Breaking the Record

Outside the instance, the senior student stood in front of the light screen, having waited for a full hour.

Her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white.

My gaze remained fixed on that light screen, where the red light continued to swirl, and occasionally tiny ripples would flash, proving that the battle inside the dungeon was still ongoing.

More and more people gathered around. At first, it was just a few passersby watching the commotion, but gradually they formed a small circle. Talking among themselves filled the air.

"Still not out? It's been an hour."

"They're not really going to fight in there, are they? A level 17 trying to fight a level 20 Hell difficulty dungeon for over an hour?"

"Impossible. They must be trying to buy time by hiding somewhere. The monsters in Hell difficulty are intelligent; they can split up and flank you. You can hide for a while, but you can't hide forever."

"Why hasn't he come out yet? He didn't even bring the Forced Exit Scroll? Really? Freshmen don't even prepare this?"

"He was probably too arrogant. He thought he could do it. But when he got inside, he realized he couldn't win, and he didn't dare to back down for fear of losing face. So he's just stuck inside."

"What's the point of wasting time? The longer you waste time, the more embarrassing it will be."

"Why didn't he just leave the instance if he couldn't beat it?"

"He probably didn't have time. The first wave of monsters surrounded his core area, and he didn't even have a chance to force quit."

"Isn't that the end? Core card destroyed, mentally damaged, might even turn him into a vegetable."

"Who told him to show off? Level 17 trying to raid a Hell difficulty dungeon? Isn't that just asking for death?"

As the senior student listened to these words, her face grew paler and paler.

She wanted to argue, but she herself wasn't sure what Su Mu's situation was inside.

She had told Su Mu how difficult this dungeon was, about the attribute panel of the Spider Queen of the End, and that even a full team of ten level 25 players might not be able to clear it.

But after listening, Su Mu immediately chose Hell.

She felt a responsibility.

It was she who recommended this dungeon.

Although she pointed out the shortcomings and offered advice, it was ultimately she who said "this one is okay" when making the final recommendation. She doesn't know how she would face the situation if something really happened to Su Mu inside.

Just as she was about to ask a staff member, a bell rang.

Buzz...

The deep, resonant tolling of the bells came from the depths of the square, piercing through all the noise. The sound was deep and lingering, as if something ancient was vibrating within it.

Everyone looked up.

"Did the bells ring?"

Someone broke the record?

"The bells of Tsinghua and Peking Universities only ring when the nest record is broken. Who is it?"

"Are any important figures visiting Nest Plaza today?"

"I haven't heard of that. It's the start of the new semester, and all the upperclassmen are busy with their own things. Who has time to grind dungeons?"

Who could it be?

"It can't be a freshman, can it?"

"Freshmen? How could that be? Freshmen haven't even adjusted yet."

Whispers arose from all directions. Everyone looked in the direction from which the bell tolled, trying to find the light screen where the record had been broken. Soon, someone spotted it.

"It's over there! That level 20 medium-sized nest!"

"Spider Nest Deep Valley? Level 20 Medium Dungeon? Hell difficulty?"

"How is that possible! A level 20 medium-sized dungeon is hellish, requiring at least ten full-strength players at level 25. The key is that level 25 threshold. A year has passed; who among the upperclassmen is still stuck at level 25? They're all already at level 30. And those above level 25 can't get in."

"Yeah, it's only been a few days since school started. The highest level among the new students is probably only around level 19, not even level 20. How are they going to clear Hell difficulty? Let alone break records."

"Then what's going on with this bell sound? The Heart-Origin Intelligence Core can't be malfunctioning."

"Could someone be stuck at level 25, deliberately waiting to break records?"

"Nobody at Tsinghua and Peking Universities would do that. Top students have their pride; it's too shameful to hold a level cap and try to break records. And would someone be stupid enough to hold a level cap at 25?"

"Who exactly is it?"

The murmurs grew louder, and more and more people gathered. Everyone rushed toward the light screen in the Spider Nest Deep Valley, eager to see who had broken the record.

The senior student didn't move.

She wasn't interested in who broke the record. Her mind was completely occupied with Su Mu, that junior from the class of 17, who had been inside for over an hour and still hadn't come out.

The two girls next to her... the girl with short hair and the girl with shoulder-length hair... also heard the bell. The girl with short hair turned her head and looked at her senior.

"Miaomiao, you broke the record! Did you see any teams of older students go in?"

