[You have entered the Novice Dungeon: Temple Ruins]

Moss and vines crawled over the shattered stones at their feet. Surrounding them were broken walls and crumbling, towering stone pillars. The air hung heavy with an ancient, mysterious aura.

Gu Chen stood amidst the ruins, information about the temple surfacing in his mind. According to historical records, temples were where Class Holders originated their exploration into the mysteries of class advancement; this place was believed to hide the path to higher-tier classes. However, the land where the temple once stood had long been corrupted by the Abyss. Now overrun by otherworldly races, only dilapidated ruins remained. This Novice Dungeon was a recreation of that actual site.

"So this is the legendary temple? Looks exactly like the pictures in the history books," Lin Yuan remarked, taking the greatsword off his back and gripping it with both hands, his eyes scanning the surroundings curiously.

Behind him stood the female Warrior and Assassin. Lin Qingqing, the Warrior, had a surprisingly innocent and cute face, but her physique was all muscle, standing nearly 1.9 meters tall—a veritable iron tower of a girl. Su Ran, the Assassin, was petite and lithe, staying close to Lin Qingqing like a little bird seeking shelter, their figures presenting a stark contrast.

Gu Chen gestured for Lin Yuan to put his sword away, then addressed the four around him. "Alright, I'll handle the monster killing. You guys just follow behind me, don't wander off, don't loot drops, and definitely don't try to steal kills." "That's basic Actor etiquette. Shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"No problem," Su Ran replied, then asked, "But... a Summoner aiming for an SSS rank? Are you serious?"

Gu Chen just smiled faintly. With a wave of his hand, a contract magic circle manifested automatically. A tall figure shrouded in a dark red formal robe appeared before them, instantly radiating an icy, malevolent aura.

Dracula bowed slightly to Gu Chen, performing a standard noble salute, before his cold, dark eyes swept over the others. After confirming they posed no threat, he gave a faint nod.

Lin Yuan's jaw dropped. "Holy shit, that's a summon? A humanoid one?"

Lin Qingqing and Su Ran both flinched under that piercing gaze, instinctively taking half a step back.

Only Wu Ziyi grasped the key point, his voice filled with shock. "Epic-tier! That's actually an Epic-tier summon?" He quickly checked his own average stats; even with gear bonuses, they barely passed 15. Dracula's average stats were already nearing 30, almost double his own. Didn't that mean this summon could completely dominate him?

Lin Yuan finally processed it, glanced at the summon's stats, and silently slung his greatsword back onto his back, his expression incredibly complex. An Epic-tier summon! In a small place like Lincheng, that was practically the ceiling of power.

Lin Yuan exclaimed in awe, "Wait, so you're really aiming for an SSS rank?"

Gu Chen turned back to him. "What did you think?"

Lin Yuan gave an awkward laugh. "Honestly? I thought you were messing with me."

Lin Qingqing nodded. "Me too." Su Ran added, "Me too." Gu Chen: "..."

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from behind the dilapidated main gate. Shambling out from the ruins were corpses clad in tattered armor, wielding longswords.

[Otherworldly Race: Sunken Guard] [Level: 1] [HP: 500] [Attributes: Strength 9, Agility 7, Constitution 9, Spirit 7] [Skill: Heavy Strike]

These were the warriors who had guarded the temple before the Abyss invasion. After death, they were corrupted by the Abyss, transforming into their current state. Although these were just the first wave of monsters with low stats, their numbers were significant. Seven or eight appeared at once, completely blocking their path forward.

Lin Yuan, Lin Qingqing, and the others tactfully retreated a few steps, giving Gu Chen space and entering observation mode. Gu Chen's expression was calm as he spoke a single word: "Kill."

Dracula swiftly readied his twin pistols. The large-caliber black muzzles aimed forward, and he pulled the triggers without hesitation.

[Fatal Shot: Dracula's pistols fire large-caliber high-explosive rounds. Causes critical damage when hitting an enemy's vital spot.]

BANG!

A gleaming silver high-explosive bullet instantly struck the foremost guard. Splat! The Sunken Guard's head exploded like a smashed watermelon, spraying thick, black blood everywhere.

[Killed Sunken Guard LV.1, EXP +8]

"Holy fuck!" Even the usually haughty Wu Ziyi couldn't help but curse aloud at the sight. Sure, the Sunken Guard was only a Level 1 monster, but it wasn't something a newcomer could just casually one-shot! As expected of an Epic-tier summon—the damage was insane!

Lin Qingqing and Su Ran exchanged astonished glances, then shared a knowing smile. They had truly lucked out and found an expert carry this time. Eight thousand coins per person? An absolute steal! If his summon could casually one-shot these guards, maybe they really could get an S-rank evaluation in this dungeon.

Only by achieving an S rank in Hard Mode could one unlock Hell Mode, and only by clearing Hell Mode was there a chance to obtain the coveted SSS rank.

"Awesome! He's gonna tear through them!" Lin Yuan excitedly rolled up his sleeves.

From their perspective, it seemed Dracula had just casually fired a shot and dealt terrifying damage. In reality, it was the [Fatal Shot] skill's damage bonus that allowed the one-hit kill. A normal Class Holder couldn't achieve such a result. Sunken Guards were undead creatures with high resistance to physical attacks, and coupled with their 500 HP and armor, they weren't opponents rookies could instantly kill.

The first wave consisted of 13 Sunken Guards in total. The recommended strategy involved kiting—pulling one or two monsters at a time, retreating while fighting. Clearing the wave this way typically took around forty minutes. But now? In less than a minute, Dracula had already fired three shots. Each was a headshot, instantly killing three guards in succession. If not for the skill's cooldown, the first wave would already be wiped out.

"That damage is way too high!" "Is that really a Summoner? How can they be this strong?" Lin Qingqing couldn't help but exclaim, feeling her worldview being overturned.

Wu Ziyi pursed his lips and commented dryly, "It's normal. It's mainly because the Epic-tier summon is powerful. If I had a full Epic-tier set, I could solo this dungeon myself." The implication was clear: Gu Chen was only achieving this because of his summon.

Lin Yuan sidled up with a cheeky grin. "So the question is, where's your Epic-tier set?"

Wu Ziyi froze, rendered speechless. If he had an Epic-tier set, would he be standing here? He looked at Gu Chen's back, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. An Epic-tier summon was worth a fortune! Forget him, even Li Wenhui, the honors class president, likely couldn't afford one. How did Gu Chen, a commoner, manage it?

Meanwhile, Dracula moved like a phantom, fearlessly charging forward. His [Blood Progeny Instinct] talent granted him not only superhuman physical prowess and recovery but also heightened senses. In his eyes, the guards' movements were tortoise-slow. Even when surrounded, not a single guard could touch the hem of his robe. And at such close range, every shot from Dracula struck a vital point, triggering critical damage. Each time his guns barked, another guard's head exploded.

[Killed Sunken Guard LV.1, EXP +9] [Killed Sunken Guard LV.1, EXP +7] [Killed Sunken Guard LV.1, EXP +8] ...

The guards bringing up the rear were blown away by high-explosive rounds before they even got close. With the final gunshot, the ground near the ruin entrance was littered with the sprawled corpses of guards, soaking in viscous black blood.

[Level Up!] [Level: LV.2 (6/200)] [Strength: 27] [Agility: 26] [Constitution: 28] [Spirit: 29] [Summon: Dracula LV.2 (Epic)]

Leveled up! A notification popped up, bringing a surge of joy to Gu Chen.

[Talent—You can now obtain one Dark Bloodline.]