《Forgemaster: My Legendary Weapons Turn Max Level Automatically》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The warm spring breeze of March blew across every corner of Linyue City.


    It gave birth to a piece of eye-catching spring.


    Under such a pleasant temperature and scenery, the restlessness of the countless students gathered in the square of Fuyuan Academy did not diminish at all.


    Not far away, outside the Academy¡¯s fence.


    There were people wearing cool clothes, exposing their beautiful legs and shoulders. At this moment, they were looking forward to it, using various methods to attract the attention of the students inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m a 21-year-old female, and I¡¯m an art teaching assistant. I like to wear white silk, and I¡¯m looking for a brother with a Class to spend the rest of my life with.¡±


    ¡°23-year-old mature woman, gentle and intellectual, wants to be controlled by a big brother with a Class~¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a working nurse. I¡¯m obedient and can be taught. I want to warm a Class brother¡¯s bed.¡±


    A melodious voice that was enough to make the boys¡¯ blood boil as it sounded from outside the fence.


    People were unable to take their eyes off this sight, and it caused many students in their puberty to turn their heads and feel numb all over.


    In this world, people with Classes were the most respectable existences.


    As long as one could Awaken a Class, the treatment they received in society would be more than a hundred times better than that of ordinary people.


    It was no exaggeration to say that only the identity of a Class was the only path to becoming a strong person in this world.


    With this identity, he would be respected by everyone no matter where he went.


    On the contrary, if he failed to Awaken and lost the identity of a Class, it also meant that he would become the lowest figure in society. He could only barely make ends meet by working all day long.


    Although Combat Classes had to take more risks, they also had better treatment. After all, who did not want to Awaken a Class, control the world, and sleep on the thighs of a beauty?


    Life was about to usher in a watershed moment. Every student in the square waiting for the Awakening Ceremony to begin had an excited and expectant expression on their faces.


    Most of them were looking at a high platform dozens of meters away.


    There was a mysterious, pitch-black boulder that was two meters tall. It was constantly emitting a mysterious light.


    This item was called the Awakening Divine Stone. Its function was to detect the special energy in the human body and activate it.


    The ritual that was mainly carried out by the Awakening Divine Stone was the Awakening Ritual that all the students paid great attention to.


    Seemingly affected by the restless atmosphere around them, a tall and handsome boy standing at the back of the line also revealed a hint of nervousness on his face.


    ¡°One wrong step, and you¡¯ll face the difference between heaven and hell. This Awakening Ritual is really exciting.¡±


    He spoke in a voice that only he could hear. His clear and cold eyes were staring intently at the Divine Stone on the stage that was emitting light all the time.


    He had been looking forward to this day for a long time.


    Because only by Awakening a Class could he truly do what he wanted to do, whether it was to change his fate, to save the Lin Family that was in danger, or to find his missing father.


    He had to pass this Awakening Ceremony!


    After all, Lin Xiu had been in this world for 12 years. He was very clear about the cruelty and coldness here.


    Strength was the prerequisite for everything in this land. In this regard, even the Earth, where Lin Xiu used to live, not compare to it. After all, there was no need to pay attention to human rights.


    Yes, he was a transmigrator from Earth.


    It had been too long, and he had already forgotten how he had transmigrated. The memories related to his previous life had also become somewhat blurry.


    Fortunately, the language and cultural heritage of the world after transmigration were not much different from that of Earth.


    This also allowed Lin Xiu to adapt quickly and gradually grasp a lot of knowledge.


    However, as he gradually gained a better understanding of the world, he discovered that hundreds of years ago, the humans of this world had almost been wiped out.


    300 years ago, the continent had been invaded by another dimension. The passages that originally connected different planes were broken, and countless monsters and demon beasts surged into this world.


    The people of all countries were massacred. For a time, human civilization was almost extinct!


    As more and more creatures of all races poured into this world, the passages connecting the planes were completely shattered. The laws and civilizations of countless planes were mixed together.


    The game had merged with reality, transforming this place into a digitized world!


    The land area of the real world had expanded by a hundred times. Catacombs and secret realms that contained demon beasts and monsters could be seen everywhere.


    A game panel appeared in everyone¡¯s mind, as well as a deep and rich Awakening Class change system.


    Later on, the human camp continued to appear. Experts who had Awakened their Combat Classes gathered to form an alliance to chase the monsters and demon beasts out of their territory and rebuild human civilization.


    Although the natural disaster had been around for nearly 300 years, the civilization system of this world had yet to recover to its peak.


    Instead, it gave birth to countless industries and fields related to professionals.


    As long as a citizen reached the age of 18, they could obtain the right to Awaken a Class.


    Before that, they would enter a Class Academy and undergo three years of basic studies.


    This knowledge, Lin Xiu only slowly understood it through learning and even under the teachings of his parents.


    He had lived in the Lin Family since he was young and had parents who doted on him very much.


    The family was well-off and owned many businesses. It was one of the three major families in Linyue City.


    Thinking of this, Lin Xiu¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    He remembered the carefree times when he was still a child with his parents.


    Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Six years ago, his father suddenly disappeared when he went out to explore an SS-grade Secret Realm.


    And there was no news for the next few years.


    His father¡¯s disappearance led to the downfall of the Lin Family.


    Without the threat of a Third Transition Class, their family¡¯s businesses were basically annexed by the other two families in Linyue City.


    Moreover, in these six years, the other party had been squeezing the Lin Family¡¯s territory.


    If the Lin Family did not have any Third Transition Classes in the future, then the only outcome would be that they would be devoured by the other two families.


    Thinking of this, Lin Xiu¡¯s gaze gradually became cold and stern.


    Although he was a transmigrator, because he grew up in the Lin Family, he had deep feelings for his parents and the elders in the family.


    Moreover, if the Lin Family was really destroyed, he would definitely not be able to stay out of it.


    The only way to change the current situation was to increase his strength as soon as possible and become a Third Transition Class.


    Lin Xiu inhaled a deep breath of air as he looked at the Divine Stone with a burning gaze.


    Although he looked calm on the surface, he was nervous inside.


    In order to revive the family, he had paid a lot, both in the open and in the dark.


    However, there were too many factors that could influence an Awakening. Luck was also an important factor.


    Lin Xiu¡¯s only worry now was that he had worked hard for three years for this, but in the end, because of luck, he was unable to awaken a Combat Class.


    If that was really the case, then all his three years of hard work would go down the drain, and the hope of reviving the family and finding his father would never come true.


    Therefore, he had no choice now!


    ¡­


    ¡°Finally, is it about to begin?¡±


    Lin Xiu looked at an assistant below the stage who handed the list of students who were about to participate in the Awakening Ceremony to Instructor Jin, who was in charge of the Awakening Ceremony. Only then did he retract his gaze.

 Chapter 2

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Cough cough¡­ Silence, everyone!¡±


    After a while, a deep and loud voice suddenly sounded in the sky above the square.


    It directly suppressed the noise around them.


    Everyone immediately fell silent. At the same time, their gazes gathered on the Awakening Platform not far away.


    Standing before the mysterious Awakening Divine Stone, Instructor Jin, who was dressed in a luxurious gray robe, slowly opened the name list in his hand.


    The other party was the Year Dean of Fuyuan Academy and also the teacher of Lin Xiu¡¯s class.


    ¡°Everyone has been studying in Fuyuan College for three years. I believe that you are well prepared!¡±


    ¡°Next, the students whose names have been called, please come up to the stage in an orderly manner and carry out the Awakening Ceremony!¡±


    Instructor Jin¡¯s stern voice resounded throughout the entire square. It seemed to carry a vast magical power that was directly transmitted into the ears of every student.


    After saying that, Instructor Jin turned his head and looked at the white-haired old man who was standing at the side with a respectful expression.


    ¡°Elder Gu, please start the test.¡±


    After bowing slightly to the other party, Elder Jin immediately flipped open the register in his hand.


    His voice resounded in the sky above the square.


    ¡°Class (1) student, Wan Zhuoyun.¡±


    As Instructor Jin¡¯s voice fell, a young man with a tall and straight figure and a sharp gaze walked out from the bustling crowd below the square.


    The other party was wearing a luxurious silk robe. Although it was the style of Fuyuan Academy¡¯s uniform, due to the special nature of the fabric, it was extremely eye-catching even in the crowd.


    Just from the way he dressed, one could tell that this student came from a wealthy family.


    After being called by Instructor Jin, Wan Zhuoyun immediately walked up to the Awakening Platform in large strides.


    Many students below the stage looked curiously at the Divine Stone that was emitting a mysterious light.


    He wanted to see what kind of innate talent this Young Master from the Wan Family would Awaken!


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Wan Zhuoyun did not hesitate. He immediately closed his eyes and placed his palm on the Divine Stone in front of him.


    In the next second, everyone in the square heard a buzz.


    The Divine Stone on the stage suddenly shone, and a dense orange light emerged from it.


    The dazzling light flickered in the air and stopped for a moment before fusing into the student¡¯s body!


    ¡°Wan Zhuoyun, Awakening complete. Inherited Class, Warrior, innate talent rating D!¡±


    Elder Gu, who was standing next to the Divine Stone, looked at the orange-yellow light that had fused into the latter¡¯s body and announced calmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a success!¡±


    Hearing the voice beside his ear, Wan Zhuoyun immediately opened his eyes, and a look of joy immediately appeared in his pitch-black eyes!


    The originally nervous expression on his face had turned into intense excitement at this moment.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Not bad, a warrior with a D-grade talent has a bright future,¡± Instructor Jin said with a smile on his face.


    Although Wan Zhuoyun had awakened a Warrior that was common among the Combat Classes, with the addition of his D-grade talent, he would be able to play a role in large-scale battlefields in the future!


    Compared to the students in the square, this was already a pretty good result.


    The first student to be tested had Awakened a Combat Class. This could be considered a good start for the Academy.


    Hearing Instructor Jin¡¯s praise, Wan Zhuoyun immediately responded with a smile.


    ¡°This is all thanks to your guidance, Instructor Jin.¡±


    ¡°Okay, please go down first!¡± Instructor Jin was very satisfied with Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s humility.


    Very soon, Wan Zhuoyun left the Awakening Platform with a beaming face. The other students whose names were called also began their Awakening Ceremony.


    Unfortunately, they did not have the same luck as the previous student. Most of them had awakened a Life Class similar to the plumber and civil worker.


    After hearing Elder Gu¡¯s announcement, the students who had been anticipating the Awakening were in pain.


    Their faces were ashen and their eyes were lifeless. They could not accept this result for a moment.


    ¡°Take them away first.¡±


    Instructor Jin was also a little disappointed. He immediately arranged for his assistant to take the students who had failed to Awaken away.


    The earlier Wan Zhuoyun who had walked down with such pride, the expressions of the students behind him were just as pained.


    There was a huge difference in their expressions, which reflected the true situation of Classes and non-Classes.


    Lin Xiu, who was standing at the back of the group, saw everything. The originally calm expression on his face had already become somewhat cold at this moment.


    ¡°Next, Class (1), Ding Shiyu.¡±


    On the Awakening Platform not far away, Instructor Jin¡¯s deep and familiar voice sounded again.


    Hearing Instructor Jin mention a name that he was sensitive to, Lin Xiu immediately raised his head and looked warily at a certain spot in the crowd ahead!


    At this moment, it was more than halfway through the Awakening Ceremony. Among the more than 100 people who had been tested earlier, only less than a third of students had Combat Classes.


    Among the other people, the number of people who Awakened a Life Class was basically the same as the number of people who failed to Awaken a Class.


    Such a dismal Awakening rate of the Combat Class caused the entire square to resound with mournful cries.


    Everyone yearned to become get a Class. Although this was accompanied by many risks, who would be willing to give up a life of luxury and become one of the lowest members of society!


    Therefore, at this moment, not only were those who had failed to Awaken complaining, even Instructor Jin, who was on the Awakening Platform, did not look too good.


    ¡°Ding Shiyu¡­¡±


    If she went up on stage, she should be able to Awaken an even stronger Combat Class!


    Instructor Jin¡¯s expression softened slightly as he immediately read out the other party¡¯s name.


    His voice echoed in the square.


    After a while, a girl with a graceful figure and exquisite face walked out from the crowd below.


    The girl was wearing a cream-colored, slim-fit short skirt and a knitted gown of the same color but of an outstanding design. This outfit made her stand out among the group of girls.


    The beige dress not only outlined her tall and slender figure, but also made Ding Shiyu¡¯s temperament appear gentle and high-class.


    As they watched Ding Shiyu slowly walk up the Awakening Platform, many male students below the stage revealed fiery gazes.


    However, Lin Xiu, who was standing at the back of the group, revealed an undisguised look of disgust.


    That person called Ding Shiyu was the daughter of the Ding Family Leader of Linyue City, the enemy who kept devouring the Lin Clan¡¯s assets.


    And Wan Zhuoyun, who had successfully awakened earlier, was also one of the enemies of the Lin Family. It was because the two great families had been constantly suppressing the Lin Family.


    That was why they had fallen to such a state!


    Towards this kind of person, how could Lin Xiu possibly show a good expression?


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Ding Shiyu walked to the Awakening Divine Stone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Just follow the procedure.¡±


    Instructor Jin¡¯s voice was rather gentle as he gently played with the jade ring on his thumb.


    Ding Shiyu nodded and immediately took two steps forward. She slowly placed her snow-white hands on the Divine Stone.


    Whoosh¡­


    The silence did not last long. Suddenly, a gust of wind appeared in the square.


    Immediately after, a light green wind blade descended on Ding Shiyu¡¯s body. The Divine Stone in front of her also erupted with a bright light green pillar of light!


    ¡°Hidden Class!¡±


    Elder Gu, who had been paying attention to the movement of the Divine Stone, changed his expression slightly and said in surprise.


    In the next moment, the light pillar and the wind blades dissipated. The Awakening Platform returned to silence as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Ding Shiyu has successfully Awakened. She has inherited a Combat Class. She specializes in wind magic and has a D-grade talent!¡±


    As the special-effect-like phenomenon dissipated, Instructor Jin immediately announced the success of the other party¡¯s Awakening.


    Ding Shiyu, who was standing on the stage, was instantly delighted. Her beautiful eyes were filled with uncontrollable joy.


    Although she was the daughter of the famous Lin Family¡¯s branch Family Leader, she had lived a luxurious life since she was young.


    However, Awakening was equally important to her. If she failed this time, what awaited her was the fate of an ordinary person who was sent to a shop to take care of the business.


    Therefore, when she found out that she had successfully Awakened and obtained a rare Class, Ding Shiyu¡¯s heart knot was finally opened. A feeling of excitement and joy almost occupied her heart.


    ¡°Go down and have a good rest,¡± Instructor Jin said with a smile. Since Ding Shiyu was able to Awaken a rare Class, he also received a lot of benefits.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Teacher.¡±


    She suppressed the excitement in her heart and did not lose her composure.


    After Ding Shiyu thanked him, she quickly walked down the stage.


    Just as she turned around and was about to return to her original place.


    However, his sharp eyes caught a cold gaze.


    ¡°Lin Xiu!¡±


    She glanced at Lin Xiu, who was standing at the back of the team a few meters away.


    Ding Shiyu¡¯s expression was slightly cold, and her long and narrow eyes contained a wave of irreconcilable anger.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a loser that won¡¯t last for a few days. Don¡¯t be angry. Business is more important!¡±


    Just as Ding Shiyu clenched her fists tightly, intending to embarrass the other party, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s voice immediately sounded from beside her.


    ¡°Humph!¡± Ding Shiyu¡¯s gaze moved slightly. In order to carry out the plan as scheduled, she could only temporarily suppress the displeasure in her heart.


    After all, the anger in her heart immediately dissipated when she thought of the outcome that the other party was about to face.


    Instead, a malicious smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°Next, Lin Xiu!¡±

 Chapter 3

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lin Xiu, who was standing at the back of the crowd, looked angrily at Wan Zhuoyun and Ding Shiyu who were whispering to each other.


    The killing intent and hatred in his heart rose in an instant, causing his hands to tremble uncontrollably.


    ¡°Next, Class (1), Lin Xiu!¡±


    Just as Lin Xiu was about to lose control of the hatred in his heart, Instructor Jin¡¯s magic-filled deep voice suddenly resounded over the square.


    ¡°Phew¡­ Calm down.¡±


    Withdrawing from the influence of the negative emotions, Lin Xiu¡¯s eyes became clear again.


    Right now, he had no ability to change everything. He had to wait until he Awakened a Class before making further plans!


    Thinking of this, Lin Xiu immediately walked out of the crowd and walked steadily toward the Awakening Platform. When he passed by Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun, his gaze did not shift at all.


    ¡°Heh, I hope you can still be as calm as you are now after you fail to Awaken!¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun snorted coldly, his eyes filled with a playful look.


    Ding Shiyu immediately revealed a disdainful smile. In her opinion, Lin Xiu was just stubbornly holding on.


    No matter what he did, he could not escape the fact that he was trash!


    Even if he was lucky enough to Awaken a Class, the two of them still had a backup plan.


    They would definitely not give Lin Xiu the chance to rise!


    Staring at Lin Xiu¡¯s back as he walked onto the stage, Ding Shiyu¡¯s beautiful eyes flashed, and a special smile immediately appeared on her face.


    ¡°Just wait and see!¡±


    ¡­


    On the Awakening Platform, Lin Xiu stood in front of the Divine Stone that was constantly emitting a majestic light. His inner emotions were rather complicated.


    Instructor Jin, who was standing at the side, merely glanced at Lin Xiu and did not say anything.


    Elder Gu, who was in front of him, showed an interested expression, as if he had noticed something.


    ¡°Instructor Jin, your student¡¯s mental power is quite solid. If he can successfully awaken it, his talent rating will probably not be lower than C-grade!¡±


    Hearing Elder Gu¡¯s evaluation, the gray-robed Instructor Jin raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°Elder Gu, you really have a discerning eye. Lin Xiu, this student, has consistently placed first in both theoretical and practical courses. He does have some talent.¡±


    After saying that, Instructor Jin looked sideways at Lin Xiu. Although there was a smile on his face, there was a hint of pity hidden in his eyes.


    ¡°Lin Xiu, don¡¯t just stand there. Hurry up and start,¡± his tone was serious as he urged Lin Xiu.


    Lin Xiu pursed his lips and stared straight at the Divine Stone in front of him. It was as if he had completely made up his mind in his heart. He immediately stretched out his hand and placed his palm on the black Divine Stone.


    Upon seeing this, the students below the stage immediately craned their necks, looking forward to what class this well-deserved rich genius would Awaken!


    The audience was bustling with discussion.


    Lin Xiu, who was standing on the Awakening Platform, had his eyes tightly shut. His slightly childish and delicate face had turned somewhat pale because of nervousness.


    He could only feel a warm feeling coming from his palm that was touching the Divine Stone, but other than that, there was nothing unusual.


    Elder Gu, who was standing at the side, was also staring intently. His breathing subconsciously slowed down.


    At this moment, the surroundings seemed to have fallen into a quiet quagmire. Not a single sound could be heard.


    Ding¡­ Dong dong!


    Just as everyone thought that Lin Xiu was going to fail in his awakening, a series of clear sounds suddenly rang out.


    Immediately after, they saw a layer of faint golden light appear on the surface of Lin Xiu¡¯s body on the stage. Then, on the huge Divine Stone in front of them, the illusion of different weapons immediately flashed.


    This strange phenomenon flashed by and lasted for a few seconds. It was far from the scale of Wan Zhuoyun and Ding Shiyu¡¯s successful Awakening.


    It was already clear whose Awakening was stronger.


    Seeing this scene, Elder Gu, who originally had an expectant expression, immediately shook his head in disappointment.


    ¡°(1) Ban Linxiu has successfully awakened. Inherited Combat Class ¡ª Unspecialized, innate talent rating C-grade!¡±


    On the Awakening Platform, Instructor Jin saw that Elder Gu had yet to announce it, so he immediately said it impatiently.


    His words were like throwing a huge rock into a calm lake, causing a huge uproar below the stage!


    ¡°Unspecialized? Isn¡¯t the Unspecialized Class a special Class?¡± a student who had Awakened as an Archer asked in confusion.


    ¡°It looks like you didn¡¯t pay attention in theory class. Although Unspecialized is a special Class, this Class has no future. At most, you¡¯ll be slightly stronger before level 20. After that, you¡¯ll be completely useless!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even though Unspecialized characters can learn the general skills of all Classes and use different types of weapons, other Combat Classes will learn powerful specialized skills in the later stages. By then, Unspecialized characters will have no place on the battlefield! Haha!¡±


    On the square, all kinds of gloating voices kept coming out.


    In their opinion, Lin Xiu, who studied very hard and desperately tried his best to get in the grades, deserved a good Class.


    Although the Unspecialized Class was a rare and special existence among the Combat Classes, their development prospects could not be compared to other Classes.


    In the early stages, they were more popular in the major teams. However, once the surrounding Classes exceeded level 20, the Unspecialized Class would become a burden. The major guilds would definitely kick them out without hesitation!


    All in all, although Unspecialized characters were classified as Combat Classes, their treatment was not even comparable to most Life Classes.


    After all, many of the Life Classes were indispensable in the logistics team when they reached the later stages. This was something that Unspecialized players could not compare to.


    ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve overestimated him. He¡¯s not qualified to be our opponent.¡±


    Below the stage, Wan Zhuoyun who saw this scene immediately sneered.


    ¡°An Unspecialized¡­ We¡¯re worrying too much.¡±


    When Ding Shiyu thought of the financial resources they had spent on setting up those plans to make Lin Xiu fail in his Awakening, her expression was filled with heartache.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just take it that the plan has taken effect. Since the Lin Family is finished anyway, let¡¯s just take the remaining assets of their family as an apology gift.¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s face was full of smiles, and his mood was quite good.


    Ding Shiyu nodded slightly and did not intend to dwell on this matter anymore.


    After all, he was just an Unspecialized. Even if they did not stop him, the other party would not be able to cause any trouble.


    In the Ding Family, even a personal guard was around level 25.


    Even if that Lin guy had the chance to take revenge, he probably would not even be able to get through the guards and enter their family.


    Just as Ding Shiyu was planning to discuss this matter with her father after she returned and take over the Lin Family as soon as possible¡­


    The phenomenon that had disappeared on the stage had actually appeared again!


    ¡°This, this¡­ Instructor Jin, could it be that your student has Awakened a second Class?¡±


    On the stage, when Elder Gu saw the Divine Stone in front of Lin Xiu actually erupt with a resplendent light once again, his old face was immediately filled with shock!


    ¡°Ah, how is that possible?!¡± When Instructor Jin saw this scene, he was instantly dumbfounded and stuttered.


    It must be known that the number of Awakened Dual-Classes was extremely rare even in the entire continent.


    Fuyuan Academy had been established for decades and had taught tens of thousands of students. Among them, there was no lack of powerhouses who had Awakened their Hidden Classes, and there were also fierce people who had inherited B-grade talents. However, in these decades, there had only been a total of two people who had Awakened Dual-Classes.

 Chapter 4

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    He had never thought that Lin Xiu would become the third inheritor in Fuyuan Academy to Awaken Dual-Classes!


    Looking at the scene in front of him, Instructor Jin felt as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue. He stood rooted to the ground.


    The countless students below widened their eyes, their mouths agape for a long time without moving.


    Lin Xiu stood upright on the Awakening Platform with his eyes closed. His clothes fluttered without any wind, emitting a whooshing sound.


    Dazzling milky white light emerged from the Divine Stone and slowly condensed into the shape of a hammer above Lin Xiu¡¯s head.


    The giant hammer was more than three meters long and constantly emitted a strange light, making Lin Xiu look sacred and solemn.


    In the whole Awakening Ceremony, only Elder Gu and a few other elders remained rational!


    After all, the number of Dual-Class was too rare. It was possible for one to appear in ten thousand or even tens of thousands of Classes.


    ¡°This¡­ Could it be that Lin Xiu¡¯s awakened second Class is a Forgemaster?¡± Elder Gu narrowed his eyes and looked at the hammer-shaped light ball floating in the air. He said with uncertainty.


    When Instructor Jin heard Elder Gu¡¯s words, his expression improved a little, but he still had a worried look on his face. He was not happy that his student had Awakened a Dual-Class.


    At this moment, the students below the stage finally recovered from their shock.


    After hearing Elder Gu¡¯s statement, they immediately had strange expressions on their faces.


    ¡°Huh? The second Class that Lin Xiu awakened is actually a Life Class ¡ª Forgemaster?¡±


    ¡°No way¡­ His first Class is Unspecialized, who is useless in the later stages, and his second Class is a Forgemaster who needs to work extremely hard. This is too tragic.¡±


    ¡°You could say he¡¯s unlucky. He Awakened the Dual-Classes, but¡­ both of his classes are so trash¡­¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I was happy for nothing. I thought I would have someone to cling to among the students who graduated with me.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too unsatisfied? Ding Shiyu, the school hunk, has awakened her Hidden Class, Wind Mage. Isn¡¯t that enough for you to cling to?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s too cold. I can¡¯t cling to her,¡± the boy who spoke in front of him shrank his head and said weakly.


    The emotions of the students in the entire square followed Lin Xiu¡¯s Dual-Class Awakening. Their emotions were like a roller coaster, from excitement to disappointment, from schadenfreude to pity for the other party.


    No matter what, Lin Xiu was the absolute focus of this Awakening Ceremony.


    Except, this spotlight did not help Lin Xiu bring a better reputation. Instead, it made him receive the pity of many people.


    Just as Elder Gu, Instructor Jin, and all the students below the stage felt that Lin Xiu had already completed his Awakening¡­


    A dull sound suddenly came from the stage!


    The expressions on everyone¡¯s faces immediately froze on the spot, and they hurriedly looked at Lin Xiu who was still standing on the Awakening Platform.


    Boom!


    A golden pillar of light as thick as a bucket suddenly exploded from the Divine Stone. The pillar of light seemed to be about to break through the sky and suddenly rose from the ground.


    A violent sound rang out, and the entire Fuyuan College seemed to be shaken by this huge energy!


    A golden light appeared and instantly broke through the clouds.


    Immediately after, the people below who had yet to react saw a scene that made them feel as if they had been struck by lightning!


    In the scattered clouds, colorful lights suddenly appeared, followed by several dozens of meters long shadows slowly condensing in the air.


    Something seemed to be brewing in those shadows. In just a few breaths, they formed the outline of various weapons.


    The weapons were glowing with brilliant colors and looked extremely cool. Some of the weapons were even recognized by the sharp-eyed students below!


    ¡°Heavens, look! What¡¯s that!¡±


    In the square, a sharp-eyed student suddenly shouted loudly. His finger pointed below the clouds, where a sword-shaped shadow intertwined with golden and blue colors!


    The long sword was wide and heavy. The sharp blades on both sides were glowing with a faint green light. The hilt and the edge of the sword were glowing with a golden light. Behind the sword shadow was a mysterious array that seemed to have the power of a god!


    ¡°Excalibur!!¡±


    Many students blurted out when they saw the sword phantom in the air.


    Their expressions were filled with shock, and they had completely forgotten that they were at the scene of the Awakening Ceremony.


    Very soon, many students discovered even more rumored weapons in the shadows that appeared in midair.


    The Holy Shield of the Army with golden wings engraved on its surface, the blood-red Lance of Longinus with a spiral structure, and the Bow of Chasing Sun that was surrounded by a strange yellow light.


    The supreme treasures that had once been used as weapons by the gods appeared in the air at this moment.


    It almost covered half the sky.


    This phenomenon had already surpassed everyone¡¯s understanding.


    If not for Lin Xiu standing on the Awakening Platform at this moment, they would have thought that this was some top-notch expert joking with everyone.


    Ding Shiyu¡¯s breathing became rapid, and her beautiful eyes were dull. Her exquisite face had lost all color.


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s situation was not any better. Facing this heaven-piercing phenomenon, his legs could not help but tremble.


    The phenomenon caused by Lin Xiu had already broken the awakening record of Fuyuan Academy.


    Those geniuses who had Awakened their Special Classes were like a mayfly shaking a tree in front of the phenomenon caused by Lin Xiu. They were just meteors that disappeared in an instant.


    Ding Shiyu¡¯s voice was hoarse. She could no longer maintain her usual cold and aloof image.


    She quickly took out the communication device in her hand and said anxiously,¡± Jin Zhengmin! What are you still standing there for!? If you still want the remaining money, hurry up and do your job!¡±


    At this moment, she was no longer as gentle and refined as she had been on the Awakening Platform. Her tone of voice also lost the usual respectful tone in the past.


    She growled anxiously, afraid that she would delay the opportunity to stop Lin Xiu from completing his awakening.


    The strange phenomenon in front of him clearly showed that the profession that Lin Xiu awakened was not a Forgemaster, and it was very likely to be some powerful Hidden Class.


    If they really let Lin Xiu awaken successfully, it would already be too late for the two of them to cut the Gordian knot even if they wanted to!


    After all, many Classes in the surroundings must have noticed such a large-scale phenomenon.


    If they did not strangle him in the cradle, just based on Lin Xiu¡¯s identity as a Dual-Class and Special Class, those powerhouses would definitely fight to build a good relationship with him.


    At that time, the Ding Family would no longer have the chance to make a move!


    On the Awakening Platform, under Ding Shiyu¡¯s roar that had abandoned her image, Instructor Jin finally woke up from her shock and panic.


    He did not have much time to make a choice. He did not even have the chance to make a choice.


    If he did not follow the requirements, what awaited him would definitely be the Ding Family¡¯s endless anger. In the future, he might even be discovered by Lin Xiu.


    Therefore, in order to survive and build a good relationship with the Ding and Wan Families, he could only act according to the plan.


    A series of thoughts flashed through his mind, but Instructor Jin did not hesitate.


    He immediately pressed the remote control button hidden in his sleeve.

 Chapter 5

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    As early as a week ago, the people of the Ding and Wan Families had secretly contacted Jin Zhengmin in order to bribe him. Fortunately, before the Awakening Ceremony began, they had set up an array underground. This way, they could make Lin Xiu¡¯s awakening fail without anyone knowing!


    Although Instructor Jin was a Second Transition Class, his life was carefree.


    But most people could not resist the temptation of money and resources, and Jin Zhengmin was no exception.


    He had received a lot of benefits from the Ding and Wan Families, and he had also helped a lot in the matter of setting up the array.


    Originally, Instructor Jin only felt that Lin Xiu was merely an ordinary student.


    Even if the results were better, no one would care.


    After all, it was very common in Linyue City for people with good grades to fail in their Awakening.


    He had never thought that Lin Xiu would Awaken a Dual-Class, and one of them was even a Hidden Class.


    It caused such a huge phenomenon.


    However, now that things had come to this, he had no chance to go back on his word.


    The only thing he could do now was to activate the array and kill this future expert in the cradle.


    At that time, even if the dean or other important figures were to blame him, he would be able to deal with them.


    As Jin Zhengmin pressed the button in his hand, the magic circle buried under the Awakening Platform was immediately activated.


    A powerful energy surged out from the ground, directly forming a protective circle that isolated energy around Lin Xiu.


    This energy was colorless and odorless, so it was extremely difficult to detect. The other teachers on the stage did not discover the magic circle buried underground.


    The energy that surged out of the array quickly took shape, directly cutting off Lin Xiu¡¯s connection with the phenomenon in the sky.


    Even the Divine Stone in front of him could not detect Lin Xiu¡¯s existence, so the light quickly disappeared.


    After losing its target, the phenomenon in the sky instantly dissipated like fireworks, as if it had never appeared!


    ¡°Success!¡± Looking at the shadow that disappeared into the sky in an instant, Ding Shiyu¡¯s beautiful eyes lit up and she immediately exclaimed happily.


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely no problem. The Blood Transforming Soul-Sealing Array buried underground has already been triggered. Even if that Lin Xiu is the chosen one, it¡¯s useless!¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun said hatefully, his face filled with malevolence.


    In order to make Lin Xiu¡¯s awakening fail, their two great clans paid a considerable price.


    There were very few arrays like the Soul-Sealing Array that could suppress energy in the world. If one wanted to create it, one had to hire several array masters to refine it for half a month without sleep or rest.


    Because this Soul-Sealing Array had once destroyed the Class Change Ceremony of several powerful Classes who were already over level 50, this array was fought over by various large organizations, and the price also rose.


    Currently, the price of making a Soul-Sealing Array was already as high as 400,000 to 500,000.


    Originally, Wan Zhuoyun did not quite understand the reason why the Family Head did this. He felt that it was unnecessary.


    He and Ding Shiyu had not expected that Lin Xiu would actually Awaken a Hidden Class, and it was even stronger than Ding Shiyu¡¯s Wind Mage.


    Fortunately, everything was still under control. The array was triggered to block the occurrence of the phenomenon, and Lin Xiu was completely fated to have a Hidden Class.


    On the Awakening Platform, Lin Xiu, who was closing his eyes and carefully sensing the energy in his body, suddenly discovered that the energy that was continuously flowing into his body from the top of his head had suddenly disappeared.


    In his heart, that mysterious and extremely clear feeling instantly disappeared.


    All of this happened in a flash.


    Before Lin Xiu could completely react, everything was already over.


    Slowly opening his eyes, Lin Xiu¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion and disbelief.


    Although it was his first time participating in the Awakening Ceremony, he knew the process like the back of his hand.


    Everything that he was experiencing now had completely deviated from the normal process.


    Looking at the Awakening Divine Stone in front of him that had already dimmed, Lin Xiu¡¯s heart suddenly sank, and his expression gradually became ferocious.


    Someone had tampered with his Awakening Ceremony!


    This was Lin Xiu¡¯s first thought.


    Everything he experienced now was strange.


    The connection between his body and the Divine Stone disappeared without any warning. The feeling of clarity and understanding seemed to have been cut off by half, but his heart kept feeling stifled.


    It was obvious that someone from the outside world had tampered with his awakening process and forcefully ended it!


    The veins on his forehead bulged. At this moment, Lin Xiu¡¯s expression was terrifyingly gloomy, just like a ferocious beast that was about to go berserk!


    In this cruel world, people who fought over the ownership of rare equipment could be seen everywhere.


