194: Chapter 194 This damage is really high!

The entire square was as quiet as if it were completely empty.

Under everyone's gaze, Chen You showed a perfectly timed look of apology.

"Excuse me, I already have a group."

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of the excited Adventurers.

The Adventurers, who were frantically showing off their talents and vying for attention just a second ago, had their expressions freeze instantly.

Has a group... is it full?

What does that mean?

Thousands of us saw you come here alone with our own eyes, and you say you have a group?

Who is it?

Who on earth beat us to it?

In the crowd, countless suspicious, jealous, and spiteful gazes began to scan one another.

Everyone suspected the person next to them was the lucky one who had snuck off behind everyone's back.

"Impossible! We were all here before the big shot arrived, who would've had the chance?"

"Damn it, was it some high-level guild member who sent a private message beforehand?"

"Which guild? Step forward! Let's see who on earth they are!"

After a brief dead silence, there was an even greater uproar.

Doubts and curses rose and fell.

Chen You ignored the noise.

He stepped forward, heading toward the NPC in the center of the square.

The crowd subconsciously parted to make a path, but there were still those who were unwilling to give up.

"Big shot! I don't believe it!"

A Warrior holding a giant shield turned red in the face; he was clearly the main tank of some guild and was extremely confident in himself.

He strode in front of Chen You and shouted urgently, "Someone must have lied to you! We have the top players in Thousand Light City right here! Please reconsider..."

Before he finished speaking, he instinctively sent a party invite to Chen You.

The next second, a cold system notification sounded in his ear and simultaneously appeared on the panel in front of him.

[System Notification: The other party is already in a team and cannot be invited.]

The warrior's pupils couldn't help but tremble.

Really... he really has a team!

Several players around him also silently tried to invite him, and they all gasped in shock.

At this point, no one doubted him anymore.

But a new question arose.

Chen You had been alone from start to finish. Where on earth were his teammates?

"Could it be an invisible Thief?"

"Bullshit! What Thief could catch the big shot's eye?"

"I get it!" A feathered Oracle's eyes suddenly lit up as if he had seen through the secrets of heaven.

"The big shot's teammates must already be inside the dungeon!"

This explanation instantly gained the approval of a large number of people.

Yes!

Why would the big shot be the one waiting? The teammates must have gone in first to wait for him!

That makes so much sense!

Following this were countless sighs of frustration and envy.

Dammit, when will such overwhelming fortune finally be my turn!

For a moment, gazes of awe and envy replaced the previous doubts.

They watched Chen You's back, seeing him walk past.

Chen You naturally heard these ridiculous wild theories, and the corner of his mouth twitched imperceptibly.

There were indeed two people in his team.

[Chen You (Leader)]

[Chen You (Clone) (Member)]

In the system's judgment, the main body and the Shadow Clone were two independent units.

They completely met the team requirements.

He was his own strongest teammate.

However, his main body was still in the training room and didn't plan on coming.

Under the gaze of the masses, Chen You arrived before the monarch statue that exuded an aura of slaughter and loneliness.

And that NPC dressed in silver full-plate armor—[Messenger of the New King].

The messenger stood motionless until Chen You walked up to him; only then did two points of faint light ignite in the eyes hidden beneath the cold helmet.

"Challenger, The Path of the Monarch is full of thorns and death. Are you prepared?"

The messenger spoke in a metallic voice devoid of any emotion.

Chen You didn't answer, only giving a faint nod.

[System Notification: Do you wish to open the 25-player raid dungeon "The Path of the Monarch"?]

[Yes/No]

"Yes."

With a flash of light, he instantly vanished from the spot.

...

His vision gradually brightened from pitch black.

A scent mixed with dust and decay rushed at him.

Chen You surveyed his surroundings.

This was an absurdly large hall, with a dome so high its end was out of sight.

Only dim light could be seen spilling down from an unknown height, barely illuminating giant stone pillars that would take several people to encircle.

It was somewhat like Gothic architecture, but magnified many times over, carrying a sense of mythic-epic grandeur and oppression.

Dead silence permeated the air; not even the sound of wind could be heard.

"It has some substance."

Chen You muttered to himself.

He didn't rush forward, but instead skillfully pulled a substitute talisman and a Shielding Talisman from his bag and slapped them directly onto himself.

"Control Below!"

Only after doing all this did he feel a familiar sense of security.

After all, in Arrow of the Moon's description, this place was a dragon's den or tiger's lair, and he had to be careful!

He cast his gaze toward the depths of the hall.

Dozens of meters away, in front of the giant gate leading to the next area, two statues over ten meters tall stood silently.

They were clad in heavy armor and held polearms, like eternal guards.

These were precisely the "kings royal guard" Arrow of the Moon mentioned, which had wiped out the Moon Gods Radiance elite team.

Except in front of Chen You, they were only Level 30.

Chen You walked forward unhurriedly.

The moment he stepped into a certain range.

"Crack—"

In the stone eye sockets of the two statues, two points of crimson light suddenly flared up!

They came to life!

The kings royal guard on the left took a heavy step, making the ground beneath tremble slightly.

It raised its weapon high, and a terrifying pressure instantly locked onto Chen You.

Arrow of the Moon had said that for every wave of mobs, the first attack was a Charged Attack!

It was this move that had instantly killed Moon Gods Radiance's Lead Tank!

Chen You's eyes narrowed; instead of retreating, he actively met the kings royal guard on the left.

He wanted to see just how exaggerated this Charged Attack, which struck fear into the Elf God Clan, really was.

"Boom!"

The weapon in the guard's hand whistled as it hacked down toward Chen You's head!

Chen You didn't dodge or even bother to take a defensive stance; he just stood there and took the strike head-on with his face.

[-132!]

A negligible red number slowly floated up from above his head.

Chen You: "?"

Within the grand hall, the atmosphere became momentarily very awkward.

The kings royal guard also seemed stunned, remaining motionless in its hacking posture.

Chen You blinked, and a few words slowly surfaced in his mind.

That's it?

One-shotting tanks?

No...

That's not right!

Back when he was at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, the world boss only did a few dozen damage to him per hit.

Now that he was at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, a mob in this dungeon could actually take over 100 HP from him in one hit!

Calculating it, the attack of this mob was more than twice as strong as the world boss!

Thinking about it that way...

Is this mob's damage not high?

It's really high!

Of course, it wasn't a simple calculation like that.

Back then, Chen You's main body had faced the world boss and had equipment attribute bonuses.

Regardless, Chen You felt the pressure decrease sharply.

"It seems the information from other players is really just for reference."

He had originally planned to be cautious and take things step by step.

Now...

Change of plans, prepare for a Speed Run!