After having a simple meal with Zhou Ling, Lu Yuan had planned on exploring Sum Nation with her.

However, because she received an urgent training mission, she had no choice but to rush off.

As soon as Zhou Ling left, Lu Yuan immediately received a friend request from "Uranium Light Knife" Song Cong.

"Accept." Lu Yuan tapped lightly, and Song Cong, who had just been added, immediately sent an invitation to meet for a detailed chat.

The location was—

The New Creation Bar...

Blinking, Lu Yuan hailed a rental flyer and rushed to the meeting place arranged with Song Cong.

「 」

BOOM BOOM—BOOM—

Intense electronic music seeped through the thick, soundproof walls, bringing waves of subtle, muffled sounds.

Lu Yuan sat in a room where all four walls were decorated with various stone artifacts.

Across from him was a man who looked to be in his early thirties. He had an unusually erect posture and was very handsome. From time to time, silver-white bands of light would illuminate the backs of his hands, his neck, and his cheeks.

The first impression Song Cong gave was akin to a drawn military knife—sharp and cold.

"I thought the vibe here would be more relaxing. I didn't expect it to be so noisy even during the day..."

A hint of helplessness touched Song Cong's handsome face as he poured Lu Yuan a glass of a pale golden alcoholic beverage, his eyes questioning.

Lu Yuan nodded slightly, not refusing, and took a small sip from the glass before him.

In another month, he would be eighteen by traditional age, legally old enough to drink alcohol. But he only took a small taste, noting the fiery hint of alcohol before putting the glass down. He still missed those leisurely times with Old Liu in the bamboo forest of Linghe Pavilion, each with a bottle of soda, just idly chatting. Speaking of which, he wondered how Old Liu was doing now...

Song Cong also took a sip from his glass, then began, "Zhou Ling should have sent you the profiles of the squad members, right?"

"Yeah, I saw them," Lu Yuan nodded.

Song Cong said, "This squad is being formed temporarily to conquer the last few S-level unexplored points in the Lament Ruins. The captain, Xie Jun, is very strong in both power and ability, and he has extensive experience exploring Secret Realms. With him leading you, the danger of your first exploration will be significantly reduced..."

Lu Yuan said nothing.

Song Cong thought for a moment, then continued, "I know you're very strong and probably don't think much of a mere S-level Secret Realm. But some dangers aren't just what you see on the surface..."

"What are you referring to?" Lu Yuan asked calmly.

"The Lament Ruins," Song Cong replied. "According to official records, the Lament Ruins is just an ordinary S-level Secret Realm. But in fact, when it was first discovered, its rating was SS+."

"What?!" Lu Yuan's expression flickered with surprise.

This was indeed information not included in the link Lan Chen had sent him.

"...The Lament Ruins is a special Secret Realm. Initially, its danger level was indeed SS+, housing more than one Walker Level ancient Evil God. But later, for some unknown reason, these Walker Level entities all retreated, hiding in a small area in the deepest part of the Lament Ruins. And so far, they have not reappeared. Consequently, the subsequent exploration of the Lament Ruins proceeded smoothly, and its rating was repeatedly lowered, eventually being classified as an ordinary S-level."

Song Cong spoke seriously, "This information is only known to the veterans in the Secret God Group. There are many such pieces of classified information. The squad Xie Jun has formed is full of such veterans. By accompanying them into the Secret Realm this time, you might gain more than you would from venturing in alone ten times..."

Downgraded from SS+ to S-level... I genuinely didn't know about that... Lu Yuan's eyes flickered as he mulled over the information Song Cong had just revealed.

Song Cong then added, "...Of course, since you're a newcomer, you might get a slightly smaller share of the exploration profits if you join their squad."

Perhaps fearing Lu Yuan might be dissatisfied, Song Cong quickly added, "But it won't be a significant loss. Actually, for a newcomer's first time in a Secret Realm, the gains are secondary. The primary goal is to understand and familiarize yourself with the entire exploration process..."

Lu Yuan squinted, thinking quietly for a moment.

Song Cong watched him.

Only when Lu Yuan said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Elder Song," did Song Cong's face relax into a smile. He nodded and said, "It's a small matter, no trouble at all. After all, with you joining, Xie Jun and the others will certainly have a greater chance of completing the mission... I'll send you his contact information now."

"Okay," Lu Yuan didn't refuse.

The atmosphere in the private room gradually became more relaxed and casual.

「 」

In a simple, spacious room, five figures were either standing or sitting.

"Xie Jun, what's the meaning of this?!" A woman with an ordinary face and one side of her head shaven slammed the table, shouting indignantly at the aloof man standing in their midst. "We're entering the Secret Realm tomorrow, and you're telling us now that you want to add someone at the last minute? And it's some unheard-of newcomer?! I disagree. If you add him, I'm out."

"I also think it's inappropriate." Next to her, a middle-aged man with short, steel-spike-like hair frowned. "We've been planning this assault for nearly half a year. Adding someone now not only dilutes everyone's share of the profits but also potentially reduces our success rate and increases the risk... If the entire plan fails because of a newcomer, who will bear the loss?"

"I will," the aloof man in the center said calmly.

The other four were stunned. Soon, someone couldn't help but ask, "Xie, what's your relationship with this newcomer? Why are you looking out for him so much? Is he your long-lost illegitimate son?"

Xie Jun shot a cold glance at the mocker. "I have no relationship with him. It's just that I can't refuse Song, who recommended him."

"Uranium Light Knife, Song Cong?"