The senior student subconsciously shook her head. But then she remembered something... The record-breaking place was Spider Nest Deep Valley. She had been guarding this place ever since Su Mu went in, and no senior team had ever gone in.

"No," she said, her voice a little dry. "From the time Su Mu went in until now, no one else has gone in."

The short-haired girl paused for a moment.

"Nobody? How could they possibly break the record? The Heart-Origin Intelligence Core can't be wrong."

The girl with shoulder-length hair frowned as well. "Yeah, only the freshman you were with went in. Could it be...?"

She stopped, her expression as if denying an absurd idea.

The senior student had also considered that possibility. The moment the thought popped into her head, she felt like she was going crazy. But she still blurted it out unconsciously.

"Could it be... Su Mu?"

The short-haired girl was stunned. Then she laughed.

"Miaomiao, are you worried sick? How could this be? A level 17 freshman, that's practically the lowest level among freshmen! First time in this dungeon, soloing Hell difficulty, and breaking a record? That's a record only achieved by a full team of ten level 25 players. Him alone? Impossible."

The girl with shoulder-length hair smiled and shook her head, "Miaomiao, don't worry too much. He's probably still inside. He'll be out soon."

But the senior student didn't laugh.

She remembered something. Something she had seen when she registered.

"How could he possibly be at the bottom?" The senior student's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, startling the two girls next to her.

She turned to look at them, her eyes serious.

"He's a freshman who's Leaping over the Dragon Gate."

The short-haired girl's smile froze. The shoulder-length-haired girl's hand hovered in mid-air.

"Leaping over the Dragon Gate?" The short-haired girl's voice was a little hoarse. "You mean that handsome young man... he's the provincial champion?"

"It's not just a provincial first prize," the senior student said. "He leaped over the Dragon Gate. He's the only one among this year's freshmen at Tsinghua and Peking Universities to Leaping over the Dragon Gate."

The two girls looked at each other, bewildered. They knew what Leaping over the Dragon Gate meant.

"Tsinghua and Peking Universities are lucky if they produce one or two Leaping over the Dragon Gate who make it to the top each year; sometimes they don't produce any at all." So he's not at the bottom... " The girl with shoulder-length hair murmured.

Before he could finish speaking, the red light on the screen suddenly disappeared.

A figure stepped out from the light screen.

Su Mu stood in front of the light screen, his face calm and his breathing even.

His gray coat was perfectly smooth, without a single wrinkle, and his backpack strap hung casually over his shoulder, making him look like he had just come back from a walk.

He glanced around and saw the senior student, slightly surprised.

"Senior, you're still here?" He walked over. "Weren't you supposed to be helping the new students? If you need anything, just go ahead and do your work. I'll contact you if I need anything."

The senior student stared blankly at him, her lips moved, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"You... beat the game?"

Su Mu nodded. "I've cleared the level."

Before the senior student could react, the short-haired girl next to her had already covered her mouth. Her gaze was fixed on the screen... the record had been updated.

[Spider Nest Deep Valley - Hell Difficulty - Completion Log]

[First Place: Su Mu, Level 17, Time: 1 hour 08 minutes. Breaks the previous record of 1 hour 24 minutes.]

[Note: Single-player completion.]

The short-haired girl's hands were trembling. The girl with shoulder-length hair also saw the words, and she seemed frozen in place.

"One person..." the short-haired girl's voice was almost squeezed out between clenched teeth, "Level 17, one person, breaking the record... more than ten people, a full level 25 team, in sixteen minutes..."

The girl with shoulder-length hair turned her head and looked at Su Mu with the gaze one would give a monster.

"Senior..." Her voice trembled, "You said he's that guy who Leaping over the Dragon Gate... Su Mu?"

The senior student didn't answer. She had also seen the record.

Her mind was blank, with only one thought swirling around in her head.

The new student I mentored today, a level 17 student, was entering this dungeon for the first time. He soloed the Hell difficulty level and even broke the record.

She remembered telling him about the dungeon, saying, "The monsters in this dungeon are very strong; even normal dungeons require at least a five-person party." She remembered saying, "Hell dungeons require at least a full ten-person party of level 25 to have a chance of clearing them." She remembered saying, "Don't treat this dungeon like the ones outside."

After listening, Su Mu said nothing and directly chose Hell.

What was his expression like at the time?

Calm.

Yes, it's peace.

It was as if I had listened to a trivial explanation and then made a perfectly logical choice.