F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

Eastern suburbs, abandoned industrial area.

Dozens of high-voltage power grid blockade lines were set up one after another.

Armed soldiers stood guard every three steps and sentries every five steps, their expressions grim.

In the night sky, the engines of several armed hovercraft roared in a deep rumble.

All vigilance is focused on the very center of the lockdown zone.

A massive archway, tens of meters high.

It is entirely composed of countless twisted vines that emit an eerie purple light and intertwined with skeletal remains.

At the center of the archway is a deep vortex that slowly rotates like a nebula.

With each rotation of the vortex, it spewed out a nauseating, putrid stench.

[A breeding ground for decay]

This is the name the military gave to this brand-new wild instance.

Attention everyone!

A major stood on top of the armored vehicle, his voice becoming cold and hard through the loudspeaker.

"This operation is codenamed 'Pioneering'! The mission objective is not combat, but exploration!"

"You were the first 'eyes' to scout ahead! Bringing back intelligence alive is the greatest achievement!"

"All rewards will be distributed according to contribution value!"

"Final equipment check! Enter promptly in ten minutes!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the already tense atmosphere in the assembly area instantly became even more subtle.

Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School, No.2 Middle School... Fury Guild, Wind Blade Guild...

The two camps are clearly divided, and the way they look at each other is like jackals scrutinizing their prey.

"See that? The lucky student from Jiangcheng No. 1 High School who got an SSS rating is here too."

In the group from Jiangcheng No. 2 Middle School, a handsome young man in a bright red robe spoke up, his contempt undisguised.

His name is Li Ronghao, the undisputed number one genius at Jiangcheng No. 2 High School.

Rank A [Flame Master].

"Is Young Master Li referring to that lucky thief who got an SSS rating and found an F-rank thief?"

The henchman next to him immediately smiled obsequiously.

This matter is no secret in the professional community in Jiangcheng.

It even became a topic of conversation for everyone when they had nothing else to do.

"A good-for-nothing who relies solely on luck doesn't even deserve to be on stage?"

Li Ronghao snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping across the sparse crowd at Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School.

Ultimately, like locking onto a bedbug, the focus settled on the completely isolated "useless trio".

"SSS rating? That's the biggest joke of the century."

"Even God sometimes takes a nap, allowing trash to find gold."

"I'd like to see if his 'good luck' will allow him to crawl out alive this time."

On the other side, in the 'Rage' guild's area, several burly men with fierce auras and the smell of blood were whispering among themselves.

The bald, scarred man at the head of the group licked his chapped lips, his eyes filled with greed.

"Boss, is that the kid named Chen Yifan? Skinny and scrawny, can he really get an SSS rank?"

"To hell with whether it's true or not!"

Scarface's voice was cold and sinister.

"Luck is also a form of strength. Being able to get SSS means he definitely has something good!"

"When we get inside, we'll find a chance to take him down!"

"He's got more fat on him than if he'd killed ten elite monsters!"

"That's right, just say he was killed by a monster, and nobody will know..."

Countless malicious gazes intertwined to form an invisible net, descending upon Chen Yifan and his companions.

At this moment, Chen Yifan's gaze, hidden under his hood, swept over everyone present.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

exploration?

It's something you say to ghosts.

Although he was a student, he was well aware of the situation.

This is a bloody treasure hunt disguised as an official operation.

Everyone knows the truth.

The military needs intelligence, the guild needs resources, the students need experience...

There are also people who kill and rob purely for the purpose of murder.

But in his eyes...

Everyone here, whether a genius or a villain, has only one identity.

A walking experience pack, a moving treasure chest...

That's it.

"Fanzi, these bastards' eyes are acting strange. What should we do this time?"

Wang Fugui leaned closer and lowered his voice.

Stared at by so many hungry wolf-like eyes, he felt a chill run down his spine, and his palms, gripping the giant steam axe, were covered in cold sweat.

"How do I do it?"

There was not a trace of emotion in Chen Yifan's voice.

"This time, no empty promises."

His gaze swept over all the faces harboring ulterior motives.

It pierced straight towards that purple vortex that exuded a corrupting aura.

Finally, his gaze fell on the flowerpot in Lin Xiaoyu's hand.

In the shadow of the hood,

A cluster of frenzied flames ignited in his eyes.

"This time, we'll be the bulldozers."

"what?"

Wang Fugui was stunned.

bulldozer?

Just the three of us?

Just as he was about to say something, a cool and aloof figure walked through the crowd, ignoring all the astonished gazes, and stood straight in front of them.

Su Qingxue.

Her outfit today was completely different from usual.

A form-fitting, ice-blue combat robe accentuated the girl's already developing, shapely figure.

It not only made her lose some of her otherworldly, ethereal aura.

It adds a touch of heroic and sharpness to his appearance.

Her appearance instantly silenced the entire room.

"Why would she go looking for that good-for-nothing?"

Li Ronghao from Jiangcheng No. 2 Middle School frowned, his eyes flashing with intense jealousy and incomprehension.

He knew Su Qingxue.

