Chapter 53: You Are the True Hero

Cao Yu immediately changed into his work uniform, gave Zhou Fan a call, and agreed on a rendezvous point.

Upon arriving on the ground floor, he met his second brother, his second sister-in-law, and Yang Chan, who was helping out at the front desk.

Ever since their identities were exposed, his second brother, Yang Jian, had remodeled the martial arts gym, which originally catered to ordinary people, integrating players into his customer base as well.

For Grade E and Grade D players, learning hand-to-hand combat and the usage of weaponry was extremely necessary.

Using props consumed too much mental energy, and not every player even had them. In critical moments, having abysmal close-combat capabilities could cost you your life.

Looking at the increasingly prosperous gym, Cao Yu felt a wave of emotion... Second Brother's martial arts truly reached a divine, unfathomable realm! Even though the gym was located in a non-prosperous district, and despite there being virtually no promotion, he still managed to build a stellar reputation and fame solely through the spontaneous word-of-mouth recommendations of his apprentices.

Currently, quite a few Grade E demi-human and immortal players had already signed up for classes.

And everyone who took the classes felt they got more than their money's worth.

Before long, the gym would undoubtedly need to move to a larger venue.

Cao Yu felt that if he didn't have the "Slayer's Mantra" to rely on, granting him near-invincibility in physical defense, he would probably also obediently follow his second brother and practice martial arts.

"Tsk tsk, Second Brother truly lives up to being the True Lord of Qingyuan Miaodao, who listens to the imperial edicts but not the summons," Cao Yu praised.

This remark was dripping with a very particular flavor, and the moment Yang Jian heard it, he knew who had arrived.

Suppressing his speechlessness, Yang Jian looked at Cao Yu helplessly and said:

"Sixth Brother, you're heading out this late... Wait, that uniform of yours—are you going on a night shift?"

"Pretty much," Cao Yu nodded.

"Speaking of which, you've officially entered the establishment now," Yang Jian proposed. "The seven of us siblings have been rather busy lately, but once we free up some time, we'll throw you a promotion banquet."

Cao Yu replied, "There's no need to go to such trou..."

"It's no trouble at all. It must be done." The second sister-in-law walked closer, examined Cao Yu's attire, and smiled, "Xiao Yu looks so energetic and handsome in this uniform. No wonder someone already took the initiative to track him down today."

"They were just a friend," Yang Chan interjected from the front desk.

"Hehe..." The second sister-in-law smiled without saying much more, simply reminding Cao Yu, "I've heard that the Special Affairs Bureau's work carries a certain degree of danger. Xiao Yu, remember to be mindful of your safety."

"Don't worry, Second Brother's wife."

After chatting briefly with the three of them, Cao Yu stepped outside.

Rendezvousing with Zhou Fan at the subway entrance, the two took the subway and quickly arrived at Talent Residential Quarter, located on Narcissus Street in the Eastern District.

On the way, Zhou Fan asked, "Brother Cao, did Director Zhao mention what specific type of dungeon crisis this is?"

"After two rounds of observation, the conclusion is a 'spatial distortion type,'" Cao Yu replied. "However, as for the exact situation, we'll need to confirm it with the personnel stationed there for observation. The crisis descended yesterday, and the current investigation progress is low, so Director Zhao doesn't know the details either."

"Spatial distortion type...?" Zhou Fan was momentarily stunned before saying, "In other words, the chances of 'slacking off on the job' this time are quite high?"

"That's normal." Cao Yu wasn't surprised at all. "If it were a 'monster invasion type' crisis, it wouldn't be our turn to snatch the credit; those high-status scions would have monopolized it long ago."

Among dungeon intrusion crises, the "monster invasion type" was considered the easiest to handle.

This was because it did not restrict the specific grades of the players sent to deal with the crisis, nor did it restrict the use of modern firearms.

Therefore, resolving them was always very relaxed, and the danger level was low.

Unless the monsters escaped from a Grade C or Grade B dungeon... a situation like that was simply not something the local Special Affairs Bureau could easily handle.

A "spatial distortion type" was entirely different. It belonged to dungeon space intrusion, creating a partial overlap with reality. The rules of the entire area underwent alienation, temporarily turning it into a part of the dungeon.

Under such circumstances, entering the overlapping area was almost identical to entering a dungeon.

High-grade players could not enter low-grade dungeons, but low-grade players could enter high-grade dungeons—this was the law of the Evolutionary Game.

"Since the incident occurred in the Eastern District, the special agents stationed on observation duty should be from our district," Zhou Fan analyzed. "I wonder if they are high-status scions or players from ordinary backgrounds?"

"Doesn't matter, I'll take care of it," Cao Yu said calmly.

Aristocrats or commoners—it made no difference to him.

Now that he had backing, he had no scruples in his actions. If he encountered anyone lacking eyes, he wouldn't mind giving the other party a demonstration of what workplace bullying truly meant!

