TSA Chapter 28

Next, Windstorm Jiangnan and his team went to complete their profession-change quests and gather materials for crafting equipment.

With six hours remaining until 8 p.m., no one wanted to sit idle even though preparations were done. The leveling fanatic Night Owl led the team to the wilderness for grinding and leveling. Now equipped with AoE skills, he could grind mobs solo with incredible efficiency—let alone with Soul Chaser and Gu Le helping out. Their mob-clearing speed was so outrageous that they eventually outpaced the respawn rate.

Ran Qi felt a bit embarrassed as he was essentially leeching experience, contributing little beyond casting healing buffs.

However, Night Owl and the others explained that grinding together was to boost the team’s overall strength. It would make the run much easier if everyone leveled up before entering the Abyss dungeon. Moreover, as the primary healer, Ran Qi’s role was crucial.

Since everyone insisted, Ran Qi could only relax and enjoy the thrill of skyrocketing experience points.

While they were grinding, both the forums and the in-game chat were abuzz with excitement, all discussing the live stream scheduled for the evening.

After receiving word from Sword at Fleeting Time, the GM quickly posted a pinned announcement on the forums, stating that Night Owl’s team would be attempting the Abyss dungeon and broadcasting the event live. Players could watch via the in-game live stream widget or on the official game website’s streaming platform.

Around 5 p.m., Windstorm Jiangnan sent a message saying their team had completed the profession-change quests and gathered a batch of materials for crafting equipment. They needed Bai Ran’s help.

Night Owl said, “Let’s head back to the city together.”

“No need, I can go alone,” Ran Qi quickly interjected, not wanting to delay the team’s leveling progress. “I’m quick at crafting and will be back soon.”

Seeing his insistence, Night Owl relented. “Alright then.”

Ran Qi returned to the city alone, heading to the life skills area to trade with Windstorm Jiangnan.

“These materials might not be enough. We tried to gather as much as possible, but if you need more, let us know,” said Windstorm Jiangnan calmly, his demeanor steady and composed.

Ran Qi glanced at the materials and the equipment request list, estimating that it should be enough.

“Alright, I’ll get to it. Come back in a bit to pick it up.”

“Sure.”

Ran Qi wasn’t exaggerating—within 20 minutes, he messaged Windstorm Jiangnan.

[Private Chat] Bai Ran: Done. Come pick them up.

[Private Chat] Windstorm Jiangnan: That fast?

Ran Qi’s astonishing speed took aback even someone as calm and steady as Windstorm Jiangnan.

Wasn’t crafting supposed to be difficult and prone to failure?

How did Bai Ran finish gear for an entire team in 20 minutes like it was as simple as eating and drinking?

Unless… did he fail multiple times?

Windstorm Jiangnan grew anxious, worrying they’d need to gather another round of materials.

[Private Chat] Bai Ran: I leveled up my crafting proficiency while making gear for Night Owl’s team earlier.

[Private Chat] Windstorm Jiangnan: Got it. On my way.

Despite his concerns, Windstorm Jiangnan didn’t show it and quickly headed to the life skills area.

Upon arrival, Ran Qi initiated a trade, and one by one, he placed high-quality blue gear into the trade window—ending with two purple items. The attributes and overall quality were far beyond what Windstorm Jiangnan had expected.

Windstorm Jiangnan: “!!!”

He was a War God, Feng Tian was a Temple Priest, No Happiness was a Shadow Assassin, Four Seasons was a Swordsmaster, Raphael was an Archery Master, and Smoke was an Elemental Mage. Ran Qi had crafted gear tailored to their professions, with most pieces being blue and two of exceptional purple quality.

For a moment, Windstorm Jiangnan’s gaze at Ran Qi grew complex. How did someone as talented as Bai Ran end up being picked up by Night Owl?

But on second thought, they’d all likely end up in the same guild later. Night Owl wouldn’t forget to share good fortune with them, so Windstorm Jiangnan calmed down.

“Thank you. Here’s your crafting fee.”

“No need; we’re all friends. Besides, it wasn’t much trouble.”

Seeing Ran Qi’s sincerity, Windstorm Jiangnan didn’t insist. He simply patted his shoulder. “Thanks. Let me know if you ever need help.”

“Sure.”

With that settled, Ran Qi returned to join Night Owl’s group for more grinding.