Not long ago, his father spent a lot of money to let him enter the private instance controlled by "Jingtian", the number one guild in Jiangcheng, for training.

And it was right there.

He met Su Qingxue for the first time.

Astonished.

That experience not only boosted his level to 12.

This made him believe that among the younger generation in Jiangcheng, only he was worthy of this favored daughter of heaven.

But now, the goddess in his heart is actually taking the initiative to go to that "lucky loser" who is "famous" throughout Jiangcheng?

Su Qingxue ignored everyone's gaze.

Those icy blue eyes simply watched the figure hidden under the hood.

"Chen Yifan".

She spoke, her voice as cold and aloof as ever.

"Want to team up?"

boom!

One sentence, like a thunderclap, exploded in the crowd.

What surprised everyone was the extreme contrast in this picture.

One is a true prodigy, a household name as a double S-level genius.

Another one is a lucky student who was specially recruited by Wuhan University because of his incredible luck and SSS rating.

But now, this genius is actually inviting an F-rank thief to team up?!

Is it because they value his incredible luck?

Wang Fugui's chin almost hit his own feet as Su Qingxue asked him a question.

Holy crap... could it be...?

Is the genius from Soochow University really interested in Fanzi?!

A resurgence?

Rekindling old flames?

However, Chen Yifan's answer made everyone's already shattered jaws drop even further.

"No need."

He didn't even look up, but simply uttered two words.

I refused!

He rejected Su Qingxue's invitation to team up without even thinking about it!

The commotion at the scene abruptly ceased, plunging into an eerie silence for a second.

Immediately, an even more violent uproar erupted.

"Holy crap! Is this kid out of his mind? He's so ungrateful!"

Li Ronghao was the first to explode, no longer able to maintain his genius demeanor, and strode forward, making no attempt to hide his hostility.

"Su Qingxue, what kind of taste do you have?! Teaming up with this kind of trash, are you trying to lower your own status?!"

He pointed at Chen Yifan, his face full of offended arrogance and disdain.

It was as if he, not Su Qingxue, had just been rejected.

"Kid, I don't care what kind of luck you had! An F-rank is an F-rank! Trash should know its place!"

"This is a real, hard-fought dungeon, not a playground where you can survive by luck! If you know what's good for you, get out of here and stop getting in the way!"

Li Ronghao's voice was extremely loud, instantly igniting the emotions of the entire audience.

"That's right! An F-rank mortal dares to come here to pioneer the land? Get out!"

"Don't let them die inside, then we'll have to distract them and try to rescue them!"

"Is Jiangcheng No. 1 High School short of staff? Are they letting this kind of trash in to make up the numbers?"

Mocking voices rose and fell.

The students of Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School all blushed, but no one dared to utter a word of rebuttal.

Su Qingxue's face instantly turned icy cold, and she was about to speak.

Chen Yifan remained unresponsive.

He seemed not to hear Li Ronghao's shouts, nor to see the pointing fingers around him.

He simply turned his head and said something to Wang Fugui and Lin Xiaoyu beside him.

"I'm gone."

Complete, thorough, utter disregard.

This kind of disregard is more damaging than any rebuttal or angry outburst.

It was like an invisible slap, striking everyone's face hard, burningly telling them:

You don't even deserve to be looked at.

"You fucking..."

Li Ronghao's face instantly turned a deep liver color.

His pride as an A-level genius fueled his rage, causing the fire element around him to rage violently.

Su Qingxue stepped in front of him, her icy gaze fixed on him.

"Li Ronghao, you want to make a move here?"

"I……"

Li Ronghao's arrogance faltered instantly.

"quiet!"

The military major's furious shout rang out just in time.

A powerful aura belonging to a high-level professional enveloped the entire area, instantly suppressing Li Ronghao's violent elemental fluctuations.

Anyone who causes further disturbance will be disqualified!

Li Ronghao could only angrily stop, but his eyes were filled with murderous intent as he looked at Chen Yifan's back.

"You piece of trash, just you wait! Once we're in the dungeon, you'll be the first thing I do to cripple you!"

Su Qingxue ignored him and quickly caught up with Chen Yifan, speaking again unwillingly.

Why?

She blurted it out, her voice carrying a hint of grievance and confusion that she herself was unaware of.

Why?

Chen Yifan finally stopped and slightly raised his head.

Under the shadow of the hood, only a well-defined chin could be seen.

"There's no particular reason; I'm just used to being alone."

He didn't even bother to come up with a reason.

After saying that, he ignored Su Qingxue, who was standing there in a daze, and said something to Wang Fugui and Lin Xiaoyu.

"I'm gone."

Then, he walked straight toward the huge teleportation portal.

Wang Fugui and Lin Xiaoyu quickly followed.

As he passed by Su Qingxue.

Wang Fugui even glanced at her with a hint of sympathy.

That look seemed to say:

Goddess, you're still too green to keep pursuing my brother.

Su Qingxue stood there, watching the three incongruous figures disappear into the purple vortex.

Her knuckles turned white from gripping the staff so tightly.

A strange emotion welled up inside me.

Not used to it?

A person?

What about Wang Fugui and that herbalist?