54: Chapter 54 Winter Break Begins, Mysterious Island, I, Hu Jinsi, am Back

The 250% difficulty Burning Village was completely different from what they had imagined.

The five of them stood before the gray-white vortex, the figures of Hu Jinsi, Lin Rui, Su Wan, Zhou Wen, and Liu Betti stretched long by the morning light. Hu Jinsi hoisted his iron-wood staff bound with iron onto his shoulder and took a deep breath; the air still carried the crisp chill unique to winter, but in the next second, they would step into that hell shrouded in flames and thick smoke.

"Let's go."

Passing through the portal, the heat and thick smoke were more than twice as intense as before. The air was so dry it felt as if all moisture had been drained, and every breath felt like inhaling a handful of sand. Su Wan had just taken off her mask to prepare her chant when her throat became painfully dry, as if someone were scrubbing the inside with sandpaper.

"This smoke..." She coughed twice and quickly put her mask back on.

The first enemies appeared at the edge of their vision. Five Soldiers; their leather armor had changed from colorful patterns to a uniform dark brown, but the most noticeable change was the row of throwing knives at their waists.

"Watch out, they have ranged attackers!" No sooner had Lin Rui's warning left his lips than three throwing knives came whistling through the air.

Liu Betti did a side roll to dodge one, while the other two were blocked by Lin Rui's tower Shield, emitting crisp clanging sounds. Hu Jinsi didn't hesitate; he activated [Chi Torpedo], his figure turning into an afterimage as he charged into the enemy group. But this time, his three-round Spinning Crane Kick failed to clear out a single Soldier. The Soldiers all still had nearly half their health left, and two poisoned daggers grazed Hu Jinsi's forearm.

[-7]

[Poisoned Status: -1 HP per second, lasts for 30 seconds]

"Their HP is more than double!" Hu Jinsi retreated while bandaging himself and using [Emergency Medical Treatment]. "My [Spinning Crane Kick] can't kill them in three rounds anymore!"

Zhou Wen's [Arc Lightning] and Liu Betti's [Fire Arrow] arrived in time to follow up. Blue electric arcs jumped between the Soldiers, and burning arrows struck the enemies, finally finishing off the low-health targets one by one. However, the pace of the battle was significantly slower than at 150% difficulty.

Greater trouble lay ahead. The Swordsmen's chainmail had been replaced by full-body heavy armor, making the original tactic of circling behind to kick their knees extremely difficult. That heavy armor covered them entirely, even the backs of their knees were protected by knee guards. Hu Jinsi's Flurry of Blows kicked against them, producing a dull thud like kicking a metal barrel. The damage was pitiful, and Hu Jinsi didn't think his knuckles had any chance of breaking through steel.

The number of Archers had also increased significantly; every squad of Soldiers had at least two Archers mixed in, specifically targeting Su Wan, Zhou Wen, and Liu Betti in the back row. Liu Betti had to move frequently, and Su Wan, not being skilled with a Shield, sometimes hid behind Zhou Wen's [Shield], though her chanting was interrupted several times.

The boss fight could still be won with tactics, but efficiency dropped drastically. The number of skeleton minions around the Shadow Mage increased from 15 to 25, and the Shadow Mage's equipment had clearly improved, allowing it to use equipment to instantly cast many spells.

As for the Berserker, it was larger and tougher. The time window Lin Rui had to throw three people over was cut in half, and twice he nearly threw them into the abyss. Fortunately, [lickers leg bind] allowed Hu Jinsi to walk on the cliff, avoiding any danger.

72 hours later, five exhausted heads gathered together; they had only cleared the dungeon twice. Previously, three or four people could clear it three times, but now, with five people, they had only cleared it twice. The extra 100% difficulty was no joke. This was only 250% difficulty; those who cleared dungeons at over 1000% difficulty were truly powerful. This was the collective conclusion of the group.

But the improvement in drops was visible to the naked eye. After Skarn died on the second run, an item Hu Jinsi had never seen before appeared on the ground.

