After their discussion, the group immediately stood up and ran toward the outskirts of Blackmist City.

Mad Butcher? Shadow? Underground Arena?

Confused, Xiao Hua followed them.

"Who are Mad Butcher and Shadow?" Xiao Hua asked as they ran.

"They're big shots in Blackmist City! They are the guild leaders of the only two guilds in the city, 'Madmen' and 'Seven Killing Wolves.' You'll come to know how powerful they are if you stay in the city longer!" the assassin said with admiration.

"You're new here, so forget about it. Don't waste your effort. The underground arena is controlled by Shadow and Mad Butcher. According to the rules, you cannot enter the underground arena!" The assassin saw Xiao Hua planning to follow and tried to dissuade him.

"Rules?"

"Yeah! Apparently, players who haven't experienced the Black Mist Weather once cannot enter the underground arena for shelter! Even though I've experienced it once, I'm not sure if I can enter either. You stand even less of a chance!"

Damn, what kind of rule is this!

Xiao Hua cursed inwardly.

"Let's go and see. If it doesn't work, we'll try something else. Maybe Shadow will be in a good mood and let you in," the mage suddenly said with a smile.

Xiao Hua shared the same thought. Seeing that Xiao Hua wasn't giving up, the assassin didn't continue to persuade him and just ran faster.

"Is the underground arena outside the city walls?" Xiao Hua asked again.

"Yes, it's behind the wall opposite the city gate. Newcomers usually don't notice it," the assassin nodded.

Blackmist City was different from ordinary player cities; it had only one entrance, with high walls on the other three sides. Of course, these walls had many large cracks.

"Water Bind!"

Just a few steps outside the city gate, Xiao Hua and the assassin were running side by side when suddenly, the mage stopped and cast a spell!

Water Bind? Xiao Hua was startled! Before he could react, his body was bound by a deep-blue water vine! Judging by the color of the water vine, the mage's skill level was definitely high!

"Damn!" Xiao Hua was careless and forgot he was in Blackmist City. Following a stranger blindly was like walking into a trap!

He was puzzled by how friendly the blacklisted assassin and mage seemed. Clearly, they had targeted him while he was asking questions. These blacklisted players had to kill dozens of others to enter the city. They were not like ordinary players who could be easily trusted!

"Brother, don't blame me. You were going to die to monsters anyway, so you might as well die to me and give me the loot!" The assassin, with a sinister face, lunged forward with his dagger!

Anti-Magic Shell!

In desperation, Xiao Hua activated the skill on his Adventurer Armor!

A pale red shield appeared around Xiao Hua, and the Water Bind instantly turned into water flowing to the ground, freeing him. He moved slightly, although not entirely out of the assassin's attack range, it prevented a critical hit!

"What kind of skill is this!" Both the water mage and the assassin were astonished. The Water Bind barely lasted a second, undoubtedly due to the red shield around him! They had considerable experience, but they had never seen such a skill that could grant self-immunity during a negative state!

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After being injured, Xiao Hua immediately took a healing potion and went into stealth. The opponent wasn't just an assassin and a mage; there were two more assassins nearby. Although they didn't seem to be part of the same group, given the current situation, they wouldn't hesitate to join in and loot him!

"True Sight!" The water mage, experienced in PvP, cast True Sight the moment Xiao Hua went into stealth!

"Damn! Master-level Stealth, what bad luck!" The assassin cursed, thinking they would surely catch Xiao Hua, but instead, he escaped.

The mage didn't give up and cast two area spells, but Xiao Hua was prepared and avoided them.

"Forget it, let's not waste time on him." The mage ran out of options.

The group resumed moving forward. After some thought, Xiao Hua decided to follow. He wasn't seeking revenge; they had four people, and he was alone. Once his stealth wore off, he wouldn't stand a chance! He just wanted to check the location of the underground arena for future reference.

In fact, even if Xiao Hua wanted to ambush them, he had no chance. The group summoned their mounts and rode around the wall to the rear section. With a significant speed difference, Xiao Hua gave up chasing and slowly jogged over, having nothing else to do.

