Don't mess with that necromancer; his summoned creatures level up on their own!

The group arrived at Kyoto train station.

As the capital of the Dragon Kingdom, its train station is naturally one of the busiest transportation hubs in the country.

The huge domed waiting hall was bustling with people, including travelers dragging suitcases and professionals carrying equipment cases.

A huge electronic screen hangs above the center of the hall.

A dense array of green departure information scrolls down from the top of the screen, with train numbers, times, and platform numbers jumping one line after another.

A few hours later, accompanied by the announcement that the train was arriving at the station.

"Dear passengers, we have arrived at Tianbei City Station. Please take your belongings and disembark in an orderly manner."

Lu Zhixing and his group walked out of the carriage carrying their bags.

The exit of Tenhoku Station is much smaller than the grand hall in Kyoto.

There was no air conditioning in the station hall; only a few old-fashioned ceiling fans hung from the ceiling.

The walls were covered with all sorts of graffiti, layered on top of each other.

"High prices for monster corpses, honest dealings, bulk orders receive preferential rates." "Urgently recruiting suicide squads, daily pay, excellent benefits, room and board included." "Black market transactions, integrity guaranteed, all kinds of monster materials, elixirs, and magical artifacts, bulk orders receive preferential rates."

Some of the papers were curled at the edges, revealing even older, faded yellowish-brown old papers underneath, densely covered with countless layers.

Most pedestrians looked hurried, and many of them still had bloodstains on their clothes.

Su Lin covered her face with her backpack with a look of disgust.

"Wow... Is this really a city in our Dragon Kingdom? It feels like we've stepped back into a city from the Great Cataclysm era! This train station is even more dilapidated than the worst county train station I ever visited as a child."

Yu Xiaogang said calmly, without stopping.

"Let's go, let's rent a car first. The coordinates for the temple instance are in the rocky wasteland outside the city, which is still dozens of kilometers away. The sooner we get a car, the sooner we can leave, and we shouldn't waste time in the city."

Lu Zhixing nodded, and the group walked out of the station.

At this moment, the five-clawed golden dragon badges of the Azure Dragon Class on everyone's chests had been removed.

Yu Xiaogang reminded them to put it away while they were on the train, for no other reason than that it was too eye-catching.

The golden dragon pattern on the badge reflects the sunlight, attracting attention wherever they go, making them the center of attention wherever they go.

They're here to farm dungeons, not to be stared at like giant pandas.

Outside the station is a narrow street lined with various small shops on both sides.

There were tobacco and liquor stores, hardware stores, grocery stalls, and a few small restaurants with faded signs.

At the entrance of one of the shops with a sign that reads "Honest Car Rental".

A one-eyed boss was sitting with his legs crossed on a worn-out wicker chair, smoking.

The one-eyed boss wore a black eyepatch over his right eye, while his left eye gleamed with a sharp light.

He saw Lu Zhixing and his group walking over.

Especially when I saw those three girls with extraordinary temperament and neat clothes.

The single eye narrowed slightly, a glint of light flashing within it.

This is obviously a fat sheep.

He exhaled a smoke ring, then pointed to the corner with the hand holding the cigarette.

"Unfortunately, all the cars are currently rented out, except for this one. The rental fee is 10,000 yuan per day, with a deposit of 100,000 yuan. No bargaining."

Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly, walked forward, bent down, and looked around the dilapidated pickup truck.

The mud on the car body was so thick it looked like a shell, and the tire treads were almost worn down.

There is a noticeable rust mark on the edge of the chassis.

"Boss, if this car goes to the rocky outskirts, I'm afraid it won't be able to come back, right? You know the road conditions there, it's full of gravel and potholes, this car will fall apart before it even gets halfway there."

"Anything else? Something a little better, I'm willing to pay a bit more."

The boss replied casually, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"That's it. Only this one left. Rent it or leave it."

He was calculating things rapidly.

There's only one car rental shop within a five-kilometer radius here. These young masters and ladies are obviously from out of town and hate trouble, so they'll definitely rent one.