[Ring of Flame Breath]

[Type: Ring/Magic Equipment]

[Effect: Your fire spell damage increases by 2 points.]

Although he didn't know how a physical boss could drop a ring that added magic damage, it was certainly not bad.

"A new attribute." Lin Rui picked up the ring. "I haven't seen one that directly adds elemental damage before."

This gave the squad motivation. Although they were tired and efficiency was low, the drops were getting better, which meant their efforts were worth it.

From the remaining time in December to mid-January, the temporary squad went to explore two new dungeons in addition to the Burning Village.

---

Demon Cat Forest, 150% difficulty.

Upon entering the dungeon, the five were stunned by the scene before them. It wasn't the scorched desolation of the Burning Village, but an impenetrable thick green. Huge trees blocked the sun, vines hung from the branches like curtains, and the ground was covered in thick moss that felt soft underfoot. The air was filled with a mix of dampness and decay, and occasionally, unknown small animals darted through the bushes, making rustling sounds.

"This place..." Su Wan looked up at the canopy overhead, where sunlight could only leak through the gaps in the leaves in a few beams. "It's so oppressive."

"It's more troublesome than the Burning Village." Lin Rui used his broadsword to hack through a cluster of vines in front of him. "The ground is uneven, visibility is limited, and we could be ambushed at any time."

No sooner had he finished speaking than three Demon Cats jumped down from the trees. They were three times the size of ordinary wild cats, their fur a strange purple, and their eyes glowing with an eerie green light. The one in front opened its mouth, revealing two rows of sharp fangs.

"Hiss—"

A cloud of purple toxic mist sprayed from its mouth, and the five of them quickly retreated. Zhou Wen reacted fastest, casting [Grease] under the Demon Cats' feet. All three Demon Cats slipped and fell simultaneously, and Liu Betti's fire arrow followed immediately, setting them ablaze.

But this was only the beginning.

Monsters were everywhere in the forest. Demon Cats would ambush from the trees, Goblins would dart out from the bushes, and there was a type of giant spider whose eight legs made almost no sound as it crawled on tree trunks; by the time they noticed it, it was already hanging down from above, spinning silk.

The most disgusting part was the swamp area. The ground turned into a foul-smelling quagmire, and every step required immense effort to pull their feet out. Toxic gas slowly rose from the surface of the swamp, causing hallucinations when inhaled. Twice, Hu Jinsi saw his deceased parents standing across the swamp waving at him, only snapping out of it when Lin Rui slapped him on the back of the head.

"Don't inhale too much." Lin Rui handed Hu Jinsi a mask.

"We have to wear masks in this dungeon too. If nothing else, the non-woven fabric factories in Wei City must be very happy lately." Hu Jinsi complained while taking the mask.

The boss fight was also full of surprises. Lightning-Cano was a white Goblin less than a meter tall, but the staff in its hand could summon lightning strikes. Golden lightning descended from the sky, and the electric sparks that struck the ground could spread for three meters; standing too close would leave one's whole body numb from the shock.

Relying on his high agility, Hu Jinsi attempted a [Chi Torpedo] for melee combat, but ended up taking a lightning strike head-on for nothing. His hair stood on end from the shock, making him look like a character from some comedy set.

The Poison Cat King was even more disgusting; the entire combat area was shrouded in toxic mist. Su Wan couldn't even open her mouth, having to take out her lyre again, and she added buying a gas mask to her to-do list for the upcoming holiday.

In the end, the five of them only cleared the Demon Cat Forest once and didn't continue. The rewards weren't rich, but Hu Jinsi obtained a piece of equipment.

[Lightning-Cano's Thunder-Charging Bracers]

[Type: Bracers/Magic Equipment]

[Lightning Infusion: You can choose to consume 1 Chi to change your unarmed attack damage type to lightning damage for the next minute when you hit an enemy. This attack is considered a magic attack and is used to overcome non-magic resistance.]

[Item Description: These dark blue metal bracers are engraved with lightning-conducting patterns, and electric arcs faintly jump inside. They are not weapons for direct attack, but amplifiers that convert the user's Chi or strength into the power of thunder and lightning.]

