44: Chapter 44 What comes to mind when you discover that enemies drop rocket launchers?

Heat waves licked at the wreckage of the reception desk, and orange-red flames stained the walls of the police station lobby in the hues of purgatory. Blue electric arcs sparked from the dangling ends of wires, weaving with the flames into an eerie purple-blue halo. Thank goodness for the Raccoon City police station; it hadn't inherited the legacy of Commissioner Smith from Hu Jinsi's past life and wasn't a shoddy construction, so the reception desk had withstood the rocket launcher's bombardment. Hu Jinsi's back burned with pain; a lump had already risen where he'd been struck by a wooden plank, and every breath pulled at the stinging muscles.

[ - 23 ]

He gritted his teeth, shielding Su Wan's head against his chest, using his back to block the flying debris and glass shards. Su Wan beneath him was trembling, and he could feel the body of her lyre pressing against his ribs, the strings emitting a faint hum. Lin Rui curled into a ball in the recessed area behind the reception desk, his riot shield clamped tightly in front of him. A dense pattering sound came from the shield's surface—it was metal fragments and gravel, sent flying by the shockwave, striking it.

Smoke filled the air, and the smell of dust and burnt, charred materials permeated the entire lobby.

Facing an enemy like this, it was clearly unwise to give it time to reload a second rocket; that was a fact written in textbooks. Hu Jinsi didn't wait for the smoke to clear; he kicked off the ground, activating [Chi Torpedo]!

His figure shot out like an arrow released from a bow, rushing out through the gap in the shattered wall, passing through the still-burning flames and rolling thick smoke. In less than three seconds, he had crossed the distance from the lobby to the main entrance. His vision was streaming with tears from the smoke, but he didn't need to see clearly; his perception attribute, like radar, outlined the position of that massive silhouette in his mind.

The Tyrant stood below the steps, the rocket launcher on its right shoulder still emitting wisps of blue smoke. That bullet-shaped head lifted slightly, seemingly "watching" the smoke-filled police station entrance, and its huge left hand was reaching toward the ammunition pouch at its waist.

It was reloading.

Hu Jinsi would not allow it to complete this action.

He rushed to within two meters of the Tyrant and slammed on the brakes with both feet, [Expel Harm]!

[ + 37 ] flashed before Hu Jinsi's eyes, while simultaneously, [ - 3 ] appeared above the Tyrant's head.

Aggro established.

The Tyrant's smooth, bullet-shaped head slowly lowered, "gazing" at the tiny youth in front of it who didn't even reach its chest. Hu Jinsi tilted his head back and glared right back, completely fearless. Then, he performed an extremely provocative gesture: he extended his right hand and crooked his finger.

"Come on, big guy."

The Tyrant moved. Its massive left fist rose, but this time, its movements were clearly a beat slower than yesterday; it was still carrying that meter-long rocket launcher on its right shoulder. The heavy metal tube severely restricted its range of motion, and the angle at which its fist could rise was blocked by the launcher, preventing it from swinging as smoothly as yesterday. This Tyrant, wielding a rocket launcher, actually had less flexible hand attacks than yesterday because of the heavy metal tube fixed to its shoulder.

Hu Jinsi felt a surge of joy: "This is winnable!" He decisively changed his attack plan, starting to capitalize on the Tyrant's attack blind spot.

He dodged to the side; the Tyrant's fist grazed his clothes and smashed into the steps. A fist-deep crater was punched into the granite steps, sending gravel flying. Hu Jinsi used the momentum of his dodge to circle to the Tyrant's right side, the blind spot of the rocket launcher.

He gripped his staff with both hands and swept it horizontally at the fingers the Tyrant was using to hold the rocket launcher's grip!

[ - 3 ]

The damage was pitifully low, but the goal was achieved. The Tyrant's fingers were struck by the tip of the staff, and its grip loosened for an instant. Hu Jinsi didn't stop, following up with a second and third strike. The tip of the staff fell like raindrops on the Tyrant's wrist and knuckles—not seeking damage, but only to ensure it couldn't hold that deadly launcher steady, preventing it from successfully completing the ammunition reload.

