Chapter 27 An Li: Where are you looking?

"Seventeen minutes left..."

Cao Yu was not surprised to see the countdown. Dungeons opened and closed on a regular schedule to test waves of players. Therefore, holding an invitation did not mean one could enter immediately; one had to wait for the appropriate time, as specified on the invitation. Missing this window meant waiting for the next, or using a different invitation to enter a different dungeon.

Cao Yu did not go online to search for intelligence regarding the "Communal Grave" dungeon. Putting aside whether he could even find any, bringing intelligence into a dungeon was considered a taboo.

Because... there was simply no way to predict what would happen.

The descriptions in online forums were chaotic and varied wildly. Some claimed they had completed every main and side quest, only to receive an "E" rating. Others reported that the tasks they received were completely different from other players, leading them into extreme danger and nearly costing them their lives. Some even claimed that upon entering the dungeon, they were immediately thrown into a boss fight—though that particular post had been written by a friend of the player, as the player themselves had already passed away.

The most absurd case involved a group of acquaintances who all brought intelligence into a dungeon, only for one person to return alive. According to the survivor, all their intelligence proved useless. The dungeon remained the same in name, but the rules had been completely rewritten, and the difficulty had increased several times over.

Of course, not everyone who brought intelligence met with disaster. But few dared to gamble. Entering a dungeon with a "cheating" mindset was frowned upon by the player community. If one was truly afraid of death, it was better to hire a high-level player as a bodyguard to accompany them. As supply met demand, player bodyguards had become an industry, with many powerful players even establishing "player mercenary organizations" to provide such services. Hiring a bodyguard was far safer than trying to cheat.

Cao Yu, naturally, had no need for a bodyguard. He checked the items in his storage space—mental stimulants, stamina potions—everything was in order, and his gear was properly equipped.

Since everything was ready, he could begin. From a locked drawer in his bedroom wardrobe, Cao Yu took out two yellow Pikachu masks and pulled them over his head, nesting one inside the other. Pikachu was a cartoon character in this world, and merchandise made from its copyrighted image had a comical quality. Although only his eyes, nose, and mouth were exposed, the mask didn't make him look like a robber; instead, he looked like a performance artist. He had prepared these masks months ago to hide his identity while killing He Kang. In the end, he had obtained the "Blood-Stained Immortal Bone" from a dungeon, which allowed him to transform into a zombie and alter his facial features, making the masks unnecessary.

Now, however, they were useful.

Once ready, Cao Yu tore open the invitation and silently recited "Communal Grave" three times.

The next second, his vision began to distort. When the surroundings stabilized, he found himself in an unfamiliar plaza. The plaza featured landscaping and a fountain at its center, with an elegant atmosphere and very few people. Outside the plaza were modern streets resembling a concrete jungle.

Cao Yu looked toward the edge of the fountain. Perched on the marble railing was a beautiful figure: An Li. He walked toward her.

An Li was dressed in ordinary clothes, her hair tied in a high ponytail—simple and capable—and she no longer concealed her appearance. Judging by the fact that she had entered the dungeon before him, Cao Yu figured she hadn't had time to apply makeup. He couldn't help but think that she was truly a naturally beautiful girl; her skin was so fair and luminous it seemed to glow, and her face was full of youth. Simply sitting there, she looked like a beautiful painting. It was as if she had come with real-life filters applied.

Seeing someone walking toward her, An Li observed him. Through his physique and the timing of his arrival, she recognized the masked man as Cao Yu. She gave a slight nod.

"I’ve already scouted the area. We are the first to arrive; no other players have entered yet, so... we don't need to pretend we don't know each other for now."

"What is the scale of this city?" Cao Yu asked, pointing to the sky. "Did you use any items to fly up and take a look?"

"I didn't dare," An Li answered honestly.

When a dungeon had not yet officially opened, players were not protected by the "dungeon balance rules." This plaza was a "player staging area" and was safe enough, but if one wandered off or explored blindly... if they ran into a situation like "the Demon King camping the新手 village," they could only blame their own bad luck.

