5: Chapter 5 Welcome to Nirvana

Chen Xi's sudden move caused Li Murou to freeze entirely.

An unfamiliar heat flowed from her wrist and instantly spread through her body, causing her brain to short-circuit for a moment.

"Wha... what? Me?"

Li Murou stammered, her large eyes hidden behind thick lenses filled with pure shock and confusion. "Jo... join the battle team?"

She even suspected she was having auditory hallucinations from organizing documents for too long.

"Yes, you."

Chen Xi's gaze was more serious than ever before.

He stared into Li Murou's eyes; a flame seemed to burn within his dark pupils, making her afraid to look directly at him.

"I see infinite possibilities in you."

"Infinite possibilities..."

Li Murou chewed on those words, a trace of a bitter, self-deprecating smile appearing on her face.

She slowly withdrew her hand and lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mumble in a dream.

"When I first awakened, the teacher in charge of talent testing said the same thing... they said my class, 'Rhythm Musician', was very special—a rare support never seen before."

Her voice paused, filled with disappointment:

"But... but once those team captains learned about my skills, they all felt my skills wouldn't provide much of a boost to a team. To put it bluntly... they're useless."

"Don't worry about what others say!"

Chen Xi unceremoniously interrupted her self-negation.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a deafening power that struck hard against Li Murou's heart.

"Those people are short-sighted and can't see your true value, but that doesn't mean you're useless! You just need to tell me: do you still want to enter dungeons? Do you still want to become a true Professional?"

He took a step forward, staring at her with burning eyes, his tone becoming increasingly sharp:

"Or do you want to stay in this tiny office for the rest of your life, facing a pile of never-ending documents, and muddle through as an intern clerk until graduation?"

These words were like a heavy sledgehammer, ruthlessly shattering the hard shell Li Murou had used to numb herself.

She jerked her head up, her eyes instantly turning red.

That's right...

Who would want to stay here forever?

I am also a favored child of heaven who awakened a combat class!

I once fantasized about wearing magnificent robes, fighting side-by-side with teammates, battling in peril-filled dungeons, and growing stronger under the watchful eyes of the masses!

"If there was a choice... who would want to stay here forever..."

Li Murou let out a long sigh, her voice filled with endless grievance and resentment:

"I'm a Professional too. I want to enter dungeons, and I want to become stronger..."

The desire suppressed in the deepest part of her heart finally burst through the dam at this moment.

Hearing this, Chen Xi knew he was about to find his first teammate.

The sharpness faded from his face, replaced by a gentle and confident smile.

"Then that's it. When we record the team information in a moment, enter your name along with it."

"Ah!?"

Li Murou was shocked once again. She looked at Chen Xi in disbelief, as if confirming whether she was truly dreaming.

"You... are you serious? But... but my class really, really has no substantive use for a team! I... I might hold you back!"

"Golden Rule Number One of the battle team," Chen Xi held up a finger, his smile full of mystery and certainty:

"Trust your captain unconditionally."

His gaze swept over Li Murou, as if he could see through all her unease and trepidation.

"As your captain, I will naturally discover your utility. You don't need to doubt yourself; you only need to follow your heart. If you're willing, join the team and venture out with me."

He paused and made a promise in an incredibly solemn tone:

"I guarantee you, not only will you not hold me back, but in the near future, you will grow into a top-tier support that everyone must look up to!"

Top-tier... support?

Can I... really?

Li Murou's heart was in complete disarray.

Since she was a child, she had always been introverted and afraid of causing trouble for others.

After awakening her class, she had looked for a team with high expectations.

But when she summoned the courage to show her skill effects to the captain of a fairly famous battle team,

the man's undisguised look of disappointment and disdain remained a nightmare she couldn't shake off to this day.

"What kind of trash skill is this? It only adds some trivial status buffs? You can't fight and you can't heal. Taking you along is equivalent to our team wasting a member slot for nothing!"

Those words were like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in her heart.

From 그날 on, Li Murou completely gave up on the idea of looking for a team, and even considered giving up her identity as a Professional altogether to just be an ordinary person.

Therefore, she was truly worried and afraid.

If she really joined this team, would it be just as that person said?

Would she just be wasting Chen Xi's member slot and holding him back?

But...

But Chen Xi's words just now were like a stone thrown into stagnant water.

They stirred up violent ripples in the long-silent lake of her heart.

Those words made her long-extinguished dreams seem to show signs of reigniting.

She had finally managed to awaken a combat class.

Even if it was just a support type...

Who wouldn't want to fight to their heart's content in peril-filled dungeons and become a standout among Professionals?

Seeing Li Murou's conflicted, struggling, longing, yet fearful expression, Chen Xi understood.

For a person who had been hurt, forcing her to make a decision immediately was a bit too much.

He sighed and took a step back of his own accord, giving her room to breathe.

"Alright, it seems I was too impatient. Anyway, my team probably won't be fully recruited in the short term."

He shrugged and said in a relaxed tone:

"If you don't have confidence in me or yourself, you can observe for a while first."

"There's a high probability I'll leave an exclusive spot for you in the team. When you've thought it through, it won't be too late to come find me."

"For now, just help me record the team information."

Hearing this, Li Murou looked at Chen Xi in shock.

Her clear eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Leave... a spot? Wh... why are you so good to me? We... we just met, didn't we?"

Chen Xi smiled, his expression appearing exceptionally sincere in the afternoon sunlight.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm not being good to you for no reason. It's because I truly see infinite possibilities in you."

His gaze was incredibly earnest:

"You aren't some dispensable filler, Li Murou. You are an indispensable puzzle piece in my plan for Nirvana's rebirth!"

These words were like a warm torrent, instantly crashing through the final line of defense in Li Murou's heart!

All her hesitation, all her fear, and all her low self-esteem vanished into thin air at this moment!

That's right!

What was there to hesitate about?

She had already been reduced to being an intern clerk; could things get any worse than this?

The person before her was the first and only one who, after understanding her class,

still spoke the words "infinite possibilities" to her!

The only one who said she was "indispensable"!

I'll go for it!

Li Murou bit her lower lip hard, making a decision in her heart.

In any case, according to the battle team rules, members could apply to leave at any time.

If she really held Chen Xi back, she would just leave quietly when the time came!

But she didn't want to miss this opportunity again!

Li Murou jerked her head up and met Chen Xi's gaze.

A light called hope ignited in her beautiful eyes.

She looked at Chen Xi and nodded heavily.

Though her voice still trembled slightly, it was filled with an unprecedented determination:

"Okay! I'll join!"

Hearing this, the corners of Chen Xi's mouth curled up slightly.

"Great!"

Li Murou nodded heavily. She took a deep breath and quickly sat back at her workstation.

Her long, fair fingers began to tap frantically on the keyboard.

She entered the information Chen Xi had just submitted, along with her own personal information, into the battle team management system as fast as possible.

Buzz—

A short while later.

A slight vibration came from the bracelet on Chen Xi's wrist.

A virtual light screen automatically popped up in front of him.

[Notice: 'Nirvana Squad' has been successfully created.]

[Current Captain: Chen Xi]

[Current Member: Li Murou]

[Team Size: (2/5)]

[Current battle team points: 0]

Chen Xi looked at the information on the light screen with satisfaction.

He turned around to look at Li Murou, who was also checking her bracelet information, and a sincere smile appeared on his face.

He once again extended his right hand toward her.

"Li Murou, welcome to the Nirvana Battle Team!"