Chapter 434: Deeper into the Dungeon

Casually trailing the team, Yenir kept in touch with Uncle Liang about Yinglong’s situation while pondering what he could do with the lurking Otherworldly Ghost.

Yinglong hadn’t noticed this potential massive threat, yet he became aware of it.

That was his advantage.

If he could harness it, the results might be miraculous…

He hadn’t even informed Blood Nightingale about this.

“The less we reveal, the more natural Blood Nightingale seems. Besides, she isn’t entirely trustworthy.”

“If she knew that it was only Uncle Liang and me venturing into this dungeon, she might start harboring ulterior motives…”

“That woman—something’s clearly off…”

Yenir exhaled lightly, glancing upward from his thoughts.

Watching Zhang Ke lead the group, he couldn’t help but be amused.

This little girl truly carried the demeanor of a captain.

Although his babbling had initially frightened her into silence, she conducted herself professionally on the way to the next level.

Beneath her youthful exterior, every move mimicked that of a seasoned elite soldier.

Reconnaissance, tactical planning, manpower deployment… she did it all flawlessly.

It was no wonder she became captain.

As for the team’s mission:

According to their intel, on the tenth level they were tasked with locating a missing Hunt-Ghost team.

While there was no specific target or rescue order, even this simple life-and-death investigation proved exceptionally challenging for them.

The tenth level was already teeming with numerous Third-Stage Otherworldly Ghosts, and battles occurred with high frequency…

“Bang…”

After cautiously crossing a stretch of rubble, Zhang Ke raised her hand slightly and paused to survey.

Seconds later, she suddenly turned her head and sighed softly:

“Let’s pause here for now. The next level is just ahead. We’ll take a short rest… there might be another battle soon.”

The moment her words faded, the entire team halted in unison, planning to rest before advancing.

With a slight smile and a raised eyebrow, Yenir, acknowledging this, chose a spot to sit down.

At that moment, Zhang Ke—who had been purposefully ‘avoiding’ him—appeared to have something to say. After a brief struggle with her expression, she approached him.

“Yenir…”

“If we push further, things could get dangerous. When that happens, I hope you’ll step in…”

“Of course! My team and I won’t just hide behind you; we’ll fight right alongside you!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Ke carefully squatted beside him and whispered.

“No problem.”

With a light chuckle, Yenir answered her anxious tone. He was eager for battle – ideally against Third-Stage Otherworldly Ghosts to gather the fragments he needed.

According to Zhang Ke’s intel, their route would pass through several perilous spots known for Third-Stage Otherworldly Ghosts, and the Hunt-Ghost team they were to find had a high chance of being slain by high-level mutants.

While others might barely have time to hide, for Yenir, it was ideal.

Yenir nonchalantly agreed, prompting Zhang Ke to let out a relieved sigh.

But as if recalling something, she didn’t leave; instead, she softly added:

“Um, I know you once suspected us of being Otherworldly Ghosts…”

“…taking off one’s pants is way too…”

“I mean, even exposing yourself achieves nothing.”

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and as she spoke, Zhang Ke’s ears reddened.

Raising an eyebrow, Yenir noticed she had brought up the subject again and couldn’t help but smile.

He could tell that Zhang Ke still had more to say.

This girl seemed determined to completely dispel his doubts.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Zhang Ke sighed and spoke again:

“Just checking below might not be effective at all.”

“Some Otherworldly Ghosts attach fake ones underneath themselves. You can’t tell by just looking…”

“What?”

Yenir paused, not fully grasping her meaning.

After a few seconds of confusion, a strange thought suddenly struck him.

Holy crap…

He finally understood what Zhang Ke meant.

Damn, the Otherworldly Ghosts in this world are pretty cunning…

Attaching a fake underneath? No wonder humans here can’t rely on simple inspections – it’s utterly useless!

With this level of technology, it must look incredibly realistic!

Really, the kind that looks shockingly real!

In the eerie silence, Zhang Ke noticed that Yenir had understood her, and her face turned even redder.

“So unless you perform an extremely thorough check, it’s pointless! So please, stop doubting me!”

With that, Zhang Ke suddenly dashed off.

Yenir couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.