Lin Rui had already crawled out of the recessed area. He glanced at Su Wan, confirmed she wasn't injured, and then raised his riot shield, [Charge]!

His target wasn't the Tyrant itself, but the rocket launcher.

"Bang!"

The edge of the riot shield slammed hard into the rocket launcher's tube. The deafening sound of metal colliding made Hu Jinsi's eardrums ache. The rocket launcher was knocked to one side. The Tyrant's grip had already been unstable from Hu Jinsi's staff strikes, and this impact caused the launcher to deviate completely from its normal carrying position, hanging askew on the Tyrant's shoulder like a snapped flagpole.

The Tyrant tried to use its left hand to straighten the rocket launcher, but Hu Jinsi didn't give it a chance. Maintaining [Crane Stance], he dodged to the Tyrant's left side and started his old routine from yesterday, using kicks to activate [Flurry of Blows], with all three attacks landing steadily on the inside of the Tyrant's left knee. The Tyrant was made even more sluggish by these attacks from another direction, its small head turning left and right, trying to lock onto the little thing that was always hovering at the edge of its field of vision.

Lin Rui and Hu Jinsi's coordination wasn't about dealing much damage to the Tyrant; it was solely to delay the Tyrant's actions.

"Su Wan!" Hu Jinsi yelled at the top of his lungs while tangling with the Tyrant, "Don't just stand there, start singing!"

Su Wan poked her head out from behind cover. Her hair was disheveled by the explosion's shockwave, her face was stained with dust, and there were a few more battle scars on the body of her lyre. But her hands were still holding the instrument steadily. Hearing Hu Jinsi's shout, she snapped out of her daze, realizing she had completely forgotten what she was supposed to do for those few seconds.

Su Wan steadied herself, placed her fingers on the strings, and began chanting the Requiem Chant again. She took a deep breath, placed her fingers on the strings, and began to chant.

[Requiem Chant].

The dust caused by the rocket explosion was still floating in the air as Su Wan moved toward the Tyrant while chanting. Golden sound waves diffused from the strings; she didn't stand still, but slowly advanced with her footsteps following the rhythm of the song. However, the thick smell of gunpowder was choking, making it hard to open one's eyes, and dust entering Su Wan's respiratory tract irritated her, nearly causing her to interrupt several times. Her voice began to tremble, notes knotted in her throat, and her throat burned as if being sanded by sandpaper.

"Cough—" She couldn't help but cough, and the lyre's sound paused briefly for half a second.

"Hold on!" Lin Rui roared from the side. He was maneuvering in front of the Tyrant with his riot shield, occasionally using Shield Bash to disrupt the Tyrant's center of gravity, preventing it from running. The riot shield was as fragile as a piece of paper against the Tyrant's fists, but he didn't need to block attacks; he only needed to ensure the Tyrant couldn't stabilize its form. As long as it couldn't stand firmly, it couldn't properly complete attack motions, let alone finish reloading and aiming the rocket launcher.

Hu Jinsi understood immediately. He increased the intensity of his harassment on the Tyrant's right side, activating [Flurry of Blows]! This time, he attacked the inside of the Tyrant's right knee. [ - 5 ] [ - 6 ] [ - 12 ]. Three consecutive attacks broke through the defense at that spot, and a scent of burnt, rotting flesh wafted from the wound. The Tyrant's right leg trembled slightly from his strikes, and the rocket launcher on its shoulder swayed even more violently.

The Tyrant was thoroughly enraged. It gave up on trying to straighten the rocket launcher and switched to grabbing at Hu Jinsi with its left hand. That palm was as big as a washbasin, its five fingers spread out like five iron pincers. But under the enhancement of [Crane Stance], Hu Jinsi's movement was as agile as a loach. He dodged left and right, weaving between the Tyrant's legs, even sliding under its crotch at the moment it took a step.

