The next morning.
Several sleek, high-end cars were parked outside a modest residential block in Emberfall City.
They stood out painfully.
Neighbors slowed as they passed. Some stopped outright. Whispers spread quickly.
"Whose cars are those?" "Did someone important move in?" "Looks expensive…"
Inside Jin's house, breakfast was already on the table.
Wei Mei was halfway through eating when she frowned. "Why's it so noisy outside?"
She stood up, walked to the window, and peeked out.
"…Wow."
She leaned closer, eyes widening. "Those are really nice cars. Like—really nice. Are those custom models?"
She turned back excitedly. "Did a rich family move in nearby? Or is there some event?"
Jin looked up from his bowl. "What are you talking about?"
He stood and walked over. Wei Mei tried to block him, but he gently pushed her aside and looked out the window.
Old Qiao stood by one of the cars, hands behind his back. Yan Feiyu was checking her phone. Lan Xue and the others were nearby, casually waiting.
Jin paused.
"…They're here already?"
Wei Mei followed his gaze, then looked back at him suspiciously.
"…Who are they?"
Jin answered calmly. "They're here for me."
There was a full second of silence.
Then—
Wei Mei burst out laughing. "You?"
She pointed outside. "Those people? Strong-looking, rich, well-dressed—you?"
She crossed her arms. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Jin sighed, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the door.
Wei Mei blinked. "Hey—where are you going?"
"Out," he said.
He stepped outside.
Old Qiao noticed him first and gave a polite nod. "Good morning."
Yan Feiyu glanced up. "You're late."
Lan Xue smiled apologetically. "We didn't have your number, so we thought it was better to wait."
Zhou Kang looked around, hands on his hips. "So this is where you live? Huh… looks kinda shabby."
Bonk.
Lan Xue knocked him on the head immediately. "Enough."
Zhou Kang yelped. "What?! I didn't mean it like that!"
Jin looked at them, expression flat. "Why are you all here this early?"
Old Qiao smiled faintly. "You said you'd come."
From the doorway, Wei Mei stared at the scene—mouth slightly open, eyes darting between Jin and the group.
"…You weren't joking," she muttered.
Jin paused, finally glancing back.
"I'm going to train," he said quietly. "Tell Mom I'll be late."
Wei Mei blinked, then nodded. "OK."
Jin didn't say anything else.
"Let's go."
The cars started up one by one, engines humming low.
And the neighbors watched in silence as Jin climbed into one of them.
The cars stopped near a barren stretch of land.
Cracked stone. Scattered black fragments. The air felt heavy, like gravity itself was uneven.
Zhou Kang stepped out first and looked around.
"…This place again?"
Mu Chen stretched lazily. "Let me guess. Another 'totally normal' unique dungeon that's about to ruin our day."
Jin glanced at the dungeon entrance, frowning slightly. "It doesn't feel unstable like yesterday."
"No mutation signs. Energy flow's clean."
Zhou Kang shot him a look. "So it's safe?"
"As safe as a unique dungeon gets," Jin replied.
Yan Feiyu crossed her arms, observing the dungeon.
Old Qiao stayed near the car, not moving. "I'll wait outside this time."
Zhou Kang blinked. "Wait, really?"
Old Qiao smiled. "Training, remember?"
Feiyu nodded once. "That's fine. Let's not drag this out."
They stepped into the dungeon.
[ Dungeon Entry Confirmed ]
Dungeon Name: Meteorfall Crater
Tier: Unique
Participants: 6
Clear Condition: Defeat the Dungeon Boss
The dungeon interior resembled a collapsed impact zone.
Broken ground. Floating rocks. Dim red light leaking from beneath the terrain.
Lan Xue looked around. "Meteorite Golem dungeon."
Han Rui adjusted his stance. "Defense-heavy. Aim for joints or core."
Zhou Kang cracked his knuckles. "Finally, something I can punch properly."
The first golems emerged.
They didn't stop.
Han Rui took point immediately, stepping into the golems' advance instead of waiting. He controlled their movement, forcing them into narrow paths.
Zhou Kang followed, punches landing with purpose instead of wild swings. Stone shattered at the joints.
Mu Chen appeared and vanished between attacks, cutting glowing seams before the golems could stabilize.
Lan Xue's healing flowed steadily—no panic, no overuse.
Jin stayed behind them.
"Left one's core destabilizing."
"Back right—collapse in two seconds."
"Don't waste energy on that one."
Each call came early.
Every time a golem fell, Jin was already there.
Hand on stone.
Devour.
Zhou Kang glanced back once. "You sure you're not even a little tired?"
Jin shrugged. "I'm barely fighting."
Mu Chen smirked. "That's the scary part."
They moved faster.
No one waited.
No one overextended.
By the time larger fused golems formed, the team adjusted without discussion.
Han Rui held.
Zhou Kang broke armor.
Mu Chen opened paths.
Lan Xue maintained rhythm.
Feiyu only stepped in when it mattered.
Clean.
Efficient.
The ground dipped sharply ahead.
Boss chamber.
A massive figure rose from the center—Meteorite Golem Colossus. Its core glowed deep within its chest, gravity warping around it.
[ Boss Encounter Initiated ]
Target: Meteorite Golem Colossus
Rank: Unique
Threat Level: High
Zhou Kang squinted. "Big."
Mu Chen tilted his head. "Still slow."
Feiyu raised her hand. "Same plan. End it fast."
Han Rui engaged first, anchoring the colossus' movement.
Zhou Kang followed, focused strikes breaking outer layers.
Mu Chen slipped in, struck once, and vanished.
The core shielding flickered.
Feiyu didn't hesitate.
She condensed her fire—not wide, not flashy.
One shot.
The core shattered.
The colossus froze.
Then collapsed in place.
[ Boss Defeated ]
Meteorite Golem Colossus — Eliminated
Dungeon Clear Condition Fulfilled
Jin walked forward immediately.
Hand on stone.
Devour.
Lan Xue exhaled. "That was… fast."
Zhou Kang grinned. "Way better than yesterday."
Feiyu nodded slightly. "We're improving."
[ Dungeon Cleared ]
Rewards Calculating…
Dungeon Collapse Initiated
The dungeon began destabilizing.
No one lingered.
They turned and left together.
Outside, Old Qiao raised an eyebrow. "Already?"
Zhou Kang laughed. "Told you we didn't need you today."
Jin glanced back once at the collapsing dungeon.
This pace was right.
They got back into the cars, already talking about the next run.
They didn't stop.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of movement, short rests, and clean executions.
Unique dungeon.
Break.
Another unique dungeon.
Break.
Rare dungeon clusters in between.
No mutations.
No complications.
The team moved like a machine now.
Han Rui controlled space.
Zhou Kang broke lines.
Mu Chen eliminated priority targets.
Lan Xue kept everyone stable without strain.
Yan Feiyu finished bosses decisively.
Jin barely fought.
He warned.
He sensed.
He devoured.
By the time the sun dipped low, even Zhou Kang had stopped bragging.
They finished three unique dungeons and several rare-tier ones before finally calling it.
That night, they gathered at a quiet rest area near the testing city.
Lan Xue stretched, leaning back against a bench. "So… tomorrow's the NCEE."