44: Chapter 44: Those who want to coast through the game, stay; those who want to win, follow me.

The next morning.

The sunlight was blinding, and the main square of Tianhai No. 3 High School was bustling with noise.

A giant LED screen stood in the center, with red names scrolling frantically across it.

That was the report card from yesterday's written exam.

First place: Li Shaobai, 100 points.

Second place: Chen Yu, 98 points.

...

120th place: Lin Qi, 45 points.

Behind his name was a line of bright red comments: "Ideas are unrestrained and deviate severely from data logic; suggest retaking the theory course."

"Forty-five points?"

Wang Gang stood at the front of the crowd, pointing at the screen and laughing like a goose.

"I'm dying of laughter. You didn't even hit the passing line. Lin Qi, did you train your brain into mush during those three days of seclusion?"

The surrounding students also joined in the laughter.

In this era where data is supreme, a perfect score in theory class is the norm, while failing is a rare sight.

Li Shaobai wore his bright silver armor; although he didn't need to fight, he was accustomed to maintaining this "elite" sense of pressure at all times.

He glanced at the rankings and shook his head.

"Some things are destined."

Li Shaobai straightened his cuffs, his tone indifferent.

"Without a class trait, one cannot understand the intricacies of skill cooldowns and attribute counters. A blank slate is a blank slate after all; no matter how good your physical fitness is, you are just an Advanced infantryman."

Lin Qi stood at the very back of the crowd, a bag of milk dangling from his mouth.

He felt nothing about that score.

Zhang Wei leaned over, looking like he was constipated.

"Brother Qi, although I know you don't like studying, this score is too low. What did you write for that 'Rock Puppet' question? I didn't memorize the book either, but even I knew to choose the Armor-Piercing Arrow."

Lin Qi finished the last of the milk and tossed the bag into the trash can.

"I wrote: kick the knee."

Zhang Wei opened his mouth but couldn't respond.

On the podium in the distance.

Instructor Su Qing held Lin Qi's test paper in her hand.

Red crosses covered the paper.

But her gaze didn't linger on the score; instead, she stared at the answers Lin Qi had written.

"Facing a high-agility assassin, backhand stab into the eye socket..."

"Facing a heavy-armored knight, dislocate the horse's leg joints..."

Instructor Su Qing's fingers traced over this handwriting.

These were all fighting styles that violated the System's rules.

But in a real life-or-death struggle, these were the most efficient killing techniques.

Those rigid data calculations often meant being half a beat slow on the ever-changing battlefield.

Being half a beat slow meant death.

"It seems you really aren't a person of this era."

Instructor Su Qing folded the paper, stuffed it into her pocket, and then turned on the microphone.

"Silence, everyone."

The voice from the loudspeaker drowned out the noise of the playground.

"Theory is just a warm-up; the real assessment begins now."

"Everyone, head to the Combat Hall."

The Combat Hall was located in the basement of the teaching building.

Hundreds of silver-white holographic dive pods were lined up neatly, looking like coffins full of sci-fi aesthetics.

Instructor Su Qing stood in front of the control console, tapping her fingers on the Void Realm screen a few times.

"This dungeon is the 'Gloomy Cavern'."

"Pain simulation is set to 30%. The System will scan your physical data in real-time; aside from the fact that you won't actually die, every other sensation will be exactly the same as reality."

"Now, beginning random team assignment."

The image on the main screen above the hall changed.

Hundreds of names were shuffled and then quickly rearranged into new groups.

Five people per group.

All eyes were fixed on the big screen, praying to be carried by a strong teammate.

"Holy crap! I'm in the first group, on the same team as Li Shaobai!"

A lucky guy was so excited he almost fainted.

Li Shaobai's team composition was luxurious.

S-rank Sword Master Li Shaobai, an A-rank Paladin, two high-output mages, and a dedicated healer.

This was what you called a star team.

The screen continued to scroll.

Until the last line.