The Tyrant tried to turn around to chase him, but Lin Rui's riot shield immediately slammed in from the side, the edge of the shield striking the back of its knee, causing it to stumble and forcing its turning motion to be interrupted.

The two's coordination was like a carefully choreographed duet, not seeking to deal damage, but only to completely lock the Tyrant's movements within this small space.

Fortunately, this rocket-launcher version of the Tyrant had no other changes compared to the two from yesterday, other than the weapon update. Hu Jinsi and Lin Rui had already become familiar with their melee attack patterns yesterday, and after continuous entanglement, they had finally managed to drag out enough time. Su Wan's Requiem Chant finally entered a stable rhythm; she was now less than ten meters away from the Tyrant, and the golden sound waves accurately enveloped that massive body. The sound waves dealt damage every six seconds, scorching charred marks onto the Tyrant's trench coat.

[ - 28 ] [ - 31 ] [ - 29 ] ...

The Tyrant's health points were dropping rapidly. After fifty seconds, the Tyrant's movements began to become sluggish. The muscles beneath the trench coat began to twitch, the grayish-white skin cracked from the areas scorched by the sound waves, and black blood seeped out along the fissures.

"It's almost done for!" Lin Rui roared, "Hold it for a few more seconds!"

Hu Jinsi used a [Chi Torpedo] to flash to the front of the Tyrant, striking its underdeveloped head hard with his long staff, emitting a crisp "pop" sound. The Tyrant was enraged by this final provocation, raising both fists simultaneously and taking one last step toward Hu Jinsi's position.

Then, the final wave of the Requiem Chant, like the kiss of death, completely engulfed it.

The massive body froze in place. The muscles under the trench coat stopped twitching, and the grayish-white skin cracked completely. The two-ton body slowly tilted, like an ancient tree being felled, and crashed heavily onto the steps in front of the police station, sending gravel and dust flying everywhere.

The battle ended. From the rocket explosion to the Tyrant falling, a total of sixty-seven seconds had passed.

Hu Jinsi slumped on the steps, gasping for breath. The sweat and dust on the back of his school uniform mixed together, making him look like he had been fished out of a coal pile. His legs were trembling slightly; the physical exertion from continuously using [Flurry of Blows] and [Chi Torpedo] had brought his muscles to the brink of cramping.

"Done…" he squeezed the two words out through his teeth.

Su Wan leaned against the door frame, clutching her lyre. Her throat burned with pain, and she had to cough several times to clear the dust from her respiratory tract. There was another deep dent on Lin Rui's riot shield; he checked the state of the shield's surface and sighed: "Have to get it fixed when we go back."

The three's gazes landed simultaneously on the Tyrant's corpse. Points of light began to rise, and the dark brown trench coat gradually turned into golden fine sand.

But this time, besides the points of light, something else remained on the spot.

A metal tube about one meter long, pitch black all over, its surface covered with a matte ceramic coating, with dried blood and flesh remaining on the grip, but the overall structure was still intact.

[M202A "Tyrant" Infantry Rocket Launcher]

Lin Rui was the first to bend down and pick it up. The moment his fingers touched the metal tube, detailed item information popped up on his panel. He took one look, and his whole body froze in place as if he had been frozen.

Hu Jinsi noticed Lin Rui's abnormality and leaned over: "What's wrong?"

Lin Rui didn't speak, just handed him the rocket launcher.

Hu Jinsi took it and looked down at the panel.

