Chapter 37: High Ranking Players

[Level +1]

Raven's level continued to increase steadily. However, the pace of his Level-Ups became progressively slower as each level required a greater amount of experience compared to the previous one.

Within just half an hour, Raven managed to reach Level 10. Unfortunately, as the Lower Level Nightmare Beasts fell, they were promptly replaced by Higher Level Nightmare Beasts, intensifying the onslaught.

"I am running out of Mana!" Julien's voice conveyed his stress.

"Same here," Yui chimed in, echoing the sentiment.

They found themselves on the brink of the maze's exit, with a mere ten meters left to cover. However, those ten meters felt more like a hundred, as an onslaught of Nightmare Beasts attacked them relentlessly from all directions.

"That's why I despise these creatures! There seems to be no end to them!" Julien vented his frustration.

Yui spoke in agreement, "We need to make a run for it, utilizing whatever remaining Mana we have left to break through their ranks. Once we reach the exit, we should be safe."

Summoning all their remaining strength, Julien and Yui braced themselves to charge towards the exit. Despite the formidable challenge ahead, they were willing to take the risk.

"On the count of three!" Julien exclaimed.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Thr-"

Julien initiated the countdown, mentally preparing himself to give it his all in one swift motion. However, before he could complete his sentence, he froze in place.

"Get down on the ground!" a cold voice commanded from somewhere.

"Get down!" Julien swiftly reacted, gripping Raven's shoulder and pulling him down. Yui did the same with Elia.

In the blink of an eye, all four of them found themselves lying on the ground.

"Now!" the cold voice rang out once again. A brilliant light illuminated the passage as a powerful energy beam surged from the maze's exit.

The Nightmare Beasts that were about to pounce on Julien and the others were caught in the devastating attack. Their shrieks abruptly ceased, and in a fleeting moment, they were obliterated by the overwhelming force of the beam.

The sheer strength of the attack astonished even Raven. He knew that if he had been caught in it, he likely wouldn't have survived, except perhaps with his Main Avatar and all his equipped Items.

"Are you going to lie there all day? Drag your useless selves out of there before more Nightmares arrive!" the cold voice stated. "I'm not going to save you again."

Raven shifted his gaze toward the maze's exit and discovered another human figure standing there, adorned in what appeared to be Legendary-tier Armor.

Julien extended a helping hand to Raven, assisting him to his feet. The four of them covered the remaining few meters to finally escape the maze, just before more formidable Nightmare Beasts flooded the passage.

The piercing screeches of the Nightmare Beasts caused Raven's head to ache. Nevertheless, the Nightmares were unable to exit the maze. It was as if an invisible barrier prevented their escape.

"Thank you for your assistance," Julien said, calming his breathing as he expressed his gratitude toward the armored man.

"We didn't need his help," Yui retorted, rolling her eyes. "We could have escaped on our own."

"If only your attacks were as sharp as your useless words," the armored man coldly remarked.

"Regardless, even you two aren't foolish enough to provoke the Nightmares. I assume these two are responsible," he added, turning his attention to Raven and Elia, focusing on their Green Names.

Raven also observed the man's name, which appeared in blood-red letters.

[Ayzel]

"It's not their fault. I failed to warn them about the Nightmares," Julien innocently replied. "Nevertheless, I brought them here because they can be of assistance."

He actually didn't think about how he was going to explain to others. However, he decided to stick with the excuse that he had come up with. Even he wasn't sure if that was going to be enough. 

"Assistance?" Ayzel sarcastically asked. "To me, they seemed more like a burden back there. You always had a knack for picking up trash."

"Regardless, since you've already brought them here, do as you please. I'll let the old man handle it." Ayzel didn't bother asking for an explanation. He simply turned around and headed back.

His only reason for coming here was because he heard some noise and decided to investigate, suspecting intruders.

"He is quite strong," Raven commented as Ayzel left.

It wasn't just the man's attack that impressed him, but also his equipment. Raven was certain that the man was a high-ranking player, which made it surprising that he was still on Beginner Island.

"He is indeed strong. One of the most powerful players in our team. Even though he can be cold at times, I can always rely on him," Julien nodded.

"He's just an arrogant jerk," Yui rolled her eyes.

Raven was even more intrigued by this group of humans. While the surface-dwelling humans led pitiful lives filled with misery, these covertly gathered humans seemed reasonably strong.

That raised a question in his mind.

"What is the purpose of this group? What are you trying to accomplish?"

"Well... I'm afraid I can't disclose that just yet. At least not until the old man approves of you joining our group," Julien appeared conflicted. On one hand, he was quite open-hearted and enjoyed conversation. On the other hand, he couldn't reveal their secrets.

He instructed Raven to follow him, stating that he would take him to meet the old man. Raven didn't know who the old man was, but it was evident that he was the group's leader.

Raven followed Julien, but he couldn't help but glance back at the Maze where hundreds of Nightmare Beasts had gathered. He had made up his mind to utilize this Hunting Ground later.

Julien led Raven through a narrow alleyway before finally arriving at a small door that creaked open.

The room inside was dimly lit, but Raven could discern a figure sitting in the shadows.

Julien stepped forward and whispered something. The figure nodded. Only when Julien stepped aside did Raven catch sight of the person.