"I'm the one who ends it all."
Tony's voice wasn't loud, but the weight behind those words struck like a hammer. It rolled over the four of them, sinking deep into their bones, leaving them breathless for a moment. That overwhelming confidence, that unshakable certainty of invincibility—just hearing it made their hearts skip a beat.
His expression stayed calm, almost detached. There was no need to hide his talent forever, not when people like Yuqing, who had fought beside him through the Ascension dungeon, had already pieced together hints. Besides, what was there to fear? With Immortal and Undying woven into his very existence, even death couldn't chain him. He would simply respawn in safety, maybe even on another planet if this entire world turned against him. A cheat against the laws of the universe itself.
If it weren't for his distaste for needless attention, he could have declared war on the entire Blue Star and still walked away smiling.
"Damn, Tony… you're such a badass," Wu Qianqian breathed, her eyes shining with unfiltered admiration.
"Drop the act, Qianqian. You're older than him," Jiang Yu muttered with a helpless smile, lightly tapping the sniper's helmet. Outwardly calm, but inside, her thoughts churned like a storm. She'd already known more about Tony than the others, seen his monstrous capabilities firsthand, even compared them to Lin Ming's SSS-ranked talent. Yet this? This was only part of Tony's ability—and even that small glimpse was absurdly terrifying.
Stone Irons and Yuqing exchanged stunned glances. They had expected Tony to be strong, maybe the highest-ranked SSS talent, but this… this was the kind of ability that broke every rule they knew. A talent that promised inevitable, unstoppable growth until he stood unmatched.
Tony noticed their shock, the way their jaws had gone slack, and a smug warmth curled in his chest. He wasn't made of stone; he was still a young man, barely twenty. Getting the chance to flaunt his power in front of others? He wasn't going to pretend it didn't feel damn good.
"Just call me Tony," he said casually.
Jiang Yu gave a quick nod, recovering her composure. "Fair enough." Her eyes swept the group. "So… what's everyone's take on this dungeon?" The words had barely left her mouth before she froze internally. Wait. He's the captain, why am I jumping in? She glanced toward Tony, worried she'd overstepped, but his relaxed expression told her he didn't care. She let out a silent breath of relief.
By now, they'd officially materialized inside the dungeon instance, perched on the rooftop of a glittering skyscraper. From up here, the bustling city stretched below them, cars streaming through busy avenues, pedestrians filling the sidewalks, life as normal as any metropolis. There wasn't the faintest trace of apocalypse yet. But all of them knew better—the end was about to hit.
"I just hope this virus can't screw with us too," Wu Qianqian said, hugging her rifle a little tighter, unease flickering across her face.
"Environmental effects shouldn't be ignored," Jiang Yu replied, calm and analytical as ever. "But the system purges all infections once you leave a dungeon. According to the scenario briefing, the virus has a seven-day incubation period. We're only here for twenty-four hours. It won't have time to kill us."
That explanation loosened some tension in the air. Both Yuqing and Stone Irons exhaled audibly. The briefing had made it sound like infection was practically guaranteed just by proximity, a one-hundred-percent unavoidable hit. The long incubation period was their saving grace.
Tony remained unmoved. His body was already pushing beyond human limits. Poison, disease, viral infection… he doubted any of it could even take root in his system anymore.
"Um…" Yuqing hesitated, opening her mouth, then shrinking slightly when everyone's eyes turned to her.
"C'mon, girl, don't freeze up. Speak your mind," Wu Qianqian said brightly, slinging an arm over Yuqing's shoulder in encouragement. The gesture was friendly enough, but had the weight of a full combat pack pressing into her. Yuqing stiffened under the sudden closeness but forced herself to keep going.
"I… I was thinking. This dungeon gives us two win conditions. First is to survive twenty-four hours. Given this is a major city with hundreds of buildings, hiding shouldn't be hard. Even if the infected are strong, we can just keep moving from one skyscraper to another, dragging out the clock."
She took a breath, words gaining strength as she went on. "It's the safer, easier option. But that also means the reward will probably suck. The other way is to hunt down and kill the Viral Source—that should mean the first family that touched the meteorite fragment. Taking them out should instantly clear the dungeon. Obviously, higher risk, but better payoff."
"Good analysis," Jiang Yu praised, tone genuine.
All eyes slid to Tony next. He was the captain. His decision was the only one that mattered.
"Twenty-four hours is too damn long," Tony said flatly, no hesitation in his voice. "A basic Normal-tier run shouldn't waste an entire day of my time."
"Then we're hunting the source," Yuqing said quickly, brows knitting together. "Problem is, we don't know where to find them. We're far from the outskirts. Pick the wrong direction, we could burn hours wandering."
The others exchanged grim looks. The city was massive. Finding one infected family would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Time will tell us where they are," Tony said, voice steady as bedrock.
Wu Qianqian blinked. "Uh… what?"
Even Jiang Yu frowned slightly, confused. But the quiet authority in Tony's tone silenced their questions. If he said they'd have an answer, they believed him.
Moments later, the world below shifted violently. Screams rose as chaos erupted on the streets. Cars smashed together in fiery collisions. People staggered, twisted, then changed, flesh warping into grotesque infected forms that tore into the unturned with savage hunger.
"Holy hell…" Wu Qianqian's jaw dropped. "These things just went from regular people to super-powered freaks in seconds."
They hadn't scanned exact stats yet, but each infected was at least triple a normal human's physical capacity. There were thousands of them already—and this was only the start. Looking out across Morsea City, the numbers were climbing toward the millions. Killing them all was impossible.
"It's a First-Tier instance," Jiang Yu said grimly. "Even the 'fodder mobs' hit like trained soldiers. Difficulty's scaling up faster than our strength. And this is just Normal mode…"
Everyone fell quiet, the reality settling on their shoulders. Zero-Tier dungeons had already wiped out most of the Blue Star population. First-Tier would thin the ranks even further, sharpening the pyramid of power with every rung.
Jiang Yu continued in a low voice, "Choosing Easy mode in First-Tier might let you scrape by, but you'll never be ready for Ascension dungeons that way. Normal is the baseline to survive. Hard mode? That's where true elites are forged. Strength creates strength. The weak only get weaker."
Stone Irons rumbled his agreement like distant thunder. "Strong stay strong. Weak… fall behind."
Yuqing said nothing, her hands tightening around her rifle. She was the weakest here, painfully aware of it. She couldn't afford to be dead weight. She had to prove herself, or risk being replaced.
Her mind raced over Tony's earlier words, trying to glean something useful. Suddenly, an idea struck, eyes lighting up as she straightened.
"I think I've got it," she said quickly, voice more confident now. "The infection doesn't spread everywhere at once. It starts near the Viral Source and moves outward. The first ones infected will mutate faster, gather faster. If we scan the city and track where the outbreak looks the most intense, where infected numbers spike the quickest… we can triangulate the Source's direction."
Tony's lips curved into a faint, approving smile. "Exactly."
He turned, gaze cutting southward like a blade. "The Viral Source is most likely in the southern outskirts of Morsea City." He hefted his weapon, stance already shifting forward.
"Move out."