If this crappy car is driven out, it will never come back, and then the 100,000 yuan deposit will all be mine.

The car rotted in the middle of nowhere and no one could find it.

A slightly immature voice came from inside the garage.

"Don't rent it! The brake pads are worn out, and the chassis is cracked. A customer rented it out and the wheel fell off after driving less than five kilometers. This car is guaranteed to break down within five kilometers!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man emerge from the dimly lit garage.

He was wearing dark blue overalls stained with oil, and holding a wrench in his hand.

His face was covered in black ash, as if he had just been lying under the car for half an hour.

She looks to be under twenty years old and is rather thin.

The boss's expression changed, and he suddenly jumped up from his chair.

The glint in that one eye turned fierce, and it glared at the young man.

"Ah Jie! What nonsense are you spouting? Don't you want to work here anymore?"

Ah Jie snorted coldly and ripped off his oil-stained work clothes.

He slammed the wrench he was holding onto the table, the metal clanging loudly.

"I've wanted to quit this lousy job for ages! Our sign says 'Honest Car Rental,' but you're clearly ripping people off! And you call that honesty?"

"You've been hanging that sign for ten years, you've been ripping people off for ten years!"

The boss was so angry that his face trembled, and his one eye almost spit fire.

His finger was trembling as he pointed at Ah Jie.

"You've gone too far! Get out! Get out right now! You won't get a single penny of your salary this month!"

Ah Jie stiffened his neck and raised his chin high.

"Fine, don't take it! Keep it for your coffin!"

After saying that, he turned and left, carrying a worn-out backpack and still clutching a wrench in his hand, without even glancing at the furious boss.

The boss was cursing behind him, his voice going from "ungrateful wretch" to "traitor" and then to some even more offensive words, but Ah Jie kept walking further and further away without turning his head back.

Yu Xiaogang ignored the boss who was still cursing, gave him a cold glance, and turned to the crowd.

"Let's go, staying in a place like this for too long will bring bad luck."

Su Lin followed behind with a worried look on her face, her pace much slower than before.

"Teacher Yu, that place is tens of kilometers away. How are we going to get there? There don't seem to be any other car rental shops around here. We can't just walk there, can we?"

"My legs would be completely worn out from walking dozens of kilometers."

Lu Zhixing's gaze fell on a car parked by the roadside.

It was an old-fashioned SUV, dark green in color, and looked quite old.

But the car was very clean, and it was clear that it was regularly maintained.

Ah Jie was getting into the driver's seat with his tattered bag on his back, his hands just touching the steering wheel.

Lu Zhixing thought for a moment, then quickly walked over and knocked on the car window.

The car window rolled down, and A-Jie was stunned to see that it was Lu Zhixing.

"Brother? You guys haven't left yet?"

Lu Zhixing smiled, one hand resting on the car door frame.

"Thanks earlier, bro. If you hadn't reminded us, we probably would have been ripped off by that unscrupulous boss today."

"If that car breaks down halfway through the journey, and we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, that would be a real problem."

Ah Jie scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled.

"It's nothing, I didn't help much. I just couldn't stand him ripping people off. He's been using that same trick for ten years, specifically targeting out-of-towners who don't know the way."

Lu Zhixing asked.

"Are you alright? You lost your job, and you haven't been paid yet..."

Ah Jie waved his hand.

"Hey, it's nothing! I've already quit a long time ago anyway! I don't feel at ease making that kind of money that goes against my conscience."

"I knew how bad the quality of his cars was when I used to fix them for him. Every time someone rented one out and it broke down on the road, he'd make me tow it back. I've had enough of that."

Ah Jie's face showed disdain, and the corners of his mouth turned down.

"Besides, I work for him to save up money to buy dungeon scrolls, which will produce materials to save my sister."

"I've saved enough money and bought the dungeon scrolls, so I'm not doing this lousy job anymore."

Lu Zhixing immediately pressed for an answer, his eyes lighting up for a moment.