    Not to mention, what Lin Xiu had been robbed of was an opportunity that was difficult to measure with money. It was the hope of restoring the glory of the family. It was also his three years of continuous hard work that he did not fear the bitter cold!


    ¡°Who is it? Who is it!¡±


    He could not suppress the violent feeling in his heart, and he was about to go crazy.


    However, just as he was about to lose his mind, an ethereal, emotionless mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his mind.


    ¡°Respected Class, you have completed all the inheritances and awakened a Special Class ¡ª Divine Forgemaster.¡±


    [Hidden Class: Divine Forgemaster]


    [Talent: Forging time reduced by 100 times.]


    [Basic Skill 1: (Forging Soul) Increases the success rate of equipment strengthening, forging, and refining by 15 percent]


    [Basic Skill 2:(Stone to Gold Touch) Touching equipment will greatly increase its grade. Cooldown time: 48 hours]


    [Specialist Skill 1: Unlocked]


    ¡­


    As the ethereal voice sounded, a system panel that only Lin Xiu could see suddenly appeared in front of him.


    This was the Class Advancement System that existed in every student¡¯s mind. It was just that before the Awakening was successful, the system was always in a locked state.


    The rows of data in front of him made Lin Xiu, who was originally about to fall into a crazy state, instantly calm down.


    Especially when he saw the introduction of the Divine Forgemaster¡¯s skill, his eyes flashed with astonishment.


    All of this had happened too quickly. Lin Xiu felt as if he had returned to heaven from hell.


    A second ago, his opportunity had been destroyed, but in the next second, he had unknowingly completed the inheritance of a rare Class.


    As the person involved, he himself was not too sure what had happened.


    However, Lin Xiu was certain of one thing.


    That was, he had indeed completed the inheritance of the Special Class, the Divine Forgemaster.


    The System had already informed him of this.


    What made him happy was that the skill description of this Divine Forgemaster was very powerful.


    If he used it well, even if his main Class was Unspecialized, he could still develop and quickly surpass Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun.


    ¡°Shortening casting time by a hundred times, turning stone into gold¡­ The effects of these skills are so powerful that I have to keep it a secret and not let outsiders find out!¡±


    Very quickly, Lin Xiu regained his calm and thought of the importance of the problem.


    Although he was overjoyed, he still maintained an indignant and angry expression on his face!


    Outsiders could not sense the change in his emotions at all.


    The countless students below the stage did not notice the existence of the array at all. They only thought that Lin Xiu¡¯s luck was bad and he was unable to successfully awaken a rare Class.

 Chapter 6

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Still¡­ What a pity, he¡¯s only a Forgemaster.¡±


    Looking at Lin Xiu who was gritting his teeth in anger, the nervousness on Instructor Jin¡¯s face flashed and disappeared. He then spoke in a regretful tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s too difficult to awaken a Hidden Class. There were a few students in Fuyuan College who missed out on a Hidden Class during the Awakening process.¡±


    ¡°Lin Xiu, don¡¯t blame yourself too much.¡±


    Instructor Jin put on a concerned smile and immediately comforted him.


    Lin Xiu did not say anything. He still stood in front of the Divine Stone with a red face like a statue.


    He seemed to be immersed in endless sorrow and regret.


    Seeing this situation, Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun, who were below the stage, immediately revealed proud smiles.


    ¡°Haha, Shiyu, look at his defeated face. He doesn¡¯t look as calm as before.¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun sneered, as if he had just seen something very funny.


    Ding Shiyu¡¯s pretty face also showed a hint of relief. Her red lips parted slightly, ¡°Some people just don¡¯t know their own abilities. It¡¯s just a joke to think that they can make a comeback through the Awakening ceremony.¡±


    Everyone was discussing at once. There was pity, ridicule, pity, and coldness.


    How could they know that the root cause of Lin Xiu¡¯s awakening failure was that the great Ding and Wan Families had set up the Soul-Sealing Array in advance.


    Even the teaching assistants and lecturers standing on the Awakening Platform did not notice that something was wrong.


    Only Elder Gu vaguely felt that this matter was too strange.


    He frowned with a straight face and looked around with his slightly turbid eyes, but he did not find anything wrong.


    Lin Xiu had caused such a huge phenomenon. What he had Awakened should be some powerful Hidden Class.


    In addition to his Dual-Class inheritance, with a little training, his growth speed would definitely surpass most people.


    He was clearly a genius who could shock the entire city, but now, under his eyes, he had become extremely mediocre.


    It was difficult for Elder Gu not to forget the disadvantages. Lin Xiu¡¯s Awakening failure was very likely caused by someone secretly!


    However, he did not have any evidence at the moment. In addition, the other party had done it very cleanly. Even if he wanted to pursue the matter, he could not find anyone now.


    Elder Gu¡¯s expression softened slightly. He turned his head to look at Lin Xiu, who was still standing in front of the Divine Stone with a stiff expression, and sighed slightly.


    ¡°I wonder who this little guy offended to be deprived of the right to awaken a Special Class.¡±


    Elder Gu sighed in his heart. He took two steps forward and patted the other party¡¯s shoulder with his slightly dry hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad. What you need to do now is to try your best to link your two Classes together. Perhaps it will produce a miraculous effect.¡±


    Elder Gu did not say anything else after giving his opinion. However, he was not in the mood to stay here anymore, so he immediately walked down the stage.


    Anyway, the Awakening Divine Stone had already been activated. His existence was just to prop up the Fuyuan Academy.


    ¡°Elder Gu, you¡­¡±


    Seeing that the other party was about to leave, Instructor Jin immediately tried to persuade him to stay.


    However, the other party¡¯s back did not have any intention of stopping. He walked off the stage without waiting for him to finish.


    Being ignored by Elder Gu, Instructor Jin felt a little depressed. He immediately turned around and said coldly to Lin Xiu, ¡°What are you still doing here? Assistant, take him away.¡±


    Soon, the assistant who was standing by the side immediately went forward and wanted to pull Lin Xiu away.


    However, before he could extend his hand, he was immediately scared away by Lin Xiu¡¯s cold gaze.


    The other party¡¯s eyes were red, like an injured beast, and his entire body was filled with violent emotions.


    Although Lin Xiu was just a rookie who had just awakened his Class, for some reason, the emotions he exuded made the assistant not dare to come forward for a moment.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. I can leave on my own,¡± Lin Xiu said in a low voice. Then, he took a deep look at Instructor Jin and quickly walked down the stage, disappearing into the crowd.


    Jin Zhengmin¡¯s heart tightened when he saw Lin Xiu¡¯s inexplicable gaze.


    Even after the other party left, he still felt a chill in his heart.


    ¡°That brat, could it be that he has seen through some clues?¡±


    Jin Zhengmin was puzzled.


    ¡°Forget it, so what if he finds out? He¡¯s just an Unspecialized and a Forgemaster. He¡¯s basically just a blacksmith. I don¡¯t think he can cause any trouble!¡±


    Looking at the names of the remaining students on the list, Jin Zhengmin sorted out his emotions and continued the unfinished awakening ceremony.


    In the crowd, Lin Xiu had already returned to his seat. His expression was indifferent, making it impossible for people to see through his emotions.


    The surrounding people were still curious about Lin Xiu at first, but it was obvious that the other party had maintained a poker face. After a while, they lost their patience.


    No matter what kind of emotions Lin Xiu had, they all felt that it was natural.


    After all, it was normal for one to go crazy after falling from heaven to dust.


    However, how could they know that Lin Xiu, who was at the back of the group, was in a very good mood at this moment?


    Even though he was secretly tricked by someone, he still successfully awakened a Special Class in the end. This kind of encounter of blessing in disguise made Lin Xiu very happy.


    However, the most important thing now was to familiarize himself with the two Awakened Classes as soon as possible so that he could prepare for the Catacombs adventure that would begin soon.


    Thinking of this, Lin Xiu immediately mobilized his mind and called out the System panel hidden in his mind.


    [Name: Lin Xiu]


    [Awakened Class: Combat type ¡ª Unspecialized, Special type ¡ª Divine Forgemaster.]


    [Level: Level 1, Experience (0/100), First Transition]


    [Attack: 24 points]


    [Defense: 5 points]


    [HP: 180]


    [Attribute: Strength 8 points. Affects stamina, weight, attack, etc.]


    [Agility: 8 points. Affects critical hit, physical defense, evasion, etc.]


    [Spirit: 6 points. Affects magic defense, reaction speed, magic attack, etc.]


    [Constitution: 8 points. Affects HP and resistance, endurance, etc.]


    ¡­


    Looking at the detailed personal attributes in front of him, Lin Xiu could be considered to have a basic understanding of his own attributes.


    He subconsciously looked at the people around him and found that they were staring ahead, as if they were also interacting with the System.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at the characteristics of the Unspecialized Class,¡± Lin Xiu subconsciously said. He immediately scrolled down the page and found the Class attribute column.


    [First Class: Unspecialized]


    [Class Talent: (C-grade Mastery) All common skills acquired +1]


    [Prerequisite skill: (Unspecialized) Can learn all common skills of all Classes. Maximum of 20 skills mastered]


    [Basic Skill 1: (Camouflage) Able to use all Class equipment]


    [Basic Skill 2: (The Doctrine of the Middle Way) Critical damage -10%, critical resistance +15%]


    [Class evaluation: Unspecialized characters have a huge advantage in the early stages. Even most Special Classes can¡¯t fight them before level 20, but that¡¯s all.]


    Looking at the Class evaluation at the end of the System panel, Lin Xiu immediately felt like he did not know whether to laugh or cry.


    This inborn System was good in every aspect, but it had a poisonous tongue.

 Chapter 7

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    However, Lin Xiu also understood that the upper limit of an Unspecialized was limited to this, if he did not have the support of a Divine Forgemaster as his second Class.


    After level 20, Lin Xiu would have no place to live. At most, he would become a fighter and could only display his abilities in small Catacombs or low-level Secret Realms.


    ¡°Fate is really playing tricks on me.¡±


    Lin Xiu¡¯s clear eyes flickered slightly as he muttered. The corners of his mouth also faintly curled into a smile.


    Since the heavens had given him the chance to become a powerhouse again, how could he give it up?!


    Lin Xiu had already made up his mind. He wanted to increase his strength and secretly investigate the actions of the two great families.


    Although he believed that this matter was definitely the doing of the Ding and Wan Families, he still wanted to find some clues and take revenge after confirming it.


    Closing the System panel, Lin Xiu slowly raised his head and looked at the Awakening Platform. The ritual was nearing its end.


    There were a total of 237 students participating in this Awakening Ceremony. In the end, only about 60 of them Awakened their Combat Classes, and most of the rest awakened their Life Classes.


    However, there were still more than 80 students who failed to Awaken and were never able to achieve their dreams.


    Although these numbers were just cold numbers, they revealed the cruelty and ruthlessness of the real world.


    Less than 30 percent of the people could truly stand at the top of the pyramid. This was in line with the 20:80 rule.


    At this moment, the students in the square had either happy or sad expressions on their faces. Those who had failed to awaken had already left the field. The only thing they received was a graduation certificate that was like waste paper.


    As for those students who had Awakened their Life Classes, although they were still here, they had already lost the right to participate in the next event.


    The reason why they were still standing here was to wait for the final assignment of the students¡¯ Classes.


    Whether it was to enter the factory to do screws or to work as a chef in a restaurant, the path was already set.


    ¡°Fuyuan Academy¡¯s Awakening Ceremony has been successfully held. Next, all students who have Awakened their Combat Classes, please line up in an orderly manner to receive the initial equipment prepared by the Academy!¡±


    On the Awakening Platform, the head of the grade, Jin Zhengmin, said with a generous smile.


    Not long after he finished speaking, a few Academy assistants carried a huge golden box and prepared to distribute equipment to more than 60 Combat Classes.


    Jin Zhengmin walked forward and immediately opened the lid of the huge box. For a moment, equipment that flickered with different colors entered the eyes of the students below the stage.


    ¡°Oh my God, there¡¯s actually Silver equipment in that box. The leaders of the Academy are really generous!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not greedy. I¡¯m fine with two Bronze-quality items. If you buy these items in the job market, each of them would cost at least 1,000R. ¡±


    ¡°I hope that the quality of the equipment allocated to me will be better. Only then will I have the confidence to participate in tomorrow¡¯s Catacombs adventure¡­¡±


    The surrounding discussions continued. It could be seen that the few pieces of Silver equipment in the box were very attractive to the students.


    After all, the growth of a Class was inseparable from good equipment.


    As for the equipment dropped by ordinary monsters and the equipment circulating in the market, most of them were White Slate or Black Iron-grade. There were only a few basic attributes. Other than those Classes with very limited conditions, no one would buy them.


    Only Bronze and Silver-quality equipment were mainstream on the market, but each piece cost more than 1,000R.


    Whether or not he could save money on buying equipment through the Academy¡¯s distribution of equipment depended on his fate.


    While Lin Xiu was deep in thought, the few people in front of the team had already walked onto the stage and received a few pieces of equipment from Instructor Jin.


    ¡°Appraisal!¡±


    His eyes lit up slightly. In the next moment, the attributes of the few pieces of equipment that the students were holding in their hands had already appeared in front of Lin Xiu.


    [Light Cloth Armor]


    [Quality: Black Iron]


    [Basic attribute: Defense +2]


    [Additional attribute: Movement speed +5%]


    ¡­


    [Plain Animal Leather Boots]


    [Rarity: White Slate]


    [Basic attribute: Agility +1]


    Looking at the pitiful few attributes on the equipment, Lin Xiu could not help but sneer.


    These pieces of equipment that were below Bronze were only worth about 100R.


    They were basically distributed to the students with lower talent levels.


    As for the bronze-level ones, they were distributed to students with good talent and an advantage in their occupations.


    The real world was cruel. The tip of the iceberg had already been exposed in the Academy.


    Lin Xiu took all of this into his eyes, and at the same time, he no longer had much hope for the equipment that he was about to be distributed.


    He had no future in his career, and he had a snobbish teacher.


    He would have been surprised if the equipment he received was not of the White Slate grade.


    In a short while, more than half of the players on the team had received their equipment.


    At this moment, Wan Zhuoyun and Ding Shiyu also went up on stage. Each of them received two pieces of shining equipment.


    Lin Xiu had already expected this, but he was still a little curious. He wanted to know what was so special about the equipment in their hands.


    Lin Xiu¡¯s thoughts turned, and in the next moment, the equipment attribute panel in Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s hand appeared in front of him.


    [Silver Thread Forged Armor]


    [Quality: Silver]


    [Basic attributes: Defense +4, constitution +6]


    [Additional attribute: (Armor) Reduce slash damage received by 10%]


    [Equipment evaluation: This is a well-made armor suitable for defensive wear]


    ¡­


    [Apprentice¡¯s Staff]


    [Quality: Silver]


    [Basic attributes: Spirit +6, Luck +1]


    [Additional Attributes: (Clear Mist) Movement Speed increased by 20% after the battle, Wind Magic chanting time reduced by 10%]


    [Equipment remarks: This staff is very suitable for a Mage who specializes in the wind attribute. The additional attribute provides a movement speed boost and can also make up for the weakness of a Mage¡¯s short legs. It is a rare and precious equipment.]


    Wan Zhuoyun and Ding Shiyu were both given a piece of Silver-quality equipment, and the attributes of the equipment were very compatible with their classes.


    Even if one used their toes to think, they would know that this was specially prepared by the Academy for them.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s within my expectations.¡±


    Lin Xiu snorted coldly, feeling disdain for the two people¡¯s actions in his heart.


    In his opinion, using improper means to squeeze out the living space of others for one¡¯s own benefit was a despicable thing.


    The two of them were clearly born into noble families and did not need to worry about buying equipment, but they still seized the few pieces of Silver quality equipment in the Academy.


    This was obviously to suppress the others.


    Although the students had seen the scene on the stage, they could only silently endure it due to the other party¡¯s background and strength.


    Not long after, the students in front of Lin Xiu had all received their equipment. Hearing the low voice urging him from behind, he reluctantly walked onto the stage.


    ¡°Here, this is the equipment from the Academy. Take it.¡±


    On the Awakening Platform, Jin Zhengmin saw that the person who walked up was Lin Xiu, who had awakened his Unspecialized Class. He casually took out two White Slate quality equipment from the box and expressionlessly threw them on the table.

 Chapter 8

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Lin Xiu¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at the two pieces of White equipment that Jin Zhengmin had casually thrown on the table.


    The two pieces of equipment only had one pitiful basic attribute. Even dogs shook their heads when they saw this.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not satisfied?¡± seeing that Lin Xiu did not move for a long time, Instructor Jin immediately raised his head and said with an unhappy expression.


    ¡°Hehe, how could that be? These two pieces of equipment must have been ¡®meticulously¡¯ prepared by you, Instructor Jin. You¡¯ve really put in a lot of effort.¡±


    Lin Xiu knew that Jin Zheng Min was a snob, it was impossible for him to be so kind to someone who inherited the Unspecialized Class, but the other party was openly and secretly suppressing him, how could Lin Xiu be indifferent?


    Therefore, he immediately put on a fake smile. While thanking him, Lin Xiu deliberately emphasized the word ¡®meticulous.¡¯


    After saying that, Lin Xiu immediately rolled up the two pieces of equipment and walked off the stage without looking back.


    Lin Xiu¡¯s sarcasm made Jin Zhengmin¡¯s eyes twitch slightly.


    However, there were still many students below the stage, so he did not have the chance to flare up. The only thing he could do was to glare at the other party fiercely and then suppress the anger in his heart.


    After returning to the stage, Lin Xiu immediately summoned the system interface. He wanted to use the two pieces of white equipment that he had just obtained to try out the Divine Forgemaster¡¯s unique skill, Stone to Gold Touch.


    He opened the inventory in the System and saw the two pieces of equipment that he had obtained earlier lying quietly in it.


    He focused his gaze and the attribute panel of the two pieces of equipment immediately appeared.


    [Worn Leather Gloves]


    [Rarity: White Slate]


    [Basic attribute: Physical defense +1]


    ¡­


    [Rusted Greaves]


    [Rarity: White Slate]


    [Basic Attribute: Movement speed increased by 10 points]


    Looking at the terrible attributes of the two pieces of equipment, Lin Xiu could not help but laugh.


    Instructor Jin Zhengmin was really ¡®thoughtful¡¯ to specially pick out two pieces of heavily worn equipment from the White Slate-grade.


    A trace of coldness flashed in his eyes. Lin Xiu had already memorized all the unfair acts that Jin Zhengmin had done to him.


    Then, he opened the equipment details tab and chose to immediately bind the two pieces of equipment.


    [Respected Class, the Worn Leather Gloves and Rusted Greaves have been bound.]


    [Attention, the equipment will hide its attributes and cannot be traded with others.]


    The System¡¯s voice sounded in his mind, and a pop-up window appeared in front of him, explaining the effects and precautions after binding the equipment.


    ¡°This is the effect I wanted.¡±


    A smile appeared on Lin Xiu¡¯s face. He then opened the system function column, the page for forging.


    Currently, there were three ways to increase the attributes of equipment.


    The first was the forging function that could increase the grade of equipment.


    To use the forging function, one needed to place the equipment into the forging column and put in some rare materials with similar attributes to the equipment. After the conditions were met, the system could start forging. Under normal circumstances, the success rate was above 80 percent.


    However, the higher the grade of the equipment, the lower the success rate of forging. On the contrary, the materials required for forging were more precious.


    Thus, the forging function was a very effective method to increase the quality of equipment in the early stages. However, as the quality of the equipment increased, the forging function became somewhat useless.


    The second was the strengthening function. Strengthening equipment also required materials, but unlike forging, the materials required for strengthening were very fixed. It only required Strengthening Source Stones of the same quality as the equipment.


    The success rate of strengthening was similar to forging. In the beginning, the success rate was above 85 percent. As the strengthening level increased, the success rate would drop below 10 percent.


    However, because strengthening equipment could increase basic attributes and special effects, many Classes would take great risks to strengthen high-quality equipment.


    The result was obvious. Except for a few lucky ones who succeeded, most of them only got colorless fragments on the ground.


    As for the third function ¡ª purification ¡ª Lin Xiu¡¯s current level basically did not need it. Similarly, he was also unable to gather the prerequisites for purification.


    He looked at the forging page that appeared in front of him.


    Lin Xiu thought for a moment, then chose to put the Rusted Greaves into the forging column.


    Although high-quality gloves were also very powerful, they were only accessories after all. They could not compare to the importance of main equipment.


    In the forging page, because the corresponding materials had not been placed, the forging button of the system itself was still in a gray state.


    However, because Lin Xiu had obtained the inheritance of a Divine Forgemaster, he had the skill: Stone to Gold Touch.


    Therefore, next to the gray forging button, there was a unique golden interaction button.


    ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m a Divine Forgemaster. I should at least upgrade my greaves to Silver-quality¡­¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Xiu slowly moved his finger to the golden button on the System page and said subconsciously.


    Then, he immediately pressed the ¡®Stone to Gold Touch¡¯ button. The next moment, the Rusted Greaves placed in the forging column suddenly emitted a mysterious purple light!


    Accompanying the light was a crisp tinkling sound, as if there was an invisible blacksmith on the System page knocking on the greaves.


    The mysterious light disappeared in an instant, and Lin Xiu immediately discovered something.


    At the casting bar, the Rusted Greaves that were originally dull and ordinary had disappeared. In their place was a pair of brown sandals with a new style and a pair of wings on the outside.


    The part of the boots that covered the soles of the feet was made of some kind of brownish-red leather, while the part that provided protection for the calves emitted a metallic luster.


    However, the most eye-catching part of the sandals was the pair of brownish-red wings on the outside.


    It looked like it could drive the person wearing the shoes to fly, and its style was extremely unique.


    Just by looking at the appearance, Lin Xiu knew that this was definitely a pair of equipment with a quality of Silver or above!


    Unable to hide his excitement, Lin Xiu immediately took out the shoes from the forging column and then opened the attribute panel of the shoes.


    [Boots of Hermes]


    [Quality: Purple Crystal]


    [Basic attributes: Defense +8, constitution +5, agility +10, movement speed +80%, all attributes resistance +10%]


    [Additional Attribute 1: (Hermes¡¯s Blessing) The user can move on any flat liquid and gain the ability to jump in the air once. Cooldown time: 30 seconds.]


    [Additional Attribute 2: (Capture Dream) 70% chance of dodging normal attacks.]


    [Additional Attribute 3: (God of Thieves) Able to steal Boss-level monsters, higher chance of obtaining rare items.]


    ¡°Hiss¡­ So this is Purple Crystal equipment! It¡¯s two levels higher than Silver! This effect is unbelievable!¡±


    After seeing the attributes of this pair of boots, Lin Xiu subconsciously sucked in a breath of cold air. He was shocked to the extreme.


    This pair of equipment called the Boots of Hermes not only provided him with a massive amount of attribute bonuses, but it also had three additional attributes.


    Whether it was the ability to walk on liquid or the high probability of dodging the enemy¡¯s normal attacks, this effect had completely reached a heaven-defying level.

 Chapter 9

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    If it was not for the fact that the Purple Crystal-grade was written clearly on the System interface, Lin Xiu would have thought that this was a Diamond or even Superior grade equipment.


    The Divine Forgemaster¡¯s additional skill, Stone to Gold Touch, was truly too powerful. In less than a minute, it had turned a White Slate grade equipment that no one would look at seriously into a Purple Crystal rare equipment.


    If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn¡¯t have believed that such a thing could happen in this world.


    In people¡¯s understanding, equipment was divided into 13 levels from inferior to excellent.


    They were White Slate, Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Purple Crystal, Diamond, Superior, Dark Gold, Legendary, and Divine Weapons that were divided into one to nine stars.


    Behind them were Moon and Sun grade Super Divine Weapons that did not exist on this continent. They were only recorded in the System.


    However, in daily life, the highest quality equipment that ordinary people could come into contact with was Black Iron.


    Even for Classes, before they reached level 30, most of the equipment they used was of Silver or Gold quality.


    Only the best of the Second Transition Classes could obtain Purple Crystal, Diamond, and other quality equipment from killing monsters.


    At this level, even a Life Blacksmith would find it difficult to produce it through forging.


    As for the Superior, Dark Gold, and other high-quality equipment, they were only accessible to Third or Fourth Transition Classes.


    However, now, Lin Xiu, who had the Divine Forgemaster Class, had used the Stone to Gold Touch skill to obtain a Purple Crystal grade equipment when he was only level 1.


    It could be said that he gained an absolute advantage at the starting line.


    Compared to the Boots of Hermes, the Silver quality equipment in Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s hands were like scrap metal, and no longer had any attraction to Lin Xiu.


    However, although the Stone to Gold Touch skill was powerful, it also had its shortcomings.


    Looking at the System panel, the interaction button that had already turned gray, as well as the 48-hour countdown beside it, Lin Xiu could not help but sigh in his heart.


    If only this Stone to Gold Touch skill did not have a cooldown time. In that case, he could arm all the Classes in the Lin Family within a day.


    By then, everyone would be wearing a set of Purple Crystal equipment. Even if the number of Classes from the two families was greater, they could still use the advantage of equipment to defeat them in one night!


    Although he felt a little pity in his heart, the current situation, Lin Xiu was already very satisfied.


    Even if he could not annihilate the two great families in a short period of time, relying on the Divine Forgemaster¡¯s crazy skill, Lin Xiu could similarly grow in an extremely short period of time.


    When he became a Third Transition Class, it would be the day when the two families would be destroyed.


    Thinking of this, Lin Xiu was still somewhat impressed with his previous decision.


    If not for the fact that he had bound the Rusted Greaves in advance and hidden their attributes, Hermes¡¯s attributes had probably been seen by others.


    Lin Xiu did not dare to imagine what kind of impact it would have at that time.


    ¡°Looks like I have to keep a low profile before I become a true expert.¡±


    Lin Xiu dismissed the idea of putting on the Boots of Hermes now. At the same time, he slightly lowered his body to make himself less conspicuous in the crowd.


    At this moment, there were not many students left in the square. After the distribution of equipment was completed, those students who had Awakened their Life Classes were also taken away by the leaders of the institute as they wished and assigned jobs.


    Therefore, there were less than 80 instructors present, including Jin Zhengmin.


    ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s getting late, so I¡¯ll make the rest of the things I have to say short.¡±


    On the Awakening Platform, the Divine Stone had already been transported away in advance. Jin Zhengmin glanced at the dazzling sunlight hanging high above his head and subconsciously spoke faster.


    ¡°Tomorrow, Fuyuan Academy will be holding a Catacombs adventure. The adventure will be open to all students who have successfully Awakened.¡±


    ¡°The purpose of this adventure is to let you adapt to fighting with the beasts as soon as possible.¡±


    Jin Zhengmin swept his gaze across the audience and said in a serious tone.


    ¡°Although there will be mentors in charge of your safety in the cave, allowing you to fight without any worries, I still hope that you will pay attention to this adventure and adjust your condition as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°Only by adapting as soon as possible and quickly increasing your combat experience can you get high marks and receive special rewards in the final assessment test field in the future.¡±


    His voice echoed in the square. When the students below the stage heard this, their faces immediately revealed excitement and yearning.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all I have to say. Everyone, go back and prepare. The Catacombs adventure tomorrow morning will start on time!¡±


    ¡­


    After the explanation, all the students scattered like birds and beasts. Those Classes who had successfully Awakened walked briskly, and their faces were full of smiles.


    His stomach grumbled twice in protest. Lin Xiu did not hesitate and immediately walked in the direction of the school cafeteria.


    On the square, Ding Shiyu looked at Lin Xiu¡¯s disappearing back with a cold expression. She was in a very bad mood.


    ¡°Shiyu, let¡¯s go eat. We can discuss anything else tonight.¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun saw that Ding Shiyu¡¯s body was stiff and knew that she was definitely still thinking about Lin Xiu, so he immediately went up to comfort her.


    The two of them turned around and left. At this moment, there were already few people left in the Academy¡¯s square.


    Due to the Catacombs adventure the next day, the Academy had specially set aside an afternoon for the students to familiarize themselves with their Awakened Classes as soon as possible.


    At 1 pm, after Lin Xiu finished his lunch, he did not squeeze into the training ground like the other students. Instead, he went out of the Academy¡¯s gate and headed for the Class-Holder Trading Market not far from the Academy.


    Fuyuan College was located in the downtown area of Linyue City. It was surrounded by all kinds of facilities and the transportation was very convenient.


    The population density here was relatively high, and there were also city guards in the area, constantly maintaining the daily safety of the residents.


    Moreover, within ten kilometers of Fuyuan College, there were two relatively large Secret Realms and underground caves. Therefore, the economy and industries related to Classes here had been developing well.


    After passing through two streets, Lin Xiu quickly arrived at the Class-Holder Trading Market.


    This was a free trade market with the Class-Holders Guild backing it. People from the guild often came to maintain order, so it was very safe to trade here.


    In the trading market, most of the merchants sold equipment, materials, and other items in the form of stalls. They only needed to pay a certain entrance fee to have the right to use a few square meters of land for a month.


    Relying on the advantages of good quality, low price, and safe trading, this Class trading market had a good reputation in Linyue City.


    It was also very friendly to Lin Xiu, who had an average standard of living.


    Walking into the trading market, Lin Xiu very quickly saw quite a number of peddlers hawking their wares on both sides of the street.

 Chapter 10

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Only a small number of merchants here could afford to rent shops on the street and do business properly.


    Looking at the stalls on both sides and the dazzling array of goods, Lin Xiu¡¯s interest was piqued and he immediately went over.


    ¡°Little brother, are you here to buy equipment or look at materials? Our things are all very affordable. If you like anything, you can tell me. Everything can be discussed.¡±


    The stall owner saw a young man wearing the uniform of Fuyuan Academy walking forward and immediately greeted him.


    ¡°Sir, how much is this equipment?¡±


    Lin Xiu¡¯s gaze slowly swept across the items on the stall, and he casually pointed at a Black Iron grade weapon and asked.


    Now that he had the Purple Crystal quality Boots of Hermes, his agility and defense could be improved significantly.


    However, if one wanted to improve their combat ability, attack power was also a very important attribute.


    At this moment, a good weapon was unquestionable.


    Therefore, Lin Xiu wanted to find a suitable weapon before participating in the adventure so that he could get through the early novice stage.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Do you mean this Double-Edged Battle Axe? As you can see, it¡¯s a Black Iron quality weapon, so its price isn¡¯t that high. If you really want it, I¡¯ll only charge you 300R.¡±


    The sturdy stall owner sized up Lin Xiu up and down, then spoke readily.


    Axes were not as widely used as swords and sabers, and only a small portion of warriors knew how to use them.


    Although the damage of axe type weapons ranked among the top among all types of weapons, most melee Classes did not care about them because of their slow attack frequency and limited attack range.


    Therefore, under normal circumstances, the price would be lower than similar weapons.


    The price was also one of the reasons why Lin Xiu took a fancy to this double-edged axe.


    ¡°Alright, no problem.¡±


    Hearing the boss say the price that he expected, Lin Xiu immediately paid without hesitation. At the same time, he put the Double-Edged Battle Axe into the System Backpack.


    [Hint: Obtained Black Iron equipment, Double-Edged Battle Axe.]


    [Double-Edged Battle Axe]


    [Quality: Black Iron]


    [Basic attributes: Strength +2, attack +10]


    [Additional attribute: (Bleeding) Attacks have a 15% chance of inflicting a wound on the enemy, resulting in the loss of 1 HP per second. The abnormal wound state can be stacked up to three times]


    Looking at his inventory, Lin Xiu immediately nodded in satisfaction at the 6-kilogram polearm axe that gave him 10 points of attack power.


    Wielding the poleaxe consumed a lot of stamina and the attack frequency was relatively slow. However, the 10 points of attack power was enough to make up for the previous shortcomings.


    One had to know that among the novice weapons that could be used at level one, the attack bonus was usually only about 3-5 points.


    Daggers, arrows, and other weapons that had a higher attack frequency only had a 2 point attack bonus.


    On the stall in front of Lin Xiu, there were many White Slate and Black Iron grade weapons piled up. Other than the axe, only the spear¡¯s weapon attack bonus could reach 10 points.


    The reason why he chose the axe as an early weapon was not only because of the relatively low price, but also because of the compatibility with the skill equipment.


    With the Boots of Hermes, speed and agility were the least of his concerns.


    In terms of defense, the 8 points bonus brought by the shoes was also quite a lot, which was comparable to the chain mail in the early stages.


    Therefore, attack power became an important attribute that needed to be improved.


    This was because in the field of actual combat, attack and defense were the most important attributes. At present, the conversion of skill damage for most Classes was linked to attack power, and only a few were linked to attributes such as strength and agility.


    This also meant that the main factor that affected the speed of killing monsters was attack power.


    Although the poleaxe was relatively heavy, Lin Xiu did not lack speed. He could completely rely on the agility boost from the Boots of Hermes to eliminate the shortcomings of the poleaxe.


    When choosing equipment, only by taking into account the characteristics of one¡¯s own class and skill attributes, so that the overall effect would be linked, could the effect of the weapon be 100 percent unleashed.


    It was just like how Bandits¡¯ weapons were basically short knives and daggers, while Mages always wore cloth armor and held staffs.


    Only by using the specialty of the class and avoiding its shortcomings could it display its greatest combat power on the battlefield.


    For example, the heretical sects like Mages wielding wooden sticks and Assassins wielding spears were usually the ones who died the fastest in battle.


    After choosing a suitable weapon, Lin Xiu continued to stroll around the trading market, planning to find some skill books to learn.


    Due to the uniqueness of the Unspecialized Class, Lin Xiu did not have any active skills available for use at the moment.


    Therefore, he could only look for beginner skill books for other Classes on the market to learn.


    Under normal circumstances, after Awakening a Combat Class, one would receive an active skill and one passive skill.


    Later on, as he leveled up, he would slowly unlock other skills.


    Before entering the Second Transition, each Class could learn more than 20 skills.


    However, because there were only six slots in the skill bar for Classes, there were many paths that could be developed. Therefore, even if they were of the same Class, their combat styles and methods were different.


