Volume One, Chapter 20: We Made a Killing This Time—An SSS Rating!

Gazing at the pile of gear emitting brilliant radiance, everyone present was filled with immense envy!

The young mages in particular had eyes so fiery they seemed ready to ignite. Yet, no one dared to act rashly. These were Lin Yi’s spoils of war, his glory alone.

Lin Yi examined them one by one. The first to catch his eye was a piece of dazzling golden equipment!

【Abyssal Demon Cloak】
Grade: Gold
Attributes: Stamina +150, Agility +150, Movement Speed increased by 5%. Comes with the skill "Abyssal Eye," capable of detecting the location of those in hiding below Silver tier!

Although not custom-made for a mage, Lin Yi could still equip it. The attached "Abyssal Eye" skill left him pleasantly surprised. Detecting hidden enemies? This was undoubtedly a powerful utility, especially effective against foes below Silver rank. From now on, any assassin attempting to sneak up on him would have nowhere to hide!

After donning the new cloak, Lin Yi felt as light as a feather. Combined with his "Lightness Technique," he was even more agile than an assassin!

Next, Lin Yi examined the following piece of gear.

【Scorch Ring】
Grade: Silver
Attributes: Spirit +80, adds 20% burn damage when casting spells.

Lin Yi could hardly hide his joy. Beyond the significant boost to his Spirit stat, having his attacks carry burn damage allowed his combat effectiveness to reach a whole new level!

【Storm Dragon-Tongue Bow】
Grade: Silver
Attributes: Strength +120, Agility +60, each attack fires an additional Storm Arrow dealing 25% damage.

Undoubtedly, this was a divine artifact for a marksman. Lin Yi put it away; trading it for other goods would be the best choice. Silver-tier equipment was always in high demand in the market!

The remaining two Bronze-tier items were not top-tier, but each had a market value easily exceeding one million!

After counting all the gear, there were two treasures left! One was a gem the size of a dragon’s eye, exuding a dense aura of the abyss.

【Abyssal Core Stone】
Grade: Gold
Attributes: Can be used for socketing, bestowing equipment with the power of the abyss and significantly increasing the equipment's grade. Limited to Silver-tier equipment and below.

"Upgrade equipment grade!"

Lin Yi had just been lamenting his failure to obtain a Gold-tier staff. He hadn't expected a solution to appear so soon. If he could upgrade his Demon Staff to a Gold-tier piece, his strength would surely take another massive leap forward!

He carefully stowed it away, planning to consult a blacksmith the next time he visited the Wanbao Pavilion.

The final treasure was a ticket to the abyss.

【Abyssal Pass (Floor 1)】
Grade: Special
Attributes: Allows the user to enter the first floor of the abyss. Requires Silver-tier strength or higher.

Legend says the abyss has eighteen floors; the deeper one goes, the more powerful the demons become. The Nether Demon he had just defeated likely originated from the first floor.

"Once I promote to Silver, I shall definitely head to the abyss to explore its secrets!"

This haul was truly bountiful. Even Lin Yi, who had seen his fair share of major events, struggled to suppress his excitement.

Finally, Lin Yi’s gaze fell upon two skill books. Each one was a priceless treasure to him.

"Hell Branding," "Wings of the Nether"!

"Hell Branding" was a Black-Iron skill that Lin Yi could learn immediately. As for "Wings of the Nether," it was a rare flight skill, but since it was a Bronze-tier skill, it was currently beyond his reach.

He tucked away the "Wings of the Nether" skill book and touched the "Hell Branding" book. The pages turned into a shooting star that merged into his mind, and he comprehended it in an instant. His talent activated, and "Hell Branding" reached max level immediately!

【Hell Branding: Condense a brand to mark a target. The next spell cast will trigger the mark, dealing five times the damage. Cooldown: one minute!】

Reading the skill description, Lin Yi was thrilled. This was definitely a trump card, his ace in the hole for future encounters!

Having finished counting the spoils, Lin Yi let out a satisfied sigh. This expedition had been a massive success! Originally, his goal was merely to take down the Blood-Patterned Wolf King. Who would have guessed he would stumble into a Hard-level dungeon, which then escalated to Hell difficulty? The rewards were staggering.

Lin Yi looked at the gear in his spatial pendant, feeling incredibly happy!

At this moment, Cheng De led Cheng Muqing and the others over slowly. He dared not underestimate this Black-Iron youth. Having killed a Gold-tier boss monster single-handedly, his potential was terrifying. Without a doubt, Lin Yi was destined to become a peerless expert! His future was limitless, and it was necessary to build a good relationship with him now.

"Young Hero Lin Yi, thank you for coming to our rescue! If not for you, we would have been in dire straits this time."

Cheng De had just heard from Cheng Muqing that Lin Yi was a student from the Interstellar University of Technology who had only just awakened his powers, and he was absolutely shocked! In just two days, his strength had already surpassed his own—he was a genius among geniuses.

Lin Yi waved his hand and smiled, "It was a simple effort. Besides, I had an agreement with Miss Cheng, so helping her clear the dungeon was only right."

Cheng Muqing covered her mouth and giggled, feeling like she had gotten a massive bargain. Just by using that spatial pendant, they had cleared a Hell-level dungeon. Although she had spent most of the time watching from the sidelines, resulting in a lower rating, the rewards she received were still substantial. All of this was thanks to Lin Yi, and her eyes were filled with reverence. Bai Jia felt the same; Lin Yi's flawless barrage of spells had left a deep impression on her. While it wasn't quite love, it was only natural for her to feel a sense of affection.

Cheng De quickly added, "The reward the young lady gave is truly unworthy of the value of this dungeon! Once we return home, I will definitely report this to the Patriarch. We will invite you to visit the Cheng family, and there will be further generous gifts; please do not refuse!"

Cheng De was a tactful man and kept his posture very humble. Although Lin Yi was mature for his age, he found the offer quite appealing.

"Very well, I will certainly visit when the time comes."

He was also curious: what kind of generous gift would the Cheng family prepare to show their gratitude? Could it be that they intended to betroth Cheng Muqing to him? At this thought, Lin Yi laughed at himself—he was really letting his imagination run wild!

Just then, golden light erupted throughout the dungeon realm as the World Will began to calculate their scores based on their performance! The golden light shot straight into the clouds, gathering into a massive screen of light in the sky.

Then, everyone’s scores were revealed one by one.

First were Cheng De and the others. The footage showed them landing right in front of the Nether Demon, nearly wiped out in a single stroke. Cheng De’s aged face turned slightly red; it was a blatant slap to his pride! In the end, they only received the lowest E-grade rating, though the rewards were decent enough.

Next were Cheng Muqing and Bai Jia, who had essentially been tagging along the entire time. Occasionally, they would cast a buff on Lin Yi, making the entire dungeon journey feel like a vacation. The two covered their eyes in embarrassment, receiving a D-grade rating! Their rewards were better than Cheng De’s, and the joy in their eyes was evident.

Finally, it was Lin Yi’s turn. Everyone held their breath.

In the footage, Lin Yi fought a hundred enemies at once. Whether it was Casio or the Nether Demon, he blew them all into the sky! Cheng De and the others stared in stunned silence; they had only seen him deal with the Nether Demon before, but now they understood just how monstrous his strength truly was.

The golden light screen slowly froze, and to everyone's astonishment, an SSS-grade rating shone brilliantly.

"My god, an SSS-grade rating?!"

Seeing this, everyone was left utterly dumbfounded!