In the common perception, those who advanced to the Summoner class were typically nobles backed by significant resources. Thus, the moment Gu Chen appeared, nearly everyone's gaze fixed on him with burning interest.

However, it didn't take long for a few students from Lincheng First High School to recognize him. "Isn't that Gu Chen? How did he end up as a Summoner?" "A commoner? Daring to be a Summoner? He must have some absolute trash summon." "Tch. What business does a commoner have playing Summoner?" "What a downer. Got excited over nothing."

Within moments, the burning interest in the crowd's eyes shifted to contempt and disdain. Once Gu Chen's commoner status became known, any interest in teaming up with him vanished. A commoner Summoner offered virtually zero damage output yet would still consume a share of the experience points. Teaming up with one was just asking to be dragged down. Even acts of charity had their limits.

Gu Chen hadn't actually intended to join a team anyway. Just as he started towards the dungeon entrance, a voice suddenly called out from the crowd. "Gu Chen!"

Hearing his name, Gu Chen turned to see a tall boy approaching him. Lin Yuan came up and clapped Gu Chen on the shoulder in surprise. "Hey! It really is you! Where'd you disappear to this last month?"

Gu Chen didn't have many friends at school; Lin Yuan was one of the few. "Nowhere special. Just dealing with some personal stuff," Gu Chen replied vaguely.

Lin Yuan sized Gu Chen up, looking puzzled. "Seriously, man, why become a Summoner? You can barely feed yourself, how are you going to feed a summoned creature?" Lin Yuan himself had become a Swordsman, a class heavily reliant on equipment, focusing on single-target attacks and burst damage—a decent choice for a commoner.

Gu Chen just smiled. "It was the only class available."

Lin Yuan sighed but didn't press further, though undisguised worry creased his features. Gu Chen changed the subject. "Why aren't you heading into the dungeon? Your class shouldn't be hard to find a team for, right?"

Lin Yuan shrugged. "Hah, finding a team isn't the problem. It's the lack of decent gear." "You know Li Wenhui, the president of the honors class? Showed up today decked out in a full set of Rare-tier Knight armor! Holy hell! When he goes in there, he's just going to absolutely massacre everything!"

The quality tiers for equipment and items followed the same system as summon potential (Common, Uncommon, Superior, Rare, Epic, Legendary). Rare-tier was already considered fairly high quality. The standard Knight starter set comprised seven pieces: Longsword, Shield, Armor (Chestplate), Pauldrons, Greaves, Boots, and Gauntlets. Don't underestimate such a seven-piece set; an ordinary family likely couldn't afford it even if they saved their entire lives.

Lin Yuan carefully took out a Superior-grade greatsword and began wiping it meticulously. "Just traded my teleport scroll for this beauty. Whether I make it into an academy or end up working in a factory... it all rides on this." Without a teleport scroll, it meant he had no escape route once inside the dungeon. He was literally betting his life! But it couldn't be helped. For someone born at the bottom, failing to risk everything meant having absolutely no chance to improve one's station in life.

Lin Yuan slung the greatsword onto his back and asked hesitantly, "How about... I carry you through?"

Gu Chen gave Lin Yuan an odd look. With his current combat power, did he really need someone to carry him through the Novice Dungeon? But then again, he recalled the Novice Dungeon had a five-person party limit. More members meant higher difficulty, but also proportionally increased experience gains. He had initially planned to solo the dungeon for maximum speed leveling. However, comparing the potential gains, it seemed teaming up might actually result in higher overall experience.

"You still have a team?" Gu Chen asked, surprised.

"Yeah, Li Wenhui's the leader. I had to pay him fifty thousand coins and agree to hand over any items or gear I find inside before he'd let me join." "Hang on, I'll ask Li Wenhui to pull you into the party too."

"Ask him to invite me?"

"Don't worry, I'll talk to him now. If he won't add you, I'll just quit the party." Lin Yuan quickly sent a message to Li Wenhui, requesting Gu Chen be added to the party. Moments later, he received a notification.

[Li Wenhui has rejected your request and removed you from the party.]

"Fuck! He kicked me out! Just for asking to add one person? Damn it..." Lin Yuan's face instantly crumpled.

Gu Chen sighed. It was just as he'd expected. A Swordsman armed only with a basic greatsword and a commoner Summoner—a typical party might tolerate one, but taking both? Any team willing to accept both of them would need a leader who was practically a god-tier professional booster.

"We'll recruit our own team then," Gu Chen said decisively. "Just advertise: Summoner looking for four teammates, aiming for SSS-rank clear."

Lin Yuan stared. "Are you messing with me?"

An SSS-rank evaluation granted bonus points for the academy entrance exams. Those bonus points weren't trivial; the academy exams were fiercely competitive, like thousands vying to cross a narrow bridge. A single point could mean overtaking tens of thousands of other candidates. If a team could secure an SSS-rank clear in the Novice Dungeon, their odds of getting accepted into a higher academy would increase dramatically. It could even lead to direct admission offers. Coincidentally, Lincheng First High School actually had one guaranteed admission slot to the prestigious Shangjing Academy available based on dungeon performance.

Facing Lin Yuan's skepticism, Gu Chen just smiled faintly. "Just say whether you trust me or not."

Lin Yuan hesitated, his expression conflicted, but ultimately, he chose to trust Gu Chen. Taking a deep breath, he shouted to the surrounding crowd, "Expert Summoner looking for four teammates! Aiming for an SSS-rank clear! Anyone hoping for direct academy admission, now's your chance!"

His words immediately caused a stir in the crowd. "An expert Summoner? Who is it?" "Going for an SSS rank?" "Since when did Lincheng have a genius like that?" "For real or fake?"

"Just asked around. It's that kid from Lincheng First High. A commoner Summoner. LMAO." "Pfft! Him, aiming for SSS? If he even manages a passing grade, I'll eat my own shoes!" "Is this guy completely delusional? Does he look like he has the power to attempt an SSS rank?" "He's probably just so bad that no one will team up with him, so he's pulling this stunt for attention." "Him? You'd have to be brain-dead to team up with that guy..." ...

Murmurs spread through the crowd, but not a single person stepped forward to join them. Especially once the details about Gu Chen and Lin Yuan circulated, absolutely no one believed they stood a chance. Some even sarcastically dubbed the pair the "Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix," joking that any normal team unfortunate enough to get even one of them could kiss their hopes of success goodbye. If a team somehow ended up with both of them, they shouldn't even bother waiting for the exams—they might as well resign themselves to factory work immediately.

"Damn it! That's going too far!" Lin Yuan fumed, listening to the relentless mockery. Before today, Lin Yuan hadn't realized the term "Sleeping Dragon and Young Phoenix" could be used so sarcastically.

Lin Yuan shot an angry glare at the surrounding crowd. "Forget it! No point wasting time on these morons. Looks like professional jobs require actual professionals."

"Professionals?" Gu Chen echoed, looking puzzled.