47: Chapter 47 Two-Star Settlement

[Teleportation array activated. Evacuating Dungeon...]

[Dungeon settlement in progress...]

[Rating: S+]

[Reward: Free Attribute Points +5]

---

[hextech system settlement]

[Congratulations on clearing the Dungeon, successfully unlocking three hextech codex entries: [Attribute!], [Attribute Stacking!], and [Erosion].]

[Reward: Golden-tier hextech refresh probability increased by 1.5%; current probability is 12.5%.]

[Every five Dungeon clears, you may choose to solidify one hextech. Current progress: 2/5.]

A golden beam of light engulfed Lin Yan's figure. When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to the Training Center.

There were already quite a few people standing in the Training Center. Instructor Meng Yuan stood at the front of the line, his left leg dragging slightly on the ground, hands clasped behind his back, with two teaching assistants flanking him.

When Lin Yan returned, everyone looked at him—not because he had made a loud commotion, but because he was the last one to return.

"Register your rating." Instructor Meng Yuan raised a hand and pointed toward the verification platform in the center of the arena.

Everyone else had finished registering upon their return; only Lin Yan's Dungeon data had not yet been uploaded. He walked forward and pressed his palm onto the runic patterns on the verification platform. A cold sensation seeped into his palm.

The stone platform vibrated slightly. The runic patterns shifted from light blue to deep blue, then to a blinding red. A red beam of light shot up from the platform, and two characters appeared in the center of the beam:

[Rating: S+]

The arena went quiet for a moment.

"Another S+," someone whispered.

"The first time, we could call it luck, but the second time is harder to justify."

"Did he kill the Dungeon BOSS again?"

"Every Dungeon has a BOSS, but most people can't find them, or don't dare to touch them."

"If anyone still says Lin Yan is just lucky, I'll be the first to disagree. How come no one else does it?"

...

Far away in the 66th Safe Zone, a young girl suddenly sneezed.

"Achoo... Who's badmouthing me behind my back?"

The girl frowned slightly, sniffled her chilly nose, and muttered softly.

...

A few whispered discussions, no screaming, no disbelief. Those who could enter the Core Class were elites selected from various zones and wouldn't lose their composure, but they also understood the value of an S+ rating better—luck and strength were both indispensable.

Instructor Meng Yuan glanced at the rating on the verification platform and nodded. He showed no shock, his tone remaining flat.

"Rating valid. Return to the ranks."

When Lin Yan first entered the Core Class, he had already obtained Lin Yan's file. He knew that Lin Yan's talent was randomized, resetting to a different effect every time he entered a Dungeon.

The first S+ could have been luck, but getting another one meant that this person's random talent really had substance. He didn't press for details.

"Next, exchange your Dungeon experiences with each other," Instructor Meng Yuan said. "Not to me, but to yourselves."

The crowd dispersed a bit. Qin Chuan was the first to approach Lin Yan and ask, "Boss, what type was your Dungeon?"

"Zombie Tide."

"Holy crap, is that one of the known hardest two-star Dungeons, the one crawling with zombies?"

"Yeah."

"Still, those Dungeons have rich resources. If I could go in with you, Boss, I'd be in heaven."

Shen Xin also walked over and stood on Lin Yan's other side. She didn't ask about the rating, but glanced at his gear. "How did you kill the BOSS?"

"Just kited it a bit, then stood and fought."

...

"Boss, don't even start. Your method has no reference value," Qin Chuan said, speechless.

"Stood and fought? Lin Yan, what are your current level and panel attributes?" Shen Xin asked.

Lin Yan checked his panel. The attributes forged by the Attribute Forger had indeed been retained.

[Current Level: 14]

[Current Attributes: Constitution 102, Strength 77, Agility 40, Spirit 1, Luck 10]

[Current HP: 42035 / 42035]

[Current MP: 100 / 100]

[Physical Attack: 970]

[Magic Attack: 10]

[Physical Defense: 720]

[Magic Defense: 740]

[Speed: 630] (Bonus 40%)

[Talent: F-Rank Weak Constitution]

[Skills: Hardened Skin (Fixed reduction of 144 physical damage), Blood Burning Strike, Titan Strength (Increases physical attack by 210), Rend, Life Gift, Tyrants Body]

[Equipment: Rotten Skin Leggings Lv. 10, Wind Scale Bracers Lv. 10, Carapace Belt Lv. 5, Licker Armor Lv. 10, Fire Scale Boots Lv. 5, blood rage ring Lv. 10, lickers claw Lv. 10]

[Current EXP: 2200 / 25000]

[Free Attribute Points: 61]

[Items: Super-grade health potion ×2, Berserk Potion ×3, Advanced Health Potion ×5, intermediate health potion ×12, Intermediate Mana Potion ×2, burrowers grasp Lv. 5, bone tumor breastplate Lv. 5, iron scale legguards Lv. 5, Until Death Do Us Part: Zhao Yue Lv. 15, Until Death Do Us Part: Li Wanqing Lv. 15, Tyrant Armor Lv. 15, Tyrant Boots Lv. 15, Interdimensional Crystal ×20300, various materials, various food]

[hextech: None]

"Level 14, attributes are..."

"Ah!?"

"You're a humanoid BOSS, aren't you? No wonder you can stand and fight."

Jiang Ruoxue had walked over at some point and took over the conversation. "I know there's usually a BOSS called Tyrant in Zombie Dungeons. That must be the one you killed."

"Yes."

"The Tyrant BOSS has very balanced attributes. Not only does it have high burst and speed in its normal state, but it enters a second phase when at low health, increasing all its attributes. It's very troublesome."

