Kill one monster, stack one poison, and I alone will poison my way across the world!

Chapter 85, Hard difficulty? A breeze to clear it!

The back mountain of Sky Dome Academy can be described as a gathering place for various dungeons.

Dozens of stone pillars, each emitting a different color of light, stood scattered about.

Each stone pillar represents a separate instance entrance.

At this moment, the place was bustling with noise.

"【Raging Lions】Team is ready to go! Looking for a main tank level 22 or higher! Healer is ready, but we need a frontliner, so bring potions!"

"【Shadow Blade】Team is setting off! Assassins only, high credit bonuses, and we'll be helping newbies in dungeons!"

"Crimson Monastery Outskirts, Normal difficulty. Need a high-DPS mage, just need a healer!"

"..."

As soon as Su Chen stepped into the square, he was so loud and noisy, like someone at a vegetable market, that he rubbed his ears.

It was exactly the same situation as before.

It seems that no matter where you go, there are plenty of people asking to team up.

His gaze swept over the upperclassmen holding up signs and shouting, and he moved closer to a female upperclassman wearing black-rimmed glasses.

"Senior."

Su Chen asked, "I have a question. What are the rules and regulations for these teams?"

The senior student pushed up her glasses and looked Su Chen up and down.

Seeing that he wasn't wearing any college badge on his chest, I immediately realized he was a freshman.

"Are you a freshman who registered early?"

The senior student closed the book and said, "The team is a student organization within our Sky Dome Academy. Simply put, it's about sticking together for mutual support."

She pointed to a huge holographic projection screen in the center of the square.

The names of various teams were listed densely on top.

"The school ranks teams monthly based on their overall strength, dungeon completion records, and arena battle results. The top ten teams will each receive additional academic credits and resource support."

The senior student explained, "Furthermore, the teams from Sky Dome Academy generally become medium-sized or larger guilds in the real world. If you can join a good team during your university years, you'll become a core member of the guild after graduation."

Su Chen nodded.

Simply put, Sky Academy is a microcosm of society.

The team is benchmarked against the guild.

Teams that rank highly will receive academic credits.

He touched his chin.

"What if I created my own team?"

Su Chen asked.

The senior student paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh: "Build it yourself? Sure. As long as you can afford the 500 credit registration fee."

"However, I advise you not to be delusional. Freshmen can't even afford the potions for clearing normal dungeons, let alone recruit anyone, let alone compete with those established teams.

Su Chen nodded in understanding.

Just like in society, without special advantages, latecomers find it difficult to compete with established players.

But... he doesn't need to hire anyone.

If you create your own team, boost your ranking, and then you can enjoy all the rewards yourself, right?

At most, I'll drag Lin Shiqing along.

I've decided, I'll build one when I have time!

"Thanks, senior."

Su Chen turned around and walked towards the depths of the square.

Each instance has a sign indicating its name, along with some basic information about the instance.

For example, monster level, difficulty, recommended entry level, etc.

Su Chen quickly found his target.

A massive, scarlet portal appeared; even just approaching it, one could faintly smell the pungent stench of blood.

Scarlet Monastery

[Dungeon Rarity: Normal, Hard]

[Dungeon Level: 20-25]

[Number of players: Maximum 5]

[Dungeon Time Limit: Complete within 8 hours]

……

There are two difficulty levels to choose from for dungeons at levels 20-25.

Without hesitation, Su Chen chose the hard difficulty and headed straight for the portal.

hum-

The portal instantly erupted with blinding blood-red light, enveloping Su Chen's body.

"...Wait a minute!"

The senior student who had just been questioned by Su Chen was immediately startled.

The light emanating from the portal was many times brighter than usual.

and.

Su Chen went in alone.

Could it be... that he entered the Hard difficulty all by himself?!

She immediately took out her phone and dialed the emergency number next to her.

"Student council? I'm in the back mountain instance area. There's an emergency here. A freshman has entered the [Crimson Monastery] on Hard difficulty alone!"

"What?!"