This piece of equipment filled in Hu Jinsi's previous blind spot in combat—he could finally deal effective damage to elemental creatures and mechanical constructs.

---

Ragefire Chasm, 100% difficulty.

The five were well-prepared and had specifically purchased a batch of fire resistance potions and heat-insulating cloaks from the store before setting off. But when the portal closed behind them and that wave of heat truly hit their faces, everyone still involuntarily took half a step back.

The temperature inside the cave was steadily maintained at around 40 degrees. The air was as dry as at noon in the Sahara Desert, and every breath felt like smoke was about to come out of their nasal cavities. The rocks on the cave walls were baked red, and lava flowed slowly in the cracks in the distance, making an unsettling gurgling sound. The stalactites overhead were baked dark red by the high temperature, and occasionally a drop of lava would fall from above, hitting the ground with a "hiss."

"I regret it." Zhou Wen's voice carried a crying tone. "Why did I agree to come to a place like this?"

"If you don't come now, you won't be able to escape it next semester." Hu Jinsi tossed him a bottle of fire resistance potion. "Drink it, at least it will keep you from getting heatstroke."

The squad moved slowly along the cave passage. The ground here was rugged and uneven, filled with gravel and cracks everywhere, so bicycles were basically useless and they had to go on foot. After less than half an hour, everyone's clothes were soaked with sweat, and the heat-insulating cloaks felt sticky and unbearably uncomfortable against their skin. Lin Rui lent his [Fortress Cloak] to Liu Betti; at least with the [Fortress Cloak]'s fire damage reduction, Liu Betti and Su Wan weren't feeling too bad.

The enemies inside were red Orcs and Troggs, steaming with heat, some even taking baths directly in the lava pools. When Hu Jinsi first hit a Burning Blade Orc with his Spinning Crane Kick, even through the heat-insulating layer of his Hot Boot Spike, he still felt a scorching, stinging pain from the soles of his feet; that guy's body temperature was at least 80 degrees.

Fortunately, the difficulty of this dungeon was all reflected in the environment, as the monsters were generally not too strong.

"This dungeon was born in the wrong place!" Hu Jinsi complained while hopping on one foot and taking an ice pack from his backpack to cool down. "It should be in that place called Barat; anyway, the people there are already living in 40-degree heat, so what is this temperature in the dungeon compared to that?"

Su Wan's throat was so dry from the high temperature that she could barely sing; after every chant skill she used, she had to chug half a pot of water. Lin Rui's tower Shield became somewhat hot to the touch in this environment, and he had to stop every ten minutes to swap Shields. Liu Betti's bowstring was baked soft, and the trajectory of the arrows she shot changed.

But the five of them still found joy in their suffering.

During a break, Hu Jinsi took out a few wild fruits that had dropped in the Demon Cat Forest from his backpack and placed them on a rock that had been baked hot. In less than two minutes, the fruits were sizzling and oozing juice, with a rich aroma wafting about.

"Natural stone-grilled food." Hu Jinsi distributed the grilled fruits to everyone. "They sell for 5 credit points a serving outside."

Although Zhou Wen's face was red from the heat, he was still amused. He used [Grease] to lay a film of oil next to the lava pool, then watched as the high temperature of the lava caused the oil film to crackle and pop, like some kind of strange fireworks.

"Yours is much more dangerous than my stone-grilled food." Hu Jinsi moved two steps to the side. "Be careful not to trap yourself."

When the dungeon time was about to end, the five of them sat next to a relatively safe lava pool, looking at the dark red cave reflected by the distant lava, each of their faces wearing a tired but satisfied smile. Although the environment of Ragefire Chasm was harsh and the drops weren't particularly rich, this feeling of sticking it out together with teammates in an extreme environment was a reward in itself.

For the remaining time, the five of them poured their energy back into the Burning Village. Although efficiency wasn't high, it was stable. By the last two weeks, the five of them had controlled the time for a single run to under 24 hours. By the time winter break began in mid-January, everyone's stats had seen considerable improvement.

