Xicheng Branch – Underground Manor
Passing through a gloomy corridor, a heavy iron door creaked open. Light surged from the opening like a tide, flooding Gu Ning in an instant.He felt a strange sensation, much like being teleported into the Spirit Realm, though this time, no mission interface appeared.
The scene before him came into focus.A dim underground world stretched out. Jagged stone spikes hung low from the ceiling, entwined with unknown vines. Large, strange fungi dotted the ground.The plants here were drastically different from those on the surface—they didn't need sunlight and instead emitted a faint glow, casting a pale illumination over the otherwise pitch-black cavern.
Aside from the faint bioluminescence, there were piles of bones scattered about, flickering pale will-o'-the-wisps dancing above them. Occasionally, shadowy "figures" swayed in the darkness, their hollow eye sockets glowing with deep, soul-lit flames...
This was the Bone Crypt, a world of graveyards, a paradise for the dead.
Gu Ning glanced up at the green orb hovering above his head. A small camera lens protruded from it, clearly recording him.
It was a Psychic Camera, a revolutionary invention that transmitted signals via psionic particles. Thanks to devices like these, ordinary people could now gain unprecedented insights into the world of Awakened individuals.
Some Awakened, seeking fame in the real world, would broadcast their expeditions in low-difficulty wilderness areas or borderlands—these were known as "wild hunts" or "secret realm dives," gaining followers and building their reputations. The Psychic Camera played a crucial role in that.
This particular camera had been given to Gu Ning by Qilin. The organization required every floor of the Bone Crypt to be fully recorded for time tracking purposes.
At that moment, Qilin and Black Tiger were in the tactical operations room, watching the footage being streamed from Gu Ning's camera alongside Shen Ce Army's elite camp instructor, Commander Qiu Shijie.
Gu Ning didn't mind others knowing about his class skills. After all, he aimed to build fame in the real world, and being scrutinized under a magnifying glass was inevitable—especially when it came to something like the Super Star Alliance.
Still, it was wise to hold back a few trump cards as insurance.
After equipping his Iron-Spike Pauldrons and picking up his Polished Bone Mace, Gu Ning stepped forward boldly.The crunch of old bones underfoot echoed loudly through the quiet crypt.
"Graaa..."A chilling, hoarse shriek broke the silence.Accompanied by the creak of grinding bones, two skeletons rose from the pile of bones, brandishing rusted swords as they rushed toward Gu Ning.
"I wonder if their attacks count as slashing or blunt damage..." Gu Ning murmured, eyeing their jagged blades.He shook his head slightly and activated Keratinized Skin, stepping forward to meet them head-on.
Slash! Whack!Two strikes landed on him one after the other.
—
Tactical Operations Room
Watching this, Black Tiger shook his head. "Too amateur. These Decayed Bone Skeletons are weak templates—basic combat skills only. Even facing two at once, dodging or parrying should be easy."
"I heard Gu Ning never had formal combat training. He dropped out in middle school," Qilin replied. "Sister Ling is trying to get him enrolled somewhere. His foundation might be lacking."
"But then, how did he get an Elite Reinforced Class? Don't tell me those rumors are true—he stole some high-value Spirit Realm artifact and used it to unlock the template?" Black Tiger muttered.
Instructor Qiu remained silent, eyes fixed on the screen. When the others' conversation began to stray, he spoke sharply:"Stop speculating. Can't you see? Gu Ning chose not to dodge. He's testing how much damage these skeletons can deal!"
[The Decayed Bone Skeleton's slash dealt 2 points of sharp damage to you.][The Decayed Bone Skeleton's slash dealt 1 point of sharp damage to you.]
Gu Ning took note of the numbers.He swung his bone mace in retaliation, discovering that it took three or four solid hits to shatter a skeleton. That meant each had around 30 to 40 HP.
As for their damage—it was little more than mosquito bites, far outpaced by his natural health regeneration.
What Gu Ning didn't know was that it took him nearly a full minute to kill both skeletons.To Qilin and Black Tiger, this performance only lowered their evaluation of him.
But the fight had served its purpose. Gu Ning had confirmed their damage output and HP.
"Time to act."
He turned and glanced at the Psychic Camera behind him, grinned, and shut off the live feed.
—
The tactical screen went black, replaced by a map of the Bone Crypt's first floor.A single green dot pulsed at the entrance.
"Huh? Why'd he turn off the feed?" Qilin asked in confusion.
Instructor Qiu remained calm. "The entry test doesn't require the broadcast to remain on—just the timing. Gu Ning left the locator on, so he knows where the line is. We can still track him. Let's see how far he gets."
Qilin and Black Tiger exchanged looks. This newcomer might be harder to manipulate than they thought.
—
Bone Crypt – First Floor
The entire tone shifted.
With the camera off, Gu Ning transformed. He sprinted through the crypt cheerfully, holding two femurs and knocking them together like drumsticks. The sharp clack-clack echoed through the air.
One after another, clusters of soul flames lit up. Skeletons awoke from their slumber.
Mindless and relentless, they grabbed rusted weapons and charged toward him.
Soon, a horde of skeletons was chasing him through the tunnels.
Gu Ning didn't stop until he reached the far end of the floor.He turned around, looking at the wave of skeletons with a grin—as if gazing at a ripe field ready for harvest.
He braced himself in a horse stance.
The skeletal blades slashed into him. Most left only faint red scratches, causing 1 or 2 points of damage.A few stronger variants—the Skeleton Soldiers—could deal 3 to 4 points, equivalent to Level 1 standard mobs.
But Gu Ning's Heavy Armor Mastery trait reduced knockback and instability.
Gritting his teeth, he stood his ground like a steel nail hammered into the earth.
It looked like Gu Ning was being swarmed——but in truth, he had surrounded them.
The rune tattoos on his Iron-Spike Pauldrons lit up one by one, blazing like fire.Threads of crimson energy were drawn from the skeletons' bodies and coalesced around Gu Ning as a shimmering Blood Armor Shield.
Class Skill: Bloodflesh Armor!
A damage-dealing and defensive AoE skill that absorbed energy from enemies.It dealt 1–3 points of magic damage per second for 120 seconds, while steadily regenerating the shield.
Its only flaw? Intelligent enemies could escape the skill's area of effect.
But skeletons were brainless. Perfectly countered.
Within seconds, the inner circle of skeletons collapsed.For each one that fell, another took its place—until they too fell.
By the time the effect wore off, not a single skeleton remained standing.
Gu Ning's health was still full.
Only bone fragments remained on the floor——and three glowing loot chests!
[Congratulations, Newcomer (Gu Ning). You have successfully cleared Floor 1 of the Bone Crypt. You may now choose to exit the instance or proceed to Floor 2.][If you do not enter Floor 2 within 60 minutes, you will be automatically removed from the instance.]