The four names lit up green on Tony's interface, indicating unanimous approval of his invitation. Finally, his team was complete. His fingers flew across the virtual keyboard as he fired off quick messages.
"Alright, if there are no objections, we're diving in immediately," Tony typed, sending the notification to both Yuqing and Jiang Yu.
"Got it," Yuqing replied within seconds, her excitement almost palpable through the text.
Jiang Yu's message came a moment later: "Give me ten minutes."
Tony raised a brow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Ten minutes? He hadn't had direct contact with the other three newcomers, so he'd relied on Jiang Yu to bridge the gap. It seemed she was part of the selected trio after all.
After confirming the timing with Yuqing, Tony settled back and waited, watching the countdown on his HUD. Exactly ten minutes later, his hand moved with practiced ease as he opened the dungeon menu.
The First-Tier dungeon list unfurled before him, showing a stark difference from Zero-Tier. Two Ascension dungeons were locked and inaccessible for now, their descriptions hidden behind question marks. But the Trial dungeons? Twenty of them, twice the number he had faced as a fledgling Awakened.
Even Tony had to admit, grabbing every first clear this time was unrealistic. Unlike Zero-Tier, where rookie Awakened had stumbled around blindly, the First-Tier pool was filled with stronger, sharper competitors. Snatching every record from their hands would be a fight, and honestly, unnecessary.
What truly mattered was the Ascension dungeon first clear—that was the prize worth bleeding for. Everything else was just a warm-up.
His gaze slid to his chosen dungeon, already marked in his mind since yesterday. Before locking it in, Tony pulled up his status panel.
[Player Status: Tony]
Tier: First-Tier
Talent: Innate Divinity (EX)
Strength: 945 +28
Agility: 942 +28
Constitution: 946 +28
Spirit: 943 +28
Skills: Sword Mastery Lv8, Phantom Step Lv8, Rank Suppression
Title: Pioneer
Nearly a full day had passed since clearing the Ascension dungeon, and the gains were monstrous. He was brushing up against the four-digit attribute barrier. The "+28" was thanks to his Pioneer title—raw, undiluted stats. His grin widened slightly at the sight of both skills having jumped to Level 8.
Sure, skill experience scaled harder at higher levels, but his post-promotion growth rate was absurd. Without even farming dungeons, he had stacked level-ups purely off his talent. If he'd been grinding skills actively, he might have already capped them at ten.
And that… that was when he'd learn whether Innate Divinity could push skills beyond their supposed limits.
"Good. I'm strong… very strong," Tony muttered to himself, confidence radiating from every word. Compared to other First-Tier Awakened, his stats weren't just higher—they were oppressive. In Trials, he'd crush everything. Ascension dungeons were the only real test left.
He exhaled sharply, ready.
[You have chosen Trial Dungeon: Dawn of Catastrophe]
[Select Difficulty: Easy / Normal / Hard]
"Normal," Tony said without hesitation. If he were solo, Hard would be the obvious choice. But this was a new team. First impressions mattered. He wasn't here to flex at the cost of his squad's growth.
[Your party meets the requirements. Enter now?]
"Yes."
The countdown ticked. Light enveloped him, the world blurring before his eyes.
[Trial Dungeon: Dawn of Catastrophe]
Tier: First-Tier
Difficulty: Normal
Objective: Survive 24 hours in Morsea City, OR eliminate the Viral Source.
Scenario: A meteorite fragment the size of a fist crashes near Morsea City. A child brings it home, unknowingly unleashing a virulent, otherworldly plague. Seven days later, the infection spreads unchecked, turning the city into a nightmare zone…
"Zombie outbreak scenario, huh?" came a voice from his right. Jiang Yu stepped forward, expression calm but eyes glinting with anticipation.
Tony chuckled, scanning the loading text fading around them. "Zombie-type dungeons usually swarm you with mobs. Weak individually, dangerous in numbers. Perfect for a first run to test our teamwork."
He could solo-wipe this place. His blade would carve a path of blood and bone with ease. But he wasn't here to play hero. At Zero-Tier, he'd bulldozed every challenge while his teammates trailed behind, cheering like spectators. They'd been stuck with the lowest possible clear ratings and eventually couldn't keep up.
This time, his allies were elites hand-picked by the Bureau. They deserved a real chance to shine.
"You're the captain," Jiang Yu said simply, voice steady. "Your call is final."
Tony gave a small nod, letting his eyes sweep over his squad.
Yuqing was armed to the teeth: tactical gear, bulletproof vest, steel helmet, assault rifle gripped tight, and a heavy pack strapped to her back. She looked like she was ready to storm a battlefield.
Wu Qianqian mirrored that level of preparation, though she favored a sniper rifle slung across her shoulder. Spatial manipulation wasn't much for direct combat, so gear made up the difference.
Jiang Yu was far more streamlined. Combat suit, sidearm ready, but minimal extra weight—a field commander's precision loadout.
And then there was the last recruit, a towering slab of muscle nearly two meters tall, carrying a massive steel shield that looked capable of stopping a truck. His presence screamed frontline tank.
Jiang Yu broke the silence first, professional and crisp. "Jiang Yu. Talent: SS-ranked Absolute Edict. I can enforce temporary laws in an area, compelling targets to obey. Works for offense, defense, and support."
Wu Qianqian grinned, raising a hand in greeting. "Wu Qianqian, S-ranked spatial talent. I can teleport myself or allies between two points, cooldown applies. I'll handle long-range kills."
The big man spoke next, voice like gravel. "Stone Irons. SS-ranked defense. I can drastically reduce incoming damage and force enemies to focus on me. I'll hold the line."
All eyes turned to Yuqing. She shifted uncomfortably under the weight of their stares. "Uh… Yuqing. Talent's E-rank, nothing special. But… I'm a damn good shot." Her voice wavered, nerves evident. Standing next to S and SS-ranked talents was enough to crush anyone's confidence.
Tony smirked faintly, easing the tension. "For a second, I thought they'd slip an SSS-ranked prodigy into this squad."
Jiang Yu shook her head, lips quirking. "SSS's talents are rare beyond words. Theoretically, Great Xian should have a dozen or so. Realistically? Fewer than ten. And that's counting only those above sixteen. Kids under that age awaken but can't access dungeons or finalize their talents. We barely had time to log all the active Awakened in just a day and a half. The Bureau knows of maybe a handful of SSS talents nationwide, and only two work officially under them."
Tony chuckled softly. It didn't matter. He wasn't relying on anyone else to carry weight. He just needed the team for logistics and dungeon mechanics that required numbers.
He let his expression sharpen, voice dropping into something firm, commanding.
"Since everyone's being honest, I won't hold back either." He glanced over the four of them, eyes glinting like drawn steel. "Name's Tony. SSS-ranked talent. Effect's simple… the longer I live, the stronger I get. My role here?"
He drew an imaginary line in the air, gaze hardening as a faint killing intent rolled off him.
"To end everything that stands in our way."
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courtisomoruwa,LordSentimental, Thanks for power stone!!!