---

Just before the winter break arrived, the five members of the Jack-of-All-Trades Squad gathered at the school's training ground to say their final goodbyes.

"I'm level 11." Su Wan said, the numbers on her panel jumping slightly. "But I haven't chosen my class specialization direction yet; I'll ask my dad when I get home."

"Me too." Lin Rui nodded. "My dad helped me get in touch with a few high-level professionals. I'll listen to their advice before making a decision. After all, this is the only chance to freely choose a class specialization before level 30, so I have to be careful."

"You guys planning to decide over the summer break?" Liu Betti asked.

"Yeah." Su Wan said. "My dad plans to take me back to my grandfather's place during the break; I should be able to get some advice from high-level professionals there. It's the same for Lin Rui's dad; his father still has comrades in active service, and he plans to take Lin Rui out to see the world during the break."

Hu Jinsi stood to the side, his expression calm. He had already made plans for his level 11 choice; if he could obtain the Brewmaster or Windwalker legacy on the Wandering Isle, he would choose one of them without hesitation. If he couldn't get it during the winter break, he would just pick another public school of thought to make do.

Liu Betti and Zhou Wen also indicated that they would take advantage of the break to level up properly.

"Are you really just going to suppress your level like that?" Su Wan asked Hu Jinsi.

Hu Jinsi shook his head. "I've saved up enough experience, but I'm in no rush. I'm going to the Wandering Isle during the break, and since the level cap there is 12, it's safer for me to enter at level 10. I'm afraid that if my level is too high, I'll miss out on what I want. If it weren't for the team's dungeon runs, I would have even wanted to keep it suppressed at level 9."

"You certainly have it all calculated out." Lin Rui smiled.

Fortunately, on Water Blue Star, there's no such thing as final exams for high school juniors. Levels and dungeon records are all there, which is more accurate than any paper test. Especially for the members of the Jack-of-All-Trades Squad, they hadn't used a forced teleportation talisman since Awakening, and their lead in the class was plain for all to see.

The group patted each other on the shoulder and went their separate ways. Su Wan and Lin Rui went home to pack, while Liu Betti and Zhou Wen agreed to go farm the Cold Plains together. Hu Jinsi returned home, shut off the water, electricity, internet, and gas, grabbed his pre-packed luggage, and headed for the station.

This was the first time he had left Wei City since the passing of his parents in this world.

---

The long-distance bus drove along a wide highway, and the scenery outside the window gradually changed from city skyscrapers to open plains. The winter fields were withered and yellow, with a few crows occasionally landing on bare branches, letting out hoarse cries.

Unlike Hu Jinsi's previous life, in this world, there were no small villages or gathering points to be seen along the roadside. Because too many world fragments had fallen into this world, it often happened that dungeons in some areas couldn't be cleared in time and would turn into a Cancer of the World.

For those scattered populations, this was a very unfavorable situation; they might be farming today, but a dungeon entrance could pop up at their doorstep tomorrow. Therefore, people gathered their living areas together to form concentrated settlements, which were protected by the state and professional teams.

Occasionally, when seeing places with signs of human habitation along the road, those places often also contained dungeons or clusters of dungeons. Hu Jinsi looked through the bus window and saw a valley in the distance shrouded in a gray-white vortex. Several rows of temporary tents were set up around the valley, with people coming and going; that must be a clearance team that had accepted a state mission, stationed there to work.

The route along the way had been cleared for years, so it wouldn't pass through lines where those Cancers of the World were spreading. The bus driver was a middle-aged man in his forties; it was said that he was over level 50. Although he was a life class, he had a burly build with a few distinct scars on his arms. When Hu Jinsi boarded the bus, he sensed the driver's aura—steady and restrained, the kind of temperament only someone who had experienced countless battles would possess.

