The skeleton is too invincible; I leveled up with the school beauty!

Surrounding the top of the hall is an array of hundreds of golden cube holographic prisms of various shapes, floating like living things.

The hazard signs from F to SSS levels flickered like breathing, with the top few signs being particularly eye-catching:

[Pacific Ocean-Abyss Corridor (SS-level) - Current Status: Law Contamination Spreading]

[Bermuda - Ghost Fleet (SS-class) - Exploration progress 12%]

[Himalayan Sky Burial Ice Cave (SS-level) - Real-time Dynamic Mortality Rate (Scrolling): 47.3%...47.6%...48.1%...]

[Arctic Circle – Permafrost Front (S-level) – Development Rate: 35.4%, Core Area 'Ice Marrow Vein' Estimated Value: 37 Billion]

"This world... is more complex than I imagined, and its technology is far more advanced..."

"The line between games and reality has become completely blurred..."

Xu Nuo's skeletal hand pressed against the glass exterior wall, and his soul fire trembled slightly.

Through the almost transparent curtain wall, the view at the heart of the hall is clearly visible.

A real-time dynamic sand table of Earth, with a diameter of over 100 meters and composed entirely of billions of liquid photons, floats in mid-air.

It is no longer a simple sphere, but exhibits a topological structure similar to a neural network in the brain, with countless fine light bands densely marking newly opened replica rifts around the world.

Each coordinate point is surrounded by a dense, dust-like nebula of data, transmitting real-time information streams:

Exploration progress, number of deaths, resource estimates...

"In 2026, after the game 'Endless Dead' consumes reality..."

Su Wanqing explained softly, "These rifts will remain in our world forever."

She pointed to the electronic screen at the entrance of the hall, which displayed today's data:

[127 new instances added globally]

[Current number of stable instances in Luolong City: 389]

Today's dungeon deaths: 5189

As you enter the hall, a wave of sound hits you.

Teams were forming, transactions were taking place, and arguments were happening—it was just like a bustling market.

The task posting area on the right was packed with people.

On the left is the portal to the dungeon entrance, where teams occasionally disappear in a flash of white light.

"The most profitable quests are those newly discovered dungeons, which offer the richest resources and the chance to obtain rare treasures that can be exchanged for money..."

Su Wanqing bit her lip as she checked the holographic mission panel.

"Of course, my dad went missing while exploring a strange dungeon to raise money for my mom's medical expenses... his fate is unknown..."

"He's nowhere to be found alive, and even in death... he left no trace or signal that could be read by this dimension. He's 'there,' or rather... forever lost in the 'gap between data and spacetime.'" Several tasks on the task panel stood out prominently:

[Rank F - Dark Cave] Gather Moonflower (Reward: 200 coins/plant)

[Rank F - Dead Mine] Zombie Miner Clearance (Reward: 500 coins/zombie)

[Rank E - Rotten Swamp] Hunt down a giant crocodile (Reward: 1 + material share)

Su Wanqing stood in the center of the dungeon lobby, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, her eyes staring blankly at the flashing task list on the holographic screen.

The task list flashing on the holographic screen turned into a string of cold numbers in her eyes.

200, 500, 10000...

This meager reward is nothing compared to the enormous debt of 20, and is far from enough to fill that huge gap.

"Even if I grinded day and night, working non-stop for a month without eating or drinking, I still couldn't save up that much money for the cheapest F-rank dungeon..."

She murmured to herself, her voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the surrounding noise.

She had repeated this calculation countless times. Each time, the result was equally cruel.

It's simply impossible to raise enough money within the deadline through conventional means!

"No, time waits for no one, I must raise 200,000 as soon as possible."

"The conventional approach... is simply too late..."

"It seems the only way to quickly raise this life-saving money is to find a high-level dungeon or risk exploring a new one!"

This thought left Su Wanqing feeling somewhat helpless and suffocated.

My father... back then... he did the same thing... to pay for my mother's medical bills... he recklessly plunged into an unexplored "abyss instance"... and then... he never came back...

Now... it's my turn... to save my mother... should I step on my father's bloody footprints...?

Xu Nuo stood behind her, his bony hand gently resting on her shoulder.

Through the contractual connection, he could feel the girl's heart pounding wildly in her chest, like a trapped little bird.

The soul fire in his eye sockets trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This girl... is having a harder time than he imagined.

If an ordinary person were to face such a background and pressure, they would probably have collapsed long ago.

But this stubborn girl, whose shoulders were so thin that a gust of wind could blow her over, stubbornly used these fragile bones to support a family on the verge of collapse!

And that hopeless future, like a bottomless abyss!

But looking at Su Wanqing's slender back, Xu Nuo's bony hand unconsciously clenched tighter.

Su Wanqing's back was ramrod straight, slender yet resilient.

She swallowed all that trampled self-esteem and torn pride, turning them into sparks in her eyes that refused to go out, burning stubbornly.

Even though she was already teetering on the brink of collapse and could barely stand... she stubbornly wanted to use her frail body to hold up the entire world that was about to crumble!

There's no other way. For the poor struggling to survive in the mud, the only capital they can gamble with is this worthless life!

Xu Nuo's bony hand unconsciously clenched tighter.

He suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

This time-traveling duo is a bit too fantastical!

A delivery worker who died suddenly was reborn as a skeleton soldier.

A beautiful college girl burdened with huge debts awakens to the most expensive profession.

A little trashy guy takes a poor little thing on a wild adventure in another world?

What is this?

Community of Losers?

Or are they just an unlucky duo?

