Chapter 114: Dungeon Hall
The dungeon hall of Dragon Military Academy was considerably larger than Xingluo had expected.
The enormous open hall stretched far beyond the main entrance, with rows of registration counters dividing several dungeon sectors while projected listings covered the walls above them.
Students moved constantly between mission boards, supply areas and controlled dungeon gates, while academy personnel handled registrations and checked parties before allowing them through.
Xingluo stopped just inside the entrance.
"This belongs to the academy?"
Xiaorou turned around while continuing to walk backwards. "What did you expect, three dungeon gates and an old man selling potions beside them?"
"Something smaller than the dungeon centre of an entire city."
Ruan Mei looked across the distant teleportation gates and gave a small nod.
"I remember Golden Dragon City having facilities like this, but seeing one inside an academy is still ridiculous."
Wuxia floated beside Xingluo, his attention moving across the gates and the different groups gathering before them.
Xiaorou adjusted her glasses.
"You people really aren't normal transfer students."
Xingluo looked toward her. "Where did that come from?"
"Yesterday I thought I was helping three slightly suspicious sophomores learn their way around campus."
Xiaorou pointed toward Xingluo while walking.
"Then one of you fought a Level 299 King-bloodline beast, all three received A-grade villas, Vice Dean Mu appeared inside your breakfast room this morning, and Senior Tianhe got personally dragged away for training."
"I was not responsible for most of those things."
"Senior Xingluo, Vice Deans do not casually appear during ordinary students' breakfasts."
Ruan Mei smiled faintly. "You can still run away before things become worse."
Xiaorou stared at her.
"I ate breakfast in your villa and argued with Vice Dean Mu yesterday. It is already far too late."
Xingluo laughed quietly as they continued deeper into the hall.
Several large projections displayed available dungeons according to level ranges, while smaller boards showed temporary missions and party recruitment notices.
Xiaorou pointed toward the nearest section.
"Most students use the lower sectors, but the academy maintains controlled access to dungeons ranging from around Level 100 all the way to Level 900."
Xingluo stopped walking.
Ruan Mei stopped beside her.
"Nine hundred?" Xingluo asked.
Xiaorou nodded. "Level 900."
"You are serious?"
"Why would I lie about something written directly above your head?"
Xingluo looked upward.
One distant listing contained several dungeons with minimum recommended levels far beyond anything she could currently approach.
Xiaorou continued before she could ask another question.
"The highest ones aren't places students like us casually enter. Some require special academy authorization, powerful teams, faculty supervision or direct military involvement."
"That sounds more reasonable."
"Did you think freshmen were spending weekends hunting Level 800 monsters?"
"After yesterday, I have stopped assuming anything about this academy."
Xiaorou considered that before nodding. "Fair."
They passed another projected directory containing hundreds of dungeon names.
Xingluo looked over the list for several seconds before realizing it represented only one sector.
"How many dungeons does the academy actually control?"
"Thousands, depending on what you count as active access."
Xingluo looked toward her again.
Xiaorou immediately raised one hand.
"Do not misunderstand. Most aren't incredible hidden realms filled with legendary treasures."
She pointed toward several listings as they walked.
"Some are ordinary hunting dungeons, some repeatedly produce specific materials, and others are maintained because certain academy departments need whatever grows or lives inside them."
Ruan Mei glanced toward a mission board containing several gathering requests.
"So quantity matters more than rarity."
"Exactly, students need places to train, complete missions and gather resources without fighting half the city for access."
Xingluo looked around the enormous hall again.
"The amount of money required to maintain all this must be disgusting."
Xiaorou smiled. "You finally asked the important question."
"I always ask the important questions."
They soon passed through a large recruitment area where several projected boards continuously updated with party requests.
One group needed a healer for a Level 170 dungeon, while another was searching for two close-range fighters and a scout.
Several students simply stood beneath the boards calling toward anyone who matched their requirements.
"Level 145 tank needed!"
"One healer for Stonejaw Cavern!"
"Scout above Level 120, quick run!"
Ruan Mei looked toward the gathering parties.
"Do we need anyone else?"
Xiaorou turned toward her.
"For what?"
"Our dungeon."
Xiaorou blinked. "I'm coming."
Ruan Mei raised an eyebrow. "You are?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"You never actually said you were joining."
Xiaorou placed one hand against her chest with exaggerated offence.
"I spend an entire day guiding you around, accept your breakfast invitation, help search for your Transition targets, and now Senior Ruan wants to abandon me at the dungeon entrance."
"That was not what I said."
"It sounded very similar."
Xingluo looked toward Xiaorou.
"What level are you anyway?"
Xiaorou became quiet.
Then she slowly adjusted her glasses.
"Level 132."
Both Xingluo and Ruan Mei looked at her again.
