Chapter 112: Victor’s Pet "In this case," Victor added, surveying the bustling scene, "it seems that all players can enter together, but the catch is, they limit each group to just five members."
Curiosity sparked in Xin’s eyes as he probed for loopholes. "Could others then just form different groups of five but still be under one big crew?"
Victor shook his head with a knowing smile. "Nah, it doesn’t work that way. They’ve got rules to keep the big-shot guilds from dominating. See, only five members from the same guild can dive into a dungeon at a time. So, if they try to split into multiple groups, it’s a no-go unless one group gets wiped or decides to bail."
Xin scratched his head, still seeking a way around the system. "But couldn’t they just dip from the guild, form new groups, and then hop back in?"
Victor shook his head slightly. "It ain’t that simple. Leaving a guild comes with a week-long cooldown before you can join a new one or rejoin the old. Plus, there’s the whole leaderboard thing. If they leave, any first clears or boss takedowns won’t rep their guild’s name on the Stone of Fame."
"That’s right," Rever chimed in, nodding sagely. "Guilds tend to be particular about these things that would make their guild famous, so most guilds don’t bother with the hassle."
"However," Victor interjected, "there are some crafty guilds that exploit this little loophole. They’ll dispatch multiple squads, often as scouts and cannon fodder, to gather intel about the dungeon. These squads tough it out until they’ve got enough info for the main unit."
Rever couldn’t help but laugh heartily. "Now that you’ve mention it. We do deploy that tactics." He sent a playful grin in Yuzuro’s way. "You’ve been on quite a few of those scouting missions, haven’t you, Yuzu?"
Yuzuro’s expression was a mixture of amusement and chagrin as she looked away. "Please, let’s not dwell on those memories."
Being a cannon fodder was an embarrassing job. It just meant that she wasn’t good enough to be placed in the main unit.
While the group discussed guild strategies, they entered the fortress through the kitchen area, the only part accessible to them at the moment, thanks to their quest. Other sections remained locked, their maps yet to be explored.
As Xin took in the room, he couldn’t help but feel that it was responding to the influx of players. Victor and Rever were right, the room seemed to grow each time a new player entered.
The kitchen’s common area within the dungeon held an eerie aura. What had once been a bustling hub now stood in haunting silence. The air held a strange tension as if the very walls were watching and waiting.
Abandoned remnants of food and cooking equipment hinted at hidden truths. Torches cast eerie shadows on the worn stone floor, adding to the foreboding atmosphere.
The secrets held within the dungeon’s depths lured daring explorers, their curiosity driving them forward.
"Let’s move to the next area," Victor urged from the rear, maintaining a watchful eye on Midnight Duchess to ensure no tricks were up her sleeve.
The enigmatic woman, however, remained eerily silent, her disinterested gaze sweeping over everything.
Victor was sure. "There’s nothing to be found here. The treasures have likely been snatched up already, given the number of players scouring this place."
Rever agreed, adding, "Grey Smoke’s right. We’re wasting time. We should progress to the next area. The quicker we clear this, the sooner we advance to higher-level dungeons with less competition."
Yuzuro, however, felt a pang of disappointment at the rush. She longed to explore the dungeon at her own pace, savoring every detail.
"You really want to explore this area, Yuzu?" Rever asked when he noticed her silence. "I promise you, there’s nothing left to find here."
"To put your mind at ease," Victor said casually, and with a whistle, something materialized right before them.
It was a Shadow Elemental that took shape in a mesmerizing display of darkness coalescing. It started as a mere whisper in the air, like a subtle breeze on a moonless night.
As the surrounding area darkened, it became evident that something extraordinary was unfolding.
The shadows gathered in a swirling, ethereal dance. They spiraled and twirled in an intricate ballet of darkness, converging toward a central point. This point slowly grew denser, taking on the form of a vaguely humanoid silhouette. The shadowy mass shifted and billowed as if it had a mind and will of its own.
Gradually, the elemental’s form became more defined. It started to resemble a tall, lithe figure shrouded in the deepest ebony. Its eyes, or what appeared to be eyes, were twin orbs of glowing crimson, giving it an eerie, otherworldly gaze.
The elemental’s body seemed to ripple with unsettling energy as if it were both there and not there, a creature born of the void.
As the process continued, the elemental features became more intricate. Long, sinuous tendrils of shadow extended from its form, resembling tendrils of smoke or strands of ink suspended in water. These tendrils swirled around its body, creating an ever-moving, ever-shifting cloak of darkness.
The elemental’s arms took shape, elongating into elongated, spindly appendages that almost seemed to extend infinitely. Its fingers, if one could call them that, tapered into needle-like points, giving it an almost skeletal appearance. It seemed poised and ready, exuding an aura of undeniable strength and mystery.
Finally, the shadow elemental materialized fully, standing before Victor with an imposing presence. It emanated an unsettling yet oddly powerful aura, like a being torn from the depths of a cosmic abyss drawing some eyes on their direction.
With a nod from Victor, the shadow elemental seemed to acknowledge its master’s command, ready to carry out its role.
"This is Shadow, my pet companion," Victor said. "It’s very good in scouting and finding hidden treasures and traps."
Rever’s eyes were all shiny as he reveled at Victor’s pet and couldn’t help but comment, "I wish I had a pet like that! A top player really is something else!"
Xin was amazes at Shadow and couldn’t help but compare it to Black Pudding. Though Pudding wasn’t as powerful as this Shadow, it was still the cutest.
Xin also saw some pets following their masters around, must be helping them find treasures in this dungeons. He didn’t bother with releasing Pudding since it wasn’t really a pet task with finding hidden treasures.
Also, Shadow was a Growth 2 pet so it’s a lot stronger than most pets in here. Not to mention rarer too.
Xin couldn’t help but thought of where Victor had acquire a Shadow Elemental as pet.
On the other hand, Midnight Duchess only yawned, unimpressed.
"Go and find those treasures," Victor commanded and Shadow dived into the ground and slithered its way to the next area.