Along the way, Chen Xu kept using his mental energy to sense the newly established connection between himself, the skeleton soldiers, and Bone Guard One.
He even tried secretly biting his tongue to test it, which made Xia Qiming think the fusion had failed. He was nearly on the verge of calling the academy for a rescue team.
"I'm fine, Teacher Xia. After fusing the fragment, my class ascended, and I obtained a new skill. I just wanted to test it out."
Chen Xu replied sheepishly.
"You're already a Necrotic Lord! Was that fragment really that large? Don't tell me the clear rewards included Destiny Points as well."
"Ah! I was just about to ask you about that, Teacher Xia. What exactly are Destiny Points?"
"You actually have them!" Xia Qiming's eyes widened, looking as if he were seeing the world for the first time.
"Destiny Points! You actually got Destiny Points for clearing an initial dungeon!" Xia Qiming was speechless, staring straight at Chen Xu. The smart terminal in his hand even developed a slight crack from his grip.
"Teacher Xia, what's with that look? Is there something wrong with these Destiny Points?"
Chen Xu felt unnerved by Xia Qiming's gaze and couldn't help but ask.
"Chen Xu, congratulations. You are now a shareholder of this world."
"Huh? A shareholder? What does that mean?"
Xia Qiming's words left Chen Xu completely baffled.
"After the world consciousness awakened, all humans who obtained classes through it can be considered workers for the world consciousness.
Humans conquer dungeons, and the world consciousness provides feedback, allowing humans to master transcendent powers."
Xia Qiming loosened his grip on the smart terminal and sighed. "And those who play a pivotal role in conquering a dungeon are rewarded with Destiny Points by the world consciousness upon completion."
"For those with Destiny Points, the world consciousness shows greater favor. You get bonuses to level progression and dungeon drops. Additionally, in whichever dungeon you earned your Destiny Points, you will receive special products from that dungeon every year. That is why you're called a shareholder."
"Most importantly, it's a second chance. One Destiny Point allows you to cheat death once within a dungeon."
...
Mohai City, West Wasteland.
"Is this the West Wasteland? The wind and sand are truly intense."
After getting off the train, Chen Xu and Xia Qiming walked down the streets of Mohai City.
The pedestrians passing by moved with hurried steps, wearing masks or silk scarves wrapped around their heads.
Not a single green plant could be seen on the streets.
Without a mask, Chen Xu could only cover his nose and mouth with his hand, squinting as he walked.
"The west is the region most affected by dungeon invasions. That Mohai outside the city is a product of a dungeon intrusion. It was also the moment Daxia first realized that failing to actively suppress dungeon invasions meant waiting for death."
Xia Qiming wore a face mask as he explained the history to Chen Xu.
"Before this, another dungeon invasion changed the environment here. A vast, sea-like expanse of black desert directly swallowed several of Daxia's original cities."
"The environment here is no longer suitable for ordinary people to survive."
"Then where do the people here live? Aren't there many people on the streets?" Chen Xu asked, puzzled by the crowds passing by.
"Inside the conquered dungeons."
...
Without loitering on the streets, Xia Qiming led Chen Xu to the Mohai City gate.
Since the area outside the city was a dungeon environment with wandering monsters everywhere, the gate was only occupied by soldiers armed to the teeth, with no civilians in sight.
The soldiers guarding the gate saw the teacher and student from a distance and stepped forward to stop them.
"City gate restricted area. Please show your identification." A soldier gestured for them to stop.
Xia Qiming took out an ID from his pocket and handed it to the soldier. "Is Tang Hezhou here?"
The soldier took the ID and flipped through it, then quickly handed it back with both hands and saluted. "Greetings, sir. Officer Tang is already outside the city. I will take you to him."
Chen Xu followed behind the two of them.
When they reached the gate, the soldier stopped and looked back at Chen Xu's face.
"Sir, this one..."
"Just call me Student Chen, a freshman from the military academy!" Chen Xu replied, reaching out to shake hands.
"Uh, Student Chen, do you need a mask? The wind and sand outside the city will be even stronger."
"Give him one," Xia Qiming decided for him.
Hearing this, the soldier gestured to another nearby, who brought a mask from the guardhouse for Chen Xu.
Chen Xu took the mask, thanked him, and put it on immediately.
Then, the three of them passed through the city gate.
As soon as they stepped outside, a violent wind carrying black grit slammed into them repeatedly.
Looking out, a vast expanse of black desert stretched as far as the eye could see. As the wind blew, the surface of the sand surged like waves.
"This is Mohai."
"Teacher Xia, long time no see!" A young man in military uniform, with a long staff strapped to his back, climbed down from a nearby armored vehicle and greeted Xia Qiming.
