Chen Qi glanced toward the wormhole.

There were about thirty gang members guarding it, and around ten solo hunters scattered nearby.

Altogether, roughly forty people.

According to the intel, most of these forty were here for that so-called treasure the old man mentioned.

Here for a treasure?

The one you’re talking about… is it the same as the one I’m after?

If they really knew it was the Deep Sea Hunter’s treasure, there wouldn’t be gangsters standing here.

You’d be seeing corporate-hired mercs or even Bellenese special ops.

So the treasure mentioned by the newsstand old man was likely not the one Chen Qi was after.

With a spark of curiosity, he asked:

“Anything else?”

The old man adjusted his glasses.

“Of course. When it comes to intel, we’re professionals—even the Bellenese state intelligence agencies can’t match us.”

“Based on what we’ve gathered, to obtain that special treasure, you’ll need to acquire a key from the very first monster you encounter.

As for the hiding spot of the treasure…”

A key?

Chen Qi’s information on the Deep Sea Hunter’s treasure didn’t mention any key.

Most likely not the same treasure, he thought.

The old man leaned forward slightly and scrutinized Chen Qi.

“Sir, what I’m about to say next is the key point.

Only the chosen Regulator knows the treasure’s true location.”

Regulator?

Chen Qi had participated in similar rifts before.

Simply put, there’d be a “werewolf” role—the Regulator.

Unlike other participants, their goal was to hunt the players inside the rift for higher rewards.

To get the treasure, one had to not only defeat the first encountered monster but also interrogate the Regulator for the location.

Chen Qi said,

“Kinda a pain.”

After finishing his explanation, the old man gave Chen Qi a quick once-over and added:

“Sir, the Regulator role has already been pre-arranged by the Black Rabbit Gang.

For this rift, the Black Rabbits and the Stray Dogs—normally mortal enemies—have formed a temporary alliance.

The rift has a max capacity of fifty-one people.

Due to certain circumstances, the Black Rabbit Gang only has enough manpower to field about thirty.

Meaning… you don’t need to fight over a spot. You’re in, no problem.”

No need to wait in line… Chen Qi exhaled in relief.

At this point, the newsstand old man had said almost everything.

He offered a final warning:

“Sir, you’re alone, which makes you ill-suited for treasure hunting.

Also, this rift has a high probability of elevated mutation—further reducing your survival rate.”

“But… if your goal is simply to complete the rift and you stay cautious, you’ve got about a 50% chance of survival.”

Fifty percent. The old man wasn’t sugarcoating it.

He could tell Chen Qi was stronger than the average Tier 1 Transcendent.

But with gang involvement and the possibility of high mutation, the rift was already far beyond a standard E-rank in difficulty.

If things went sideways, that 50% would shrink fast.

“Thanks. I’ll be careful.”

Chen Qi nodded.

His real target was the Deep Sea Hunter’s treasure—not this so-called “special item.”

Still, the intel had been very helpful.

He asked once more:

“Thanks again. Are you sure you don’t want anything for it?”

The old man smiled.

“No need. Rules are rules.

However, if you come across any useful information, you can always submit it to our News Agency.

Depending on the value, we’ll reward you.

If the intel is important enough, we can even provide rare weapons you can’t buy on the open market.

Like that cloaked girl from earlier—my instincts tell me there’s something extraordinary under that hood.

Could be writhing flesh… or a body infested with bugs.

Of course, safety first, sir. You’d best keep some distance from her.”

“I got it. Your agency only deals in intel? No interest in… other things?”

Many intel networks had black market side hustles.

If he could get in good with them, it might be a way to offload stolen goods in the future.

The old man raised a brow.

“No. We don’t deal in anything else.

Intel alone is what we, the followers of the Path of the Lamp, pursue in this city.”

“The Lamp…”

Chen Qi’s eyes lit up.

In Bellen, Transcendents who followed the Lamp were rare.

