Chapter 149: Advancing Toward the Golden Zone!

They soon began to lash out, turning their fury upon Cai Kun, who had been exploiting them. In a brief span, they unleashed a torrent of abuse, systematically insulting Cai Kun’s entire family tree.

As the second wave of vitriol threatened to begin, Cai Kun found himself unable to defend against the accusations that he had been the one anonymously stoking the flames.

"Damn that Wang Chen! How dare he frame me!" Cai Kun’s face twisted, veins bulging on his forehead. He was filled with a sense of injustice and resentment, convinced that everyone was wronging him. Yet, he conveniently forgot that just a short while ago, Wang Chen had been in this very position, and Cai Kun had been only too happy to watch him suffer.

Cai Kun gritted his teeth. "That guy is all hot air, and he even had the audacity to challenge me to a fifty-million-credit bet. Does a beggar like him even have that much money?"

Meng Liwen, standing nearby, chuckled. "Wang Chen might not, but does Young Master Cai? If you’re so sure, why haven't you accepted the wager?"

She was a sharp-tongued girl who loved to stir the pot, completely failing to realize that Cai Kun was currently her teammate and that she ought to be more tactful.

Cai Kun was even more incensed at her words, but he had no rebuttal. He was, in fact, terrified. He certainly didn't have fifty million to wager; his father might, but he would never hand it over for such a frivolous stunt. Although he didn't think he would necessarily lose, he was haunted by the shadow of his defeat to Wang Chen during the first trial. This lingering anxiety made him retreat into his shell like a coward.

This was exactly what the others in the chat channel were attacking him for—calling him spineless and noting that his third-place ranking was only due to his teammates carrying him.

As Cai Kun read the messages, his face turned deathly pale. "Fine, keep shouting then!" Unable to take it anymore, he gave up on trying to save face and simply blocked all incoming messages.

With bloodshot eyes, he turned to Meng Liwen. "Let’s go to the Silver Zone! We’ve been grinding monsters all the way here; we’re already very close to the outskirts of the Silver Zone!"

Cai Kun wanted to reach the top of the leaderboard. He figured that if he could produce undeniable results, he could suppress all these doubts. Once he achieved that, his refusal to bet against Wang Chen would simply be seen as an act of magnanimity.

But Meng Liwen rejected the suggestion without a second thought. She felt that since their team was already in third place, there was no need to take such risks. To meet the admission quotas, the top three of the university competition were guaranteed entry into top-tier institutions. Besides, according to the standards of Beisheng Qinghua, they probably wouldn't fill their quota in Luzhou, so she might still have a chance of getting in.

One had to understand that entering the Silver Zone didn't just mean facing Silver-level beasts. This secret realm, temporarily constructed for the competition, was not naturally formed; it was artificially stocked by the organizing committee. This meant the density of monsters was far higher than in a natural realm. That was why Cai Kun and his team had been able to find and surround so many large herds.

If they entered the Silver Zone, they would be facing dozens of Silver-level beasts swarming them at once. Their team’s average level was only twelve or thirteen—how could they possibly withstand a horde of monsters of the same level that outnumbered them several times over?

The risk was too great. Staying in the Bronze Zone to squeeze out the remaining monsters and consolidate their lead was the priority.

However, Cai Kun didn't give up easily. He leaned toward Meng Liwen and said, "Don't you want to take revenge on Tang Ruotong? She’s on Wang Chen’s team, after all!"

Meng Liwen stiffened.

Cai Kun’s tone was filled with incitement. "Think about it. If Wang Chen and his team take the top spot, Tang Ruotong will be ahead of you. She’ll only become more arrogant toward you! I remember she used to be your little errand girl, didn't she? Can you really stand for that?"

Hearing this, Meng Liwen imagined Tang Ruotong—once her obedient follower—suddenly acting high and mighty and slapping her across the face. A look of fury immediately washed over her.

Cai Kun struck while the iron was hot. "As long as we go to the Silver Zone, we can challenge for the top spot. Then Tang Ruotong will realize that choosing to betray you was the biggest mistake of her life!"

"Fine!" Meng Liwen waved her hand sharply. "We’re going to the Silver Zone! I’ll show that little bitch that a slut is a slut and will never be able to flip the script!" She turned to gather her teammates, who were still diligently grinding monsters, to announce their advance toward the Silver Zone.

Cai Kun touched the glowing ring on his finger and smiled, his scheme a success.

...

Meanwhile, Wang Chen and his party were on their way to the Gold Zone.

This was a strategy he had set from the beginning. After clearing a dense wave of monsters in the Silver Zone, they wouldn't waste time scavenging for stragglers. They would head straight for the Gold Zone to maximize their efficiency and reach the top of the leaderboard.

As for the distance, it was no concern. The secret realm was structured in concentric circles; the outermost Bronze Zone was the largest, requiring much time to traverse. But as one moved inward, the time required to cross each zone decreased, allowing them to reach the Gold Zone quickly from the Silver Zone.

Tang Ruotong was somewhat worried. Whenever she had encountered Gold-level beasts while leveling up, she would avoid them whenever possible; fighting them was always a grueling ordeal. Even though Wang Chen repeatedly assured her that there would be no problem and that he frequently farmed Gold-level beasts, she remained anxious.

Resigned, Wang Chen stopped and pulled up his profession panel, showing his level to Tang Ruotong.

The latter scanned the panel, her worried expression instantly replaced by shock.

"Level thirty!" Tang Ruotong covered her mouth with her hand. "How is this possible! Wang Chen, you’re so far ahead of me!"

Long Wushuang was equally stunned. "Holy crap, Chen, you’re too insane! Doesn't that mean you’ll be a Platinum-tier professional as soon as you finish your promotion quest? The professionals my old man hired to guard me are only Platinum-tier!"

Wang Chen smiled faintly. "Just lucky, that's all. You’ve seen how efficient the grinding is in the Foggy Woods."

"Even so, it shouldn't be this exaggerated!" Long Wushuang lunged over to wrap his arm around Wang Chen’s neck. "I’m starting to believe you really did awaken the Necromancer God class!"

Wang Chen laughed and pulled Long Wushuang into a headlock. "Then you better sacrifice yourself for your buddy. Like I said before, I need the life essence of a virgin to unlock the full power of my class." As he spoke, he made a move to swipe at the chubby guy’s pockets.

"Oh, stop it, little Tang is watching, Brother Chen—have some shame~" Long Wushuang giggled and dodged.

It took a long time for Tang Ruotong to recover from the shock of Wang Chen’s level. She looked at the two of them bickering and felt speechless. This was clearly just a handsome, ordinary guy; yet, one was telling her he was about to become a Platinum-tier professional? A sense of disillusionment flickered in her heart.

However, this little commotion finally dispelled her last remaining concerns. Since Wang Chen was so far ahead of her and his experience suggested they would be fine, she had nothing to worry about.

Once Wang Chen and Long Wushuang stopped messing around and adjusted their gear, the three of them set off on their journey once more.