Gentle Wind's announcement was equivalent to a bomb, causing the entire atmosphere to turn completely silent.
Even OneManMedia has his mouth wide open, clearly astonished and stunned by the information he received.
"H-H-Hell Mode difficulty???" OneManMedia nearly choked himself, clearly not anticipating this kind of explosive announcement from Gentle Wind.
"Yes, the Hell Mode difficulty, and not the Easy Mode difficulty. Thus, your question is a bit wrong since we're not even competing for the same thing." Her confirmation caused the nearby players to go into an uproar.
"What the hell? This is unreal, right?"
"Herald Fist is attempting Easy Mode, but Gentle Wind was like: Nah, too easy, I'm going for Hell Mode!"
"Wait, what if Gentle Wind fails? Wouldn't she become a laughing stock?"
"Fuck, who dares to laugh at my goddess? Even if she fails, she still has the courage that no one else does. Who else but Gentle Wind would attempt Hell Mode and announce it with such confidence?"
As the players started going into a frenzy, with some actively sending private messages left and right, Gentle Wind knew the effect she desired had been achieved.
Just as she prepared to turn around and begin the dungeon, OneManMedia asked discreetly, "Wait a minute, Guild Leader Gentle Wind. May I know if there is a reason for your overwhelming confidence in succeeding?"
Unlike most players, OneManMedia seemed to have noticed a critical point and was eager to find the answer from her.
Surprised, Gentle Wind merely flashed a smile, refusing to answer the question.
As if she would be foolish enough to reveal such a secret to others. She spent so much money to secure this and somewhat monopolize this.
Yet they want this kind of information for free?
Dream on!
Scratching his head slightly, OneManMedia wasn't disappointed by the lack of response.
If it was so easy to obtain information, then he wouldn't have come here to gather news personally.
'Either way, it's safe to say Gentle Wind has a hidden trump card that other team leaders and guild leaders don't have.' OneManMedia thought, excited by this information.
Meanwhile, Gentle Wind returned to her team and asked, "Everyone's ready now, right?"
"Yes, Guild Leader!"
Everyone shouted in unison, including Xu Feng, lest others might suspect him.
His integration into her members was smooth and refined, nearly fooling Gentle Wind as well for mistaking him as a real guild member.
'Why can't I have a subordinate like this as well?' Gentle Wind was feeling envious of the mysterious person in her private message. To be able to have such a subordinate was every leader's dream.
Shaking her head, she knew it was pointless to brood over this matter as she began to select the Hell Mode difficulty.
System: You have selected the Hell Mode difficulty with 19 other members. Do you confirm with the listed information?
19 other members were listed in another system prompt, and after reviewing it twice, Gentle Wind confirmed the information.
Soon, a blinding white light shrouded her, Xu Feng, and the rest of the members.
By the time they regained their visions, they were greeted by an eerily scenery as well as a system message.
System: You've entered Hell Mode in the Scorched Caverns! Defeat the boss, Inferno Tyrant! All stats are reduced by 20% due to intense heat. Debuffs increased by 10%.
The Scorched Caverns were a rugged and unforgiving environment, characterized by searing heat and the ominous glow of molten lava.
The air was thick with the smell of sulfur, and the ground beneath their feet was cracked and parched.
Lava flows had carved intricate patterns into the rocky walls, casting an eerie orange light across the caverns.
Occasionally, pockets of molten rock bubbled and spewed forth, creating small geysers of fire that dotted the landscape.
The heat was oppressive, causing beads of sweat to form on players' brows as they navigated the treacherous terrain.
"Quickly consume the Fire Resistance Potions that were allocated to you." It was at this time, Xu Feng's voice brought the rest to their attention.
They had never attempted the dungeon, afraid of the penalty as well as Gentle Wind's instruction to focus on leveling up.
This was their first time experiencing such a realistic environment that affected them wholeheartedly, hence they were in a daze.
Luckily with Xu Fneg's reminder, they didn't have their status affected too much.
"Just like we agreed before, I'll take command. And whoever doesn't listen to me and causes us to fail, the responsibility is on you, Gentle Wind. Is that clear?" He turned to her and asked solemnly.
It was as if his persona had completely changed, turning into a fierce and dominating leader. The sudden change was so unexpected that it nearly caused Gentle Wind to falter as well.
Nodding her head in agreement, Gentle Wind also held a solemn expression as she turned toward her members.
"You best listen and not question a thing. Our guild reputation lies in this venture." She warned sternly.
"Yes, guild leader!" Every member fixed their posture and responded seriously.
Satisfied, she gave a simple nod to Xu Feng, indicating that the stage was his now.
"Okay, Autumn Breeze, you're a summoner so I'm going to need you to use your level 1 skill, Lesser Elemental, to bait the enemies." Xu Feng instructed.
However, he wasn't finished as he continued to instruct the others regarding their respective roles.
"Berserkers, Gun Knights, the two classes will remain at the front at all times to defend. As for Knight Lancers, you will stay in the rear to protect the Sorcerers. For the other two Clerics, your only job is a heal bot, healing whoever I said to heal. You are not allowed to heal if I don't say anything." He added, being extra fierce toward the Clerics.
Once he finished that arrangement and was ready to commence the operation, Steelshot suddenly raised his hand and asked, "But what about me?"
Being a Gunner, Steelshot thought he was going to shine, but never did he expect Xu Feng to completely forget about him.
Xu Feng stared at Steelshot for a few seconds before saying, "You're useless for now. Just stay in the center group and be protected like a docile vase!"