The Lamp symbolized hope, guidance, light, and exploration.

No doubt about it—the agency behind Peru was a powerful Lamp-aligned organization!

The newsstand old man picked up a paper and gave him a parting wish:

“May your rift journey go smoothly.”

“And I wish your business prospers.”

Chen Qi, having gathered the intel he needed, left the rift area.

The rift wouldn’t open until noon tomorrow—he still had time to prepare.

The most valuable intel he’d gotten from the old man was the rift’s name: The Hunting Grounds.

It was a common rift type.

Each Hunting Grounds had different terrain, but the monster types and certain mechanics remained constant.

As a guide-channel content creator, he knew a few special strategies to clear it.

If there were no wild-card players involved, this rift would be a breeze for him.

In the Hunting Grounds, food could be used to attract certain monsters.

Without delay, Chen Qi headed to the market and stocked up on ingredients he’d need, cooking utensils, and some poisons—just in case.

If he happened upon any special Transcendent ingredients inside the rift, he’d be able to cook them on the spot.

Afterward, Chen Qi returned to his little boat and resumed training his Body Training Skill.

With both the training method and the help of Transcendent ingredients, his muscles were starting to take shape.

After a night of practice, his Strength increased by another 2 points.

His punches now carried a noticeable wind.

…

The Next Day

Chen Qi got up early and returned to the street near the rift entrance.

The place was chaotic—overturned trash cans, broken tables and cabinets, scattered clothes, and plenty of fresh bullet casings.

Rumble—RUMBLE!

Chen Qi looked up.

The rift was close to opening.

The wormhole’s pulsations were increasing, and the surrounding walls and ground were starting to crack apart.

The mouth to another world was about to open.

Standing in the street, Chen Qi scanned the area.

Among the gang members was a man in lightweight steam armor.

Aside from the gangs, there were plenty of hunters wielding high-powered shotguns and clad in thick fur armor.

The cloaked girl from yesterday was also here—wait, is that grass still in her mouth?

Every one of them had greed and madness in their eyes.

A single rift run could change someone’s entire fate.

Just then, a Black Rabbit gang member with a shotgun eyed the crowd greedily.

There were still plenty who hadn’t paid the “entry fee.”

Time to find a soft target.

“You there! Skinny one!”

He glanced at the cloaked girl, thinking her frail frame would be easy pickings.

But the strange bulges under her cloak made him stop cold.

Weird thing—not worth it!

The cloaked girl exhaled in relief and looked at Chen Qi. She wasn’t far from him.

But now the thug’s eyes turned toward the next “easy mark”—Chen Qi.

Here we go. He’s picked me.

The Black Rabbit member stomped over, shotgun in hand, and barked:

“D*mn it! Hey! This rift is ours! If you wanna enter, you gotta pay the fee!”

They’ve got their eyes on me… Chen Qi rubbed his temple, exasperated.

He hated gang scum. Weak individually, but dangerous in packs.

“Hey! You hear me? This is our rift!

You step on our turf, you pay up! We charge 50,000!

But you didn’t show proper respect—so with a disrespect tax, that’s 80,000! 80,000!”

The short Black Rabbit thug leaned in, craning his neck and barking again.

Chen Qi lowered his head, cold glint in his eye:

“The rift’s opening. Instead of worrying about my money, maybe worry about your life.”

The weaker you acted around gangsters, the more they’d bully you.

“It’s… opening?”

The thug froze and whipped around.

Right then—on the wall—the writhing maw burst open with a thunderous roar.

The surrounding wall and ground shattered.

BOOM!

A fierce, bloody wind swept down the entire street!

Through the gaping mouth, a shadowy glimpse of another world could be seen.

The moment it opened, everyone present felt the rift’s pull.

The intel was right!

There really was something in this rift that could change a person’s destiny!

In a flash, ten fully geared Transcendents ignored the gang guards entirely.

Like stampeding bulls, they charged into the rift!