24: Chapter 24 Achievement: Protector of Elwynn Forest

On the steps at the entrance of the Lions Pride Inn, the translucent figure was that of a typical middle-aged human officer. He had a tall, burly frame, with broad shoulders and thick arms honed by a long military career. His face was a standard square shape with a firm jawline and prominent brow ridges; even without armor, one could discern the mark of the military in his posture.

His eyes were remarkably distinctive—sharp, yet heavy with weariness. A standard longsword hung at his waist, its hilt polished smooth from years of gripping. Standing there, he was as solid and unquestionable as the stone buildings of Goldshire. It was difficult to see any heroic fervor in him; rather, there was a sense of heaviness brought on by responsibility.

Hu Jinsi leaned his bicycle against the wall, took his long staff from his backpack, and eyed the other party vigilantly. Lin Rui also subconsciously took out his magic short sword and round shield, moving half a step to block in front of Su Wan. All three of them knew clearly that there shouldn't be any "living people" in the Goldshire dungeon. At least in their previous three entries, they had never seen a projection that would take the initiative to strike up a conversation.

The man turned his head, his gaze falling upon the three of them with a strange, gentle quality that seemed to pierce through time and space. He spoke, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper rubbing against old wood, yet every word was clear:

"Young adventurers, you have come just in time. I was once the sheriff of Goldshire, Dugan. Now, I am but a wisp of a remnant soul, wandering here. In the Gnoll forest to the west of the town, there is a beast named Hogger. He leads his minions to cut off roads and attack travelers, casting a shadow over the peace of this land. I have waited for a long time, finally waiting for someone who can put an end to the scourge here..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over their blood-stained school uniforms and damaged equipment, a nearly gratified arc pulling at the corners of his mouth: "You have done very well. Better than I imagined."

Before his voice faded, the three of them felt their panels vibrate gently at the same time.

[Obtained Class EXP: 875]

Points of light drifted from Dugan's fingertips like fireflies disturbed on a summer night. At the same time, a long staff appeared out of thin air, rotating slowly as it descended. Hu Jinsi caught it instinctively, the warm, wooden texture transmitting to his palm.

[Balanced Long Staff]

[Type: Two-Handed Staff]

[Damage: 11-18]

[Effect 1: +1 Perception]

[Item Description: A polished oak long staff with iron-capped ends. One can feel a marvelous sense of balance when holding it; perhaps it is a good choice for a Druid.]

He looked down and almost laughed out of anger. This thing was called a "long staff," yet the panel clearly stated [Type: Two-Handed Staff]. It did indeed have a wonderful sense of balance in his hand, and the impact should be decent, but the description on the panel was clearly mocking him, a Monk.

"Selling dog meat while hanging up a sheep's head..." Hu Jinsi rolled his eyes wildly in his heart, but he had to keep a straight face. "It's called a Balanced Long Staff, but it's a staff. Has this NPC been dead for too long? Open your eyes and see, which one of us three is a Druid! You can't fool me just because there's no Monk weapon! Another piece of junk that can only be sold for money."

He weighed it, then tossed it to Lin Rui: "Keep it. Ask Yi Chun if he wants it when we get out. Druids use staves, he'll probably value this +1 Perception."

Lin Rui took it and stuffed it into his backpack. When he looked up again, Dugan's figure had already faded like a thin mist. Before the sound of the oak staff hitting the ground had dissipated, he had completely merged into the twilight.

...

In the fireplace of the Lions Pride Inn, the firewood crackled. This was the third night the three of them had spent in the dungeon, and also the last time they would spend the night at this inn.

Hu Jinsi sat cross-legged on a cushion but did not meditate immediately. He gazed at the dark purple sky outside the window and suddenly spoke: "This place... has been pretty much hollowed out by us."

"Yeah." Lin Rui leaned against the wall, wiping the claw marks on his tower shield with a piece of fine cloth, his movements slow and heavy. "Stonefield, Maclure, Fargodeep Mine, Blackwell Farm, Crystal Lake, Stone Cairn Lake, Westfall, Gnoll forest... We've been everywhere we could go, and killed everything we could kill."