At 7:30 p.m., the team regrouped in the city. The three external reinforcements had arrived as well: Shura, a Level 33 Shadow Assassin clad in black but exuding far more presence than No Happiness; Blossoming, a Level 33 female Elemental Master with an imposing and sultry demeanor, wielding a purple staff; and Thousand Mechanisms, a Level 33 Ranger equipped with impressive gear.

Ran Qi sorted his inventory, purchased materials from the Trading Hall, and crafted a variety of food and potions. He handed them to Night Owl for distribution.

The selection included meat pies that boosted defense, pumpkin pies for increased base attack, leek and egg pies for quick mana recovery, honey-glazed ribs to enhance magic attack, mushroom chicken for physical attack, tomato beef stew to improve healing, and chili stir-fry for movement speed. The aroma alone was mouthwatering.

Among them was a new product, Golden Delight, tailored for high-agility professions, though it wasn’t as popular as the others.

Looking at the variety of food, everyone’s eyes lit up with excitement.

Since this was preparation for the dungeon, items were distributed based on need. Everyone couldn’t get a full set, but even so, they felt like they were living in a dream…

“Night Owl, do you know the big boss who made this food? Can you introduce me?” Shura asked eagerly.

“No.” Night Owl rejected him outright.

“Hmph, you can’t hide a star’s brilliance. We’ll find out eventually.”

“Then we’ll talk when that time comes.”

With just two sentences, Night Owl left Shura speechless.

Night Owl continued, “Let’s discuss how we’ll distribute items.”

The level 30 Abyss Dungeon is called Cat Demon’s Lair, consisting of six stages and eight bosses. Players must defeat the first seven bosses to reach the final boss, the Cat Demon. Due to the abundance of bosses, the dungeon has a high drop rate for equipment, making it an excellent place to gather gear and strengthen the team.

Since everyone aimed to obtain equipment and materials, the loot distribution rules needed to be clarified upfront to prevent any disputes later.

“Priority for loot will be given to players of the same profession based on their DPS or healing output. Any objections?” In team dungeons, damage and healing stats are displayed, so it’s easy to tell who’s contributing or slacking.

“No objections!” For a raid team, this was a fair distribution method: the more you contribute, the more you gain.

“Alright, let’s discuss the strategy.” Night Owl continued, “During the beta test, we cleared the first and attempted the second boss. Although we didn’t beat the second one, we’ve gained some understanding.”

The first stage featured two bosses: a black and a white giant demonic boar. The white boar was magic-based, capable of unleashing wide-area airwave attacks with its mouth. Its magic defense was very high. The black boar was physical-based, equipped with sharp, exposed tusks. Its stomps sent shockwaves that stunned nearby players for three seconds, and its charge attack was formidable.

The most challenging aspect was that the two boars must be killed simultaneously, with a maximum 10-second margin. If the white boar was defeated but the black boar remained alive, the white boar would fully revive after 10 seconds. This made synchronized damage control crucial.

“Once inside the dungeon, Coke will tank the white boar, and Four Seasons will tank the black boar. Bai Ran and Feng Tian will focus on healing. Magic-based players attack the white boar, and physical-based players attack the black boar. Monitor their health carefully and stop attacking when instructed.”

“Understood!”

The second boss, a demonic leopard, had terrifyingly high attack power. It used its claws and wind blades to attack and frequently summoned mobs. During the beta, their incomplete gear and lack of teamwork led to a wipe. This time, the team was more prepared and should perform better.

“Let’s go. It’s almost time to start.”

“Alright.”

At precisely 8 PM, the 15-member team teleported into the dungeon.

Once inside, Night Owl activated the live-streaming function, allowing viewers to watch from his first-person perspective.

However, to avoid distractions, he disabled all pop-ups and notifications. He also didn’t bother providing commentary since the GM only required him to stream, not narrate.

Despite the bare-bones nature of the stream, viewership numbers soared, quickly surpassing nine digits. With comments disabled, viewers could only vent their excitement in the world chat.

[World] Misty: Wow, all these level 30+ pros—what a peak lineup!

[World] Venus: They’re all so good-looking! Both skilled and handsome. I’m so jealous!

[World] A Lone Boat: Go Big Boss Night Owl!!!

Knowing the stream was public, Ran Qi donned his invisible cloak before entering, while Gu Le wore a mask to conceal his appearance. Others assumed they were trying to stay low-profile, but in truth, they wanted to avoid being recognized by Zhang Shuo’s gang and causing unnecessary trouble.

“Check your buffs! Ready to start!”