    However, the Unspecialized Class that Lin Xiu Awakened was an exception. He had as many as 20 slots in his skill bar and could learn any Class¡¯s skills.


    This included the Warrior¡¯s Savage Roar, the Knight¡¯s Blessing of Strength, and the Mage¡¯s Fireball. These classic basic skills were all mastered by Lin Xiu.


    It was precisely because there were enough skills that the number of skills caused a qualitative change. The strength of the unspecialized¡¯s class was able to dominate the early stages.


    After walking around the trading market for more than ten minutes, Lin Xiu finally found a shop that sold skill books.


    This was because the drop rate of skill books was relatively low, and most Classes did not have a high demand for skill books before entering the Second Transition.


    Therefore, the vendors on the outskirts were not willing to do this kind of business.


    ¡°Sir, how much are these Basic Skill Books?¡±


    After crossing the threshold and entering the shop that was dozens of square meters in size, Lin Xiu pointed at the boxes piled up in the corner not far away and asked the boss curiously.


    In the shop, the container used to store these basic skill books was a dust-covered cardboard box. Just from the thick dust, it could be seen that few people patronized this place, and the boss had never taken care of it.


    ¡°Those skill books are prepared to be taken to the factory to be disassembled. If you want them, I¡¯ll give you 200R each.¡±


    At the bar counter, the middle-aged boss raised his head and subconsciously glanced at Lin Xiu. When he realized that the latter¡¯s gaze had stopped on the pile of waste paper in the corner, the boss¡¯s attitude collapsed as he spoke in a casual tone.


    He really could not figure out why this young man in Fuyuan Academy¡¯s uniform wanted those skill books that were ready to be decomposed.


    If not for the fact that the pile of waste paper could be decomposed into skill pages and that it was profitable, he would not have bothered to collect those things.


    ¡°100R per book, I want 20 books! What do you think?¡±


    Lin Xiu was not displeased by the boss¡¯s perfunctory attitude. Instead, his eyes lit up as he spoke.

 Chapter 11

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°What? Why do you want those useless low-level skill books?¡±


    Hearing that the other party had bought a large number of skill books, the shop owner sat up straight and asked curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯ve awakened an Unspecialized Class, so these skill books are useful to me.¡±


    Standing beside the cardboard box and looking at the various skill books, Lin Xiu did not hide anything and explained his situation.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see.¡±


    The middle-aged boss nodded. He sized up Lin Xiu again, and his expression could not help but carry some regret.


    He was also a Class, and he had dealt with all kinds of Classes all year round, so he understood the characteristics of the Unspecialized Class very well. There was no development to speak of.


    ¡°Alright, 100R per book. You can choose.¡± Retracting his gaze, the middle-aged boss readily agreed.


    When Lin Xiu heard this, he immediately squatted down and began to rummage through the dust-covered cardboard boxes.


    If an Unspecialized wanted to develop well, they had to carefully choose or learn the basic Class skills.


    After all, he could learn hundreds of skills from the six major Classes, so Lin Xiu had to choose according to his own situation.


    Before he came, he had already thought about it carefully. Although unspecialized characters could learn all common skills without any restrictions.


    However, this Class had a limited amount of spiritual energy, and the skills that consumed more mana could only be used a few times.


    Therefore, Lin Xiu had already filtered out many skills in his heart.


    For the active skills, he chose the Warrior¡¯s Savage Roar and Leap Strike, the Archer¡¯s Critical Strike, the Mage¡¯s Basic Fireball, the Assassin¡¯s Backstab, and the Knight¡¯s Blessing of Strength.


    These skills were very basic and could be learned at level one, so the corresponding mana consumption was not too high.


    However, the effect it could cause was extremely strong.


    For example, a Warrior¡¯s Savage Roar could not only reduce one¡¯s pain perception, but it could also increase the attack power of allies within a five-meter radius by 10 percent. It could be said to be the core skill of an early-stage Warrior.


    The reason why Lin Xiu still chose the Fireball spell was to prevent encountering monsters with high physical defense. Moreover, the Fireball spell also had a partial burning effect. He could completely kite the enemy with his outstanding speed.


    As for defensive-type active skills, Lin Xiu did not have many choices. He only had the Knight¡¯s Resistance Aura and the Priest¡¯s Wound Healing. Unfortunately, the Resistance Aura can only be learned at level 10, so Lin Xiu currently had no way to fight the enemy head-on.


    Therefore, in Lin Xiu¡¯s skill bar, there were only 7 active skills that could be used.


    As for passive skills, Lin Xiu chose a total of 12.


    These skills did not require any energy to be cast, and they could take effect at any time.


    Lin Xiu put in a lot of effort in the selection of passive skills.


    However, it was a pity that most of these passive skills had level restrictions.


    Currently, he could only learn 3 of them.


    [Warrior passive skill: (Level 2 Thick Skin) Physical Defense +3, automatically recovers 2 HP per minute.]


    [Archer passive skill: (Level 2 Cold Arrow) 20% chance to deal 1600% critical damage to the enemy.]


    [Assassin passive skill: (Level 2 Armor Penetration) Your attacks can ignore 18% of the opponent¡¯s physical defense.]


    It had to be said that these passive skills provided Lin Xiu with a lot of atrribute values. Although they were not considered powerful now, they could be upgraded to level 5 at most. The subsequent probability and values would definitely increase by a lot.


    After learning these level 1 skills, Lin Xiu threw the remaining skill books into his inventory.


    ¡°Here¡¯s 2,000R, thanks.¡±


    He placed the money on the bar counter and said with a gentle expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. If there¡¯s still a need in the future, you¡¯re welcome to come anytime,¡± the boss kept the money and said happily.


    Exiting the shop, Lin Xiu stood on the street of the trading market. Looking at the crowd that kept coming and going, his mood was rather emotional.


    He spent over 2,000R on a simple weapon and some skill books.


    It had to be said that the training phase of Classes was really expensive.


    Touching the pocket that was already more than half dried up, Lin Xiu¡¯s face could not help but reveal some pained expression.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to clear out more monsters when I participate in the Catacombs adventure tomorrow.¡±


    Lin Xiu quickened his pace and left the trading market, returning to the Fuyuan Academy.


    It was already close to two in the afternoon. There were not many people in the school outside the training ground.


    By the time he arrived at the training ground, most of the rooms were already occupied.


    When he passed by, Lin Xiu could still hear waves of discussion from time to time from the tightly shut door.


    He had arrived late, so the rooms with training equipment were all occupied, leaving only a few empty training rooms in the corner.


    Without an opponent to spar with, Lin Xiu brought over a scarecrow.


    Then, he closed the door and practiced alone inside.


    ¡­


    ¡°Fireball!¡±


    In the small training room, Lin Xiu raised his axe and shouted.


    The next moment, the temperature in front of him suddenly rose, and a fireball the size of a football immediately condensed.


    With a thought, he controlled that Fireball spell and smashed into the scarecrow not far away, burning it black.


    Fortunately, the walls and floor of the training room were made of special materials and were very sturdy. Otherwise, with the power of the Fireball, a shallow pit would have been formed.


    ¡°Blessing of Strength!¡±


    Lin Xiu wore the Boots of Hermes and appeared behind the second scarecrow in a flash. As soon as he finished speaking, the Double-Edged Battle Axe in his hand gave off a golden light and seemed to have become much sharper.


    Swoosh!


    Lin Xiu gathered all the strength in his body and twisted his waist. The axe in his hand immediately swung out, splitting the scarecrow into two halves without any resistance.


    Glancing at the one-third of his mana bar that had been used up and the mess in front of him, Lin Xiu put the axe back into his inventory with satisfaction.


    ¡°With my current attack power, I should be able to kill monsters below level 3 in a minute.¡±


    There was a hint of excitement on his face. He could not help but look forward to the Catacombs adventure that was about to begin tomorrow.


    Based on the drop rate of the low-level monsters in the cave, the materials, equipment, and gold coins should be worth about 100R each.


    He only needed to harvest 20 monsters tomorrow and he should be able to earn back the money he spent today.


    Thinking of this, Lin Xiu immediately opened his personal attribute panel, preparing to see what changes there were in his current attributes compared to before.


    [Name: Lin Xiu]


    [Awakened Class: Combat type Unspecialized, Special type Divine Forgemaster]


    [Level: LV1, Experience (0/100), First Transition]


    [Attack: 34]


    [Defense: 16 points]


    [HP: 230]


    [Attribute: Strength 10 points¡­]


    [Agility: 18 points¡­]


    [Spirit: 6 points¡­]


    [Constitution: 13 points¡­]


    [Equipment: Right hand (Double-Edged Battle Axe), foot (Boots of Hermes)]


    [Talent: Unspecialized C-grade Mastery, Divine Forgemaster S-level Fleeting.]


    [Active Skills: Battle Roar, Blessing of Strength¡­]


    [Passive Skills: Thick Skin, Cold Arrow¡­]


    Looking at the skill panel that appeared in front of him, Lin Xiu was quite satisfied.

 Chapter 12

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    On the first day of his successful Awakening, he had already obtained a piece of Purple Crystal equipment. At the same time, his various stats had also increased by a level.


    It could be said that out of the six Combat Classes, no one could raise their attributes to such a high level at level 1.


    The current Lin Xiu would definitely not be at a disadvantage even if he were to fight two level 1 Classes alone.


    After all, who could have a terrifying 34 points of attack power at level 1?


    Even the Hidden Class Berserker could not do this.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. It¡¯s about time to go back.¡±


    Looking at the gradually darkening sky outside the window, Lin Xiu quickly cleaned up the mess in the training room and pushed open the door to go home.


    In the lounge of the training room, many people were holding various weapons and excitedly discussing the details of the previous sparring with their companions.


    For these new Classes, everything was new and interesting. There were all kinds of hidden mechanics such as animation canceling of skills. There was no end to exploring them.


    The atmosphere here was noisy, and there were small groups of people gathered everywhere.


    In comparison, Lin Xiu¡¯s figure appeared rather lonely.


    When he came out of the training room in the corner, many people around him immediately fixed their gazes on Lin Xiu.


    At this moment, his forehead was slightly sweaty. He did not have a single piece of equipment on his body, and he looked a little miserable.


    ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t there no equipment restriction for Unspecialized classes? Why isn¡¯t he wearing any equipment?¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­ Either he can¡¯t afford it or he didn¡¯t find a suitable one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think the former is more likely.¡±


    ¡°Haha, that makes sense.¡±


    The surrounding people discussed in low voices, and from time to time, there was mocking laughter.


    If it was in the past, with Lin Xiu¡¯s results, they would not dare to be so presumptuous. After all, no one knew what kind of Class he could Awaken.


    They did not dare to offend him in case he got a terrifying Class.


    Now, it was different. Lin Xiu was just an Unspecialized who had no identity or background. The others naturally did not need to be afraid.


    However, Lin Xiu did not care about this at all. He acted as if he did not hear and directly walked in the direction of the exit.


    After leaving the training ground, the buzzing sound in his ears immediately disappeared.


    Lin Xiu instantly felt refreshed and subconsciously quickened his pace.


    However, he had only taken a few steps when a familiar voice came from the side.


    ¡°Big Brother Xiu, you just finished training and are preparing to go back?¡±


    Hearing the other party¡¯s voice, Lin Xiu immediately turned his head to look.


    He saw a young man wearing a dark-colored double-lapel robe walking quickly in his direction.


    The latter had a strong figure and tanned skin. He looked ordinary but had a masculine and confident temperament.


    ¡°Xiaofeng! Weren¡¯t you assigned to work? Why are you back?¡± Lin Xiu looked at the latter in surprise as he raised his eyebrows and asked.


    Cheng Xiaofeng was one of the few friends he could get along with in Fuyuan College.


    Although the two of them were not in the same Class, they often studied together. Because they lived close to each other, they often bumped into each other on the way to school and back.


    After a while, they became familiar with each other.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s quite a coincidence. Because I Awakened a Life Class ¡ª Pharmacist, I was assigned to the nearby Ha Factory Pharmaceutical Company by the Academy. ¡±


    ¡°When I went to report for duty after dinner, there was a delivery man in the factory who wasn¡¯t familiar with the road to Fuyuan College, so I helped him with this order. Didn¡¯t I just bump into you?¡±


    Cheng Xiaofeng waved the medicine box in his hand and said with a smile.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s not bad. At least it¡¯s not far from home. It¡¯s quite convenient.¡± Lin Xiu patted the other party¡¯s shoulder, the smile on his face not decreasing. ¡°If you become a great Pharmacist in the future, you have to take care of your brother.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say. When I officially leave my apprentice status, I¡¯ll take care of all your potion needs!¡± Cheng Xiaofeng patted his chest and said.


    The two of them smiled tacitly. Lin Xiu was just about to say goodbye to the other party, but a sudden voice interrupted him.


    ¡°I was wondering who it was. Isn¡¯t this the Dual-Class Lin Xiu?¡±


    Behind them, a strange voice sounded. The two of them subconsciously turned around and saw Wan Zhuoyun walking out of the training room.


    The other party had a mocking smile on his face and a rather arrogant expression, as if he did not take the two of them seriously at all.


    ¡°Big Brother Xiu, do you know this person?¡±


    Cheng Xiaofeng frowned slightly, he was not interested in the arrogant Wan Zhuoyun.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a bootlicker. Ignore him,¡± Lin Xiu glanced at Wan Zhuoyun and said with a normal expression.


    ¡°Wait, who are you calling a bootlicker?!¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun originally did not plan to make things difficult for Lin Xiu. After all, the other party was just a toad on dry land, unable to do anything.


    However, he did not expect Lin Xiu actually still dared to take the initiative to provoke him under such circumstances!


    Being insulted by a useless unspecialized in the later stages, even if there were not many people around, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s face still turned ashen!


    Outside the training grounds, looking at the furious Wan Zhuoyun, not only did Lin Xiu not show any fear, his face even revealed a leisurely smile.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m talking about you. You¡¯re a bootlicker, but you don¡¯t know it. You¡¯re simply embarrassing us men.¡±


    His voice was calm, but there was undisguised disgust in his tone.


    These words stunned Cheng Xiaofeng, who was standing at the side. Not far away, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s face turned red with anger.


    Wan Zhuoyun was about to go crazy from anger. His eyes were red, the veins on his forehead were popping out, and his teeth were about to shatter!


    Ever since he was young, other than his parents and the elders in his family, he had never been insulted by outsiders like this in his life!


    The corner of his eyes twitched, and his face was filled with killing intent. Wan Zhuoyun squeezed out these words from between his teeth, ¡°You¡­ I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know how to write the word ¡®death¡¯!¡±


    The other party¡¯s voice was mixed with a low growl, as if he was on the verge of going berserk.


    Seeing this, Lin Xiaofeng immediately tugged at Lin Xiu¡¯s clothes and whispered, ¡°Big Brother Xiu, let¡¯s not provoke Wan Zhuoyun for the time being, the other party¡­¡±


    Hearing Lin Xiaofeng¡¯s suggestion, Lin Xiu just nodded but did not take it to heart.


    Instead, he continued to add fuel to the fire. ¡°If you¡¯re not convinced, we can fight!¡±


    Finished talking, Lin Xiu immediately opened the System interface and sent a duel invitation to Wan Zhuoyun.


    As the name suggested, if the invited party agreed, the surrounding area would be formed into a duel zone, and everyone else inside would be cleared out.


    The two Classes who agreed to the duel would be restricted to the zone and could not escape by any means. If one of them died in battle or the two agreed to reconcile for peace, the zone would be disintegrated.


    Duels were one of the ways for Classes to settle grudges. This way, not only would it not hurt the innocent, but it would also ensure absolute fairness.


    Both sides only needed to pay 100 gold coins each, which was very convenient.

 Chapter 13

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    However, this also meant that the person who accepted or sent the invitation needed to be extremely courageous.


    After all, after entering the duel zone, everything was unknown. If the other party did not agree to reconcile, they would fight to the death until only one person was left.


    The reason why Lin Xiu issued a duel invitation to Wan Zhuoyun was mainly to suppress the arrogance of the other party. In addition, his Class, Unspecialized, had a huge advantage in the early stages. The other party was just a small Warrior, and it was impossible for Wan Zhuoyun to win.


    Therefore, Lin Xiu¡¯s safety was also guaranteed.


    However, speaking of which, if the other party really accepted the duel, Lin Xiu would not really kill the other party. If he really did that, what awaited him would be the thunderous revenge of the Wan Family.


    Before he became a Third Transition Class, he did not dare to truly anger them.


    However, he believed that with Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s cowardly personality and courage, he would definitely not dare to accept the duel invitation.


    As he expected, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s face turned pale when he saw the System interface that had appeared in front of him.


    The gaze he looked at Lin Xiu with was filled with fear and uneasiness. His lips became bloodless, and his entire body trembled like a sieve.


    He did not expect that Lin Xiu actually really had killing intent towards him!


    Thinking of this, Wan Zhuoyun subconsciously ran toward the direction of the training ground, not daring to look at Lin Xiu again.


    Cheng Xiaofeng looked at Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s staggering back and suddenly thought of something. He immediately shouted at him, ¡°Hey friend, are you the user with the ID ending with the numbers ¡®1977¡¯? Here¡¯s your order.¡±


    Hearing a shout coming from behind him, Wan Zhuoyun stopped in his tracks once again, his gaze glancing at the young man behind him who was holding a potion box.


    At this moment, his expression was as ugly as eating sh*t. After hesitating for a moment, he turned around and took the potion box from the other party, then ran away dejectedly.


    When he came, Wan Zhuoyun still had an arrogant look on his face, but now he had turned into a rat that ran across the street and fled with his tail between his legs.


    This contrast made Lin Xiu almost laugh out loud.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that my client would be him. What a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°I just hope that the other party won¡¯t give me a bad review. Otherwise, the delivery guy I helped will suffer an undeserved disaster,¡± Cheng Xiaofeng shrugged and said helplessly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A timid guy like him definitely won¡¯t dare to give a bad review.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. I have to go back. See you next time.¡±


    The two of them parted ways at the door. Lin Xiu turned around and left Fuyuan Academy, rushing in the direction of his home.


    At the same time, Wan Zhuoyun returned to the training room with the potion box.


    In this huge training room, there were all kinds of training equipment placed around, which could help Classes improve their physical fitness.


    The central area was the sparring ground. The surroundings were made of special materials that were resistant to high temperatures and corrosion. They could use their moves without any worries.


    Closing the door of the training room, Wan Zhuoyun placed the potion box beside the sparring ground. Only then did the fear in his heart slowly subside.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re sweating after going out.¡±


    Ding Shiyu dispersed the wind blades around her and immediately walked out of the sparring ground. She looked at the absent-minded Wan Zhuoyun and asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just ran into an acquaintance and was delayed for a while.¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun took out a small bottle of Magic Power Recovery Potion from the potion box and forced a smile.


    ¡°So mysterious¡­ Continue sparring with me. ¡±


    Ding Shiyu said with a faint smile as she received the potion from Wan Zhuoyun.


    ¡°Uh¡­ You go ahead and practice, I¡¯ll rest for a while.¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun avoided his gaze and turned around to sit on a chair at the side.


    Although Ding Shiyu felt that it was a little strange, she did not think too much about it and continued practicing.


    She held her Apprentice Staff and continuously used her mental strength to condense wind blades, cutting at the surrounding walls.


    Countless cracks appeared on the translucent glass wall, but in just a few breaths, the cracks disappeared and it was as good as new.


    Looking at Ding Shiyu who was training hard, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s hands hidden in his sleeves slowly stopped trembling.


    ¡°Lin Xiu! I want you to die a horrible death!¡±


    His eyes were filled with hatred as he clenched his fists.


    If it was not for the fact that Lin Xiu had awakened and was a very powerful Unspecialized Class in the early stages, he would not need to fear Lin Xiu at all!


    However, even so, Wan Zhuoyun would not swallow his anger.


    Even if the Lin Family still had some strength to resist and they could not forcefully annex it in a short period of time, he could completely set up a trap in the dark and kill Lin Xiu in advance.


    Regardless of whether it was out of consideration for the family¡¯s interests, or out of his monstrous hatred towards Lin Xiu, Wan Zhuoyun had sufficient reasons to kill the other party.


    After making up his mind, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s mood slowly calmed down. He continued to spar with Ding Shiyu and train his actual combat experience.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, Lin Xiu rode his bicycle through the streets and alleys. At this time, most of the modern high-rise buildings on both sides of the road had disappeared. Everywhere was filled with ancient buildings that were full of antique charm.


    The scenery here was pleasant. There were trees everywhere that were filled with lush greenery. A seven-to-eight-meter-wide river ran through the entire residential area, bringing a lot of coolness to the place.


    At the beginning of the Lin Family¡¯s development, the elders had chosen this old residential area as their residence.


    However, at the beginning, there were not many people in the family, so there were not many rooms in the house. The area was only 1,000 or 2,000 square meters.


    Later on, as the family flourished, the living space in the house was limited, so the elders began to expand.


    The Lin Family had developed for 100 years, and the old house had been expanded twice.


    From the initial 1,000 square meters, the total area of the expansion was now about three hectares.


    Looking at the grand and imposing entrance of the old mansion that was filled with traces of time, Lin Xiu¡¯s heart could not help but feel somewhat heavy.


    Having lived here for more than ten years, he had a deep affection for every inch of land here.


    Even though the living experience here was not as good as the modern mansions in the city center, there was sentimental value here. These were not things that cold high-tech could fill.


    He parked his school bike at the door, stepped through the door, and immediately walked in the direction of the main house.


    Passing through the hall and through the house, Lin Xiu greeted the elders he met one after another. Very quickly, he arrived at the slightly cold main house.


    If it was in the past, not only would there be servants cleaning the house, but the other uncles in the family would also visit frequently.


    However, everything changed with his father¡¯s disappearance.


    The entire clan had lost the protection of a Third Transition Class, so their deterrence to the outside world was not as great as before.


    Not only were there often people causing trouble in the businesses run by the family, but the two rival families were also openly and secretly occupying their territories.


    If it was not for the fact that the other uncles were all Second Transition Classes and above level 50, who still had the strength to fight against the invaders¡­ Perhaps the decline of the family would have come even faster.

 Chapter 14

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    However, even so, the Lin Family was nearing its end in the past six years. The other two great families were restless and seemed to be ready to attack them at any time.


    ¡°It seems that Mother didn¡¯t come back today.¡±


    Looking at the empty living room, he took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart before walking into his room.


    Like most of the elders in the family, his mother had been busy managing the few remaining industries and companies.


    She could only come back on Sunday.


    Lin Xiu was already used to this. After all, he could not help much now. What he could do was increase his strength as soon as possible.


    It was just that today, he had completed his awakening and gotten a Class. He had no one to share the joy in his heart, so he still felt a little lonely.


    After tidying up the books on the table, Lin Xiu went to the living room and took out a few ingredients from the refrigerator to cook dinner for himself.


    The night was a little long for him.


    After dinner, Lin Xiu took out his phone. He wanted to share this happy thing with his mother, but he was worried that calling would disturb his mother¡¯s work.


    After thinking for a moment, he settled for the next best thing and sent a text message to his mother.


    The content of the text message was also very simple. He truthfully explained that he had Awakened two Classes and that he was going to the Catacombs tomorrow to experience actual combat and adventure.


    It was just that Lin Xiu did not mention anything about the Divine Forgemaster.


    He was worried that his mother would unconsciously leak the information after she knew about it. At the same time, he did not want his mother to worry about him after she found out.


    After all, if the two families knew of his identity as a Special Class, those beasts would probably do everything they could to get rid of him in order to prevent any more trouble.


    The night gradually spread and dyed the entire sky. Lin Xiu turned on the lights and sat alone at the desk, continuing to read the books that he had not finished reading yesterday.


    In terms of learning, he did not need anyone to supervise him. He could completely immerse himself in the world of books by relying on the obsession and love in his heart.


    Most of the books he read were specialized knowledge that was difficult to digest.


    There were ¡®Professional Introduction to All Knight Skills¡¯, ¡®The Linkage Effect between Skills¡¯, and ¡®Analysis of Monster Aggro and Blocking Depth¡¯, etc.


    After all, in order to win a battle, the enemy¡¯s information and one¡¯s own strength were indispensable.


    If one did not even know the effects of the enemy¡¯s skills, then one would be completely blind in battle. It would be strange if one could win.


    However, because there were too many Combat Classes in the real world, most people only knew a portion of the skills of the six basic Classes.


    A lot of knowledge was still in the blank stage.


    Even though Lin Xiu had been studying for several years, he was only slightly better than his peers. However, there were still many things that he did not understand.


    By the time he finished reading the book in his hand, it was already eleven o¡¯clock at night.


    He blinked his eyes, which were a little sore, and got up to wash up in the bathroom.


    ¡°With these preparations, tomorrow¡¯s Catacombs adventure should be foolproof.¡±


    Returning to his room and looking at the densely packed notes in his notebook, Lin Xiu felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart.


    Dragging his tired body back to bed, Lin Xiu fell asleep not long after.


    Today was the day of Awakening, and Lin Xiu was so nervous that he did not sleep for long last night. In addition, his mood had fluctuated too much this morning, and he had trained for a few hours in the afternoon. His physical strength had long been exhausted.


    After lying on the bed for less than five minutes, only his even breathing could be heard.


    Late at night, the surroundings were completely silent.


    In the forest behind the house, the buds that had just broken through the soil tried their best to stretch their leaves and face the sky, waiting for the morning dew that would soon arrive.


    Time passed bit by bit until dawn. The darkness in the sky slowly receded, revealing a faint white.


    At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, because it was the morning rush hour, the main roads in Linyue City became congested again.


    Lin Xiu rode his bicycle and shuttled through the various sidewalks, facing the breeze all the way.


    After a while, he stopped on a familiar road. He took out some change from his pocket and bought two buns from a breakfast shop on the street.


    Today was the day the school organized an adventure in the Catacombs. All the students had to gather at the Academy¡¯s square before nine o¡¯clock. Lin Xiu had already stepped through the gates of Fuyuan Academy half an hour ago.


    Half an hour passed very quickly. At this moment, in front of the empty space where Class One¡¯s classroom was located, the 18 students, including Lin Xiu, had already arrived.


    Compared to the other classes that were tens of meters away, there were clearly more students left in Class One.


    ¡°When we board the school bus later, everyone stay quiet. The Principal and the Secretary will be attending the Catacombs adventure today. Everyone must strictly follow the rules. No one is allowed to break the rules.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see an argument over the ownership of the equipment in this situation.¡±


    Jin Zhengmin said sternly.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Everyone, line up and follow me,¡± Jin Zhengmin looked at the two school buses that were already at the school gate and immediately said.


    Soon, all the students joined the team and walked towards the school gate.


    Lin Xiu remained at the back, expressionlessly following the others.


    Not long after, several classes, including them, gathered at the school gate. Everyone entered the bus in a single file.


    When Lin Xiu was about to get into the car, he saw Jin Zhengmin nodding and bowing as he spoke to two people not far away.


    The two of them were about the same height, but one of them was older. His sideburns were a little gray, so he should be the Principal.


    The other one was wearing a suit and had a turquoise hairstyle. He should be the Secretary.


    ¡°He¡¯s pedantic and strict in front of us, but he¡¯s as docile as a dog in front of the Principal. He¡¯s really a greedy person. Why didn¡¯t I notice him before?¡± Lin Xiu muttered as he turned around and got into the bus.


    In the bus, many students had excited expressions on their faces, as if they were looking forward to their first battle.


    Lin Xiu glanced around and then found a seat at the back.


    The bus quickly started moving, carrying everyone to the Frost Cave ten kilometers away.


    Frost Cave was one of the few monster encampments in Silvermoon City.


    The monsters in the cave were of a lower level and would not cause any harm, so the City Lord of Silverymoon City did not completely disintegrate it. Instead, he sealed it and used it as a beginner training ground for Classes in the city.


    However, even though the monsters in the Frost Cave were relatively weak, they had once buried many novice Classes here. However, as long as one reached level 10, they could basically run amok in the cave.


    The bus shook slightly. Looking at the scenery outside the window that kept retreating, Lin Xiu¡¯s anticipation was even stronger than nervousness.


    He wanted to test how much the Boots of Hermes could increase his strength as soon as possible, and whether it could completely keep him away from danger.

 Chapter 15

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    About ten minutes later, the bus left the downtown area of Linyue City and arrived at a place called Shouyan Town.


    The people living in this small town were not ordinary residents, but the City Defense Army and the Class-Holders Guild who were responsible for guarding the Catacombs.


    The small town did not occupy a large area, and there were only a dozen houses for people to live in.


    Most of the remaining space was rented to merchants who collected equipment and materials.


    As soon as the group entered Shouyan Town, they were immediately shocked by the mature professional industries around them.


    There were shops that specialized in selling equipment for various professions, as well as pharmaceutical shops, employment shops, and other places that served Class-holders.


    The entire town was made up of four main roads. Other than the residential area on the upper right, the rest of the place was highly commercial. On the contrary, the daily market and grocery stores could not be seen.


    However, what attracted everyone¡¯s attention the most was the end of the main road in the middle of Shouyan Town.


    The road there was wide, and there were many shops on both sides. There were also many Classes looking to form a team.


    The end of the road was not the exit of the town. Instead, it was occupied by a special building with black gothic walls.


    The doors and windows of the building were tightly shut, and there were a few soldiers in standard armor guarding the door.


    The door was wide open, and a mysterious light was constantly emitted. Even the surrounding space was slightly distorted.


    It was as if there was another world behind the door!


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at Frost Cave. Get off the bus.¡±


    While Lin Xiu was observing, a teacher sitting in the front passenger seat of the bus immediately spoke.


    Many students filed out and gathered in an empty space not far from the mysterious door.


    The sudden appearance of the crowd attracted the attention of many Classes and shop owners.


    However, when everyone realized that those people were all wearing school uniforms, they immediately showed a lack of interest, as if they were already used to it.


    ¡°Next, all the students will be split into groups of three to explore the Catacombs together. We will also arrange for six teaching assistants to accompany you. If anyone¡¯s life is really in danger, they will be the first to rescue you.¡±


    As the head of the grade, Jin Zhengmin came to the crowd to speak. His voice was steady and powerful, and his expression was very serious.


    ¡°As for the allocation of teams, for the sake of fairness, we¡¯ll decide by drawing lots.¡±


    With that, Jin Zhengmin turned his wrist, and a white light immediately flashed in front of him. Then, everyone saw a wooden drawing tube appear in his hand.


    He shook the drawing tube lightly and immediately arranged for the teaching assistant to distribute all the wooden lots to the students.


    There were a total of 63 bamboo sticks in the bamboo tube, each with 21 numbers engraved on it. However, the ends of the bamboo sticks were dyed in three colors. Students who drew the same number would form a team to enter the Catacombs.


    As the bamboo sticks were distributed, many students had finished assigning teammates.


    They seemed to have become small groups, discussing the battle strategy after entering the Catacombs.


    Originally, Lin Xiu did not feel that there was anything wrong with this drawing method.


    However, not long after, when Wan Zhuoyun and Ding Shiyu, who were sitting in the front row, drew the blue and red bamboo lot with the number 7 at the same time, he immediately had a bad feeling.


    The subsequent developments were just as he had expected. When a young teaching assistant took out a bamboo stick from the bamboo tube and handed it to him, Lin Xiu saw that the end of the bamboo stick was engraved with the green number 7!


    Looking at the bamboo stick in his hand, a trace of an inexplicable smile immediately surfaced on Lin Xiu¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a 1 in 9,000 chance. Maybe I should go home and buy the lottery.¡±


    Laughing at himself, Lin Xiu immediately raised his head to look at the two people not far away.


    Coincidentally, when he saw the other party, the two of them also threw him a meaningful look.


    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re not even acting anymore, right?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve gone to great lengths to arrange me into your team, how can I let you down?¡±


    Lin Xiu grinned. Not only was he not the least bit afraid in his heart, but he even became somewhat excited.


    How were they enemies? They were clearly two Gods of Fortune.


    He had been troubled by the fact that he had spent most of his living expenses on the skill books.


    However, now, after knowing that he was in the same team as Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun, this thought was immediately thrown to the back of his mind.


    With his powerful Unspecialized Class in the early stages, coupled with the attribute bonuses of the Boots of Hermes, it was not a problem for him to deal with two Classes of the same level.


    Moreover, the other party was trying so hard to find an opportunity to attack him. If Lin Xiu still did not make a move, wouldn¡¯t he really be treated as a soft persimmon to be pinched?!


    Thinking of this, Lin Xiu already made up his mind.


    When they ventured into the Catacombs later, he had to use some methods to give the two of them some unforgettable memories!


    ¡°Cough cough¡­ It seems that you guys are getting along very well. Continue to maintain this state. We¡¯ll set off immediately!¡±


    Jin Zhengmin how happy the surrounding groups were and naturally ignored some of the unfriendly scenes.


    He led the group of students to the front of the gothic-style building. First, he bowed to the two soldiers guarding the Catacombs. Then, he immediately took out a scroll with an ancient yellow appearance.


    He opened the scroll and poured his spiritual power into it.


    In just a few breaths, the scroll burst out with a dazzling light. A mysterious power surged and immediately tore open a crack in the distorted space in front of him!


    Deep purple light kept pouring out of the crack, and they could vaguely hear some roars. In just a few seconds, they smelled a stench of blood. For a moment, the female students subconsciously covered their noses and took a few steps back with furrowed brows.


    Compared to their beautiful appearances and fair skin, the Frost Cave was like a barren land full of evil. The two were in stark contrast.


    Just by tearing a corner, Lin Xiu sensed the danger and cruelty of death seeping out of the Catacombs. He immediately became extremely alert.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. The monsters in the Frost Cave are all below level 8. As long as we don¡¯t go too deep, everyone¡¯s safety will be guaranteed,¡± Jin Zhengmin said with a normal expression, then began to urge them.


    The few teaching assistants did not hesitate and walked through the crack first.


    The students at the front of the line also followed suit and mustered up their courage to enter.


    With someone in front leading the way, the nervousness and fear in the hearts of the others were greatly reduced. In a short while, the 63 students entered the Frost Cave together.