"And the drops from elite monsters are becoming increasingly useless." Su Wan hugged her lyre, her fingertips plucking the strings unconsciously, producing a few scattered notes. "The first time we killed those three guys who were grouped together, we got a skill stone. The second time, they only gave a mask. The third time we come back, I reckon even the mask will be gone, directly turning into linen cloth."

"We've hit the ceiling of the dungeon." Hu Jinsi chimed in, his tone carrying a hint of weariness. "If we keep grinding, the efficiency of EXP gain will probably drop too. The world's consciousness has always given less and less for repetitive actions."

Lin Rui stopped wiping his shield and looked up: "More importantly, it's the outside. That incident last week... No one has given us an explanation yet, and as a result, we still have to take the blame and endure the cold looks."

"The way those people from No. 3 High School look at us is as if we snatched their admission quotas." Su Wan curled her lips. "Even though we didn't do anything."

"So we must change dungeons next week." Hu Jinsi made the decision, his voice very low. "Cold Plains or Raccoon City, either is fine. There are fewer students there, and we can avoid the public opinion storm. Goldshire... we won't be coming for a while."

The three exchanged a look, reaching a tacit understanding in the Silence.

...

On the fourth morning, just as the sunlight pierced through the canopy, the three of them pushed out their bicycles.

Target: Jade Mine. The place they had returned from empty-handed because of the spiderwebs filling the cave.

"This time is different." Hu Jinsi took an iron-capped hardwood long staff from his backpack. One end was wrapped in oilcloth soaked in blazing fire glue. With a strike of flint, orange-red flames erupted. "Spiderwebs are afraid of fire, and we have mobile torches."

The entrance to the mine was still gloomy, with grayish-white spiderwebs layered like dust that had accumulated for decades. But this time, Hu Jinsi walked at the front holding the fire staff. Where the flames licked, the spiderwebs made a "sizzle" sound, turning into charred debris and falling. Those sticky traps that would have originally stuck to their ankles and entangled their weapons were no match for the flames.

The monsters in the cave were the same old faces: Kobolds rushed out from the crossroads holding candles, only to be blinded by Lin Rui's strobe headlamp and then harvested by the three of them; gray-furred spiders hung down from the ceiling and sprayed venom, but the narrow terrain restricted their mobility—the passages were no wider than two meters, and the spiders' huge abdomens had trouble even turning around, leaving them no room to dodge.

The elite Mother Spider in the depths was even more frustrated. That beast was the size of a calf, its abdomen swollen, and its eight legs got stuck on the rock walls just as it started to move. The three of them didn't engage in close-quarters combat with it at all. Lin Rui stood three meters away with his spear, specifically poking its compound eyes; Hu Jinsi kept pointing the single-headed fire staff at the fluff on the spider's legs, maintaining a safe distance, the flames making the fluff on its abdomen sizzle; Su Wan stood further back, providing illumination with Faerie Fire and using Thunderwave to push back the small spiders trying to flank them.

"It's not as strong as Hogger!" Hu Jinsi shouted while setting fires. "The difficulty is all in the terrain and the spiderwebs. Now that the fire is on, it's just a dish!"

The battle lasted for less than 5 minutes. The Mother Spider rushed left and right in the narrow cave but couldn't touch a corner of the three's clothes, and eventually, its health bar was ground down by flames and spears. It let out a shrill hiss and dissipated into points of light.

After the battle, they tallied the loot. The Kobolds dropped gold sand and candles, and also popped out a few pieces of malachite and tiger's eye, glowing with a warm luster. The small spiders left behind piles of spider legs, tough spider silk, and a [Recipe: Roasted Spider Legs]. Hu Jinsi looked at the recipe, and his mouth twitched: "...Who wants this? Sun Yao's Dire Rats might not even eat it."

And the drop from the elite Mother Spider was a piece of equipment that made one's scalp tingle.

[Female Spider's Shell]

[Armor Type: Leather Armor]

[Equipment Slot: Chest]

[Defense: 8]

[Effect: +1 Stamina]

[Item Description: This is a sleeveless leather armor simply processed from the complete back shell of a Mother Spider. It has not been finely polished by Stormwind craftsmen, retaining the raw roughness and biological curves of the beast's carapace. Wearing it, it's less like armor and more like strapping the "lid" of a giant spider directly onto one's chest.]

