C22 Who Was Faang Chen in the Iron Armor Ant Nest?

Ding! Congratulations on receiving your Two-circle quest!

The Two-circle quest consists of two parts!

First step: Gather 100 Iron Armor Ant corpses.

Second step: Collect at least four pieces of the Iron Armor Ant's exoskeleton.

You can complete and submit both steps together. Completing only the first step will earn you 60% of the reward, but finishing both steps will grant you the full 100% reward upon class advancement.

Faang Chen nodded as he read through the quest details.

The quest seemed to be more user-friendly than before.

The Iron Armor Ant was an exceptionally rare insect, appearing to be of the Commander-level (Blue).

They could only be found in Yellow Sand Town, just outside Gloomrock City.

In the past, Yellow Sand Town was overrun with Iron Armor Ants until Bei Jiangnan, the City Lord of Northwich, intervened and sealed them away, transforming the area into a class advancement dungeon.

Eceosian dungeons are categorized into three types.

The first type includes dungeons that have been artificially modified, which are further split into class advancement dungeons and money farming dungeons.

Class advancement dungeons are typically altered by the official Guard Army for use in professional class advancement trials.

Money farming dungeons, on the other hand, are often developed by guilds or powerful families who then sell entry tickets to other professionals.

Professionals enter to harvest materials for sale, with guilds and families paying a share of the profits to the local Guard Army, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The second type is the secret realm dungeon.

These dungeons cannot be altered by anyone, making them incredibly perilous. They come in two varieties: one-time secret realm dungeons that disappear after use, and renewable secret realm dungeons that regenerate monsters after clearing.

Such dungeons are off-limits to novices; only those who have reached the Three-circle level or higher should even consider attempting them.

Naturally, with greater risk comes greater reward, and the potential profits from these secret realm dungeons are substantial, attracting many adventurers willing to face the danger.

The third type is the legendary dungeon.

These dungeons have no set location and are exceedingly well-concealed.

Typically, they are found within the domains of Lord (Orange) level Demonic Beasts.

Venturing into such dungeons without a team is nearly a death sentence. The treasures within fetch astronomical prices, so surviving the ordeal can lead to substantial profits.

Beyond these, there are perilous places like the Dark Abyss, teeming with Demonic Beasts, which attract many formidable adventurers despite the heightened risk.

The Iron Armor Ant Nest in Yellow Sand Town is a typical example of a first-tier job-changing dungeon. Anyone meeting the level requirement can attempt a job change there.

"The Iron Armor Ants are known for their tough defenses. Their corpses can be sold, sure, but the drop rate for Iron Armor Remnants is heartbreakingly low!"

"Because they're so rare, you won't find them on the market. Looks like I'll have to farm them myself!"

"I guess a trip to Yellow Sand Town is in order."

With that thought, Faang Chen promptly left the job-changing hall.

As he departed, Su Muyu emerged from behind another job-changing stone.

"Was that Faang Chen? I'd recognize that silhouette anywhere."

She was about to investigate when a red-haired man called out to her.

"Boss Su, let's go! Everyone's waiting for you!"

With a sigh, Su Muyu had no choice but to join the red-haired man on the back of a colossal flying creature, and they too were soon airborne.

...

Half an hour later, back in the job-changing hall, a beautiful instructor couldn't contain her excitement.

"My lord, I've found him, I've found him!"

Nangong had been on watch all night. Upon hearing her exclamation, he quickly messaged Qian Hee.

Within three minutes, Qian Hee arrived.

"What's the situation?"

Qian Hee inquired.

Grinning at the job-changing stone's records, Nangong announced,

"We've got him! The one who set the three-minute record in the Fire Thorn Insect dungeon—it's this young man!"

"His name is Faang Chen!"

"Faang Chen? Who's that? How come I've never heard of him?"

Qian Hee's brow furrowed in confusion.

It was a mystery how such a talent had gone unnoticed in Gloomrock until now.

"He's a student at Long Hua High School and awakened to his job just five days ago!"

