From the moment she kidnapped Erii, she became a roadblock.

In western China, the scorching sun hangs high, distorting the air in the Gobi Desert.

A group of six people, dressed in specially made costumes, ran quickly across the surface, their bodies bearing the emblem of the World Tree.

Ahead lies a reddish hill with a cave entrance in its sheltered spot, a rare sight across the entire Gobi Desert.

The leader was a middle-aged man who entered the cave with a flashlight. He discovered that the cave was tilted downwards at a 45-degree angle, and they had found the place based on the unusual energy fluctuations.

According to historical records, there was once a small country in this area, but it was buried underground due to geological changes. They suspect that the former ruler of this small country was a dragon.

They came here specifically for this historical site.

Logically speaking, such an expedition should not be particularly dangerous, since the small country has already been destroyed.

The dragons will most likely leave and go to new places to establish new countries.

However, the team leader had a vague feeling of unease, but couldn't quite put his finger on what the problem was.

The ground, sloping downwards at a 45-degree angle, is very flat, and the temperature does indeed increase as you go down.

Fortunately, the special protective suits they wore were designed specifically to protect against heat.

There are also some advanced technologies from the college's equipment department that can counteract the effects of this temperature.

According to the thermometer, the temperature has reached 43 degrees Celsius, which is not bad on the Gobi Desert, but it is quite unusual underground.

The cave was pitch black.

"Click."

The leader felt he had stepped on something, and the others immediately stopped. When the lights were shone on it, they discovered that a skull had been crushed by a foot, and a considerable amount of time had passed.

The entrance here was mainly created due to an earthquake that occurred nearby, so the appearance of these bones means they must have found the right place.

After walking a while longer, the view suddenly opened up, but it was still dark, like a huge cavern.

Although the tools from the equipment department are sometimes unreliable, they played a significant role in this situation.

A small, sun-like light came on, instantly illuminating a large area in front of us clearly.

It was indeed a ruin, and everyone was excited; they had finally found them.

The city was buried suddenly, so the humans or hybrids who once lived there did not completely evacuate, and they might still be able to find some useful things.

Joy dispelled the previous gloom, and the unease was suppressed. The group began to explore the ruins.

A team member was walking behind holding a flashlight when he suddenly felt a dark shadow flash past behind him. He turned around but saw nothing and assumed it was just his imagination.

……

As soon as Uesugi Yue hung up the phone, Erii pulled Guan Luo to the TV and started playing games again.

Guan Luo has discovered Erii's hobbies: eating, playing games, and sticking things together.

Just like now, the more Erii plays the game, the closer she gets to me. Now she's resting her head on my crossed knees, playing the game sideways with me.

But it's still the same; Guan Luo still can't beat Erii. Looking at his talent mission, he doesn't know when he'll be able to complete it.

Guan Luo's gaming skills have been improving. With his intelligence reaching 20 points and his physical abilities increasing, Guan Luo has actually reached the limit of his ability to control the game.

No matter how strong Guan Luo is, he can't improve his game level by relying on actions like reaction time.

Now, when he fights Erii, he relies entirely on rock-paper-scissors to guess her moves and then counterattack.

However, Erii sees through her actions almost every time.

Then she was caught off guard and taken down in a combo. It has to be said that Erii is truly an authority in this field.

We played like that until it got dark.

Erii rolled over on Guan Luo's lap, face up, looking at Guan Luo, touching her own belly, and then touching Guan Luo's belly.

Guan Luo understood what Erii meant; it was time to eat.

I ordered some really good-looking food using the tablet and finished it off quickly.

Norma provided the schedule; the principal will meet with them again tomorrow morning to arrange their upcoming classes.

Logically speaking, their first year of university is almost over, and it's already the next semester. There are still two or three months until summer vacation. It's unlikely they'll be able to finish all the cultural subjects they're assigned.

These subjects not only require passing exams, but also involve classroom exercises, assessments, experiments, and basic alchemy methods.

The next morning, Guan Luo and Erii arrived at Angers' office.

It's likely that only the two of them have the autonomy to arrange the courses.

Angers continued:

"We have two options now. The first option is to temporarily suspend classes for you and have you retake them with the first-year students next semester. For now, let's..."

Guan Luo shook his head, interrupting Angers. He wasn't here to study; he was here to intercept the second phase of a side quest, which certainly wouldn't involve having them attend classes in the academy.

"The second option? You can also choose to take on war practice missions. Completing just one war mission can directly offset all the courses you need to take in your first year."

"Some practical training courses are still required, such as close combat and marksmanship."

"Of course, you don't need to worry about these things. With your physical abilities, you'll probably finish learning very quickly."

[Permanent Side Quest: The Path to Godhood]

Phase Two: Now Open

At that moment, the park's task window popped up, and Guan Luo knew this was it.

Then Guan Luo wrote down his decision to accept the second option on a piece of paper.

Angers then handed a leather file folder to Guan Luo and Erii.

Guan Luo took it and immediately opened it.

Inside is the main information about this mission, located in the western desert of China.

A team of students from Kassel College discovered what appears to be the remains of an ancient dragon during an internship. Led by a mentor, they went to investigate, hoping to uncover the secrets of the dragons and see if they could make new breakthroughs in alchemy.

The magnetic field in that area is erratic. Norma's satellite connection is still intermittent, and recently she has lost contact altogether.

The college's executive department will conduct a rescue mission in that area.

The additional candidates were originally only assigned to outstanding students, especially senior students who were about to graduate, as their graduation internship assignments.

They could only serve as support staff, doing odd jobs and learning as they went.

The main tasks are still carried out by the specialists in the execution department. Guan Luo and Erii are just going along to broaden their horizons.

According to the message from the last team.

There seems to be a surge of dragon resurgence over there; judging from the energy fluctuations, it appears to be a fourth-generation species.

The fourth generation may not sound strong, but that's only compared to the Dragon King. To ordinary hybrids, they are still invincible monsters.

The executive branch suspects that the team has perished, but they want to see them alive or dead, and they also want to hunt down that fourth-generation dragon.