Watching her run off, Yenir suppressed his lingering suspicion and gazed thoughtfully at the little girl’s departing back.

Truth be told, he wasn’t really worried about whether Zhang Ke and the others were problematic; when the time came, he would naturally choose the best option…

“You can’t tell just by looking? Not even by handling it? So we must rely on…”

“The monsters in this dungeon are truly demented…”

…………….

“Boom!!!”

A spear erupted like a blood-dragon, seething with fury.

After Yinglong casually fired a shot, a shockwave a hundred meters long barreled down the street like a guided missile.

The ground trembled violently as the fierce wind whipped up rocks that, shattered and reassembled under concentrated force, burst forth like bullets.

Amid deafening explosions, two Otherworldly Ghosts attempting to flee were instantly reduced to fragments by this terrifying power.

Relying solely on his physical strength, that single shot carried overwhelming force, leaving a group of captive humans staring in terror.

After a quick scan to confirm the target was dead, Yinglong calmly retracted his long spear.

“Get the remnants of that explosion back.”

They were now on the ninth level.

As they delved deeper, battles multiplied. Perhaps out of curiosity, the typically hesitant Yinglong decisively fired at a Third-Stage Otherworldly Ghost trying to escape – a shot that was nothing more than his warm-up.

“Commander! That shot would probably one-shot even a Third-Stage mid-level!”

“Incredible! Your power is simply terrifying. I’m sure our mission will go off without a hitch this time.”

Flattery flew as several members of the Bloodshadow Legion rushed to laud him.

Nearby, Blood Nightingale couldn’t help but be taken aback, gazing at him with admiring eyes.

Even though she had agreed to let Yenir scheme against Yinglong, witnessing his terrifying strength left her with a hint of awe.

The two fast-moving Third-Stage mutants had already managed to flee by several dozen meters.

But with Yinglong’s casual shot, they were brutally obliterated by sheer force – without the use of a single skill. It seemed the effect would be similar on her.

Even if Yenir were in their shoes, he probably wouldn’t withstand such a nonchalant shot.

This was the true terror of a Peak Third-Stage.

I still wonder what that bastard is up to – is he scheming behind the scenes?

“Sir, it looks like we’ve completed another mission?”

“And the reward this time seems even more generous!”

Standing before the rescued Supply Squad, a Third-Stage member of the Bloodshadow Legion looked rather surprised at the grateful captive before him.

According to the captive, the rescue reward had been significantly increased – apparently because the Public Security Bureau had designated the local Otherworldly Ghosts for extermination.

This reward was… a piece of Hunt-Ghost equipment equivalent to Blue-Grade Gear?

Although its attributes were modest compared to their usual equipment, blue-grade quality was still a considerable gain for many Third-Stage fighters.

“But sir…”

“This equipment requires us to provide two Otherworldly Ghost eyes as proof to claim it.”

“Blue-Grade Gear? Otherworldly Ghost eyes? They aren’t of much value – just give it to them.”

Raising an eyebrow, Yinglong glanced at the spoils handed in by his subordinates and then cast a thoughtful look at the rescued caravan.

Perhaps having grown accustomed to NPC rewards, this extra token required for better prizes didn’t bother him at all.

“Interesting… the rewards in this dungeon aren’t bad at all.”

“The first half is filled with various rewards, though most are probably traps meant to lure Awakeners deeper into the dungeon.”

With a gleam in his eyes, Yinglong didn’t dwell on it any longer.

It didn’t matter – while others might see these ongoing rewards as traps, for him…

He had long planned to fight his way to the final level.

Free rewards meant he had no reason to refuse them.

……………..

“Yenir, the equipment has been delivered. No doubts raised.”

“As you requested, the provided equipment is specially effective against Otherworldly Ghosts.”

“They posed no issues whatsoever.”

In the surveillance room, Liang Lie’s curt message—sent by Yenir—revealed a trace of subdued emotion in his otherwise calm, somber eyes.

Under Yenir’s orders, their arranged personnel were steadily closing in on Yinglong and his group.

Whether under the banner of the Public Security Bureau or the world’s military, as soon as Yinglong and his team made a move, an NPC would immediately deliver the reward.

Of course, as ever-more impressive rewards were given away, they in turn managed to extract a few trinkets from Yinglong.