There were no accidents on the road. No assassinations, no monster attacks, and no suddenly appearing Cancers of the World blocking the road. Hu Jinsi leaned back in his seat, watching the scenery outside the window fly by, feeling a faint sense of disappointment. As expected, he wasn't the protagonist of the world, just an ordinary reincarnator; he didn't even get any extraordinary encounters just by going on a long trip.

But this disappointment was quickly replaced by anticipation. The Wandering Isle, the homeland of the Pandaren, the birthplace of the Monk. He was about to set foot on that land to search for his own class legacy.

---

The bus station in Daibei City was much like the one in Wei City, bustling with coming and going crowds. Hu Jinsi dragged his luggage out of the exit and spotted Student Zhen waiting in the crowd at a glance.

It had been over a month, and Student Zhen hadn't changed much; he was still that thin and tall figure, but his eyes were more spirited than before. He was wearing a dark gray tracksuit, craning his neck to look toward the exit.

Student Zhen's full name was Zhen Jin, a distant relative of Hu Jinsi's classmate Zhen Kai (beyond the fifth degree of kinship). This relationship had been discovered by chance when the two were chatting on a messaging app earlier.

"Zhen Jin!" Hu Jinsi waved.

"Jinsi!" Zhen Jin walked over quickly, a sincere smile on his face. "Was the trip smooth?"

"Smooth, no accidents." Hu Jinsi shrugged. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No, no, I just arrived too." Zhen Jin waved his hand. "Let's go, let's find a place to sit down first, and I'll tell you about the situation on the Wandering Isle."

The two sat down at a small restaurant next to the bus station and ordered two bowls of hot noodle soup and a few side dishes. Zhen Jin clearly had a belly full of things to say, and before the noodles were even served, he spoke impatiently.

"After consulting with you that day, I used the Awakening Stone and reset my class to Mistweaver Monk that very day." He said. "The first skill I got was a healing one, [Vivify]; the effect is to restore a small amount of health to the target and remove one poison or bleed effect. It's not quite the same as what you said, but it is indeed an orthodox healing skill."

"That's great." Hu Jinsi nodded. "I didn't have healing abilities when I was at your level; you have a higher starting point than I did."

"What high starting point?" Zhen Jin gave a bitter smile. "Leveling is too slow! The ways to gain class experience for a Monk are too few, and it's not like a Warrior who gets class experience just by fighting."

"Right now, I'm basically relying entirely on meditation. Compared to the increasingly long experience bar, that little bit of experience is just a drop in the bucket. When I went from level 5 to 6, I meditated for a whole week just to save up enough experience."

Hu Jinsi raised an eyebrow. He finally remembered that when he was at this level, he had actually faced the same problem. It was just that later on, he was so preoccupied with various dungeons and battles that he had long forgotten those bitter days.

"Have you considered," Hu Jinsi put down his chopsticks, lowering his voice a little, "the other hidden way for a Monk to gain experience?"

Zhen Jin was stunned. "Hidden way?"

"Maintaining the balance of the world." Hu Jinsi said mysteriously.

After hearing this, Zhen Jin sighed. "I know what you're talking about, but the problem is this concept is too big. A small fry like me at level 6, where would I go to deal with such a big concept?"

Hu Jinsi smiled. "Since I told you there is this way, it must be because I have the corresponding channels and methods."

He paused. "In our Wei City, there is a dungeon called Raccoon City; the monsters inside are all zombie forms created after ordinary humans were mutated by some kind of virus. This change certainly wasn't caused by natural evolution, so clearing them is, to some extent, contributing to the balance. I've experienced it personally; purifying them gives a hidden class experience bonus, and it's quite substantial."

"If you had a channel, you should have said so earlier!" Zhen Jin perked up. "We can just swap places. You come to our Daibei City to farm the Wandering Isle, and I'll go to your Wei City to farm Raccoon City."

"It's not too late now!" Hu Jinsi said with a smile. "The winter break has only just begun, it's only a half-day drive away, you can go whenever you want. You can pack your things today and leave tomorrow!"

"No rush." Zhen Jin waved his hand. "Since you've come all this way, I have to at least show you around the Wandering Isle. After all, it's your first time in this dungeon, and you aren't familiar with many of the procedures."