Ten minutes later, Xiao Hua saw a small door on the rear wall from afar. A man in black armor blocked the entrance; judging by his equipment and build, this person was undoubtedly Mad Butcher.

"You can't enter yet. Come back when you're allowed," Mad Butcher said with a gentle smile without Xiao Hua needing to go into stealth.

"Why set such a rule?" Xiao Hua asked rather than beg for entry. This man clearly wasn't one to be swayed easily, regardless of gender.

"Ha, the Black Mist Weather is a unique feature of Blackmist City. Those who claim to have been here must experience the Black Mist Weather firsthand. Otherwise, they don't deserve to enter the underground arena for shelter!" Mad Butcher explained, bored from guarding the entrance.

"Are you... Mad Butcher?" Xiao Hua guessed based on the man's imposing figure.

"Hehe, good observation. Since you guessed correctly, let me give you a piece of advice: don't resurrect if you die! Death during the Black Mist Weather can wait until the weather passes before resurrection. Otherwise, even at level 100, you'd drop all your levels in one night!" Mad Butcher said cheerfully.

"Thanks!" Xiao Hua was taken aback. This was useful information; with his Substitute Card, he would only lose the card at most.

"Are you... a thief?" Mad Butcher squinted at Xiao Hua, surprisingly asking.

"Yes, how did you guess?" Xiao Hua asked, puzzled. Thieves and assassins share equipment and skills. Standing before Mad Butcher without doing anything, he somehow guessed his class. Though Mad Butcher's words carried doubt, Xiao Hua sensed certainty in his tone.

"Ha, 80% of the professions in Blackmist City are assassins. Your actions differ greatly from theirs. Many habits common to assassins are absent in you. If you live here for half a year, you'll understand the difference." Mad Butcher explained with a smile.

Sharp eyes! Xiao Hua thought he hadn't shown anything special, yet he was identified by his profession.

"Did you accept Hazar's Commission quest?" Mad Butcher asked.

"Yes, what's the reward?" Xiao Hua was even more puzzled by the question.

"The reward isn't important. What matters is the follow-up quest. Given your class, continuing the quest might be challenging, but if you join the 'Madmen' guild, we can help you." To Xiao Hua's surprise, Mad Butcher was recruiting him.

"Sorry, but I'm already in a guild."

"That's fine; you can decide later." Mad Butcher didn't insist, speaking kindly.

A figure emerged from the door, prompting Mad Butcher to say, "That's it. Find a place to experience the Black Mist Weather. You'll find that even losing a level is worth it."

"Who was that kid? You talked to him for a while," Shadow, a slender assassin, asked indifferently as he watched Xiao Hua leave.

"Our client, the one who posted the 15 million gold bounty!" Mad Butcher lazily replied to Shadow.

"Him?" Shadow's eyes flashed with surprise. Anyone willing to offer 15 million gold would pique interest.

"Definitely! And I invited him to join our guild!" Mad Butcher confirmed.

"Sneaky bastard!" Shadow grumbled.

"Hey, you could invite him to your guild too. I didn't say you couldn't compete," Mad Butcher protested.

"Not interested!" Shadow huffed, adding, "But if he doesn't join your guild, I might be interested!"

"Hmph! So stubborn!" This time, Mad Butcher was displeased.

...

Xiao Hua left the entrance to the underground arena. It was only 2 PM, and with no shelter available, staying in or outside the city made no difference. He mounted his land bird and headed for the goblin spawning area to level up before the Black Mist Weather arrived.

Reaching the goblin spawning area, it was almost time for the Black Mist Weather to begin. Two hours flew by in the blink of an eye!

With one stab, he felled a goblin. The system time was nearing 6 PM. Xiao Hua looked up at the distant horizon, where dark clouds like ink blots obscured the sky, swallowing everything in their path, sending chills down his spine!

The Black Mist Weather was finally upon them!