25: Chapter 25 Core Class Rules

No one in the formation spoke. On the first day of reporting, before even meeting the instructor, the qualification for the Core Class was already gone.

"Now, I will explain the rules of the Core Class. I will only say this once."

He paced slowly in front of the formation, the sound of his left leg dragging on the floor exceptionally clear in the quiet training hall.

"After becoming an Awakened, you must enter a Dungeon at least once every 10 days while between levels 0-10. For levels 11-20, you must enter at least once every 30 days. Once the time is up, if you don't enter, the Dungeon will forcibly pull you in. These are all random Dungeons, just like the ones you saw in the novice Dungeon: random terrain, random monsters, and random rules. Every time you enter, it is completely new."

"The probability of encountering sentient beings in high-star Dungeons is not low. Some are friendly, some are hostile, and some fall somewhere in between. It depends on how you handle them."

"Dungeons aren't just about fighting and killing. Judgment, adaptability, and the ability to make correct decisions when information is asymmetrical—these are the things high-star Dungeons really test. Reckless brutes who only know how to stand still and output damage won't survive a single round in a three-star or higher Dungeon."

"And then there are fixed Dungeons..." He paused.

"We'll talk about those once you have the ability to get into university. Fixed Dungeons exist at specific locations on Blue Star. They are real dimensional rifts that have not yet been conquered by raid teams."

"Those are things only high-level Awakened in universities are qualified to touch. You can't even reach the door right now."

He stopped for a moment, as if waiting for the weight of those words to sink in.

"The system will automatically grade you every time you enter a Dungeon. You have all seen the grading rules during your first settlement. At the end of the month, you will be ranked based on your comprehensive score, and the bottom five will enter the reserve elimination pool. If someone in the reserve pool surpasses you, you go back to your original school."

He paused for a half-beat, his voice dropping.

"A year from now, there might not even be half of you left standing here. Some will die in Dungeons, some will be eliminated by me, and some will be overtaken by alternates. Of the twenty-three of you now, no more than twelve will walk out wearing the Core Class uniform in the end."

No one in the formation spoke, but the atmosphere was clearly different. With a fifty percent elimination rate, everyone was mentally placing themselves in that scenario.

Instructor Meng Yuan didn't give them time to process this and continued.

"The cumulative score of all Dungeons this year will determine what kind of university you can enter. You need at least twenty Dungeons; if you exceed twenty, the twenty highest scores will be counted toward your total assessment. Conversion standard: one-star Dungeons are worth one to ten points, two-star eleven to twenty points, and so on. The higher the star rating, the higher the ceiling, and the difficulty doubles."

"There are two top-tier universities." He raised two fingers. "The Federal Watcher Awakened Military Academy, whose duty is protection, and its motto is four words—'Never Fall.' During the Centennial War, not a single graduate of Watcher retreated a step from the defensive line."

"The Federal Dawn Awakened University, whose duty is assault, and its motto is also four words—'Tread Through the Abyss.' These two universities only admit students ranked in the top one-ten-thousandth of the entire Federation's total score. The remaining conventional Awakened universities admit students in order of their total score."

Top one-ten-thousandth—these words weighed even more than the "fifty percent elimination rate" from earlier.

"The resources provided to you by the Federation are not low, and all gains from Dungeons belong to you. Resource potions are distributed based on your score. Those with an average score above A-Rank will receive an extra bottle of Special Attribute Potion every month, which increases your attribute cap and has a market value of 50,000 star coins."

"There are also purchasing qualifications for high-priced equipment, skill books, and more... The Core Class will also have a Federation-wide simulated Dungeon confrontation drill. All Safe Zones will participate together, and the results will be counted toward your total assessment. Its value is much higher than a single Dungeon score."

He lowered his hand and looked around at everyone.

"If you have any questions, ask now."

Qin Chuan raised his hand: "Instructor, can we enter Dungeons consecutively?"

