At the exact moment Cen Yao was engulfed by the white light, her live stream completely exploded.
It had literally exploded.
Although the stream's video was frozen on the final second before Cen Yao logged out of the dungeon, the viewer count in the top right corner kept soaring, showing absolutely no sign of slowing down.
Number one on the Rookie Leaderboard.
Almost the exact instant the dungeon evaluation prompt appeared, the live stream—which had been fluctuating between second and third place—was forcibly propelled to the top by a ridiculously absurd surge of traffic.
Right next to the first-place spot was a name that shone with a blinding brilliance.
Bling Bling.
The Rookie Leaderboard page froze for a full three seconds, as if even the System had lagged for a moment from the sheer volume of data.
Immediately after, the golden font refreshed.
Rookie Leaderboard No. 1: Bling Bling.
Dungeon: 《Rapunzel》
Overall Evaluation: S.
The moment these lines appeared, the entire player rest area fell into a brief, dead silence.
Then, gasps of shock erupted from every corner.
“What the hell? An S?”
“An S-rank evaluation in a rookie dungeon? Are you kidding me?”
“Who is Bling Bling? Which guild's hidden rookie is this?”
“Wait, ‘The Little Princess's Full Moon Feast’? Isn't that the rookie dungeon that isn't broadcast to the public? I remember reading forum posts saying its prototype was suspected to be ‘Rapunzel,’ and the mortality rate was terrifyingly high!”
“It's not just suspected—it is that dungeon! Some people made it out alive before, but their mental states were completely ruined afterward. They couldn't even explain what had happened inside.”
“A rookie dungeon, hidden plotlines solved, an S-rank evaluation, and straight to the top of the Rookie Leaderboard... Is this a rookie? No fucking way!”
“Look! Her live stream is still climbing up the Hot List!”
Within the System Space, the light screens in the player rest area lit up one after another.
Someone who was chugging a recovery potion spat it all out the moment they saw the Rookie Leaderboard refresh.
Another player, who had just emerged from a dungeon covered in blood and hadn't even had time to heal, was drawn over by the shouting of the people nearby.
A few established teams sitting in the trading zone discussing a partnership all had their expressions warp when they saw the name "Bling Bling" at the top of the Rookie Leaderboard.
The Hot List was different from the Rookie Leaderboard.
The Rookie Leaderboard only tracked new players.
But the Hot List featured the player live streams that were currently drawing the most attention and performing the best across the entire System Space.
Almost everyone on the Hot List was a veteran player.
Many of them were core members of major guilds and elite squads.
Rookies could occasionally make it up there.
But those instances were vanishingly rare.
And without exception, every single one of those rookies eventually became one of those monsters on the Peak Leaderboard.
Even the current top-ranked powerhouse on the Peak Leaderboard, codenamed "Endless," had only achieved an A+ evaluation in his rookie dungeon back in the day.
It wasn't that he wasn't strong.
It was just that an S-rank evaluation was simply too difficult to obtain.
The evaluation system of the Horror Game had always been notoriously harsh.
Surviving was merely considered a passing grade.
Completing the main quest would net you a mediocre evaluation at best.
To get a high evaluation, one had to unearth hidden plotlines, shatter critical turning points, alter the dungeon's trajectory, and even impact the operational logic of the dungeon itself.
Getting an S-rank in a rookie dungeon?
This wasn't just "excellent."
This was turning the entire dungeon inside out and shaking it, not letting even a single clue hidden in the cracks of the floor tiles slip by.
Yet, this impossible feat had actually just occurred.
And by a rookie named "Bling Bling," no less.
Before long, a crowd began to gather near the dungeon exit.
At first, it was just individual, unaligned players.
Some of them were too excited after watching the live stream and wanted to see for themselves what the number one player on the Rookie Leaderboard actually looked like.
Others had a mercenary mindset, hoping to curry favor with her before the major factions could get to her.
There were also those with malicious intentions, thinking that no matter how strong a rookie was, she was still just a rookie. Having just emerged from a dungeon, she would definitely have valuable rewards on her, and they might be able to snatch something in the chaos.
Eventually, several elite squads arrived as well.
They weren't as obvious as the ordinary players.
However, as they stood near the dungeon exit, they appeared casual, but their gazes never once strayed from the teleportation light pillars.
“Is it confirmed? Will she land here when she exits?”
“Not necessarily. For the first checkout of a rookie dungeon, some people enter the settlement space first, while others are sent directly back to reality.”
“Will she choose to stay in the System Space?”
“Hard to say. If she's smart, she definitely will. An S-rank evaluation gives plenty of rewards, and the player mall should be unlocked for her now. Getting supplies immediately is the most logical move.”
“Are you sure she doesn't have a team?”
“Based on the live stream, she shouldn't have one. Chen Lin and Wang Tao were just piggybacking on her, and she dragged them out along the way.”
“Has anyone gone to investigate those two?”
“Some people have already gone to corner them.”
The news seemed to grow wings, spreading outward through the System Space in ripples.
On the forums, over a dozen new threads were posted in less than a minute.
【Rookie Leaderboard No. 1 has changed hands! Bling Bling clears "The Little Princess's Full Moon Feast" with an S-rank!】
【The first rookie dungeon S-rank evaluation since the arrival of the Horror Game has appeared?】
【Rational analysis: Is Bling Bling actually an alt account of some powerhouse?】
【She can use magic! Real magic! Not items! Not special effects!】
【Collection of Lady Witch's stream recordings. I've gone mad, leave me alone.】
【Even the Peak Leaderboard No. 1 didn't get an S-rank in his rookie dungeon. How did she do it?】
【Is Bling Bling about to trigger a bidding war among all the major guilds?】
The System Space was thrown into a new frenzy all because of a single name.
Yet, none of this had anything to do with Cen Yao for the time being.
She had already emerged from the dungeon.
Standing in the middle of a vast, white space, Cen Yao remained where she was, her mind still a bit dazed.
The sudden return to this empty settlement space left her with a stark sense of contrast.
There was absolutely nothing around her.
Cen Yao looked down at the clothes she was wearing.
The witch's robe, the wand, and the orb were all right beside her.
This gave her a slight sense of relief.
Rate on N.U.
