The first thing all the players saw was the gigantic, humongous fort that was sprawled right in front of them and the attractive dungeon entrance that was swirling right at the gates of this fort.
The legendary item must definitely be inside the dungeon or the fort!
Every single person had this same thought as they rushed into the dungeon immediately. Thankfully, it was only a level 50 dungeon.
Most average players were hesitant, but the elite guild groups took on the dungeon one after the other with confidence. Many went in solo, and many went in after forming huge parties.
There was also the competition to set records for first clear, fastest clear, and so soon. In no time, the fort became extremely lively. The stakes were far too high here, so everyone repeatedly attempted the dungeon, even if they kept dying.
Slowly but surely, thousands of players flocked to the site, and a huge crowd gathered near the mysterious location. News about this started spreading, and more players began to assemble.
Some players even started setting up repair shops and item shops near the fort to refill the supplies of the population.
However, no one noticed the wyvern that was circling high above in the clouds, hidden from the eyes of the crowd. The undead minion dutifully reported to Liam everything that was happening.
"Ok. Good job, Wyvern 1. It looks like our plan is moving along smoothly. Hmmm… Maybe it's time for us to meet that person again?"
Liam finished forging the 20th lizardman and stood up. He then took out one of the advanced invisibility potions that he had Dimitri concoct.
After taking this potion, even he was not able to sense the dark elf's presence. Only Luna was able to slightly sense him. So Liam was quite confident that he could slip by the masses unnoticed.
Moreover, the crowd in that area was too large that probably no one would pay attention to him even if he did not use the invisibility potion. As long as he didn't reveal his face, he should be fine.
Regardless, Liam took all the necessary precautions and made his way to the mysterious dungeon, the center of the chaos and commotion. He silently entered the dungeon portal.
A couple of players noticed the portal's color flickering like it did when someone entered and mockingly chuckled. "Which genius is trying to be over-smart? Did he think that if he went in after drinking an invisibility potion, he would have a higher chance of surviving? Idiot."
"This dungeon is a bitch. We got wiped out by the second boss."
"I heard Golden Knights are at the last boss already."
"Yes, Thunder Gods are also at the last boss, it seems."
"You guys are crazy. Obviously, Crimson Abyss or the Battle Gods are going to get the first clear. Those two are S-Rank guilds. They are probably going to take the legendary item and leave everyone in the lurch."
"Not necessarily." An intelligent person commented. "Guild rank is different from dungeon party strength. With all the big shots from Crimson Abyss still missing in action, other guilds have a good chance."
"Then what about battle gods? I heard they have set several records in the dungeons of their Kingdom."
"Well, in any case, we will know soon enough. I bet in a few minutes, someone is going to get the first clear."
And just like everyone expected, the first team indeed stepped into the final boss hall soon enough but… the moment they entered the hall, they found themselves mysteriously dead.
Did the last boss just one-shot the whole dungeon party? Everyone was speechless.
This group was coincidentally from the Assassin Alliance, one of the first parties to come through the golden portal. After three wipes, they slowly worked their way to the final boss and the reward was so close, almost in their hands, but somehow they were all killed?
"What the hell just happened?" One by one the Assassin Alliance players respawned. Before they could process this information, all of them shockingly found themselves back in the Gresh Kingdom. They had actually respawned in a graveyard in the Gresh Kingdom!
"You have got to be kidding me." Elijah grumbled in annoyance. Earlier when they died, they respawned near the portal, but now they respawned back at the Gresh Kingdom. This was going to cost them valuable time!
What if someone else cleared the dungeon first before they could go back all the way?! So unfair! They did all the hard work and they deserved this reward!
All the Assassin Alliance players put their heads together to try and figure out why they died in the first place as they raced back to the golden portal.
However… As the first player touched the portal… he was instantly flung back. What the hell? One by one the other members of the party also tried to enter the portal but for some reason, they just couldn't?
Elijah wanted to bang his head on the tree nearby. Just what the hell was happening? Everything had gone according to plan, but at the last minute, it all flopped? So unlucky!
They had no idea what to do next. Everyone was so frustrated that they really would have bashed their heads against the tree, but the next second, another party appeared.
It looked like they had followed the same footsteps as when the group tried to enter through the golden portal, they were also mysteriously flung back.
They kept trying again and again, only to have the same result over and over. At this time, Elijah walked over to them with a bitter smile. "Hello friends, did you just get wiped out at the last boss?"
Soon the third party arrived, and then the fourth party arrived. Moreover, these players were not just random players. They were elite top players from top guilds around the world.
And these players had all been one-shotted and kicked out!
No one was able to understand anything. They all simply gathered together, trying to figure out what was going on. How did they all get mysteriously killed and also kicked out?
By the time the tenth party arrived, the truth was finally crystal clear. Everyone could see the obvious. The dungeon's last boss could be attempted only once! After this, they wouldn't be able to enter the dungeon again.
As soon as the different groups realized this, they started getting in touch with their respective guilds and making plans. This small new development did not deter anyone from attempting to get the legendary item. Instead, it only motivated them even more.
What was a legendary item? Something that could make one rise from trash to top expert! So how could obtaining one be so simple?
The fact that the mysterious dungeon was so difficult to clear only encouraged everyone. They were now 100% sure that the last boss dropped a legendary item. So how could they let this chance go?
All the players started contacting their guilds and making their own assumptions in a hurry. Some searched for Fire Resistance potions, assuming that was why they were getting one-shot.
Some tried to use extreme buffs, and some even tried to get their pets tank for them in the hopes that they could decipher this sudden mass wipe attack of the boss.
And just like that… the lively crowded atmosphere near the dungeon portal slowly started dwindling and dwindling.
But after a few minutes, it once again picked up when a whole new crowd arrived. Now that everyone had one and only one chance to attempt the last boss, no one wanted to miss the opportunity.
All the guilds began to send their main teams to the fort. All the players on the ranking list started showing up. The whole area became star-studded. Even the top-ranked players of the Battle Gods guild could be seen.
Of course, Crimson Abyss was the only exception. None of the Crimson Abyss top players could be seen near the fort. However, no one had time to worry about them.
Everyone was busily trying to figure out the strategy for the dungeon. All sorts of theories were flying around.
When the top rankers arrived, all the small fries immediately became worried that the legendary item would get stolen away but weirdly even the top rankers suffered a team wipe!
They were able to directly clear the dungeon from the start until the last boss. However, at the last boss, even the so-called experts and monsters were mercilessly wiped out.
These were players who hadn't died even once since the game began, and now all of them were respawning back in the Gresh Kingdom, their confidence completely shaken up.
By the first few hours, many experts suffered this same humiliation and all ended up getting kicked out. Just what the hell was happening?
While the entire world's population was breaking their heads over this weird anomaly, one person alone was grinning ear to ear. Inside the last boss hall, the woman chained up in a corner of the big room revealed a satisfied evil smirk.
Souls! Souls! Souls! There were so many of them for her to eat up!
As she gleefully lifted her hand to finish the next group of eager adventurers, she noticed that this one did not quite enter the hall. Hmmm?
She turned to see that this time it was not a group, just one player, and it was none other than Liam. "Having fun, are we?" He chuckled lightly.
