Chapter 69
The Divine Challenge dungeon.
No matter how many strong players were brought in, the core and crisis of this dungeon always centered on the challenger.
Otherwise, how could the game system judge whether a player truly deserved a spot on the Master Ranking?
Should it really just depend on how many helpers they could call in?
Thus, from the moment Shen Li entered this dungeon, a trace of malice from the game system already clung to him.
From the start of this dungeon world, a portion of divine power had been hidden within him.
Once the dungeon reached its halfway point, if the challenger’s team hadn’t lost half its members, that hidden power would begin to leak out. Because it had been in Shen Li’s body for so long, it had already fused with him, making it nearly impossible for even the highest-grade items to detect his condition.
Shen Li’s thoughts were suddenly pulled in two directions.
On one hand, he clearly recognized who was standing before him, knew what ties they shared, and understood how he should respond.
But on the other hand, another voice in his heart screamed madly: Why should I be the one paving the way for others?
I’ve always been straightforward and diligent, working hard for the Star Guild, never crossing any lines, exhausting myself just to climb the Master Ranking.
And what did I get?
I had to run dungeons with Lu Chuan, who’s more than a decade younger than me. I wasn’t even the main force—I needed his help instead.
Shouldn’t I have been his mentor?
But what kind of “mentor” ends up like this?
Now it’s different.
Shen Li felt more clear-headed than ever, noticing even the tiniest details he’d ignored before.
If he wished, his eyes could see miles away, his ears could hear distant sounds.
The feeling was intoxicating.
How am I any worse than Lu Chuan?
Even on my own, I could clear this dungeon and become a true master-ranked player.
Even the Guildmaster’s seat in Star Guild doesn’t have to be his—I could take it!
At this moment, Shen Li didn’t realize his sanity was plummeting, his entire demeanor taking on a strange, uncanny air.
His thoughts were warped, and even his features shifted slightly.
“Lu Chuan, let me take the lead in this dungeon. I have a way to lure out all the gods…” Shen Li’s face twisted in unnatural excitement, divine aura faintly leaking from his body. He looked anything but normal.
[Host, he’s been parasitized by a god. He thinks those thoughts are his own, but they’re really divine whispers. Mortals can hardly withstand such mental assaults,] #888 explained quickly. [Host, let’s not clash directly—retreat for now. If this parasitic power spreads to you, it’ll be disastrous.]
#888 was deeply worried. After all, the mark left by Number 9 was almost completely worn away.
The host’s sanity points were supposed to be saved for a final showdown with the gods—they couldn’t be wasted here.
“What are you saying, System? Don’t I have the [God of Wealth’s Currency]? I’ll just activate the ability.” Lu Chuan smiled casually. “Shen Li is the challenger of this dungeon. If we leave him like this, who knows how the dungeon’s progression will twist?”
#888 froze, uncertain. [Host, you’re really going to use it? The [God of Wealth’s Currency] burns through money fast, especially when fighting a god.]
“I’ve made so much money in this dungeon. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to use it?” Lu Chuan said lightly. “Not only will I use it, I’ll keep it running nonstop. Money can always be earned back, but life can’t. You don’t want me dead and stuck with a new host, do you? I used to let my low sanity cloud my judgment. As my system, you should correct my mistakes—not enable them.”
#888 almost crashed from shock.
Wait a second—who’s really parasitized here? Shen Li, or my host?
No… no, the host is bound to me. If he were parasitized, I’d know.
Still uneasy, #888 scanned Lu Chuan repeatedly, confirming he was still himself.
Only… his sanity had risen considerably.
Could it be that with higher sanity, the host cared less about money?
#888 didn’t know whether to be happy or regretful.
It had always felt Lu Chuan put profit above life, too reckless for a host. But after so long together, it had grown used to him. Now that Lu Chuan suddenly seemed normal, it felt a little out of place.
Lu Chuan himself couldn’t quite understand.
He knew exactly how he used to act and think.
But just like adults can’t really empathize with their younger selves who hated studying or loved sleeping in, the high-sanity Lu Chuan couldn’t empathize with his low-sanity self.