Amidst casual chatting, the two arrived at the gates of Talent Residential Quarter.

The perimeter of the residential area had already been cordoned off with isolation tape, and warning lines were stretched far. Nearby, armed police officers and soldiers were patrolling to prevent ordinary citizens from approaching.

Because Cao Yu and Zhou Fan were wearing the uniforms of the Special Affairs Bureau, they were quickly recognized. The person in charge walked over and welcomed them into the isolation zone.

The person in charge was a man with a buzz cut and a straight back. Coming from a military background, he was not a player, but an ordinary human.

Cao Yu and Zhou Fan weren't particularly surprised; in special incidents, cooperation between the Special Affairs Bureau and military police was standard.

Observing the environment, investigating intelligence... players only needed to take responsibility for resolving the crisis, while professional matters were naturally left to professionals.

Walking along, Cao Yu asked, "What's the current situation?"

"Twenty-five minutes ago, we observed anomalies in the internal environment of Talent Residential Quarter, exactly as it was last night."

The buzz-cut man reported rapidly:

"Two unknown monsters appeared, attempting to rush out of the residential quarter to wreak havoc, but they have now been killed. After analyzing the monsters' strength data, we found that they were basically no different from the monsters that appeared last night, well within the handling capacity of Grade E players.

However, after killing the monsters, the abnormal environment inside the quarter did not dissipate as it did last night; instead, it is gradually expanding. We deduce that this area has completely entered a state of ruled alienation. Also..."

Pausing for a moment, he said in a deep tone:

"After the environmental anomalies disappeared last night, twenty-seven residents inside the quarter vanished without a trace. When the environmental anomalies reappeared tonight, they... did not return. Currently, their life-or-death status cannot be confirmed."

"Don't worry, we're here to resolve this matter," Cao Yu commanded. "Expand the blockade, and evacuate nearby residents. Leave the internal investigation of the quarter to us. This incident will likely require entering the dungeon to be resolved."

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

The buzz-cut man saluted Cao Yu and Zhou Fan, speaking with rigid formality:

"On behalf of the victims of Talent Residential Quarter, I thank the two heroes for your rescue!"

"That's exaggerating a bit."

Cao Yu smiled and patted the buzz-cut man's shoulder, saying:

"We are merely doing our duty. And you, my friend, you are the true hero."

"..."

The buzz-cut man was somewhat flattered.

After understanding the situation,

Cao Yu and Zhou Fan crossed the innermost warning line and entered the interior of Talent Residential Quarter.

The moment they stepped in, Cao Yu felt an invisible pressure—chilly, humid, and carrying an indescribable, bizarre scent.

Beside the main gate, behind the guardhouse, two men and a woman were stationed.

The incandescent light inside the guardhouse was turned on, and the light spilling through the window illuminated the appearances of the three.

All three wore the uniforms of the Special Affairs Bureau. They were roughly around the same age, all quite young.

Among the two males, one was shorter in stature and wore rare long hair.

The other male had a towering build and bulging muscles.

As for the female, she possessed wheat-colored skin, attractive facial features, and a curvaceous, alluring figure accentuated by her uniform.

Their conversation drifted into the ears of Cao Yu and Zhou Fan.

"Song Qiao, you should be aware of the danger here? If I, in my capacity as captain, order you and your younger brother to venture deep inside for an investigation..." The long-haired man sneered, "Deep investigations are different from killing monsters. Whether you can return alive is hard to say."

"Bastard...! Sis, don't listen to him! At worst, it's just another dungeon run! What is there to fear about players entering dungeons?" the muscular man said with an angry expression.

"You saw the monsters from earlier just as well," the long-haired man sneered. "The dungeon that invaded this place might very well be a supernatural horror dungeon. Don't boast too loudly; when do players ever enter a dungeon without making thorough preparations first?"

"..."

The woman addressed as "Song Qiao" frowned without speaking.

Suddenly, her gaze shifted toward the main gate, where she saw Cao Yu and Zhou Fan walking over.

The long-haired man saw them as well, walked up to them, and smiled:

"Are the two of you here to take over? Sorry to trouble you both with the matters here."

With that, his gaze fell back onto Song Qiao, reminding her:

"My patience is very limited, Song Qiao. You should make a deci..."

*Slap*—Cao Yu delivered a solid slap across the long-haired man's face.

The formidable force, surpassing a normal Grade E immortal player, directly batted the long-haired man into the air. He crashed against the wall of the guardhouse, and a blood-stained tooth flew out, landing on the ground.

After striking the man, Cao Yu cast his gaze toward Song Qiao and the muscular man:

"The monsters that appeared earlier—did you kill them?"

The muscular man was already dumbfounded.

Song Qiao managed to steady herself and replied, "Yes."

Cao Yu stated directly:

"Tell me the characteristics of the monsters."