The next day, Lu Chen stood in front of his house, wearing a huge backpack that extended from his head to just above his feet. Despite its size, the backpack wasn't uncomfortable to carry thanks to modern technology.
Made of affordable metal, the backpack had self-flying capabilities and could follow the person. It also had a small mana stone, allowing it to be charged with mana. Additionally, the backpack was versatile, equipped with solar panels, small fixed fans, and a mana stone to convert light, wind, and mana into electricity. It was one of the cheapest bags available in the market.
A driverless taxi stopped right in front of Lu Chen. In this era, there were no drivers around the world. If there was a driver, they would be in their own car.
Lu Chen scanned his hunter ID and selected "Paradise of Tempestphant" as his destination. He chose a cab instead of a bus not because he was rich, but because hunters could ride cabs to dungeons for free. Traveling to other destinations would incur a cost.
Entering the cab, a beep sounded, and it began driving. The speed of the cab would frighten regular drivers and customers, as it moved at a staggering 250 km/h. The car was driven by advanced A.I. technology, possessing the city's location data, access to the location of every car on the road, and the ability to send messages to cars if they were in the way. Thanks to this, the car was skillfully maneuvered, and despite its speed, the ride inside the car was peaceful.
After covering a distance of 50 km in 12 minutes, the cab stopped in front of a massive metallic wall. Exiting the cab, Lu Chen looked at the small door in comparison.
The metal door seemed extremely small compared to the wall.
A scanner was located on the side of the wall, and numerous guns were concealed within it, only emerging when danger was present.
Scanning his card on the door, a click echoed, and the door opened.
Inside the wall, it was bustling with activity. There was a large revolving energy field in the center, where hunters were entering.
Next to the portal, numerous small stalls stood, selling a variety of items ranging from potions to weapons.
Lu Chen didn't spare a glance for the stalls or the other hunters who wore outfits completely different from his own.
They wore high-tech blue suits, common armor for hunters. Their suits had built-in energy guns and shields, made of Nucleonite, a metal found in dungeons. The armor was incredibly tough, rendering bullets as insignificant as dust, and even bombs could only leave scratches on it. Not to mention, it had many other functions.
Lu Chen looked at the armor enviously but shook his head to dispel the emotion.
"It's only a matter of time until I can own armor like that too," he muttered to himself as he walked towards the dungeon... alone.
Others were occupied with their own affairs, so none of them spared a glance at Lu Chen. He entered the dungeon by himself.
If others knew about this, they would consider him crazy or mentally impaired.
"A beginner going into a dungeon alone... how reckless," they would say. Even an E-rank hunter wouldn't enter an F-rank dungeon alone.
"This... feels so surreal." As Lu Chen touched the portal, his surroundings began to rotate.
After a zooming effect, he found himself standing in a grassland.
It was an open field with only grass stretching as far as Lu Chen's sight allowed. Dense white fog surrounded him, limiting visibility to just 20 meters in all directions.
"So, this is a real dungeon. It looks so authentic," he remarked, gazing up at the sky. There were no clouds or a sun, yet the surroundings were brightly illuminated as if it were daytime.
"Normally, a party of five enters a dungeon. Each member has their specific role and profession. Swordsmen, those who awakened skills related to swords, take the front alongside Tanks, those with skills related to defense and shields.
Behind them are mages and archers, protected by the tanks. Finally, there's an assassin who assists the swordsman with sneak attacks.
A good team can survive in the dungeon until the end, while a bad team will suffer heavy injuries when they exit. Casualties are common after all. A single mistake can lead to death or injury," he mused.
He sighed and continued, "Now that I'm soloing this dungeon, I'll have all the spoils of loot to myself. I won't have to share it with anyone. And I'll become rich in no time." A grin flashed across his face. "But I have to be extra careful since I'm alone. A single mistake could cost me my life."
Thud! Thud!
As he stood there, the ground shook. A silhouette of an elephant appeared through the fog.
As it entered Lu Chen's visible range, its full appearance became clear.
Pure white, thick skin; a long trunk almost touching the ground; large feet; a long, pointy tail; three dark eyes; and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. It stood at just 2 meters, around 6.5 feet, just a few inches taller than Lu Chen, who was 6.4 feet tall.
Observing the Tempestphant, a creature three times stronger than a normal elephant and known for its speed and danger, Lu Chen remained abnormally calm.
His heart didn't skip a beat. Taking a short breath, he called out, "Unique Dagger," and a small vortex appeared above Lu Chen. From within it, a very sharp dagger dropped.
The dagger had thin and sharp edges, with three straight lines engraved on it. Its bronze handle was smooth to the touch, with two closed eyes drawn on it. As Lu Chen gripped the dagger, he instinctively swung it.
It cut through the air effortlessly, almost comfortably.
He shifted his gaze back to the Tempestphant, which seemed unaware of Lu Chen's presence.
With a madman's smile, he stealthily approached the Tempestphant, which had no ears to detect his presence.