[M202A "Tyrant" Infantry Rocket Launcher]

[Type: Heavy Firearm / Military Weapon]

[Damage: Instant Kill / 10-100] (Creatures with under 300 HP are instantly killed upon a direct hit; indirect hit damage is affected by cover)

[Effective Range: 150 meters] [Maximum Range: 300 meters] (Accuracy decays significantly with increased distance)

[Attribute Requirement: Strength 15] [Explosion Radius: 6 meters]

[Effect 1: Disposable Item]

[Effect 2: Forces use of both hands]

[Negative: Backblast Danger. Creatures in a 15-meter cone area behind the shooter take 2-12 fire damage]

[Item Description: This rocket launcher was not produced by an ordinary arsenal, but is a "Final Disposal Plan" from Umbrella Corporation's internal R&D department. The entire weapon is pitch black, its surface covered with a heat-resistant matte ceramic coating, with dried blood and flesh from the previous user remaining on the grip. Its design is extremely unusual; it has no scope. Because it doesn't need to aim at all; its design intention was to completely obliterate those "failures" that have broken through physical limits at zero or medium range.]

Hu Jinsi also seemed as if he had been petrified.

Instant kill. Instant kill for anything under 300 HP. Six-meter explosion radius. 150-meter effective range.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat tightened, and he couldn't spit out a single word. He turned his head and looked at Lin Rui, discovering that Lin Rui was also looking at him. Both their expressions were identical: stunned, shocked, and a kind of excitement bordering on fear.

Su Wan stood at a distance, seeing the two standing there motionless, their faces still a bit pale. Thinking they had been hit by some negative status effect, she hurried over, her fingers quickly plucking the strings, casting a Healing Word on each of them.

[ + 8 ] [ + 8 ]

Warm golden light fell on the two's heads, but Hu Jinsi and Lin Rui still stood there like two wooden stakes, not even blinking an eye.

"Hey! What's wrong with you two?" Su Wan panicked, reaching out and waving her hand in front of Hu Jinsi's eyes.

Hu Jinsi mechanically handed the rocket launcher to her.

Su Wan took it and looked down at the panel. Then—

"Th-th-th-th-th-this—" her tongue tied in knots, she couldn't speak fluently, "Wh-wh-what the hell is this thing!"

"Instant kill…" Hu Jinsi finally found his voice, hoarse as if sandpaper were sanding rust, "Under 300 HP, direct hit, instant kill."

"Six-meter explosion radius." Lin Rui's voice was equally dry.

"150-meter effective range." Hu Jinsi added.

The three looked at each other, and for a moment, no one spoke. Only the embers still burning in front of the police station made a light crackling sound.

The value of this item was undoubtedly the highest value item the squad had ever obtained so far. It was even more exaggerated than the summon skill they had sold to Sun Yao back then. Compared to it, the RPG rocket in Lin Rui's backpack was basically a little brother; at least the RPG had hit rate and damage fluctuations, whereas this thing was an instant kill if it hit.

It was just a pity it was a disposable item.

"If only this thing could be reloaded repeatedly…" Hu Jinsi muttered.

"Then this dungeon will be farmed to exhaustion within a month." Lin Rui replied, his voice carrying a calm weight. "I fear it won't just be students from Wei City; students from surrounding cities will come to farm it, even if they have to travel across mountains and rivers."

Hu Jinsi didn't speak. He stared at the pitch-black metal tube in his hands, feeling that its heaviness was not just weight, but a pressure he couldn't grasp.

"What should we do?" He turned his head to look at Lin Rui, asking only those three simple words.

Lin Rui took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of his riot shield; it was a small habit he had when making major decisions.

"What else can we do?" He finally spoke, his voice returning to its usual composure. "Report it the moment we leave the dungeon. If we don't report it, how do you explain this weapon of mass destruction in your hands? Where did you get it? We can't exactly say we picked it up in some unknown desert."

Hu Jinsi nodded. He understood what Lin Rui meant. A weapon of this level couldn't be hidden, even if they wanted to. Although the school couldn't see all the details inside the dungeon, dropped items were scanned and recorded when exiting the dungeon. How could a rocket launcher possibly be concealed?

"What a pity for this dungeon." Lin Rui suddenly sighed.

Hu Jinsi understood this exclamation. For once, he didn't retort or complain, but instead remained silent for a moment.