    The remaining teachers immediately moved a few tables and chairs from the bus and let the Principal and the Secretary rest first.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Seeing that the crack was slowly recovering, Jin Zhengmin immediately let out a low growl. His body continuously emitted dense spiritual power. The spiritual power slowly floated up and finally condensed into a dozen washbasin-sized bubbles above his head.

 Chapter 16

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    The bubbles floated in the air, and as the breeze blew, they slowly rose and flipped. After a while, a picture gradually appeared in the bubbles.


    The images that appeared in the dozen or so bubbles were a little dark. The environment inside was humid and cramped. There were also many stalactites hanging upside down. It was obvious that they were images from the Catacombs.


    However, the most surprising thing was that the sixty or so students who had entered the Catacombs earlier were all appearing on the screen at this moment.


    Most of them were filled with nervousness and unease as they carefully advanced.


    ¡°Haha, Jin Zhengmin, you¡¯re getting more and more familiar with the Heart Calling Mirror.¡±


    The Principal, who was sitting not far away, immediately laughed and praised when he saw this scene.


    Hearing the Principal¡¯s words, Jin Zhengmin, who had a serious expression on his face, immediately turned around and said with a smile, ¡°What are you talking about, Principal? I¡¯ve just used it many times and my hands are familiar with it.¡±


    ¡°Next, the two of you should observe carefully and see which students are the most worthy of training.¡±


    As he spoke, Jin Zhengmin immediately found a seat and sat down. He looked at the bubble floating in the air with a focused expression.


    There were hundreds of tunnels, caves, and pits in this frozen cavern. The routes that could be taken were like a spider web, densely packed enough to make people dizzy.


    In addition, the teams that entered the underground cave would be randomly teleported to dozens of starting points, making it very difficult to meet each other.


    Therefore, if he wanted to safely adventure in the Catacombs, he could only rely on himself and his two other teammates.


    For the others, at least they had companions they could rely on and did not have to worry about the danger behind them.


    However, to Lin Xiu, danger was revealed everywhere here. He could not even trust things that were behind him.


    His two teammates could not wait for him to die, so how could they help him?


    Therefore, when the sense of weightlessness brought by the teleportation array disappeared, Lin Xiu immediately dodged to the side. At the same time, he put on the Boots of Hermes and the Double-Edged Battle Axe, fully prepared for battle!


    The moment he put on the boots, he felt his entire body lighten. He even had the illusion that he could float in the air as long as he stood on his tiptoes.


    ¡°As expected of a shoe named after one of the 24 Gods. Its effects are truly powerful.¡±


    With this thought in mind, after sensing that there was no danger in the surroundings, Lin Xiu immediately walked out from the shadows.


    Not far away, Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun also slowly opened their eyes. After entering the Catacombs, the first thing they did was not to familiarize themselves with the surroundings, but to stare at Lin Xiu with an inexplicable expression.


    In the quiet Catacombs, several whispers of ¡®Appraisal¡¯ sounded at the same time.


    [Name: Ding Shiyu]


    [Awakened Class: Wind Mage]


    [Level: Level 2, EXP (14/100), First Transition]


    [Attack: Physical Attack 17 points, Magic Attack 28 points]


    [Defense: 11 points]


    [HP: 185]


    [Strength: 6 points]


    [Agility: 8 points]


    [Spirit: 14 points]


    [Constitution: 7]


    [Equipment: Both hands (Apprentice Staff/Silver), head (Warm Hat/Bronze), armor (Bat Cloth/Silver), hands (Frost Condensation/Silver)] Legs (Gauze Boots/Bronze)


    [Talent: D-rank Wind Envoy (Wind-type spell damage increased by 130%)]


    [Active Skills: Wind Blade Manipulation (Condenses a wind blade and deals 120% magic attack damage to the enemy. Cooldown: 5 seconds. Mana consumption: 20 points), Wind Shield¡­]


    [Passive Skill: Monsoon (Condenses a gust of wind every 10 seconds, attacks or activates a skill, dealing 30% magic attack damage to the enemy, can store up to 3 layers)]


    Staring at the System panel that appeared in front of him, Lin Xiu was surprised. He also expected the other two to see his skills and attributes.


    ¡°Level 2? You must have eaten the Experience Pill.¡±


    Lin Xiu¡¯s gaze was fixed on the vigilant Ding Shiyu as he spoke in a suspicious tone.


    In the dark cave, the sound of dripping water could be heard from time to time. The air was filled with the smell of decay. This environment was no less than a scene in a horror movie.


    At this moment, Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s expressions were also somewhat ugly.


    They had never expected that Lin Xiu would actually learn so many skills in a short day. What made them even more puzzled was how the Lin Family, which was already on the verge of bankruptcy, could afford Purple Crystal quality equipment!


    Looking at the System interface, Lin Xiu¡¯s special style boots in his equipment column, the two¡¯s expressions were uncertain, as if they were somewhat shaken.


    ¡°How is my new pair of shoes? Do you like them?¡±


    Seeing that the other party had no intention of answering, and his trump card had already been exposed, Lin Xiu simply did not hide it anymore. Instead, he said with a smug expression.


    ¡°Hehe, do you think a pair of Purple Crystal quality shoes can guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to walk out of the Frost Cave alive today?!¡± Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s expression was cold as he gritted his teeth and said.


    Looking at the other party¡¯s face, he was so angry that he could not help but think of the incident yesterday that humiliated his character!


    Until now, he could not forget his ugly state last night.


    The hatred in his heart towards Lin Xiu was even more intense, so Wan Zhuoyun would not let him off just because Lin Xiu was wearing a pair of Purple Crystal quality shoes!


    Seeing Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s strong attitude, Ding Shiyu regained some of her confidence.


    ¡°No matter how you jump around today, you won¡¯t be able to escape the fate of becoming a corpse,¡± she said coldly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re in a team now. Unless we agree, you can forget about escaping!¡±


    Looking at the other party¡¯s murderous expression, the smile on Lin Xiu¡¯s face did not diminish, but instead became a little brighter.


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder, but there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being punished by the Academy by talking about this in public?¡±


    Lin Xiu said in surprise as he pointed at the fist-sized light spot that was floating not far away and did not fit in with the surrounding environment.


    ¡°Haha, do you expect Instructor Jin and the six teaching assistants to save you? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Instructor Jin helped us a lot to be able to be in the same group as you.¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun saw that Lin Xiu still did not give up and immediately mocked him.


    ¡°Besides, even if the Heart Calling Mirror can record images, it can¡¯t capture sound. We don¡¯t need to do anything. We have ways to kill you!¡±


    Without hiding anything, Wan Zhuoyun directly revealed his plan. In his opinion, even if Lin Xiu was lucky enough to get a Purple Crystal grade equipment, he would definitely not be able to escape from this Catacomb.


    Therefore, even if he said it in advance, the other party had no choice.


    On the contrary, he was able to obtain Lin Xiu¡¯s Purple Crystal boots after killing him.


    As for the binding restrictions, as long as the person died, it would not count.


    Therefore, in Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s eyes, Lin Xiu was just a monster that would drop gold coins. So what if he revealed his plan?


    After he finished speaking, the cave where the three of them were was instantly so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

 Chapter 17

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Ding Shiyu¡¯s expression was slightly shocked. She did not expect Wan Zhuoyun to reveal their plan so early.


    Meanwhile, Lin Xiu stood rooted to the ground in a daze, digesting the information in the other party¡¯s words.


    A moment later, he slowly raised his head and revealed a cold smile.


    ¡°I see. It seems that my prediction was correct. Even my failure to Awaken was planned by you all,¡± Lin Xiu said slowly. The coldness in his words almost froze the entire cave.


    Looking at the killing intent in the other party¡¯s eyes, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s face stiffened and he subconsciously took a few steps back.


    However, he quickly realized that his actions were inappropriate. In order to hide the fear in his heart, he immediately straightened his neck and said, ¡°Heh¡­ So what if we did it?!¡±


    ¡°Very good!¡± Lin Xiu narrowed his eyes and looked deeply at the two people not far away. Then, he turned around and walked out of the cave.


    This adventure would expose the entire scene to the Academy leaders, so it was impossible to do it openly.


    Instead of wasting time with the two of them, it was better to go out and farm monsters first to increase his strength.


    With this thought in mind, Lin Xiu quickened his pace and flipped out of the damp and low cave.


    The space outside the cave suddenly opened up.


    The surrounding rock walls were very rough, as if they had been corroded by some kind of mucus.


    The entire cave was seven to eight meters wide and five meters high. Although the light was a little dim, there were many luminous stones on the surrounding rock walls, which could provide some light.


    The rocks hanging upside down were extremely sharp, and the entire environment gave people a feeling of danger and nervousness.


    Lin Xiu also saw a lot of dark purple mucus on the ground. Occasionally, he could also find cat-eye-sized insect eggs from the holes in the wall.


    ¡°It seems that the monsters here are mostly mollusks or insects.¡±


    After observing his surroundings for a while, Lin Xiu quickly came to a conclusion.


    He gripped the Double-Edged Battle Axe tightly and walked out of the cave step by step.


    In the quiet space, he heard a series of hurried footsteps coming from behind him. Clearly, the two people had also moved out.


    Regarding how they would move next, Lin Xiu did not care at all.


    In any case, the teams arranged by the school were distributed independently. Whether it was an elite monster or a normal monster, the experience and items could only be enjoyed by the killer.


    The two of them could not get any benefits from him!


    Lin Xiu had just come out of the wide karst when two different crossroads appeared in front of him.


    However, at this moment, he was still thinking about how to guard against Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s methods. He did not discover the danger hidden in the dark immediately!


    At the top of the cave at the fork in front of them, a black spider the size of a millstone was entrenched.


    The moment Lin Xiu entered the fork, the huge spider launched an attack at the other party.


    The white sticky spider silk instantly arrived and rapidly spread out in midair, almost completely enveloping Lin Xiu within.


    By the time Lin Xiu realized that danger was approaching, the umbrella spider silk had already shot out to a distance of one meter.


    If it were anyone else, it would be impossible for them to make any effective defenses in such a short period of time.


    Although Lin Xiu¡¯s reaction speed was average, because of the speed boost from the Boots of Hermes, before the spider silk smashed down, he immediately jumped back, his figure like a phantom instantly retreating a few meters.


    The white sticky spider web missed its target and smashed into the ground, creating a thick smoke and sizzling sound.


    Lin Xiu¡¯s expression was slightly shocked. He did not expect that this spider silk actually carried corrosive venom!


    [Hint: You have been treated as prey by the Venomweb Spider. Immediately enter combat mode!]


    [Venomweb Spider]


    [Type: Beast]


    [Level: Level 2]


    [HP: 210]


    [Attributes: Attack 10 points, Physical Defense 6 points, Magic Defense 2 points, Agility 6 points, Spirit 2 points]


    [Active Skill: Level 1 Spider Web (Deals 1.3x Physical Attack Damage to the enemy, causing negative statuses such as Binding and Speed Reduction. Lasts for 6 seconds. Cooldown: 15 seconds.) Level 1 Foot Strike (Deals 1x Physical Attack Damage to the enemy. This damage can be a critical hit. Cooldown: 2 seconds)]


    [Passive Skill: Level 1 Path of the Beast (Constitution +3, Physical Damage received reduced by 10%)]


    [Ability evaluation: This Venomweb Spider is currently in a state of hunger. If you are not confident in dealing with it, it is best to run first.]


    A series of System notifications sounded in his mind, and the Venomweb Spider¡¯s attribute panel appeared in front of him.


    Lin Xiu stared ahead with a cautious expression. He saw that the spider that was originally lying on the ceiling of the cave in a very good disguise had already come to the ground at this moment. That pair of red compound eyes were looking in Lin Xiu¡¯s direction. Its eight spider legs involuntarily swayed, as if it was very excited.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the first monster I killed to be a spider. Since we¡¯re fated, I won¡¯t hesitate.¡±


    Lin Xiu shook the axe in his hand, and after muttering to himself, he immediately took a step forward and rushed towards the spider.


    His speed was very fast. Even in battle, he could easily reach a speed of five meters per second.


    As he continued to approach the spider, Lin Xiu even took the time to add a Blessing of Strength to himself.


    Golden light kept appearing on the blade of the axe in his hand, illuminating the dim environment around him.


    [Hint: You have received the blessing of the God of Strength. Your physical attack power has increased by 25%, up to 60 points.]


    Lin Xiu quickly crossed a distance of more than ten meters and already arrived in front of the Venomweb Spider.


    The spider, which was the size of a millstone, immediately raised its sharp and slender front legs and fiercely stabbed toward Lin Xiu.


    The spider¡¯s speed was not slow, but Lin Xiu easily dodged it. The double-edged axe in his hand descended high, and then fiercely hacked onto the spider¡¯s body.


    Psss!


    The sound of fresh blood spurting sounded out. The axe blade in Lin Xiu¡¯s hand directly pierced through the spider fur, leaving behind a terrifying wound that was so deep that one could see the bones!


    -64!


    A red number representing damage immediately appeared above the spider¡¯s head.


    Even his health bar was immediately reduced by a portion!


    Screeech!


    The Venomweb Spider was in pain and immediately let out a sharp cry. Its body kept trembling, and its two spider legs were almost cut off by Lin Xiu¡¯s axe.


    Fresh blood kept spurting out of his wounds, and he looked extremely miserable.


    Even Lin Xiu himself did not expect that he could actually deal such high damage to the spider at once.


    However, after he succeeded, he did not just stand there in a daze. Instead, he relied on his extremely high speed to retreat a few meters.


    After ensuring his temporary safety, he immediately opened the battle log. Only then did he realize that the previous axe had actually triggered the Archer¡¯s passive skill, Cold Arrow.


    The level 2 passive skill, Cold Arrow, provided him with 1.6 times the critical damage. Coupled with the high base damage of the Warrior¡¯s active skill, Leap Strike, after stacking the two skills, he only managed to deal more than 60 terrifying damage.

 Chapter 18

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Closing the System page, Lin Xiu raised his axe and observed the Venomweb Spider with great concentration.


    The spider seemed to be completely enraged. The black fur on its body stood up, and the bleeding wound stimulated the spider¡¯s simple nerves, making it unable to withstand the pain anymore.


    Like a raging bull, it charged toward Lin Xiu!


    ¡°Good, I want to see how thick your skin is!¡±


    There was no fear on his face. Like a bullfighter in the arena, he used light and elegant steps to dodge the spider¡¯s piercing and silk attacks time and time again.


    After only four slashes, the spider turned into a ball of white light and disappeared quietly.


    Clink!


    The moment the spider disappeared, two golden coins immediately fell to the ground. At the same time, Lin Xiu also saw a white long tooth beside it. It was obviously the material dropped by the Venomweb Spider.


    Reaching out to pick up the coins and tooth, Lin Xiu immediately chose to appraise them.


    [Gold Coins]


    [Type: Money]


    [Reference value: 100R]


    ¡­


    [Venomweb Spider Teeth]


    [Type: Forging Material]


    [Usage: Forging weapons or equipment]


    [Reference value: 200R]


    ¡°Not bad, one monster has already recovered 300 HP. It seems that as long as I kill enough, I can earn a few thousand at the same time.¡±


    Looking at his experience bar, which had increased by 20 percent, Lin Xiu was very happy.


    He only needed to clear four more level 2 monsters to level up to level 2.


    Closing the interface, Lin Xiu looked at the two forks in front of him.


    On the left side of the intersection, the ground was covered with traces of frost. The stones on the wall were also covered in frost. The temperature seemed to have dropped a lot.


    On the right side of the intersection, it was even more humid, and there was more purple mucus on the road. It was obvious that the monsters inside were mostly mollusks.


    Just as Lin Xiu was about to make his choice, the footsteps behind him got closer.


    He turned around warily. At this moment, Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun had already appeared at the position where he had fought earlier.


    Looking at the traces of corrosion on the ground, Ding Shiyu looked at Lin Xiu with a complicated gaze.


    She did not expect Lin Xiu to actually finish off the monster so quickly, not giving her a chance to attack at all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to waste with you. Please do whatever you want.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them did not take the next step, Lin Xiu immediately turned around and left, directly walking into the fork that was invaded by the frost.


    Having tasted the sweetness of farming monsters, he did not intend to waste any time on the two of them and the choice.


    He walked deeper into the cave.


    Seeing Lin Xiu¡¯s figure disappear, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s expression was uncertain, and his entire person became silent.


    ¡°His adaptability is very strong. He killed a level 2 monster in less than two minutes. We must act as soon as possible!¡±


    Ding Shiyu narrowed her beautiful eyes. After thinking for a moment, she chose to follow him immediately.


    Wan Zhuoyun also carried his big sword and entered the left fork. The two of them planned to follow Lin Xiu all the way, preparing to find an opportunity to kill the other party.


    ¡­


    Thud, thud.


    The sound of footsteps echoed in the spacious cave.


    A few of the Greater Rats hiding in the shadows subconsciously shrank their heads, staring at the cave entrance in the distance.


    There, a dark figure surged, seemingly planning to come over.


    ¡°Hiss¡­ The temperature in this cave is really cold.¡±


    Lin Xiu breathed towards his freezing right hand. He climbed over the rocks with some difficulty and climbed into another cave.


    He had been in the cave for more than half an hour, but he had only encountered three monsters along the way.


    If not for his high movement speed, he would probably still be fighting against the annoying flying insects in the long tunnel.


    Looking at the experience bar that was just a little bit away from leveling up to two levels, Lin Xiu¡¯s expression was rather helpless.


    Looking at the entrance of the cave where a lot of feces had piled up, Lin Xiu¡¯s spirit jolted, and he immediately observed his surroundings.


    In front of him was a very wide cave. It was more than ten meters wide and more than ten meters high.


    What surprised him the most was that in such a cold environment, there was an underground river nearly two meters wide on the left side of the cave.


    ¡°The monsters here should be enough for me to level up to two levels.¡±


    Sensing a rustling sound beside his ear, Lin Xiu immediately gripped his blood-stained axe and slowly walked inside.


    Squeak squeak!


    Lin Xiu had just walked out a few steps when a sharp voice suddenly sounded from within the empty cavern.


    The sound was like the cry of a mouse or the sound of an insect flapping its wings.


    However, one thing was certain. Lin Xiu must have intruded into the territory of some kind of animal and was threatened.


    However, he did not stop. Instead, he looked around and took a few more steps inside.


    Rustle!


    The animal that made the sound seemed to have lost its patience and had already scuttled out from a dark corner.


    Lin Xiu, who had been paying attention to his surroundings, immediately discovered a figure beside the pile of rocks in front of him!


    Following the light from the luminous stone on the wall, Lin Xiu clearly saw a large rat with shiny fur squatting beside the stone!


    The size of the rat was comparable to that of a small dog, and it had a pair of sharp teeth that were almost ten centimeters long. Its finger-thick flesh-colored tail was swaying slightly, and its blood-red beast eyes were emitting a scarlet light in the dark environment.


    It looked extremely scary.


    After seeing the latter¡¯s complete appearance, even though Lin Xiu was mentally prepared, he was still startled by that huge rat.


    However, he still cast a general skill ¡®Appraisal¡¯ at the first moment and immediately got into a combat stance.


    [Bloodthirsty Greater Rat]


    [Type: Beast]


    [Level: Level 3]


    [HP: 270]


    [Attributes: Attack 16, Physical Defense 8, Magic Defense 0, Agility 5, Spirit 1]


    [Active Skills: Level 1 Bite, Level 1 Spread Plague]


    [Passive skill: Level 1 Bloodthirst]


    [Strength evaluation: This is a wild beast with thick skin and flesh. It usually appears in groups. Using physical attacks on it is not the best choice.]


    Looking at the introduction on the System panel, Lin Xiu¡¯s vigilance instantly rose to the highest.


    What he was most concerned about was not the high attack and physical defense of the Greater Rats, but the description that these beasts usually appeared in groups!


    This clearly showed that there was definitely more than one Greater Rat in the huge cavern.


    Therefore, after understanding this point, Lin Xiu did not alert the rats. Instead, he very steadily retreated to the entrance of the cave, planning to wait for the other two people to come before attacking together.


    Even though Wan Zhuoyun and Ding Shiyu had obvious killing intent toward him.


    However, the two of them had not killed a single monster in half an hour after entering the Catacombs. In addition, this cave was a path that the three of them had to pass through. Unless they did not want to continue, they had to eliminate those rats first.


    Standing at the entrance of the cave, Lin Xiu took out two pieces of bread from his System Backpack and started eating.


    Not only could the System Backpack store all kinds of equipment and materials, but it could also store things from the real world.

 Chapter 19

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Moreover, once placed in the System Backpack, the item¡¯s state would be frozen, and it could be guaranteed that it would never rot.


    The hot water that Lin Xiu had put into his backpack in the morning was still steaming. The heat preservation effect was second to none!


    After resting for five minutes, when Lin Xiu was about to finish his bread, two people¡¯s complaints finally came from the tunnel behind him.


    ¡°F*ck, what kind of lousy underground cave is this? It¡¯s freezing me to death.¡±


    ¡°I thought the word ¡®Frost¡¯ in front of the ¡®Cave¡¯ was a term. I didn¡¯t expect it to be an adjective!¡±


    At the exit of the tunnel, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s face was purple from the cold. He covered his clothes as he walked out, cursing. His entire body was almost frozen.


    Ding Shiyu, who was following behind, was in a better condition because she was wearing a windbreaker. However, the other party¡¯s pretty face was also very stiff, as if she was also quite cold.


    Seeing the two people¡¯s very miserable appearance, a smile involuntarily surfaced on Lin Xiu¡¯s face.


    ¡°The two of you are in such a good mood. You¡¯ve been sightseeing all the way and only came out so late.¡±


    Lin Xiu said with a smile as he placed the cup back into his System Backpack.


    He had just eaten and drunk hot water, so his condition was much better now.


    However, the two people in front of him were clearly not as well-prepared as him. They probably did not bring any food with them.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at stealing monsters? Why did you suddenly stop?¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s entire body trembled, and at the same time, he looked at Lin Xiu with a vigilant expression.


    Ding Shiyu immediately cast a wind-type spell to clean off the white frost on her body.


    Facing the two¡¯s suspicious gazes, Lin Xiu chuckled. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m worried about you guys. No matter what, we¡¯re comrades. In such a dangerous environment, it¡¯s very dangerous to rashly separate.¡±


    Lin Xiu said matter-of-factly, revealing a harmless expression at the same time.


    However, the two people at the entrance of the tunnel had a look of disbelief on their faces. They continued to look around vigilantly, afraid that the other party had set up some trap here.


    While the two of them searched around for places that might be dangerous in the surroundings, Lin Xiu seemed to be watching a show, standing at the side silently.


    A few minutes later, the two of them regained their warmth. At the same time, they did not find any danger in this space.


    Refocusing her gaze on Lin Xiu, Ding Shiyu frowned and said, ¡°What are you planning? Don¡¯t lie by saying that you care about us.¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun had already revealed the plan. Even if Lin Xiu was a fool, it was impossible for him to not have any reaction to this.


    Therefore, Ding Shiyu did not believe that the other party would have any thoughts of cooperating.


    ¡°You want to know?¡± Looking at the other party¡¯s vigilant expression, Lin Xiu pointed to the entrance of the cave at the side, ¡°Won¡¯t it be clear once we go in and take a look!?¡±


    ¡°There are only 2 hours and 20 minutes left before the Catacombs exploration ends. You guys aren¡¯t planning to stay here forever, are you?¡± looking at the time, Lin Xiu said indifferently.


    Although he wanted to level up to level 2 immediately, he had killed at least four monsters, which was equivalent to earning 800R. The two of them had been in the Catacombs for more than 40 minutes, but they had not even touched a single monster.


    Therefore, they must be even more anxious.


    At the exit of the tunnel, Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s eyes met frequently, as if they were asking for each other¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°This is the only path to the left fork. If we don¡¯t go in, we have to return to the fork in the cave,¡± Wan Zhuoyun glanced at Lin Xiu who was still calm, then said with an ugly expression.


    Right now, they had no other choice but to force themselves to advance.


    He did not want to walk through that cold tunnel again. He was unwilling to turn back even if he was beaten to death.


    ¡°Since there¡¯s no way out, what¡¯s there to consider?¡± Ding Shiyu¡¯s pretty face was icy cold as she said coldly.


    Soon, the three of them reached an agreement. Lin Xiu took the lead and climbed up the pile of rocks, jumping into the cave below.


    Although the other two were somewhat unwilling, they could only follow because they had no way out.


    After a while, the three of them entered the spacious cavern.


    The cone-shaped stalactites above their heads, the underground river water flowing continuously on the left side of the cavern, and the rotten smell in the air all intertwined to create a gloomy and dangerous environment.


    The two people who came in later were obviously stunned when they saw the surrounding environment.


    Obviously, he did not expect that there would be an underground river in such a cold and humid place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. There are many small animals here. If you want to pass through here, we have to work together. Otherwise, no one can escape unscathed.¡±


    Lin Xiu, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped. He bent down and picked up a stone from the ground. As he spoke, he immediately threw the stone into the depths of the cave.


    The two people behind him did not quite understand what he said at first, but as Lin Xiu threw the stone with force, a series of collision sounds sounded from the ground not far away.


    A rustling sound suddenly came from the originally quiet cavern.


    Immediately after, Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun saw an unforgettable scene.


    In the originally dark cave not far away, blood-red light suddenly appeared out of thin air.


    The light rays appeared in twos and twos, and they often existed in parallel positions.


    As the light spots got closer, they realized that the source of the red light was actually huge rats with shiny fur and ferocious faces!


    ¡°F*ck! Rats!¡±


    Looking at the tens of giant rats not far away, Wan Zhuoyun was so frightened that he jumped up and almost ran away.


    Ding Shiyu, who was beside him, was so scared that her face turned pale and she almost collapsed to the ground.


    In fact, it was not Ding Shiyu¡¯s fault for being too fragile. Anyone who saw so many rats with their fangs intertwined and blood-red eyes in this limited space would be so scared that they would scream.


    Even Lin Xiu, who had always had a strong mental state, was so scared that he took a few steps back when he saw the Greater Rat for the first time.


    Moreover, what appeared in front of the three of them was not just one, but a group!


    The giant rats that were larger than cats were like a tide, constantly appearing from the cave and approaching the three of them.


    No one would be able to remain calm in such a scene.


    ¡°There are actually so many level 3 monsters. Are these the little animals you were talking about? Lin Xiu, are you planning to die together with us?¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun gritted his teeth and cursed angrily. He was about to go crazy from the stimulation.


    If he had known that the cave in front of him was filled with such things, he would not have come in no matter what.


    Even if he backed out on the spot, the result would be better than now.


    After all, as long as there was life, there was hope. No matter what the outcome was, it was better than being eaten by these rats.


    At this moment, Ding Shiyu was so frightened that her face turned pale. She no longer had the domineering look she had in life.


    Seeing the two people behind him on the verge of breaking down, Lin Xiu inexplicably felt a sense of satisfaction in his heart.


    If it was not for the fact that the Heart Summoning Mirror was shining all around and the images would be transmitted to the outside in real-time, he would have killed these two people right now.


    However, if he really did that, the consequences would not be something that he and his family could bear!


    At that time, not only would the two great families move, but even the school would continue to put pressure on the Lin Family.


    At that time, how much could the Lin Family do in the face of multiple crises?

 Chapter 20 - Crisis? No! Massacre!

    Chapter 20 Crisis? No! Massacre!


    His current strength was too weak, and it was not suitable for him to declare war on the two families.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. It¡¯s normal to feel dizzy.¡± Lin Xiu held the blood-stained Double-Edged Battle Axe and said with a gentle smile, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. Why would I choose to die without a complete corpse? If you want to pass through the cave safely, you¡¯d better show some real skills.¡±


    As he spoke, Lin Xiu immediately cast a Blessing of Strength on himself and took the initiative to enter battle mode.


    The other two saw that they had nowhere to retreat, so they made up their minds and decided to resolve the crisis in front of them first before considering other things.


    They took the initiative to come to Lin Xiu¡¯s side. The three of them stood at the same level.


    The Greater Rats that had walked out from the shadows saw that the intruders had no intention of leaving. They immediately became irritable and squeaked as they rushed toward the three of them.


    Roar!


    Wan Zhuoyun, who was standing in the middle, immediately used the basic warrior skill, Savage Roar!


    Ding Shiyu and Lin Xiu both received a 10 percent damage bonus.


    Coupled with the increase in Blessing of Strength and Savage Roar, Lin Xiu¡¯s attack power on the interface had already reached a terrifying 50 points!


    His battle axe was constantly emitting a dazzling light. It was obvious that it had become extremely sharp.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Without saying anything, Lin Xiu was the first to go up to the group of Greater Rats.


    Wan Zhuoyun knew that if the three of them did not cooperate, it would be impossible for them to get through this crisis.


    Therefore, without any hesitation, he immediately took on the role of a Warrior and took the lead.


    At the same time, it would create an opportunity for Lin Xiu and Ding Shiyu to attack!


    A Warrior¡¯s HP and Physical Defense were naturally much higher than other classes. Coupled with his Silver equipment, his Defense on the interface had reached 15 points, and his HP had broken through the 300 mark.


    ¡°Wind Dance!¡±


    Just as Lin Xiu raised his axe and charged at the Greater Rat with killing intent, Ding Shiyu¡¯s delicate shout immediately sounded from behind.


    Light green wind blades instantly appeared among the rats. These wind blades were abnormally sharp.


    Immediately, the flesh of many Greater Rats was sliced into pieces, and miserable cries could be heard.


    ¡°Critical Strike.¡±


    Lin Xiu adjusted the angle of the battle axe in his hand, avoiding the hard fur on the back of the Greater Rat, directly cutting off a small part of the Greater Rat¡¯s head in front of him.


    -74!


    A red damage number appeared. Lin Xiu did not stop at all. After dodging the crazed Greater Rat¡¯s claw attack, he flashed behind it and slashed off one of the Greater Rat¡¯s arms with a Backstab.


    -89!


    The double physical damage caused by the Backstab directly caused a large portion of the Greater Rat¡¯s HP bar to disappear.


    The Greater Rat that had lost its right claw was no longer a threat to him. Lin Xiu quickly cut the Gordian knot and destroyed it in two moves.


    The aggrieved Greater Rat turned into a white light and disappeared, leaving only two gold coins on the ground.


    ¡°How stingy!¡± picking up the gold coins, Lin Xiu muttered to himself before continuing to fight.


    With his 16 points of defense, he could almost ignore the attacks of the Greater Rats. Even if he was occasionally ambushed, only 2 points of basic damage would be deducted.


    Compared to the two people who were struggling to move under the attack of the rat group, Lin Xiu¡¯s side was simply a one-sided massacre.


    He had only lost 20 HP after going in and out of the rat horde.


    After dealing with the two beside him, he immediately cast the basic skill of a Priest ¡ª Wound Healing. The lost HP immediately recovered at a slow speed.


    Outside the Frost Cave, a few teachers, the Principal, the Secretary, and a few others were staring intently at the bubble that was broadcasting Lin Xiu¡¯s image in real-time. Through the bubble, they could see the situation inside the cave.


    In the picture, Lin Xiu turned into a military general and massacred the giant rats.


    Thick, dark red blood splattered all over the ground. Even the Academy uniform he was wearing was stained with spots of red.


    ¡°This¡­ This student called Lin Xiu is too fierce.


    He was surrounded by a few level 3 Greater Rats, but he was still unhurried as he killed them¡­¡±


    ¡°The performance of an Unspecialized class in the early stages is truly terrifying. Even Ding Shiyu, who has Awakened a Special Class and specializes in Wind Spellcasters, is no match for him!¡±


    ¡°This kind of battle is still too dangerous for them. It¡¯s better to inform the teaching assistants to provide support!¡±


    The teachers discussed worriedly, not showing any intention of looking at the other students¡¯ performance.


    Due to the dozens of scenes in front of them, most of the students were still fighting with the level 1 Iron Beetle. Compared to Lin Xiu¡¯s bloody and exciting scene, they were simply child¡¯s play!


    None of them had expected that the seemingly ordinary Lin Xiu would be able to unleash such powerful abilities in the Catacombs. Regardless of whether it was facing the Venomweb Spider¡¯s sneak attack or the battle state in the rat group, Lin Xiu¡¯s performance was really too stable, completely surpassing other students of the same age.


    Just the scene of being ambushed by the Venomweb Spiders alone would most likely cause other students to suffer a huge loss. Even if they did not die, they would lose a layer of skin.


    However, Lin Xiu only dodged lightly and dodged the spider silk¡¯s coverage, ending it with three axe strikes.


    And now, the strength that Lin Xiu displayed was even more powerful. Even when facing the siege of seven or eight Greater Rats, his expression still did not change.


    In comparison, Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun, who were also in the picture, appeared much dimmer.


    Even though they were all D-grade talents and were the best in the Academy.


    However, he still could not be compared to Lin Xiu!


    ¡°This student called Lin Xiu is really interesting.¡±


    In front of the square table, the Academy Secretary sitting on the armchair said with praise.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s very particular about the combination of his skills. I¡¯ve seen many Unspecialized characters, but it¡¯s rare to see someone who can use all of his skills appropriately.¡±


    The Principal, who was sitting upright, stared intently at Lin Xiu on the screen and sighed. Unspecialized was a Class that sacrificed the later stages in exchange for the early stages of strength. Almost no Class of the same level could gain an advantage over an Unspecialized. However, there were also differences in the level of Unspecialized Classes. This was because this required a full understanding of the skills of many Classes and the formation of a link between several skills, thus achieving the effect of quantitative change causing qualitative change.


    From the Principal¡¯s point of view, Lin Xiu in the image had clearly done this.


    Not only was he proficient in using skills like Leap Strike, Critical Strike, and Backstab, but he could also form combos to beat monsters until they could not retaliate.


    What surprised him the most was that Lin Xiu chose skills with low mana consumption and did not pursue gorgeous skill effects.


    One had to know that many of the early skills of many Classes were very mana intensive. For example, a Mage¡¯s beginner skill, Icicle, could not only cause damage to the enemy, but also slow down and freeze the enemy for 2 seconds.