Cao Yu didn't dwell on it and asked casually, "Why aren't you wearing your hoodie this time?"

"It's hot," An Li replied.

"..."

The reason was certainly simple and unadorned. Cao Yu asked, "I mean, are you not planning to hide your appearance anymore? Aren't you worried that word of you being a player will spread to your enemies?"

He hadn't forgotten that he and An Li still had a business arrangement. She had hired him to kill someone—and judging by An Li's attitude, the hatred involved was significant. For the weak to seek revenge, they first had to learn to hide their claws and fangs.

"My status as a player has already been exposed; there is nothing left to hide." An Li answered clearly. "Besides, many humans within the dungeons can communicate normally, which is one of the ways players gather intelligence. Hiding my face and acting suspiciously might cause them to misunderstand or fear me, inadvertently increasing the cost of communication. On the contrary... someone as beautiful as me taking the initiative to talk to people—not only will no one refuse, but they will be happy to speak with me, and it will be hard for them to refuse the small requests I make."

"Oh? So confident?" Cao Yu said.

"This has nothing to do with confidence. Being attracted to beauty is an instinct written into human genes; it's an objective law," An Li replied.

She was a beautiful person who was well aware of it. Cao Yu agreed with this point and gave a subtle glance at her long, slender legs—hmm, the shape was perfect; he certainly agreed.

"What are you looking at?" An Li, sitting on the marble, instinctively tugged her skirt down.

"Do you remember what happened in the last dungeon?" Cao Yu changed the subject. "The possibility of getting an S-rank rating."

"...I remember," An Li said. "I thought about it after I returned, and I don't think every dungeon can yield an S-rank rating. Only in dungeons with extreme potential danger, like the one with the Buddha Mother, is it possible. However..." She shook her head slightly. "The difficulty is too high. Even if the Buddha Mother was truly constrained by the 'dungeon balance' and couldn't retract the strength she granted players while the dungeon was open... you saw the sea of blood she manifested at the end. Faced with something like that, even with the buffs, what could we have done?"

"Relying solely on strategy and the buffs within the dungeon is indeed not enough to deal with the Buddha Mother. I suppose that is why the S-rank has never appeared. However..." Cao Yu held a different view. "The gap between players can sometimes be greater than the gap between humans and pigs. If a player holding 'Superpower Serial Number 1' went to kill the Buddha Mother, what would happen?"

"Do you have Serial Number 1?" An Li asked.

"Do you think that's possible? I'm just giving an example," Cao Yu said. "What I mean is that an S-rank is likely a dual test of 'wisdom' and 'power'."

"According to your logic, the only people who can get an S-rank in the early stages are a tiny handful of super-players," An Li remarked. "That is a truly unfair hypothesis."

*No, Immortal-type players and Demi-human players also have a chance...* Cao Yu knew this, but he didn't correct her. After all, he couldn't reveal the source of his intelligence—his system shop contained many Immortal-grade techniques and God-tier bloodlines, the potential of which was no less than that of powerful superpowers. The true potential of Immortal and Demi-human players was far beyond the narrow understanding of the Federal players.

"Wait!" An Li suddenly realized something. "You're wearing a mask and you brought this up... are you planning to aim for an S-rank in this dungeon? Just how high is your superpower serial number?"

If Cao Yu truly had this goal and could succeed... he really did need to hide his identity. Otherwise, once the news got out, the Federation would surely send many high-level players to investigate the situation. If he were to be dragged into that whirlpool, there was no telling what dangers he might face. However, the only way to ensure no one knows is to make sure no one survives... An Li stood up abruptly, putting some distance between herself and Cao Yu.

"...Are you serious about stepping back?" Cao Yu said helplessly. "You already guessed that my superpower serial number was very high during the last dungeon; I'm not going to try to kill you over such a trivial matter."

*It sounded like you were planning to back then, though...* An Li didn't let her guard down and said bluntly, "I'm just afraid you'll discard the donkey once the grinding is done."