A bizarre and terrifying experience; I messed up the dungeon world.

"This can't be rushed," Zhou Lang said, "but it can't be delayed either. You've all seen what's happening outside; the strange occurrences are accelerating. The SSS-level dungeon can only be unlocked after the guild competition is cleared, and that's the real key."

"Then Yingying and I will participate in the competition first, you guys—"

"No," Han Yingying interrupted him.

Zhou Lang looked at her.

"I've tried it." Han Yingying showed him the panel. There was a line of red text on the competition page:

The guild competition is a team competition; the minimum number of participants is 5. Teams with insufficient members cannot register.

Five people. Currently, only three of them are qualified to participate—Zhou Lang, Han Yingying, and Xiong Batian.

"The rules are holding us back." Zhou Lang stared at the line of red text.

"It's not that I'm holding you back," Xiong Batian said. "Team competitions are supposed to be five-player matches, that's the normal rule. It's just that your team happened to be two players short of qualifying."

"By chance?" Zhou Lang repeated the word, then said nothing more.

He didn't believe in coincidences. The system's decision to grant him the qualification meant it could adjust the rules. But to be stuck on the number of participants—what kind of coincidence was that?

But rules are rules. He can argue with ghosts, NPCs, and dungeon bosses, but he can't argue with the rules themselves. At least not yet.

"Then let Zhao Qiang and the other two go run the dungeon first," Zhou Lang decided. "Yingying, your previous experience should be helpful. Make them a strategy guide."

Han Yingying nodded: "I'll organize the recovered memories and list out the precautions for the SS-level dungeon."

Zhao Qiang raised his hand: "Could I request an option not to go?"

"No." Zhou Lang and Han Yingying said in unison.

Zhao Qiang shrank his neck.

The following days were filled with activity.

Han Yingying spent an entire day compiling a strategy guide, writing over thirty pages in meticulous detail. From preparing supplies before entering the dungeon to strategies for dealing with different types of bosses, she even marked out basic operations like "don't run when you encounter a ghost, stand still."

Zhao Qiang's expression after reading the strategy guide was like that of someone reading review materials for a final exam.

"This is so detailed... Sister Yingying, you're a true master!"

"If you want to die, you don't have to watch." Han Yingying said expressionlessly.

"Look, look, look right now."

For their first SS-level dungeon, Zhao Qiang, Liu Yan, and Song Qing teamed up. The dungeon was called "The Silent Town," and its difficulty was medium to high. Han Yingying had provided them with a complete walkthrough, but things didn't go as planned—there was a hidden elite monster in the dungeon that wasn't in the guide, and Zhao Qiang was chased for a full fifteen minutes.

Fortunately, Liu Yan reacted quickly enough to use a slowing item to hold off the monster, allowing Song Qing to find the key to clear the level. The three of them passed through safely.

The second instance was even more dangerous. "Crimson Hospital," an SS-rank instance, had rules that restricted the use of all light-emitting items. The three of them groped around in complete darkness for nearly six hours. Song Qing's arm was scratched by a mutated nurse, and the wound only healed after they left the instance.

After two successful completions, the growth of the three characters was clearly visible. Zhao Qiang was no longer the rookie who could only shout and yell; his judgment and adaptability were improving rapidly.

While Zhou Lang was waiting for them to return in the safe zone, Han Yingying found him.

There's something I want to tell you.

"Um."

Han Yingying led him to the rooftop of the safe zone. From here, they could see the outside world—or rather, the world that was crumbling. The sky had changed from its normal blue to a grayish-purple, and a thin layer of black mist floated above the distant buildings.

"I want to use my original identity to bring you into the X Guild," Han Yingying said.

"Are you sure? There won't be any problems if our identities are revealed?"

"I founded the X Guild, and the core members all know me. It's actually more convenient to use my original identity." Han Yingying paused, "Besides, some resources within the guild are unavailable outside. Before the competition, we need to prepare as much as possible."

Zhou Lang thought for a moment and said, "Okay."

"There's one more thing," Han Yingying hesitated for a moment, "The strange occurrences outside are more serious than we thought. I saw some fragments in my recovered memories—if the SSS-level dungeon can't be cleared within three months, the strange invasion of the real world will reach a critical point. At that time…"

"What will happen then?"

"Irreversible".

Two words, but they carry great weight.

Zhou Lang looked at the grayish-purple sky in the distance and remained silent for a while.

"Then let's get it done within three months."

Joining the X guild went more smoothly than I had imagined.

When Han Yingying logged into the guild system with her old identity, the guild channel exploded.

"President??? President, you're still alive???"

"Holy crap, the student council president is back!!!"

"I told you the president couldn't be dead! You wouldn't believe me!"

The messages were flooding in so fast it was impossible to see them all. Han Yingying only sent one sentence: "Quiet down, everyone. Get ready for the guild competition."

The channel went silent instantly.

Watching from the side, Zhou Lang gained a new understanding of another side of Han Yingying. In the dungeon, she was the girl who would grab his sleeve out of fear. In the guild, she was the founder of one of the top three guilds in the entire server, capable of silencing hundreds of people with a single sentence.

She is genuine in both aspects.

Zhao Qiang's third SS-level dungeon run was scheduled for three days later.

During this time, Han Yingying helped Zhou Lang and Xiong Batian familiarize themselves with the guild's operations, allocated a batch of supplies, and retrieved several pieces of equipment that had been stored away in the guild's warehouse.

"This dagger is for Zhao Qiang." Han Yingying tossed over a short sword that glowed with blue light. "It's a drop from an SS-rank dungeon and can deal physical damage to spirits."

"This is for Liu Yan." She then took out a bronze shield. "It's a defensive piece of equipment that can block three fatal attacks."

"Song Qing will use this." A thin silver needle. "It has a paralyzing effect; if it hits a spirit, it will freeze it for five seconds."

Zhao Qiang brandished the dagger a couple of times, then grinned, "With this, I can be a damage dealer too?"

"Just don't die yet," Zhou Lang said calmly.

The third SS-level dungeon arrived as scheduled. Before Zhao Qiang and his two companions entered the dungeon, Zhou Lang called Zhao Qiang aside.

"Get out alive."

"Nonsense." Zhao Qiang chuckled. "You still owe me a barbecue, and I can't let you renege on your debt."

The three entered the instance.

This wait was exceptionally long.

It took Zhao Qiang and his team two whole days to get out of the third SS-level dungeon.

None of the three were in good condition. Zhao Qiang had a bandage wrapped around his left shoulder, Liu Yan had a bloody gash on his face, and Song Qing had two fingers in a splint on his right hand. But—they were alive.

"Passed." Zhao Qiang gave Zhou Lang a thumbs up. "Three times, all three times."

The system simultaneously displayed a confirmation message: All five participants have met the eligibility requirements.

Zhou Lang submitted his registration for the union competition that same day.

List: Langligelang, Han Yingying, Xiong Batian, Zhao Qiang, Liu Yan.

Song Qing was not selected for the starting lineup because his injury required time to recover, and he was relegated to the bench.

The guild tournament has a simple format—an elimination round. Thirty-two teams participate, and only four remain in the finals. The top four finalists directly enter an SSS-level dungeon, and whoever clears the dungeon is the champion.