Chapter 38: Chapter 38: The Dark Zombie Overlord
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Smash! Interrupted!
Boom! Attack!
Whoosh! Dodge!
The flawless coordination between Zhang Yue and Su Jinyan, paired with their precise actions, steadily whittled down the boss's health bar. Their skills were so impressive that the gathered members of the Supreme Guild were left speechless.
"They're taking on a 3-star boss by themselves? That's insane!"
"Who's that girl? She's not only beautiful but also has such incredible skills. If only I had a girlfriend like her."
"I heard she's Su Jinyan, the second young lady of the Su family. She's a well-known beauty in Linhai City. I also heard that she awakened a unique class three years ago and recently broke past her profession's limits, becoming an epic-tier core class: the Forbidden Mage."
"An epic-tier class? No wonder she's so strong. Her skills keep controlling the boss—how overpowered is that?"
Watching her, Liu Yao couldn't help but show admiration. "Impressive. Really impressive. I need to find a way to recruit her into the Supreme Guild."
Nearby, his assistant, Supreme Carefree, was puzzled. "Brother Yao, she's the second young lady of the Su family…"
Even so, everyone's focus was primarily on Zhang Yue.
A 3-star boss at this stage was virtually unbeatable.
Yet Zhang Yue was not only holding his own but showcasing such remarkable moves that it sent chills down the spines of those watching.
"How is this Beast Master fighting like a warrior?"
"Gotta admit, his moves are incredible. Now I understand why our guild leader is so determined to recruit him."
On the battlefield, under the near-flawless cooperation of Zhang Yue and Su Jingyan, the boss's health finally dropped below 1%.
But at that moment, Zhang Yue stopped his assault.
Su Jinyan looked puzzled. "What's wrong, Zhang Yue? Why aren't you finishing off the boss?"
"I'm the hidden realm's activator," Zhang Yue said, his gaze fixed on the boss.
As soon as she heard that, Su Jingyan seemed to understand. She raised her staff and cast two quick spells.
Boom! Boom!
A fireball and a stream of light struck the boss, dealing a modest 50 to 60 points of damage and depleting the last 0.1% of its health.
Boom!
The colossal body of the Dark Zombie Overlord collapsed to the ground.
Instantly—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Golden light burst across the field as nearly half of the two hundred Supreme Guild members leveled up on the spot.
In the otherworld, dungeon rules dictate that as long as a party completes the prerequisite tasks, everyone who contributes to killing the dungeon boss is considered to have cleared the dungeon and receives the guaranteed kill experience.
Of course, anyone who exits the dungeon early doesn't count.
As a 17th-level 3-star boss, the Dark Zombie Overlord awarded a staggering 40,000 experience points. Even at the 30% base reward, that still meant 12,000 points of experience for everyone.
Zhang Yue, being the primary contributor to the battle, received the maximum 80% of the battle's experience: a whopping 32,000 points.
Su Jingyan, who delivered the finishing blow, received an additional 20%, though her overall contribution was lower than Zhang Yue's. She ended up with 71% of the total experience.
And as soon as the boss was slain, a loud system notification echoed across the region—
[Area Announcement (Notting City): Ding! Congratulations to the player [Su Yan] for being the first to clear the hidden 15th-level dungeon [Dark Corpse Nest], earning the reward [Level 15 Dungeon Scroll] +1.]
The moment the announcement appeared, the chat channels of Notting City exploded with discussions about Su Jinyan:
"Su Yan? Isn't that the second young lady of the Su family, who recently awakened an epic-tier class?"
"Epic-tier classes are on another level."
"I've heard about her beauty for years, but now that she's broken free of her cursed physique, she really is both talented and beautiful."
"I wonder what kind of guy could be worthy of such a girl…"
As casual players in Notting City buzzed with gossip, Chen Jun shamelessly took the opportunity to promote himself in the chat: "Su Yan is one of the main members of our Yan Yu Guild. See? This is the power of our guild."
That's when Liu Yao joined the chat: "Pah! Have some self-respect! Weren't you the one who was running for your life in the dungeon earlier?"
"And what does any of this have to do with you?"