"Running dungeons? We're going to run dungeons too. Where are you going to run them?"

A-Jie: "The Wasteland of Rocks. There's a coordinate point there that can activate a dungeon; I've already bought the reels."

Lu Zhixing's eyes lit up.

"What a coincidence, we're going there too. Since we're going the same way, how about you give us a ride? Don't worry, I won't let you go for nothing, I'll pay for the fare."

Ah Jie looked at his car with a troubled expression, then looked back at the four people behind Lu Zhixing.

Yu Xiaogang, Su Youran, Su Lin, Song Xiaohe.

Then his gaze fell back to the back seat of his SUV.

"Well... it's not that I don't want to take you guys. Although I modified this car myself, replaced the engine, and reinforced the suspension, so its performance is still pretty good, I still have to pick up my three childhood friends. We agreed to go on a dungeon run together."

"Besides, the back seat of this car is already a bit cramped with just three people; there's really no way it can fit so many people."

He thought for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly before relaxing.

"How about this, I'll rent this car to you. Anyway, my friend has a car, even though it's a three-wheeled vehicle."

"It's one of those three-wheeled motorcycles with a sidecar, but you can squeeze in. Just give me a little money for gas, okay?"

Lu Zhixing was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

He's so honest it's endearing. He risked losing his job to prevent strangers from being scammed, and now he's willing to give up his precious SUV to help them.

He took out his phone and scanned A-Jie's payment code, quickly tapping the screen a few times with his thumb.

"Fifty thousand, is that enough?"

Ah Jie was startled and almost jumped out of the driver's seat.

"Huh? Fifty thousand? That's way too much! Just give me some money for gas, a hundred or two will do—"

Lu Zhixing had already sent the transfer, and the payment notification sounded from A-Jie's pocket.

He patted the car door.

"Take this as a thank you gift, and also as a prepayment for the car repairs, in case we accidentally bump into you."

Ah Jie was so excited that his face turned red. He handed the car keys to Lu Zhixing, then picked up his bag, pushed open the car door, and ran towards the intersection, shouting back as he ran.

"Thanks, bro! I'll hitch a ride with my friend then! Aside from the air conditioning not being very cold and the suspension being a bit stiff, this car is absolutely perfect! The power is amazing! I just had the chassis welded last month!"

Su Lin sighed, watching A-Jie's retreating figure, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Tsk tsk tsk, that's really honest. There aren't many people like that these days."

Song Xiaohe nodded softly, her voice carrying her unique gentleness.

"He's a good brother. He's saved up so much money for his sister. I hope he can successfully obtain the materials to treat her illness. His sister is probably waiting for him too."

Yu Xiaogang smiled and opened the driver's side door.

"Let's go, don't let their kindness go to waste. Off we go, to the rocky wasteland!"

As the SUV drove out of the city, the scenery outside the window quickly became desolate.

Occasionally, a few low-level monsters can be seen wandering around the wasteland in the distance.

The car traveled for about three hours.

What should have been a journey of only a few dozen kilometers took Yu Xiaogang almost three hours to complete.

Su Lin was so shaken around that she was completely disoriented, and she slumped in the back seat with a look of utter despair on her face.

"Teacher Yu...are we lost? It's been so long, we should have arrived by now, right?"

"The coordinates written on that scroll were only about forty kilometers from the station, and we walked for three hours, averaging a speed of ten kilometers per hour? Even walking would be faster than that, right?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Yu Xiaogang's face.

He chuckled and laughed it off.

"Cough... How could I get lost? When I was on a mission in this area back in the day, I could navigate it with my eyes closed. It's just that the main road is blocked."

He pointed to a deserted dirt road ahead.

"Look, that road's congested, isn't it? That's why I'm taking you on a shortcut, you know? It's a bit roundabout, but it avoids the traffic. Don't worry, we're almost there."

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at the navigation again.

Then, with a sudden turn of the steering wheel, the car veered onto a narrower gravel road.

