I'll explain the details if you agree to join us."
Joining a party could be worth it. It would help him level up faster and gain more EXP in a short time. But the real question was: could they be trusted? If they succeeded in clearing the dungeon, what would stop them from turning on him afterward?
"What can I gain from this?" Arsen asked, his eyes fixed on Charmi.
Her eyes widened with surprise, then lit up with a smile, she took it as a sign he was considering their offer. "The same as the rest of us. We'll split all loot and cores evenly."
She went on to explain how item distribution worked. Items tied to specific classes would go to the appropriate player. For items without class restrictions, the player with the highest contribution in the raid would get first pick.
Arsen reflected silently. His gear was still limited obtaining even a single useful item from this dungeon could greatly accelerate his progress. But he needed to stay cautious. There was no telling if these players were connected to the Serpent Guild, or plotting something behind the scenes.
"Let's go then."
Arsen agreed—but made a silent promise to himself. If anything felt off during the raid, he wouldn't hesitate to leave them behind.
"That's great to hear! Don't worry, we'll take good care of you," Blue Smoke said cheerfully, though the others still eyed Arsen warily.
The group began to introduce themselves. Blue Smoke was the party leader and a Level 2 Mage. Darium was a Level 2 Tank, and Fiend, a Level 2 Swordsman. Arsen, meanwhile, was a Level 1 Assassin. Fortunately, Blue Smoke had recently unlocked a buff skill upon reaching Level 2, which gave their team a valuable edge.
According to Blue Smoke, the dungeon portal was located between Grook's Town and Timber's Town, which meant their party wouldn't be the only one attempting to clear it. The dungeon had been discovered a week ago, yet no group had managed to complete it.
Before entering, players could choose from four difficulty settings: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Hell Mode. Each level differed drastically—as far apart as heaven and earth. Naturally, the rewards scaled with the challenge. Successfully clearing the dungeon on Hell Mode promised bountiful and rare loot.
Of course, Blue Smoke had already attempted this dungeon several times, but clearing it had proven difficult, especially with the risk of dying in-game.
When Arsen heard that, he thought to himself, They've died multiple times? If that's the case, these three should've reached Level 3 by now. But with so many failures, their EXP must've dropped significantly.
Inside the dungeon, players would be teleported to a random location in the surrounding forest. From most spawn points, the mansion—their objective—was still visible in the distance. If luck wasn't on their side, they could be attacked by monsters immediately; otherwise, they might land in a safe zone.
To clear the dungeon, they needed to defeat the monster residing inside the mansion. Unfortunately, Blue Smoke had no information about the dungeon boss. Why? Because each time they entered, monsters were already waiting, as if they had anticipated their arrival.
After several failed attempts, they discovered the cause: a tower watcher. Its vision was unnervingly sharp, making it nearly impossible to slip by unnoticed.
Blue Smoke explained that Arsen's primary role in the raid would be to eliminate the tower watcher. Once it was down, the team could sneak into the mansion and eliminate the monsters inside without alerting the entire dungeon.
Arsen interrupted her. "May I ask if you've truly observed the dungeon? Based on what you've said, clearing it requires eliminating the tower watcher, right? Have you considered the presence of other players? We're not the only ones trying to clear this dungeon."
Blue Smoke nodded. "I've thought about that. Killing the watchman is just the first step in clearing the dungeon, that's why…"
She didn't get to finish as Arsen cut in. "That's why we're letting another party go in first, so we can follow behind them. Am I right?"
"You're correct," Blue Smoke confirmed. "When the other parties enter the mansion, we'll take the rear. Our goal is to eliminate the monsters without being noticed."
The plan was simple: use the other parties as decoys, drawing the monsters' attention while Blue Smoke's team snuck in from the back. To prevent any reinforcements, Arsen's job was to take out the watchman.
"I see," Arsen said, nodding thoughtfully. "But what happens after that? Once we've killed the monsters and entered the mansion, what's next?"
Blue Smoke smiled faintly. "If we manage to pull this off, it'll be the first real progress we've made so far."
Arsen smiled wryly. As he had expected, this group was the type of players who enjoyed discovering new things in the game. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing—such players could achieve great feats and grow stronger over time.
But that wasn't his goal. Unlike them, these players seemed well-off, having already purchased items that couldn't be obtained from defeating monsters.
"So, what you're saying is, once we enter, the next steps will be based on our judgment?" Arsen asked, his tone skeptical.
Blue Smoke nodded, though even she wasn't sure what the dungeon boss would be like. She studied Arsen's expression carefully. "If you die in the game, we'll compensate you with credits. And if we manage to clear the dungeon, I'll give you additional credits."
At that point, Arsen had no reason to refuse their offer. After all, the main reason he played this game was to earn money.
I never turn down a blessing.
He recalled what Glen had said to him.
"How much?" Arsen asked, his voice steady.
"Are you serious, Velnar?" Darium exclaimed, his voice rising in surprise.
"I'm not the one making the offer," Velnar responded coolly.
"Cut it out, Darium," Blue Smoke interjected, keeping her voice calm. "We'll give you 1,000 credits if you die in the game, but if we manage to clear it, I'll give you 3,000 credits."
Arsen's eyes widened at the offer. In his mind, he had only been expecting between 300 and 500 credits. The promise of 1,000 credits alone was already a considerable amount.
Blue Smoke smiled, sensing his response before he could speak. "So it's settled, then. Let's do our best!"
Soon, Blue Smoke's party gathered in front of the portal, where other players were already waiting. Before them stood an orange portal—their gateway to the dungeon.
Each party began entering one by one, but one group caught Arsen's attention. More specifically, it was the woman wielding a slender silver sword that intrigued him. The players around her were equally imposing.
"Do you know them?" Blue Smoke asked, noticing Arsen's prolonged gaze.
Arsen shook his head. "No, this is the first time I've seen them."
"Do they intimidate you?" Blue Smoke asked with a knowing smile. "That's natural. They're strong players. The woman you're staring at? She's Moon Blade."