What’s the point of hoarding money? It’s meant to be spent.
Money is important, but it’ll never be more important than life.
This dungeon could’ve ended much earlier.
If he had activated the [God of Wealth’s Currency] ability from the start, he would’ve noticed its effects during his interactions with Shen Li, as his wealth drained away.
That would’ve made it easy to detect something wrong with Shen Li.
The two skills that #888 had unlocked for him were incredibly powerful—used properly, they could nearly fast-track him through the dungeon.
But his old penny-pinching self had refused to spend, so of course he missed the signs.
That’s why he was stuck in this mess now.
The old me was really stupid.
Lu Chuan thought seriously. From now on, to keep his head clear, he needed to keep boosting his sanity.
Otherwise, if he kept going back to that idiot state, he’d die of frustration.
He had little respect for his former self.
So it’s true—humanity’s greatest enemy is itself.
“All right, #888, activate the skill. I need to snap Shen Li out of this. Also, open the [Eye of Wealth] for me. I want to see exactly where the parasitic power is hiding in him so I can root it out.” Lu Chuan added.
#888 didn’t dare delay any longer. Silently following his orders, it activated both skills at once.
Lu Chuan’s stash of wealth rapidly drained away.
Yet he didn’t feel a flicker of pain. With the [Eye of Wealth], he instantly saw that the parasitic force in Shen Li’s body was hidden in his chest.
Without hesitation, Lu Chuan smashed the window with one punch and shouted, “Edith! Lilus! Get in here and help!”
Edith and Lilus, wandering outside, suddenly heard the sound of shattering glass. Then Lu Chuan’s voice followed, and the two of them immediately rushed toward him.
“Lu Chuan, I came here with good intentions to help you clear this dungeon—what do you think you’re doing?” Shen Li’s expression twisted, a gun already materializing in his hand as he aimed at Lu Chuan.
But if there was one thing Lu Chuan wasn’t lacking, it was defensive items.
After all, he was here to help Shen Li with the Divine Challenge dungeon. The guild’s entire item vault had been opened to him, and Lu Chuan wasn’t the type to hold back—he grabbed whatever he could. If the system hadn’t restricted the number of items he could carry, he probably would’ve emptied the vault entirely.
With his defenses holding, Edith and Lilus made it to the scene.
“Shen Li’s been parasitized by a god. Grab him!” Lu Chuan shouted immediately.
“The one with the problem is Lu Chuan—you should restrain him first!” Shen Li shot back, slinging mud in return.
For a brief moment, Edith and Lilus hesitated.
But Lilus was the first to move, launching an attack straight at Shen Li.
“Lilus, we’re on the same team—you should be attacking Lu Chuan instead!” Shen Li’s muddled mind couldn’t make sense of it. “He suppressed you on the Newcomer Rankings—don’t you hate him? He’s not even from your guild!”
If Edith hadn’t been sure before, Shen Li’s words confirmed it. Shen Li was normally infamous for being the nagging “mom” type—if he were capable of saying such vicious things, he would’ve long been a Master-Rank player.
Three against one, Shen Li was quickly overwhelmed despite his confidence.
With no way out, he unleashed the divine power within him, trying to corrupt the others.
Yet every time he used that power, it was quietly erased by some unknown force, leaving his opponents untouched.
“This skill is actually this effective?” Lu Chuan was stunned.
[Of course, Host! I skipped upgrading offensive skills to get this one precisely because it’s so good.] #888’s voice brimmed with pride. A candidate for the God of Wealth had to be stronger than these mere dungeon deities—having a powerful skill was only natural.
Unfortunately, Lu Chuan’s old self refused to spend money, always doing things by hand rather than burning cash on such skills.
“How much has it cost so far?” Lu Chuan asked casually.
[At this rate… conservatively, around fifty million.] #888 answered nervously.
“Only that little?” Lu Chuan looked even more surprised. “I’ve got so much money now—I could keep this running forever.”
#888 could only give an awkward laugh. Who knew how many days of whining awaited once his Host’s sanity dropped again.
