The mission hall at the S City Hunter Association headquarters was much larger than the one in Z City.
A massive electronic screen refreshed with information about all kinds of missions.
Hunters gathered in groups of three or five to discuss things, or hurried through the registration process on their own.
Xu Feng quickly scanned the screen.
He needed an opportunity to get a foothold in S City's dungeon scene.
He also wanted to learn about the general difficulty of the dungeons here.
"C-Class Dungeon 'Dark Ant Nest' Raid Mission, Location:
Underground level of Building 3, abandoned industrial park in the western suburbs. Requires two or more hunters of any rank. Base reward: 200,000, distributed according to contribution.
Recruiting now..."
"This one will do."
Xu Feng went to the counter, gave them the mission number, and registered his information as a "B-class low-rank hunter, archer."
His B-class rank was enough to earn the respect of most teams.
And archers tended to keep a low profile, making it less likely he would reveal his true fighting style.
After leaving the association, he stopped by a hunter supply store and spent two million on a decent-quality C-class magic longbow and several quivers of specially made arrows.
The bow was dark silver all over, etched with simple wind enchantments that slightly increased the arrows' speed and stability.
It was more than enough for a fake archer like him.
Following the mission instructions, he arrived at a desolate abandoned industrial park in the western suburbs.
Rusting steel frames, shattered glass, and vacant lots overgrown with weeds.
It was a thoroughly desolate sight.
Building 3 was a gray concrete skeleton, abandoned before construction was complete. Several figures were already gathered at the underground entrance.
As Xu Feng approached, his gaze swept over them. He froze slightly, his eyes narrowing.
Wait...
Was that... Cheng Xiaoyu?!
He saw a familiar figure, exactly like Cheng Xiaoyu in the comic from his fragments of memory!
He was slender, with an upright posture, tousled black hair, and a calm gaze that held a hint of sharpness. His jawline was distinct, almost pointed.
It was Cheng Xiaoyu.
The protagonist of this world!!!
Cheng Xiaoyu noticed Xu Feng too. Their eyes met for an instant before they both looked away.
Cheng Xiaoyu merely gave him a slight nod in greeting.
A young man stood beside him, dressed in...
Well, extremely eye-catching gear.
So eye-catching that he practically looked like a flashbang just standing there.
Xu Feng had to admit, it hurt his eyes.
Golden shoulder guards, bracers set with all kinds of gemstones, and even the scabbard at his waist was carved with elaborate designs. They glinted faintly even in the dim light.
The young man wore an expression somewhere between curiosity and excitement. His clear eyes made him look like a college student who'd been talked into coming by a student advisor.
"Hi, everyone! You're here for the recruitment too, right? I'm Liu Chenhao! D-Rank hunter, swordsman!"
The golden youth greeted them cheerfully, his voice full of energy.
"I wanted to see what a real raid was like!"
Cheng Xiaoyu kept it brief. "Cheng Xiaoyu, E-Rank physical-type hunter."
"Xu Feng, archer."
Xu Feng gave them his own information.
"Whoa! A B-class hunter!" Liu Chenhao's eyes lit up when he heard Xu Feng's rank, and his enthusiasm grew. "You're amazing, Brother Xu! With you here, we're sure to be fine!"
Just then, the eight people who had been standing nearby walked over.
At the front was a middle-aged man of average build with a short beard and a shrewd look in his eyes. He wore a broad smile.
"You're the hunters who answered the call, right?
"I'm Huang Dongshi, leader of the team for this recruitment. C-Class Hunter, main attacker."
Seven people followed him. Their gear looked fairly good.
But after one glance, Xu Feng's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
There was something strange about this team's makeup.
Of the eight, not one appeared to be a healing or support-type hunter.
They were all armed with weapons clearly meant for attacking, such as swords and staves, and most of them had a fierce edge to their magic.
"Captain Huang, your team... doesn't have a healer or support hunter?"
Xu Feng asked casually.
The smile on Huang Dongshi's face stiffened for a moment, then he sighed and put on a helpless expression.
"You might not know this, brother.
"Healing and support-type hunters are rare to begin with, and most of them get snapped up by major raid teams or the big financial groups.
"It's hard for independent teams like ours, who make a living taking missions, to recruit them.
"Most of the enemies we run into aren't especially dangerous, so we can get by with potions and our own recovery abilities.
"This time, the target is a C-class dungeon. We assessed the risks and figured that with our lineup, plus a few skilled hunters helping us, we should be fine."
He spoke smoothly, and his reasons sounded reasonable enough.
Hearing this, Xu Feng nodded along, a look of agreement on his face.
But in the month he'd spent in dungeons, he'd seen plenty of what people were capable of.
He sensed something restless beneath Huang Dongshi's smile, and caught a strange look in the eyes of the team members behind him.
Still, Xu Feng said nothing as he watched Huang Dongshi and the others put on their insincere smiles.
For one thing, he was absolutely confident in his abilities. His high B-class rating was no empty title. Even without revealing his trump cards, he was confident he could handle most unexpected situations.
For another...
He glanced at Cheng Xiaoyu, who stood silently beside him.
This was the protagonist. If things followed the "story," the traps in a mere C-class dungeon shouldn't be able to hurt him, right?
It was the perfect chance to observe up close how the future Shadow Monarch handled danger in his early days.
"I see."
Xu Feng nodded and didn't press him any further.
Seeing that, Huang Dongshi relaxed, his attitude growing even friendlier.
After all, having a B-class hunter on the team would improve their chances of clearing the dungeon.
And he was an archer, with poor defensive abilities.
He stole a discreet glance at Xu Feng, then smiled and gave Xu Feng and the others a detailed introduction to the team members.
Most were C- and D-rank offensive hunters, including fire mages, ice mages, swordsmen, and blade-wielders.
Xu Feng only caught some of their names. He focused more on watching their subtle expressions and body language.
Every one of them seemed to have a bit of viciousness in them.
A lot like Jin Chang'en...
Nearby, Cheng Xiaoyu—
Xu Feng watched him discreetly.
He was also staring at Huang Dongshi and the others, his brow furrowed.
Even the protagonist wasn't completely oblivious.
He'd noticed something off about these people too.
Xu Feng's lips curled slightly.
Looks like there'll be a good show...
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