The thing looked just like its description; perhaps it would be popular in the Cthulhu world. Overall, it looked like a complete, curved black back shell, with the edges still retaining unprocessed joint fragments. The panel stats were good, but wearing it, the rough biological curves pressed against the skin, and one could feel the friction of the carapace with every step.

"Defense is not low..." Lin Rui evaluated objectively.

"And it adds Stamina..." Su Wan added.

"But the appearance..." The two fell silent simultaneously.

Su Wan imagined herself standing in class wearing this "spider chest armor" and shivered: "Too ugly, and too high-profile. Our squad is following a low-profile development route. If we wear this, we'll be recognized from three streets away."

"Indeed." Lin Rui nodded. "And with this thing draped over you, you need strong mental fortitude. Most people can't handle that visual effect."

Hu Jinsi didn't speak on the side, just silently complained in his heart: Only those Fourth Calamity players from his previous life could wear this kind of stuff as graduation gear without any psychological burden, and even call it "personalized transmog." Who can handle this normally?

In the end, the shell was put into the backpack, "Sell-for-money item" +1.

...

Time rewinds 5 minutes.

Just as the Mother Spider turned into points of light, a sudden change occurred.

A line of dazzling golden text exploded on the panels in front of the three simultaneously. At the same time, an invisible wave spread from them as the center to the entire dungeon—

[System Notification]

Awakened Lin Rui, Su Wan, and Hu Jinsi have joined forces to end the threat of seven elite creatures, successfully defending the peace of Elwynn Forest. Obtained achievement [Protector of Elwynn Forest].

The sound didn't ring in their ears but was branded directly into their consciousness, like some kind of proclamation from the world itself. The three stood frozen, looking at each other.

"...What?" Su Wan opened her mouth.

Hu Jinsi quickly scanned the achievement description, his face gradually turning black. The achievement reward was a Specialty Reroll Ticket, which allowed one to redraw ten new options if unsatisfied with the candidates when drawing a Specialty at every tenth integer level. This reward itself was precious, but the accompanying announcement effect...

"Small-scale announcement." Lin Rui's voice was as cold as ice. "Everyone in the dungeon, and the staff at the dungeon entrance, should have received it."

"In other words," Hu Jinsi continued slowly, "now those students and teachers outside all know that we have cleared seven elites in these 72 hours?"

"And that's under the condition that squads with two S-rank classes haven't achieved it." Su Wan covered her face. "We're completely targets now."

The three's mood plummeted from the joy of harvest into an ice cellar. This kind of achievement announcement was extremely rare, triggered only by the first squad to meet the conditions. Subsequent ones, even if they completed the same feat, would not have any notifications or rewards. They had been grinding in the Blood Moor for a month before and had never heard of anyone triggering anything similar.

"We originally wanted to hide the matter of Hogger and the elite spider..." Hu Jinsi smiled bitterly. "Now that the announcement is posted, we can't hide it at all."

"The pressure will be even greater after we go out." Lin Rui said in a deep voice. "But this also confirms one thing—we must change dungeons next week, immediately, right now."

...

Exiting the Jade Mine, there were less than two hours left before leaving the dungeon.

"Since it's already decided that this is the last time we come to the Goldshire dungeon in the near future," Hu Jinsi shouldered his fire staff, "let's go to Stone Cairn Lake. Clear as much as we can, consider it a farewell ceremony."

The three rode their bikes toward the northeast. The murloc mages at Stone Cairn Lake were still standing in the shallow water, waving their staves, ice balls condensing. But with the experience of the previous two times, the campfire tactic combined with Su Wan's Thunderwave made the battle mechanical and efficient. Hu Jinsi would sometimes rush at the murloc mages with the fire staff, sometimes return to the vicinity of the pit to perform Spinning Crane Kick, busy as can be; Lin Rui speared them to death, no longer continuing to save the grenades and Molotov cocktails in his backpack.

Two hours passed in a flash. When the last murloc mage in the field of vision turned into points of light in the flames, a pale green teleportation light film rose from under the three's feet.

"Let's go."

"Yeah, let's go."

"Goldshire... won't see you for a while."

...

