Jiang Xia wiped the water from the corner of his mouth, looking thoughtful.
"I almost died in there just now. The eighth level, was that even meant for humans? A hundred Ironhide Bears, I nearly broke my arm just trying to wear them down."
As he spoke, he glanced at Lu Fang, curiosity and a hint of competitiveness in his eyes.
"Brother Fang, how many levels did you clear? You look so clean, it must have been easier for you. Did you get an A-rank evaluation?"
Lu Fang looked at Jiang Xia, who was drenched in sweat, and smiled casually.
"Cleared them all."
"Poof!"
The last mouthful of water Jiang Xia had just swallowed sprayed out. He coughed violently, eyes wide as he stared at Lu Fang.
"Cough, cough... Brother Fang, you must be joking."
Jiang Xia waved his hand, wearing a look of disbelief.
"I know you're strong. I knew you were extraordinary when you awakened that phenomenon, but the school record is only 12 levels!"
Jiang Xia decided to see for himself and turned his head.
His face, which had been full of playful smiles, instantly froze.
On the screen, the top, golden record was like a bolt of lightning striking his retina.
[Lu Fang: Cleared 15 levels.]
[Evaluation: SSS.]
Jiang Xia's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
He looked at the glaring "SSS" on the screen, then stiffly turned to look at Lu Fang, and back at the screen.
A gurgling sound came from his throat, unable to form a complete sentence for a long time.
He had thought clearing 8 levels in an hour and a half and getting a B-rank was already genius.
But Lu Fang...
Not only did he clear it, he got the legendary SSS-rank evaluation?
"Brother... Brother Fang..."
Jiang Xia felt his worldview shatter into pieces, impossible to piece back together.
"S... SSS-rank? Are you... are you even human?"
Time ticked by, second by second.
At 2 hours and 8 minutes after the dungeon opened.
In the center of the gymnasium, the teleportation array that had been silent for a long time suddenly lit up one last time.
This time, the light was particularly dazzling, accompanied by a strong scent of blood.
A figure slowly emerged from the light. It was Wang Yixing.
He no longer had the pristine look he had when he went in.
The Thunder Sword in his hand was still dripping with black blood, his once neat school uniform now torn into strips, his body covered in wounds, drenched in blood.
Yet he didn't look the least bit embarrassed, instead, he held his head high, his gaze filled with extreme arrogance.
"Huff... huff..."
He panted heavily, but the smile on his face grew more sinister and excited.
He glanced at his settlement panel. Get faster updates on g.com.
[Cleared Levels: 12]
[Evaluation: A]
[Clearance Rewards: Silver-grade Thunder Gauntlets, Silver-grade Gale Necklace, Universal Skill Book "Block"]
"Level 12!"
Wang Yixing clenched his fist tightly, feeling the power surging within him.
He remembered clearly, the school record was set by the previous year's hidden class Bloodthirsty Warrior at level 12, taking two hours and thirty-eight minutes.
And he, though also at level 12, only took two hours and eight minutes!
A full half-hour faster!
"I broke the record! I am the true number one at Jiangcheng No. 1 High School!"
Wang Yixing roared in his heart.
He carried himself with the demeanor of a victor, looking around to enjoy the cheers and applause of the crowd.
At first glance, he saw Lu Fang already standing in the rest area on the sidelines.
Lu Fang held a half-empty bottle of water, leisurely watching him.
What stung Wang Yixing the most was that Lu Fang's school uniform was as pristine as new, not a wrinkle in sight, and his white sneakers were impossibly clean, as if they had never touched dirt.
Seeing this, Wang Yixing's mind instantly filled in the blanks.
"Heh."
Wang Yixing sneered, dragging the Thunder Sword, striding over to Lu Fang.
"Young Master Lu, out so early?"
He looked Lu Fang up and down, his eyes full of mockery and disdain.
Wang Yixing's voice was loud, deliberately letting everyone around hear.
He raised his chin, pointing at himself with his thumb.
"I got so caught up in the fight inside, I accidentally cleared to level 12 and broke a school record."
He paused, his eyes carrying a hint of provocation.
"Young Master Lu is so clean, you must have come out early to rest, right?"
After speaking, he stared intently into Lu Fang's eyes, wanting to see shame, jealousy, or utter embarrassment on Lu Fang's face.
However.
Lu Fang didn't speak.
He just quietly watched Wang Yixing, his gaze as calm as if watching a clown perform.
Not just Lu Fang.
Wang Yixing suddenly realized the atmosphere around him seemed off.
Too quiet.
Too strange. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Logically, having broken a school record, there should at least be thunderous applause and exclamations, even if not a grand fanfare, right?
But now, among the thousands in the gymnasium, not a single person spoke.
Everyone looked at him with extremely complex expressions.
That look wasn't admiration, nor awe, but a kind of... indescribable pity?
Even a hint of mockery as if looking at a fool?
"What is going on?"
Wang Yixing's heart skipped a beat, the bad premonition growing stronger.
He instinctively looked up, following everyone's gaze, towards the large screen above the gymnasium.
The first thing that caught his eye was the name in the second row.
[Second Place: Wang Yixing]
[Cleared Levels: 12]
[Evaluation: A]
"Second place?"
Wang Yixing's pupils contracted sharply, his voice rising by eight octaves.
"I'm second place? How is that possible! Who could be faster than me?"
His gaze trembled, slowly moving upward.
When he saw the name hanging high at the top, as dazzling as the midday sun, and the evaluation symbolizing supreme glory, his entire body froze on the spot.
[First Place: Lu Fang]
[Cleared Levels: 15]
[Evaluation: SSS]
Boom!
At that moment, Wang Yixing felt like a nuclear bomb had exploded in his mind.
The arrogant smile on his face shattered like broken glass, instantly falling apart, replaced by extreme terror and disbelief.
"15 levels... SSS evaluation..."
His lips trembled, each word squeezed out through clenched teeth, carrying a thick scent of blood.
"How... how is this possible... SSS-rank? Does SSS-rank really exist in this world?"
The A-rank he had fought tooth and nail to achieve, risking half his life, seemed laughable and insignificant compared to this SSS.
Just then, the principal, who had remained silent, suddenly adjusted his collar and strode onto the stage.
He clutched the score sheet tightly, his face flushed with near-manic excitement.
He picked up the microphone, taking a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly from extreme agitation.
"Quiet, everyone!"
The screech of the microphone brought everyone back to their senses.
The principal's sharp gaze swept across the crowd, finally landing on Wang Yixing and Lu Fang.
"Since everyone has completed the dungeon, let's begin the award ceremony."