[Task complete. Rewards have been issued.]
As the System’s voice echoed in her mind, Bai Nian once again experienced the sensation she’d felt the last time she mastered a Combat Technique.
A flood of vast memories poured into her mind, then transformed into instinctive reactions.
Now, Bai Nian possessed her own understanding and mastery of all cold weapons.
It could be said that she had already become a true master.
She could even put on a live performance of the Lightning Five-Strike Whip right here and now.
In a world where everyone could change their class, aside from some special close-combat professions who would learn the art of cold weapon fighting, most people were just ordinary folks with no particular skills.
Take Zhang Kun, for example.
Even though he was a close-combat profession, when it came to battle, he relied purely on brute strength and the Disaster Core’s enhancement of weapons, without any technique at all.
As for ranged professions like Li Qian, once someone got up close, she wouldn’t even have the strength to truss a chicken.
With Bai Nian’s current mastery of Weapon Technique and Combat Technique, ordinary people would stand no chance against her.
You could say the System was helping her make up for her weaknesses in a roundabout way.
“Looks like I need a weapon,” Bai Nian muttered as she lay on her bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
The next morning.
Bai Nian got up, put on her clothes, slipped on a windbreaker, tied her hair into a high ponytail, and wore a black baseball cap.
Once she finished getting ready, she slung on her backpack, grabbed her luggage, and hailed a cab towards the Hunter Guild.
The four of them gathered in the guild’s back parking lot, with Zhang Kun being the first to arrive.
“So early, Captain,” Bai Nian greeted him.
“I just got here too,” he replied, opening the trunk.
“Put your luggage in.”
Bai Nian nodded.
The two of them chatted a bit, and soon after, Li Qian and Shi Gao arrived one after the other.
Li Qian was still wearing her cropped top and those sizzling denim shorts, her waist swaying as she walked; Shi Gao had changed into sportswear for easier movement.
Before long, everyone got in the car and drove out of Tianmu City.
By the time they reached Tianmu 0205 Gate, it was already nearing noon.
Zhang Kun parked at the outpost.
This outpost was a bit larger than those at the Level One Gates, and there were more members from Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces stationed for security.
“Let’s grab something to eat and replenish our energy. Once we go in, we won’t have the time,” Shi Gao suggested.
Hearing this, Zhang Kun opened the trunk again and, carrying some documents, headed for the outpost office.
Bai Nian dug a pack of bread and a sausage out of her bag and sat down to eat.
“Battle Instances are the most dangerous among all kinds of instances. Once we’re in, you two should remember to stay behind me and the Captain,” Li Qian said seriously to the other two.
“No kidding,” Shi Gao rolled his eyes at her, while Bai Nian, quietly munching her food, nodded obediently.
“You want me to kick you out later?”
Li Qian snapped, grabbing hold of Shi Gao’s ear without letting go.
“Alright, alright, Qian-jie!”
he begged for mercy, “I’d gladly fall at your… denim shorts!”
The two started fooling around again.
Before long, Zhang Kun returned with the members of Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces from the office.
“Let the brothers come in and rest for a bit, Captain Zhang?”
“No need to trouble you, we’re heading in soon,” Zhang Kun replied politely, then turned to the other three.
“The Fifth Gate has already claimed several Hunter teams and members from Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces. The difficulty is estimated to be mid-level among the Second Rank Gates.”
His expression was rather serious—not only because the gate before them was the toughest Battle Instance, but also because out of their four-person team, only two had combat professions.
“Does the gate’s difficulty relate to how many have died inside?”
Bai Nian asked in confusion.
“Of course. For example, if a Second Rank Gate requires a hundred professionals to be promoted to a Third Rank, a gate where ninety-nine have already died is obviously different in difficulty than one where only a single person has perished,” Li Qian explained.
Bai Nian was stunned for a moment; this did make more sense.
But she didn’t see any worry on their faces.
Open-level gates weren’t mandatory—if it was too dangerous, they could just give up.
We’ll be relying on you guys this time, Bai Nian thought.
“I’m ready to lie down and leave the rest to you,” Shi Gao echoed her inner thought.
“Don’t worry, I’m called the Invincible Muscle Man for a reason!”
Zhang Kun thumped his chest with confidence.
He was worried, but not afraid.
The main reason was that the three of them had already cleared a peak Second Rank Gate before—and that time, they lost a teammate.
This time, their target was a Third Rank Gate.
There was no way a mere Second Rank Gate could stop them now.
“Seeing you all so confident puts me at ease. Then, Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces will wait here in advance for your triumphant return,” one of the Heavenly Dynasty Nine Provinces members said with a smile.
“Count on it!”
Zhang Kun cupped his fists, then looked at the other three.
“Let’s go!”
As the iron gate slowly opened, the four of them entered the massive plaza built specifically to seal off the Disaster Gate.
All around were copper walls and iron ramparts, bristling with gun barrels pointed straight at the gate.
A majestic golden door, half-open and two stories tall, stood before them.
It radiated a holy light, with strange patterns etched all over its surface.
Staring at it made one’s eyes spin involuntarily.
The Second Rank Gate didn’t look all that different from a Level One Gate on the outside.
Bai Nian stared intently at the patterns on the door.
They seemed to come alive, twisting and distorting, merging into several small lines of text.
[Second Rank Open-level Disaster Gate]
[Status: Sealed]
[Current Progress: 49/100]
[Maximum Capacity: 5]
[Other: Unknown…]
Unlike the Level One Gates, the Second Rank Gate had an extra line of information displayed above.
Bai Nian paused briefly—the door still didn’t reveal any useful intel.
“Maximum capacity is five?”
she wondered aloud.
“Yeah, once it’s full, the gate will temporarily close until either the instance is cleared or everyone inside dies,” Li Qian explained.
In other words, there would be no survivors from a Battle Instance gate.
“Let’s go. We don’t know what’s inside, so everyone be careful,” Zhang Kun said, taking the first step through the gate.
At that moment, Bai Nian noticed a countdown appear on the door.
Realization dawned in her heart.
So, once the countdown ended, this Second Rank Gate would temporarily shut.
She didn’t hesitate, following the others through the door.
Golden light blazed, instantly filling her field of vision.
The world spun, and a powerful sensation of weightlessness surged up—