The significance of the Raccoon City dungeon to the squad was self-evident; it was the fastest place for Su Wan to farm profession experience, and also a stable source for the squad to obtain credits and supplies. The dungeon had a high density of zombies, a familiar environment, and mature tactics; as long as the method was right, the farming efficiency was astonishingly high. But now, the drop of a weapon of this scale and level had completely exceeded the scope of what students should possess.

From the perspective of Water Blue Star's world consciousness, it was normal for the dungeon to drop anything. But from the perspective of the nation and the school's education, a rocket launcher that could insta-kill targets with 300 HP was clearly beyond the weapon limits that second-year high school students should master.

Whether this dungeon would still be open to students next week was a matter of doubt.

Hu Jinsi sighed, "That's fine, too. Once this matter is out, the school will likely focus all its energy here for the next two or three weeks. As for that matter with Zhao Lei, no one will come to bother us about it anymore."

He paused, a bitter smile appearing on his lips, "A disguised way of spending money to avoid disaster."

Su Wan held her lyre, her eyes moving back and forth between the two, and then she also sighed softly. She carefully handed the rocket launcher back to Lin Rui, as if afraid of breaking something.

"Then what should we do with the remaining time?" she asked.

Lin Rui put the rocket launcher into his backpack and patted the dust off his hands, "Let's go take a look at the basement, sticking to the original plan. Anyway, there aren't many zombies in the basement; it's impossible for the basement zombies to trigger the next stage of the Tyrant. As for the third and fourth floors, let's forget it. If we really clear them out, kill too many zombies, and trigger the next stage of the Tyrant, it's unlikely we'll have such a sturdy front desk to help block a rocket shell again this time."

"Agreed." Hu Jinsi raised his hand. He was truly scared from being hit. The spot on his back where he was struck by shrapnel was still throbbing with pain.

The three of them tidied up their equipment, bypassed the cratered front desk area, and followed the stairs down to the underground parking lot. Then, they entered the Raccoon City police station's actual basement area through the parking lot's fire door.

The basement corridor was narrower than the underground parking lot, with a low ceiling. Most of the fluorescent light tubes had shattered, with only a few still emitting a buzzing electrical sound, and the light was as dim as a basement at dusk. The air was filled with a damp, musty smell, mixed with a faint scent of blood.

"Same old rules, I'll scout." Hu Jinsi walked in the front, his long staff held horizontally before him, his Perception stat scanning ahead like a radar.

The number of zombies in the basement was indeed not high, but the variety was richer than upstairs. Several police zombies wearing bulletproof vests wandered in the corridor; their movements were faster than ordinary zombies, and the bulletproof equipment on their bodies made it difficult for Lin Rui's short spear to cause effective damage. Fortunately, Requiem Chant treated them all equally. Su Wan stood at the end of the corridor, the lyre music sounded, and golden sound waves surged like a tide, causing the few police zombies to collapse and dissipate within the sound waves.

"Actually, we are more suited for clearing buildings," Hu Jinsi said, finding joy in the misery, "It's a pity Raccoon City doesn't have dozens of floors of high-rise buildings for us to utilize."

Three Lickers appeared. Those skinless, muscle-exposed humanoid monsters crawled on the ceiling with astonishing speed. But the basement corridor was narrow, limiting their maneuverability. Hu Jinsi used [Chi Torpedo] to move quickly in the corridor, forcing them down from the ceiling one by one. Lin Rui used his riot shield to slam them against the wall, and then Su Wan followed up with the aftershock of a Requiem Chant, causing points of light to rise up.

There were also a few zombie dogs, running extremely fast in the corridor, but their small size meant Lin Rui could kick them away with one foot. Hu Jinsi's long staff followed up with a strike the moment they landed, their coordination clean and efficient.

The combat rewards weren't much, but they were very practical.

[Emergency Medical Treatment]

[Type: Medical Skill]

[Effect: When you perform actions related to medicine, the target will gain temporary HP (based on the medicine used and your Perception), and it has a chance to remove one poison or disease status from the target.]

