On the sports field.
Wang Jianshe, the principal of No. 1 Middle School, looked solemnly at the students below. Dispensing with all formalities, he got straight to the point:
"Students, there's an urgent situation I need to inform you about. Please listen carefully!"
Seeing how grave Principal Wang looked, the students dared not whisper among themselves and listened attentively.
Lin Dong pricked up his ears too.
Principal Wang nodded in satisfaction before saying, "Some of you may already have heard."
"We've indeed gathered you here because of a dungeon."
"But this isn't a dungeon manifestation, so you don't need to worry too much."
Everyone quietly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't a dungeon manifestation.
After all, dungeon manifestations were completely random.
Nobody wanted to be happily eating hot pot and singing, only for a horde of monsters to suddenly fall from the sky!
Lin Dong, however, was curious. If it wasn't a dungeon manifestation, what was it?
Principal Wang continued, "Although this isn't a dungeon manifestation, a dungeon has undergone a mutation. I can't disclose the specifics."
"The Federation now needs a group of volunteers below level 5 to enter the dungeon and determine the cause of the mutation."
"Of course, the Federation won't let any volunteer go unrewarded."
"Anyone willing to go will receive a stamina potion or its cash equivalent from the Federation, with no strings attached."
"Furthermore, anyone who makes it out alive will be exempt from the preliminary martial entrance exam and advance straight to the second round!"
Uproar!
That single statement from Principal Wang sent every student at No. 1 Middle School into a frenzy!
"Holy shit! Seriously?!"
"This is the first time I've heard of anyone being exempted from the preliminary martial exam!"
"If I can reach the second round, even if I fail, I'll be able to take my pick of academic colleges!"
The students of Class One chimed in one after another, their faces brimming with excitement.
Even Lin Dong was rather taken aback.
In this world, there were academic entrance exams and martial entrance exams.
The two were roughly equivalent to entrance exams for vocational colleges and universities.
But the gap between them was far greater than that between vocational colleges and universities!
For instance, as long as someone passed the preliminary martial exam, they could take their pick of academic colleges even if they failed the second round!
Any academic college in the world!
Whichever they wanted!
That was the gulf between the two.
But such generous privileges naturally weren't easy to obtain.
The death rate in the preliminary martial exam could exceed 70 percent!
It was no exaggeration to say this.
The status of martial colleges had been built on blood!
Back to the matter at hand.
Lin Dong had never heard of anyone being exempted from the preliminary martial exam.
This truly was an unprecedented first!
What exactly had happened?
What could possibly make them change the martial exam rules that had remained unchanged for ages?!
Although excited, Lin Dong hadn't lost his head. Instead, he considered the potential risks.
"Although this is an opportunity!"
On the podium, Principal Wang spoke again. "I must warn you beforehand that this dungeon is extremely dangerous!"
"The death rate is no lower than that of the martial exam!"
"So please think carefully before deciding whether to participate!"
As he spoke, Principal Wang rose and said, "I'll be waiting in my office. Once you've thought it through, come directly to me there!"
"You have no more than thirty minutes!"
With that, Principal Wang walked away without the slightest hesitation.
"Oh, one more thing!"
Before Principal Wang could leave, a man with an icy expression following behind him suddenly spoke:
"In addition to those rewards, the client has specifically offered a Devil Fruit as a reward!"
Boom!
The man's words set the entire crowd ablaze!
Everyone went wild!
"A Devil Fruit?!"
"Holy shit! Seriously?! Are you talking about those Devil Fruits that start at a hundred million?"
"Fuck! Now I have to go!"
Watching his classmates shout around him, Lin Dong couldn't help smacking his lips!
Since the advent of universal awakening.
Thousands of secret realms had appeared, if not tens of thousands.
But the truly practical, useful secret realms could actually be counted on one's fingers.
The One Piece Secret Realm ranked among the top ten!
And the biggest reason for that was the Devil Fruit!
Not only could it greatly boost all four attributes without the user leveling up, but it could also grant them a special ability. It was practically the perfect item!
But Devil Fruits could only be obtained from the One Piece Secret Realm.
And Devil Fruits were already incredibly rare treasures in the One Piece world itself, so in the real world, their prices started at a hundred million, with no upper limit!
Moreover, they had always been precious treasures that money alone couldn't buy!
What kind of operation is this?!
Lin Dong couldn't help wondering what sort of operation warranted not only breaking the college entrance exam rules, but also offering a reward as rare as a Devil Fruit!
On the podium.
For some reason, Principal Wang was glaring furiously at the man who had spoken.
The icy-faced man, however, remained impassive. Completely ignoring Principal Wang, he swept his hand!
The next second!
An image suddenly appeared on the large screen behind the podium!
Is that?!
The instant Lin Dong saw the picture, his blood seemed to stop flowing, and he even forgot to breathe!
The fruit on the large screen was oval and azure all over. Its rind grew downward like scales, each one oval, with two layers of color: dark azure on the inside and azure on the outside.
The cap of the fruit was entirely yellow, while its calyx was purple and resembled dragon horns.
Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Azure Dragon Form!
Lin Dong was practically roaring inside. They were actually offering this fruit as a reward?!
In the One Piece world, Devil Fruits came in countless varieties, with a dazzling range of abilities.
But in Lin Dong's heart, this Azure Dragon fruit was the most perfect of them all!
Flight, lightning, wind, fire, offense and defense-it was an all-purpose supreme ability with no weaknesses, rivaling a divine beast!
Whether in damage output or defense, it represented the absolute pinnacle!
Before transmigrating, the Azure Dragon fruit had been the one Lin Dong wanted most.
He had never imagined he would see the Azure Dragon fruit at this point in time!
Now this is interesting!
Lin Dong rubbed his chin, thinking rapidly.
He hadn't planned to get mixed up in this mess, but now he might have to change his mind.
Lin Dong had thought he would be the quickest to decide.
But when he reached the principal's office, he was dumbfounded!
He couldn't even get into the hallway.
The crowd had blocked him right outside it.
And even then, more students kept pouring in.
Money really does move people!
Lin Dong admitted he had underestimated the appeal of a Devil Fruit.
Even though these students had no idea what kind of fruit it was, nothing could stop their determination to strike it rich!
"Quiet, everyone!"
Principal Wang's voice suddenly rang out. "Please listen carefully to what I'm about to say and think it through seriously. Don't act blindly on impulse!"
"Stop talking! Everyone, stop talking!"
Suddenly, someone up front shouted, "The principal's about to announce which dungeon mutated! Listen carefully!"
Hearing that, Lin Dong had no time to grumble and quickly pricked up his ears.
He too badly wanted to know which dungeon had gone wrong!
Before you continue