Chapter 7: I Thought You Were Manipulating Me

Page 1/3

[You have entered the novice dungeon: Temple Ruins]

Moss and vines crawled over the scattered stones at their feet, surrounded by crumbling walls and towering pillars. The air was thick with an ancient and mysterious aura.

Gu Chen stood amidst the ruins, subconsciously recalling some information about the temple.

According to historical records, the temple was the origin of explorers' pursuit of the secrets of career advancement, believed to conceal the path to higher-tier professions.

However, the site of the temple had long since been corrupted by the Abyss, where alien tribes ran rampant, leaving only shattered ruins behind.

This novice dungeon was a faithful recreation of that real scene.

“So this is the legendary temple? Just like the history books describe,” Lin Yuan said, drawing his greatsword from his back and gripping it with both hands, his eyes curiously scanning their surroundings.

Behind him stood a female warrior and a female assassin.

At first glance, Lin Qingqing appeared to be a pure and adorable girl.

But her body was all muscle, standing nearly 1.9 meters tall—a true iron tower among women.

Su Ran was supple and graceful, clinging to Lin Qingqing like a delicate bird, the contrast between their figures striking.

Gu Chen motioned for Lin Yuan to sheath his greatsword, then addressed the four companions beside him: “I’ll handle the monsters. Stay behind me, don’t wander off, don’t loot items carelessly, and absolutely don’t snatch kills.”

“That’s basic professionalism for actors, right? Shouldn’t be a problem?” Lin Yuan asked.

“No problem.” Su Ran spoke up, “But you’re a summoner aiming for an SSS rating? Are you serious?”

Gu Chen smiled faintly, raising his hand as the summoning circle appeared automatically.

Underneath the dark crimson robe emerged a tall and imposing figure, exuding a cold and sinister aura.

Dracula bowed slightly to Gu Chen, performing a standard noble salute, then swept his shadowed gaze over the others. After dismissing any potential threat, he nodded faintly.

Lin Yuan’s eyes widened in shock. “Whoa, is that a summoned beast? Humanoid?”

Lin Qingqing and Su Ran shuddered under the sinister gaze, instinctively stepping back half a pace.

Only Wu Ziyi noticed the critical detail, his voice filled with disbelief: “Epic rank! It’s an epic-level summoned beast?”

He glanced at his own average stats, barely over 15 points even with gear bonuses.

Dracula’s average stats neared 30, almost double Wu Ziyi’s.

Does that mean this summoned beast could utterly dominate him?

Lin Yuan finally caught on, looking over the beast’s data and quietly slinging his greatsword back onto his back, his expression complicated.

An epic-level summoned beast!

In a small place like Lin City, this was the absolute pinnacle.

Lin Yuan exclaimed, “Wait, are you really aiming for that SSS rating?”

Gu Chen turned his head, “What do you think?”

Lin Yuan smiled awkwardly, “I thought you were just messing with me.”

Lin Qingqing said, “Me too.”

Su Ran echoed, “Same here.”

Gu Chen: ...

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from beyond the broken gate.

Page 2/3

From the ruins emerged corpses clad in tattered armor, wielding long swords.

[Alien Tribe: Fallen Guardians]

[Level: 1]

[HP: 500]

[Attributes: Strength 9, Agility 7, Constitution 9, Spirit 7]

[Skill: Heavy Strike]

These were warriors who once protected the temple before the Abyss invasion. After death, they were corrupted by the Abyss, becoming what they were now.

Though these were only the first wave of monsters with low stats, their numbers were formidable—seven or eight appeared at once, blocking their path.

Lin Yuan, Lin Qingqing, and the others wisely stepped back a few paces, creating distance from Gu Chen and adopting an observer stance.

Gu Chen’s face remained calm as he said plainly, “Kill.”

Dracula’s twin pistols swiftly chambered rounds. The oversized black barrels aimed forward, firing without hesitation.

[Fatal Shot: Dracula’s pistols load high-caliber explosive rounds that deal critical damage upon hitting vital spots.]

Bang!

A silver-glinting explosive bullet struck the foremost guardian instantly.

Snap!

The Fallen Guardian’s head exploded like a smashed watermelon, thick black blood splattering everywhere.

[Killed Fallen Guardian LV.1, EXP +8]

“Damn!” Wu Ziyi, usually self-righteous, cursed outright at the sight.

Though these Fallen Guardians were only level 1, they weren’t something newcomers could casually one-shot.

Truly worthy of an epic summoner—the damage was explosive!

Lin Qingqing and Su Ran were full of surprise, exchanging knowing smiles.

They had really encountered a top-tier player this time.

Only 8,000 gold for one person—what a bargain!

The summoned beast’s casual strike one-shotting the Fallen Guardians might just secure an S rating for this dungeon.

Only by achieving an S rating in a hard dungeon could one unlock the hell dungeon; only after clearing the hell dungeon could one pursue the SSS rating.

“Awesome! Now we’re going to slaughter them all!” Lin Yuan excitedly rolled up his sleeves.

To them, Dracula’s casual shots seemed to inflict terrifying damage.

In truth, it was the skill [Fatal Shot] that allowed one-hit kills on the Fallen Guardians.

Ordinary professions wouldn’t be so absurd.

The Fallen Guardians were undead, highly immune to physical attacks, with 500 HP and armor—no rookie could one-shot them.

There were 13 Fallen Guardians in the first wave. The recommended strategy was a kite-and-attack tactic, pulling one or two at a time and fighting while retreating, taking about forty minutes to clear.

But now, in just one minute, Dracula had fired three shots, each a headshot, instantly killing three Fallen Guardians.

If not for the skill cooldown, the first wave would have been wiped out already.

Page 3/3

“This damage is insane!”

“Is this still a summoner? How can it be so powerful?”

Lin Qingqing couldn’t help but exclaim, feeling her worldview completely overturned.

Wu Ziyi scoffed and said flatly, “It’s normal. The real strength lies in the epic summoned beast. If I had a full set of epic gear, I could solo clear the dungeon.”

Implying that Gu Chen’s achievements were entirely reliant on his summoned beast.

Lin Yuan grinned mischievously and stepped forward, “So, where’s your epic gear then?”

Wu Ziyi froze, silent. If he had epic gear, would he still be standing here?

His gaze shifted to Gu Chen’s back, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

An epic summoned beast was priceless!

Not even Li Wenhui, the class leader of the elite group, could afford one.

How had an ordinary citizen like Gu Chen managed this?

Meanwhile, Dracula moved like a phantom, fearlessly charging forward.

The talent [Vampire Instinct] granted him extraordinary physical and regenerative abilities, along with heightened senses.

To him, the guardians’ movements were as slow as turtles. Even when trapped, not a single guardian could touch the hem of his cloak.

At such close range, every shot from Dracula struck a vital spot, each a critical hit.

Every gunshot heralded another guardian’s head exploding.

[Killed Fallen Guardian LV.1, EXP +9]

[Killed Fallen Guardian LV.1, EXP +7]

[Killed Fallen Guardian LV.1, EXP +8]

...

Several guardians who hadn’t even reached close were already blown apart by high-explosive rounds.

When the last shot rang out, the ground was soaked with thick black blood, and the entrance to the ruins was piled with fallen guardians’ bodies.

[Level Up]

[Level: LV.2 (6/200)]

[Strength: 27]

[Agility: 26]

[Constitution: 28]

[Spirit: 29]

[Summoned Beast: Dracula LV.2 (Epic)]

Leveled up!

A prompt appeared before Gu Chen’s eyes, filling him with joy.

[Talent – You may now acquire a Dark Bloodline]