"Mmmhmm." Xie Jun nodded. "Song Cong saved my life. It's rare for him to ask a favor, so I couldn't turn him down."

The others fell silent for a moment. The woman with the half-shaven head, who had objected first, spoke again, "That's your business. Song Cong didn't save our lives. If you want to repay his favor, don't do it at our expense."

Xie Jun looked at her and said calmly, "I know. That's why I plan to contribute an additional eight percent from my own share to compensate everyone."

At these words, everyone's expression changed. Based on their prior estimates for this mission, an extra two percent each was a considerable sum.

"You're certainly generous..." someone said, their tone already softening.

Another couldn't help but ask, "Xie, do you have any information on the newcomer? What's his strength, his background? What could make Song Cong use such a big favor for him?"

The others, equally curious, all looked at Xie Jun.

Xie Jun shook his head. "My clearance level isn't high enough to access it, and Song wouldn't say more. What I know is this: 17 years old, Gold Bear, codename 'Divine Blood,' estimated strength around S class. No New Martial abilities or cybernetic enhancements, no completed mission records, no Secret Realm exploration experience whatsoever..."

"Damn, a complete rookie. His backing must be incredibly deep..." someone exclaimed.

"No New Martial abilities, no enhancements, only seventeen, yet S class strength? How many resources must have been poured into him?!"

Someone else tutted, "Looks like he's one of *those*. His background is definitely profound..."

"Bringing a clueless princeling like him into the team, someone we'll have to constantly look after... I have a bad feeling about this trip!" One person rubbed their temples, looking exasperated.

The others wore similar expressions.

Xie Jun said, "Before we go in, I'll try my best to explain everything to him to prevent him from doing anything that could jeopardize the plan. If, despite that, the operation still fails because of him..." He paused, then added with emphasis, "Song Cong and I will bear all the losses. We'll just do another run afterward."

"And what about the wasted time and energy?..." someone muttered.

Another replied half-jokingly, "Just think of it as escorting the Crown Prince on a little jaunt into the Secret Realm. Maybe the Crown Prince will even remember our good service later..."

"Eight out of ten of his kind have their noses in the air. You'd be lucky if he doesn't look down on you. Expecting him to appreciate you? Hmph... Dream on."

They chatted idly, their words implying they had tacitly accepted the decision.

Xie Jun glanced at them, a hint of satisfaction on his face.

"Then it's settled." After a thought, his eyes glinted, and he added, "Rest assured, everyone, I will do my utmost to minimize the impact of this newcomer's inclusion on our entire operation."

The others responded noncommittally, clearly unenthusiastic. Seeing their fading morale, it seemed they were already resigned to the idea of a second expedition into the Secret Realm.

「 」

"Please present your ID card for registration..."

"Sure."

Lu Yuan stood in a small room, facing an exceptionally beautiful young woman. She wore an almost perfect smile, patiently and politely guiding him through the final procedures before entering the Secret Realm.

Seeing the Golde Bear ID Card Lu Yuan presented, the girl showed no emotional fluctuation, maintaining a professional, by-the-book expression.

Lu Yuan couldn't help but marvel. Sum Nation's technological capabilities were such that the Old City Circle couldn't even hope to compare. To think that androids could be made to this degree of realism; if one didn't look closely, it would be genuinely difficult to tell that the receptionist wasn't a real person.

"Registration complete, Gold Bear Divine Blood." The robotic girl respectfully returned Lu Yuan's Golde Bear ID Card to him and patiently instructed, "Your application to enter the S-level Secret Realm—the Lament Ruins—has been successfully filed. Information about the Lament Ruins Secret Realm and related exploration tasks have been sent to you. You can take the Fly Shuttle, arriving in half an hour, to the entrance of the Lament Ruins Secret Realm. Next, there are a few important precautions I need to remind you of.

"One, you must not approach the areas marked in red on the Secret Realm map.

"Two, during your exploration of the Secret Realm, your communication devices may lose connection with the outside world.

"Three, before entering the Secret Realm, we recommend you visit the main hall to purchase our recommended resource pack. It contains many items you may find useful..."

Lu Yuan listened patiently, then thanked the robotic girl. After receiving her polite acknowledgement, he calmly exited the room.

He was currently in the Evil God Secret Realm Task Management Center at Yellow Bear Headquarters. Yellow Bear Members were bustling about everywhere, with plenty of Red Bear members too, and even a fair number of Gold Bear-level individuals were not uncommon.

Following the robotic girl's suggestions, Lu Yuan strolled towards the main hall. In a corner, he found an automated vending machine for resource packs.

Lu Yuan carefully examined the information on the items in the recommended resource pack. He found that it primarily contained high-energy foods, drinking water, and some potions and tools that might be useful within the Secret Realm, totaling about fifty to sixty different items.

The price wasn't steep, only 100 Merit.

Lu Yuan had initially worried that too many items would be inconvenient to carry, but after purchasing one, he discovered the entire resource pack was only about a cubic foot in size. If that was still considered troublesome, one could also rent or purchase a drone specifically designed to help carry and collect items. It could be used in most environments within a Secret Realm, had a maximum load capacity of ten tons, and a battery life of up to twenty days.

How considerate.

Lu Yuan was studying these preparations before entering the Secret Realm when he suddenly noticed a new message flashing in his notifications. After opening it, his expression shifted slightly. He looked up towards the entrance of the management center's hall and soon saw a tall, imposing, and aloof figure walking towards him.

Thunder Magnetic Flying Sword... Xie Jun. Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes and remained standing where he was.

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