Changed! How did it change again?!

Dungeon Management Center.

Many challengers who had come to take on the dungeon found themselves crowded around the [Wailing Cavern] notice board, drawn in by the sight of so many big shots gathered there.

The area was already packed with people.

Countless eyes were fixed on that display screen.

"It changed again! Look! Level 7!"

A high-pitched shout erupted from the crowd, like a spark thrown into boiling oil.

The information on the screen flickered once more, beating a war drum in everyone's hearts.

[Wailing Cavern]

[Challenger: Lin Mu]

[Class: LV.7 Necromancer]

[Time Entered: 01:35:53]

[Current Rating: B]

"Good heavens! It's only been half an hour, and he leveled up again!"

"A Necromancer! And in the [Wailing Cavern]! How the hell is he doing this? Are the monsters in there made of paper?!"

"This is insane! This Lin Mu, he's not even human!"

The roar of discussion was deafening; even a fly buzzing past would be shaken out of the air.

Principal Qu Qingfeng's face was flushed with excitement.

His hands were clenched tightly, his knuckles white from the strain.

Beside him, Instructor Mu Wanqing's eyes rippled with a hint of emotion.

Director Ji Xiangwen adjusted his glasses, the gaze behind the lenses flickering unsteadily.

Clearly, his inner calm was also shattered.

The admissions representatives from the other top academies exchanged glances.

They saw deep shock and confusion reflected in each other's eyes.

A Necromancer, solo, [Wailing Cavern], B-rank rating...

These words combined were nothing short of a miracle that defied common understanding!

But before the crowd could fully recover from the last wave of shock.

The characters on the display screen flickered and refreshed again, without warning!

[Wailing Cavern]

[Challenger: Lin Mu]

[Class: LV.8 Necromancer]

[Time Entered: 02:15:53]

[Current Rating: S]

"Pfft—"

Someone who had just taken a sip of hot tea from their thermos sprayed a mouthful of goji berry water onto the head of the person in front of them.

They coughed violently.

"S...S-rank?!!"

A young staff member responsible for recording data let his clipboard clatter to the ground with a sharp "thud."

He didn't even notice.

He just stared blankly at the screen, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

The entire plaza fell into a deathly silence at that moment.

You could hear a pin drop!

Then.

An eruption of gasps and screams, like a volcano bursting forth!

"S-rank! Holy shit, it's S-rank!"

"Two hours! From LV.4 to LV.8! And he got an S-rank rating! This... is there any justice left?!"

"Crazy! Completely crazy! This Lin Mu is going to defy the heavens!"

"This... this isn't a genius anymore, this is a monster! An absolute monster!"

Principal Qu Qingfeng felt a wave of dizziness wash over him; this happiness had come far too suddenly.

It made him unsteady on his feet.

Fortunately, Director Liu beside him was quick-eyed and steady-handed, catching him in time.

"Principal Qu, steady! Steady now!"

Director Liu's voice also carried a tremor, clearly stunned by this earth-shattering result.

Mu Wanqing's breath seemed to quicken slightly in that moment.

Her pale, slender fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.

S-rank!

Even she, when she first imagined Lin Mu might create a miracle, had never dared to hope for such an exaggerated result!

"This kid... how did he manage it?"

Mu Wanqing's heart was full of questions.

"It seems Lin Mu has probably reached his limit."

An admissions teacher from Heavenly Mansion Academy took a deep breath, struggling to calm his surging emotions, and analyzed.

"Over two hours of continuous high-intensity combat, level skyrocketing, and an S-rank rating—that's already an unbelievable achievement."

"Now, his best bet is to find a hidden spot, lie low, recover his state, wait for time to run out, and then look for a chance to kill the Boss."

This analysis won the agreement of most present.

After all, the rule of [Wailing Cavern] was to survive twenty-four hours and kill the final Boss.

In their view, Lin Mu had already created a legend.

As long as he could hold onto his S-rank rating and come out safely, that would be more than enough.

Sure enough, over the next hour or so, the information on the display screen didn't change at all.

As if confirming everyone's speculation.

Some of the professionals who had been watching gradually drifted away, preparing to challenge their own dungeons.

After all, staring at the screen all day wouldn't solve their livelihood problems.

Just then, another commotion stirred near the entrance.

"Look! Is that... Mayor Fan?!"

Someone with sharp eyes recognized the newcomer.

There stood Xilin City's mayor, Fan Zhiheng, accompanied by two assistants, his expression stern, his steps steady as he pushed through the crowd, heading straight for the entrance of [Wailing Cavern].