“Roar!” Two massive boars, each around three meters tall, charged angrily toward the team.

Everyone immediately scattered, leaving Gu Le and Four Seasons to intercept and draw the bosses’ aggro.

“Separate them! Pull them in opposite directions!”

The tanks quickly maneuvered the bosses to designated positions, and the team began attacking in an orderly fashion.

Night Owl closely observed the boars’ movements. Seeing the white boar tilt its head, he immediately shouted, “White boar’s about to roar! Everyone move behind it!”

The white boar’s airwave attack was a frontal cone-shaped AoE, which could be avoided by staying behind it.

The team, highly aware and responsive, immediately repositioned and dodged the attack.

Noticing the black boar digging its hooves into the ground, Night Owl called out, “Black boar is charging! Dodge!”

After repeated encounters, the team became adept at anticipating the boars’ attacks, often avoiding them without needing reminders.

Night Owl: “Report HP!”

Gu Le: “White boar at 38%!”

Four Seasons: “Black boar at 24%!”

With only three mages and nearly ten physical DPS players, the damage on the white boar lagged slightly despite Night Owl’s overwhelming power.

Night Owl: “Stop attacking the black boar! Hold!”

The black boar’s attackers immediately ceased their assault, while the mages intensified their efforts on the white boar. Once its HP dropped to around 20%, Night Owl allowed the team to resume attacking the black boar.

With precise coordination, both boars let out simultaneous death cries and collapsed to the ground, dropping a piece of purple gear and an A-grade material, which the little black dragon swiftly looted.

[System Announcement] A thunderous debut! Congratulations to players [Night Owl], [Soul Chaser], [Plume Ink], [Sword at Fleeting Time], [Coke], [Bai Ran], [Windstorm Jiangnan], [Feng Tian], [No Happiness], [Four Seasons], [Raphael], [Smoke], [Shura], [Blossoming], and [Thousand Mechanisms] for achieving the first kill of the Abyss Dungeon Cat Demon’s Lair Stage One Boss: Demonic Boars! Rewards include the title [Boar Slayer] and [Physical Exchange Coupons x1].

[System Announcement] Player [Night Owl] cut down in one swift stroke. The Demonic Boar screamed in pain and dropped its [Boar Tusk Necklace] before running away in panic.

[Boar Tusk Necklace]

Restriction Level: 30 or above

Limited Profession: Warrior

Grade: A

Durability: 200/200

Attributes: Basic Defense+80, Basic Attack+40, Constitution+19, Strength+44

[World] Cain: What the hell? How come it’s so easy??? It only takes 15 minutes, right?

[World] Pathfinder: It’s really awesome!!

[World] September Sky: What was that thing that flew over just now? I didn’t even see what equipment fell on the ground and it was gone…

[World] June Snow: It’s a dragon! Big Boss Night Owl’s pet! So envious… I want it too…

[World] Clear Sky: It won’t go to you even if you die of envy… You’d better take a look at the purple necklace! The attributes are super good!

The team had three warriors, and since the necklace provided significant bonuses to attack and strength, Gu Le, Four Seasons, and Windstorm Jiangnan discussed it and decided to give the necklace to Windstorm Jiangnan.

The dropped material was [Cat Demon’s Claw], the primary component for crafting the Cat Demon set. It was worth 2 gold coins even if sold to an NPC. Therefore, Night Owl chose not to distribute it immediately, keeping it in the team’s inventory. After completing the dungeon, it would be given to any member who didn’t receive equipment as a consolation.

“Take a break and get ready for the second stage.”

Everyone else remained calm, sitting down to rest—replenishing buffs, mana, or health as needed. This left Shura, Blooming, and Thousand Mechanisms utterly astonished.

Before joining, they had already anticipated the strength of Night Owl’s team, but witnessing it firsthand exceeded all expectations. Not only was everyone equipped with at least blue-tier gear, but their exceptional teamwork and swift execution were remarkable.

What stood out most were the two level-30 priests on the team. Quiet and unassuming, the priest’s healing capabilities were astonishing, especially the one named Bai Ran. He had four powerful skills, offering significant heals, group recovery, and even the ability to remove debuffs, all delivered with perfect timing.

Earlier, Thousand Mechanisms had been accidentally stunned by the black boar for three seconds. Just as he resigned himself to his fate, a [Purification] spell immediately removed the stun effect.

It was clear—Night Owl’s team truly lived up to their stellar reputation!