This is what I was waiting for! Gu Chen immediately activated his talent. The familiar dark light bloomed before his eyes, followed by the vein-like network of crimson light coalescing in his vision.

[You have obtained: Dark Bloodline · Descendant] [Dark Bloodline · Descendant: Can transform ordinary creatures into Dark Creatures. Can also grant Progenitor Dark Creatures a one-time Bloodline Awakening.]

"Bloodline Awakening?" Gu Chen's eyes lit up. While this Descendant Bloodline might not be as potent as the Progenitor one, it certainly wasn't a disappointment. He immediately infused the Descendant Bloodline into Dracula.

[Bloodline Awakening Successful!]

[Summon: Dracula (Epic)] [Level: LV.2 (Matches Summoner Level)] [HP: 3200] [Attributes: Strength 38, Agility 42, Constitution 40, Spirit 39] [Talents: Blood Progeny Instinct (Epic), Wrath of the Blood Shadow (Epic)] [Skill I: Fatal Shot LV.10 (Epic)] [Skill II: Crimson Feast LV.10 (Epic)]

A single Bloodline Awakening nearly doubled Dracula's HP, boosted all his attributes by 10, and granted him an additional talent.

[Wrath of the Blood Shadow: Whenever Dracula kills a target using a skill, that skill's cooldown is immediately reset.]

Holy crap! Reset on kill! As long as he landed a killing blow with a skill, its cooldown would instantly reset. That was practically a god-tier ability! Against these low-level Sunken Guards, didn't that mean basically unlimited firepower?

This all happened in the span of just a few breaths.

At Gu Chen's mental command, Dracula proceeded forward, clearing the path, with Lin Yuan and the others trailing behind. The Temple Ruins weren't massive, but the pathways within formed a complex maze. A moment's inattention could easily lead one down a dead end, wasting precious time.

After navigating past several heavily damaged statues, the party emerged into a relatively open plaza. The plaza was dilapidated; flowerbeds were crumbled beyond recognition, tangled dead weeds covered the dark earth, and the central fountain was desiccated and ruined. Further across the plaza stood a headless humanoid statue, dull gray and riddled with cracks.

Wu Ziyi surveyed the area and spoke up, "The dungeon guides mention a Level 4 Guard hidden behind that statue. It's recommended not to engage it, as fighting it will supposedly aggro additional guards."

Lin Yuan nodded in agreement. While he found Wu Ziyi's arrogance grating, he had also reviewed some dungeon guides before entering. The most prudent course of action was clearly to avoid disturbing the Level 4 Guard; engaging it would drastically increase the dungeon's difficulty. Any normal party would undoubtedly follow the guide's advice.

But Gu Chen was no ordinary Class Holder. And upon hearing that engaging the target would attract more guards, a distinct glint appeared in his eyes. Dracula had just acquired the reset-on-kill talent; how could Gu Chen possibly let such a perfect opportunity slip by?

Without warning, Dracula lashed out with a kick at the headless statue. With nearly 40 points in Strength, the blow instantly shattered the stone figure. A deep, guttural roar echoed from behind the shattered stone, and a moment later, a massive dark figure emerged from the debris.

[Otherworldly Race: Sunken Guard] [Level: LV.4] [HP: 2400] [Attributes: Strength 38, Agility 20, Constitution 40, Spirit 30] [Skill I: Sword of Oath] [Skill II: Final Judgment]

Thump! Thump!... With heavy, echoing footsteps, the Level 4 Sunken Guard lumbered into view. It was a colossal corpse encased head-to-toe in pitch-black armor. From the shadows beneath its helm, a pair of murky, lifeless eyes stared out. It strode to where the statue had stood, drew a longsword from its sheath, and pointed the ink-black blade skyward. A dark halo pulsed outwards from the sword's tip like a ripple, expanding across the plaza.

[Sword of Oath: Summons nearby Sunken Guards to attack intruders.]

Simultaneously, sounds of movement echoed from all directions as over a dozen more Sunken Guards emerged from the surrounding walls and shadowy corners.