“The source of Shen Li’s power is in his chest. I can dig it out and neutralize it with the [God of Wealth’s Currency] ability—but what happens to Shen Li?” Lu Chuan pressed. “You’re the Wealth system, you should know better than me.”
[If it’s already fully fused, there’s no way. Shen Li himself has to defeat the god’s will inside.] #888 replied honestly. [Host, you’ve never actually carved anyone open before—maybe you should—]
#888 was too late.
As soon as Edith and Lilus restrained Shen Li, Lu Chuan’s dagger flashed.
He stabbed directly into Shen Li’s chest.
“Lilus, keep a healing item ready. Use it if Shen Li’s on the verge of dying. Edith, hold him still.” Lu Chuan’s strike was precise, his mind sharper than ever.
His blade pierced just deep enough to extract the parasitic power from Shen Li’s heart, without killing him outright.
It was the kind of surgical finesse that would’ve made real doctors stop and take notes.
Most people’s hands would’ve shaken when stabbing a comrade—but Lu Chuan’s movement was swift and steady, not a trace of hesitation.
His calm, detached expression carried no worry at all. His gaze on Shen Li was not that of a comrade, but of a butcher slaughtering a pig.
Edith caught his eyes briefly, and her heart pounded wildly.
This Lu Chuan was… terrifying.
Unhurried, he sliced open Shen Li’s chest and drew out a glowing white mass, placing it into the [Infinite Divine Pistol].
[Infinite Divine Pistol Ammo +2]
Lu Chuan raised an eyebrow. Two bullets? Shen Li’s infestation had actually been useful.
He’d only ever managed to get one bullet before, but this time he’d earned two—making him much better prepared against the gods.
Shen Li, however, collapsed unconscious.
Lilus quickly applied healing items, sealing his chest wound, but Shen Li remained out cold.
“He’ll probably have to fight the god’s will inside before he wakes up,” Lu Chuan said coolly. “Nothing major. If we use him right, Shen Li could’ve ambushed us at the worst time. The fact the god played that card early means it’s desperate. If we strike first, we might catch it off guard.”
But before he could finish, Shen Li suddenly bolted upright—not recovered, but clutching a dagger. He slashed Edith and leapt out the window to flee.
Lu Chuan immediately raised his handgun.
“Lu Chuan, what are you doing?!” Lilus grabbed his weapon and barked. “That’s Shen Li—how can you point that at him?”
Of course, Lilus knew this weapon: one of the top five treasures in the guild collections, the [Infinite Divine Pistol].
Unlike the [Cross of Godslaying], which could only destroy a divine avatar at close range, this gun could absorb divine power—and its bullets could kill gods outright.
A weapon that could slay deities would certainly kill Shen Li.
Seeing Lu Chuan about to shoot, Lilus didn’t hesitate to block him.
“That’s Shen Li—you really plan to fire? If you do, not even hundreds of healing items could save him!” Lilus thought Lu Chuan didn’t grasp how dangerous the weapon was and quickly explained.
But Shen Li was already gone.
Edith tended to her wound instead of pursuing immediately.
“I know,” Lu Chuan replied flatly, glancing at Lilus. “I already pulled the excess divine power out of him. The fact he still attacked us means much of it’s fused with him, changing his mind completely. Once he recovers, or gains more power, he could become the vessel for the god’s revival. Shen Li is a Master-Rank player—his body and soul can bear a deity. What happens if one descends into him? The safest option is to kill him now.”
“Lilus, don’t tell me you can’t see that. You’re not the soft-hearted type. For players, the first rule is to clear the dungeon. If a teammate loses control or gets parasitized, we’re supposed to end them quickly—so they don’t become some monster. Isn’t that written in our basic handbook?”
Lu Chuan remembered Lilus being anything but sentimental.
He frowned. “If Shen Li causes problems later, you’ll take responsibility.”
Helping Shen Li cheat was impossible—he had to face the system’s challenge himself.
“I’ll take responsibility,” Lilus shot back, unyielding.
Because it was Shen Li.