"Yes, as long as you feel your condition is good, you can enter a Dungeon at any time. However, the scores from those additional Dungeons will also be counted toward your total assessment. If you aren't afraid of dragging down your total score, feel free to apply."

Shen Xin raised her hand: "How is the reserve elimination pool determined? What if the scores are the same?"

"If the scores are the same, we look at the number of BOSS kills. If they are still the same, there will be a tie-breaker duel."

No one else raised their hand.

"I'll give you some time to get to know each other. Dismissed."

As the formation dispersed, Qin Chuan leaned in. "Boss, when you were confronting Fang Shen, you were so cold and aloof, it was unbelievable."

"I prefer to let my strength do the talking."

Shen Xin walked up from behind and asked: "Lin Yan, which university do you plan to apply to?"

"Dawn," Lin Yan said.

"Dawn?" Qin Chuan was stunned for a moment. "Your playstyle is as tanky as a wall, and you're going to Dawn instead of Watcher?"

"Only by cutting off the root will the world recover," Lin Yan said.

Protection might save a few people from falling, but only by treading through the abyss at the source will these things not repeat.

Shen Xin glanced at him, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly: "I'm choosing Watcher. My support talent is group-oriented; it would be a waste not to go to Watcher. What about you, Qin Chuan?"

"Dawn," Qin Chuan said. "My talent isn't suited for protection; I only excel at offense."

"Lin Yan." Jiang Ruoxue's voice was not loud, but it was very clear.

Lin Yan turned around. A girl was standing a few steps away. She was different from the warm and cheerful beauty of Shen Xin. Shen Xin was vibrant; her smile made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze. But Jiang Ruoxue's beauty was cold. Her features were as exquisite as an ice sculpture, her facial contours sharp and distinct, and her skin was so pale it was almost transparent, as if covered in a thin layer of frost.

She was wearing the dark school uniform of First Awakening Middle School, with the collar neatly buttoned to the second button. Even though it was just a standard school uniform cut, she wore it with an air of aloofness that kept people at a distance.

But this aloofness was not arrogance. Her gaze was direct and upright, not the scrutinizing look that Fang Shen had, but more like she was confirming something she had been thinking about for a long time.

"My name is Jiang Ruoxue, First Awakening Middle School, A-Rank Talent, A+ score." The way she introduced herself was so concise it was almost business-like, but her tone lacked the condescending sting of Fang Shen, nor did it carry the deliberate aloofness of other Awakened from First Awakening Middle School.

"I watched the duel earlier. Fang Shen is my classmate, and he didn't lose unjustly. I am not like him; I have no hostility toward you, but I am very curious about you."

Qin Chuan raised an eyebrow on the side and whispered to Shen Xin: "I can't believe there's someone like this from First Awakening Middle School."

Shen Xin ignored him, her gaze resting on Jiang Ruoxue for a moment before she smiled slightly: "Second Middle School, Shen Xin. A-Rank support talent."

"Qin Chuan, Ninth Middle School, A-Rank." Qin Chuan also stated his name, his tone relaxed. "What do you want with our boss?"

"To make friends," Jiang Ruoxue said, her gaze returning to Lin Yan.

"I've thought about the gap between your talent and your score for a long time, but I couldn't figure it out. But that's okay. We'll be in the same class from now on, so there will be plenty of opportunities to figure it out. Besides..."

She paused.

"With that personality of his, Fang Shen is bound to stumble sooner or later. If you hadn't acted today, someone else would have. I just didn't expect it to happen so soon."

"Aren't you going to avenge him?" Lin Yan asked.

"The prerequisite for revenge is that I believe he was in the right," Jiang Ruoxue's tone was as calm as if she were stating the result of a calculation.

"He called you a bastard in front of so many people. If I were to help him get back at you just because he is my classmate, then what difference would there be between him and me?"

After saying that, she turned and walked back into the training hall. She walked a few steps, then paused without looking back. "If we can form a team for the next Dungeon, consider asking me. A-Rank Ice combat talent, ranged DPS, I won't hold you back."