At that moment, Jiang Yu felt her heart hammering against her ribs, fear spiking to its peak. The terrifying image Lin Ming had painted—the Demon King of the future—suddenly felt all too real, as if he had stepped straight out of those dreadful words and stood before her.
Her instincts screamed at her to grab Wu Qianqian's arm, to trigger her escape ability immediately. But just as her fingers twitched toward her teammate, Tony's next words froze her in place.
"Who are you two?" Tony asked, brows slightly furrowed. "Wasn't that the food delivery?"
The young man looked genuinely confused, glancing between them with mild suspicion. What threw him off even more was the way the short-haired woman—usually the image of calm authority—visibly trembled when he appeared. She even took an unconscious step back, like a cornered animal.
Seriously? Tony blinked. Do I look that scary?
Sure, he had been decisive and merciless during dungeon runs, cutting down anything that stood in his way, but that was in the game. He was just Tony, a university student in New Haven. Back home, he didn't think he radiated that much killing intent.
The younger girl's reaction was completely different. Wu Qianqian's eyes were bright with curiosity as she looked him up and down, her interest plain on her face, not a hint of fear in sight.
Jiang Yu mentally shook herself. Get a grip. Lin Ming had spoken of two possibilities for the future, Tony, and judging from his tone, even he leaned toward the second one. Either way, even if Tony had unified the timeline, his current self wouldn't necessarily display that terrifying aura. They weren't here to kill him like Lin Ming had been.
Drawing in a steadying breath, Jiang Yu forced a polite, if slightly awkward, smile. "Hello. We're from the New Haven Extraordinary Affairs Bureau," she said, introducing herself quickly before giving a brief rundown of the Bureau's purpose.
Tony wasn't surprised by their arrival. His achievements had made headlines; his basic information was publicly available after clearing three trial dungeons in a row and becoming the first First-Tier Awakened on Blue Star. Sure, addresses and contact details weren't listed, but for an official agency, finding him was child's play.
In a world where countless people died in dungeons every day, Tony's streak of victories stood out like a lighthouse in the dark. If the government hadn't come knocking eventually, that would've been the real shocker.
What surprised him was that they showed up this late at night.
As if on cue, the actual delivery arrived, and Tony ushered the two women inside, setting the bags on the table. To his surprise, the conversation that followed was far more casual than he'd expected. No tense interrogation, no uncomfortable probing into his Awakening ability.
In fact, they didn't even ask about his talent at all.
Seriously? Not even curious? Tony thought, a little wounded. He was the first First-Tier Awakened in the world, yet they didn't even consider inviting him to join the Bureau?
What am I, chopped liver?
Then again, he reminded himself, he was still a student. Joining a government task force wasn't exactly part of his plans. If they had asked, he might've had to turn them down anyway. At least this way, he avoided an awkward rejection.
"Tony," Jiang Yu said after a moment, settling on a neutral, friendly tone more suited to his age. "Are you planning to challenge a First-Tier dungeon next?"
"Of course," Tony replied without hesitation. "Difficulty doesn't bother me. The real headache is finding a five-man team. That's the entry requirement, and getting four reliable people together isn't as easy as it sounds."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. There were definitely other First-Tiers out there by now, but most were already locked into their own teams. Even if they weren't, they were rivals gunning for the same dungeon first clears. Cooperation was unlikely.
The only person he could possibly recruit was Yuqing, but even that was questionable. Her talent was only E-rank. Despite her determination and multiple first clears, she couldn't compare to S- or A-rank Awakened in terms of raw contribution. Low evaluations meant poor rewards, and even with extra bonuses for first clears, it wasn't sustainable long-term.
Jiang Yu cleared her throat gently. "Well, someone of your caliber shouldn't have to worry about that. The Bureau—and the Great Xian government as a whole—values Awakened like you immensely. People like you don't just inspire hope; you elevate our nation's standing on the world stage. And more importantly, having someone as strong and honorable as you makes Great Xian safer. With you here, even foreign threats would think twice before stepping on our soil."
She gave him a faint smile. "So, if you need anything—people, gear, resources—we'll do our best to provide it."
Tony blinked. "Anything?"
"Anything reasonable," Jiang Yu clarified, her tone firm but sincere. Starting from First-Tier dungeons, you're allowed to bring firearms. Getting your hands on them through normal channels is… complicated. But with our support, you'll have access to heat weapons, training, ammo—whatever you need.
"And that's not all. If you want to sell skills, items, or dungeon loot, we can handle it for you, free of commission. If you want to buy from our vault, you'll get significant discounts."
Wu Qianqian's jaw dropped. This was more than the Enforcement Squad got. Tony looked just as stunned. Guns? Ammo? That kind of firepower would tilt the odds in ways he hadn't considered.
A spark of excitement flickered in his chest… along with a sudden wave of urgency. Other teams would have access to similar support, meaning competition for First-Tier Ascension dungeon clears was about to get even fiercer.
"I might have one person I can bring in," Tony admitted, thinking of Yuqing. "That leaves three more spots open."
"No problem," Jiang Yu said immediately. "We'll gather three First-Tiers as soon as possible. Let's hope we can work well together."
"Sounds good," Tony said with a small grin. "Oh, and I've got something you might want to see."
From his inventory, he pulled out a strange, frost-tipped sprout—the Wuhang Rootling, the special item he had earned from the last Ascension dungeon. Though only rated common, its effects were anything but.
Jiang Yu barely glanced at first, expecting nothing special from a common drop. But when she saw the attributes, her eyes widened, breath catching in her throat.
"This… this is huge."
If mass-produced and distributed across Great Xian, every citizen's base constitution would increase by ten points. A permanent nationwide buff. The implications were staggering.
"Thank you, Tony," she said earnestly, her voice thick with emotion. "This could change everything for us. I'll make sure you're properly compensated for this."
Tony just waved it off. "No need. If it helps, it helps. Just returning a favor to the nation that's got my back."
Before leaving, Jiang Yu handed him a slip of paper with an address. "There's a range there where you can practice with live rounds. Ammo's unlimited. Better to test your aim before heading into a dungeon—you don't want friendly fire accidents."
Tony chuckled, pocketing it. "Fair point. I'll swing by when I can."
Truthfully, he wasn't counting on guns making a massive difference. His stats were already climbing fast, each day pushing his attributes closer to absurd levels. Once his four primary stats broke a thousand, firearms would just be a fun novelty.
If not for the forced five-man requirement, he would've gladly soloed the next dungeon like before, no guns, no backup—just him tearing through everything in his path.
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