"His job is that of a Zerg Beastmaster!"

"A Zerg Beastmaster?"

Qian Hee nodded in confirmation.

"It makes sense; this job aligns perfectly with the recent events!"

"Hold on! What did you say? He awakened to his job only five days ago?"

"A senior?"

"What level has he reached by now?"

Nangong turned to the beautiful female mentor for answers.

She quickly checked her records and responded.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Faang Chen indeed achieved the Two-circle level five days ago!"

"He completed the One-circle on the second day and embarked on his Two-circle mission this very morning!"

"He left just half an hour ago!"

"Only half an hour ago, and he's yet to venture forth..."

Nangong was about to set out in search of him.

But Qian Hee intervened.

"In half an hour, that kid's probably made it to Yellow Sand Town by now!"

"Rushing over there now would draw too much attention!"

"Now that we know who it is, there's no need to rush. We'll wait for his return."

"Besides, you have plenty of other matters to attend to!"

Qian Hee glanced at the beautiful female mentor and her colleagues.

Nangong conceded, saying quickly,

"The teacher's advice is sound!"

"Please, sign these documents."

With a wave of his hand, Nangong sent several documents flying out.

Qian Hee casually took one.

Seeing this, Nangong also grabbed a document for himself.

To their surprise, it was the Guard Army's top-level confidentiality agreement.

The beautiful female mentor and her colleagues, realizing the gravity of the document, hurriedly signed it.

They were acutely aware of the implications of the agreement and the dire consequences of any leaks.

Once the signing was complete, Nangong handed a copy to the Heaven Howling Wolf.

Then he instructed,

"You may return to your duties. Let today's events be forgotten."

"Yes, sir!"

The mentors and others quickly dispersed.

Nangong then turned to Qian Hee with a question.

"Teacher, to think he's taken on the Two-circle mission in just five days!"

"Faang Chen is truly exceptional!"

Qian Hee nodded in agreement.

"That's exactly why I advised against seeking him out immediately."

"Five days and countless mini noxious insects later, I'm still clueless about what secret profession Faang Chen has taken on!"

"But one thing's for certain—he's got the makings of a Divine General!"

"We need to tread lightly and stay put for the next couple of days."

"Let's wait for his return."

"Understood!"

Nangong nodded in agreement.

"And keep this from the Heaven Howling Wolf for now. It's for the best."

Qian Hee advised.

Nangong nodded once more.

"You're absolutely right. A talent like his will surely be at the center of the Great Guilds' tug-of-war!"

"The Celestial Wolf Guild just doesn't cut it yet!"

"Even the Guard Army of Gloomrock City might not measure up to him!"

"Thankfully, the Guard Armies of Eceosian are united as one big family!"

"If he ends up joining the Guard Army in Northriver Province, he'll still be a shining product of Gloomrock City!"

"I can hardly wait to see the day he truly comes into his own!"

...

Meanwhile, just outside Gloomrock City.

Faang Chen descended from the heavens.

Surveying the vast plains before him, he couldn't help feeling a bit defeated.

"Traveling with the Seven Stars Heavenly Wings just isn't practical!"

"Looks like I'll have to resort to a flying scroll."

Faang Chen retracted the wings and retrieved a flying scroll.

He had conveniently purchased a few dozen from a scroll vendor the day before. Though not as swift as the wings, the scrolls were more enduring—a popular choice among professionals without mounts or flying gear.

Watching flying Demonic Beasts occasionally dart across the sky, Faang Chen shook his head with a wry smile.

"Going it alone really doesn't require deep pockets!"

"If I can't inherit wealth, I'll just have to create it myself!"

With a decisive crush of the scroll, he set off toward Yellow Sand Town.

Qian Hee and Nangong would be dismayed to witness such a scene.

Here was a budding Divine General of Eceosian, resorting to flying scrolls for mere travel.

A Divine General who, by all accounts, should want for nothing.

It's a tale so improbable, few would ever believe it.