And a shield.

[S.W.A.T. Heavy Riot Shield]

[Type: Standard Shield] [Defense Bonus: +4]

[Effect: When shooting through the firing port on the shield, accuracy is slightly increased.]

[Item Description: This is not a light shield used by ordinary police officers, but a heavy riot shield specifically for S.W.A.T. The entire polycarbonate plate is incredibly thick, covered in bullet marks and scratch marks, yet it remains clearly transparent. The handle is fitted with shock-absorbing padding, effectively neutralizing huge impact forces.]

"This medical skill..." Su Wan looked at the skill scroll and shook her head, "My healing method is through magic, which doesn't quite fit with this medicine-related skill."

"Then give it to me." Hu Jinsi immediately raised his hand, putting on a bitter, deep-seated expression, "Finally remembered that I'm a healer? Not the one who carries a staff and goes up to deal damage every day?"

Su Wan laughed and threw the skill scroll to him. Hu Jinsi caught it, slapped it onto himself, and a line of skill description appeared on his panel.

As for the [S.W.A.T. Heavy Riot Shield], it was naturally given to Lin Rui. He put his riot shield into his backpack and picked up the new riot shield to test its weight.

"It's a bit heavier than the riot shield, but the defense bonus is better," he evaluated, "It also has a firing port, which is good for use with firearms."

"It's just that the appearance is average," Hu Jinsi commented from the side, "It's transparent, feels like holding an acrylic board."

"As long as it can block bullets, who cares about appearance." Lin Rui slung the riot shield onto his back.

The three of them took one more turn in the basement, confirmed there were no missed supplies, and returned to the first floor along the stairs. At this time, the dungeon's time was nearing its end. Sunlight shone in from outside the shattered front door glass, casting bleak patches of light on the ground full of bullet holes and scorch marks.

"Time's almost up." Lin Rui glanced at the countdown on his panel.

The three stood still in the center of the hall, waiting for the teleportation. Ten minutes later, a gray-white vortex slowly opened in the air, swallowing them up.

When they opened their eyes next, the three were already standing on the teleportation platform at the dungeon exit. Around them were bustling students; some were cheering, some were checking each other's injuries, and others were counting their spoils. Under the gray-white sky, the school's assembly point was noisy.

But the three did not go to report in as usual.

"Make a call first." Lin Rui took out his phone and dialed Teacher Fan's number.

The phone was answered after three rings.

"Hello? Lin Rui?" Teacher Fan's voice came through the receiver, carrying a trace of surprise, "You're out?"

"Teacher Fan, we have a very important matter that needs to be reported." Lin Rui's voice was so serious it didn't sound like a high school student's, "We encountered a new type of Tyrant-class zombie in the Raccoon City dungeon, equipped with a heavy rocket launcher. We killed it, and it dropped a weapon. The weapon's attributes... are beyond our ability to handle."

The other end of the line was silent for two seconds.

"What weapon?"

Lin Rui sent a screenshot of the description for the [M202A "Tyrant" Rocket Launcher] via WeChat.

Another five seconds passed.

"Received." Teacher Fan's voice changed; it was no longer his usual gentleness, but a tense seriousness, "Before receiving notification from the school, do not take this weapon out in public. Be safe on the way back."

"Understood."

Hanging up the phone, the three walked quickly to the reporting area. Checking in, registering, confirming identities—after completing the series of procedures, they waited at the assembly point for the bus back to school.

At the Raccoon City dungeon assembly point, the three saw members of the Gunpowder Squad. Chen Yu, Zhou Hao, and Li Hao were surrounding a few familiar classmates, gesturing vividly about something. Li Hao was clutching a black remote control in his hand, waving it in the air, his expression as excited as if he had just won the lottery.