Xia Qiming nodded and introduced him to Chen Xu. "Tang Hezhou, a student from the military academy and a member of the West Wasteland scouting team. The dungeon you're heading to was discovered by him."
"Hello, Senior Tang," Chen Xu stepped forward to greet him.
"Haha, this must be Junior Chen Xu. You certainly look the part. As expected of a Dragon Seed talent!" Tang Hezhou shook Chen Xu's hand enthusiastically and patted his shoulder.
Chen Xu was momentarily unsure how to respond. Wasn't the Dragon Seed Program supposed to be confidential? Why did this Senior Tang just blurt it out?
"It's fine here. Outside Mohai City, this is all Dragon Seed Program territory."
"Ah? But isn't this a region under dungeon invasion?"
Chen Xu looked at the distant Mohai, where worm-like creatures occasionally leapt across the sea of sand. "Are we raising those too?"
"Aren't you curious why it's called the Dragon Seed Program?" Xia Qiming didn't answer Chen Xu's question directly. He stood with his hands behind his back, staring at Mohai in silence for a moment. "Because in the depths of Mohai, there are real dragons. That is why we need dragons that belong to humanity, dragons that belong to Daxia!"
...
The armored vehicle carried Tang Hezhou, Chen Xu, and a soldier driving toward the edge of Mohai.
As for Xia Qiming, he went elsewhere to continue his primary duties.
Before long, the vehicle drove up to a pool of water and stopped.
"In this godforsaken place, there's actually a pool of water?"
Looking out through the window at the small pool, Chen Xu felt it was completely out of place with the surrounding environment.
Tang Hezhou opened the door and stepped out first.
"Get out. This is the dungeon entrance."
Chen Xu got out of the car, looking left and right. "Dungeon entrance? Where? I don't see it."
Tang Hezhou walked over, grabbed Chen Xu's head with both hands, and forced him to look toward the pool.
"This pool is the entrance."
"I say, you didn't skip your basic dungeon theory classes, did you?"
"This pool is the projection of the dungeon invasion into our world. Just jump in to enter the dungeon."
After saying that, Tang Hezhou took out a backpack and a triangular object from his storage bracelet and handed them to Chen Xu.
"The backpack contains basic survival and emergency supplies, all produced by the academy and Heavenly Crafts Academy. Everyone who uses them swears by them. That triangular thing is a 3D recorder. It's triggered by mental energy. Activate it after you enter the dungeon."
Chen Xu took the items and examined them closely. "A 3D recorder? What does it record?"
"It's not just for you. Every team or individual exploring a new dungeon must carry one."
"You should have a Soul-Inducing Token, right? If anything happens to you, the 3D recorder will automatically upload the recorded content through the token. Then, the academy's dungeon analysts will study the footage to provide suggestions for future conquest teams."
Chen Xu's face immediately darkened. "Wait, don't you think that's a bit of a bad omen?"
"Haha, of course. I hope you never have to use that function. If you successfully conquer the dungeon, you can also use the Soul-Inducing Token to edit and upload a record yourself. For records of successful first-time conquests, the academy regularly organizes students from various colleges, including the Three Great Academies, to study and research the strategic approach."
Hearing this, Chen Xu's eyes instantly lit up.
"Alright, I've given you everything you need. If this were a normal exploration, as a scout, I should inform you of the initial findings."
"Unfortunately, this is a Dragon Seed evaluation, so everything in the dungeon must be explored and conquered by you alone. Good luck, Junior."
With that, Tang Hezhou turned and walked back to the vehicle.
Chen Xu walked toward the pool. Just as he was about to reach it, he suddenly remembered something.
He spun around and shouted, "Senior Tang, once the dungeon is conquered, how do I find you? I don't know the way back!"
Tang Hezhou's voice drifted back from the departing armored vehicle.
"There's a flare in the backpack. Activate it, and someone will pick you up within three minutes."
Having secured his way back, Chen Xu no longer had any worries. He took a leap and jumped into the pool.
...
【Destiny Seeker, entering an unknown dungeon. Current conquest progress: 0%】
In the world of Green Calamity, a head suddenly popped out of a pool of water, startling the small animals drinking nearby into fleeing.
Chen Xu climbed out of the pool onto the shore, taking deep breaths. Shortly after, Bone Guard One and several skeleton soldiers also emerged from the water.
"There are actually crocodiles in this pool!"
The crocodiles in the water had given Chen Xu a fright. Fortunately, he had instinctively released Bone Guard One and the skeleton soldiers, who had hacked the crocodiles trying to bite him into pieces.
Catching his breath, Chen Xu surveyed his surroundings and found a clearing around the pool.
Further away was a vast forest, with a group of animals that had just been startled away lingering at the edge.
Suddenly, the animals in the forest began to scatter in all directions. One deer was grabbed by the neck by several green creatures and bitten.
"Hmm! Goblins?"
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