The person on the other end of the phone was startled.

"Stay where you are, I'll send medical personnel over immediately, ready to provide emergency care!"

"Okay, hurry up, I don't think he can last more than 10 minutes."

"..."

……

Inside the instance.

The pungent smell of blood hit us.

Su Chen opened his eyes and found himself standing on a dilapidated stone road.

The sky was a somber, dark red, and the roadside was lined with broken statues and withered, black trees.

Not far ahead, a magnificent monastery, exuding a strong sense of decay, stood silently in the blood-red mist.

Da, da, da.

The heavy sound of horses' hooves came from the mist.

Three centaur-like monsters, each over two meters tall, burst forth from the mist.

Their upper bodies were strong human torsos, entirely blood red, wielding heavy, rusty spears, while their lower bodies were those of warhorses covered in black scales.

【Crimson Centaur (Elite Monster)】

[Level: 23]

【Strength: 380】

[Agility: 330]

[Stamina: 550]

【Spirit: 210】

[Skills: Charge Stomp, Armor-Piercing Strike, Bloodlust]

[Bloodlust (Passive): Each time damage is dealt, restores health equal to 20% of the damage dealt.]

……

As Lin Xiaotian said, on the hard difficulty level, all the monsters in the dungeon are elite monsters.

Its stats are actually quite high. If a normal level 25 team were to come in, it would take them a long time just to break through its defenses.

The most outrageous skill is [Bloodlust].

The skill effect is simple and straightforward—20% lifesteal!

If this were an ordinary team, without skills that severely injure the enemy (i.e., skills that reduce the enemy's healing), they probably wouldn't be able to deal as much damage as the monsters heal.

However...

"Too bad, you've run into a cheater like me."

Su Chen smiled.

Bloodsucking?

Just one second, let's see how you inhale!

"Hissing sound—!"

The three centaurs spotted Su Chen, their scarlet eyes flashing with bloodlust.

With their hooves flying, they activated the skill [Charge and Stomp].

The ground shook violently.

The three centaurs charged toward Su Chen at breakneck speed.

The three spears, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, hurtled straight towards Su Chen's face.

Su Chen stood still, without moving an inch.

The staff gently touched the ground.

"Corrosive Serpent Guard".

Chi!

The soil in front of him instantly cracked.

Hundreds of snake guards burst out of the ground, lifting the three and a half centaurs directly into the air, sending them flying more than three meters high.

"I'll knock!"

Su Chen was startled.

He never expected that the snake guards could be used in this way.

Not only did it abruptly interrupt the centaurs' charge skill, it also knocked them flying.

The development of snake-like creatures is still inadequate.

At this moment, the three centaurs panicked and glared wildly at their four hooves in the air.

"Whoosh whoosh-!"

The snake guards showed no mercy, and their attack arrived instantly.

Countless green venoms splattered onto the three centaurs.

Immediately afterwards, three terrifying damage numbers popped up above their heads.

"-123636100!"

"-123643226!"

"-123650352!"

"..."

Just one second.

The three pitiful centaurs didn't even land before their health bars were depleted in mid-air, turning into puddles of pus.

[Hint: Defeating the Crimson Centaur grants 2200 experience points.]

[Hint: Triggering the [Misfortune Absorption] trait permanently increases the maximum number of poison stacks by 1. Current stack limit: 17351 stacks.]

[Obtain Centaur Hoof *3]

【…】

As the system notification appeared, Su Chen pursed his lips.

My experience points are a bit low.

None of them can compare to the job change dungeons I've cleared before.

However, even a mosquito's leg is meat, so let's fight it off.

Su Chen, carrying his staff, continued deeper into the dungeon.

After encountering more than ten centaurs, Su Chen arrived at an empty square.

Underfoot was a dilapidated, pitted floor, and in the center, a fountain spewed thick, crimson liquid.

At a glance, there were hundreds of centaurs, densely packed together.

Just now.

A sinister, purplish-black light suddenly appeared and enveloped the entire square.