Speedrun! You're the Challenger!

"Boss, are you really going to see the dean? He's really strong..." the burly man asked again.

"It's nothing. Just a bit of wind and frost. Lead the way." Zhou Yi stood with his hands behind his back, speaking with a faint smile.

"Okay."

Seeing that Zhou Yi was determined, the burly man said no more. He led Zhou Yi out of the little black room and along the passageway.

The passageway reeked of mildew. On either side were rooms just like the little black room Zhou Yi had been in. Most were empty, but some held teenage boys and girls.

Zhou Yi paid them little mind. With the burly man leading the way, he soon left the passageway and arrived at an open area.

At that moment, several instructors and dozens of trainees were gathered there.

The trainees wore numb expressions, their eyes vacant as they mechanically carried out the instructors' orders and drilled in the open area.

At the far end of the open area stood a building resembling a school. In front of it was a middle-aged man wearing a white lab coat.

"Hey! What are you standing around over there for? Get in line!"

The moment Zhou Yi and the burly man appeared, they caught the attention of several instructors, who shouted at them.

As soon as the instructors spoke, the burly men shuddered. As though they had encountered something terrifying, their eyes went blank and they hurriedly joined the line.

Zhou Yi showed no reaction. He simply stood where he was, sizing up the instructors.

"I'm talking to you! New guy, do you want to be put in solitary confinement again?"

Seeing Zhou Yi make no move, the instructor's face turned impatient. He quickly walked over and raised a hand to slap Zhou Yi.

"Get lost."

Without another word, Zhou Yi threw a punch. His S-Rank Talent activated, and the instructor was instantly struck down where he stood.

A deathly silence spread through the open area. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at Zhou Yi.

The remaining instructors stood motionless, as if under a body-binding spell, their expressions dazed.

Ignoring everyone, Zhou Yi walked through the crowd and stopped in front of the middle-aged man in the white lab coat.

"You're the dean here?" Zhou Yi sized him up, then asked coolly.

"Are you challenging my authority?" Dean Yang asked indifferently, an indescribable pressure in his voice.

"I just want to leave."

Zhou Yi raised a finger and wagged it as he met the other man's gaze. "And let me correct you on one thing: you're the challenger!"

"Quite the arrogant one. But I've dealt with plenty of troublemakers like you. They all turned into obedient little boys, and you won't be any different!"

In the next instant, Dean Yang's expression turned terrifying. Black lightning crackled around him, and the flesh on his back split open. Four tentacles sprouted from it, writhing wildly in the air.

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry. I don't have time to play with you."

Without another word, Zhou Yi stepped forward and swung a punch at Dean Yang.

Boom!

Still using his left hand for High Damage and his right for high damage, Zhou Yi caught Dean Yang off guard and sent him flying with one punch. He crashed heavily into the building behind him.

Under the rules' effects, his body quickly crumbled. Before he could even let out a scream, he had completely vanished on the wind...

When Zhou Yi killed the final boss with a single punch, the viewers in the livestream were dumbfounded.

"Wait, the final boss went down in one hit too?!"

"This doesn't seem right. Weren't Weird Instances supposed to be cleared with brains?"

"Good grief, absolutely terrifying! He's the strongest boss for the other Chosen Ones, but to God Zhou, he's just some nobody on the roadside!"

"He cleared it in under ten minutes. Is that even allowed?"

After the final boss died, the Weird Instance's clearance notification appeared once more.

[Congratulations on clearing the instance]

[Rating: Perfect]

[With overwhelming strength, destroy everything and shatter the rules!]

[Reward: Dragon Kingdom's mineral reserves increased by twenty percent]

[Hidden Achievement: Speedrun!]

[Requirement: Clear the instance within ten minutes.]

[Reward: The Chosen One's physique permanently increased by three times!]

"Ahh... so satisfying..."

With the rewards granted, Zhou Yi felt completely refreshed. It was as if his body and soul had both been elevated.

The surge of power made Zhou Yi feel almost giddy. Right now, he felt like he could kill a cow with one punch!

"Job's done. Time to head back and eat."

Having cleared the instance and claimed his rewards, Zhou Yi had no reason to stay. With a thought, he vanished from the Weird Instance.

As the scene before his eyes changed, Zhou Yi returned to Blue Star...

"Something's wrong..."

But Zhou Yi soon realized something was off. He hadn't returned to the late-night food stall. Instead, he was back in the shabby rental apartment he used to live in!

"Wait, why'd you send me home?! I want to go eat! Weird Instance, you son of a—"

At the late-night food stall.

"Huh? Zhou Yi cleared the instance, didn't he? Why hasn't he come back for late-night food?" Zhang San said, chewing on a King Crab.

"How would I know? Maybe he doesn't like this stuff?" Li Si said, puzzled.

Thankfully, Zhou Yi wasn't there right now. If he had been, he probably would've been so angry he'd have spat blood and died.

"Does he really not like this? It's as good as the finest delicacies in the world!" Zhang San stared at the table laden with rare dishes, bewildered.

Besides the King Crab and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Mo Shang had ordered plenty of other delicacies: black truffles, caviar, porcini mushrooms, and all sorts of things from the sky, the land, and the sea. Basically, they'd ordered whatever was expensive...

Of course, Mo Shang ordering all this at a late-night food stall wasn't the most outrageous part.

The most outrageous part was the owner. Mo Shang could order all these dishes, and the man could actually serve them!

"Speaking of which, boss, you've really got connections. You actually have everything on the menu..."

Li Si looked toward the late-night food stall owner and gave him a thumbs-up.

"You bet. Back in my day..." The owner grinned, ready to reminisce about the past, but just then, a voice cut him off without mercy.

"Boss, one fried rice, please."

The newcomer was a handsome young man with a warm smile.

"Oh, Young Master Ye, you're here! Forget the fried rice tonight. Come have some King Crab. And there's Buddha Jumps Over the Wall to drink as much as you like..." The owner welcomed the young man to a seat and set a King Crab in front of him.

The young man stared at the King Crab, which was bigger than his head, and blinked. A string of question marks practically appeared above him. "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall... to drink as much as I want?"

"That's right. A rich guy came in today. There's one King Crab per person, and you can drink as much Buddha Jumps Over the Wall as you like..." The owner explained with a smile, pointing toward Mo Shang.

The young man followed the owner's gesture. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, then quickly vanished...