Chapter 418: A Precarious Entry

“Miss Blood Nightingale, you seem quite interested in this place, don’t you?”

The engine roared.

Stepping off the smoothly landed transport plane, Yinglong — clad head to toe in a sleek black battle suit reminiscent of a war knight — gently asked while holding his helmet.

In his eyes, Blood Nightingale, who had just stepped off, was continuously surveying the building’s perimeter. Her movements were extremely covert, yet he managed to catch every detail.

Behind them, thirteen Third-Stage Awakeners silently formed a protective circle, their formation spreading like wings to encircle both Yinglong and Blood Nightingale.

The previously quiet Telecom Building was instantly disrupted by the arrival of the Bloodshadow Legion.

“Oh, I’m just curious if there’s anything unusual around an A-Class dungeon.”

“After all, it’s my first time facing such a high-difficulty instance…”

She quickly averted her gaze.

Faced with Yinglong’s almost unnaturally suspicious inquiry, Blood Nightingale smiled nonchalantly and delivered her well-rehearsed response.

Naturally, she was checking for any traces left by Yenir, worried that that bastard might slip up.

Thankfully, a quick scan revealed nothing; the entire building looked as if it had been abandoned for ages, untouched by anyone.

If she hadn’t known that Yenir had arrived early, she might have suspected he was deceiving her…

This building was the only structure around – there was nowhere nearby to hide. Yenir claimed he’d planted ten Peak Third-Stage ambushers… It just didn’t add up.

“There’s nothing abnormal here; you’ll be safe once you enter.”

“However, some A-Class dungeons do trigger special events – almost like pre-entry tests, or even traps.”

She chuckled lightly in response.

Yinglong provided a brief explanation and shelved his suspicions. Blood Nightingale’s answer was reassuring and to his liking; his doubts were merely habitual.

In his mind, he never believed Blood Nightingale would pull any tricks.

After all, he was Peak Third-Stage.

“Let’s move in.”

“Miss Blood Nightingale, stick close to me. Don’t fall behind.”

“This dungeon only opens at 6 AM on the second day of each month. It stays open for 30 seconds – miss it and you’ll have to wait until next month.”

Leading the way confidently, Yinglong casually outlined the dungeon’s details.

The moment they stepped into the building, he promptly donned his helmet while the long spear at his side flashed a streak of blood-red.

Anyone familiar with him would immediately recognize that Yinglong had shifted into combat mode, ready to strike at any moment.

“This guy’s vigilance… it’s crazily over the top…”

“The instant he steps into any shadow, he gears up immediately – not leaving an inch of chance…”

Silently cursing inwardly, Blood Nightingale echoed his thoughts as she trailed behind, a peculiar gleam in her eyes.

She recognized Yinglong’s equipment immediately.

It consisted of two pieces of epic gear, six top-tier blue items, and one unidentified piece.

Augmented with triple damage reduction, eight skills, and high mental resistance, he was armored from head to toe—a veritable walking fortress.

It contrasted sharply with Yenir’s initial assessment.

Yinglong did favor an agility-based combat style, but that was merely a habit born from his extreme caution.

In reality, his survival ability was his greatest asset…

“Fast on his feet, resilient, and even equipped with a self-healing ability… In the Far Frontier battle zone, Yinglong’s reputation stems from him being nearly untouchable…”

“Any force bold enough to target him would fear the retribution that follows if they fail to finish him off…”

Letting out a silent sigh, Blood Nightingale kept pace with Yinglong, occasionally covering her mouth to stifle a soft laugh.

It was precisely because she knew of Yinglong’s fearsome reputation that she repeatedly probed Yenir’s confidence.

The more she learned about him, the more she felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

……………

“Tac tac—”

His footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

In the dark, as Yinglong led the group toward a glowing orb, he casually scanned the surroundings.

Beneath his fully enclosed helmet, every turn of his head produced the sound of scraping metal—a strangely jarring noise in the quiet underground chamber.

“Three minutes to go…”

Slowly extending his hand, after confirming the dungeon’s opening time, Yinglong didn’t immediately issue orders.

He simply kept observing his surroundings, as if searching for something.

Although the area was nearly dark, for him it was as clear as daylight.

Watching as Yinglong grew increasingly alert by the dungeon entrance, Blood Nightingale instinctively furrowed her brow.

Half a minute later, once she noticed Yinglong had finally stopped scanning, she felt compelled to ask about the dungeon’s contents.

The very next second, a deep, somber command rang out.