In fact, Hu Jinsi really wanted to decline Zhen Jin's kindness. He wouldn't say he knew the Wandering Isle map by heart, but at least he wouldn't get lost in it. After all, in his previous life, he had leveled several characters on that map; from the Jade Forest on the back of Shen-zin Su to the training grounds of the Temple of Five Dawns, what path didn't he know? But he obviously couldn't say this out loud.

Zhen Jin took Hu Jinsi onto public transportation while introducing the situation on the Wandering Isle.

"This dungeon is a bit different from the ones on your side." Zhen Jin said. "It can be entered from level 1, and the cap is level 12. The dungeon is huge; even if you used the full 72 hours just to travel, it would be impossible to cover the entire Wandering Isle."

"And the monster distribution inside is very strange—there are those with Eastern characteristics, like Hozen; and there are also some very bizarre ones, Orcs, Trolls, Undead, and even Humans, Gnomes, and Dwarves. There are also some monsters that look extremely sanity-draining, with tentacles all over their faces; they don't look like good guys."

"Overall, you can choose to clear the monsters you want to clear based on your class direction." Zhen Jin continued. "The location where we enter and exit the dungeon is near the center of the Wandering Isle, and the monster strength distribution is that the closer you get to the shore, the stronger they are."

Hu Jinsi nodded; this information basically aligned with his memories.

"There are a few other dungeons near the Wandering Isle dungeon that should be in the same series." Zhen Jin suddenly said.

Hearing this news, Hu Jinsi immediately perked up. "What about the other dungeons?"

"One is called the Jade Forest, with a level range from 10 to 18. I haven't been in, but according to upperclassmen, the overall style inside is exactly the same as the Wandering Isle, also that kind of huge map that you can't explore completely in 72 hours."

Zhen Jin paused. "Besides that, there is a small dungeon nearby called the Temple of the Jade Serpent, which can be explored in one day, and the level is the same as the Jade Forest. If you don't get anything out of the Wandering Isle, you can go to these two maps to try your luck."

"I'll consider it." Hu Jinsi replied affirmatively.

The two chatted all the way as the bus passed through the urban area of Daibei City and headed toward the suburbs. The scenery outside the window gradually changed from skyscrapers to low hills and bamboo forests, and the air was filled with a damp, fresh fragrance.

Eventually, Zhen Jin brought Hu Jinsi to a residential area near the dungeon. This was Hu Jinsi's temporary residence during the winter break; after learning he was coming, Teacher He specifically helped him arrange a student apartment, which was affordable and had a nice environment.

"We're here." Zhen Jin got off the bus with Hu Jinsi. "I'll take you up first to get familiar with the place, then—"

"No need." Hu Jinsi stopped him. "You should hurry home and pack."

"Huh?" Zhen Jin was stunned for a moment.

"I've said it before, I'm not going to the Wandering Isle to fight monsters; I'm going to find an opportunity." Hu Jinsi's tone was gentle but carried an unquestionable firmness. "There's no need for you to waste any more time accompanying me. The most important thing now is for you to hurry home, pack your luggage, and set off for Wei City tomorrow. I've sent you the contact information for a few of my classmates; they will help you arrange things for Raccoon City."

Zhen Jin opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Hu Jinsi's serious expression, he finally just nodded.

"Thank you." He said in a low voice.

"Don't be so polite." Hu Jinsi smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "We're swapping places, each getting what we need. You go to Wei City to purify zombies and accumulate experience; I'll come to the Wandering Isle to search for a class legacy. When we meet again in a month, I hope we've both become stronger."

Zhen Jin took a deep breath, his face once again showing that vigor and drive unique to young people. He waved to Hu Jinsi and turned to walk quickly toward the bus stop.

"Goodbye!"

Hu Jinsi watched Zhen Jin's back disappear around the street corner, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He turned and walked into the gate of the residential complex.

The winter break had officially begun.

Wandering Isle, here I come, Hu Jinsi.