The world before their eyes condensed from rotating points of light into reality, and the hustle and bustle of the dungeon exit plaza rushed toward them.

But this time, the atmosphere was completely different.

The surrounding students didn't go about their own business as usual but turned their heads in unison, their gazes hitting the three like spotlights. There was shock, inquiry, jealousy, and a bit of complex emotion that was hard to describe in those eyes. Several staff members in white coats stopped their work and pointed at the three. In the distance, several deliberately lowered discussions came from the group of students from No. 3 High School, but the hostility in their eyes was thicker than last week.

"...Is it necessary?" Su Wan shrank behind Lin Rui. "I have goosebumps."

"Bite the bullet." Hu Jinsi lowered his voice. "Go to report first, answer if asked, remember what we discussed before, but don't tell everything."

The three hurried toward the No. 1 High School assembly point. Teacher Fan was indeed there, but this time he didn't pat their shoulders with a smile as usual, but handed over the registration book with a complex expression: "...I know about the achievement announcement. Report truthfully, is there anything you want to say."

The probing and reservation in that tone made the last bit of trust in the three's hearts fade. They had an indescribable barrier toward the school and the teachers.

After the report was finished, the three were immediately surrounded by classmates from No. 1 High School. Not only students from their own class but also students from other classes squeezed over, asking about the process in a jumble.

"Seven elites? How did you do it?"

"How did you kill that big Gnoll?"

"You also killed the big spider in the Jade Mine?"

The three were mentally prepared. Hu Jinsi raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then together with Lin Rui and Su Wan, they broke down the tactics, mechanics, and precautions of the seven elites one by one. Except for Hogger and the Mother Spider being disclosed for the first time, information on the other five elites had been shared last week, and this week some classmates like the Nature Squad, Gunpowder Squad, and Pear Garden Squad in the class had already tried to take down the Princess.

"Actually, because the monsters in this dungeon are somewhat scattered, the main factors that affect everyone's efficiency are 2 things." Hu Jinsi summarized. "It's the speed of clearing small monsters, and the efficiency of moving between various elites. We used mountain bikes, other squads should find their own ways, find a movement plan that suits them."

Each squad had a different combination of classes, faced different difficulties, and required different solutions. A smooth one like the Nature Squad, after hearing the sharing from the Jack-of-All-Trades Squad, already had a concrete plan within the team. There were also squads composed of Rogue + Ranger + Wanderer Swordman that had strong single-target output but still lacked effective area-of-effect monster clearing methods.

...

After dealing with the bustling inquiries, the three of them retreated like ostriches into the bus for the return trip.

Once the bus doors closed, the noise from the outside was blocked out. But the Silence inside didn't last three seconds—Lin Rui and Su Wan's phones vibrated crazily at the same time, and message notifications hammered onto their screens like a rainstorm.

"... It's happening again." Su Wan looked at the dozens of unread messages in her contacts, including relatives, former classmates, and even distant cousins she had never spoken to. "How do they all have my number?"

"Aren't your families in the same group chat? They just need your parents' contacts." Hu Jinsi, being an orphan, had a clean contact list, but seeing Lin Rui and Su Wan looking distraught, he couldn't help but shake his head. "Quickly send a reassuring message to your families, then mute them. Out of sight, out of mind."

The three of them sent brief explanations to their parents, then simultaneously set their phones to silent and shoved them into the deepest part of their bags.

"Good thing we're changing dungeons next week." Su Wan slumped into her seat, her lyre leaning to one side. "No need to face this terrible situation again."

"Actually, you don't need to worry too much." Lin Rui suddenly spoke, his voice carrying through the car window. "After we get back, there will be new events immediately that will divert the students' energy and attention."

Hu Jinsi became interested and turned to the side: "What kind of event can suck away all the firepower?"

"The University League, and the freshman tournament this year." Lin Rui turned around, a rare hint of relaxation appearing in his eyes. "While we were in the dungeon these past few days, the regional qualifiers have already started. Do you remember the wrestling tactic I demonstrated in the dungeon? The prototype was a fighting style shown by a masked Silence-using senior in the last freshman tournament. This year's freshmen will also have quite a few new classes and new tactics appearing."

"Are you that sure?" Hu Jinsi raised an eyebrow.