    However, a powerful skill required an extremely high amount of mana.


    The amount of mana required to cast an Icicle spell was enough to cast three Fireballs. Because of this, many mages would not learn Icicle before level 10.


    Such a mana-killing skill that many classes had in the early stages.


    However, Lin Xiu had accurately avoided those landmines, leaving behind only the most simple and unadorned skills with the best effects.


    It was hard to believe that this was a coincidence. After all, there was a lot of information attached to each skill. One had to have a full understanding of the early skills of each Class to use them proficiently. However, the other party was not even 20 years old. How could he know such complicated knowledge?

 Chapter 21 - Headmasters Attention, Leveled Up Again

    Chapter 21 Headmaster¡¯s Attention, Leveled Up Again


    In the image, Lin Xiu¡¯s attack on the Greater Rats was not sloppy. In just a few minutes, several Greater Rats died under his axe blade. Many teachers outside the Catacombs were astonished by such a clean and decisive battle. ¡°Zhengmin, this Lin Xiu should be your student, right?¡± the Principal sat on a chair at the side and asked with a warm smile.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Yes, Principal. Lin Xiu is my student.¡±


    Jin Zhengmin¡¯s face was a little stiff, but he still pretended to be nonchalant and replied. He had never thought that Lin Xiu, who had failed to Awaken, would actually erupt with such powerful strength in the early stages. Whether it was the combination of skills or fighting style, he was far superior to the other students he had taught.


    If this continued, Lin Xiu would probably obtain the support of a big shot sooner or later! This was not the result he wanted to see!


    ¡°Principal, Lin Xiu¡¯s foundation is indeed good. He has a deep understanding of many Classes. However, the Unspecialized Class that he has Awakened is only a little stronger in the early stages. After level 20, it won¡¯t be of much use.¡±


    Afraid that the Principal would be too interested in Lin Xiu, Jin Zhengmin immediately leaned forward and explained in a low voice.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ A child with such a good foundation actually Awakened an Unspecialized class. What a pity.¡±


    The Secretary sitting at the side could not help but sigh.


    If Lin Xiu had Awakened some other type of Combat Class, then he might really have the intention of nurturing him.


    After all, such a clean fighting style and bravery were rare among the younger generation.


    Most of the Classes at this age were newcomers who had just embarked on an adventure. Very few could fight monsters head-on like Lin Xiu.


    ¡°That might not be the case. I feel that the Unspecialized Class suits him very well.¡¯ The Principal looked at Lin Xiu on the screen, his face still carrying a look of admiration, as if he did not feel that the Unspecialized Class was incompatible with Lin Xiu.


    ¡°Principal, there are only two places to go to the Yunzhong Academy. You have to consider it carefully.¡±


    Jin Zhengmin¡¯s forehead was sweating as he tried to persuade the Principal again.


    He could not just watch the Principal on the Lin Xiu List, and he did not want to see him soar into the sky and become a Second Transition Class expert.


    Even though he did not think that the Unspecialized class had any future, he still did not dare to gamble. Therefore, what Jin Zhengmin could do now was to think of a way to make Lin Xiu disappear from this world as soon as possible!


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯ll consider the candidates for the Yunzhong Academy. You don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡±


    Principal Meng Dezhao was annoyed by Jin Zhengmin¡¯s repeated dissuasion, so he said coldly.


    Seeing this, Jin Zhengmin knew that he had angered the Principal. While he was complaining in his heart, he also felt a little regretful.


    Back then, he should not have destroyed Lin Xiu¡¯s Awakening Ceremony for the sake of a few hundred thousand and some rare materials.


    Perhaps Lin Xiu would become a big shot in Linyue City in the future. He could completely rely on him, rejecting the bribing of the two families. He could have become Lin Xiu¡¯s good teacher and friend.


    The benefits he would receive in the future might even be more than what the two families would give him.


    Unfortunately, he could no longer go back on his word. He could only walk down this path to the end.


    he In order not to make the Principal angry, could only take a few steps back and stand to the side, staring at Lin Xiu with a complicated expression.


    Right now, he only hoped that Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun would be able to succeed and completely eradicate this scourge, Lin Xiu.


    As time passed, the sunlight above Shouyan Town gradually became blinding.


    It was almost 12 in the morning. It had been more than an hour since the students entered the Frost Cave.


    There were a total of 21 teams, and 17 teams were still adventuring in the cave. Unlike the bright and warm environment outside, the main color of the cave was always dark and full of danger.


    In the gloomy and cold cavern, Lin Xiu pulled out the axe that was stuck in the neck of the Greater Rat. The latter immediately deflated like a balloon, lying on the ground for a few seconds before turning into white light and disappearing.


    [Hint: Respected Class, congratulations on reaching level 3!]


    [Hint: You have obtained a disposable attribute point.]


    The System¡¯s ethereal voice sounded in his mind. In the next second, a pillar of light appeared out of thin air and suddenly enveloped Lin Xiu¡¯s entire body.


    A warm feeling came over. Lin Xiu immediately shook off the fresh blood on the axe blade, and a satisfied smile also appeared on his face. After killing 16 Bloodthirsty Greater Rats, his experience bar was finally full again. He had broken through to the next level.


    The last time he leveled up, he had increased his attribute points to agility because the highest attribute on his interface was agility.


    And this time, Lin Xiu planned to add skill points to strength, thereby increasing attack power, endurance, and other attributes.


    After using the skill points, Lin Xiu immediately felt that the axe in his hand had become a little lighter, and the stamina that had originally consumed more than half of it also showed signs of recovery.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have new skills to choose from after I level up. It seems like I have to speed up.¡± Picking up the gold coins and fur that the Greater Rats had dropped, Lin Xiu looked around and discovered that in the entire cavern, there were only two Greater Rats left who were still fighting with the other two people.


    After half an hour of fighting, the air in the cave was filled with the thick smell of blood.


    The ground was also covered in blood, as well as the signs of struggle before the death of the giant rats.


    In this battle, Lin Xiu finished off more than half of the Greater Rats alone.


    As for Wan Zhuoyun and Ding Shiyu, the battle was obviously not as easy as his.


    Ding Shiyu was in charge of the main damage output. She used Wind Blades to push back the Greater Rats. Although her damage was not high, because the Greater Rats had extremely low Magic Resistance, Ding Shiyu¡¯s efficiency in wiping out the monsters was not bad.


    She killed nine rats by herself.


    Of course, this was because Wan Zhuoyun was a meat shield and was mainly attracting aggro.


    If there were no Warriors to create an environment for damage output, Ding Shiyu would not even be able to protect herself in such a dense group of rats.


    After this battle, Wan Zhuoyun had also risen to two levels.


    Ding Shiyu had used the Experience Pill to level up two levels in advance, so the nine Greater Rats did not fill up her experience bar.


    However, the two pieces of White Slate equipment were still a small gain.


    On Lin Xiu¡¯s side, the things he obtained were clearly much richer.


    Not only did he level up from level 1 to level 3, but he also received more than 30 gold coins, a dozen rat skins, and three to four pieces of White Slate equipment. However, those equipment only had basic attributes, so they were not worth much.


    However, this was enough for Lin Xiu to earn back the 2,000R he spent yesterday. ¡°How is it? Are you still planning to go in?¡±


    Looking at the empty cavern, Lin Xiu turned his head around and looked at the two people behind him with a playful gaze. At this moment, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s silvery-white forged armor was already dyed red with blood, and the other parts of his equipment were also in tatters due to their durability.

 Chapter 22 - Lin Xius Gradually Revealing Strength

    Chapter 22 Lin Xiu¡¯s Gradually Revealing Strength


    Wan Zhuoyun panted heavily. His handsome, layered hairstyle was now wet with sweat and stuck to his forehead.


    On Ding Shiyu¡¯s side, her condition was not much better. Although her appearance did not change much, her face was a little pale because of the loss of spiritual power. She was obviously tired.


    Hearing Lin Xiu¡¯s words, Wan Zhuoyun first raised his head to look at Lin Xiu. When he realized that the other party¡¯s condition was much better than theirs, the surprise and unwillingness on his face immediately revealed itself.


    Why? He was trapped in a group of rats and surrounded by so many monsters, but he was still standing there!


    Wan Zhuoyun did not understand. The other party did not have the high defense and physique of a Warrior, nor did he have Ding Shiyu¡¯s area of effect damage. How could he be unharmed under the attack of the rats?


    Looking at Lin Xiu¡¯s full HP bar, Wan Zhuoyun was very unhappy.


    He originally thought that Lin Xiu would die under the attack of the rat group.


    Thus, when he was tanking the damage earlier, Wan Zhuoyun had deliberately blocked out, causing a portion of the Greater Rats to lose their aggro towards him and turn to attack Lin Xiu, who had the highest damage output.


    However, he did not expect that not only did the other party not fall into a dangerous situation, but he also accepted everything and increased his level again.


    This made him feel a sense of defeat. He could only watch as Lin Xiu grew rapidly, and he could not stop it.


    ¡°There¡¯s still more than half an hour before it ends. Since you¡¯re not satisfied, let¡¯s continue,¡± Ding Shiyu picked up all the materials that had fallen around her and replied gently.


    After saying that, she immediately took out a bottle of Blue Potion from her Backpack and gently crushed it, allowing the blue light to fuse into her body.


    Seeing that the other party¡¯s expression had recovered a lot, Lin Xiu could not help but shake his head somewhat helplessly.


    ¡°A rich family is indeed different. In such a low-level cave, they even use expensive potions.¡±


    Hearing the different meaning in Lin Xiu¡¯s tone, Wan Zhuoyun was a bit unhappy and immediately said coldly, ¡°If you want to leave, then leave. There¡¯s no need for so much nonsense!¡±


    Lin Xiu originally did not plan to find trouble with the two of them now, but he did not expect Wan Zhuoyun to actually take the initiative to come knocking on his door.


    Wan Zhuoyun had already stretched his face over. If he did not slap him twice, Lin Xiu would feel sorry for himself.


    As he thought of this, he immediately turned around and stared at the other party with a cold expression.


    ¡°Do you have the right to speak here? Looks like you still don¡¯t know your place.¡±


    Lin Xiu walked forward and continued, ¡°When did you feel superior being a sandbag on the battlefield? If you¡¯re so resistant, why don¡¯t you go to the construction site to carry cement?!¡±


    Feeling the pressure from Lin Xiu¡¯s approach, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s expression changed slightly, but he did not believe that Lin Xiu would really dare to attack him, so he continued to harden his neck.


    ¡°What a joke. You¡¯re just an Unspecialized who¡¯s worse than trash in the later stages. The family behind you is about to be destroyed. What qualifications do you have to challenge me?!¡±


    After he finished speaking, the entire cavern instantly fell silent.


    At this moment, Lin Xiu¡¯s expression was terrifyingly gloomy, and the killing intent in his eyes was practically brewing into substance!


    He was weighing the pros and cons in his heart. If he killed Wan Zhuoyun here, how many days would the Lin Family be able to resist the encirclement of the two great families?


    Although the Ding and Wan Families were only a branch family of a large family, they were still not small. Even when the Lin Family was at its peak, the two families could still gain an advantage.


    Moreover, the Lin Family was already on the decline. With the decline of the Lin Family, the Lin Family had already lost the right to negotiate with the two great families. Whether it was the Ding or Wan Family, they all had Third Transition Classes in their families.


    If they joined forces to attack, the Lin Family might not be able to last for three days! Perhaps even three days was a very optimistic estimate.


    When he thought of how his actions would likely hasten the Lin Family¡¯s destruction, Lin Xiu could only fiercely suppress the killing intent in his heart.


    Even so, he did not intend to let the other party off so easily. At the very least, he had to dispel the other party¡¯s arrogance. Thinking of this, Lin Xiu raised his head and took a deep breath. Then, he immediately chanted the Fireball Spell.


    The mysterious and complicated incantation had just escaped his mouth.


    In the next second, a dazzling fireball the size of a washbasin immediately condensed in front of Lin Xiu! The moment the fireball appeared, the originally cold and damp temperature in the cavern instantly increased by quite a bit. Under the illumination of the thick flames, the entire cavern became bright and clear, and every single detail could be seen! The fireballs that were constantly rising in the air also lit up the faces of the two people not far away.


    Ding Shiyu¡¯s eyes were fixed on Lin Xiu, and her small mouth was slightly agape. Clearly, she did not expect that Lin Xiu had actually learned the Fireball Spell exclusive to Mages, and had raised it to two levels in such a short period of time!


    ¡°Impossible!¡± she muttered involuntarily, her pretty face filled with disbelief.


    As a Mage, Ding Shiyu was naturally very clear about the scale and power of the Fireball Spell. Under normal circumstances, a level 1 Fireball was only the size of a volleyball. As a basic skill for Mages, its damage was naturally not high. The only advantage was that it consumed less mana and had a fast cooldown. It could be used to kill monsters by casting frequently. In addition, Fireball was an AOE skill with a burning effect. Therefore, regardless of any special class among Mages, Fireball would generally be the main output method in the early stages.


    However, the Fireball that Lin Xiu was using now, regardless of whether it was in terms of or power, had completely exceeded the scope of a level 1 Fireball.


    scale This was what surprised Ding Shiyu the most.


    One had to know that if a Class wanted to increase the level of the skills they had mastered, the only way was through continuous practice to increase their experience.


    According to the knowledge she had learned in the Academy, if she wanted to upgrade a level 1 basic skill to level 2, she would need to release it at least 100 times.


    If one¡¯s talent was lower, the number of times required to level up would increase exponentially.


    However, it was only the second day after they Awakened their Classes. She really could not figure out how Lin Xiu leveled up his Fireball Spell. Ding Shiyu¡¯s pretty face was gradually filled with shock as she looked at the fireball that was getting hotter and hotter, ready to smash down at any moment.


    When Wan Zhuoyun saw this scene, he was almost scared silly.


    He was shocked, but more than anything else, he was afraid of death! Although he was a Warrior and had the highest basic HP among all the Classes, his weak magic resistance was still the fatal weakness of a First Transition Warrior.


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s equipment did not increase his magic resistance at all, so it was only four points.


    If he was really hit by Lin Xiu¡¯s Fireball, he would probably lose at least one-fifth of his HP.


    If that was the case, he would not be so nervous. However, the reality was that he had just left the battle and his HP was reduced to about half by the Greater Rats. Therefore, the Fireball Spell that Lin Xiu successfully condensed had a sufficient degree of threat to him!

 Chapter 23 - Death Threat, Ding Shiyu Completely Faces Lin Xiu!

    Chapter 23 Death Threat, Ding Shiyu Completely Faces Lin Xiu!


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s legs and stomach could not help but tremble. He only felt sweat all over his body and his throat was dry and thirsty. He did not dare to make any movements.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why don¡¯t you continue to clamor?¡±


    Lin Xiu stretched out his right hand and controlled the fireball to rise higher. He said as he approached the two of them.


    Seeing that Lin Xiu¡¯s outstretched right hand was about to fall at any moment, Ding Shiyu did not dare to bet on whether the other party would really make a move.


    However, she understood that Lin Xiu¡¯s strength was extraordinary now. If they really attacked at this time, she and Wan Zhuoyun would most likely not be able to defeat Lin Xiu! Thinking of this, Ding Shiyu immediately said anxiously, ¡°Lin Xiu, don¡¯t be impulsive. If there¡¯s anything, we can talk it out! This cavern might be very fragile after a hundred years. If you smash it with your Fireball Spell, it¡¯s very likely that the cavern will be destroyed!¡±


    Her tone was anxious, and she uncharacteristically gave in and persuaded Lin Xiu.


    However, Lin Xiu only glanced at Ding Shiyu, and his eyes that were filled with killing intent turned to Wan Zhuoyun, looking as if he could attack at any time.


    ¡°Impulsive?¡±


    Lin Xiu¡¯s face was as cold as ice, revealing an expression as if he had misheard.


    ¡°This piece of trash kept saying that he wanted to kill me after entering the cave. I was only protecting my own safety. You call this impulsive?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Facing Lin Xiu¡¯s questioning, Ding Shiyu was actually speechless for a moment.


    ¡°If you have nothing else to say, then accept my gift!¡± A dense smile appeared on his face. After saying that, Lin Xiu no longer hesitated and immediately lowered his raised right hand.


    At the same time, the scorching fireball floating in the air had also completely broken free from his restraint. Carrying a terrifying aura, it directly smashed toward Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xiu would actually make a move under the surveillance of the fire brigade leader, Ding Shiyu was completely shocked.


    She subconsciously shouted.


    She immediately condensed several wind blades without hesitation and slashed at the fireball that was about to fall from the sky.


    The pale green wind blades intertwined with the scorching flames.


    The washbasin-sized fireball was immediately cut by the wind blades. The two energies devoured each other and exploded with dazzling light in the air.


    Seeing this situation, Wan Zhuoyun did not dare to hesitate and immediately turned back to run towards the tunnel.


    However, in just a breath, there was already a winner between the Fireball Spell and the Wind Blade Spell.


    The wind blades had completely dissipated, and the basin-sized fireball had become much smaller under the weakening of the wind blades. The temperature in the air had also decreased significantly.


    However, even so, the Fireball Spell did not dissipate. It still carried a valiant aura as it smashed toward Wan Zhuoyun who had escaped a few meters away.


    Bang!


    The fireball smashed down heavily, followed by a dull sound.


    The flames in the fireball instantly scattered, burning the ground and some of the walls black.


    Under the impact of the enormous energy, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s body was like a bird with broken wings, and was sent flying. It was only until he wiped a long mark on the ground that he slowly stopped.


    The scorching temperature almost scorched his hair, and the violent impact also made him spit out a mouthful of blood, his expression somewhat dispirited.


    -32 A red damage number floated up, and the HP bar above Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s head instantly shrank by a chunk, leaving only about one-third.


    This damage was even when Ding Shiyu had cast the Wind Blade in advance to weaken the damage of the Fireball Spell.


    Ding Shiyu could not help but gasp when she saw a few centimeters deep pit on the charred ground not far away.


    Fortunately, Lin Xiu¡¯s class was an Unspecialized Class, so his spiritual power was not high.


    If he was a Mage, the damage of a Fireball Spell would definitely increase to more than 60! The damage calculation of the level 2 Fireball was not as simple as multiplying 1.8 magic attack. In fact, it also had an additional 40 points of basic magic damage.


    This was because every time an active skill leveled up, its effect would multiply. Therefore, even if it was a basic skill that could be learned in the early stages, if it could be upgraded to level 5, it could still cause explosive damage.


    A chill rose in her heart. Only now did Ding Shiyu truly realize that Lin Xiu¡¯s existence was definitely a huge hidden danger to their Ding Family.


    However, now, Ding Shiyu could not be bothered with Lin Xiu anymore.


    She immediately jogged to Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s side and helped him up with a concerned expression.


    ¡°Can you still hold on?¡±


    Seeing that Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s injuries were rather serious, Ding Shiyu immediately frowned.


    After calculating for a moment, she took out a bottle of Red Potion and handed it to Wan Zhuoyun.


    ¡°Quickly recover, I¡¯ll go negotiate with Lin Xiu.¡± Ding Shiyu was worried that Lin Xiu would kill him, so even though she felt a little heartache for the cost of the potion, she still handed it over to Wan Zhuoyun.


    The latter took the potion with difficulty and immediately crushed it with trembling hands. The potion shattered into pieces in an instant, and the red essence in the bottle immediately entered his body, continuously repairing his damaged bones and tendons.


    ¡°Whew¡­¡±


    His wounds were healed, and his strength was replenished. This positive change made Wan Zhuoyun somewhat unable to suppress the emotions in his heart, and he could not help but clench his fists. Although everything was slowly getting better, his expression was still ugly. Wan Zhuoyun had never thought that he would actually fall into such a sorry state under Lin Xiu¡¯s attack.


    When he spat out blood earlier, he felt that death was approaching.


    He did not want to experience that pain a second time.


    It was actually his fianc¨¦e Ding Shiyu¡¯s turn to save him. His heart was incomparably humiliated. Being beaten up so miserably by Lin Xiu, he was even more furious!


    If it was a few days ago, Lin Xiu definitely would not dare to offend him like this, let alone really want to kill him.


    Now, the other party had only Awakened for less than two days and had already climbed above his head.


    This feeling of being sullen and having nowhere to exert his strength made him almost crazy and difficult to calm down.


    However, in the current situation, no matter what he did, it was impossible to hurt Lin Xiu in the slightest. All Wan Zhuoyun could do was to be helpless and furious.


    On the other side, Ding Shiyu¡¯s tone softened in order to ease the current situation. ¡°Lin Xiu, if this continues, it won¡¯t be good for either of us. I think we can talk,¡± Ding Shiyu took a few steps forward and said sincerely. Lin Xiu stared coldly at Ding Shiyu. Although the fury in his heart had subsided a little, there were still aftershocks.


    ¡°What do you want to talk about? Pretend to reconcile with me first? Then wait for an opportunity to attack me?!¡±


    He held his Double-Edged Battle Axe and stood straight on the spot as he spoke in an unfriendly tone.


    Ding Shiyu¡¯s expression changed as if she had been hit by the other party¡¯s trick. After a while, she forced a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. This underground cave is so dangerous. Perhaps there are other social animals like the Bloodthirsty Greater Rats in other places. Only by cooperating with us without any second thoughts can the three of us benefit.¡±

 Chapter 24 - Wolf in Front, Tiger in the Back, Danger Overlapping

    Chapter 24 Wolf in Front, Tiger in the Back, Danger Overlapping


    ¡°Cooperate with you? Then not only do I have to be wary of the dangers that may exist in this cave at any time, but I also have to worry about my companions who may attack me at any time. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to enjoy such cooperation.¡±


    After saying that, Lin Xiu looked deeply at the two of them, then walked into the depths of the cave without looking back.


    The gradually disappearing footsteps continued to echo in the cave. Looking at Lin Xiu¡¯s disappearing back, Ding Shiyu¡¯s expression flickered, and her beautiful eyes were somewhat absent-minded.


    Now that Lin Xiu was already on full alert against them, it would probably not be easy to make a move under such circumstances¡­


    ¡°Hurry up and follow. We have to complete our plan today and nip this unstable factor in the bud.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Ding Shiyu moved again.


    Wan Zhuoyun followed behind with an ugly expression on his face. Clearly, the latter¡¯s anger had yet to calm down.


    Crash!


    A fist-sized rock smashed into the water, immediately causing a splash.


    Looking at the ripples spreading in the underground river, Lin Xiu, who was standing by the river, could not help but curse in his heart.


    He had just walked out of the Greater Rat¡¯s lair, but before he could enter the new cavern, he was blocked by the wide underground river.


    Just now, Lin Xiu used a small rock to test it. This underground river was not only turbulent, but it was also very wide. If an ordinary Class-holder wanted to cross it, the only way was to wade through.


    Lin Xiu did not move not because he was worried that there would be some monster hiding in this underground river, but because he was worried that his ability to walk on liquid would be seen by the other two.


    Therefore, in this one hour of adventure in the Catacombs, he did not use the double jump, nor did he use the ability to walk on liquid. He did so to hide some of his abilities and beat the information gap.


    Lin Xiu stood by the river and waited for a while. Very quickly, he saw Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun rushing over.


    Seeing that the rapid underground river had actually blocked the path to the next cave, the two of them were in a dilemma.


    The underground river in front of him was two meters deep and filled with unknown. If he rashly went down, he might encounter danger. It was precisely because of this that they chose to stand by the river and stop moving.


    However, this was only for Lin Xiu and Ding Shiyu. In Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s opinion, even if there were sharks and crocodiles in the river, he would not be afraid.


    After all, this was only a beginner-level Catacombs, and the monsters inside were limited in strength. Even if they were ambushed, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s defense and health points were enough to withstand it.


    Therefore, Wan Zhuoyun felt that the predicament that appeared in front of him was simply tailor-made for him.


    ¡°Shiyu, move aside first. I¡¯ll open the way in front and you just follow me,¡± Wan Zhuoyun said excitedly. Then, he immediately jumped into the muddy underground river and bravely explored the surroundings.


    At this moment, he was unusually brave, like a fearless warrior.


    Seeing this, Ding Shiyu did not dwell on the fact that the river would stain her dress and immediately went into the water.


    As for Lin Xiu, because he wanted to hide a certain ability of his, he jumped down and did not activate the liquid walking ability of the Boots of Hermes.


    The three of them advanced one after another with all their might in the river.


    The resistance of the water current, coupled with the fact that their clothes were wet and heavy, so every step required a lot of physical strength.


    The entire underground river was more than ten meters wide. The banks on both sides had been polished smooth by the river water all year round.


    Not only was the river turbid, but there were also some unknown insect corpses floating on the surface of the water. Even the air carried a fishy smell, making people want to escape immediately.


    The sound of flowing water filled everyone¡¯s ears. In this dark environment, the underwater visibility was only about 40 centimeters. No one knew if there were any monsters lying in ambush in the riverbed.


    After a while, everyone arrived at the middle of the underground river, only five to six meters away from the river bank.


    ¡°Shiyu, follow me closely. We¡¯ll reach the other side soon!¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s tone was excited. He had taken on the role of a guide. Not only was Shiyu relying on him, but he had also displayed his courage and fearlessness. He could finally hold his head up high for once.


    However, just as he approached the underground river bank and was about to climb ashore, a sharp object suddenly pierced through the back of his hand, causing him to retract his hand in pain!


    Fresh blood flowed down and dyed the river water beside Wan Zhuoyun red.


    -12 A damage figure floated up, and the three players in the river immediately became vigilant.


    [Hint: You have been regarded as prey by the Jade Guardian. You have automatically entered combat mode!]


    [Jade Guardian]


    [Race: Beast]


    [Level: Level 5]


    [HP: 280]


    [Attributes: Attack 21, Physical Defense 12, Magic Defense 3, Agility 14, Spirit 3.]


    [Active Skills: Level 1 Scythe Slash (Deals 1.5 times Physical Attack AoE damage to the front, cooldown 5 seconds), Level 1 Pierce (Deals 1x Physical Attack Penetration damage to the enemy and causes bleeding. This damage ignores 40% of the target¡¯s Physical Defense)]


    [Passive skill: Golden Bone Chalcedony (Increases toughness by 20%, immune to stun effects.)]


    [Strength evaluation: Jade Guardian is a rare early-stage monster with an attack power of more than 20 points. If you don¡¯t have enough strength, please don¡¯t provoke it. However, while it is dangerous, it also represents wealth. Places where it exists often have jade and other ores.] The three of them stared at the river bank in unison. In the dark cave, a few monsters the size of calves with dark green skin were crouching on the river bank.


    It raised its sickle-like front claws and glared at the three people in the underground river, already treating them as prey. ¡°Damn it! There are actually so many monsters hiding on the other side of the river!¡± Seeing the bleeding icon on the status bar, Wan Zhuoyun was shocked. He took a few steps back in panic and cursed. ¡°Those monsters¡¯ attack power is too high. If we force ourselves ashore, we will definitely be injured. Let¡¯s retreat first.¡± Ding Shiyu quickly glanced at the System panel that appeared in front of her and made her choice. The two of them looked a little flustered as they turned around and went back.


    In comparison, Lin Xiu appeared much calmer.


    He noticed that the Jade Guardians looked like enlarged mantises. After the mantises attacked, they did not go into the water to chase after them, as if they were afraid of something. ¡°Be careful of the water.¡± After thinking for a moment, Lin Xiu immediately discovered the problem. He shared the information he had obtained without holding back. His goal was to maintain his current strength.


    Moreover, if the two of them really died here, the Lin Families would not get any benefits. There might even be many undecided factors! In the rapid underground river, Lin Xiu suddenly said these words, causing the two people not far away to immediately be startled.

 Chapter 25 - Sludge Monster Boss, Gigantic Form

    Chapter 25 Sludge Monster Boss, Gigantic Form


    However, before they could react, they heard the sound of water splashing around them.


    Lin Xiu only saw a green shadow suddenly jump out of the water, and immediately pounced towards the nearest Wan Zhuoyun!


    [Hint: You have been regarded as prey by the Underground River Sludge Monster. You have automatically entered combat mode!]


    [Underground River Sludge Monster]


    [Race: Inspineless Creature]


    [Level: Level 5]


    [HP: 320]


    [Attributes: Attack 12, Physical Defense 12, Magic Defense 0, Agility 5, Spirit 1]


    [Active Skills: Level 1 Slime Spray (Spits corrosive slime, reduces durability by 2 points to any armor or weapon that comes into contact with it. Cooldown: 10 seconds), Level 1 Pounce (deals double physical attack damage to the enemy, reduces speed by 30%. Lasts for 4 seconds. Cooldown: 5 seconds]


    [Passive skill: Level 1 Split (When HP is less than half, two Sludge Monsters with attributes halved will be split. Level 1 Sludge (Physical damage received will be reduced by 20%, 15% chance of embedding the opponent¡¯s weapon)]


    [Strength evaluation: This is a group of monsters who mainly deal physical damage. They are extremely troublesome creatures. If they are accidentally embedded in their weapons, they can only be retrieved after killing them.]


    The sudden change left the three of them unable to react.


    Wan Zhuoyun did not even notice the Sludge Monster¡¯s approach. He lost his balance and almost fell into the water.


    Even though he struggled to break free at the critical moment, he still received 2 points of basic damage and was slowed down by 30 percent!


    It was as if he was stuck in a swamp, unable to move his legs.


    ¡°Quickly go ashore. There are many Sludge Monsters approaching from the water!¡±


    Sensing that the riverbed was constantly bubbling, Lin Xiu knew that it was not good, so he immediately reminded.


    Ever since he entered the water, he had been the last one. At this time, he was only a few meters away from the original river bank.


    As the leader, Wan Zhuoyun was naturally the one who went the deepest.


    The current was turbulent and it was inconvenient for him to walk. Now that he had been slowed down by 30 percent, he walked like a turtle.


    ¡°Oh no!¡±


    Ding Shiyu quickly realized the seriousness of the problem. She immediately used her Wind Blade to force back another Sludge Monster that was about to attack. Then, she immediately rushed towards Wan Zhuoyun, planning to pull him away quickly.


    As a Warrior, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s movement speed was his weakness. Now that he had two speed reduction buffs on him, he definitely would not be able to walk out by himself.


    Fizzzzz!


    Just as Ding Shiyu walked to Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s side, the Sludge Monster hiding at the side immediately launched an attack, spraying a dark green corrosive liquid at her.


    Ding Shiyu subconsciously raised her staff to block. The dark green liquid immediately emitted white smoke when it came into contact with the staff, corroding it into a shallow pit.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    She looked at her Apprentice Staff, which had lost two points of durability, and her heart ached.


    In her anger, she directly condensed several wind blades and instantly sent the Sludge Monster flying.


    However, after one Sludge Monster was repelled, a few other monsters rushed over to fill the gap, and it seemed like they were going to surround the two of them to death.


    At this critical moment, Ding Shiyu could not care less about anything else. She immediately took out two bottles of Windrun Potion from the System inventory!


    ¡°Hurry up and use it. Don¡¯t waste any more time,¡± she handed one of the bottles of green medicine to Wan Zhuoyun and said with an ugly expression.


    The two of them crushed the potion and their bodies immediately became light.


    Immediately, they broke free from the Sludge Monster¡¯s attack and rushed to the riverbank seven to eight meters away as if they were flying on water.


    A Windrun Potion could increase the user¡¯s movement speed by 60 percent for two minutes and was immune to most of the speed reduction buffs. Most Classes with good conditions would carry one with them for emergency use.


    This kind of buff potion was not only light and easy to carry, but its effect could also take effect immediately. It was a treasure favored by many Class-holders.


    However, these things also had a flaw, which was that they were relatively expensive. Just the potions that Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun had used just now cost about 10,000R each, making people love and hate them at the same time.


    After all, a piece of Gold-grade equipment, which was considered early-stage equipment before level 10, was only a few tens of thousands. In comparison, it was enough to prove how expensive it was.


    The two of them returned to the riverbank with nervous expressions.


    No one knew if the Sludge Monsters would come ashore. If they were chased into the cave by the Sludge Monsters, they would have to disband and leave the Frost Cave.


    On the damp and cold riverbank, Lin Xiu looked at the Sludge Monster floating on the surface of the river, his expression somewhat nervous.


    After the previous battle, he had already used up more than half of his mana. Moreover, the Sludge Monsters had a high resistance to physical damage. If he really started fighting, it would probably not take long for his axe to get stuck.


    At that time, he might very well quit this adventure regretfully because he did not have enough mana.


    Under the gazes of the three of them, the Sludge Monsters had already swam to the river and were staring at them restlessly.


    However, rather than staring, it was more like perception.


    The Sludge Monsters had lived in the cold and dark river for a long time, and their eyes had long since degenerated, turning into a single eye that could only sense weak light.


    Sensing smell was their only way of locking onto their prey.


    Seeing that those Sludge Monsters did not have any intention of going ashore, Lin Xiu and the other two heaved a sigh of relief. However, before they could completely relax, a ferocious roar suddenly came from the cave that was sealed by the underground river!


    The roar was like thunder, shaking the entire cave.


    The Jade Guardians on the other side seemed to have seen something terrible and retreated like a receding tide.


    Lin Xiu immediately had a bad feeling. He subconsciously looked behind those Sludge Monsters.


    A large number of bubbles suddenly appeared in the rapid underground river, as if something huge had woken up from the riverbed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be that unlucky, right? Could it be that I¡¯ve met a Boss?!¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s face was a little pale. He stared at the churning river not far away and calculated in his heart. If a huge monster really appeared in the river, he would immediately disband the team.


    As for the plan to target Lin Xiu, he had long thrown it to the back of his mind.


    After all, the premise of carrying out the plan was to survive. He had already experienced many dangers, and his heart was like a taut string that could break at any time. On the side, Ding Shiyu and Lin Xiu both subconsciously took a few steps back, their gazes fixed on the restless water surface.


    The water continued to churn, and the Sludge Monsters near the shore seemed to have been summoned by something and moved aside. At this moment, the three of them saw a huge monster covered in mud suddenly rush out of the water and let out a deafening roar! The monster looked similar to the Sludge Monsters, but it was much larger. At this moment, the monster was staring at the three people standing on the shore with a pair of black eyes. The monster opened its mouth and revealed terrifying fangs. A lot of viscous liquid flowed out from its teeth and dripped into the water!

