Independent Regiment!

"Another side quest!"

It didn't look too difficult. Once I completed it, I'd only need to finish one more side quest before I could leave the Maze City whenever I wanted.

Xiao Ran carefully studied the task.

He had to earn five Campus Badges by hunting. It didn't sound like much, but since it was an E-rank task, he figured it was best to make a few extra preparations.

Xiao Ran closed the door and took out the Campus Badge he'd obtained earlier.

Just then, a prompt sounded beside his ear.

[You can use Campus Badges to upgrade your dormitory]

A virtual chart appeared before him. Xiao Ran studied it carefully.

Upgrade doors and windows LV1: 1 Campus Badge.

Upgrading increases the defense level of the doors and windows.

However, the price doubles with every subsequent upgrade.

Upgrade bed LV1: 1 Campus Badge

An upgraded bed can protect you from the Night Ghosts' Soul Calling Skill and other abilities while you sleep.

The higher the level, the more powerful the skills it can block.

Upgrade dormitory LV1: 1 Campus Badge.

Each upgrade increases the dormitory's space by ten square meters.

There were plenty of other upgrades, but Xiao Ran's attention was drawn to the options at the bottom of the chart.

[Door Curse] LV1: Requires Special Badge · Despair

Imbue the door with powerful talismans. When a Night Ghost arrives, they will summon a Cursed Spirit to attack it.

[Curse Couplet] LV1: Requires Special Badge · Suffering

Imbue the doors and windows with a special cursed couplet. When a Night Ghost attacks the door, it will suffer random curse damage.

[Room Pet] LV1: Requires Special Badge · Cruelty

Summon a Room Pet. Each Room Pet has a unique ability, and the higher its level, the more powerful its ability.

[Treasure Vault] LV1: Requires Special Badges · Hatred + Cruelty + Suffering + Despair

Summon a treasure vault and randomly obtain three special items from within.

Studying the list, Xiao Ran thought it over. No wonder students were only allowed to attend three classes a day. Even though they risked being turned into materials or badges during class, they still rushed to the classrooms in droves.

These weren't classes at all. They were daily quests. With six people to a dorm room, attending all three classes meant earning eighteen badges a day—enough to upgrade quite a few things.

But if someone skipped even one class, the entire dorm might not survive the night.

"This school really takes survival of the fittest to the extreme."

Xiao Ran curled his lip. He thought about how many badges he had, then glanced at the empty beds in front of him. It hit him that his current situation might not be so good after all.

"I need to upgrade the dormitory as soon as possible."

Even with the spirit coffin able to change his identity, there was still a risk of being attacked by other Night Ghosts. The dormitory was the safest place.

With that, Xiao Ran decided not to linger. He closed the door and headed out.

He had barely gone a few steps when a young man holding a club suddenly jumped out of the bushes.

"Stop!!"

Several people blocked Xiao Ran's way. The young man at their head sized him up, then stepped forward and pulled a flyer from his pocket.

"Hey, have you joined a regiment yet?"

"Joined a regiment?"

"Yeah. It's rough out here, and you're at a disadvantage on your own. Join us—we've got benefits for new members."

As he spoke, the young man gestured toward the third floor of the dormitory.

Xiao Ran looked up. Several curvy girls waved at him from the doors and windows of the dorm rooms on the left side of the third floor. The mature woman beside them, who clearly looked too old to be a student, simply opened her top and gave Xiao Ran an eyeful.

"Join us! You get a wife just for signing up. If you're strong, the regiment leader can even assign you a personal assistant. You'll get ten badges a day, and we'll have someone upgrade your dorm for you. If you manage to hunt a Night Ghost, the leader will give you an extra reward."

Xiao Ran had thought they were here to rob him. The saber beneath his cloak had already begun to gather power. He hadn't expected them to suddenly become so courteous, which left him feeling a little awkward.

He picked up the flyer. It prominently displayed a familiar slogan: [Independent Regiment]. Xiao Ran was speechless.

