C11 Group Invitation

Everyone could see that the Hunting Dragon Squad thought they had strength in numbers and aimed to push around the hidden powerhouse.

But they bit off more than they could chew and got annihilated by the hidden big boss instead.

"We have to recruit this hidden big boss. To wipe out a whole team single-handedly—what incredible strength!"

Teams like Zhou Tao's Heavenly Realm Squad grew even more eager to win over Chen Guo.

"It's time to abandon any dangerous ideas we had before. This hidden big boss is out of our league!"

After witnessing the downfall of the Hunting Dragon Squad, many teams with nefarious designs on Chen Guo abandoned their sinister plans.

In the face of overwhelming power, numerical advantage and cunning schemes became a laughing stock.

The stir caused by Chen Guo was fleeting.

In the brutal survival mission, everyone had to fend for themselves and fight tooth and nail for a sliver of hope.

More and more squads reached the second level and made their way to Blackwater in succession.

Blackwater was teeming with red-haired zombies, and with the influx of so many squads, these creatures had no place to hide and were slaughtered in droves.

Many squads even advanced to the third level.

At this time, the Fortune Squad.

The Fortune Squad consisted of eight members.

Originally a ten-person team, they had lost two comrades in the fray.

"Boss, we've all made it to level 3, thanks to your expert leadership. We wouldn't have made it this far without you!" Jiang Yan praised the team's leader, Liang Kuan.

"All credit goes to Boss Liang's command—he truly is a retired special forces warrior!"

"Boss Liang is like a real-life War Wolf!"

The compliments flowed freely.

Liang Kuan, the leader of the Fortune Squad and a retired special forces soldier, had a wealth of combat experience. Under his guidance, the squad, despite not having the strongest talents, leveled up at a rate comparable to teams with Primitive Level talent.

Seeing weaker teams decimated by just a pair of red-haired zombies, the Fortune Squad's faith in their leader solidified.

Liang Kuan humbly responded, "It's unfortunate we still lost two teammates..."

"Don't blame yourself, boss!"

"Yeah, it's only natural for accidents to happen in such a perilous place!"

"They've just got bad luck, that's all!"

The crowd murmured in agreement.

Liang Kuan announced, "We've nearly wiped out the red-haired zombies on the outskirts. It's time to venture deeper into Blackwater Town. Let's see if we can find any decimated teams to recruit some new blood. After all, there's strength in numbers!"

"Sounds good!"

With that, the Fortune Squad, led by Liang Kuan, made their way into the heart of Blackwater Town.

Deep in Blackwater Town, Chen Guo noticed an increasing number of trial challengers, and the red-haired zombies were becoming scarce.

Furthermore, the slaughter points required to advance from level six to seven were astronomical. It seemed that only by eradicating all the red-haired zombies in Blackwater could one hope to level up.

Given the fierce competition for monsters among the numerous trial challengers, completing such a task was virtually impossible.

"It's time to seek out more advanced challenges. Blackwater Town has become a comfort zone for me, offering little room for growth."

With that realization, Chen Guo stealthily slipped away from the group, intent on leaving Blackwater Town for a more challenging map.

Chen Guo was careful to stay hidden, and while most trial challengers failed to notice her, there are always exceptions.

As she skirted a thicket, avoiding a squad, a red-dressed beauty from the group happened to glance over and caught sight of Chen Guo passing by.

"Who's there?!" The woman in red called out sharply.

Her shout alerted the squad, and they quickly encircled Chen Guo with hostile stares.

In theory, trial challengers should band together to survive the treacherous environment, but in practice, solidarity was rare.

It was hard to guess what others were thinking. Even within a single squad, strife was common, and relations between different squads were often tense. Encounters were fraught with suspicion.

This was particularly true after the Hunting Dragon Squad set a precedent for killing to level up, prompting other squads to follow suit and heightening the overall sense of mistrust.

"I'm just passing through..." Chen Guo said, revealing herself with a sense of resignation, "I mean no harm. You'd be wise not to provoke me, otherwise..."

Chen Guo had no desire to kill unless absolutely necessary; he was far from being a malevolent demon king.

The eight-member squad relaxed upon realizing Chen Guo was on his own.

"Are you Chen Guo?" The woman in red surprisingly recognized him.

"And you are?" Chen Guo was somewhat bewildered.

With her short, neat hair and delicate features, the red-dressed beauty was certainly pretty, yet Chen Guo was positive he didn't know her.

"I'm Jiang Yan, your high school classmate, remember? The class beauty?" Jiang Yan revealed her identity.

While Chen Guo hadn't recognized Jiang Yan, she had instantly spotted him.

Chen Guo had been quite the heartthrob back in high school, though his grades and overall performance were nothing to write home about, marking him as somewhat of an underachiever.

Jiang Yan had a thing for good-looking guys and had taken note of Chen Guo back then, which is why she could identify him so quickly now.

With his charm enhanced, Chen Guo was even more striking, prompting a flood of memories.

"Now I remember, but you've changed so much, I didn't recognize you," Chen Guo admitted.

"Weren't you invited to join a team?" Jiang Yan inquired.

Jiang Yan hadn't pegged Chen Guo as one of the elusive top dogs, given his history of mediocrity and lack of any commanding presence.

Assuming Chen Guo was solo due to a lack of talent, Jiang Yan figured no team had extended an invitation. It wasn't uncommon for trial challengers to be in this position, especially those with Desolate Level talents that were deemed less desirable, like Super Nose, which most teams would pass over.

"No," Chen Guo responded candidly.

"Going it alone is too risky. How about joining our Fortune Squad? Our leader is a seasoned special forces operative," Jiang Yan suggested, glancing at Liang Kuan. "Boss, do me a favor. This is my classmate. He could join our squad and bolster our ranks."

Liang Kuan sized up Chen Guo and said, "Alright, let's hear about your talent and attributes. If they're subpar, then it's a no-go. We're willing to support the underdog, but we can't afford to be held back."

Liang Kuan had taken a liking to Jiang Yan, and couldn't help feeling irked when he noticed her unique demeanor towards Chen Guo, which led him to be subtly critical.

"Never mind, I'm better off on my own," Chen Guo nodded. "May I leave now?"

"You can... of course..." Liang Kuan, caught off guard by Chen Guo's refusal, responded in a daze.

"Fate permitting, we'll meet again," Chen Guo offered Jiang Yan a slight smile before striding away, leaving no trace behind.

"This kid really doesn't know what's good for him!"

"Jiang Yan extends a kind invitation, the boss offers him an opportunity, and he just turns it down. He's like a dog biting the hand of Lu Dongbin, completely ungrateful!"

"I swear, he's just asking for trouble!"

The rest of the Fortune Squad members were discontented, voicing their disapproval of Chen Guo's actions.