“Family”, without a doubt, had become quite the buzz lately.

In his very first dungeon, he earned a title and even caused the Ghost Cruise dungeon to shut down.

In his second dungeon, he cleared an unsolvable-level scenario and received the highest evaluation in history—an SSS rating.

Even in the third dungeon, though most people didn’t remember it clearly anymore, he’d still emerged victorious against villains with far more dungeon runs under their belts.

But… those feats alone didn’t exactly justify making “Family” the team leader.

Forget Su Lingling and Lin Baoyu—the veteran Para-Hunter Jiang Zai, the Fisherman, was clearly the most suitable choice. In both strength and experience, he utterly outclassed the others.

Even Luo Lan couldn’t help wondering why HQ had appointed Bai Wan as the captain. Did HQ really think his strength already surpassed the other three present?

At that moment, Jiang Zai, the seasoned A-rank Para-Hunter, spoke up with a smile. “Family, your talent is remarkable. I hear HQ has already selected you as a candidate for the next S-rank captain.”

The others blinked in surprise, then their expressions cleared.

Ah, so that’s why.

HQ must have sent him here as a trial run—letting a promising rookie lead while putting a veteran like Jiang Zai on the roster to keep things steady. Pairing new blood with old hands was exactly the sort of arrangement HQ liked to use.

“No wonder! Man…I’m a little envious. Back in my first three dungeons, I was so scared I nearly wet the bed,” Lin Baoyu said with a grin. 

“Geniuses are always different from the rest. So long as nothing goes wrong, I’d say the next S-rank captain spot is yours. If you need help with anything, come to me,” Su Lingling added warmly.

They weren’t fools—Jiang Zai’s comment made it clear what sort of person they were dealing with. A seed candidate for S-rank? The smart move was to cozy up to him before he matured. That way, once Bai Wan had real strength, they might just have a powerful thigh to cling to.

“Don’t feel too much pressure,” Jiang Zai said, nodding to Bai Wan. “Your first time as captain won’t be easy. If you run into trouble, ask me.”

Bai Wan, surprised by their friendliness, also felt a flicker of curiosity. HQ had actually picked him to lead? Probably another one of the Doctor’s arrangements.

Seeing the atmosphere relax, Luo Lan exhaled. “First, thank you all for coming to support Jingnan. But things are urgent, so I’ll keep it short…”

The four listened quietly, already suspecting as much.

An experienced A-rank captain, a captain on the verge of A-rank, the strongest rookie, and a genius researcher—this was a formidable lineup, enough to hold their own even against an S-rank team. They certainly weren’t here to play mahjong.

Sure enough, Luo Lan’s expression turned grim.

“To be frank—three months ago, people began disappearing in Black Mount. The trail markers on the mountain only go up to No. 40, but we’ve received multiple reports from tourists claiming they got lost at marker No. 54. That’s impossible. There is no No. 54.

“We sent hunters to check… none returned. A month ago, our captain went to investigate. We’ve had no word since. I’m just a recent addition to the team, and I became acting captain because… everyone else is gone.”

Her voice carried helplessness and loss.

“You didn’t report it to HQ?” Su Lingling asked.

Luo Lan nodded—and then dropped a bombshell. “We did. Two days ago, HQ sent us an A-rank squad. But… they entered Black Mount and never came back.”

The group’s faces darkened.

An A-rank team had already been wiped out? No wonder HQ’s taking this so seriously.

Luo Lan continued, “There’s long been talk about Black Mount. There’s an old, crumbling temple near the summit, and people say a mountain god lives there. But nothing happened for years, until three months ago, when the situation spiraled out of control. We tried to close the mountain, but it didn’t work. The next day, the staff on duty vanished as well. And now, even the path up has disappeared—blocked by a great mountain that… seems alive. It’s still growing.”

“Mountain god…”

The word made Jiang Zai and the others frown. It left a bitter taste.

Para-Hunters classified threats by overall strength and danger level, from D-rank to C-rank, B-rank, A-rank, and the highest—S-rank.

And then there was a concept no one liked to speak of: beyond S.

It wasn’t an official rank—no such classification had ever been formally recorded, but some dungeons held “unsolvable” entities whose power rivaled that of gods, towering above all and gazing down on the world.

That was why Para-Hunters generally disliked the word “god.” It brought back memories of the most terrifying beings they had ever encountered. Of course, the so-called “mountain god” was likely just a local superstition.

Still, when Bai Wan heard about a mountain that kept expanding, he felt secretly glad. Good thing he’d brought his fairy tale book.

“In that case, we should head out now,” Jiang Zai said, glancing at the daylight. Daytime was the best window; night would only be more dangerous.

Su Lingling nodded, then looked at Bai Wan. “Family, could you come here for a moment? The Doctor asked me to pass something along to you.”

Bai Wan followed her to the corner, where she handed him a letter.

He opened it.

[Bai Wan, I still have experiments to run, so I can’t meet you in person. I’ve asked Lingling to give you this letter. In short, Black Mount is… troublesome. Even with Jiang Zai’s team, I’m not entirely reassured, but all four major captains are busy elsewhere. So I’d like you to help.

The reward will be two of the Five Ghost ingredients you’ve been seeking, plus a special awakening crystal. I don’t have enough materials to make another right now, but consider this an IOU. I’m also working on improving the awakening crystal, and I think I’m making progress. Hopefully, you’ll be able to control your ability soon. I’m counting on you, Bai Wan. I trust your strength.

—Fang Hanxin]

Bai Wan’s eyes brightened.

An improved crystal? That’s something worth looking forward to.

His awakened skill was currently uncontrollable—if he could use it without harming himself or his teammates, that would be a game-changer.

The Paranormal Doctor clearly knew he was just a contractor; instead of flowery speeches, he came straight to the benefits. Bai Wan appreciated that.

“Everyone, Jingnan may not have much, but we do have some equipment for you to pick from,” Luo Lan said.

The group nodded and began selecting items.

In addition to the two Five Ghost materials privately handed to Bai Wan, he also spotted something else he wanted—a switch that could change the weather to thunderstorms.

With this, combined with Misfortune, he could unleash a group attack—Thor’s Descent.

Luo Lan looked surprised at his choice. “Funny thing—the weather switch used to be sold in the Green Skeleton Shop, but now it’s only in the Red Skull Shop, and much rarer. The system’s even been buying them back at high prices.”

Bai Wan’s face darkened.

Good job, system—directly target nerfing him again. Aside from his Raiton: Kirin, who else even needs this thing? This is pure, concentrated malice toward him!

Luckily, Jingnan still had one in stock.

“And these bags are Ghost Capture Bags. Each of you gets one. Once a ghost is trapped inside, its abilities are fully sealed. But it only works on ghosts that have lost the ability to resist. Also, this only works in Hunt Mode—you can’t bring it into the game,” Luo Lan explained, handing them out.

Bai Wan examined his bag, it looked just like any ordinary sack.

Then he slipped away to the Mario sewer, bought a timer-saving item that could preserve sewer time, and, though he failed to draw a Large Sunshine Mushroom, he did at least get a medium one. Better than nothing.

…

After that, the team drove to the infamous Black Mount.

From afar, it was beautiful—majestic peaks and all. But whether it was their imagination or not, when they looked toward the temple at the summit, an unease stirred in their hearts.

It felt like something inside was watching them.

The more immediate problem, though, was the road ahead—completely blocked by the mountain itself.

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