 Chapter 26 - Fatal Attraction

    Chapter 26 Fatal Attraction


    [Hint: Encountering an elite Boss ¡ª Furious Scale Sludge Monster]


    [Furious Scale Sludge Monster]


    [Race: Mollusc]


    [Level: Level 8]


    [HP: 800]


    [Attributes: Attack 50, Physical Defense 16, Magic Defense 4, Agility 8, Spirit 4.]


    [Active Skill: Level 2 Raging Tide (Roars angrily, causing the other Sludge Monsters to receive an 18% attack bonus. Lasts for 80 seconds. Cooldown: 240 seconds)]


    [Level 2 Burst (Deals 1.6x Attack Power to the target, with knockback effect. Cooldown: 10 seconds).


    [Level 1 Cage (Releases a large amount of soft mud, immobilizing the target and causing 5 corrosion damage per second. Lasts for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds)]


    [Passive Skill: Level 2 Enormalization (Increases size by 35%, increases HP by 200, reduces all damage received by 5 points)]


    [Level 2 Sludge (Physical damage received reduced by 25%, 18% chance of embedding the opponent¡¯s weapon)]


    [Strength evaluation: The leader of the Sludge Monsters. It has stronger attack power and physical resistance. Although its huge body makes him heavier, it also brings him it higher constitution.]


    Roar!


    After the Furious Scale Sludge Monster in the river appeared, it did not stop at all. It directly charged toward Lin Xiu and the others with heavy steps.


    Under the attack power of the Raging Tide, the bodies of the Sludge Monsters by the river became larger.


    As if encouraged by their leader, the Sludge Monsters that were unable to get ashore climbed up one after another.


    For a moment, the three of them were in a dangerous situation again.


    ¡°Withdraw! We are no match for this Elite Sludge Monster!¡±


    When Wan Zhuoyun saw the Sludge Monsters coming ashore and rushing towards them, he immediately shouted nervously. Then, he issued a request to disband in the party, intending to leave the instance immediately!


    However, when the invitation appeared on the team communication list, he was immediately rejected by two votes.


    The sudden change caused Wan Zhuoyun to be stunned, unable to react in time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the situation isn¡¯t too bad. At least we weren¡¯t attacked by the Jade Guardians!¡± Ding Shiyu said calmly as she retreated. She was completely different from her nervous expression earlier.


    ¡°Hmm? This isn¡¯t bad. Do you have a way to deal with these Sludge Monsters?¡± Lin Xiu was also a little surprised. Ding Shiyu¡¯s condition earlier was not like this.


    When she was in the river, just those ordinary Sludge Monsters made her so nervous that her face turned pale.


    However, now that the Sludge Monster Boss had appeared, she became much calmer.


    Her behavior was a little strange.


    In the dark and damp cave, the three of them kept retreating and had already arrived at the entrance.


    At this moment, the Sludge Monsters were still approaching. The largest one had its bloody mouth wide open, as if it had already treated the three of them as food.


    In such an emergency, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s entire body could not help but tremble. The hand holding the big sword also could not help but turn soft.


    The Boss Sludge Monster¡¯s attack power was too high. With his body, he would die after six or seven hits at most.


    As for the other two players in the cave, their HP was around 200 points. They would probably die even more miserably. He really could not understand why Ding Shiyu would reject the invitation to disband the team.


    Although the Boss that appeared in front of them was very beneficial to their plan, they would also be in danger.


    In his view, Lin Xiu could be eliminated at any time. There was no need to put himself in danger for this kind of person.


    If it really did not work, he could still get the people in the clan to secretly attack Lin Xiu after he left. This would also be able to resolve him.


    Unfortunately, it was too late to say anything now. He could only send an invitation to disband the team once every 30 seconds. This amount of time was enough for the Sludge Monsters to tear them apart!


    Just when Wan Zhuoyun felt that everything was hopeless and was about to die here¡­


    Ding Shiyu, who was already near the cave wall and had nowhere to retreat, suddenly had something wrapped in gray cloth in her hand. Her face was filled with an inexplicable smile, and there was even a hint of madness in the depths of her eyes.


    ¡°Although I can¡¯t deal with the monster in front of me, I have other ways to protect myself. It¡¯s precisely because of this layer of protection that I can calm down.¡±


    Looking at Lin Xiu who had retreated to the side, Ding Shiyu said with a sinister expression with a smile on her lips.


    After saying that, she did not wait for Lin Xiu to react and immediately threw the thing in her hand over to him.


    Lin Xiu¡¯s heart had long since raised vigilance, knowing that the other party was very likely to attack him at such a dangerous time. Therefore, when Ding Shiyu moved, he was already prepared to dodge.


    With light footsteps, Lin Xiu flashed to the side. To be on the safe side, he even swung his axe, planning to knock that unknown thing flying.


    However, just as the axe blade in his hand touched the gray cloth bag, and before it could be sent flying, the cloth bag suddenly shattered, and blood-red liquid instantly splattered in all directions.


    How could Lin Xiu have expected such a thing to happen? For a moment, he could not dodge in time, and his arm was immediately splashed with quite a bit of red liquid. [Hint: Due to being contaminated with blood essence, you have obtained the negative status ¡®Fatal Attraction¡¯.]


    [Fatal Attraction Buff: The blood essence on your body is extremely attractive to monsters within a 100-meter radius. Monsters will not attack other players before they eat you. The effect lasts for 240 seconds.] Staring at the status bar in the lower left corner, a negative effect called Fatal Attraction suddenly appeared.


    Even if Lin Xiu did not have the brains to think, he knew that before entering the dungeon, the two had already formulated a plan to target him.


    However, what Lin Xiu did not expect was that the other party¡¯s scheme was actually so unique, actually planning to use the monster¡¯s hand to destroy him!


    There was not much time left to think. When Lin Xiu understood the debuff effect on his body, the surrounding Sludge Monsters had already undergone subtle changes.


    The monsters all looked at him, ignoring the other two people not far away.


    Meanwhile, the Boss that was surrounded by the Sludge Monsters seemed to have seen the most delicious food in the world as it rushed toward him crazily.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The huge body of the Boss shook, causing the entire ground to shake.


    It was like a mad bull in the arena, charging at him with a speed that was comparable to an ordinary person¡¯s running speed!


    ¡°Looks like this monster is not interested in the two of us. Next, we¡¯ll be relying on you, Lin Xiu. Don¡¯t disappoint us.¡±


    Seeing that the Blood Essence Potion had taken effect, a smug smile immediately appeared on Ding Shiyu¡¯s face.


    She gently shook the staff in her hand, still pretending not to know anything, cheering for Lin Xiu.


    Wan Zhuoyun, who was standing at the side, saw that the monster had already entered a berserk state, and that Lin Xiu was its only target, and could not be happier. Looking at Lin Xiu¡¯s ugly expression, Wan Zhuoyun finally held his head high and let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running away. The space here is not big. The entrance has been sealed. If you¡¯re a man, fight it head-on!¡± Wan Zhuoyun pointed at the small mountain of stones at the entrance of the cave and said with a laugh.

 Chapter 27 - Desperation? Lin Xius Trump Card!

    Chapter 27 Desperation? Lin Xiu¡¯s Trump Card!


    Facing the two people¡¯s mockery, Lin Xiu already did not have time to counterattack anymore.


    He immediately turned around and ran to the other side of the cave.


    More than a dozen Sludge Monsters surrounded him. The huge Boss was like a plague that could not be shaken off, crazily attacking Lin Xiu.


    Roar!


    The Furious Scale Sludge Monster roared angrily. Two thick arms suddenly grew out of its originally smooth body.


    When Lin Xiu, who was currently fleeing, saw this scene, his eyelids involuntarily twitched.


    Although the cavern was spacious, the middle was blocked by an underground river, and the exit had been sealed by rocks.


    The range that Lin Xiu could move was really limited.


    In addition, there were more than a dozen Sludge Monsters approaching, so he did not have much room to dodge.


    The gigantic Boss grew two thick arms that were nearly two meters long, and its attack range increased by another size. Lin Xiu could not help but feel a sense of powerlessness in his heart.


    Boom!


    The Furious Scale Sludge Monster controlled its two huge arms to suddenly smash down. Lin Xiu did not dare to stay and dodged again. His arm smashed into the ground, splashing a wave of gravel and dust. Although Lin Xiu dodged the other party¡¯s attack, he was still in a sorry state by the gravel and soil.


    ¡°Good luck, Lin Xiu. You have to last at least ten minutes. Don¡¯t let us look down on you.¡¯ Ding Shiyu, who was standing by the entrance of the cave, immediately revealed an impudent smile when she saw Lin Xiu¡¯s ashen appearance.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. With your Unspecialized abilities, shouldn¡¯t it be easy for you to take care of a Boss? Why don¡¯t you use Fireball?!¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun did not stay idle and started to speak in a strange tone.


    The more miserable Lin Xiu¡¯s fate was, the happier he felt. It would be best if he could let the Sludge Monster Boss smash him into meat paste. Only then would he be able to vent the hatred in his heart.


    Inside the cave, Lin Xiu once again dodged the Boss¡¯s explosive attack.


    The green arm almost brushed past his shoulder and hit the wall of the cave, creating a huge pit.


    ¡°You guys are enjoying the show. It seems that I was too lenient with you guys before.¡±


    He stared coldly at the two people in the corner who were kicking him while he was down. The killing intent in his heart surged crazily.


    ¡°Why are you still saying such harsh words when you¡¯re about to die? Take care of your own life first!¡±


    Facing Lin Xiu¡¯s threat, Wan Zhuoyun did not show the slightest bit of nervousness. Instead, he said with a cheeky smile.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a few ordinary Sludge Monsters that were already close to Lin Xiu immediately spat out a few slimes, corroding the axe in Lin Xiu¡¯s hand until it emitted green smoke.


    Looking at the weapon whose durability had already decreased by more than half, Lin Xiu was somewhat anxious.


    The space in this half of the cavern was too small, and now more than half of it was occupied by more than ten Sludge Monsters and Bosses. There was no space for him to operate, and he could not use his skills!


    Moreover, those monsters had high resistance to physical attacks. It was impossible to deal with them with just his axe.


    Moreover, he had already used up more than half of his mana, and he could only cast Fireball a few times. There was no chance for him to fight head-on!


    ¡°It seems that if I don¡¯t show my true ability, I won¡¯t be able to get through this!¡±


    Looking at the aggressive Sludge Monster, the mocking laughter of the two echoed in his ears. Lin Xiu made up his mind and decided not to hide the additional ability of the Boots of Hermes anymore. He would first get through this crisis!


    Just as he made up his mind, the giant Sludge Monster not far away once again roared angrily, and its two thick arms fiercely smashed toward Lin Xiu.


    It seemed this prey was too slippery and kept slipping through the gaps. The Boss was extremely angry at this moment. It opened its ferocious mouth and sticky saliva kept flowing out. It obviously could not wait any longer. Facing the attacks that bombarded him, Lin Xiu suddenly took a deep breath. His figure was like a nimble swallow, once again dodging the attacks. He continuously approached the direction of the underground river, because the space there was bigger, it was also easier to dodge. However, when Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun saw Lin Xiu¡¯s strange actions, they thought that Lin Xiu was panicking because of the danger.


    At least there was some space in the cave, so it would not be so easy to be surrounded by the Sludge Monsters.


    However, one side of the underground river was close to the wall, and the other two sides were surrounded by rapid currents. Hiding there was simply waiting for death!


    ¡°Looks like this show is about to end. Let¡¯s get ready to leave.¡±


    Looking at Lin Xiu who was forced to the riverbank by the numerous Sludge Monsters, Ding Shiyu yawned disinterestedly. She already treated Lin Xiu as a dead person in her heart. Surrounded by many monsters with high physical resistance, it would be very difficult to resist the attacks of the Sludge Monsters unless it was a Mage above Level 10. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t had my fill yet. If I don¡¯t see Lin Xiu being torn into a bloody mess by those monsters, I won¡¯t be satisfied!¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun leaned against the wall, a cruel smile on his face.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Alright then.¡±


    Ding Shiyu frowned slightly. She did not like to see such a cruel scene, and at the same time, she was somewhat dissatisfied with Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s behavior.


    However, disbanding the team required the consent of two people, and she did not want to have a conflict with the other party because of this matter.


    Roar!


    The two of them had just finished their discussion when Lin Xiu was forced into a dead end. The only path in front of him was blocked by a dozen Sludge Monsters. When the huge Boss saw its prey close at hand, it also roared excitedly.


    The monster slowly approached Lin Xiu, and Lin Xiu already had nowhere to retreat. If he took another step back, he would directly fall into the water.


    Plop!


    The Furious Scale Sludge Monster opened its bloody mouth and spat out a large lump of green mucus at Lin Xiu.


    The slime was the Sludge Monster Boss¡¯s signature skill, Cage.


    Although it did not have the intelligence of a primate, it still had a certain degree of thinking ability. The reason why it did this was to stabilize it and then enjoy the delicious food bit by bit! Once hit, the target will be completely bound and unable to move for 10 seconds. The target will also suffer corrosion damage. Under such circumstances, if the Class trapped in the cage did not wear protective equipment, they would be able to escape. With the corrosive power of the mucus alone, it would only take a few seconds for the prey¡¯s flesh to separate and turn into a very chewy piece of meat.


    Looking at the green slime that was gushing out, Lin Xiu did not hesitate and immediately jumped into the underground river behind him. Seeing this scene, the two people standing at the entrance of the cave immediately revealed satisfied smiles on their faces. They knew that Lin Xiu had already stopped jumping and was about to be eaten by the huge Boss.


    ¡°Is he crazy? How dare he jump into the underground river at this time?¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s scared out of his mind. The Sludge Monsters move faster in the water. No matter what, he won¡¯t be able to survive.¡±

 Chapter 28 - Walking on Water, a Shocking Skill Effect!

    Chapter 28 Walking on Water, a Shocking Skill Effect!


    The two people¡¯s expressions were full of disdain, feeling that Lin Xiu¡¯s ability was only so-so, and that he was forced into desperation before jumping into the river.


    Beside the river bank, the huge Boss that was spitting mucus saw that Lin Xiu actually still wanted to escape, so it immediately changed its direction and sprayed toward the air where Lin Xiu was.


    The sticky green liquid spread in all directions in the air, instantly wrapping around Lin Xiu¡¯s legs.


    A wave of bluish-white smoke rose. Under the powerful corrosive properties, Ding Shiyu and the other two discovered that the shoes that Lin Xiu was wearing actually did not show any signs of corrosion!


    ¡°What a pity for those shoes. They¡¯re going to enter the monster¡¯s stomach in a while.¡±


    ¡°Shiyu, that¡¯s only a level 1 basic equipment. When we go out this time, I¡¯ll give you a better one.¡¯ Seeing that Lin Xiu, who was in mid-air, was entangled by the mucus, the two knew that this chase scene was already over and began to prepare to retreat.


    Although they did not gain much from this Catacombs adventure, they had at least gotten rid of Lin Xiu, who could pose a threat to their family. It was like returning home with a full load.


    Wan Zhuoyun opened the System panel in advance, preparing to disband the team immediately after Lin Xiu was swallowed by the monster.


    However, just as the two of them thought that the story had come to an end, by the river bank, Lin Xiu, whose legs were wrapped by the slime, actually rose another meter in the air without any leverage, dodging most of the slime that was sprayed out!


    ¡°You want to eat me with your clumsy body? Stop dreaming!¡±


    At the critical moment, Lin Xiu directly used the double jump skill attached to the Boots of Hermes, easily avoiding the fatal crisis.


    Swish!


    Using the battle axe to cut off the mucus on his legs, Lin Xiu flipped over and landed, his body standing straight on the surface of the underground river!


    The instant Lin Xiu landed, the underground river water that covered half of the cavern suddenly became peaceful.


    The rapid and turbid water flow no longer existed. The entire water surface was silent. Only the place where Lin Xiu stood had traces of ripples.


    Under the contrast of this strange scene, Lin Xiu, who was standing on the surface of the water, looked like a God.


    At this moment, Lin Xiu stood upright on the surface of the water with his hands behind his back. His expression was calm, and there was a hint of mockery in his eyes.


    The green slime on his feet had already disappeared, and his purple boots were still emitting a faint glow.


    It seemed that it was because of this energy that Lin Xiu was able to walk freely on the water!


    ¡°How¡­ How is that possible?¡±


    Looking at Lin Xiu, who was currently on the surface of the water, Wan Zhuoyun seemed to have been struck by lightning. His expression was as if he had seen a ghost, turning into a horrified expression!


    In just a few seconds, Lin Xiu¡¯s actions had already exceeded the upper limit of what a novice Class could do.


    He jumped while in the air and walked on the water.


    This kind of heaven-defying ability, let alone a novice Class, even a veteran of level 20 would definitely not be able to do it!


    This kind of phenomenon defied common sense and was like a miracle, he could not link it to a mere level 3 Class-holder!


    Confusion, dullness, fear. All sorts of emotions surged into Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s heart. He felt his head buzzing and almost lost the ability to think!


    Ding Shiyu, who was at the side, was shocked when she saw Lin Xiu use such a terrifying method to escape from the Boss¡¯s attack!


    It was unbelievable. The other party was just an ordinary Class who had fallen from grace. How could he afford Purple Crystal quality equipment? Where did he get the ability to jump twice and walk on water?


    Ding Shiyu¡¯s pupils trembled slightly, and her face turned pale. Her body went limp, and she fell directly onto the muddy ground.


    The beautiful coat was stained with mud, making it exceptionally eye-catching. however, at this moment, Ding Shiyu could no longer notice this. Her beautiful eyes were filled with fear as she stared fixedly at Lin Xiu. Her body was trembling slightly, and it was obvious that her emotions were experiencing a rollercoaster ride.


    The process of Lin Xiu turning the corner was too short. At the same time, it was also too shocking!


    If the other party used some kind of speed-type skill or controlled the Boss to escape, it would not be a big deal.


    As the Boss had extremely high HP, as long as the Fatal Temptation buff was still there, the Furious Scale Sludge Monster would definitely continue to chase after Lin Xiu until the smell of the blood essence completely dissipated. However, the skill that Lin Xiu used to escape was completely out of the scope of basic skills. Even most specialized skills could not achieve such an effect.


    Double Jump. This method of being able to move again in the air, not only greatly increased the flexibility of the Class, but also provided more angles of attack for the Class.


    It was easier to attack the weak point, or even backstab.


    The ability to walk on water was even more powerful.


    As long as he mastered this skill, it meant that he would be able to move in lava, swamps, water, and other places in the future. He would be completely immune to the negative effects of the terrain.


    This ability was something that even most Second Transition Classes could not achieve.


    However, Lin Xiu used these two skills right under their noses.


    How could this not be shocking?


    In the dark cavern, the situation was completely reversed.


    Not only did Lin Xiu escape from danger, but he also gained more initiative.


    On the other hand, the two people at the entrance were all stunned and pale. They no longer had the arrogant and gloating appearance from before.


    Roar!


    A roar filled with anger echoed in the cave. The Sludge Monster Boss seemed to have completely gone crazy. He was played by Lin Xiu again and again, and his remaining patience had long been exhausted. ¡°Big guy, if you want to eat me, come over quickly!¡±


    Lin Xiu crossed his arms as he stood on the surface of the water and said with a smug expression.


    What he got in response was the Boss¡¯s furious attacks and collisions. Activating the ability to walk on water, the place where Lin Xiu could hide was much wider.


    Relying on his super high movement speed and the ability to jump twice every 30 seconds, Lin Xiu dodged with ease.


    He was like an elegant bullfighter in the colosseum.


    In these 200 seconds, his body was sometimes like a spring swallow flying at a low altitude, and sometimes like a dancing butterfly. To the angry Boss, Lin Xiu was like a bubble that could not be caught.


    He slipped through its fingers. ¡°Pant¡­ pant.¡±


    Under Lin Xiu¡¯s kiting, the Boss¡¯s stamina was consumed very quickly. It did not take long before it stopped in the water, panting heavily. ¡°Seems like the design is quite reasonable. I didn¡¯t expect monsters to have Stamina bars,¡± Lin Xiu slightly raised his eyebrows and said with some surprise.


    After saying this, Lin Xiu slowly approached the Sludge Monster Boss, planning to stimulate the Boss¡¯s nerves again so that it would completely exhaust its stamina.

 Chapter 29 - Letting You Taste Your Own Medicine

    Chapter 29 Letting You Taste Your Own Medicine


    However, when he raised the axe and approached the other party, Lin Xiu shockingly discovered that the blood-red mark on his arm and chest had already disappeared, completely evaporating.


    Buzz¡­


    A ringing sound rang out. Lin Xiu was pleasantly surprised to see that the Fatal Attraction buff in his status bar no longer existed.


    ¡°It seems like things are going to develop in an interesting direction.¡±


    Looking at the Boss that had recovered its stamina and got up again, Lin Xiu¡¯s lips immediately curled into a smirk.


    ¡°Fireball!¡±


    Standing on the surface of the water, Lin Xiu immediately stretched out his right index finger and middle finger in front of his chest. At the same time, he silently chanted the incantation to condense flames.


    In just a breath, the air in front of him immediately became distorted and hot. In a short while, a dazzling fireball the size of a washbasin appeared in the air.


    The surrounding dark environment was illuminated. At this moment, Lin Xiu could see clearly that there were all kinds of trash and small animal corpses floating on the surface of the underground river.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Xiu immediately used his spiritual power to control the fireball, smashing it in the direction of the Furious Scale Sludge Monster.


    The scorching fireball formed a parabola in the air and accurately smashed into the clumsy Boss!


    Roar!


    Scorching flames instantly spread throughout the Sludge Monster Leader¡¯s body, and the huge impact sent its fat body flying a few meters away, splashing water.


    -46!


    A red damage number floated up from the Boss.


    The three people present could clearly see that a small piece of the health bar on the head of the Furious Scale Sludge Monster was missing.


    Dark green slime splattered everywhere. The Sludge Monster Boss was in pain and roared crazily.


    His originally smooth green body had a washbasin-sized crater. Half of his body was charred black, making him look extremely miserable.


    Receiving Lin Xiu¡¯s attack, the giant Sludge Monster charged toward him without hesitation, intending to tear this slippery prey into pieces.


    Unfortunately, with its walnut-sized brain, it could not think of any useful strategy at all. Even if it used its skills repeatedly, it still could not touch the corner of Lin Xiu¡¯s clothes.


    Under Lin Xiu¡¯s deliberate provocation, the Boss had already gone crazy and started to attack without any order. Under its violent attacks, the entire cavern kept shaking. The rocks and stalactites on the walls were smashed by the Boss¡¯s heavy punches again and again. It was shocking.


    ¡°Good luck. You¡¯ll be able to eat soon.¡±


    Lin Xiu performed a double jump again, dodging the sticky liquid that sprayed over. His figure turned and ran directly in the direction of Ding Shiyu and the other two.


    After such a long battle, the Boss had become irrational. It had reached the point where it would hammer anything that moved.


    And all of this was within Lin Xiu¡¯s control. It was also time to reap the rewards from the previous effort.


    Jumping down from the wall, Lin Xiu¡¯s movement speed was increased to the maximum, directly arriving in front of Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun.


    ¡°How can you be so idle? You have to work hard to fight so that your days can be sweeter!¡±


    ¡°This small profit can be considered as training for you!¡±


    Lin Xiu said with a smile in his eyes as he looked at the somewhat dull and surprised gazes of the two of them.


    After saying that, Lin Xiu once again used his movement technique. He leaped and used the protruding rocks on the wall to climb up five to six meters in the blink of an eye like a swimming dragon.


    He leaned back and relaxed, as if he was watching a show.


    In the dark cave below, Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun had yet to recover from their shocked expressions when they were attacked by the Sludge Monster Leader who had rushed over!


    Boom!


    The BOSS waved his thick and powerful fist and directly smashed Wan Zhuoyun into the wall behind him.


    Dust flew into the air, and with a loud rumbling sound, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s entire body was smashed into the wall by a huge force. The HP bar above his head instantly dropped by a large amount!


    -64! A red damage number appeared, and Ding Shiyu, who was also affected by the attack, finally reacted.


    Her expression was extremely bad, and the environment she was in was not enough for her to think about it for a moment!


    ¡°Wind Blade!¡±


    Raising her staff, Ding Shiyu immediately used her spiritual power to condense several wind blades in front of her.


    The pale green wind element energy created a series of wind sounds in the air, instantly cutting one of the Sludge Monster¡¯s arms and causing 49 points of spell damage. However, the level of her skill was too low, and because she had just awakened it, her mental strength was too low. Even though she had condensed three wind blades in a row and consumed a lot of mental strength, she could only deal less than 50 damage to the Sludge Monster Boss.


    Just based on this point of damage, her Wind Blade Spell was already superior to Lin Xiu¡¯s Fireball Spell.


    The two of them had already missed the best opportunity to escape after being attacked by the Boss.


    They did not have Lin Xiu¡¯s damage and agility.


    Facing the siege of the Sludge Monsters, the two of them could only fight head-on.


    Boom!


    Faced with the two¡¯s desperate counterattack, the Furious Scale Sludge Monster became more and more excited as it fought, as if it wanted to vent all the anger accumulated from its previous loss on the two of them.


    Poor Wan Zhuoyun was just a level 2 Warrior.


    He did not have Ding Shiyu¡¯s attack methods, nor did he have the ability to dodge the Boss¡¯s attacks.


    Other than being beaten passively, there was nothing else he could do.


    However, with his 16 defense and 300 HP, he could still withstand the attacks of ordinary Sludge Monsters.


    However, to the Sludge Monster Boss, whose attack power was as high as 50 points, Wan Zhuoyun was just prey that could be kneaded at will.


    At most, it would be a little sturdier than other prey, but that was only a matter of one more punch.


    After suffering heavy injuries, Wan Zhuoyun suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His body was like a bird with broken wings as he was sent flying several meters away! All the bones in his body seemed like they were about to fall apart. The intense pain made Zhuoyun lose his grip on his weapon. There were countless wounds of various sizes on his Wan body, and his health bar had already dropped by more than half.


    In his current state, he could only take three more punches at most. He had to face the Boss¡¯s endless damage and berserk state. Wan Zhuoyun could not help but feel helpless. At this moment, he personally experienced how powerful the monster Lin Xiu was facing was.


    However, even under such circumstances, Lin Xiu could still last for more than 200 seconds without being attacked. This ability was really hair-raising.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and attract the aggro!¡±


    Facing the siege of the Sludge Monsters around her, Ding Shiyu was exhausted. Her mana bar was visibly decreasing.


    Seeing the two people¡¯s rather miserable scene, Lin Xiu, who was on the wall, felt extremely happy in his heart.


    They had been so arrogant earlier, and they had thrown stones at him when he was down. Now, they were in such a miserable state.


    Towards this kind of enemy who constantly encroached on his family¡¯s interests, not only did Lin Xiu not have the slightest bit of sympathy, he felt really good. ¡°Good luck! If this is all you got, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to defeat the Boss.¡± Seeing that the two people below were being suppressed by the Boss, he immediately reminded them ¡®kindly¡¯.

 Chapter 30 - Reverse Polarity, Wan Zhuoyun Wants to Bribe Lin Xiu

    Chapter 30 Reverse Polarity, Wan Zhuoyun Wants to Bribe Lin Xiu


    Lin Xiu¡¯s words made the two people below gnash their teeth in anger.


    They regretted their decision. If they had known that Lin Xiu would be so difficult to deal with, they would not have thought of using the Boss to kill him.


    Instead, they should have arranged for the powerhouses in their families to deal with Lin Xiu on the way before he entered the Catacombs.


    They were extremely regretful, but the two of them knew that it was too late to regret now.


    They did not even have a chance to breathe under the Sludge Monster Boss¡¯s torrential attacks.


    If they had not brought along many recovery and attribute enhancement potions in their backpacks before coming, the two of them would not have lasted long.


    Plop!!!


    The Enraged Sludge Monster spat out a large mouthful of green slime from its mouth, trapping Ding Shiyu in place. She had been continuously attacking, but she could no longer move.


    The thick green mucus wrapped around the body below the waist. At the same time, thick smoke kept coming out of it. Clearly, the corrosive effect had taken effect.


    Being suddenly trapped, Ding Shiyu instantly panicked. She kept condensing wind blades, trying to cut through the mucus.


    However, the green thing was very tough. Even though it was hit by several wind blades, it still firmly wrapped around her leg.


    Roar!


    After trapping the other party, the Sludge Monster Leader immediately raised its huge fist and smashed it at Ding Shiyu.


    Seeing that his fianc¨¦e was in a critical situation, Wan Zhuoyun did not care about the pain all over his body and immediately pounced over, using his bronze shield to block the opponent¡¯s attack!


    Clang!


    As soon as the shield came into contact with the Boss¡¯s huge fist, it was immediately shaken by the huge impact and buzzed.


    Although Wan Zhuoyun had relied on his shield to offset a portion of the impact, he was still sent flying like a rag bag. He only came to a stop after scraping a few meters on the ground.


    A taste of blood rushed up his throat. He could not bear the pain all over his body. The veins on his forehead bulged, and his entire face turned pale.


    Cough!


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s throat moved slightly as he spat out a mouthful of blood, dyeing the ground around him red.


    At this moment, the two of them had almost exhausted all their strength, but they were still not a match for the Sludge Monster Boss.


    They had used a lot of potions in the previous battle.


    However, after seven to eight minutes of battle, the situation was still one-sided. Although Ding Shiyu was not injured, her spiritual power was almost exhausted. As for Wan Zhuoyun, he looked even more miserable. All the bones in his body were broken, and his right arm hung limply at the side. It was obvious that he had suffered a huge impact and his bones were fractured.


    On the other hand, although the health bar on the head of the Furious Scale Sludge Monster had decreased by more than half, it was still full of vitality and its aura did not decrease. ¡°Tsk¡­ You can¡¯t hold on anymore?¡±


    Lin Xiu, who was standing on the wall, immediately revealed a disdainful expression after seeing that the two of them seemed to have no strength to fight.


    ¡°I thought you guys would be able to kill the Boss. I didn¡¯t expect this guy to be so stubborn.¡±


    Pointing at Wan Zhuoyun who was almost unable to get up, he shook his head and said in disappointment.


    ¡°Lin Xiu, I want you to die a horrible death!¡±


    In the cold and gloomy cave, Wan Zhuoyun was already in so much pain that he wished he was dead because of his severe injuries.


    At this moment, when he heard Lin Xiu¡¯s ear-piercing voice, he was almost going crazy from anger. He immediately roared in a somewhat collapsed manner, ¡°If we die in the cave, the people in our families will definitely declare war on you. At that time, your fate will definitely be a hundred times worse than mine!!!¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s face turned red from anger as he shouted hysterically.


    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ You¡¯re really noisy.¡±


    Lin Xiu leaped deep into the air and immediately jumped down.


    He slowly walked in front of Wan Zhuoyun and sized him up with a smile on his face.


    ¡°You are still so energetic. It seems that your injuries are not serious enough.¡± Crossing his arms, after Lin Xiu gave a fair evaluation, he planned to get up and leave.


    Seeing this, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s expression immediately turned into one of panic. Although he was clear in his heart that if Lin Xiu did not save him, the subsequent outcome would definitely be even more miserable.


    However, even so, Wan Zhuoyun still had an endless desire to survive.


    He did not dare to gamble on what Lin Xiu would do next. In order to survive, he could only compromise and temporarily endure! ¡°Lin Xiu! I know you¡¯re very powerful. If you can get rid of those monsters now, I can let bygones be bygones and promise not to cause trouble for your Lin Family in the future. How about it?¡±


    He struggled to get up from the ground, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His entire person had an indescribable ferocious and sinister aura.


    Hearing the other party¡¯s words, Lin Xiu¡¯s footsteps immediately stopped. ¡°Alright. There¡¯s actually no deep hatred between us,¡± he turned around and said with a smile.


    ¡°Yes! Hurry up and help Ding Shiyu now. After this is over, I can give you my equipment as a repayment for saving our lives. How about that?¡± wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Wan Zhuoyun said in surprise. He did not expect Lin Xiu to agree so readily, but after the accident, his promise was also very straightforward.


    After all, he would use other methods to kill the other party. It was acceptable to pay a little price before that.


    After all, he could get his equipment back after killing the other party.


    He had already schemed it long ago, so he was very generous to promise Lin Xiu.


    ¡°Yes¡­ No problem.¡± Lin Xiu thought for a moment and immediately nodded. At the same time, he had a sincere expression on his face. ¡± But before that, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to collect a deposit, right, Boss Wan?¡±


    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s reasonable.¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun was afraid that the other party would go back on his word, so he immediately agreed. After he finished speaking, he immediately took out a small bottle of Mana Recovery Potion from his inventory and handed it to Lin Xiu.


    Lin Xiu took the Mana Recovery Potion and smiled. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now. Boss Wan, wait for my good news.


    After casting a Blessing of Strength on himself, Lin Xiu immediately walked towards Ding Shiyu.


    At this moment, Ding Shiyu was already surrounded by many Sludge Monsters. She was still in a bound state and could not even move.


    Her mana had already been depleted, and her HP had dropped to about half. She was on the verge of despair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Seeing that Ding Shiyu was about to die, Lin Xiu immediately quickened his pace and used his remaining mana to cast a Wound Healing Spell on her.


    Her HP was raised a little, and at the same time, the binding effect on Ding Shiyu had disappeared. In addition, many Sludge Monsters were attracted by Lin Xiu¡¯s voice. The pressure on her immediately lessened a little. Relying on her inner desire for life, Ding Shiyu erupted with extraordinary speed. She directly broke through the encirclement of the Sludge Monsters and retreated behind Lin Xiu. ¡°You¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Ding Shiyu did not expect that the person who came to save her at the last moment was actually Lin Xiu, whom they had been plotting to kill!

 Chapter 31

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    With a face full of disbelief, Ding Shiyu was not sure if Lin Xiu and Wan Zhuoyun had made some kind of contract, or if the other party really only saved her out of humanity.


