Chapter 419: Descent into the Dungeon

Meanwhile, high above in a sea of clouds a kilometer up.

Gazing at the towering buildings below, Yenir’s expression soured.

The instant Blood Nightingale’s warning came through, he and Liang Lie swiftly ducked into the heights.

“This guy is way too cautious…”

“Uncle Liang, can you really rush down to the third underground level in ten seconds without damaging the building or making a sound?”

With a rueful smile, Yenir drew a deep breath, feeling the challenge ahead.

He never expected that Yinglong, even at Peak Third-Stage, would be so cautious!

Had his pace faltered even slightly, he’d likely have been spotted moments ago.

Luckily, he had a trick up his sleeve to stall time.

“Three Dimensional Slashes are enough for me to follow in an instant… That was close—thank goodness I had plenty of backup. Otherwise, getting stuck here would have been disastrous…”

After a brief silence following Yenir’s query, Liang Lie seemed troubled by the complication.

“Alright…”

“I can instantly move to your vicinity within a one-kilometer radius, but the cost is that I lose that ability for ten days.”

“Figure it out on your own.”

Always so laconic.

Hearing that Liang Lie could indeed follow, Yenir’s heart lifted and he made up his mind without hesitation.

Without Liang Lie by his side, he just couldn’t feel safe.

As expected, Liang Lie maintained his mystique. To be chosen by the Military as a Guardian, he obviously had a rapid defensive ability. When Liang Lie once mentioned he could block Yinglong, Yenir had his suspicions.

“Losing that ability for ten days? That’s gotta be Uncle Liang’s natural gift…”

“Without Dimensional Slash and his uncle’s instant protection… once I’m inside, I’ll have to be extra cautious.”

With his mind made up and his resolve firm, Yenir decided not to overthink.

Constantly calculating Yinglong’s timing, the moment Blood Nightingale’s message flashed in, an explosive, space-rending aura burst around him.

Dimensional Slash!

A thousand meters high in the sky, Yenir vanished in an instant—three rapid flashes later, he reappeared like a phantom before the expanded Dungeon Entrance.

“Enter!”

………….

“Buzz”

A familiar wave of dizziness washed over him.

After a few disorienting moments as the world spun, Yenir snapped his eyes open, feeling every muscle tighten in an instant.

But the sudden absence of Liang Lie’s presence behind him made his face turn pale.

“Uncle Liang didn’t follow through!?”

That shouldn’t be—the moment of entry, he was sure he felt Liang Lie slide right to his side.

He quickly opened his communications panel and, after seeing Liang Lie’s confirmation message, exhaled in relief.

“Have we been separated?”

“It’s fine—just catch up!”

Before he could think twice, a cold system prompt rang out:

“Beep. Entering Dungeon: Ghost Battlefield.”

“Current Difficulty: Grade A”

“Current Area Level: D (Extremely Low Danger)”

“This dungeon is in underground mode. Core areas are indestructible, and there are no mandatory quests.”

“Dungeon Background:”

“Four hundred years ago, the first wave of Ghosts invaded the human world disguised as people to hunt us. With Suzi and the first wave of Awakeners emerging, humanity launched a counterattack.”

“But two hundred and seventy years ago, the human leader was assassinated by a hidden Ghost, and from then on, humanity suffered defeat after defeat.”

“To survive, humans built dungeons and retreated underground.”

“Note 1: Ghosts have taken over the surface. Do not leave the dungeon.”

“Note 2: Ghosts now occupy the underground core. Venture deeper and you’ll face higher-level Ghosts.”

“Note 3: Beware of the Ghosts—they can assume the form of anyone, even your loved ones. Their only difference from humans is that they lack reproductive systems. Trust no ‘one.'”

“Dungeon rewards are based on how deep you go. Exiting midway forfeits 90% of your earnings.”

…

“Ghost Battlefield… underground mode?”

After quickly scanning the dungeon info, Yenir let out a relieved breath.

Thank goodness—he had a rough idea of what to expect from this dungeon mode; it was the simple, no-brainer variety.

Apart from a slightly complicated description of the Ghosts, the absence of mandatory quests wasn’t too troublesome.

Compared to dungeons filled with puzzles or clues, underground mode is undoubtedly the favorite of Awakeners.

“Underground mode basically means encountering a new wave of monsters on each floor, battling through to loot equipment.”

“It’s similar to Hell’s Gate—the difference is that bailing out early means a huge loss, while persevering brings big rewards…”

“The entire reward is tied to clearing the dungeon; quitting early takes away 90% of your gains. Typically, only those confident in their strength venture into these dungeons.”

“So it seems the legendary suit reward is at the end? Does that mean Yinglong is personally involved?”

“Defeat the final aberrant creature, and the reward is yours?”

Recalling past memories, Yenir’s determination solidified as he scanned his surroundings.

No quest restrictions meant plenty of time to devise a plan—a perfect setup for subterfuge. He dreaded a supernatural dungeon; that would be a nightmare.

But then again, it was normal… Yinglong’s mental endurance wasn’t strong; he wouldn’t dare tackle a supernatural dungeon anyway.

“The area I’m in now seems like a single room. With such low danger, this must be the human survival zone in the background…”

“If I’m not mistaken, this area should be teeming with humans. Looks like my role is that of a Ghost Hunter?”

Taking in the sparse room, Yenir quickly gathered what little intel he could.

The room was tiny, constructed entirely of metal.

Bare metal pipes crawled all over the ceiling—a dead giveaway that this was underground.

With low ceilings and no windows, the space felt stifling.

He was seated on a single bed, a shotgun-like weapon hung on the wall, and an ID Card rested in his pocket.

“Ghost Hunter: D (First-Stage)”

“Name: Yenir”

“Age: 18”

“Gender: Male”

“Occupation: Freelancer”

“Social Status: Orphan”

…

Fiddling with the ID Card in his hand, Yenir raised an eyebrow—he realized this was the identity assigned by the system.

But labeling him an orphan was particularly irritating.

“Clearly, the system did this for convenience… but that’s fine. No more worrying about that stuff.”

“Once the protective shield fades, I’ll contact Uncle Liang and Blood Nightingale. Then I can start setting up my plan…”

“Now, the only issue is I have no idea how far Yinglong is… But in underground mode, he should be in the same area…”

Stowing the card away, Yenir calculated his next moves. Just as he was about to contact Liang Lie, the protective shield vanished and footsteps echoed outside the plain metal door.

“Creak”

The iron door swung open.

Yenir instinctively looked up to see a striking young woman in a black short-sleeved shirt standing at the door, her expression clearly irritated.

“You’re awake?”

“Do you know today is the Ghost Hunter exam? Stop spacing out and let’s go!”

“Miss today and you’ll have to wait until this time next year!”

The girl’s handsome features twisted with annoyance—it was obvious they’d already arranged to take the exam together.

Strutting forward with long, shapely legs, the girl closed the distance between them.

“Dungeon guide NPC?”

“What, are you my girlfriend?”