Qin Yu woke up.
The moment she came to, she groggily touched her face.
"I... I'm not dead?!"
All she remembered was getting hit in the head by a rock.
She'd thought she was done for, but aside from a throbbing headache, she was practically fine...
A surge of joy at surviving the ordeal washed over her.
But what exactly had happened?
Qin Yu looked ahead and saw a raging inferno burning before her. Her three friends and that annoying man were all there.
He was fine too? Wait... weren't those dozens of people targeting him?
Rubbing her head, Qin Yu walked over.
"Xiao Yu, you're finally awake!"
"What happened just now? Where are those people? Do you know?"
"Haha, that bunch were all paper tigers! They looked strong in numbers, but their levels weren't high. We chased them all away!"
The bespectacled fat guy piped up immediately.
He dared not mention that It-Speaks-Not had slaughtered them all—right now, he was openly burning the corpses!
Thank goodness we had a Water Mage to clean up the area thoroughly. Otherwise, we wouldn't have fooled Qin Yu.
"Really! That's fantastic!"
"Hey, shouldn't you be thanking us for saving your life?" Qin Yu grumbled at Chen Nian.
Chen Nian turned and gave the adorable pop star a smile.
"Thanks."
He looked pretty handsome when he was serious... Qin Yu turned her head slightly. "Hmph, good to know! Now then, how will you repay us for saving you?"
Unexpectedly, this question sent the other three into a panic, sweat beading on their foreheads!
"Sis Yu, that's not how it works!"
"Um... we don't need any repayment, right? Helping each other out is just what you do."
"Yeah, Yu, this guy's innocent too. Don't be so petty!"
Hearing this, Qin Yu nearly exploded with rage.
These three were her close gaming buddies from playing Disaster—rock-solid friends. Why were they suddenly siding with an outsider?
"Wh-why are you defending a stranger?!"
"Forget it. Never mind that. How did this fire start? What's burning?" Qin Yu asked.
"It ignited during the battle earlier. Don't sweat the details. Hey, Xiao Yu, you mentioned discovering a dungeon? Where is it?"
"Right over there!"
The mention of a dungeon instantly piqued Qin Yu's interest. "Follow me!"
"Wait! Xiao Yu, let's bring this brother along too."
"Huh?"
Qin Yu's slender eyebrows shot up in confusion.
"I risked my life discovering this dungeon. Why bring him? He nearly got me killed just now!"
The other three rolled their eyes inwardly.
You know nothing!
Getting "Bu Yu" to run a dungeon with us is a huge honor, okay!
We'd be thrilled!
Besides, who knows what dangers we might face inside? With Big Shot Silent here, wouldn't we crush them in minutes?
"It's fine, don't be so petty. What's found is shared, and more hands mean more strength, right?"
"Me... me being petty?!"
Qin Yu pointed at her own nose, nearly choking on her own words.
What's gotten into these people today? Why are they always siding with outsiders?!
But she really was magnanimous—even without knowing Chen Nian's true identity, she agreed.
"Fine, fine. You can tag along."
"But let me make this clear: once we're in the dungeon, you must follow my lead. If trouble strikes, don't blame us!"
Chen Nian nodded with a smile: "Got it. I'll follow your lead."
The other three inwardly convulsed.
Expecting Silent One to follow your orders? Who do you think you are, Little Yu? You really think you're someone special!
"Ahem..."
But they dared not speak, only clearing their throats with frenzied coughs.
And so, Qin Yu led the four of them all the way to the location where the instance had been discovered.
In the corner of the ruins, there truly was a chaotic vortex!
"This world's dungeon seems to spawn randomly—only those destined to see it can. If we clear it, we'd hit the jackpot!"
"Don't get your hopes up. This dungeon's level isn't low. I got injured just testing it out."
Qin Yu pouted and muttered, "Anyway, stay alert. If anything feels off, get out immediately. It's not worth risking our lives."
"Got it!"
Chen Nian eagerly agreed.
Dungeons were indeed rare finds, and the rewards were substantial—worth fighting for if possible.
As they touched the chaotic vortex, the group was sucked into the dungeon.
[Successfully Entered Dungeon "Fire Abyss"]
The text prompt appeared simultaneously, startling them all.
It was an entirely new instance they'd never seen before!
Qin Yu had already been inside once, so she wasn't surprised.
"Be careful, everyone. The mobs in here are pretty tough. We absolutely must stick together—no soloing."
Under normal circumstances, the group would have felt nervous, but now? Fear my ass!
With Big Shot Bu Yu around, what instance couldn't they crush with ease?!
"Let's go, everyone follow! We'll fight our way through!"
Qin Yu was highly motivated for exploration and leveling—it was why she loved gaming.
The group pushed forward.
The entire area resembled a volcano's interior, composed mostly of magma and rock, with monsters predominantly fire elementals.
Clearing the minions proved easy with their combined strength.
[Genetic Energy +20]
[Genetic Energy +25]
Experience points steadily climbed along the way.
Only Chen Nian was coasting.
He was quietly tinkering with the loot he'd picked up earlier.
Skill scrolls—nine of them!
All class talents gradually unlocked some skills during leveling.
But those rare, powerful skills? They didn't unlock with levels!
You need skill scrolls to unlock them.
Take the most basic swordsman, for example. Having the rare sword technique "Moon-Splitting Leap" makes them a whole tier stronger than those without it!
Chen Nian was so overpowered because his innate talent, "Word Spirit Sage," was already powerful, and he'd unlocked the top-tier, high-risk Word Spirits "Judgment Golden Sword" and "Death God."
Rare skill scrolls can be obtained through synthesis!
Three-in-one synthesis.
Each synthesis attempt carries a chance to yield a rare skill.
Chen Nian's current goal is to use all nine scrolls for synthesis!
If he synthesizes a rare skill, it's a huge win—ideal for personal use, but if not, he can sell it on the trading platform for a sky-high price!
[Fiery Lance + Ice Lance Technique + Storm Rising]= Demon Hunter Slash
[Crescent Moon Hook + Water Dragon Technique + Eight Desolations Palm]= Thunderclap Step
[Heaven's Guardian + Flame Meteor + Mental Disturbance]= Tiger Demon Roar
Unfortunately, none of the three syntheses yielded rare skills.
Chen Nian combined the three new skill scrolls he obtained once more!
If it still produced ordinary skills, it would be a huge loss. But since it was free anyway, he wouldn't feel too bad about it.
[Demon Hunter Slash + Thunderclap Step + Tiger Demon Roar]= Ethereal Snake of Void
Chen Nian: !!!
Sequence 53: Word Spirit—Ethereal Snake of Void.
Holy shit, he never expected to synthesize this thing?