The main hall was the temple's central sanctum. Its architecture and ornamentation had once been the most exquisite, but unfortunately, it was now nothing more than a dilapidated ruin. The statues and idols once enshrined within were long destroyed, their forms unrecognizable amidst the wreckage.

As Gu Chen and his party stepped inside, a faint black mist began to rise from the floor and walls. Moments later, heavy footsteps echoed from the deeper recesses of the hall. Thump! THUMP! The ambient light dimmed noticeably, and a slight tremor ran through the floor. An immensely powerful aura, stronger than anything they'd felt yet, began to slowly advance towards them.

Lin Yuan instinctively scrambled up onto the remains of a large bust, perching on its broken shoulder to get clear of the immediate combat zone. Seeing his action, the others quickly followed suit, seeking elevated positions away from the center of the hall. While the main hall was spacious, there was no telling where additional guards might suddenly appear. For a competent Actor, the number one rule was always: stay clear of the fighting.

Gu Chen wasn't idle either; with his significantly boosted attributes, he easily scaled a nearby standing pillar, reaching its top. From this vantage point, he had a commanding overview of the entire hall.

From the rear of the hall, a towering figure, nearly three meters tall, charged out first.

[Otherworldly Race: Sunken Guard] [Level: LV.5] [HP: 2900] [Attributes: Strength 48, Agility 29, Constitution 48, Spirit 37] [Skill I: Sword of Oath] [Skill II: Final Judgment]

A Level 5 Guard! Nearly three thousand HP! The massive figure brandished its black longsword and charged directly at Dracula.

Dracula didn't hesitate, raising his pistols and opening fire. Even the bullets from his basic attacks packed a serious punch, striking the charging guard's head repeatedly. BANG! BANG! BANG!... Dracula's Agility was now over 60, likely higher than even a well-geared Level 5 Assassin. Within the span of a single breath, he emptied both clips, instantly shaving off a fifth of the guard's health.

He seamlessly transitioned into a skill. The high-explosive round from [Fatal Shot] screamed from the barrel like a silver lightning strike, burying itself deep between the guard's eyes. It didn't cause the head to explode this time, but the guard's HP instantly dropped to the halfway point. Just like with the Level 4 Guard, the massive damage to the head triggered a stun effect. The charging guard froze mid-stride.

Without pause, Dracula activated [Crimson Feast]. Blood-red energy surged from his form, swirling violently as it slammed into the stunned guard's chest. The initial damage burst erupted, immediately followed by the secondary bonus damage proc. CRUNCH! The guard's frame shuddered violently one last time as its health bar emptied, and it exploded into a shower of dark gore.

[Killed Sunken Guard LV.5, EXP +113]

"Badass!" Perched on the statue's shoulder, Lin Yuan's face was filled with sheer amazement. The guides had also described this Level 5 Guard. The recommended strategy was careful kiting, given its nearly 3000 HP and almost 50 Strength. Getting caught by it likely meant a swift team wipe. Yet Dracula had effortlessly dispatched it with a combination of basic attacks and skills, not even giving the guard a chance to use one of its own abilities. At this moment, fancy footwork, kiting tactics—all seemed utterly insignificant in the face of such overwhelming power. Lin Yuan sighed internally. An Epic-tier summon... it truly was monstrously powerful. Forget Li Wenhui; even the most lauded genius in all of Lincheng probably couldn't replicate that feat.

Now that the Level 5 Guard was dead, the wave of lesser guards that were supposed to accompany it finally began to spawn. From all directions, emerging from unexpected alcoves and shadowy corners, came more corpses clad in chilling black armor. BANG! The very first guard to emerge took barely a step before its head exploded from a gunshot. BANG! BANG! BANG... Wielding his twin pistols, Dracula stood amidst the dozens of spawning guards, firing relentlessly. No guard managed to get within three meters of him; the instant one approached, its head would detonate. The speed at which he dispatched them was simply appalling. This truly was a crimson feast in every sense.

By the time the last guard fell, a level-up notification flashed before Gu Chen's eyes.

