"Because there are too many talkative people," Xu Huo said with an indifferent expression.

Hu Wenhu didn't understand, his face full of confusion.

"I don't like talkative people, so I kill them when I see them. Naturally, that means more potions," Xu Huo smiled at him.

Hu Wenhu shrank his neck, grabbed a bread roll, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Zhou Ning couldn't help but laugh, patting his shoulder. "You haven't rested well lately. Go sleep for a while."

Hu Wenho went to the adjacent room. Zhou Ning then turned back, taking out some of the bizarre and unusual potions she had obtained, such as an underarm odor removal potion, a facial cleanser that made your face glow, a voice-loss potion, an insomnia potion, and so on.

"I don't have much use for them. Do you think you can use any?"

Xu Huo picked out a few, then asked her about the dungeons she had completed.

"My rating has been hovering between C and D. To become a D-level player, I'll definitely need to complete several more dungeons," Zhou Ning said. "But I heard that the Pioneer Forum recently started a D-level player certification, and quite a few people have gotten it."

"Zone 014 is so big. There are still plenty of smart people," Sima Xiao Er said, somewhat sullenly, glancing at Guan Sheng and Qian Xuwen.

Zhou Ning knew Xu Huo had already become a D-level player long ago. He and Yan Jiayu were among the earlier batches in the country, and they were different from the Special Defense Department players.

The Special Defense Department built up their strength through dungeon accumulation, leveling up by repeatedly entering fixed dungeons. Some players could enter dungeons four times a month. By completing many dungeons, even with a lower rating, a few months were enough to accumulate the necessary experience.

Xu Huo was different. His completion rate for individual dungeons was very high, and his ratings were high, so he only needed a few dungeons to become a D-level player.

"I asked Yan Jiayu before," Zhou Ning sighed. "But her method is too hard to emulate. That 'charge head-on' approach is something I really can't learn."

Yan Jiayu was now a somewhat famous player, as the Special Defense Department had also asked her to mentor new players. On one hand, they wanted smooth dungeon clears; on the other, they wanted to learn some experience. Unfortunately, they couldn't learn Yan Jiayu's boldness.

Guan Sheng and Qian Xuwen, sitting to the side, also couldn't help but look at Xu Huo. Like Zhou Ning, they were also very curious about exactly how Xu Huo cleared dungeons.

Xu Huo's rating upon exiting the Headhunter Demon dungeon wasn't particularly high, but as a subject of Special Defense Department research, that dungeon also became a case study. Yuan Yao hadn't leaked any details; the specific process was learned from Huang Junjie. But hearing it from others was nowhere near as detailed as hearing it from the person involved.

Before Xu Huo could speak, Sima Xiao Er, who had been in a low mood, cruelly said, "If you can't learn from Yan Jiayu, what makes you think you can learn from Brother Xu? Weakness in combat can be compensated for, but intelligence is a bit more difficult, isn't it?"

Although Sima Xiao Er had entered the same random dungeon as Xu Huo, he didn't know much about the process. Moreover, that dungeon had collapsed, and the matter had been classified as confidential by the Special Defense Department.

His one sentence plunged everyone present, including Sima Xiao Er himself, into a serious silence.

"Is clearing a dungeon difficult?" Xu Huo asked the group.

"Of course it's difficult," Sima Xiao Er said. "I barely scrape by every time, by the skin of my teeth."

"Although difficult, you all can still clear them. This shows dungeons guarantee a certain clearance rate; even ordinary people can clear them," Xu Huo said. "Since they can be cleared, it means the general direction isn't wrong. As long as you pay attention to details along the way, getting a high rating isn't difficult."

The group fell even more silent. Zhou Ning smiled awkwardly. "I think Sister Jiayu's method isn't completely impossible to try."

It's just that not everyone can emulate such formidable physical prowess.

Xu Huo didn't say anything more. Those who survived dungeons were definitely not fools. Yan Jiayu might seem reckless, ignorant, and relying solely on brute force, but in reality, she was very clever and perceptive. Her off-the-charts combat power was just the icing on the cake.

Furthermore, low-level fixed dungeons were certainly of ordinary difficulty. How many people could clear one in a single attempt depended more on the entire team of teammates. Generally, a group of people putting their heads together could eventually figure out the key to clearing. The difference lay in whether they could achieve a higher rating through attention to detail.

The Clown City dungeon this time was unexpectedly rewarding. The number of characteristics and items he obtained in the end was greater than in previous dungeons, likely because he triggered an additional task. So besides the perfect clearance, there were also hidden bonus points.

However, not every dungeon necessarily has additional tasks. The Clown City trip was just a fortunate coincidence.

"Buzz! Buzz!" The phone rang at that moment. It was Yan Jiayu calling.

"Xu Huo, you're back? You didn't show up last month. I thought you'd never return to Zone 014 again," she said, with strange whimpering sounds in the background.

Xu Huo raised an eyebrow with a smile. "You even brought back some local specialties?"

"Yeah," Yan Jiayu said excitedly. "I caught a weird bird in a random dungeon. It's probably the dungeon boss. The dungeon disappeared as soon as I caught it, and it came out with me."

"Do you want to see it? This bird is really beautiful and even glows at night."

The call switched to video. Xu Huo successfully saw the bird she caught. Its shape was somewhat like a peacock, but its feathers were more vibrant and its body larger. Its eyes had a dazzling glow; through the camera, the original appearance of its pupils couldn't be seen clearly. The iron cage imprisoning it bore many scratches, showing this mutated bird had formidable combat power.

But no matter how formidable, it could now only huddle in the cage playing dead. Its beak was tied up by Yan Jiayu, so it couldn't cry out. When poked with the stone staff, it would emit whimpers somewhat resembling a human's.

"Sister, you're awesome!" Sima Xiao Er gave a thumbs up.

"My Master likes raising small animals. I plan to bring this bird back for him," Yan Jiayu said, reaching out to pluck a feather from the bird's rear end and holding it up to the camera. "This bird is also strange. The feathers become poisonous as soon as they're plucked. I got hit twice and it almost pecked my eyeballs out. Luckily, I brought enough antidote. But I've used it all up. Xu Huo, do you have any good antidote there? I want to buy some. The Special Defense Department people charge too much and don't allow bargaining."

The three Special Defense Department members present felt very awkward.

"I actually admire that person who refused to lower the price," Zhou Ning said with a laugh. "Aren't they afraid of getting their head blown off?"

"Sister Ning is there too," Yan Jiayu greeted her, then said sincerely, "Do you want this feather? You could use it to make a small hidden weapon."

"Sure, I'll buy it from you," Zhou Ning said, then saw her swiftly pluck another handful of feathers from the bird's rear end. Yan Jiayu muttered to herself, "Can't pluck anymore, or it'll go bald."

"I wonder if the Hair Growth Potion can be used on mutated animals," Xu Huo also laughed, then added, "I have something better than antidote here. I'll sell it to you at a discount. With this, hardly any poison can take you down."

Yan Jiayu said cheerfully, "That's great! The courier service won't accept this shipment. I have to deliver the bird back myself. I'll come find you in a couple of days. Where are you?"