The car's chassis scraped against a protruding rock, making it impossible to move forward any further.

Yu Xiaogang coughed awkwardly, pulled the handbrake, and then turned to the person in the back seat.

"Ahem, looks like I'll have to walk. It's not far left, just a short walk."

Everyone had no choice but to get off the bus.

Su Lin muttered quietly from behind, "This is what you meant by 'almost there'."

Su Youran nudged him gently with her elbow, and he shut his mouth.

After walking for about ten minutes and crossing a small hill, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A large number of people had gathered in the open space ahead; at a glance, there were at least thirty or forty people.

There were professionals dressed in various outfits, passersby carrying backpacks, and mercenaries huddled together whispering.

A long, rusty barbed wire fence had been erected around the perimeter of that area.

A large area was forcibly fenced off, with the wires connecting the iron stakes hanging loosely.

Every now and then, there's a worn-out wooden sign that reads "Private Property".

Lu Zhixing frowned slightly.

Wilderness leveling areas and dungeon starting points are usually public resources, and it's first-come, first-served.

I've never heard of anyone being able to erect barbed wire and monopolize it.

Su Lin, with her sharp eyes, pointed to the entrance of the barbed wire fence and exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey? Isn't that Ah Jie?"

Lu Zhixing took a closer look.

At the entrance to the barbed wire fence, on the muddy ground, A-Jie and his three friends were lying on the ground in a very disheveled state.

Some people were curled up, clutching their stomachs, their bodies arched like shrimp, their faces flushed red.

Some people covered their faces, and red scratches could be seen between their fingers; others tried to get up by bracing themselves on the ground, but their elbows buckled and they fell back down.

Their clothes were covered in mud and shoe prints.

Su Lin's eyes widened, and she ran over for two steps before stopping.

"What happened? Who hit me?"

A young man watching nearby sighed, his voice low.

"Little girl, who else could it be? Someone from the Mad Shark Guild. Those guys have been running rampant here for almost half a year."

Lu Zhixing looked puzzled, his brows furrowing even deeper.

"The Mad Shark Guild?"

The young man nodded and smiled wryly, gesturing towards the barbed wire fence.

"As you know, while dungeon scrolls can open dungeons, they can only be activated within a specific coordinate area."

"The Mad Shark Guild has taken over this area that marks the start of the dungeon and even set up rules for it."

"Anyone who wants to start a dungeon here, whether they're soloing or in a group, must be forced to hire someone from their guild to carry them through the dungeon."

"The commission starts at 100,000 per visit! No money? Then don't even think about getting in. Trying to force your way in..."

He then pointed to the figures on the ground who were still struggling to get up.

That's how it ends.

Su Lin's face turned red with anger, her cheeks puffed out, and her voice rose half an octave.

"How shameless! Isn't this blatant forced buying and selling? Is there no law left?"

A bald, burly man with a face full of scars was standing in the most conspicuous position at the entrance of the barbed wire fence.

He wore a thick gold chain around his neck and a black, tight-fitting vest.

Two thick arms covered in blue tattoos were visible.

He was shouting arrogantly at the crowd of onlookers.

"What are you looking at! Listen up! Here, the Mad Shark Guild is the law! If you're a dragon, you'd better coil up! If you're a tiger, you'd better lie down!"

"If you don't have money, don't get in the way. This is what happens!"

He roared and glared fiercely at Ah Jie on the ground.

The thick hand swung through the air, making a chopping motion, which startled many of the surrounding professionals who took a few steps back.

Some people walked away quickly with their heads down, some pretended to look elsewhere, and some shrank back, daring not to speak out in anger.

Upon seeing this, Lu Zhixing's eyes turned cold.

The smile on Yu Xiaogang's face vanished.

His eyelids drooped slightly, his lips were pressed into a straight line, and he finally spoke after a long while.

"The country has been cracking down on organized crime and evil forces for years, but I never expected that there would still be such fugitives slipping through the net in a place like this..."