"Anything is possible." Lin Rui's lips curled up. "By then, the whole campus will be discussing which senior developed what fancy trick. Who will have time to stare at us three sophomores?"

The three of them imagined that scene, and their tensed shoulders finally relaxed. As they chatted, sleepiness welled up. The bus bumped and swayed, like a cradle. Hu Jinsi's head bobbed, Lin Rui's breathing gradually steadied, and Su Wan, clutching her lyre, fell into a deep sleep with a faint smile still on her lips.

...

Back home, it was just as Lin Rui had expected.

Although the achievement announcement triggered a flurry of discussion within a small circle, the campus forum, class group chats, and even the hot topics on the streets had been completely dominated by the University League and regional qualifiers. In the videos, the light and shadow effects of various advanced classes were blindingly dazzling, and the students' topics shifted rapidly from "that Jack-of-All-Trades Squad from No. 1 High School" to "which freshman senior can make it to the national tournament this year."

Hu Jinsi returned to his two-bedroom apartment, leaned his iron-reinforced staff against the corner of the wall, and let out a long breath. He opened the panel, looking at the [Level 6 Extra Talent Available for Draw] prompt, his fingers hovering in mid-air.

He had saved up 3200 experience points in the dungeon but hadn't drawn yet. He was afraid that the changes in combat power brought by the talent would be too abrupt and be noticed as abnormal by Lin Rui and Su Wan. Now that he was home, he could complete it quietly and then explain any changes as "new results from training these past two days."

[Spend 3200 experience points to draw a Level 6 class talent?]

"Yes."

[Please choose from the following talents:]

The panel expanded, and the three options shimmered with a pale golden light.

[Crane Shadow Zen: You are well-versed in the way of survival while spinning. You no longer fight against dizziness but dance with it. Your gaze remains clear in the storm; every time you shake your head, the world re-stabilizes in your eyes, and the enemy's flaws have nowhere to hide in your clear vision. Effect: When you channel Spinning Crane Kick, you can perform a "lock-on" action. In this state, you are immune to the "dizzy" status caused by rotation, and you reduce the evasion possibility of your targeted enemy (because you are constantly staring at the target).]

[Crane's Cry to the Heavens: Your rotation is no longer a small-scale whirlwind but a storm sweeping across the battlefield. Wherever the Crane Shadow reaches, energy surges, and no one can stand firmly within your domain. Effect: The area of effect of Spinning Crane Kick is expanded to a radius of 4 meters.]

[Qi Through the Rainbow: Your breath and rotation become one, circulating endlessly. The consumed Qi is rapidly replenished, making this storm seem capable of lasting forever, until there are no standing enemies on the battlefield. Effect: The activation cost of Spinning Crane Kick is reduced by 1 point of Qi (minimum 0). During the skill's duration, for every enemy you hit, you have a 5% chance to recover 1 point of Qi. (The total recovery during each release of Spinning Crane Kick is no more than 20% of your total Qi).]

Hu Jinsi's gaze scanned back and forth between the three lines of text, his heartbeat gradually accelerating.

All three were exclusive enhancements for Spinning Crane Kick; this was a rare situation where Hu Jinsi coveted all three talents.

[Crane Shadow Zen]'s lack of dizziness might be more practical for Hu Jinsi than any dance practice, solving the problem in one step and also getting a boost.

[Crane's Cry to the Heavens] directly expanded the attack range of Spinning Crane Kick from a 2-meter radius to a 4-meter radius. Considering that if they went to a new dungeon next week, this talent could greatly enhance the efficiency of clearing monsters.

[Qi Through the Rainbow] strengthened Hu Jinsi's sustainability. 0-cost activation of Spinning Crane Kick, with a chance to recover Qi in between, meant that as long as Hu Jinsi's body could hold up, theoretically, he could keep spinning forever. Although currently, 6 seconds was Hu Jinsi's limit.

But [Crane's Cry to the Heavens]'s range expansion was too exaggerated; from 2 meters to 4 meters, this change couldn't be explained to the squad at all. PASS.

[Crane Shadow Zen] was indeed practical, but he believed he could still overcome dizziness with willpower, and could endure it a bit longer.