"How did you deal with its second phase?"

"You have to plan ahead. Save key burst skills, and once it's at low health, use them to one-shot it."

Jiang Ruoxue nodded thoughtfully.

"Hey, hey, what do you mean 'once it's at low health, use skills to one-shot it'?" Qin Chuan scratched his hair.

"It's a two-star Dungeon! A level 12 BOSS at low health still has at least 10,000+ HP! It's impossible to talk to you big shots."

...

Instructor Meng Yuan did not participate in the discussion. He paced along the edge of the arena, the sound of his left leg dragging steady and unhurried. The teaching assistants recorded everyone's return time and Dungeon type, occasionally looking up at the discussing students without interrupting.

The exchange lasted about half an hour. Instructor Meng Yuan raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Some of you have actually reached level 10 or higher. For levels 11–20, you must enter a Dungeon at least once every month."

"You must decide your own Dungeon entry frequency based on your state and needs, but remember: in 11 months, you must have cleared at least 20 Dungeons to be eligible to apply for top universities."

"Go back and rest. Core Class benefit: Seventh Safe Zone Sanatorium, three days."

"Massage, medicinal bath, physical therapy—your choice, the Federation pays the bill. Also, the special-grade attribute potions you registered for have arrived; go pick them up yourselves. Dismissed!"

Someone in the crowd let out a whistle.

Three days of recuperation. The places bitten by zombies in the Dungeon, bones smashed by monsters, and muscles damaged by skill backlash could all receive professional recovery treatment at the sanatorium.

Lin Yan walked out of the Training Center gate. Qin Chuan and Shen Xin followed him, and the three of them walked toward the sanatorium.

The Seventh Safe Zone Sanatorium was located on the east side of the Core Area. It was a five-story building that looked less like a hospital and more like a high-end club.

There was no glaring red cross at the entrance, just a frosted metal sign engraved with "Federation Seventh Safe Zone Rehabilitation and Sanatorium Center." They swiped their wristbands at the entrance, and the alloy door slid open silently.

The lobby was very quiet. The floor was paved with dark gray non-slip tiles, and the walls were warm white, embedded with a few landscape paintings. The air was filled with a faint scent of herbs—not pungent, but rather relaxing. After verifying the three students' Core Class status, the receptionist handed them three room cards and a list of service items.

"Single suites. Every floor has medicinal bath rooms and massage rooms; reservations are required in advance. Physical therapy items are on the list. If you need anything, press the call button by the bedside at any time."

Qin Chuan took the room card and looked it over repeatedly. "There won't be any extra charges, right?"

"For Core Class students, expenses are settled uniformly by the 7th Zone Federal Government," the staff member replied with a smile.

Qin Chuan stuffed the room card into his pocket and turned to Lin Yan. "Then I won't hold back."

The three of them returned to their respective rooms. The suite wasn't large, but it was fully equipped: a standard-sized single bed, a private bathroom, and a small coffee table with health tea bags and a hot water kettle.

Lin Yan put all his equipment into his storage space, took a shower to wash off the dried blood and mucus, changed into the bathrobe provided by the sanatorium, and lay down on the bed.

The mattress was of moderate firmness, and the pillow height was just right. He closed his eyes, his mind replaying the scenes from the Dungeon—the way Zhao Yue held Li Wanqing in his arms, the temperature of Shen Bing's trembling fingers when she hugged him tight.

He was already level 14. For levels 11–20, he could wait at most one month between Dungeon entries and could only choose to enter 3 to 4-star Dungeons. Next time, he would have to enter at least a three-star Dungeon. 18 more Dungeons to go...

He turned over and stopped thinking about it.

He pressed the call button by the bedside. Light footsteps sounded in the hallway, and a middle-aged man in a white coat knocked and entered, wearing a badge that read "Senior Therapist."

"Student Lin Yan? What service do you need?"

"Massage, full body."

"Very well, please come with me."

The massage room was on the second floor. The room wasn't large, with two massage beds, half-drawn curtains, and soft lighting. The therapist asked him to lie on the bed and began massaging his back. When his fingers pressed onto the shoulder blade area, the therapist made an "Hmm" sound.

"The muscle strain here is quite severe, with several minor fiber tears. Did you endure a huge impact in the Dungeon?"

Lin Yan didn't answer.

The therapist didn't press for an answer. He changed his technique, switching from pressing to kneading, and then to pushing.

Lin Yan felt the knotted muscle fibers in his shoulders being loosened bit by bit. Aching sensations surged in waves, but each was followed by a feeling of light, airy relaxation.

"Turn over," the therapist said.

Lin Yan turned over, and the therapist began massaging his arms. The muscles in his left arm were harder than his right. Although the split in the web of his hand had healed, the surrounding soft tissue was still swollen.

The therapist used his fingers to slowly push along the muscle texture of his forearm, pausing when he reached the elbow joint.

"This is injured too. Your left arm endured an impact exceeding its load; you probably blocked a heavy blow."

He didn't ask Lin Yan what he had blocked. He simply took a bottle of light brown medicinal oil from the medicine cabinet, poured it into his palm to warm it up, and applied it to Lin Yan's left arm. The heat of the medicinal oil penetrated his skin, and Lin Yan felt as if his entire arm was soaking in warm water.

"Alright. Get a good night's sleep tonight. Another massage tomorrow, and it should be recovered." The therapist put away the medicinal oil, made a few notes on his tablet, and left.

Lin Yan lay on the massage bed, eyes closed, resting.

Qin Chuan's voice came from the hallway. It was hard to hear clearly through the wall, but he seemed to be saying to Shen Xin, "That medicinal bath is really comfortable."