There was no way he was beyond saving. Even with just a short time in the same party, Lilus knew how strong Shen Li was. Given time, he could recover his sanity.
“But—” Lilus started, but one look at Lu Chuan’s calm, merciless eyes made him falter.
Lu Chuan truly wanted Shen Li dead.
Lilus’ heart sank.
He himself wasn’t innocent—many had died thanks to his schemes in dungeons—but he had his own code when it came to comrades.
Lu Chuan, though… cared only about clearing.
“Tch. Fine. He’s from your guild, not mine. Do whatever you want. But if it were you, parasitized, I’d give you a chance too,” Lilus snapped.
“No need. First, I won’t be parasitized. Second, if I ever am, just kill me.” Lu Chuan’s reply was immediate. “Now call a meeting. If Shen Li has this problem, maybe others do too. I need to see everyone.”
Lu Chuan’s eyes were bloodshot. “I don’t have much time left to keep this ability active. Hurry and bring everyone here for me to check.”
Edith didn’t know what to say, so he hurried out to gather people.
Only Lilus and Lu Chuan were left staring at each other.
#888 grew anxious. [Host, you’ve had the Eye of Wealth activated for too long. You need to stop.]
Unlike the God of Wealth’s Currencys, the Eye of Wealth could only be used once per dungeon and put a heavy burden on the host’s eyes.
If it got bad enough, it could even cause blindness.
“Since I’ve already activated it, I should push it to its full potential. Otherwise, wouldn’t that be a waste?” Lu Chuan quietly reassured #888, smiling. “Besides, you’re not the one sharing my pain. Don’t be so worried. If I want to become the God of Wealth, this kind of pain is nothing.”
Blood nearly welled at the corners of Lu Chuan’s eyes. Just watching him made Lilus feel pain, yet Lu Chuan remained calm, as if he didn’t feel a thing.
Lilus keenly sensed that something about Lu Chuan had changed, though he couldn’t put his finger on what.
Lu Chuan was still Lu Chuan—not like Shen Li, who was parasitized. That much Lilus could tell.
But something about Lu Chuan’s actions… felt off.
“…This dungeon makes you that tense?” Lilus didn’t understand. They weren’t yet at a desperate point—why was Lu Chuan already ready to kill Shen Li?
“Lilus, I know now why you’ll never be first place. You want too much. You can’t have it all.” Lu Chuan’s words were blunt. “But fine. Stopping me earlier wasn’t entirely pointless—bullets made from god power are precious, I can’t waste one on Shen Li. He’ll come after us again. If he hasn’t recovered next time, you’ll be the one to strike him down.”
Lilus stayed silent.
#888 already knew exactly what had changed.
It was true Lu Chuan’s sanity had risen. He wasn’t so obsessed with money anymore—he’d become more rational, more calm.
As a host of the God of Wealth’s system, a candidate for the God of Wealth, and a player of this cruel game, Lu Chuan was flawless.
If greed had once been his only weakness, then with sanity above 80, even that weakness was gone.
#888 knew he should be happy. Yet, strangely, he couldn’t feel happy at all.
Lu Chuan didn’t love money anymore.
Which meant he wouldn’t love even himself, much less anyone else.
The Lu Chuan now before them… was a real beast.
At the same time—The gold ingot hanging on Number 9’s sword handle suddenly shrank, almost down to the size of a black bean.
“Senior, we can’t enter this dungeon yet. No mutation has triggered.” Number 18 drawled, “We can only enter a Divine Challenge dungeon once the Main God System grants us access.”
Otherwise, if the gods inside sensed their aura, they’d all flee and the dungeon would collapse immediately.
Number 9 stared in confusion at the gold ingot in his hand.
Strange.
Could human desire really vanish almost completely in such a short time?
Author’s Note:
Lu Chuan with 80 Sanity: Money isn’t worth more than my life.
Lu Chuan with 90 Sanity: What even is money?
Lu Chuan with 100 Sanity: Don’t taint me with money!
Lu Chuan with 60 Sanity: They’re all faking it!