[Qi Through the Rainbow]... This was the true core demand. Sustainability! Sustainability! All the problems of a Monk ultimately boiled down to not having enough Qi. As for how to explain it? Simple, just say he used a recovery potion during the battle, so the consumption of the Qi pool was naturally reduced.

"Select, Qi Through the Rainbow."

The panel vibrated, and the talent was unlocked.

...

During the next rest cycle, the three of them mobilized their respective networks. They contacted various classmates and friends they had known, asking them about the monster situation and intelligence in the Cold Plains and Raccoon City.

After summarizing the intelligence, the three gathered in Lin Rui's living room, spreading out a piece of scratch paper full of notes to discuss.

"The monster types in the Cold Plains are similar to the Blood Moor," Lin Rui analyzed. "Zombies, Fallen, Quill Rats; we have experience. The new monsters haven't deviated from undead and demons, if you don't count elites and sub-bosses. For us, the difficulty has increased overall, but not by much. However, the environment is harsher, the temperature isn't friendly, and the proportion of ranged units is higher."

"What about Raccoon City?" Su Wan took over. "Zombies are slow but extremely numerous. The only elite monster discovered so far is a type of Licker, speed-enhanced, mid-range attack, moves ignoring terrain; it can be considered a reinforced assassin. For us, the advantage is high monster density. As long as we make a big noise, they will swarm over on their own, saving the trouble of luring monsters."

"The disadvantages are also obvious," Hu Jinsi added. "Getting scratched by a zombie will cause infection. Without a detoxification method, you have to watch your health bar drop bit by bit until forced teleportation. Plus, firearm noise is equivalent to a monster-luring horn; we can't rely on thermal weapons."

The three were silent for a moment, simultaneously thinking of Zhao Lei's situation. The Knight Squad encountered Bishibosh in the Cold Plains, with two dead and one dropping out of school. And when they faced Hogger in Goldshire, it was only elite level, and without the help of traps, they had exhausted almost all their resources to barely win.

"We can't beat sub-boss level BOSSes right now," Lin Rui said in a deep voice. "Whether it's Blood Raven deep in the Cold Plains, Rakanishu, or Bishibosh, none of them are things we can touch right now."

"But at least in Raccoon City, we don't have to kite ranged monsters in the freezing snow," Hu Jinsi made the final decision. "And high monster density means more stable experience gain. Considering everything... we'll go to Raccoon City next week."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

...

After confirming the dungeon, the three began to process last week's gains and prepare supplies.

None of the drops from last week were directly usable by the squad. The [Balanced Staff] was sold to Yi Chun for a friendly price of 4000 credits; that guy had indeed been coveting a staff with +1 Perception for a long time. [Female Spider's Shell], [Skinning Axe], [Undigested Champion Radish], [Bloody Defias Mask] were all dealt to the school's logistics department in one go, with a recovery price of 12000 credits. Adding the miscellaneous income like meat and cloth, the squad's public funds recovered by a large margin.

Each person received 3000 credits, and the remainder was kept as public funds. But Hu Jinsi did the math: Lin Rui spent nearly 1000 repairing equipment every time they came out of a dungeon, plus the replenishment of Molotov cocktails, alchemist's fire, fuel, and arrows; the surplus on the surface actually wasn't as much as it looked.

"This time going to Raccoon City," Lin Rui organized his backpack, "I won't bring extra firearms and ammunition. Firearms will drop in the dungeon; if we really need them, we can just pick them up on the spot."

"Mainly prepare antidotes," Su Wan added. "Although my Healing Word has a healing effect, we also have to consider the issue of spell slots running out or the toxicity being too strong. We must have enough anti-infection potions, better too many than too few."

Various strengths of antidotes were another 4-digit expense.

...

This week's fresh news was indeed occupied by the headlines of the University League.

In the regional promotion tournament where Wei City was located, a freshman senior named Xiao Gu emerged. His advanced class was unprecedented—[Heavenly Martial Sovereign]. According to the on-site video description, this person's movements and attacks were accompanied by BGM, the melody was vigorous and impassioned, every step taken was like stepping on a drumbeat, and sound waves oscillated between fist wind and leg shadows, with an astonishing momentum. Countless boys watched with hot blood in front of the screen, exclaiming "Protagonist template," "Cool to the explosion."

