The magic beast dungeons within the Yunchuan District were rare by nature.
Unlike ordinary monster rifts scattered across the world, magic rune dungeons were highly concentrated resources. Even within the Magic Contract Academy, there were no direct rune-rich zones.
For most contract masters in the region, obtaining high-tier runes meant traveling to the provincial capital—
Zhongyang City.
To facilitate this, every major academy had constructed high-speed transport lines connecting directly to the city.
And so, within half an hour of boarding, Fang Yuqing and Yuan Wu arrived at their destination.
The moment they stepped out of the station, the world changed.
Heat and noise surged forward like a living tide.
Zhongyang City's dungeon district was nothing short of a massive ecosystem built around power and profit.
At its center stood a vast transport hub connecting dozens of rune dungeons, surrounded by tightly packed facilities:
Team recruitment halls filled with shouting contract masters Rune trading markets overflowing with rare materials Combat arenas echoing with explosive clashes Commercial streets selling everything from spirit food to enhancement gear
Everywhere one looked, academy students and independent contract masters moved with purpose.
This was not a city.
It was a battlefield economy.
Yuan Wu glanced around lazily, hands in his pockets.
"So this is what hardworking people look like," he muttered. "Truly… inspiring levels of burnout."
Fang Yuqing sighed softly beside him.
"If you don't grind here, you don't survive out there," she replied. "That's just how contract life works."
Without the academy's spotlight, the two of them finally felt less noticeable.
No stares.
No whispers.
At least, for the moment.
They moved directly toward the rune dungeon gate area.
Magic rune dungeons were categorized similarly to monster rifts.
From one-star to five-star, with Abyss-tier anomalies at the highest level.
Each tier corresponded to rune quality and monster strength.
And above all ordinary tiers—
Abyss rune dungeons produced color-tier runes, the rarest enhancement type known.
Fang Yuqing glanced at Yuan Wu.
"We start with a four-star dungeon," she said. "Monster count is usually under ten. One boss, a few guards. Sixty to eighty level range."
She paused.
"Should be fine for you."
Her tone was no longer hesitant.
It had shifted into something closer to trust.
Yuan Wu rested his chin on his hand.
"If we're already here," he said casually, "why not aim higher? Let's try a five-star run."
Fang Yuqing froze.
"Five-star?" she repeated. "Those bosses are Level 100."
Yuan Wu tilted his head.
"Same as that dragon?"
"Not as strong," she admitted quickly. "Stable dungeon bosses are weaker than Abyss anomalies. But still—Level 100 is Level 100."
She took a breath, then made a compromise.
"Let's clear one four-star first. If it's easy, we move up."
Yuan Wu didn't object.
"Fine."
She quickly opened her phone and scanned the dungeon registration QR code.
A verified official system interface appeared, listing dungeon queues in real time.
Four-star rune dungeon queue: 19 parties ahead
Estimated wait time: 1 hour
Fang Yuqing frowned slightly.
"Still need to wait."
Yuan Wu leaned closer.
"No shortcuts?"
"Only for T3 contract licenses," she replied. "Or joining an existing team."
Yuan Wu clicked his tongue.
"Efficiency is terrible."
"But joining a team doesn't reduce rune drops," Fang Yuqing added. "And we can even exchange rune types after clearing. Most people prefer it."
That caught his attention slightly.
"Then it's acceptable."
They selected the second-ranked team in the queue and sent a request.
The response came quickly:
Meet at location: nearby pavilion. Discuss in person.
Not far.
A short walk later, they arrived.
Under a shaded pavilion stood two students waiting.
A male and female duo, both wearing academy uniforms from another institution.
Beside them stood their contracted spirit—
a Level 75 B-rank beast spirit.
A towering lion.
But not an ordinary one.
It stood upright like a human, wearing a worn cowboy hat that partially covered its golden mane. A leather coat hung over its muscular frame, and a long blade rested at its waist.
Its eyes carried a strangely melancholic intelligence.
Like a gunslinger who had seen too much.
The moment Fang Yuqing appeared, the male student's expression brightened noticeably.
"Didn't expect a beauty in the team request," he muttered.
The female student, by contrast, looked calmer—until her gaze landed on Yuan Wu.
There was something unsettling about him.
White hair.
Masked face.
A presence that felt both lazy and dangerous at the same time.
Then her eyes shifted slightly lower.
Level 48.
A faint disappointment crossed her expression.
The male student sighed.
"Wait… you're serious about entering a four-star dungeon with a Level 48 contract spirit?"
The lion spirit lifted its hat slightly, examining Yuan Wu with a low, gravelly voice.
"Unaware of danger… yet bold."
Yuan Wu stared at it for a moment.
Then suddenly—
he laughed.
Not politely.
Not restrained.
A genuine burst of amusement.
"Haha… a cowboy lion?"
He pointed slightly.
"This is your contract spirit? Why does it look like it's auditioning for a western drama?"
The lion's expression twitched.
Its aura flared slightly.
"Insulting my aesthetic… is a challenge."
Yuan Wu laughed even harder.
"Wild aesthetic? You look like a retired circus boss."
"Yuan Wu…" Fang Yuqing tugged at his sleeve quickly. "We need this team."
He finally stopped, forcing himself into a neutral expression.
"…Fine. I'm done."
But the atmosphere had already shifted slightly.
The female student checked her device again, then spoke calmly.
"Level 48 is fine. Let's proceed."
She didn't sound convinced.
Just efficient.
"We don't have time to waste. Queue timing is already set."
The team was formed.
And just like that—
the group stepped toward the four-star rune dungeon gate.
No one noticed the faint flicker of curiosity in Yuan Wu's eyes as he glanced at the portal.
Not excitement.
Not fear.
Something closer to anticipation.
Because this time—
he wasn't just entering a dungeon.
He was testing the limits of a system that shouldn't have allowed him to exist at all.