Mark Lin sat in meditation, with a Skeleton Warrior standing guard at his side.
At the dungeon entrance, over a hundred people were gathered, yet not a single one dared approach him.
Mainly, it was because his Skeleton Warrior looked far too terrifying—
Just a glance was enough to send chills down one's spine.
That was fine.
No one came to bother him.
Mark Lin was simply waiting for the cooldown to pass. In twelve hours, he could re-enter the dungeon.
His spiritual energy gradually recovered through meditation.
Once he entered again, he'd be able to summon another four Skeleton Warriors.
As night fell, Mark Lin ended his meditation.
His spiritual energy had mostly recovered.
Bonfires began springing up outside the dungeon entrance, one after another.
Many people gathered around them, roasting meat.
The aroma of roasting meat filled the air. Once seasonings were sprinkled on, the smell became even richer.
These people were veterans of the wilderness—experienced and well-prepared.
Unlike Mark Lin, who had only brought along some sweet potatoes when he set out.
His stomach growled. Mark Lin reached into his inventory for a sweet potato.
But he found nothing.
Only then did he realize—he'd given them all to Ivy Ning.
Thinking of Ivy Ning's mischievous and adorable expression, a slight smile unconsciously curved his lips.
Instead, he pulled out a steamed bun and began eating it slowly, bite by bite.
"Hey bro, wanna join us for a bite?"
Someone waved at him—they were grilling some kind of unknown meat, which smelled delicious.
It was a young man in his twenties.
From his attire, he seemed to be a Support Class.
Mark Lin gave a slight shake of his head, politely declining the offer.
The young man didn't push it, and simply continued eating his roasted meat.
"Why'd you even call out to him, William Wang?"
"Exactly. That guy's a weirdo. He hasn't said a single word since he got here."
"Plus, that undead summon of his? Creepy as hell."
But William Wang had a different take. "I think he's pretty normal—just not the talkative type."
"Besides, you've seen it too. He might not talk, but he's never once provoked anyone."
"I think... he's probably not as hard to get along with as you all think."
William Wang sliced off a big chunk of meat, placed it on a plate, and walked over to Mark Lin.
"Here bro, have some meat. You can't just eat steamed buns all day."
Mark Lin looked at him but said nothing.
William Wang just smiled warmly, set the plate in front of him, and walked away.
A quick scan with Detection confirmed there was nothing wrong with the meat.
Mark Lin slowly picked it up and took a bite.
It was indeed delicious.
From a distance, William Wang held up a piece of meat in salute, flashing a sunny smile.
In that moment, Mark Lin thought his smile resembled Simon Gao's.
Once full, Mark Lin returned to a meditative state.
With a Skeleton Warrior standing guard, he had nothing to worry about.
Twelve hours passed. The dungeon cooldown was over, and his spiritual energy was fully restored.
"This time... I should be able to reach level 13."
He stood up—
Only to see the entrance crowded with people.
Two groups seemed to be in a standoff.
One group stood right in front of the dungeon entrance, completely blocking the way, not letting anyone pass.
They wore matching uniforms and held finely crafted weapons, looking like a disciplined military force.
Opposing them were the original adventurers who had already been waiting outside the dungeon.
Though greater in number, they were loosely organized, and lacked the momentum of their opposition.
"Dynasty Guild, don't you think you're being a bit much?"
"Why won't you let us into the dungeon?"
"Yeah, what gives? The dungeon doesn't belong to you!"
"It's not like our entry would affect you guys!"
The crowd broke into protest.
From the Dynasty Guild, a mage wielding a staff stepped forward.
"Our vice guild leader is completing a quest inside. Until he finishes, no one is allowed to enter."
"Says who?"
"Dynasty Guild, this is beyond arrogant!"
Despite the uproar, no one dared to act rashly.
Dynasty Guild was just too powerful—no one wanted to provoke them.
William Wang was among the protesting crowd too.
His usually sunny smile had vanished, replaced with frustration.
Mark Lin walked over and stood beside him.
"What's going on?"
William Wang was stunned—
Mark Lin actually spoke?
Surprised, he quickly explained in a low voice,
"The Dynasty Guild's vice guild leader is doing a quest inside. They won't let us in."
A puzzled look appeared in Mark Lin's eyes.
What kind of quest needed an entire dungeon to be sealed off?
William Wang saw his confusion and elaborated,
"They're after the Goblin King's Core. It's got a really low drop rate and only appears in Nightmare-level dungeons. It only drops once every 100 days."
"You've probably seen the listing in the exchange too. That quest? It was posted by Dynasty Guild."
"But no one's completed it yet."
"It's ridiculous—they want to buy the Goblin King's Core for 100,000 gold, when it's easily worth at least 300,000. Who'd sell it to them?"
"And today happens to be exactly 100 days since the last drop. So this time, the Dynasty Guild decided to do it themselves."
What a coincidence.
Inside Mark Lin's storage space, the Goblin King's Core gleamed like a ruby.
This time, Dynasty Guild was doomed to return empty-handed.
Originally, Mark Lin had planned to sell it in a couple of days for 100,000 gold.
But after hearing William Wang's explanation, it was clear—
This item wasn't that simple.
"What's it used for?" Mark Lin asked softly.
William Wang replied,
"It can be crafted by alchemists into the Goblin King's Ring."
"+10 to all attributes, +1 level to all skills. Usable at level 15. Known as the strongest accessory below level 40."
Such a powerful item—it was truly impressive.
Especially the +1 to all skills. For low-level players, that was practically God-Tier.
William Wang continued,
"Apparently, the Dynasty Guild's vice guild leader is trying to get into Summer Capital Academy, so he's determined to get this item."
"The guild has its own alchemists, and they've already got all the other materials. All that's left is the Goblin King's Core."
Now that he knew the whole story, Mark Lin gave a slight smile and walked toward the dungeon entrance.
He didn't care what "Dynasty Guild" this or that—
Anyone who stood in the way of his leveling… would not be tolerated.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。