Xiaorou's eyebrow twitched.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I thought you were lower," Xingluo admitted.
Xiaorou looked genuinely offended.
"I am still a student of Dragon Military Academy, not some professional tour guide the academy assigned to entertain suspicious transfer students."
Ruan Mei smiled. "Nobody called you weak."
"Your faces did."
Xingluo gave her a small satisfied look.
"So technically, you're stronger than both of us."
"Numerically, yes."
Xiaorou immediately pointed toward her.
"But even then I definitely cannot kill a Level 299 King-bloodline beast right now, that fight was completely abnormal."
Xingluo's smile widened slightly.
"I didn't say anything."
"You were thinking it."
Xiaorou turned back toward the dungeon listings.
"Now, if Senior Xingluo can stop celebrating her terrible decision from yesterday, we need something useful for both missions."
Ruan Mei crossed her arms.
"Fifty Level 100 Elite Beasts."
"And one dragon," Xiaorou added.
Xingluo sighed. "You do not need to say mine like that."
Xiaorou ignored her and began scrolling through one of the public dungeon directories.
They spent several minutes checking different options before Xiaorou suddenly stopped.
"Oh."
Xingluo immediately became suspicious. "That sounded dangerous."
"It wasn't."
"Yesterday you said similar things."
"This one actually makes sense."
Xiaorou turned the display toward them.
"Drake Valley."
The listing showed a controlled dungeon with a recommended range beginning slightly above Level 100 and extending well into the early Second Transition range.
Xiaorou pointed toward the basic information.
"Mostly dragon-blooded beasts, several drake species and enough Elite monsters that Senior Ruan should make progress without searching forever."
Ruan Mei read through the listing.
"And Xingluo?"
"There are stronger dragon-type creatures deeper inside. I don't know whether any of them possess enough bloodline concentration for her mission, but this is probably one of the safer places to test it."
Xingluo looked toward Wuxia.
Better than searching for a Level 500 true dragon.
Xingluo sighed and looked back toward Xiaorou.
"Fine. Drakefang Valley."
They headed toward the registration sector assigned to that level range.
A line of counters stood beside several controlled gates, while academy workers checked identification and distributed access tokens to registered parties.
Xingluo noticed the fee listed beside Drakefang Valley.
Her steps slowed.
"Why does entering cost credits?"
Xiaorou looked at her as though she had asked why food required chewing.
"Because dungeon maintenance costs money."
"We are students."
"And the academy still pays for stable entrances, monitoring formations, emergency extraction, guards, repairs and everyone standing behind those counters."
Xingluo stared at the number again.
"I already paid forty million credits yesterday."
Ruan Mei glanced toward her. "Nobody forced you to buy the corpse."
"That money was necessary."
Xiaorou folded her arms.
"Senior lives inside an A-grade villa and received an absurd arena payout yesterday."
"Being able to afford something does not mean I enjoy paying for it."
They reached the counter several minutes later.
Xiaorou handled most of the registration while the academy employee checked their identification.
"Drake Valley," Xiaorou said. "Three-person party."
The employee looked across them before opening the dungeon information.
"Recommended level range confirmed, current entrance conditions are stable, and no restricted activity has been reported."
His attention moved toward their academy records.
"Party levels: 99, 99 and 132."
He paused briefly after reading Xingluo's name, but whatever recognition appeared disappeared behind professional restraint.
"The access fee will be divided equally unless one party member chooses to cover the full amount."
Xingluo immediately looked toward the other two.
"We are dividing it."
Xiaorou laughed. "Nobody even asked you yet."
"I am preventing misunderstandings."
Ruan Mei transferred her share without argument.
Xiaorou followed and Xingluo reluctantly paid the final portion.
The employee processed the registration before placing three small academy tokens upon the counter.
"Each token is registered to your identification and grants access to Drake Valley for this entry cycle,. Present them at Gate Twelve."
Xiaorou picked hers up first.
"Thank you."
Ruan Mei took the second token while Xingluo examined the third.
The three turned away from the counter and started toward the section containing Gate Twelve.
For the first time that morning, their next step seemed straightforward.
Enter Drakefang, find enough Elite Beasts for Ruan Mei and test whether one of the stronger dragon-blooded creatures could satisfy Xingluo's ridiculous requirement.
Then an unfamiliar male voice sounded behind them.
"Now, now... Junior Sister Ruan Mei. Where have you been all this time?"
Ruan Mei stopped instantly and every trace of relaxation disappeared from her body.
Xingluo noticed before she even turned.
Xiaorou looked toward Ruan Mei in confusion, while Wuxia's attention shifted immediately toward the voice behind them.
The man spoke again, amusement carrying clearly through every word.
"Or should I say... the bastard of Tang family Tang Mei?"