“Zhang Ming, go. Sweep the entire building and ensure no one is nearby.”

“If you find anything unusual, report immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

Obediently, the Third-Stage Advanced Awakeners under Yinglong’s command swiftly left the underground chamber, leaving only Yinglong and Blood Nightingale behind.

Breath catching in her throat, Blood Nightingale’s expression shifted as she realized Yinglong still intended to search the area.

“Is he ever going to stop!?”

By the look of it, could Yinglong be planning to cram himself into the 30-second entry countdown!?

She had thought his earlier caution was enough, but she hadn’t expected him to scrutinize every detail—even down to a stray ant!

Damn it, she cursed inwardly.

Instinctively, Blood Nightingale aimed to send a message to Yenir, urging him to find better cover!

Sweeping the entire building?! Though she didn’t know exactly where Yenir might be hiding, the thorough search made her fear he’d be discovered—there was nowhere to hide!

If he’s found…

Then all she could do was pray that Yenir had truly brought Peak Third-Stage backup.

“Miss Blood Nightingale, your heart seems to be racing?”

“Are you nervous?”

Turning around, accompanied by the clamor of clashing metal, Yinglong looked at her with a puzzled expression.

It was too quiet. Moments before, he had distinctly noticed her heartbeat spike by one beat.

“Oh, I was just wondering if this dungeon might be tougher than expected…”

Struggling to steady her nerves — and thankfully possessing formidable mental fortitude — Blood Nightingale forced a smile, trying to disarm Yinglong’s habitual probing.

Yet as she listened to the constant echo of footsteps above, her anxiety only deepened.

Under the intense scrutiny of a Peak Third-Stage presence like Yinglong, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had already been spotted.

She was certain that the moment Yinglong grew suspicious and realized something was amiss, he’d crush her head without a second thought!

“Floor one secure…”

“Floor six secure…”

“Floor thirteen secure…”

Over the comms, a Middle-Aged Man in charge of the search quickly relayed the updates.

As everyone split up to comb every corner, not one nook was left unchecked.

Floor by floor, they meticulously scanned until they neared the top.

With both visual and psychic sweeps, anyone lingering inside would be caught without fail.

“Captain, do you really think Yinglong is chasing after that woman?”

“I’ve never seen him this invested before…”

“She’s just a Third-Stage Beginner. If it were me, I’d have taken care of her in a day—no need for all this fuss…”

“Ridiculous. Looks like Master Yinglong hasn’t even gotten to her boobs yet.”

Trailing behind the Captain, a Third-Stage Beginner Awakened quickly scanned the empty staircase while muttering under his breath.

Blood Nightingale was beautiful, and her Third-Stage skills were respectable.

But to Master Yinglong, she was nothing extraordinary—unworthy of such fuss.

“Watch your mouth. Don’t go spreading gossip.”

“Ha, what do you know…”

“For Master Yinglong, a true Awakener cherishes charm. Do you think every guy acts like an aroused monkey?”

“Master Yinglong enjoys conquering through personality, not just brute strength!”

“You just don’t get it. The process is what makes it truly interesting!”

“If it were just sex, it wouldn’t be enjoyable at all!”

With the air of someone who’s been there before, Zhang Ming gave a disdainful glance at his subordinate and chose not to say any more.

After the apocalypse, love was an extravagant luxury.

Most people were too busy chasing base carnal desires.

Master Yinglong’s pursuits had clearly transcended such lowly pleasures…

After a moment’s reflection, standing on the rooftop, Zhang Ming casually scanned the area, confirmed safety, and prepared to return.

“Commander, we’ve secured the perimeter. There’s no one else around.”

….

Back in the underground chamber, Yinglong nodded slightly as he listened to the safety confirmations.

“Miss Blood Nightingale, one more minute — then we breach.”

“You asked earlier what lay inside; you’ll find out once we’re in.”

Turning around, Yinglong chuckled lightly, his doubts finally put to rest.

But in that fleeting moment of turning, he failed to notice the sudden stiffness that froze on Blood Nightingale’s face.

“Nothing was found?”

“Then where on earth is that guy hiding?”

Though she feared Yenir might be exposed, hearing that the entire building was empty left her stunned.

“Damn it, that bastard isn’t going to stand me being stood up, is he?”

Or could it be…

He’s hiding way out of reach?

With only 30 seconds for entry—and after deducting the time Yinglong and the others took—Yenir would have less than ten seconds to get in!

In that instant, a profound gloom sank over Blood Nightingale’s heart.