Clearly, these were newcomers from outside who wanted to carve out their own territory on campus. This was how they'd decided to do it.

Xiao Ran hesitated for a few seconds, then asked quietly, "Big brother, do I have to pay to join?"

The young man froze, then his expression darkened. He said solemnly, "What kind of thing is that to ask? Once you join the regiment, we're brothers. Would I ask my own brother for money???"

"Of course you can't ask your brother for money. But since you're brothers, there's nothing wrong with spending a little of his money, right?"

Xiao Ran filled in the rest of the young man's meaning for him. He knew this routine all too well.

"Good. The road to heaven is open, but you chose not to take it. The gates of hell were closed, but you barged right in. You're the ones who asked me to join!"

With that thought, Xiao Ran didn't hesitate. He acted as if the young man had inspired him and said, "All right, big brother. I'll join."

Hearing that Xiao Ran was joining, the young man grinned and casually draped an arm over his shoulder. "Brother, you seemed pretty friendly with that old dorm supervisor earlier. Did she recommend a good dorm to you?"

Then, afraid Xiao Ran might get the wrong idea, he hurriedly added, "Don't overthink it. We just want to help you out. If it's a new dorm, you definitely won't have enough Campus Badges to upgrade it. You won't last the night otherwise."

Xiao Ran understood at once. No wonder they were being so friendly—they had their eyes on his dorm.

"Big brother, you're all so good to me. I just got assigned a dorm with five empty beds. It's just a little run-down..."

The moment they heard that Xiao Ran had five empty beds, the others' eyes nearly burst into flames.

They exchanged glances, all cursing inwardly.

Empty beds in the dormitories were scarce. The few clubs on campus couldn't get enough of them.

They'd only stopped Xiao Ran because they'd noticed how well he seemed to get along with the dorm supervisor, and wanted to take a chance. They hadn't expected to land such a big catch.

Getting a new dorm would be a huge achievement—enough to promote him from a squad leader to a company commander, no problem.

If the dorm was in especially good condition, maybe...

At the thought, the young man at the head of the group grinned from ear to ear and grabbed Xiao Ran's arm. "Come on, let's go have a look. We'll help you get things set up. I guarantee you'll sleep comfortably tonight."

Surrounded by the four men, Xiao Ran went back into the dormitory.

By the time they reached the second floor, all four were grinning from ear to ear.

The second floor was a prime spot. They'd heard that some of the legendary experts on campus lived there. They couldn't believe this kid was lucky enough to get a place like this.

"Is this kid related to that old woman? How'd he get such a sweet deal?"

"This is the one!"

Xiao Ran took out his key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. The young man and the others hurried inside.

The dormitory was simple, but the four men were overjoyed. Only when they looked up did they notice a coffin hanging from the ceiling.

"Huh, why's there a coffin hanging here?"

"No idea. It was already here when I arrived."

Xiao Ran spoke nonchalantly. He closed the door behind them and slid the bolt into place. Then he looked at the four men. "Big brother, you said I'd get a wife and badges. Uh... where do I claim those?"

The four men froze. They exchanged glances, then all burst into laughter.

The short young man on the left walked up to Xiao Ran and patted him on the shoulder. "Brother, what are you thinking? You just joined the club. You can't expect to enjoy the benefits without making a contribution, can you?"

"So you're saying you're not planning to give them to me?"

Xiao Ran's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Heh. Give us your key, pay the membership fee, and come Ghost Hunting with us tonight. If you're still alive afterward, then—"

Before he could finish, Xiao Ran's hand suddenly emerged from beneath his cloak. The next second, the young man's head flew from his neck.

Before it could hit the ground, Xiao Ran snatched it out of the air. He saw the look of shock on its face and hoisted his Black Saber onto his shoulder. "Too slow. I'll just take it myself."

With that, he suddenly lunged at the other three.

"Fuck! Kill him!!"

Shouts and curses echoed through the second-floor corridor, but the noise soon died away. Before long, all that remained was the sound of chopping flesh...