Chapter 48: This Hurts More Than Being Killed

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The Burial Dungeon lay deep within the wilderness, one of the most challenging first-tier Abyss instances, yet the Abyss Plaza was crowded with adventurers eager to take on the challenge.

Whether it was a dungeon or an Abyss, risk and reward were directly proportional.

The higher the difficulty, the greater the chance of death, but the rewards upon completion were all the more generous.

Furthermore, given adequate preparation, Abysses offered much better value compared to dungeons.

After all, dungeons charged exorbitant fees for entry.

Take, for example, the first-tier Hell-level dungeons in Lin City, where each person had to pay three million per run.

That price was undeniably steep. On one hand, maintaining and operating dungeons required significant funding; on the other, the factions controlling these dungeons had to profit from them.

The same applied to novice dungeons, except that under the laws of the Divine Summer Empire, newly transferred students enjoyed a ten-day free period for novice dungeons—a special consideration for the student population.

At this moment, the Abyss Plaza was packed with adventurers, much like the dungeon plaza, most of whom were recruiting teammates.

Lin Yuan, Lin Qingqing, and Su Ran had already arrived at the Abyss entrance.

There was no communication in the wilderness—not even they knew where Gu Chen was currently located—but they were smart enough to wait right at the entrance.

This way, anyone entering the Abyss had to pass right before their eyes.

Looking at the crowd holding up their signs, a suddenly wide-awake Lin Yuan seemed to have an idea.

“Right, there are only three of us now. Even if Old Gu shows up, that makes four. Shouldn’t we recruit one more to complete the team?”

The more members in a team, the greater the experience bonus. Missing a member meant losing a share of the experience.

“That’s true. Since the pro hasn’t arrived yet, let’s recruit now. After all, actors for first-tier Abysses are hard to find,” Lin Qingqing said.

“Hard to find? I remember there were plenty of actors in novice dungeons. Why are first-tier Abyss actors scarce?”

“Novice dungeons are simpler, and new transfers have little combat power. Everyone wants to level up before the academy assessments, so there are naturally more actors there.”

“But first-tier Abysses are different. A few strong adventurers cooperating to clear it earn far more than bringing actors along. Plus, second-tier adventurers compete fiercely for experience in Abysses, so few want to be actors.”

“I see. You two watch the entrance; I’ll go ask around.”

Lin Yuan nodded vaguely in understanding and approached a level 12 swordsman among the group searching for teammates.

Since they were both swordsmen, it might be easier to strike up a conversation.

“Hey, we still need one more for our team. Interested?”

The swordsman turned, instinctively glancing at Lin Yuan’s level. A flicker of contempt flashed in his eyes.

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Level 6—not even first-tier—and he dares to come to a first-tier Abyss? Was he courting death?

The swordsman was too annoyed to bother with Lin Yuan. He said bluntly, “You’re an actor, right? Your level’s too low. Tell your captain to come talk to me.”

Hearing this, Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Oh, come on! You’re giving yourself airs just because you’re level 12? If I weren’t outmatched, I’d have drawn my sword by now.

“Hello, I’m the captain. What do you want?” a familiar voice suddenly came from behind.

Lin Yuan turned quickly, his eyes lighting up with joy.

At the same time, the swordsman’s gaze settled on Gu Chen. He was momentarily stunned, then openly sneered.

“Level 10? Summoner? Are you joking with me?”

Gu Chen paid no mind. “Any problem with that?”

“I advise you not to enter the Abyss—you’ll die fast!” The swordsman showed impatience, waving his hand dismissively. “Move aside. This place isn’t for high school students! Don’t waste your time!”

With that, he turned and walked away, seemingly afraid Gu Chen would bother him.

“Old Gu, I’ve finally found you!” Lin Yuan said, beaming.

Gu Chen was equally surprised. Wherever there was a teleportation array, communication could be restored. He had intended to notify Lin Yuan and the others to enter the Abyss.

Unexpectedly, the moment he arrived at the Abyss Plaza, he saw Lin Yuan’s figure, saving him considerable effort.

“Old Gu, you really pulled off something big this time. If it weren’t for Lord War King coming to Lin City, I wouldn’t have known you actually—”

“Don’t mention him. I’ve cut ties with the Gu family.”

He had been wandering the wilderness for nearly a day and night, encountering many adventurers and learning about the events in Lin City from them.

He even misled some hunters after him, as the wilderness was filled with thick black fog and poor visibility, and he was accompanied by the Blood Clan patriarch and many descendants.

That spectacle hardly looked like a fugitive wandering the wilderness.

Of course, such cases were rare. After leaving the Zhenyuan army outpost, he was still tracked by those with ill intent.

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But precisely because of this, Lin Yuan and the others guessed Gu Chen’s intentions and arrived at the Abyss Plaza early to wait.

Suddenly, Lin Yuan shivered, his eyes flashing with shock.

“Old Gu… you… cut ties with the Northern Realm royal family?”

Lin Yuan’s mind went blank; his tongue seemed tied, as if he’d lost the power to prophesy.

That was the royal family!

Didn’t he know what the royal family was?

Others would grovel to get close, but he actually severed ties?

Seeing Gu Chen’s serious expression, Lin Yuan’s face contorted in a grimace worse than crying; he nearly bit his cheek to pieces.

“That’s the Northern Realm royal family! I almost became a brother to a royal prince!”

“Unimaginable wealth and status! Damn it! This hurts worse than being killed!”

Gu Chen: “……”

“By the way, is your team still missing one? I just happen to have a friend with me.”

Gu Chen interrupted Lin Yuan’s lamentation, gesturing to Xu Xia beside him.

Lin Yuan’s expression immediately returned to normal as he looked at Xu Xia—and nearly lost control of his expression once more.

Xu Xia wasn’t even an adventurer!

“No way, man. You’re not even an adventurer, and you dare come to a first-tier Abyss?”

Xu Xia was unfazed. “What, are the requirements for being an actor in your team so high? Must you be an adventurer?”

Lin Yuan was momentarily speechless, unable to retort.

That’s right, actors do nothing in the team; what difference does it make if they’re adventurers or not?

Moreover, Xu Xia wasn’t an adventurer, so he wouldn’t take any experience, yet his presence would grant the team the experience bonus of a five-member group.

Thinking of this, Lin Yuan’s grin stretched nearly to his ears.

“Please, you must join our team!”