"No one can defeat him in his BGM." Hu Jinsi looked at the hot posts on the forum and clicked his tongue in wonder. "This class is simply the ultimate dream of chuunibyou. It's too idealistic."

But he wasn't cool for more than three seconds.

In the third round of the regional qualifiers, Xiao Gu encountered a class that completely restrained him—[Silence]. The opponent raised a hand, the BGM stopped abruptly, the sound waves dissipated, and all the bonuses of the Heavenly Martial Sovereign returned to zero instantly. Having lost the melody's blessing, Xiao Gu was no different from an ordinary Level 30 martial artist; the moves were still there, but the soul was gone. In the end, he swallowed the defeat, fell into the loser's bracket with hatred, and went to fight for that pitifully slim chance of qualifying.

"Being cool is a lifelong thing," Hu Jinsi closed the video and sighed at the sunset outside the window. "But winning is the shared mainstream narrative of two lifetimes."

— I am a dividing line —

[Heavenly Martial Sovereign]

[Class Core Positioning: The protagonist whose rules are sound. You no longer follow physical laws but live in a "movie script" written by your own will. As long as you are on the scene, the world will automatically generate real-time background music (BGM) that everyone can hear. On the battlefield covered by this melody, the ending of the script has long been written: No one can defeat the protagonist.]

[Class Introduction: Ordinary martial artists break techniques with strength; peerless powerhouses control Qi with intent; and those who ascend to the Heavenly Dao have every word and action as a fixed number. You do not play music, nor do you need to chant, simply because your existence itself resonates with heaven and earth. When that exclusive Heavenly Destiny sound plays, everything becomes an audience. In this melody of destiny, no one can rewrite the script, and no one can defeat this destined protagonist.]

[Class Characteristics: Your strong will automatically triggers reality-based musical accompaniment (BGM). This is not an illusion or sound wave, but the world's recognition of your identity. Whenever the battle reaches a climax, this melody will switch chapters. When your theme song plays, no entity can defeat you through conventional means, because you are the absolute core of this play.]

[Class Talent — Destiny Accompaniment: You don't need any actions, nor do you need to understand music theory. As long as you enter battle or show a strong will to fight, a BGM that matches your temperament, has melody, and has instrumentation (such as orchestral, war drums, chorus) will automatically sound. All creatures on the battlefield (including the deaf, through "perception" or "vibration") can "hear" and "feel" this music.]

[Class Skill — Chapter 1 · Hero's Entrance: When you display overwhelming momentum, shock enemies, or take heavy hits without falling, the impassioned "Hero's Overture" automatically plays. Requires continuous consumption of Qi and Stamina. Protagonist Halo: Outside your turn, any attack or negative effect targeting you automatically fails (as if missed or resisted). (Unlocked with level) Plot Protection: Any attack attempting to "instakill" you is forcibly interrupted because the "plot does not allow it," and the attacker instead falls into a brief shock (unable to act). (Unlocked with level) Auditory Experience: Grand orchestral music, accompanied by vigorous male chorus, makes people involuntarily feel awe. (Intimidation ++)]

[Class Skill — Chapter 2 · Final Battle (Core): When you launch your strongest blow, your health is critical, or you lock onto the final target, the intense "End-of-Days War Song" automatically plays. Causal Instakill: All your attacks automatically hit and are guaranteed critical hits, ignoring all defense, evasion, immunity, and damage reduction. (Unlocked with level) Script Finale: Any enemy attempting to flee the battlefield or hide will be forcibly pulled back by a "plot gravity" and suffer a death verdict.]

[Advancement Conditions: Class Requirement: Any physical melee class possessing 'Qi'. Attribute Requirement: Strength or Agility ≥ 18 (Ultimate Physique), Constitution ≥ 16 (Qi and Blood like a Dragon). Talent Requirement: Power Attack, Tyrant Stance. Ritual Requirement: Breakthrough of Martial Will. In a near-death battle, your will overwhelmed the fear of death and the awe of strong enemies, and you firmly believed "My fate is up to me, not Heaven." At this moment, the world acknowledged your will, and thus the destined accompaniment was born.]