What followed was an inevitable back-and-forth battle of insults between the two:
[Yan Yu Guild, General]: "F*ck you! If you hadn't shown up and interfered, the dungeon would've been mine! So what if you've got money?"
[Supreme Star]: "Bingo! That's exactly it. I've got money, and I'm not afraid to use it."
[Yan Yu Guild, General]: "You think you're rich? The Chen family's assets are worth billions."
[Supreme Star]: "Don't compare your entire fortune to my pocket change."
[Yan Yu Guild, General]: "Liu Yao, mark my words, one day I'll take you down."
[Supreme Star]: "Come on, then! I'll be waiting."
…
Back in the dungeon, the Dark Corpse Nest.
Besides the first-clear reward, all other dungeon participants received their basic completion rewards based on their performance: a piece of 1- to 2-star equipment, one to five silver coins, and 1,000 to 2,000 units of energy.
Zhang Yue received a 2-star [Mage's Hat] at level 15.
To be honest, Zhang Yue wasn't particularly satisfied with this reward.
After all, he'd originally set his sights on the 20th-level Death's Grave dungeon, hoping for a 3-star piece of equipment there.
Although the Dark Corpse Nest was upgraded to a rare hidden dungeon, Zhang Yue, as its activator, wouldn't receive the coveted scroll reward for the first clear. Even though he'd cleared the hidden dungeon, it wasn't as meaningful for him.
Apart from the hidden dungeon activation reward—50 silver coins—he essentially only completed an ordinary version of the dungeon.
The real difference between a normal and hidden dungeon lay in the scroll reward.
Zhang Yue had forfeited the Death's Grave dungeon solely for the Golden Secret Token, which allowed him to alter the Dark Corpse Nest's permissions and deal with Chen Jun.
In the end, though, Chen Jun had managed to escape.
But still, it was worth it.
To Zhang Yue's surprise, a rare low-chance event occurred—the dungeon lord had gone berserk and evolved into a 3-star boss.
And a 3-star boss was far more valuable than any 20th-level dungeon.
Standing over the Dark Zombie Overlord's body, Zhang Yue began collecting his spoils.
And the loot from a 3-star boss did not disappoint.
Zhang Yue gained 182 silver coins, one 3-star piece of equipment, two 2-star pieces, two skill books, and a regular pet egg.
There were also several tier-3 materials.
Turning to Su Jinyan, Zhang Yue began dividing the spoils. "We got 182 silver coins—let's split them. The 3-star equipment is for Beast Masters, so I'll keep it. The two 2-star items are yours. One skill book each. I'll take the pet egg. The materials are yours."
Zhang Yue knew that without Su Jinyan's support, he wouldn't have been able to take down the boss alone.
So, he believed in sharing fairly—there was no point in hoarding everything.
Su Jinyan didn't argue and accepted her share of the loot.
Just as Zhang Yue was about to leave, Su Jingyan suddenly called out, "Wait"
"Take this."
When Zhang Yue turned around, he saw Su Jinyan holding out a silver scroll.
It was… the 15th-level dungeon scroll from the first-clear reward.
"The final blow on the boss should've been yours," Su Jinyan said earnestly. "You gave it up for me so I could get the scroll. It's only right that it belongs to you."
Zhang Yue took the scroll and nodded. "Thanks."
The scroll would've been wasted in Su Jinyan's hands since she couldn't use it to its full potential. But in Zhang Yue's hands, it would be invaluable.
Then, Su Jinyan bit her lip, a hint of concern flickering in her eyes. In a tentative voice, she asked, "Zhang Yue, the next time we meet… will you see me as an enemy or a friend?"
Zhang Yue's response was firm. "I'll only take responsibility for my own actions. Right now, my enemy is only Chen Jun."
"But if the rest of Yan Yu Guild insists on siding with him, I don't mind gaining a few more enemies."
Hearing this, Su Jinyan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, her bright eyes locked onto Zhang Yue, and she raised three fingers in a serious oath. "I swear, I will never side with him."
"Like you, I can't stand Chen Jun either."
With her hands clasped behind her back, Su Jinyan smiled playfully. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?"
Zhang Yue smiled back. "Right."
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