    However, no matter what, the other party had indeed saved her from danger.


    Ding Shiyu had mixed feelings in her heart. After she squeezed out the word ¡®thank you¡¯ through her teeth, she did not say anything else.


    ¡°Step back. I¡¯ll deal with this Boss.¡±


    Lin Xiu did not notice the change in Ding Shiyu¡¯s expression at all. After he finished speaking, he directly walked toward the Sludge Monster Boss.


    He crushed the small MP Potion and allowed the blue light to enter his body.


    A wave of ice-cold pleasure came over. Lin Xiu¡¯s spirit shook, his entire body already recovering to its peak!


    ¡°No wonder the price of a potion is so expensive. It seems that the effect is indeed good.¡±


    Glancing at the mana bar on the interface that had been fully recovered, Lin Xiu immediately chanted the Fireball Spell and began the battle with the Boss!


    A scorching and dazzling fireball appeared in the air. Lin Xiu¡¯s footsteps were steady as he walked in front of the Sludge Monster Boss.


    Roar!


    When enemies met, their eyes turned red. After the Boss saw Lin Xiu, it immediately recalled the bad memories from before. It used the wave skill again, and the remaining eight Sludge Monsters rushed toward Lin Xiu.


    ¡°Go to hell!¡±


    Lin Xiu did not hesitate at all, directly throwing out the completed fireball.


    The fireball was like a shooting star that streaked across the Milky Way. After forming a perfect parabola, it smashed toward those smooth creatures.


    Rumble!


    The heat wave that spread in all directions instantly lit up the entire cave. The huge impact caused a huge pit that was more than ten centimeters deep to be smashed into the ground.


    The Sludge Monsters in the target area screamed in pain as they were charred black!


    Although Fireball¡¯s damage was not high, after deducting Magic Resistance, it only dealt 50 points of damage on the interface. However, the burning effect of Fireball also had a high damage output on the Sludge Monsters.


    An ordinary Sludge Monster only had 320 HP.


    In the previous battle between Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun, the health of those Sludge Monsters had already been reduced.


    At this moment, under Lin Xiu¡¯s ranged Fireball attacks, many of the Sludge Monsters¡¯ HP had been reduced to around one-third.


    The burning wall of fire even blocked those monsters more than ten meters away. Facing Lin Xiu¡¯s attack, they could only scream in anger.


    Inside the spacious and dark cave, Lin Xiu relied on his extremely high movement speed to circle around those Sludge Monsters.


    He kept releasing fireballs to ensure that the monster¡¯s HP was depleted while maintaining a distance of 20 meters from the Boss to maintain the aggro.


    Flames filled the sky, and miserable screams continued.


    Under the high temperature, the water in the bodies of the Sludge Monsters disappeared and they were burned into a pile of white ashes.


    The Boss¡¯s HP had also dropped to around 200 points.


    Wan Zhuoyun watched as Lin Xiu continuously shuttled through the monster horde without suffering any damage.


    The corner of Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s mouth was stained with blood, and his expression was filled with jealousy and hatred.


    He was a little unwilling. The other party had taken all the limelight in this Catacombs adventure.


    He hated it very much. Because of Lin Xiu¡¯s obstruction in the dark, his image in Ding Shiyu¡¯s eyes had fallen to the point where he could only negotiate with Lin Xiu to escape from danger.


    In comparison, the hatred Ding Shiyu had for Lin Xiu in her heart was much lessened.


    Her emotions were complicated, and there was a hint of regret in the depths of her beautiful eyes.


    From time to time, some unrealistic thoughts would appear in her mind.


    If only six years ago, the one who went missing was not Lin Xiu¡¯s father, but Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s father.


    If the Wan Family was the one that was declining, she might be even happier now!


    Lin Xiu¡¯s handsome back, which was constantly releasing fireballs accurately, was reflected in her eyes.


    However, in the end, Ding Shiyu¡¯s rational thinking took over again, allowing her to gradually calm down.


    There was no turning back now.


    Instead of regretting the past, it was better to seize the present.


    No matter what, Lin Xiu had to die. Whether or not he could threaten the two families¡¯ position in Linyue City, the result would be the same.


    Rather than sympathizing with a dead person, she might as well take this opportunity to comfort Wan Zhuoyun and make the relationship between the two families even closer, thus solidifying her position in the Ding Family.


    After thinking it through, Ding Shiyu walked to Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s side and asked about his injuries with concern.


    At the same time, the battle between Lin Xiu and the Furious Scale Sludge Monster also reached a white-hot state.


    When its HP fell below 10 percent, the Boss became even more crazed.


    Its attacks became faster and faster. The remaining two Sludge Monsters were also constantly cooperating to create opportunities for their leader.


    However, Lin Xiu had already recovered. Furthermore, through the previous battle, he had a sufficient understanding of the Boss¡¯s attack patterns.


    Usually, as long as the Boss raised its hand, he would know what skill it was about to use.


    Therefore, the outcome of the battle was beyond doubt. The only thing missing was time.


    After dodging the incoming punch with a double jump, Lin Xiu turned around in the air and instantly activated the Fireball Spell that he had already condensed!


    Flames flickered, and the violent impact shook the entire cave.


    A hysterical scream rang out, signifying the death of a Boss.


    A white light lit up, and the fat body of the Sludge Monster Boss instantly disappeared.


    In its place were a few glowing materials and equipment.


    After casually dealing with the other two, Lin Xiu immediately walked forward and picked up the glittering dropped items.


    [Hint: You have obtained the Bronze equipment, Hand of Furious Scales. You have obtained the forging material Corrosive Slime, the forging material Furious Eye, 7 gold coins, and the strengthening material, Bronze Cone Stone.]


    [Hint: Respected Class, you have leveled up to level 4 and obtained one free attribute point.]


    Two System notifications flashed by his ears. Lin Xiu only felt his entire body become light, and his body continuously used strength.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally reached Level 4. I should be able to learn new skills now.¡±


    Feeling the surging power in his body, Lin Xiu was very happy in his heart.


    He immediately opened his Backpack and found the remaining 11 skill books he had bought in the trading market.


    Most of these skill books had a level limit. Only one of them was emitting a dull light. Clearly, Lin Xiu had already met the learning requirements.


    Gently touching the System panel, Lin Xiu pressed the ¡®learn¡¯ button without hesitation.


    He had carefully selected these skill books before purchasing them. Not only did they suit his combat style, but their effects were also very powerful.


    [Hint: You have learned the basic Mage skill ¡ª Mana Siphon]


    [Level 2 Mana Siphon: Absorbs a portion of the enemy¡¯s mana. The amount of mana absorbed is 1.8 MP. The minimum value is 10 points and the maximum value is 100 points. Cooldown: 120 seconds]


    Looking at the skill description in front of him, Lin Xiu was quite excited.

 Chapter 32

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Even though the Unspecialized Class did not have any equipment or skill restrictions, their attributes were not outstanding and were very mediocre.


    This flaw also caused Lin Xiu¡¯s mana limit to be low, and his spell damage could not increase much.


    Similarly, the mana consumption problem was also the reason why Lin Xiu could not use his skills frequently.


    It was because of this that Lin Xiu chose Mana Siphon as his learning target among the dozen or so level 4 skills.


    Although the cooldown of 120 points was quite long, it still greatly alleviated Lin Xiu¡¯s need for mana.


    The subsequent battles would also be easier.


    ¡°I¡¯ll add the attribute points this time to my spiritual power.¡±


    Looking at his attribute panel, Lin Xiu considered for a few seconds and finally chose to increase his spiritual power.


    Spiritual power was directly linked to magic attacks.


    Increasing his spiritual power was the best choice.


    In addition, most of the monsters in the Frost Cave in the early stages of the Catacombs had high physical defense. Therefore, increasing the damage of the Fireball Spell in the early stages also indirectly increased the efficiency of farming monsters.


    After doing all this, Lin Xiu immediately began to appraise the items that he had just picked up that belonged to the Sludge Monster Boss.


    [Hand of Furious Scales]


    [Quality: Bronze]


    [Prerequisite: Level 2 and above, user¡¯s Strength is greater than 6]


    [Basic Attributes: Constitution +3, HP +50]


    [Additional Attribute: Furious Scales (5% chance of repelling an enemy¡¯s normal attack with less than 30 points of damage)]


    ¡­


    [Corrosive Slime]


    [Type: Forging material]


    [Usage: Soak equipment in it to obtain additional poison or anti-poison effects.]


    ¡­


    [Furious Eyes]


    [Type: Forging material]


    [Usage: Embed it into equipment to increase attack power or physical resistance]


    ¡­


    [Bronze Cone Stone]


    [Type: Strengthening Gem]


    [Usage: Increases the success rate of strengthening equipment of Bronze or below]


    Looking at the attributes of the Bronze equipment and the use of the other three materials, Lin Xiu was quite surprised.


    The Hand of Furious Scale was a Bronze grade equipment. It could increase the user¡¯s HP by 80 points and related endurance. It could be said to be quite good.


    As for the additional effects, although the 5 percent chance was better than nothing, it was still considered pretty good as a bonus to increase the price.


    If it was sold on the market at 1200R, there would be many Warriors or Knights fighting for it.


    The last two forging materials could also provide additional attributes to equipment, and each of them was worth at least 500R.


    As for the last Bronze Cone Stone, due to its limited use, the market price should not be higher than 300R.


    After all, not many people would choose to strengthen Bronze equipment. The benefits of strengthening equipment that could be eliminated at any time were too low.


    After counting all the loot, Lin Xiu realized that just one Boss had given him a level of experience and dropped more than 2,000R worth of materials.


    It could be said that he was extremely conscientious.


    Counting all the goods he received today, not only did Lin Xiu complete the recoup of his capital, but he even achieved a profit of 300 percent.


    Putting on the Hand of Furious Scales, Lin Xiu happily returned to the two people¡¯s side.


    ¡°Boss Wan, according to our previous agreement, not only did I save Ding Shiyu, but I also took care of the Boss. Shouldn¡¯t we settle the remaining payment?¡±


    Looking at the equipment on Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s body, Lin Xiu said with a smile.


    Although the durability of the equipment on Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s body had decreased by quite a bit, as long as he took it home to repair it, it would not be a problem for him to sell it for 10,000R.


    Facing Lin Xiu¡¯s inexplicable gaze, Wan Zhuoyun subconsciously shifted his gaze away and stammered, ¡°Lin Xiu, I don¡¯t think you understand what I¡¯m saying. What I mean is, I can only fulfill my promise after the two of us are out of danger.¡±


    Clearing his throat, Wan Zhuoyun continued, ¡°The environment here is gloomy. There might be other dangers. If you agree to disband the party now, I¡¯ll immediately give you the equipment as promised.¡±


    Looking at Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s earnest expression, Lin Xiu almost laughed out loud.


    Ding Shiyu¡¯s eyes were also gloomy. She did not want to see Lin Xiu benefit from them.


    After all, Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s set of equipment was not cheap, and it was customized according to his Class. If it was taken away by Lin Xiu just like that, how would they have the face to tell their families when they returned?


    ¡°Oh? So you mean you intend to break the contract?¡±


    Clenching his fists, Lin Xiu¡¯s tone was filled with threat.


    He had long known that Wan Zhuoyun would not keep his promise and strip off all his equipment. Therefore, before he dealt with the Sludge Monster Boss, he had already found a solution.


    Originally, Lin Xiu had planned to dissuade them. After all, the two of them were in a very bad state. If they experienced another dangerous situation, they might really die here.


    Hhowever, he did not expect that even at this stage, Wan Zhuoyun was still so cunning. This truly refreshed Lin Xiu¡¯s worldview.


    ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯ve always said that I¡¯ll give it to you after we get out. Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡±


    Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s eyes swept around, and after realizing that there was not a single monster around, his tone immediately became firm.


    Anyway, he was already in a very bad state. It was very likely that he would not be able to withstand a single Fireball Spell from Lin Xiu.


    Therefore, it was already impossible for Lin Xiu to use his previous moves to threaten him.


    Feeling that he had already taken down the other party, Wan Zhuoyun could not help but reveal a smug smile.


    Using only an 800R Mana Recovery Potion to save Ding Shiyu from difficulty, this kind of business was simply profitable.


    Ding Shiyu also understood the current situation, and the nervousness on her face disappeared.


    ¡°Lin Xiu, don¡¯t hurt everyone¡¯s harmony because of this matter. You¡¯re not in a hurry now. It¡¯s not too late to fulfill our agreement after we get out!¡±


    Looking at the two people, one playing the bad guy and the other playing the good guy, Lin Xiu was almost amused.


    ¡°Are you treating me like a silly boy? If you don¡¯t take off your equipment and hand them over, the two of you will sleep here forever.¡±


    After saying that, Lin Xiu immediately turned around and walked towards the underground riverbank.


    Looking at the other party¡¯s departing back and those brainless words, the two of them were a little stunned.


    A few dozen meters away, Lin Xiu quickly walked to the riverbank.


    He picked up an oval-shaped pebble from the surroundings and threw it at the opposite bank without any explanation!


    ¡°F*ck! This bastard is trying to lure the Jade Guardians out!¡±


    Seeing Lin Xiu¡¯s actions, Wan Zhuoyun only felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and could not help but howl.


    The smug smile on Ding Shiyu¡¯s face froze on the spot, and all the hair on her body stood on end!


    In the quiet cave, the pebbles flew over the ten-meter-wide underground river and smashed into the opposite wall, making an ear-piercing ¡®Dong dong!¡¯ sound.


    The pebbles rolled down, and the entire cave became extremely quiet.


    The expressions of the two people at the entrance were ugly, but they also stared at the opposite river bank without blinking. They only hoped that Lin Xiu¡¯s suicidal behavior did not attract the attention of those Jade Guardians.


    Unfortunately, their wish did not come true.

 Chapter 33

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    After hearing the sound of rocks hitting the wall, many Jade Guardians rushed out of the cave. Across the underground river, they stared at the three people on the other side with their glowing compound eyes.


    Ding Shiyu and Wan Zhuoyun did not even dare to breathe loudly, afraid that they would disturb those big ¡®mantises.¡¯ However, Lin Xiu, who was standing on the riverbank, did not give up. Instead, he used his newly learned Mana Siphon skill on a Jade Guardian in the front row.


    Lin Xiu¡¯s outstretched right palm continuously emitted a faint white light. In the next second, on the opposite shore more than ten meters away, the mantis that he had treated as his experimental target suddenly trembled. It was as if a layer of its soul had been extracted, and it became a little shaky.


    [Hint: Mana Siphon has been successfully cast. Proficiency +1. 13 mana points have been extracted from the opponent.]


    Looking at his magic power bar rising by a large margin, Lin Xiu¡¯s expression was very satisfied.


    To be able to successfully cast it from a distance of more than ten meters, this Mana Siphon was indeed very useful in battle.


    However, his probing attack directly angered the dozen or so Jade Guardians on the other side.


    They all lit up their sharp front claws that were shaped like sickles, as if they were about to charge over at any moment.


    ¡°F*ck! F*ck! Lin Xiu, if you want to die, don¡¯t bring me along!¡±


    Seeing that Lin Xiu was actually still continuously provoking the big mantis, the corners of Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s eyes kept twitching, his entire person almost going crazy from fear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The underground river is so deep. Those mantises shouldn¡¯t dare to come over.¡±


    Looking at the bottomless underground river that was ten meters wide, Ding Shiyu observed it for a while and then concluded.


    Hearing his fianc¨¦e¡¯s words, Wan Zhuoyun gradually calmed down.


    He kept taking deep breaths to adjust his state of mind.


    A moment later, he immediately said to Lin Xiu confidently, ¡°Lin Xiu, there¡¯s no need for us to use swords and knives to fight back. I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯ll give you this equipment immediately after we get out. If you still refuse to come to your senses, then we¡¯ll wait for the adventure to end in 20 minutes before we go out.¡±


    As he spoke, Wan Zhuoyun narrowed his eyes and used a tone that seemed to have grasped the other party¡¯s heart, ¡°At that time, you won¡¯t get a single cent!¡±


    He took out a roll of bandages from his backpack and treated himself while putting on a calm expression.


    ¡°Is that so? It seems that you don¡¯t understand the current situation at all!¡±


    Lin Xiu turned around and smiled at the two of them. Then, he immediately condensed a fireball and smashed it toward the other side of the river!


    A basin-sized fireball whistled past. Under Lin Xiu¡¯s control, the fireball avoided all the Jade Guardians and smashed into the ground behind them.


    The surrounding temperature suddenly rose, and flames soared into the sky.


    Facing the threat, the innate fear of fire in their bones made those huge mantises explode with strong survival instincts.


    The carapaces on their backs were originally used to block damage. Now, they suddenly separated from both sides.


    The folded brown wings were revealed.


    Just like that, every Jade Guardian seemed to have completed a light wing expansion. They flapped their wings and rushed in Lin Xiu¡¯s direction.


    Although those large mantids were not good at flying, they were more than enough to glide a distance of more than ten meters.


    In the background of the blazing fire, mantids the size of calves rushed towards them like bomber planes, interweaving together to form a hair-raising scene.


    ¡± F*ck, those monsters can actually fly!¡±


    Seeing the Jadeite Guardians fly over from the opposite shore, Wan Zhuoyun was so scared that his heart and lungs stopped.


    The confidence and solemnity that he had been holding up instantly collapsed, and his body trembled like a sieve.


    Deep in his heart, he seemed to be innately afraid of insects.


    However, Ding Shiyu¡¯s condition was not much better than Wan Zhuoyun¡¯s. When she saw the terrifying mantises that were the size of calves, she almost fainted on the spot. Her body fell to the ground and she kept retreating.


    ¡°How is it? You understand the situation now, right?¡±


    Lin Xiu used his movement technique and returned to the side of the two of them as he said with a smile.


    ¡°Big Brother! Dear Brother! Let¡¯s start the transaction now. Please let me out.¡± Seeing those large mantids landing one after another, intending to rush over, Wan Zhuoyun cried out miserably with tears and snot in his eyes.


    The scene was like a pig being slaughtered.


    ¡°If you were so sensible in the past, you wouldn¡¯t have to experience this.¡±


    Grinning, Lin Xiu immediately initiated a transaction with Wan Zhuoyun.


    After seeing the other party put all the equipment on his body into the trading column, Lin Xiu finally agreed to the transaction unhurriedly.


    At the same time, Ding Shiyu, who was at the side, also tacitly dismissed the team with a trembling voice.


    Intending to keep the two people in suspense, Lin Xiu did not immediately agree.


    Instead, he waited until the Jade Guardians were about to reach and the two of them cried for their parents before he chose to agree.


    The two people in front of him displayed their powerful hand speed as they tapped on the ¡®agree¡¯ button at lightning speed.


    Lin Xiu had just chosen to agree when the two of them exited this instance dungeon.


    Two white lights flashed in front of his eyes. Soon, he was the only one left in the cave.


    Looking at the two figures that no longer existed, the smile on Lin Xiu¡¯s face became even more vibrant.


    He felt that it was not too much to give the two of them a little shock from the Lin Family.


    Putting the equipment into his backpack, Lin Xiu immediately used a double jump and ran into the air.


    A few Jade Guardians had already pounced on him.


    Those sharp scythes left marks on the walls. Clearly, those large mantids also had a lot of hatred for Lin Xiu.


    ¡°You guys stay here. I¡¯ll go to your nest to take a look.¡±


    Rubbing his eyes, Lin Xiu regained his spirit and turned around to run towards the other side.


    With the ability to walk on water, Lin Xiu could ignore the obstacles of the underground river.


    As for the Jade Guardians, they could not go back so easily.


    The river bank on the other side was already relatively high, so it was impossible for those large mantids to fly over just by flapping their wings.


    In addition, when they crossed the underground river previously, they were stimulated by the fire, which activated their flying ability. But now that Lin Xiu had already run to the other side, they naturally slacked off without danger.


    The cave on the other side of the river was slightly smaller, and the highest point of the cave was only two meters.


    There were seven to eight holes on the walls, which were obviously the nests of the Jade Guardians.


    Now, those monsters were all deceived by Lin Xiu¡¯s plan. He had lured them away from their homes, and they had no choice but to allow Lin Xiu to carry out his plundering.


    ¡°The Class System is not lying to me. There is indeed jade ore here!¡±


    After looking around for a while, Lin Xiu soon found green jade ores in a few nests.


    Under the dim light, the jade continued to emit a bright and graceful glow, which was out of place with the surrounding scene.


    [Hint: Rare ore found, Flawless Jade]


    [Flawless Jade]


    [Type: Ore]


    [Function: Can be used as an inlaid gem to increase the attributes of equipment. It can also be used as a raw material for jewelry.]


    [Price: 1800R/gram]

 Chapter 34

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Looking at the basic introduction given by the System, Lin Xiu¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    ¡°Good heavens, if one gram of this thing is so expensive, then there must be at least 100 grams of jade in these nests. Wouldn¡¯t I be rich?¡±


    Just thinking for a moment, Lin Xiu immediately had the idea of these jades in his heart.


    Although he did not know what symbiotic relationship the Jade Guardian had with these jades, and if he dug them out, would it affect the large mantids?


    However, Lin Xiu understood one thing: As long as a gentleman obtained money the right way, he could take as much as he wanted.


    Moreover, the Lin Family needed a lot of money to maintain the basic operations of the family. The person he was harming was a monster that was hostile to humans.


    It would be a waste not to accept nature¡¯s gift!


    Picking up the battle axe, Lin Xiu immediately crouched down and burrowed into one of the nests.


    After a few minutes of digging, he successfully took out a portion of the jade.


    Unfortunately, most of the jades in those nests were flawed. There were only a dozen grams of Flawless Jade.


    Having tasted the sweetness, Lin Xiu immediately followed suit and invaded the other nests.


    And the true masters of those nests were in a daze on the other side of the underground river, completely unaware that their nests had already been treated as money trees by Lin Xiu.


    In the cold cave, other than the sound of flowing water, there was only the sound of Lin Xiu digging jade.


    After more than ten minutes of hard work, he finally produced 107 grams of Flawless Jade.


    The items in the backpack were worth 200,000R. It was faster than picking up money.


    Thinking that his ten minutes of hard work had already surpassed the income of an ordinary person for most of their lifetime, Lin Xiu felt incomparably fortunate in his heart.


    If he had not Awakened as a Class-holder yesterday, he would probably be working as a tool in a coal mine by now.


    Throwing away the unrealistic thoughts in his mind, Lin Xiu looked at the remaining time of the adventure.


    ¡°Eight minutes left!¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem to get rid of a few large mantids.¡±


    Rolling up his sleeves, Lin Xiu planned to make full use of the time. However, before he could make a move, a gust of wind suddenly came from behind him!


    The change came extremely quickly. Before this, Lin Xiu did not notice the existence of any sound at all.


    He subconsciously dodged to the right. To be on the safe side, he even used a double jump to quickly increase his height.


    However, even so, he still could not completely dodge the other party¡¯s attack.


    Lin Xiu, who was in mid-air, only felt a sharp pain suddenly coming from his right ankle. Before he could lower his head to check his injury, his entire person was dragged by an extremely great force and smashed onto the ground.


    The violent collision made Lin Xiu¡¯s mind go blank. However, the battle experience of these two hours still made him quickly stand up, waving his battle axe to chop behind him.


    Clang! Slash!


    The sound of metal clashing suddenly rang out. Lin Xiu was shocked numb by the strength transmitted from his hand. His ankle was even torn apart by a huge force, and fresh blood instantly gushed out.


    After escaping the control of the enemy, Lin Xiu no longer foolishly checked his injuries. Instead, he used the force to roll to the side, avoiding the enemy¡¯s next attack.


    Enduring the pain, Lin Xiu climbed up from the ground and used the Blessing of Strength and Wound Healing buff on himself.


    After realizing that the other party did not attack immediately, he panted and took out a small bottle of hemostatic powder from his backpack and sprinkled it on the wound that had already been opened.


    Looking at the hideous wound on his ankle, Lin Xiu¡¯s hands trembled from the pain.


    In order to get rid of the negative effects of the pain, he immediately used the Warrior skill, Savage Roar.


    Although the roar could only increase attack by a mere 10 percent, the effect of reducing pain was very important on the battlefield.


    At the same time, this was also the fundamental reason why warriors could move forward bravely on the battlefield.


    After releasing the Savage Roar skill, Lin Xiu very quickly noticed a strange feeling coming from all over his body. The originally heart-piercing pain in his ankle only faintly transmitted a sense of discomfort at this moment.


    After treating the wounds on his body, Lin Xiu straightened up and sized up the monster that appeared in front of him.


    What attacked him was a huge mantis with a brownish-yellow appearance.


    At this moment, the huge mantis was crawling in front of him. Its two sharp front claws were still stained with his mottled blood.


    [Hint: You have been viewed as prey by the Plague Mantis. You have automatically entered combat mode!]


    [Note: The Plague Mantis is a Hidden Boss. It has the ability to lock onto the enemy¡¯s aura. Therefore, you cannot leave this dungeon before you defeat or escape the enemy¡¯s aggro!]


    [Plague Mantis (Hidden Boss)]


    [Type: Beast]


    [Level: Level 10]


    [HP: 600]


    [Attributes: Attack 55, Physical Defense 12, Magic Defense 6, Agility 14, Spirit 6.]


    [Active Skill: Level 2 Slash (wields a huge scythe and deals 1.4 times physical attack damage to the target. This damage ignores 40% of the enemy¡¯s physical defense. Cooldown: 10 seconds)]


    [Level 2 Raging Strike (Bite the target, dealing 1.7x physical attack damage, causing bleeding and speed reduction. Lasts for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 10 seconds)]


    [Level 2 Earth Shaker (Smash the ground violently, stunning all enemies within 10 meters. Lasts for 2 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds)]


    [Passive Skill: Level 2 Plague Source (Attacking the enemy will spread the plague, dealing 55 physical damage to the enemy after 30 seconds)]


    [Level 2 Underground Bug King (Immune to all low-level negative statuses, immune to hard hit, immune to knockback!)


    [Ability evaluation: The absolute king of the Frost Cave. With its super high movement speed, it can chase after any prey. If you are unlucky enough to encounter it, you should start praying that the other party had just eaten and is full. Otherwise, you can hold your identity card in your mouth so that others can effectively identify your corpse. That way, your family members can claim your body easily.]


    The System panel that appeared in front of him displayed the information of the huge bug in front of Lin Xiu in detail.


    However, even so, he was not happy at all.


    The skills that the other party grasped were all very powerful. Moreover, after being injured, he was still unable to leave the instance dungeon on his own. This kind of pressure made Lin Xiu very afraid!


    The enemy he was facing was the strongest monster of the entire Catacombs. He did not know if he was lucky or unlucky.


    No wonder he could not dodge the opponent¡¯s attack earlier. Lin Xiu did not expect the monster in front of him to have a terrifying 14 points of agility.


    This speed was fatal to any Class below level 10.


    If it was not for Lin Xiu¡¯s speed reaching 18 points, and the fact that he used a double jump to avoid the vital points of his body, this attack would probably have been enough to rip him apart.


    Waves of lingering fear arose in his heart. Lin Xiu took a deep breath and tried his best to calm himself down.


    He had been hit earlier because it was a sneak attack, and the fact that he had let down his guard had also played a part.


    If it was a direct battle, he was also confident that he could avoid the other party¡¯s fatal attack.


    At the same time, Lin Xiu was also extremely glad in his heart. Fortunately, this Plague Mantis¡¯s HP was relatively low, and it was not as abnormal as the Sludge Monster Boss.


    This also gave Lin Xiu hope of counterattacking.

 Chapter 35

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Looking at the countdown timer that had already turned into an infinite symbol, Lin Xiu¡¯s expression was somewhat helpless.


    All he did was take some jade, right? Was there a need to wake up the Hidden Boss? Was there a need to wake up such a heavyweight monster?


    Sensing that the wound on his ankle had already begun to heal, the nervousness in Lin Xiu¡¯s heart also dissipated a little.


    If his legs were damaged, his movement speed would be greatly reduced. When he faced the Hidden Boss again, he would probably die here.


    Lin Xiu heaved a sigh of relief. He gripped the battle axe in his hand tightly, and killing intent began to brew in his eyes.


    Although this Hidden Boss¡¯s attack power and speed were higher than the Sludge Monster Boss¡¯s, it was not as powerful.


    However, the opponent¡¯s physical resistance was relatively low, and he only had 600 HP.


    The interface data did not pose a high threat to Lin Xiu.


    ¡°It seems that this guy is only so-so.¡±


    Looking at the Plague Mantis crouching a few meters away, waiting for an opportunity to move, Lin Xiu smiled slightly, his desire to fight gradually growing stronger.


    ¡°Mana Siphon!¡±


    He quickly stretched out his right hand and cast the Mana Siphon skill on the Hidden Boss.


    A white light surged in his palm. The next moment, the huge Boss¡¯s body shook slightly, as if it had lost its mind for a moment.


    [Hint: Mana Siphon has been successfully casted. Proficiency +1. 13 points of mana have been extracted from the opponent.]


    After doing all this, Lin Xiu did not wait for the System to send out a notification and immediately picked up his axe and rushed towards the Plague Mantis.


    The latter¡¯s momentary absent-mindedness caused it to not discover Lin Xiu¡¯s movement trajectory immediately.


    By the time the Boss reacted, Lin Xiu had already charged forward and slashed at the other party¡¯s head like he was about to split a mountain!


    At the critical moment, the Hidden Boss relied on its high agility to immediately raise its sickle-like front claws and block Lin Xiu¡¯s attack.


    The attack was blocked, only dealing 20 percent damage. However, Lin Xiu was not discouraged. Instead, he fired off like a cannon, releasing all the skills he had mastered.


    Critical Strike, reduces the target¡¯s defense by 30 percent and causes a 100 percent critical hit.


    Lin Xiu was like a swimming dragon as he dodged the Boss¡¯s multiple stabs. He then swung his axe at the gap in the Boss¡¯s back armor.


    -44!


    A red damage number floated up. The intense pain made the Boss shake its body violently, throwing Lin Xiu away.


    With a Quick Recover, he rolled and removed the strength in his entire body. When Lin Xiu stood up again, a mocking smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°As expected, once the monster¡¯s speed is fast enough, its HP and defense will definitely decrease. A single physical attack can cause such high damage, it will only take ten minutes to deal with you.¡±


    Patting off the dust on his body, Lin Xiu¡¯s eyes lit up slightly.


    In his eyes, the current Hidden Boss was just a moving gold coin machine. As long as he defeated it, he would definitely have a lot of materials and equipment.


    The pressure and nervousness from the attack had disappeared without a trace.


    Chirp chirp!


    Not only did the prey in front of it not panic and tremble, but it even laughed. The Plague Mantis felt insulted. It immediately rubbed its wings and let out a series of sharp cries!


    This was to intimidate the other party.


    However, Lin Xiu did not even look at it and immediately condensed a Fireball Spell in response.


    The flames soared into the sky, and the shockwave from the explosion sent the surrounding dust flying. The Hidden Boss had speed, so it still could not dodge. Lin Xiu controlled the fireball with his mind.


    Backstab, Leap Strole, and continuous slashes. Lin Xiu relied on his high speed to dodge every attack of the Boss before it landed. He also used his basic skills many times to deal high-frequency damage to the Boss.


    In addition to the various passive skills that increased damage, bright red critical hits appeared frequently.


    Under Lin Xiu¡¯s stormy attacks, the Plague Mantis had no ability to resist.


    He could only occasionally use area-of-effect skills to avoid his opponent.


    ¡°Try this!¡±


    Avoiding the two scythes that attacked, Lin Xiu immediately executed a double jump, his figure coming onto the mantis¡¯s back like a ghost!


    When the Hidden Boss realized that its prey had actually run to its back, it instantly became flustered and exasperated.


    It violently shook its body, wanting to use the same trick to throw Lin Xiu off.


    However, this time, Lin Xiu had already learned his lesson. After climbing onto the other party¡¯s back, he firmly grabbed onto the other party¡¯s tentacles to prevent himself from falling down.


    When he realized that the Boss was shaking less and was panting heavily, Lin Xiu immediately took advantage of the opportunity to swing the battle axe in his hand and slash at its soft abdomen!


    Pfft!


    A huge wound was torn open in his abdomen by Lin Xiu¡¯s sharp axe blade. Fresh blood instantly splattered, dyeing the ground below red like a small waterfall.


    The Plague Mantis trembled in pain, and its legs almost fell to the ground. At the same time, it let out a sharp cry!


    Seeing that the Boss was about to go crazy, Lin Xiu immediately jumped down from the back of the big mantis.


    As soon as he landed, Lin Xiu saw a blood-red number floating above the Plague Mantis¡¯s head.


    -96!


    ¡°Hiss¡­ This should be a critical hit!¡±


    Looking at the health bar that had disappeared from the Boss¡¯s head, Lin Xiu could not help but gasp.


    Although Backstab could deal double the physical attack damage to the target, it was definitely not enough to deal three-digit damage.


    It was very likely that the Archer¡¯s passive skill, Cold Arrow, had already taken effect. In addition to the Assassin¡¯s passive skill, Armor Penetration, which reduced the target¡¯s defense by 18 percent. With the combination of several skills, he managed to deal nearly a hundred damage.


    Looking at the Backstab skill that had already entered a cooldown countdown state, Lin Xiu could not help but sigh in his heart.


    Most of the early Assassin¡¯s main means of damage should be the Backstab skill.


    It dealt double the basic damage of the physical attack. Even if the attack power was lower, it should still be able to cause good damage to the enemy.


    Unfortunately, the Backstab skill could only be used behind the enemy and had a cooldown of about 15 seconds, which was not good for fighting.


    Clearing away the distracting thoughts in his mind, Lin Xiu shook off the blood on his axe and continued to observe the Boss not far away.


    The wound on the opponent¡¯s abdomen was bleeding profusely, and the HP on the top of his head was also dropping quickly.


    Even if Lin Xiu did not attack, as long as the opponent was bleeding, it would only take ten minutes at most for the Boss to die.


    However, the Hidden Boss obviously had more tricks up its sleeve.


    The Plague Mantis¡¯s mouthpart kept squirming, and in the next second, it secreted some transparent mucus.