Director Ji Xiangwen and Principal Qu Qingfeng hurried over to greet him.

"Old Fan, what brought you here too?"

Ji Xiangwen asked with some surprise.

Fan Zhiheng waved a hand, his gaze sharp as a torch, sweeping directly toward the display screen.

"I just got word that Lin Mu... has been stirring up quite a commotion in [Wailing Cavern]."

His voice was steady, but carried a hint of anticipation.

"What's the situation now?"

Qu Qingfeng quickly reported the series of astonishing changes on the display screen, along with everyone's speculation, to Fan Zhiheng in full detail.

After hearing it all, even with his composure, Fan Zhiheng couldn't help the shock spreading across his face.

"S-rank rating... LV.8..."

He muttered to himself, his eyes full of disbelief.

"It seems we've still vastly underestimated this young man's potential!"

The big shots gathered again, huddling together in low discussion over the information on the display screen.

Every word was filled with astonishment and curiosity about Lin Mu.

Just when everyone thought the climax of this challenge had passed, leaving only a long wait ahead, that display screen, which had been silent for over an hour, without any warning, burst forth with dazzling light once again!

Characters wildly jumped and reorganized!

"It changed! It changed again! Look!"

A novice professional who had been steadfastly watching the screen

let out a hoarse scream!

Everyone's gaze, including Fan Zhiheng and the others who had just been discussing, was instantly drawn over!

Their hearts, at that moment, seemed to stop beating.

[Wailing Cavern]
[Challenger: Lin Mu]
[Class: LV.9 Necromancer]
[Clear Time: 03:15:53]
[Overall Rating: SS]

"C-cleared?!"

Principal Qu Qingfeng's eyes bulged wide, his voice twisting in pitch.

"SS-rank?!"

The teacup in Ji Xiangwen's hand crashed to the ground with a clatter.

Tea splashed everywhere, and unfurled tea leaves stuck to his leather shoes.

Yet he seemed completely oblivious.

Fan Zhiheng suddenly stepped forward, staring fixedly at those two glaring letters, "SS."

The muscles on his face twitched slightly from shock.

The entire plaza fell into dead silence once more!

A silence more absolute than any before it!

If an S-rank rating was a miracle, a legend, then this SS-rank rating, clearing [Wailing Cavern] over twenty hours early...

This was nothing less than a ruthless trampling of everyone's understanding and common sense!

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

That middle-aged military man from the War Academy roared hoarsely, veins bulging on his forehead.

"The rule of [Wailing Cavern] is to survive for twenty-four hours! How could he clear it in just over three hours?!"

"And with an SS-rank at that! This... is the system malfunctioning?!"

The surrounding professionals also erupted completely!

"Too fast! This defies all logic!"

"Didn't they say you have to survive over twenty-four hours in [Wailing Cavern]? Can anyone tell me what's going on?!"

"Could it be... could he have killed all the monsters inside? Including that LV.10 Lord-rank Boss?!"

As soon as this thought surfaced, everyone drew in a sharp breath, all staring at the screen, forgetting to blink!

Instructor Mu Wanqing took a deep breath, struggling to calm the stormy waves churning in her chest.

She fixed her gaze on the "SS" rating on the screen, and that absurdly short clear time, and slowly spoke, her voice carrying a faint, barely perceptible tremor.

"Look, how many levels did he gain in such a short time?"

Hearing this, everyone then noticed that Lin Mu's level had actually reached LV.9!

From LV.4 to LV.9, in just over three hours!

"I speculate..."

Mu Wanqing's gaze turned deep and piercing.

"Lin Mu must have cleared out every single monster in the Wailing Cavern, including the final boss, the Cave Lord!"

"Since there's no threat left inside the instance and no need to continue the challenge, it's entirely possible that the instance judged him as having cleared it early!"

Mu Wanqing's words struck like a thunderbolt from the heavens, slamming into everyone's hearts!

Killed every single monster?!

That thought.

Was even crazier than clearing it directly!

Even more inconceivable!

Everyone felt their minds go blank, utterly unable to process this reality beyond imagination.

Some wanted to argue.

But found no reasonable grounds to do so.

Each person had their own guesses.

Yet Mu Wanqing's deduction was undoubtedly the closest to the truth—and the most chilling!

Right in the midst of this extreme shock and chaos.

The dim light gate of the Wailing Cavern suddenly rippled.

Then, light blazed forth!

A figure stepped out from within!

"Look! He's out!"