This combination could easily make a movie called "This Skeleton Is Incredibly Weak Yet Incredibly Unlucky"!

Su Wanqing did not notice Xu Nuo's thoughts.

She's very confused right now; all she can think about is making money!

The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, but the noisy atmosphere made Su Wanqing feel even more suffocated.

She stared at the "D-level" and "C-level" markings after those high-reward missions, her throat tightening. After all, Su Wanqing was only an E-level contract master, while Xu Nuo was an E-level skeleton.

Therefore, she can only enter E-level dungeons at most; she needs someone to carry her through higher-level dungeons.

But why would those powerful individuals who can enter high-level dungeons be willing to bring along these two burdens?

"Look over there!"

Suddenly, someone exclaimed in a low voice, "Was it that contractor who summoned the skeleton? The whole of Luolong City is buzzing about it today!"

The discussion spread like wildfire.

"I heard she's a genius girl, but she summoned a trashy skeleton? That's hilarious!"

"What's the use of being a genius? A contract master only has one summoning opportunity in their lifetime, so it's useless!"

"But this skeleton seems a bit eerie... My cousin said at the scene that it gets shy and even gives the middle finger..."

"Even the weirdest skeleton is still trash! What can you do with a skeleton? Use it as a clothes rack?"

Su Wanqing clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

The harsh whispers pierced her ears like knives, but she had no time to pay attention to them.

"Excuse me..."

She walked to the front desk, her voice trembling slightly, and asked, "Are there any missions suitable for an E-rank contract master? Something with a higher reward..."

Behind the counter, the meticulously made-up female receptionist with a sharp gaze slowly raised her eyelids.

Upon seeing who it was, she suddenly let out a sneer.

"Hey, isn't that the genius contract master who summons skeletons?"

"What's this? Didn't Young Master Wang of the Dragon Fang Guild show you any mercy and arrange for you... the cushy job of cleaning up his pet poop?"

A burst of laughter erupted in the hall.

Dragon Fang Guild is the most powerful guild in Luolong City. Offending Dragon Fang Guild in Luolong City is tantamount to a death sentence, making it difficult to gain a foothold in the city afterward.

Su Wanqing's face was deathly pale, but she remained stubbornly standing, not moving an inch: "I just came to ask about the mission!" "Mission?"

The female receptionist drawled out her words in a sarcastic tone, her eyes full of disdain, "Want to do a slime-clearing quest in an F-rank dungeon? 50 coins per slime, perfect for your little skeleton~"

"Bang!"

Xu Nuo slammed his bone fist heavily onto the marble tabletop of the reception desk, and spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread out.

Su Wanqing was stunned.

She saw Xu Nuo's skeleton lean forward slightly, the shy skeleton now standing in front of her like a wall.

The soul fire pulsed violently in the empty eye sockets, and the bone fingers slowly pointed to the flat plate that had rolled to the ground.

He's angry... is it because they laughed at me...?

Despite being the most ferocious undead creature, Xu Nuo, this skeleton soldier, seemed more like a guardian than any knight in Su Wanqing's eyes at this moment.

"Ah~"

The female receptionist screamed in fright.

"W-What are you going to do?"

"This is the dungeon lobby!"

She turned pale and took two steps back, her arrogant demeanor instantly extinguished.

After all, bullying the weak and fearing the strong is a common problem among these kinds of people.

Xu Nuo sneered deep within his soul.

know!

Of course I know this is the dungeon lobby!

But these bastards... do they even deserve to mock their master, Su Wanqing?

Do they even deserve to look at this stubborn girl with such disdain?

He looked down at his pale, bony hands and suddenly felt a sense of irony.

He was a humble food delivery worker who braved wind and rain and risked his life for money.

After death, I became a skeleton soldier, a cannon fodder unit with nothing but bones at the start and all my equipment had to be scavenged...

Now I also have to work part-time as a bodyguard?

What is this?

What is the ultimate form of the corporate slave?

Even if you're completely dead, you can't escape... the curse of working?

Even though Su Wanqing was on the verge of collapse, she was still struggling desperately.

She didn't even have time to cry for herself.

She doesn't even have the right to be weak.

And these people just stood by, pointing and laughing at her disheveled state.

Xu Nuo's bony fingers slowly tightened, making a teeth-grinding "click-click" sound.

Ha, sure.

Since you all enjoy watching jokes so much...

Then I'll let you laugh your fill!

He suddenly looked up, and the ghostly blue soul fire in his eye sockets suddenly surged, like two burning will-o'-the-wisps, staring straight at the female receptionist.

Come on, laugh!

Why aren't you smiling anymore?

Weren't you quite talkative just now?

The female receptionist felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze, instinctively taking a step back, her lips trembling as she stammered, "You...you mustn't do anything rash..."

Xu Nuo slowly raised that enormous bone claw.

It didn't hit her horrified face.

It was silent, yet with an overwhelming sense of crushing everything, pointing towards the huge light screen behind it, flashing with mission information!

Either speak politely and give me the task! Or, guess where the next punch will land?!

The female receptionist swallowed.

This skeleton... it exudes such a powerful killing intent!

"I...I'll check it for you right away..."

Xu Nuo's skeletal hand gently rested on Su Wanqing's shoulder, his soul fire flickering slightly, as if conveying some kind of silent promise.

From now on, you will no longer be fighting alone.

I'll take on your debts.

I will help you resolve your grievances.

From now on, I'll take care of you, you poor little thing!

But at that very moment!

A rough voice suddenly came from behind.

"Hey, you over there, girl!"