Skills with no cooldown? I become the Undead Scourge! - Chapter 24
Lu Ran took the scroll and nearly dropped it in shock.
“A… Platinum Party Contract? For a single dungeon run? This is beyond wasteful!”
In the Auction House, Platinum Party Contracts were the highest-tier items for reducing party experience penalties—slashing them by 80% while boosting dungeon drop rates (gear and gold) by 20%.
But their value couldn’t justify the cost.
500,000 credits per scroll.
This wasn’t for ordinary players. Burning half a million per run? Absolute madness!
Typically, only elite fighters used them to farm high-level dungeons for top-tier loot.
“Speed-leveling you is worth it,” Ye Hongyi said dismissively.
“Then… alright.” Overwhelmed, Lu Ran gritted his teeth and activated the contract.
In the next moment, Ye Hongyi’s casual clothes dissolved into shimmering light, replaced by a blazing crimson robe. A staff of molten fire crystal materialized in her hand, its heat distorting the air. With her scarlet hair and regal bearing, she looked like a Flame Empress.
Not to be outdone, Lei Tai stomped the ground—
BOOM!
A suit of obsidian heavy armor encased him, twin tower shields (each the size of a door) gleaming lethally in his grip. He now resembled an indomitable fortress.
Liu Xinxin’s transformation was subtler.
Noticing Lu Ran’s curious gaze, she smiled. A gown of emerald gossamer draped over her, and a wooden staff entwined with living vines appeared—though the gem atop it betrayed its astronomical value.
Lu Ran had no idea these three sets alone dominated half of China’s Top 30 Gear Rankings.
Eager to contribute, he summoned his own gear:
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A drab Frostwolf Robe (more gray than white).
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A gnarled Frostwolf Staff (resembling deadwood).
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An assortment of mismatched, hideous accessories.
The contrast was tragic.
Scratching his head, Lu Ran mumbled, “Let’s just start. Honestly, I could’ve soloed with skeletons and corpse explosions.” Without any experience penalty!
Ye Hongyi waved him off. “Too slow.”
She raised her staff toward the dungeon’s first corridor—packed with shrieking goblins—and flicked her wrist.
KABOOM!
A fireball the size of a house rolled forward, incinerating every monster in its path. Black ash snowed down.
“Welp, I’m bored already. Catch up!” Lei Tai barked, charging ahead like a human battering ram. His shields flattened goblins into paste.
[Party slain Thrower Goblin: +320 EXP]
[Party slain Bomber Goblin: +280 EXP]
[Party slain Goblin Mage: +360 EXP]
The EXP alerts flooded Lu Ran’s vision. This speed dwarfs my skeleton army!
Ye Hongyi’s inferno spells cleared entire sections in seconds. Lei Tai treated the dungeon like a playground.
“Stay close. Loot whatever ‘trash’ you want,” Liu Xinxin told Lu Ran.
Trash?
Even the “worst” drops here were Blue-tier (Rare), with frequent Purples (Epic) and occasional Golds (Legendary).
That’s straight-up cash!
As Lu Ran scrambled to collect loot, his and Qin Wuyao’s EXP bars visibly surged.
Noticing their struggle to keep up, Liu Xinxin cast Wind’s Whisper—a speed boost that sent them sprinting past unequipped piles of gold.
By the time they reached the boss arena, Ye Hongyi had already bathed it in hellfire. The four Inferno Goblin bosses died mid-spawn.
[Party slain Inferno Goblin (BOSS): +2000 EXP]
[x4 = 8000 EXP total]
Clear time: <15 minutes (mostly running).
“Loot. Reset,” Ye Hongyi ordered.
The bosses dropped 3 Epics and 1 Legendary. Lu Ran vacuumed them up without even checking stats.
And so it went:
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Nonstop runs.
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Lunch break.
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More runs.
Boring? Yes. But with the National War looming, the guild leaders refused to slow down.
By 7:00 PM:
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Lu Ran: Lv.13 (70% EXP)
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Qin Wuyao: Lv.11 (thanks to lower EXP requirements).
“At this rate, Lu Ran hits Lv.15 tomorrow,” Liu Xinxin calculated.
“Wonder what new Trait he’ll unlock?” Lei Tai grinned.
No one could guess—Traits were unprecedented in Awakened history. But one thing was certain: It’ll be game-breaking.
Exiting the dungeon, Liu Xinxin turned to Lu Ran. “Cancel your outer-city rental. It’s unsafe. Move into the Celestial Alliance barracks.”
“My family’s estate works too!” Qin Wuyao blurted.
Lei Tai shook his head mysteriously. “Nah. Follow me.”
He led them to Inner City’s prime district, stopping before a luxury mansion—sprawling, gated, and exuding opulence.
Slapping Lu Ran’s back, Lei Tai announced:
“Look, kid—I’m a tank. Can’t gift you fancy gear. So I bought this under your name. Congrats. It’s yours.”
Lu Ran’s brain short-circuited.
Holy hell. Government backing really is broken.
“Oh, Lu Ran,” Ye Hongyi interjected, amused. “How much casting range did your ‘Oceanic Capacity’ Trait stack today?”