Lucas finally understood something important about the Phoenix Ring he had received. This wasn't just some random championship prize—it was chosen for a reason.
It wasn't just the powerful stats that impressed him. The ring boosted all attributes, had no profession restrictions, increased damage reduction by 30%, and—most importantly—it had a special effect: "Rebirth from the Ashes", which meant a full resurrection with full power after death!
That ability alone made Lucas raise an eyebrow. It was almost too perfect. He couldn't help but think: was this Phoenix Ring actually meant for Amelia Su, the SS-Level Holy Shield Knight?
Its features seemed to match her class completely.
It felt tailor-made for her.
But Lucas couldn't ignore something else either. The ring also gave 25% critical hit chance and 100% critical hit damage, which made it excellent for offense-based roles too—like his own.
That was the subtle brilliance of the reward.
It showed that the old headmaster of Kyoto University, who arranged the competition, didn't mind who won the Phoenix Ring. He didn't tailor it to a specific person—it was simply a powerful item anyone could use.
It was a prize that could suit everyone—defenders, attackers, and hybrids.
Even if Amelia Su, as an SS-Level student, seemed the most suitable choice, she still had to earn it. And since she didn't win it, fate had made its choice.
That was life. The prize wasn't given out of favor. It was earned.
No one could have guessed that in the end, Lucas, the lone S-Level player, would be the one to claim this legendary ring.
The award ceremony continued.
Second place went to Amelia Su's team.
Their score was barely higher than the team in third place—only a 20-point difference. If the game had ended just a few minutes earlier, they wouldn't have made it.
Their comeback was narrow—but enough.
They had made a smart decision during the final stretch: instead of joining the chaotic siege against Lucas, they focused on grinding monsters for points.
That gave them a slow but steady boost, keeping them just ahead.
Still, they'd nearly lost rank because they took the time to support Lucas in his battle. If they'd arrived any later, they might not have held on.
Fortunately, they did. And Lucas was happy for them.
Amelia Su and Alexis Lane stood proudly on the podium, clapping along with the cheering crowd. Their faces glowed with excitement.
As team captain, Su Xiaoyu received an epic-quality Level 60 shield, worth several million credits. However, whether the shield would go to her or someone else would depend on the team's internal agreement.
Even though the shield matched Amelia Su's class, and even if she had performed amazingly—she couldn't just take it outright. The team would decide together.
After them, the third-place team came on stage—a five-person S-Level squad.
They also received an epic-quality armor piece, which looked like heavy-duty protective gear with a stylish design. It was clear from the crowd's reaction—it was strong.
Their captain beamed with pride, and the team waved at the audience, clearly thrilled.
Then came the rewards for teams ranked fourth through tenth.
These teams did not receive equipment, but cash prizes instead.
Fourth place earned 800,000 credits
Fifth place got 700,000
Each lower place received 100,000 less, down to 200,000 credits for tenth
This wasn't small money. A Level 20 rare purple weapon cost only a few hundred thousand credits. With this prize, many players could upgrade their gear significantly.
Money also helped prevent arguments—unlike equipment, cash could be split evenly. This avoided the classic pitfall of team conflicts over loot.
Many groups had fallen apart over gear disputes. Cash kept things smooth.
Worth mentioning: Danny Quinn and Chris Morgan's team came in seventeenth. They did fairly well, but not well enough to reach the top ten, so they didn't receive any prize.
All they got was the satisfaction of participating—a bittersweet consolation prize.
On the flip side, Zhao Qinghe's solo team came ninth. That earned them a 300,000 credit bonus.
Split evenly between five members, each got 60,000 credits—still a nice reward.
Lucas, of course, had received the Phoenix Ring, which was worth tens of millions.
But he had no plan to sell it.
Legendary equipment like that was priceless. Even if you had the money, you wouldn't easily find it for sale.
It was better to keep it for himself.
At the moment, Lucas was actually the poorest person in his dorm. His entire balance was barely 10,000 credits—not even enough to pay the teleportation fee back to the main city of Tianhai.
Time to refill the wallet.
Luckily, he had found valuable loot in the Blue Secret Realm.
He planned to sell:
Random materials from monster kills
A Level 40 purple-quality Necromantic Skeleton Staff
That staff alone might sell for hundreds of thousands.
…
The Freshman Competition's award ceremony ended.
Now it was time for major guilds to recruit talent.
All over the venue, top guilds approached promising freshmen, trying to convince them to join.
Unsurprisingly, Lucas received the most invitations.
From large, established guilds to famous elite groups—everyone wanted him.
Smaller guilds mostly gave up. They knew that someone as talented as Lucas would never join a low-level group. It would be like putting a lion in a birdcage.
Still, some brave ones tried, offering high positions and promising benefits.
Lucas was polite to all. He didn't commit to anyone, not even the prestigious Shengshi Guild.
To everyone, he gave the same answer:
> "I'll think about it. I need some time."
Most guild leaders understood, left their contact details, and scheduled follow-up meetings to discuss things in detail.
Amelia Su also became the center of attention.
She was the only SS-Level student this year and had done amazingly well in the secret realm event.
Dozens of people surrounded her, each trying to recruit her for their guild.
But Amelia Su wasn't used to the spotlight. Her face turned pale. She looked overwhelmed and couldn't even respond clearly.
Social anxiety was kicking in.
Seeing her like that, Lucas squeezed through the crowd and stood beside her. He didn't say much—just stayed close to offer quiet support.
That was all she needed.
With him there, she calmed down and began responding to the recruiters—nervously, but with a little more confidence.
Being challenged changes people. Amelia Su was starting to grow.
Lucas felt proud of her progress.
At the end, she quietly turned to him and said:
> "Thank you."
His presence gave her peace.
…
While many freshmen joined guilds immediately, the best of them—like Lucas and Amelia Su—didn't rush.
They had too many options to choose from.
Naturally, they wanted to research carefully, check each guild's strengths and weaknesses, and find the one that truly fit them.
Lucas thought the same way.
He created a shortlist from the dozens of guilds that had invited him—cutting down to a few that looked promising.
Then he started setting up private meetings for in-depth discussions.
The first meeting on his list?
The Shengshi Guild.
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