[Level Up!] [Level: LV.4 (1/680)] [Strength: 47] [Agility: 46] [Constitution: 48] [Spirit: 49] [Summon: Dracula LV.4 (Epic ★)] [Talent—You can now obtain one Dark Bloodline.]

Excitement flashed across Gu Chen's face. This wave of monsters was clear, no need to hesitate—activate talent!

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

It can promote a Progenitor Bloodline? Excellent! So it seems Royal Bloodline corresponds to Legendary-tier, Progenitor to Epic-tier, and Descendant to Rare-tier.

Gu Chen was tempted to immediately promote Dracula to Legendary-tier, but on second thought, that might not be the wisest move. At Level 5, just one level away, he could contract a second summon. If he used the Royal Bloodline on Dracula now, and then only received a Descendant Bloodline at Level 5, the potential quality of his second summon would be significantly limited (likely ending up Rare-tier). Conversely, if he saved the Royal Bloodline, even if he only received a Descendant Bloodline at Level 5, he could use the Royal one on his second summon. That way, he would have one Epic-tier summon (Dracula) and one Legendary-tier summon. His overall combat power would skyrocket. As for the hypothetical Descendant Bloodline from Level 5, he could still use it for a Bloodline Awakening (like he did for Dracula at Level 2), further enhancing one of his summons.

Therefore, to be prudent, Gu Chen decided to hold onto the Royal Bloodline for now.

Even without using the bloodline immediately, the level up itself provided Dracula with a significant boost.

[Dracula (Epic ★)] [Level: LV.4 (Matches Summoner Level)] [HP: 5620] [Attributes: Strength 70, Agility 74, Constitution 72, Spirit 71]

Since reaching Level 3, Dracula had killed a total of 12 Level 1 Guards, 7 Level 2 Guards, 2 Level 3 Guards, and 1 Level 5 Guard. Therefore, of his 5620 total HP, 220 points came from his enhanced [Blood Progeny Instinct] talent (22 kills * 10 HP/kill). While only 10 HP per kill, it added up over time. Besides the HP increase, the level up also granted Dracula +12 to all his attributes. With these enhanced attributes, his basic attack damage, skill effectiveness, attack speed, and other derived stats all improved.

Now, Dracula's casual shots could instantly kill Level 2 Guards. [Fatal Shot] was sufficient to one-shot Level 3 Guards. The 'Mozambique Drill' technique would now be reserved for Level 4 Guards. And chaining his two skills allowed him to eliminate a Level 5 Guard almost instantly. Within this Novice Dungeon, Dracula had become the undisputed pinnacle of combat power—terrifyingly strong.

A spark of battle intent lit Gu Chen's eyes. Just as he prepared to advance again, he noticed Dracula had ceased his assault. The main hall was empty; the entire wave of spawned guards had been exterminated.

Simultaneously, Lin Yuan, Lin Qingqing, and the others hopped down from their perches on the broken statues. Wu Ziyi stepped forward. "That's the first wave cleared. We wait fifteen minutes now, then the second wave of guards will spawn alongside the final BOSS. Kill the BOSS, and the dungeon's cleared." Despite Wu Ziyi's smug attitude, it couldn't be denied he had diligently studied the dungeon guides.

Lin Yuan asked nonchalantly, "So, we just hang around here and wait now?"

Wu Ziyi ignored Lin Yuan, turning instead to Gu Chen. "After we clear this run, the higher difficulties unlock. You'll be going straight for Hell Mode next, right?"

The Novice Dungeon featured four difficulty settings: Normal, Hard, Nightmare, and Hell. Clearing these difficulties typically corresponded to achieving A-rank, S-rank, SS-rank, and SSS-rank evaluations, respectively. As per regulations, only after achieving an S-rank clear (by beating Hard Mode) could one select Nightmare (SS) or Hell (SSS) difficulty.

Gu Chen nodded. "Yeah. No point wasting time. Next run, I'll select Hell Mode and go straight for the SSS evaluation."

Wu Ziyi nodded slowly, then asked cautiously, "So... can you carry me next time too?"

Gu Chen considered for a moment, then shook his head.

"You won't?" Wu Ziyi looked crestfallen.

"It's hard to say," Gu Chen replied noncommittally.