Lin Qingqing scanned the surroundings, her face paling. "Why are there suddenly so many of them?" Su Ran cried out in alarm, "Look out! That Level 4 Guard is activating a skill!" Lin Yuan's eye twitched, and he instinctively gripped the hilt of the greatsword on his back, as if seeking reassurance from the familiar weight. Wu Ziyi, meanwhile, had already rapidly retreated towards the rear open area, putting distance between himself and the erupting battle. This situation was far beyond what a Level 1 Brawler like him could manage. Even clad in his full Superior-tier gear, he stood no chance.

"If the Novice Dungeon is already this difficult," Wu Ziyi muttered, "what must the actual Abyss be like?" As Wu Ziyi spoke, Lin Yuan and the girls also backed away cautiously.

"No wonder nobody wanted to team up with us earlier," Lin Yuan said grimly. "Now I see why. Even ten of me probably couldn't take down that Level 4 Sunken Guard." "2400 HP, 38 Strength, and it can summon backup? How is any Level 1 supposed to deal with that?" Looking at the massive figure encased in chilling black armor, Lin Yuan couldn't even muster the thought of fighting back. It was too terrifying! Even his strongest attack would probably feel like mere scratching against that thing.

Lin Qingqing nodded emphatically. "If I'd known the Level 4 Guard was this monstrous, I absolutely wouldn't have joined this party." Lin Yuan managed a wry smile. "Yeah, well, if it wasn't for Old Gu here, we'd probably all bite the dust today." Hearing this, the corners of Lin Qingqing's mouth turned up slightly, a wave of relief washing over her. Su Ran remained silent, but a bright sparkle lit up her beautiful eyes.

While the Level 4 Sunken Guard was formidable, it was still visibly inferior compared to Dracula. The figure in dark red moved like a phantom, weaving through the dozen summoned guards. Fire spat from the muzzles of the black and silver hand cannons, and with each deafening report, another guard fell. Combined with the reset-on-kill effect from [Wrath of the Blood Shadow], there was practically no cooldown. Within moments, a large number of the lesser guards lay dead.

"Thank goodness our leader is a Summoner!" Lin Qingqing exclaimed, still looking at the Level 4 Guard's terrifying stats. "Any normal Level 1 party would probably get team-wiped by that thing!"

"Not necessarily," Gu Chen's voice suddenly came from beside them. "A standard party with a solid Warrior, a Paladin, and a Priest could handle a Level 4 Sunken Guard well enough. It would just take them considerably longer."

Lin Qingqing paid little attention to his explanation, instead asking with a puzzled look, "Why are you back here with us?" Gu Chen smiled. "Bit too chaotic over there. Don't want to get caught in the crossfire." Su Ran chimed in, "Weren't you supposed to be the one killing the monsters?" Gu Chen gestured towards Dracula, who was efficiently dispatching the last few guards. "He is killing them."

Lin Qingqing and Su Ran exchanged glances, their expressions growing increasingly perplexed. It was perfectly normal for them, as Actors, to stay clear of the fighting. But they hadn't expected the party leader, Gu Chen, to retreat back here with them. Su Ran looked at him with wide, uncomprehending eyes. "So... you just command your summon to fight, and you don't actually battle yourself?" Gu Chen shrugged. "Isn't that how Summoners work?"

Hmm, seems logical enough, Su Ran nodded, yet she still felt vaguely disconcerted. This is Hard Mode? This feels way too easy!

Gu Chen casually sat down on the edge of a broken flowerbed, watching the ongoing fight in the plaza as his experience bar steadily climbed. [Killed Sunken Guard LV.1, EXP +8] [Killed Sunken Guard LV.1, EXP +9] [Killed Sunken Guard LV.1, EXP +9] ...

After leveling up, the damage from [Fatal Shot] had increased significantly. Even without a headshot, Dracula could now obliterate a guard's torso with a single bullet for an instant kill. Coupled with the skill reset effect, all the summoned reinforcements were eliminated within tens of seconds.

Surveying the carnage of its fallen brethren, the Level 4 Sunken Guard finally stirred to action. It let out a guttural roar, and the ink-black longsword it wielded suddenly erupted with a blinding, dark radiance. Skill [Final Judgment] activated! A colossal blade formed of black energy materialized high above and plummeted down like a bolt of black lightning, aimed straight for Dracula's head.