[ Group 44 ]

Members:

Lin Qi (No Class / LV.1)

Zhang Wei (Alchemist / LV.8)

Zhao Xiaoyu (Priest / LV.9)

Wang Kai (Ranger / LV.10)

Chen Huo (Fire Mage / LV.9)

The hall was silent for two seconds, then erupted in even louder laughter than before.

"Group 44? The 'Death' Group?"

"What kind of cursed composition is this? A blank slate, a life-class player, and three newbies who haven't even finished their class transfer?"

"No need to watch; it's a rhythm of being dead on arrival."

Wang Gang stood next to Li Shaobai, laughing until tears were almost streaming down his face.

"Lin Qi, good luck. I hope that S-rank BOSS gets you stuck in its teeth when it eats you."

Lin Qi ignored him and walked straight toward the area marked "44".

Zhang Wei looked at the list, the fat on his face trembling, then immediately turned to pure ecstasy.

"We're set! This round is in the bag!"

He grabbed Lin Qi's arm, completely ignoring the sympathetic gazes around them.

"Brother Qi, carry us!"

The other three teammates were already standing by the dive pods.

The priest girl named Zhao Xiaoyu looked like she was about to cry.

The Ranger Wang Kai looked at the broken wooden bow in his hand and sighed repeatedly.

The Fire Mage Chen Huo even crouched on the ground, drawing circles.

"It's over; the bottom two students in the entire school are both in our group."

Wang Kai glanced at Lin Qi, his eyes full of despair.

"If we don't pass this round, we can forget about the special recruitment quota."

The live broadcast camera also very sensibly cut to this group.

The screen was filled with candles.

[I feel bad for these three passersby; they've been sanctioned by the System.]

[How can you fight with a blank slate? Even if that fat guy can buy some potions, the damage output won't be enough.]

[Let's disperse; go watch Li Shaobai's side, heard they're going for a speedrun.]

Instructor Su Qing's voice sounded again.

"Thirty-second countdown."

"Enter the pods."

Lin Qi lay into the cold cockpit and put on the connection helmet.

A familiar sensation of weightlessness washed over him.

His vision went dark, then brightened.

Damp, cold.

His nostrils were filled with the smell of rotting soil.

Lin Qi opened his eyes.

In front of him was a huge cave entrance, with dripping stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

Body data synchronization complete.

He flexed his wrists; that feeling of overflowing power was perfectly accurate.

Even the skin toughness brought by the Perfection of Skin Refining was perfectly replicated by the System.

This technology is quite interesting.

"How are we supposed to fight this..."

Zhao Xiaoyu huddled in a corner, looking at the pitch-black depths of the cave, her voice trembling.

"Let's just hide here."

The Ranger Wang Kai suggested, clutching the white-tier dagger gifted by the System tightly.

"Anyway, as long as we don't die and survive long enough, our score should be passing. If we go in and encounter monsters, our composition will definitely suffer a total wipe."

Chen Huo nodded as well.

"Right, let's just camp. Look at Li Shaobai and the others; they're definitely rushing through. There's no need for us to throw our lives away."

Only Zhang Wei looked at Lin Qi with anticipation.

"Brother Qi, are we doing this?"

Lin Qi didn't speak.

He reached out and drew the rusty iron sword from his waist.

This was the default weapon given by the System to blank slate characters, Attack +1, better than nothing.

Clang.

The long sword was unsheathed; although it had no cold gleam, it was terrifyingly steady.

Lin Qi casually flourished the sword, the tip pointing toward the bottomless passageway.

Wind blew out from within, carrying a fishy smell.

He turned his head and looked at the three teammates who were prepared to just lie flat.

His eyes were calm, yet it made people afraid to look directly at him.

"Those who want to coast, stay here and enjoy the view."

Lin Qi stepped forward, his boots splashing in the stagnant water with a patta sound.

"Those who want to get the special recruitment quota, follow me."