    It used its front claws to collect the slime, and then the Boss immediately applied it to the wound.


    The bloody wound on the abdomen of the Plague Mantis recovered quickly after being covered by the mucus. In a short while, the wound disappeared and was replaced by new flesh that was slightly pale.

 Chapter 36

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    ¡°Damn, this healing speed is much faster than my Priest skill!¡±


    Lin Xiu was a little surprised. No wonder the Boss was immune to low-level debuffs.


    Its physique was too strong.


    Under his watchful gaze, the Plague Mantis cleaned up its mouthpart and antennae. After doing everything, the Boss turned around and stared at Lin Xiu with its compound eyes.


    Glancing at his half-depleted mana bar, Lin Xiu could not help sighing in his heart.


    It seemed that he would not be able to participate in a long battle before he completely solved the problem of his low mana limit.


    Chirp chirp!


    The Boss rubbed its wings again, like a horn that had started a battle, and rushed towards Lin Xiu with an indomitable aura.


    Taking a deep breath, Lin Xiu¡¯s gaze became firm again.


    ¡°Since I can¡¯t use my skills frequently, I¡¯ll use normal attacks to kill you!¡±


    After saying that, Lin Xiu once again released a double jump, dodging the Boss¡¯s attack.


    Just as he was about to use a barrage of attacks on the big mantis, the body in mid-air suddenly stiffened, and a burst of intense pain came from within his body, making him almost unable to even hold onto his weapon.


    ¡°Pfft¡­ Ah!¡±


    A fishy sweetness surged up his throat, and his entire body trembled violently as if he had suffered a stroke. Before Lin Xiu could react, a warm current surged up, making him spit out a large mouthful of deep red blood!


    [Hint: You have received damage from the Hidden Boss¡¯s Plague Origin skill. Your HP has been reduced by 55 points.]


    A System notification suddenly sounded in his mind. Lin Xiu, whose body kept falling, finally understood the source of the problem.


    He wanted to adjust his body in the air so that he could maintain a standing posture when he landed.


    However, the excruciating pain that was like a knife cutting through his entire body caused his thoughts to slow down and his body to lose control.


    ¡°F*ck, I was tricked!¡±


    His body fell heavily on the ground, his internal organs were shaken until they seemed to have shifted, making Lin Xiu so painful that he almost bent into a shrimp.


    He struggled to stand up, but at the same time, he kept persuading himself to calm down.


    Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, but Lin Xiu still controlled his painful body to roll to the side.


    Whoosh!


    The sharp front claw that was like a sickle suddenly fell, stabbing into the ground where Lin Xiu had been lying.


    The Plague Mantis lost its patience after its attack missed. It immediately released the area-of-effect skill, Earth Shaker!


    Lin Xiu, who had rolled to his feet, had not even had the time to consume the two Blood Storage Fruits. He had just opened his System Backpack when he felt the surrounding earth shake.


    The two front claws of the Hidden Boss in front of him kept hitting the ground. The terrifying shock wave made Lin Xiu instantly freeze on the spot, falling into a stunned state where he could not move or attack.


    Seeing the situation, the Plague Mantis immediately became excited. It spread its eight legs and fiercely pounced toward Lin Xiu!


    It opened its sharp and terrifying mouthpart, revealing its upper and lower jaws and whiskers.


    As for Lin Xiu, he was unable to attack or dodge because he had entered a stunned state. He could only watch helplessly as the other party pounced on him.


    Two seconds was very short, only enough for one breath. Two seconds was also very long, enough for the Hidden Boss to attack several times.


    It seemed like an extremely long time had passed. When Lin Xiu completely woke up, an unbearable pain spread throughout his entire body.


    He immediately released his Savage Roar skill to reduce the impact of the pain on him. At the same time, he glared at the Boss that was close to him. With the help of the Double Jump skill, his body quickly rose and pushed him ten meters away.


    Lowering his head to check his injuries, Lin Xiu was surprised to find that his Silver Thread Forged Armor had been torn apart by the Boss while he was in a stunned state just now. The flesh inside was a mess, and blood was flowing out. It was obvious that he had suffered a serious injury.


    In order to survive, at the crucial moment, he put on all the seven or eight pieces of equipment that Wan Zhuoyun had traded for. While his physique increased, his defense also increased effectively.


    Lin Xiu¡¯s interface defense had already reached an astonishing 28 points.


    Therefore, the Boss¡¯s bite only dealt 65 damage to him.


    However, even so, Lin Xiu¡¯s HP had dropped to less than half, and he still had a bleeding debuff.


    ¡°I have to finish it off within 30 seconds. Otherwise, I definitely won¡¯t be able to withstand the next time it uses the Plague Origin skill!¡±


    Understanding the current situation, the nervousness and sense of danger in Lin Xiu¡¯s heart had already risen to the extreme.


    He had no time to waste. If he missed the chance, what awaited him was a thunderous blow from the Hidden Boss.


    If he really died here, how could he help the family regain its glory? How could he investigate his father¡¯s disappearance? How could he face his mother who had raised him?


    At this moment, Lin Xiu¡¯s adrenaline was soaring. Although in the era of data, this state would not increase his attributes, it was enough to make Lin Xiu¡¯s perception more sensitive and weaken pain to a certain extent.


    ¡°Bastard, die!¡± Lin Xiu roared. Under the threat of death and the boost of adrenaline, his speed and condition reached their peak.


    Chirp chirp!


    The Plague Mantis flapped its wings again, then moved its eight legs and charged over like a raging bull.


    Jumping with all his might, Lin Xiu easily dodged the opponent¡¯s sickle swing, and the axe blade in his hand ruthlessly chiseled into the opponent¡¯s skull!


    He already had no possibility of retreating. Under every second, Lin Xiu used up all the strength in his body with each attack.


    With 19 points of Agility, his body was like a dancing butterfly. He dodged the attacks of the praying mantis without any error and continued to deal damage to the Boss.


    This kind of fighting style that almost risked his life allowed him to no longer be restrained in battle.


    Even if he had to squeeze out the last bit of magic power, he would deal a heart-wrenching blow to the Plague Mantis!


    As time passed, damage figures kept appearing above the mantis¡¯s head.


    Lin Xiu seemed to have entered a state of flow. Before the Hidden Boss could raise its arm, he could already guess the direction of the other party¡¯s next attack.


    His clothes were soaked in blood. Lin Xiu was like a God of Death on the battlefield. Every attack was not sloppy, like a veteran who had been on the battlefield for a long time.


    Under Lin Xiu¡¯s frenzied attacks, the Hidden Boss did not even have the chance to parry.


    It continuously waved its front legs, wanting to cut Lin Xiu in half. However, the other party was as slippery as a loach. Every time he swung its claws, the target disappeared without a trace before the claw landed.


    The Plague Mantis¡¯s HP kept decreasing, and it felt extremely aggrieved. It kept using its skills, but it was still useless.


    It could only watch helplessly as its HP kept decreasing!


    As time passed, a mournful cry could be heard from time to time in the dark cave.


    The Boss¡¯s huge body stomped on the ground, but it did not touch Lin Xiu at all.

 Chapter 37

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    30 seconds passed in the blink of an eye, and the Hidden Boss¡¯s HP bar had already dropped below 10 percent.


    Lin Xiu seized the time and used the last bit of mana to release the Savage Roar skill.


    Once again, it weakened his body¡¯s perception of pain.


    However, even so, when the Plague Origin erupted, Lin Xiu¡¯s body still trembled uncontrollably for a moment.


    Streams of jet-black blood kept spurting out of his mouth!


    His spirit gradually withered. Lin Xiu¡¯s hand that was holding the axe continuously trembled, and his expression was rather unwilling.


    ¡°The Hidden Boss only has 40 HP left. Isn¡¯t it enough even after working so hard?¡±


    His legs went limp, and Lin Xiu¡¯s entire person could not help but fall to the ground.


    He only had 7 HP left, and he was already on the verge of death.


    On the other hand, the Hidden Boss that was getting closer and closer was still in a furious state. Even though there was only a small HP bar left on its head, it was still full of energy and raised its sickle-like front claws!


    ¡°Is it over?¡±


    His eyelids were a little heavy. Lin Xiu looked at the gradually darkening vision in front of him, and his heart was very desperate.


    He had worked hard, struggled, and looked forward to this trip to the Catacombs.


    He had thought that he could bring back the 200,000R-plus spoils of war to alleviate the Lin Family¡¯s urgent needs.


    However, he did not expect that his actions would attract a Hidden Boss and end up in this situation.


    ¡°Pant¡­ pant.¡±


    Breathing with great effort, Lin Xiu, who was lying on the ground, gradually clenched his fists. However, this was all he could do. He did not even have the strength to raise his head.


    The sound of approaching footsteps and the buzzing of his ears could be heard. In the face of death, Lin Xiu did not regret his act of picking jade. He only thought that he was unlucky to have encountered the most powerful Boss in the Catacombs.


    Just as Lin Xiu was prepared to face death, he suddenly heard the sound of a huge object falling to the ground.


    Then, there was no other sound in the cave, only the sound of water flowing in the background.


    ¡°What just¡­ happened?¡±


    Opening his eyes with difficulty, Lin Xiu¡¯s vision regained its light. He turned his head to look in the direction where the Plague Mantis was coming from, but was surprised by what he saw.


    The Boss that had given him enough pressure and was almost insufferably arrogant was now lying on the ground without any movement.


    From its side abdomen, Lin Xiu could still see the wound that was constantly bleeding.


    ¡°He actually bled to death!¡±


    ¡°Is there not enough hemostatic mucus?¡±


    His mind was spinning a little slowly. After a while, he finally understood the whole thing.


    When the Plague Origin erupted in his body, the Plague Mantis¡¯s condition was also extremely poor.


    There were many open wounds on its body, and a few of its legs had been cut off by Lin Xiu¡¯s axe.


    While Lin Xiu was in a state of near death, the Hidden Boss¡¯s HP had also reached its limit due to the bleeding.


    The giant praying mantis had not even taken two steps before it was completely dead because its HP bar had reached the bottom.


    In Lin Xiu¡¯s dim vision, the Boss that was the size of an adult bison immediately turned into a white light and disappeared completely. In its place were a few shiny materials.


    [Hint: Respected Class, you have leveled up to level 5 and obtained a free attribute point that can be allocated!]


    [Hint: Respected Class, you have unlocked the new skill of your second Class ¡ª Soul Refining.]


    Two ethereal voices belonging to the System sounded in his mind. Seeing that the Hidden Boss had finally died, Lin Xiu, who was lying on the ground, could not help but heave a sigh of relief.


    He wanted to struggle to get up, but in his near-death state, his physical strength and HP had reached their limits. He could not do this seemingly simple step at all.


    In order to get rid of the current state, Lin Xiu immediately called out the System interface and added the new free attribute points to his physique.


    Vitality and health points were directly related.


    The HP on his interface increased to 17 points, and he easily removed the near-death state.


    ¡°Pant¡­ pant.¡±


    Breathing in large mouthfuls of fresh air, Lin Xiu finally experienced the exact feeling of being alive!


    Getting up from the ground, Lin Xiu immediately applied the last bit of ointment onto the wound.


    After taking care of his injuries, he immediately walked toward the glowing drops.


    Just as he reached out to pick it up, Lin Xiu grimaced in pain because he pulled on his wound.


    [Hint: Congratulations on obtaining the Silver equipment Plague Scythe, the material Resurrection Slime, the material Chalcedony Steel Skeleton, and the book Strange Fire Treasure Map.]


    Looking at the few items lying quietly in his backpack, Lin Xiu could notwait and immediately appraised them.


    [Plague Scythe]


    [Quality: Silver]


    [Prerequisite: Level 8 and above, Agility greater than 12 points]


    [Basic Attributes: Agility +4, Attack Power +12, Attack interval reduced by 25%, Poison Resistance +30%]


    [Additional Attribute 1: Plague Origin (After dealing effective damage to the enemy, a plague will be sown in the enemy¡¯s body. The plague will erupt after 30 seconds, causing double physical attack damage.]


    [Additional Attribute 2: Slicer (After a normal attack hits, there is a 15% chance of summoning a giant sickle, causing double physical attack damage to enemies within three meters of the user.]


    ¡­


    [Resurrection Slime]


    [Type: Forging Material]


    [Usage: Smears on equipment to obtain different additional attributes]


    ¡­


    [Chalcedony Steel Skeleton]


    [Type: Forging Material]


    [Usage: Can be used as the main frame of short-and medium-range weapons. After successful forging, additional attributes can be obtained.]


    ¡­


    [Strange Fire Treasure Map]


    [Type: Paper Book]


    [Usage: The treasure map has marked the specific location of a Strange Fire. If you are strong enough, you can find the Strange Fire according to the map!]


    Looking at the specific appraisal information of the four dropped items, Lin Xiu was quite surprised.


    He did not expect that there would be a chance of dropping Silver-quality equipment in such a low-level adventure dungeon. It was a pleasant surprise.


    The other two forging materials also looked expensive and should be able to be used to forge some high-quality equipment.


    However, what surprised him the most was the last treasure map.


    He did not expect that the specific location of the Strange Fire was actually marked inside.


    Thinking of this, the memories in Lin Xiu¡¯s mind immediately churned.


    In his first year at Fuyuan Academy, he had heard rumors about the Strange Fire from the teachers of various subjects.


    It was said that the Strange Fire could not only be used as a secondary weapon in battle, but it could also indirectly increase the standard of the Blacksmith or Forgemaster, making it easier to forge high-quality equipment.


    However, these were still too early for the current Lin Xiu.


    He was only a level 5 ordinary Class and had not even mastered all the basic skills of a Forgemaster. He was still too far away from wielding the Strange Fire!


    However, Lin Xiu understood in his heart that the actual value of this treasure map was very likely to be much more than the previous three items.


    After he finished counting his things, Lin Xiu immediately opened his personal attribute panel. He wanted to see how much his strength had increased after he entered the Catacombs.

 Chapter 38

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    [Name: Lin Xiu]


    [Awakened Class: Combat type ¡ª Unspecialized, Special type¨C Divine Forgemaster]


    [Level: Level 5, EXP (74/800), First Transition]


    [Attack: 35 points]


    [Defense: 18 points]


    [HP: 320]


    [Attributes: Strength 10, Agility 19, Spirit 7, Constitution 14]


    [Equipment: Right hand (Double-Edged Battle Axe), foot (Boots of Hermes), hand (Hand of Furious Scales)]


    [Talent: Unspecialized C-level Mastery, Divine Forgemaster S-level Fleeting]


    [Active Skills: Level 2 Savage Roar, Level 2 Leap Strike, Level 2 Critical Strike, Level 2 Fireball, Level 2 Backstab, Level 2 Wound Healing, Level 2 Mana Siphon]


    [Passive Skills: Level 2 Thick Skin, Level 2 Cold Arrow, Level 2 Armor Penetration]


    Looking at the various attribute values in front of him, Lin Xiu felt a sense of accomplishment in his heart for no reason.


    From the beginning of his Awakening to now, he could already defeat the Hidden Boss alone. In this short day, Lin Xiu had grown a lot, and this was clearly reflected in his stats.


    As his gaze continued to move downwards, Lin Xiu quickly saw the description of the newly unlocked specialized skill of the Divine Forgemaster Class.


    [Specialization Skill 1: Soul Refining (Every time you defeat an enemy, the equipment you wear will receive a portion of experience. When the experience is full, the equipment will automatically increase in quality. Note: This effect is only effective on equipment of Gold quality and above.]


    Looking at the description of the specialized skills in the Class column, Lin Xiu was quite surprised.


    ¡°As expected of a Divine Forgemaster. The equipment he wears can automatically upgrade. Cough cough¡­ This is very reasonable.¡±


    Looking at his equipment, Lin Xiu realized that only the Boots of Hermes had an additional EXP bar. After absorbing a portion of the Hidden Boss¡¯s EXP, the EXP bar of the boots had increased to more than 80 percent.


    He believed that it would not be long before this pair of boots would be able to break away from its Purple Crystal quality status and become a genuine Diamond quality equipment.


    He was looking forward to seeing what attributes the Boots of Hermes would have after it reached the Diamond quality.


    After looking around and discovering that there were no resources around, Lin Xiu immediately pressed the exit button.


    The world before his eyes turned dark. When Lin Xiu regained consciousness, he had already appeared on the most central street of Shouyan Town!


    From the dim catacombs to the bright streets, the strong change in lighting made Lin Xiu subconsciously narrow his eyes.


    He was used to the cold, damp, and rancid air in the Catacombs. Now that he was back in the real world, the warm and fresh air around him made him feel a little uncomfortable.


    Opening his eyes tentatively, at this moment Lin Xiu was puzzled to discover that quite a number of teachers and academies were surrounding him.


    Facing those doubtful, surprised, shocked, and incredulous gazes, Lin Xiu scratched his head and said somewhat uncertainly, ¡°Teachers, why are you all looking at me?¡±


    Hearing Lin Xiu¡¯s muttering, the surrounding teachers and students immediately dispersed.


    In the crowd, the principal and the secretary, who were dressed in suits and leather shoes, walked toward him with warm expressions.


    ¡°Lin Xiu, it¡¯s great that you got out. We were all worried about you just now!¡±


    The Principal¡¯s figure was a little thin, and the wrinkles on his face were faintly visible. Looking at the other party¡¯s concerned gaze, Lin Xiu finally reacted. All his actions in the Catacombs could be seen clearly by the teachers and students outside through the Heart Calling Mirror!


    ¡°Oh¡­ Thank you, Principal, and all the teachers and students for your concern. I¡¯m fine now,¡± Lin Xiu replied with a smile. He was still not quite used to being watched by everyone. This feeling of being surrounded by stars.


    After saying that, he planned to leave the crowd.


    However, before he could do anything, the Secretary beside him grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Lin Xiu, I saw that you were badly injured by the Boss in the Catacombs just now. Hurry up and use this bottle of Pure Recovery Potion to recover your condition.¡±


    Looking at the Secretary, whose hair was combed meticulously and his face was full of smiles, Lin Xiu was instantly in a dilemma.


    His current state was indeed very bad. Not only did his body have all kinds of debuffs, but even his spirit was exhausted.


    Therefore, Lin Xiu only wanted to hurry back and adjust his condition. After that, he would consider selling the materials and equipment in his backpack that he did not need to exchange for some money to help his family buy more time.


    However, the Pure Recovery Potion in the Secretary¡¯s hand could not only remove all the negative effects on Lin Xiu¡¯s body, but it could also help him recover his HP and mana in a short period of time and return to his peak condition.


    However, Lin Xiu knew that all the free things had already been marked with a price in secret.


    If he accepted it just like that, he would definitely owe the other party a favor.


    Therefore, regardless of whether the other party cherished talent or had other motives, Lin Xiu did not want to receive favors from others for no reason.


    Just as Lin Xiu was about to open his mouth to refuse, the Principal at the side seemed to have seen through his inner thoughts and persuaded him.


    ¡°Lin Xiu, just take it. Secretary Feng has good intentions and doesn¡¯t have any other thoughts. Moreover, your current condition is very dangerous. If you don¡¯t deal with it in time, it¡¯s very likely that you will contract a chronic illness that is difficult to treat!¡±


    Hearing that the usually cold and old-fashioned Principal would actually take the initiative to persuade Lin Xiu, the surrounding students all looked envious.


    They did not understand why Lin Xiu did not accept it directly. It was Secretary Feng¡¯s kindness.


    ¡°Sir Secretary, I understand your good intentions, and I will accept this potion, but I can¡¯t receive your favor for nothing, so I have a better suggestion,¡± Lin Xiu said with a serious expression.


    Then, he immediately initiated a fair trade with the secretary. Without hesitation, he placed the Plague Scythe that he had just obtained from the Hidden Boss into the trade window.


    Seeing Lin Xiu¡¯s actions, the smile on Secretary Feng¡¯s face immediately became surprised.


    It was hard to believe that Lin Xiu was just a newcomer who had yet to enter society, but he knew the various hidden rules of society.


    Regarding this, Secretary Feng was very surprised, but he respected and appreciated Lin Xiu¡¯s choice. He quickly placed the Pure Recovery Potion in the trading column and chose to confirm.


    After the transaction, the Plague Scythe and the Pure Recovery Potion both had new owners.


    Lin Xiu looked at the potion in his backpack and immediately chose to appraise it.


    To be honest, because the family was relatively declining, Lin Xiu had always pursued a diligent and thrifty style.


    Therefore, before entering the battle, he only bought some ordinary medicine worth about 100R.


    He had never even seen the Pure Recovery Potion in front of him.


    [Medium Pure Recovery Potion]


    [Type: Recovery]


    [Effect: After consumption, it will recover 500 HP and 500 MP within 10 seconds, and remove all low-level negative effects.]


    [Value reference: 2000R]

 Chapter 39

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    He crushed the red and blue mixture and allowed the energy to enter his body.


    In just a few seconds, Lin Xiu felt that his entire body was much more relaxed. The original weakness, dispirited, and other negative effects had disappeared.


    It was as if he had been reborn, and there was an indescribable joy.


    However, Lin Xiu still felt that it was a pity. This potion had a recovery of 500 points, but his current HP was only 320 points, and his mana was only a pitiful 70 points.


    Therefore, using this potion made him feel like he was using a butcher¡¯s knife to kill a chicken.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    After thanking the Secretary, Lin Xiu looked up at the time and realized that it was already 12:20 in the afternoon.


    Due to the help of the six teaching assistants, there were no deaths in the underground cave adventure organized by the Fuyuan Academy. Only a few were injured.


    However, after receiving the teacher¡¯s meticulous treatment, the injured quickly recovered.


    During the two-hour trip to the Catacombs, everyone had more or less gained something.


    Whether it was the materials and equipment dropped by the monsters or the increase in their proficiency in actual combat, for most of the people present, this dungeon trip was not in vain.


    Of course, there were still some people in the adventurer team who did not manage to level up. However, the most miserable ones were still Wan Zhuoyun and Ding Shiyu, who had already boarded the bus and were too ashamed to face anyone.


    During their two-hour adventure in the Catacombs, they had killed quite a number of monsters and obtained a portion of materials and equipment.


    However, in order to eliminate Lin Xiu in the Catacombs, they bought many potions to recover and increase their attributes.


    The cost alone was tens of thousands.


    Wan Zhuoyun even had his equipment worth tens of thousands taken away by Lin Xiu, it could be said that he had lost all his face in front of everyone.


    When he thought about how he had left the instance dungeon in a sorry state and how everyone had stared at him with strange gazes, Wan Zhuoyun wished he could find a hole to hide in.


    Especially when the two of them saw through the Heart Summoning Mirror that Lin Xiu had actually killed the Hidden Boss, their hearts were so jealous that they were about to bleed!


    ¡°Lin Xiu! If I don¡¯t kill you, I can¡¯t dispel the hatred in my heart!¡±


    Clenching his fists tightly, looking at Lin Xiu who was surrounded by the crowd, Wan Zhuoyun gritted his teeth so hard that they almost shattered.


    However, Lin Xiu did not notice the change in the other party¡¯s expression at all.


    He was still surrounded by the crowd, like a moon surrounded by stars.


    ¡°Lin Xiu, I saw that your actual combat performance in the Catacombs was not bad. I wonder if you are interested in joining the Close Combat Practicioner Special Training Class at the martial arts field?¡±


    The more Secretary Feng looked at Lin Xiu, the more pleasing he felt.


    Especially when Lin Xiu knew that he was facing a Hidden Boss, he still dared to attack it. His personality of boldness and daring to fight were very suitable for close combat development.


    Faced with Secretary Feng¡¯s olive branch, Lin Xiu was somewhat flattered.


    Who did not know the name of Secretary Feng of Fuyuan College? He was one of the few Class-holders in Linyue City who used dual blades to fight.


    Not only was the other party extremely powerful, but his judgment and combat experience on the battlefield were also extremely refined. Even in the entire Linyue City, Secretary Feng¡¯s strength was definitely at the top of the pyramid.


    To be able to be chosen by such a big shot, Lin Xiu was also very excited in his heart.


    However, he was very clear about his own fighting style and class characteristics.


    Unspecialized Classes relied on all sorts of fancy skills to achieve the effect of quantitative change causing qualitative change.


    Originally, Unspecialized characters could only learn the basic and advanced skills of the major Classes.


    If he abandoned long-range and magic skills, wouldn¡¯t that be a waste of his innate talents?


    ¡°Thank you for your praise, Secretary Feng. I¡¯m very grateful for this, but because the Class I awakened isn¡¯t suitable for pure melee combat, I hope you can forgive me for rejecting your request.¡±


    Lin Xiu lowered his eyes and said in a neither servile nor overbearing manner.


    Seeing this, Secretary Feng could not help but shake his head. He felt that it was a pity.


    With Lin Xiu¡¯s battle talent, if he could abandon distracting thoughts and choose pure close combat, the increase in his strength would definitely advance by leaps and bounds.


    Unfortunately, the other party did not have such thoughts.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just giving you a suggestion to become stronger. It¡¯s up to you to decide.¡±


    After saying that, Secretary Feng no longer paid attention to the other party. Instead, he turned around and said something to the Principal before immediately getting on the nearest bus.


    ¡°Alright¡­ It¡¯s getting late. Students, hurry up and get on the bus. The afternoon class will continue as usual,¡± the Principal ordered loudly, and the surrounding students immediately walked towards the bus.


    The surrounding people gradually dispersed. Just as Lin Xiu was about to get into the bus, he noticed that Jin Zhengmin was sizing him up with a complicated gaze.


    However, Lin Xiu did not care about the other party¡¯s actions.


    His attitude toward Jin Zhengmin changed after the Awakening Ceremony.


    Through what Wan Zhuoyun had revealed, Lin Xiu could basically confirm that Jin Zhengmin was definitely involved in the incident where he almost failed to Awaken.


    At 12:30 in the afternoon, everyone got on the bus that they came from.


    The bus started up with a buzzing sound, and soon, the town was restored to its usual order.


    The mercenaries who lived here often entered the Frost Cave dungeon again and again, relying on the materials and equipment they brought out to exchange for funds to increase their strength.


    Apart from that, they also operated a business for escorting. Usually, three people would bring the client into the dungeon, and all the experience points would be divided by four people. However, the equipment and materials would be taken by the client alone.


    What the mercenaries needed to do was to protect the client¡¯s safety and provide him with thoughtful service.


    However, this escort service was not cheap. Usually, only rich kids would choose to bring one or two mercenaries into the dungeon.


    ¡­


    The scenery outside the window rapidly receded. Lin Xiu sat at the window seat at the back of the bus, admiring the beautiful natural scenery while listening to the students in the bus excitedly flaunt the things they encountered in the underground dungeon and the equipment they dropped.


    The content of the discussion between the students had nothing to do with Lin Xiu. However, sitting by the window, he could still see the respect in the students¡¯ eyes through the occasional glance.


    Half an hour later, the bus finally returned to the city center.


    The surrounding natural scenery became increasingly scarce, replaced by the steel jungle that belonged only to the big city.


    The bus finally stopped at the entrance of Fuyuan College, and the students filed out to the cafeteria.


    As for Lin Xiu, because he had eaten a few pieces of bread in the cave, he was not hungry.


    He planned to use his free time during lunch break to sell the gold coins and a few pieces of White Slate equipment dropped from killing monsters. At that time, he would buy some materials and equipment needed for forging.


    He would try to deal with all the spoils of war before he returned at night.


    After all, each person¡¯s equipment slot only had 100 empty slots. Some of the larger equipment or materials would take up several slots.

 Chapter 40

    Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation


    Therefore, people were used to dealing with the spoils of war in their backpacks after the battle. They had to manage the space.


    Passing through the bustling street, Lin Xiu returned to the trading market he went to yesterday.


    Perhaps because it was noon, there were not many people in the stalls and some shops in the trading market.


    Finding the only gold exchange shop in the market, Lin Xiu chose to exchange all 76 gold coins he had obtained from farming monsters.


    Looking at the deposit message prompt on his phone, after transferring 15,000R in cash, the deposit in Lin Xiu¡¯s bank card had already reached more than 20,000R.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±


    On the other side of the special glass, the bank staff immediately asked politely after seeing that the customer had no intention of leaving.


    ¡°I should be able to exchange my ores here, right¡±


    Lin Xiu took out a piece of flawless jade that weighed more than ten grams from his backpack and asked tentatively.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Yes, but to recover such expensive ores, our manager will have to negotiate personally. Please wait a moment.¡±


    The staff member did not expect that the seemingly young customer across the glass would actually be able to take out such a high-purity Flawless Jade. While she was panicking, she immediately stood up and walked towards the office behind the counter.


    Lin Xiu waited patiently for a few minutes. After a while, he saw a woman in a plain cheongsam with an excellent figure walk out.


    Judging from the badge on her chest, she should be the manager of this bank.


    ¡°Manager Chen, this is the VIP I told you about earlier. He¡¯s the one who wants to sell the Flawless Jade.¡±


    The staff member who had served Lin Xiu earlier immediately introduced him.


    ¡°Understood. You can go back to work.¡±


    After sending the attendant away, Manager Chen immediately nodded politely at Lin Xiu.


    ¡°Sir, there are too many people here. Please come to the lounge for a chat.¡±


    Lin Xiu did not refuse. Under the manager¡¯s lead, he walked into the lounge.


    Sweeping a glance at the uniquely styled lounge, Lin Xiu immediately sat down at the negotiation table at the side.


    ¡°Sir, can you take out the jade stone and let me take a look?¡± Manager Chen asked politely. She did not dare to neglect the young guest in front of her.


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    Lin Xiu directly placed a dozen grams of Flawless Jade on the table, not worried at all that the other party would pick it up.


    Manager Chen carefully picked up the transparent and pure jade and observed it under natural light for a while.


    ¡°Sir, your jade is extremely pure and the energy inside is rich and stable. If you¡¯re willing to sell all of it, we can offer you a maximum price of 1800R per gram.¡±


    After she finished speaking, Manager Chen immediately observed the other party¡¯s expression, wanting to know if this young customer was satisfied with her offer.


    However, her plan was destined to fail. After the young customer heard Manager Chen¡¯s offer, his expression did not change at all.


    ¡°Looks like your esteemed bank doesn¡¯t intend to carry out this transaction.¡±


    A few seconds later, Lin Xiu slowly straightened up. He gently stroked his palm, and the jade on the table immediately disappeared.


    Seeing that the other party actually intended to terminate this transaction, Manager Chen could not help but feel a little anxious.


    Most of the daily business in the trade was to exchange gold coins and the like. There was not even a single mortgage loan for all kinds of equipment and rare materials.


    It was not easy to get a slightly higher transaction today, but seeing that it was about to fail, Manager Chen could not hold it in anymore.


    ¡°Sir, we can discuss the price. I can increase it by 150R on top of 1800R per gram, which is 1950R per gram, how about it?¡±


    Faced with Manager Chen¡¯s urging to stay, Lin Xiu immediately stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Regarding the price, I¡¯ll only say it once. 2100R per gram¡­How about it?¡±


    Lin Xiu knew that after this kind of ore-type material was made into inlaid gems or accessories, there was a lot of room for the price to rise.


    If he did not need some cash to maintain the family¡¯s operations, Lin Xiu would have wanted to keep these jade stones as materials for forging equipment in the future.


    After all, jade of this purity was rarely seen on the market. Whether it was collected or carved into jewelry, the price would rise.


    After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to sell 40 grams of it.


    As for the remaining 77 grams, Lin Xiu used it as the main material for jewelry and gemstones.


    His gaze was indifferent and his tone was extremely calm, as if he was not in a hurry to sell it.


    Seeing this scene, Manager Chen could not help but mutter in her heart, ¡®Who said that it is easier to earn money from young people? This customer in front of me is more cunning than most middle-aged bosses. He¡¯s simply an old fox.¡¯


    The reason why she thought this way was because the price Lin Xiu offered was completely stuck at the limit of her psychological expectations.


    Although the profit of jade ores was very high, the production process also required manpower, material resources, and a certain amount of liquid funds.


    If the profit was less than 50 percent, there was no need to do anything.


    However, Lin Xiu¡¯s offer just happened to be stuck at this position, so Manager Chen was in a dilemma.


    After thinking for a few seconds, she had an answer in her heart.


    Manager Chen immediately stood up and said earnestly, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re really a shrewd businessman. Although this price is higher than I expected, in order to make friends with you, we¡¯re willing to give up some profits.¡±


    After saying that, she took the initiative to initiate a face-to-face transaction with the customer.


    Lin Xiu saw that the other party had agreed to the price he had proposed, so he put all 40 grams of jade stones into the trading column.


    Manager Chen, who was in front of him, was obviously stunned. The surprise on her pretty face was beyond words.


    40 grams of jade could be used to make a large gemstone necklace, and its value would definitely increase.


    However, Manager Chen was a little puzzled. How did the young man in front of him obtain these primitive jade stones?


    After the initial shock, she immediately made up the remaining price difference.


    40 grams of Flawless Jade, the total recovery amount was: 84,000R.


    After confirming that everything was fine, Lin Xiu immediately pressed the trade button.


    Manager Chen had already become the new owner of the 40 grams of jade, and Lin Xiu had also received the payment from the bank card.


    ¡°Happy cooperation!¡± the corners of Lin Xiu¡¯s mouth curled up slightly as he immediately said with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s our honor to work with a successful person like you,¡± Manager Chen said respectfully as if she was treading on thin ice. Then, she immediately handed a golden membership card to the customer in front of her.


    ¡°This is our Linyue Bank¡¯s membership card. You can enjoy 1.2 times the recovery price and all kinds of services provided by our bank. You are welcome to our bank anytime.¡±


    Seeing Manager Chen¡¯s obvious gesture of goodwill, Lin Xiu smiled and kept the card.


    Although he did not want to get involved with any random people, banks were state-owned institutions and would not be as chaotic as private enterprises.


    Not to mention that Class-holders had strict requirements for gold coins exchange and material recycling. Becoming a member of Linyue Bank would definitely provide a lot of convenience for his future life.


    After all, the 1.2 times recovery price could increase his future income by a lot. This could also delay the decline of his family!