Jiang Yixian and Shen Mo stood back to back. Between clenched teeth, Jiang muttered, "Shen Mo, what the hell are you trying to do?"
"Practice makes perfect," Shen Mo replied calmly, revealing his thoughts to Jiang Yixian. "I need to test their strength; otherwise, they'll just be dead weight."
Jiang sighed deeply. There was no choice but to go along with it.
The trio across from them immediately assumed a battle stance. The tall, slender one began chanting a spell, with rocks and earth swirling around him;The short, chubby one's figure suddenly blurred, leaving behind only a faint shadow of himself—difficult to discern unless one looked closely;The one with the bun on his head drew a flail and shield, positioning himself protectively in front of the slender one.
They coordinated seamlessly. For a team at this stage of awakening, their theoretical knowledge must be solid.Clearly, these were ambitious students aiming for top-tier schools, arriving early to level up in the novice dungeon.
Shen Mo, stepping behind Jiang Yixian, patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "It's up to you now. I won't pull any punches!"
Jiang shot him a scornful glance but said nothing. He kept a sharp eye on the chubby one."Find a way to interrupt the mage's chant!" he urged.Jiang was exceptionally alert, noticing that the mage's spell was almost complete. If cast, it would be a formidable force—either dealing direct damage or altering the terrain to their disadvantage.
"Understood," Shen Mo responded with a grin. He picked up a rock and hurled it toward the slender mage.
Clang!The stone hit the ground, scattering dust. Shen Mo hadn't controlled the throw properly, and it shattered into pieces.
"D*mn it!"The slender mage's spell was abruptly interrupted. He bent over, massaging his leg, cursing, "I said just a tap, didn't I? What kind of dirty trick is that?!"If I didn't play dirty, would you have let me unleash Blade Storm?!
Suddenly, the chubby one appeared, grinning coldly, aiming for Shen Mo's side with a deadly strike, clearly intending to take half his health.Shen Mo felt a gust of ominous wind and immediately swung his hand.
Boom!Once again, he failed to control his strength, and the chubby one flew through the air.
Shen Mo frowned, slapping Jiang Yixian on the shoulder. "I told you to hold back! Why did you use that move again?"Jiang, completely confused, could only blink.
The one with the bun swiftly raised his flail. "Shield Wall!"A golden barrier formed around the chubby one, allowing him to land safely and disappear from view once again.
"The knight is the core of the team. Take him down first," the bun-headed one instructed.
Jiang's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Shen Mo.What the hell? I'm a tank! I don't have any offensive skills—how am I supposed to take him down?!
But Shen Mo didn't care. He whispered, "Get ready to charge!"
Charge? How do we charge?
Suddenly, Shen Mo moved behind Jiang Yixian, placed his hands on his waist, and, as though lifting a child, hoisted the nearly two-meter-tall Jiang into the air and charged forward...
"Ah~~~"
From the perspective of the trio, Jiang Yixian, clad in the pale, skeletal armor, seemed to take flight. His imposing figure, paired with his muscular build, created an overwhelming visual impact. He resembled a mighty tiger with wings, charging with unstoppable force.
"Yield! Yield!"
In that critical moment, the bun-headed one and the slender mage quickly decided that their lives were more important.
"Big shot is powerful! We are no match for you."
They hadn't expected an A-grade profession to be so fearsome. The difference in the rarity of classes was truly immense.How strong must the S-level hidden class, Ice Spirit Apostle, held by Shen Bingning, be?
Shen Mo clapped his hands and reappeared behind Jiang Yixian. "You guys are impressive too. If it weren't for the big shot protecting me, I'd have been done for."
At this moment, the chubby one staggered over, his eyes filled with fear, deliberately avoiding Shen Mo's hands...
Shen Mo gently patted his shoulder and, with a soft but somewhat menacing tone, said,"Thanks for sparing me, buddy. The big shot's moves are heavy-handed, but don't take it personally."Then, he "lightly" squeezed the chubby one's shoulder.
The chubby one quickly nodded, forcing a smile. "Heh heh, no... no problem..."
"Ha ha ha, let's go! Time to level up together!"
Shen Mo laughed heartily and headed toward the area with the most Bone Flower Demons. Jiang Yixian silently followed, holding back a million curses in his mind.
The remaining three watched Jiang Yixian's imposing figure, afraid of being abandoned...
[Defeated: Hu Yan][Imitator's Touch Activated][Obtained Skill: C-Level: Stone Spire Rain Lv.1][Stone Spire Rain: Earth-type magic that summons a rain of stone spires to attack the area in front; damage effect is influenced by mental attributes]...
[Defeated: Zhou Yingxiang][Imitator's Touch Activated][Obtained Skill: C-Level: Shadow Cloak Lv.1][Shadow Cloak: Conceals the user's form, making it difficult to detect; effects are stronger in low-light environments; mobility after using it is influenced by agility]...
[Defeated: Zhao Tiejian][Imitator's Touch Activated][Obtained Skill: C-Level: Guardian Barrier Lv.1][Guardian Barrier: Creates a protective shield for a target, absorbing a portion of the damage; absorption rate is influenced by the caster's strength and constitution]
Ha ha ha! Not bad, not bad!
It seems that fighting with others yields the best rewards.These three are just B-level, but... what about higher-level foes?
Shen Mo's eyes glinted with excitement as he turned to Jiang Yixian, sending a chill down the two-meter-tall Jiang's spine.Jiang, feeling a surge of unease, demanded, "What the hell do you want now?"
"How are you only A-level?"
Jiang furrowed his brow, feeling a thousand blows to his heart. "D*mn it, you SS-class snob, what's it to you?"
"Shen Bingning is S-class, hidden class too. Go find her!"
Right! Shen Mo suddenly remembered—Shen Bingning was an S-class at their school!If he defeated her, what would he gain?
Suddenly, a Bone Flower Demon lunged at them with its gaping maw!Shen Mo, lost in thought, lazily slapped it away.
Boom!
The three of them hastened to catch up with Jiang Yixian, only to see the Bone Flower Demon twisted into an unnatural shape, nearly exploding.So the shield warrior had been holding back the whole time...
They grew even more eager to follow, though the chubby one couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of fear once more...
[Defeated: Bone Flower Demon][Imitator's Touch Activated][Obtained Attribute: Strength +1]...
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you blind? Didn't you see that was blocked?"
Shen Mo frowned, realizing he had unintentionally stepped into the territory claimed by one of the aristocratic students. The person blocking their path had a particularly arrogant expression.
Shen Mo quickly used his detection skill, but failed to gain any useful information. Instead, he was countered by the roadblock."Hey, stop poking around!"
Meanwhile, a large group arrived at the novice dungeon.Two students, surrounded by others, were slowly making their way over.
"Hm?"
"Shen Bingning?! What's she doing here?"
Following the voice of the slender mage, Shen Mo glanced into the crowd and saw a cold, stern face.When she met his gaze, for some inexplicable reason, she quickly lowered her head and quickened her pace.
Beside her, another boy shot them all a smug, dismissive look.
"Tch, show-off."Jiang muttered in disdain.
"Who's that?"
"Who else? The richest man's son in the city—Qian Tianxing."
Qian Tianxing?