"...We buried the remote-controlled mines underground at the mall entrance, then used a loudspeaker to lure the Tyrant over. When it stepped on it—BOOM! That scene, it was incredible! The whole ground was shaking, and the Tyrant was blown two meters into the air!"

The surrounding classmates let out a gasp of amazement.

"How much does one remote-controlled mine cost?" someone asked.

"Two thousand credits." Li Hao proudly held up two fingers, "Much cheaper than an RPG. An RPG rocket shell costs ten thousand credits; our mine is only one-fifth of the price."

The three from the Jack-of-All-Trades Squad stood on the periphery of the crowd, listening with great interest. This approach was indeed clever. The three members of the Gunpowder Squad were all Alchemists and long-range firepower users; using mines and explosives was their specialty. Utilizing the environment to set traps, rather than relying on melee stalling like the Jack-of-All-Trades Squad, was a method that better suited their profession characteristics.

"Two thousand points for one remote-controlled mine." Hu Jinsi silently did the math in his head, "Five times cheaper than an RPG. As expected of a squad where all three members deal with firearms and explosives."

The buses lined up outside the assembly point, their engines emitting a low rumble. As it neared time to board, Lin Rui signaled to Hu Jinsi and Su Wan, and the three quietly walked over to the Gunpowder Squad.

"Li Hao." Lin Rui lowered his voice, "Come over here for a word."

The three from the Gunpowder Squad noticed that the expressions of the Jack-of-All-Trades Squad were off, so they followed them to a secluded spot at the back of the bus.

Lin Rui displayed the [M202A "Tyrant" Rocket Launcher] on his phone and showed the screenshot of its panel attributes to the three of them.

As soon as Li Hao's gaze fell on the panel, his pupils suddenly constricted. Chen Yu's breath hitched, and Zhou Hao's mouth hung wide open.

"What... what is this..." Li Hao's voice trembled.

"Insta-kill?" Chen Yu's voice was even shakier than his.

"Insta-kill anything under 300 HP?" Zhou Hao directly cursed.

"We have already reported this matter to the school." Lin Rui's voice was even lower, "According to our estimation, it is highly likely that this dungeon will no longer be open to students next week. We are syncing this news to you now; you can judge the specific situation for yourselves."

He paused, "If your judgment is the same as ours, take advantage of this period to clear out things you might not need. After all, no one knows what state the replacement dungeon will be in once this one is canceled."

The three from the Gunpowder Squad couldn't even speak. They stared at the pitch-black rocket launcher, then looked up at the three from the Jack-of-All-Trades Squad, their eyes mixed with shock, gratitude, and a few indescribable feelings.

Finally, Li Hao took a deep breath and gave the Jack-of-All-Trades Squad a thumbs up.

"Thanks." he said, his voice hoarse, "We, the Gunpowder Squad, will remember this favor."

"Don't just remember it." Hu Jinsi grinned, "Let's have a meal together when we're resting and exchange detailed experience about this dungeon. After all, there might not be a chance later, so while we still remember it clearly, let's sit down and have a good chat."

"Sure!" Li Hao nodded, "We'll set the specific time after we get home and wash up today. We'll see if it's tonight or tomorrow at noon."

"I'm busy tonight." Su Wan said.

"Then tomorrow at noon." Lin Rui decided.

"Tomorrow at noon." The three from the Gunpowder Squad replied in unison.

The bus engine let out a long roar, urging the students to board. The two teams patted each other on the shoulders and walked toward their respective bus doors.

Before boarding the bus, Hu Jinsi looked back at the direction of the Raccoon City dungeon. The gray-white vortex was still slowly rotating in the sky, like an unwearied eye, watching the students coming and going.

He didn't know if he could come here again next week. But at least, the experiences of this week—from luring monsters to the ten-thousand-slayer, from the Furniture City God of War to the terrifying encounter with the rocket-launching Tyrant—were already unforgettable enough.

"Let's go." Lin Rui called him from inside the bus door.

Hu Jinsi withdrew his gaze and stepped onto the bus steps.