By the time Lin Ran and Liu Bo returned, Uncle Bai had cooked a table full of dishes, nearly making Liu Bo cry with envy. He was already drooling before he even sat down on the stool.
Lin Ran thought the meal was overly rich. There were both vegetarian and meat dishes, eight full dishes, filling the small table he usually ate on. There were even white flour buns. It was a feast not even seen during Chinese New Year!
Lin Ran seemed to sense something and peered into the inner room.
He had long suspected Zhou Qingfeng wouldn't give up so easily, considering this was an A-rank class. But he hadn't expected Zhou Qingfeng to actually have another motive today.
"Little one, quite alert!"
Zhou Qingfeng nodded secretly to Lin Ran, then made up his mind and slowly walked out.
"Mr. Zhou! What are you doing here?"
Perhaps only Bozi was utterly surprised.
They sat down and ate happily, especially Bozi, who couldn't stop talking.
As they spoke, Bozi and Yue'er were set to go on the assessment! Zhou Qingfeng raised his glass to Bai Wujiang.
"You, alone in such an environment, have been able to cultivate such a group of outstanding professionals. This is a blessing not only to Tai'an City, but also to the entire empire. This toast is to you!"
Bai Wujiang followed suit, his honest face beaming with joy, his expression brimming with pride!
He gulped it down in one gulp.
However, turning his gaze to Lin Ran, a hint of worry crossed his brows.
"Mr. Zhou, what about Xiaoran?"
Xiaoran had been the backbone of the two since childhood, their eldest brother. Quick-witted and opinionated, he was like a little adult. Lin Ran had protected them all these years, so he rarely worried about Yue'er and Bozi. But if he weren't around, how could he be at ease with them?
He knew a little about the Undead classes, but his opinion of them wasn't very high.
"He, he's very useful!"
Zhou Qingfeng grabbed Lin Ran, refusing to let go as if he had found a treasure.
"Very useful!"
Bai Wujiang knew Lin Ran's abilities. Honestly, there were few among the younger generation who were more capable than him. He hadn't expected Zhou Qingfeng to speak so highly of him after meeting him. His heart was finally at ease, and his smile widened.
"Come on! I toast you!"
"Ahem!"
Lin Ran nearly choked. He glanced at Zhou Qingfeng, who was disrespectful and smirking. What was wrong with this old man?
Zhou Qingfeng picked up a piece of pork and, as if remembering something, nodded. His gaze towards Lin Ran became even more intense.
"You're really good at hiding things, even I hadn't noticed!"
"You can't get away this time!"
Lin Ran felt a chill down his spine.
Is this old guy a...?
After the dinner ended, Zhou Qingfeng and Lin Ran left before they got down to business!
"Do you want to go to Yunze?"
Lin Ran was stunned when he heard this!
"Me?"
Lin Ran thought Zhou Qingfeng was just trying to evade Uncle Bai.
Zhou Qingfeng nodded seriously!
"If you want to go, come with me tomorrow morning to a place for an assessment! I'll explain, so you're prepared. The Level 5 Elite dungeon is quite difficult for you now! But if you pass, you'll be able to gain temporary access to the city and the opportunity to attend university, just like Yue'er and the others!"
"Dungeon?"
Now that games and the real world have merged, basic knowledge about dungeons and secret realms has become almost compulsory. Even though Lin Ran was in the wasteland, he knew a lot about them.
Dungeons are different from the wild. First, in terms of safety, the monster level range in dungeons doesn't fluctuate much; it's very stable. Unlike the wild, if a level 8 monster suddenly appears from a level 4 area, you're completely helpless!
Second, the monsters are numerous and densely packed, allowing you to quickly gain a wealth of experience. Some dungeons also offer equipment drops, though the chance is low, but the many benefits are unmatched in the wild!
Dungeons typically have three levels: Normal, Elite, and Hell! Each level increases in difficulty!
Are you really willing to give me this chance?
Lin Ran was also a little surprised. This guy's attitude wasn't like this at the beginning!
Seeing Lin Ran remain silent, Zhou Qingfeng felt uneasy. Ever since he'd seen Lin Ran, at level 4, slay a level 6 Wild Boar King, that scene had been lingering in his mind. It was beyond shocking.
Honestly, even if he were level 4, surviving a level 6 Wild Boar King was already impressive. Slaying it was unthinkable!
Compared to them, the people he had sent out for the assessment were abysmal. Fully half failed. Even Fang Zhe, the A-rank professional elf archer, performed poorly, a complete disparity.
It would be a real loss for Yunze High School to not have such a talent!
As if fearing Lin Ran would refuse, Zhou Qingfeng immediately added.
"If you participate, I will personally mentor Bai Yue'er and Liu Bo!"
Lin Ran's eyes lit up. It seemed he was serious, and he nodded immediately.
"I'm willing to participate!"
"I'll see you tomorrow at 6 o'clock!"
Zhou Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief, a look of satisfaction on his face.
Lin Ran returned to his small hut. The space was small, only about forty or fifty square meters.
A neatly stacked bed, a square table, a log bench... everything was spotlessly clean.
On the old square table stood a single, yellowed photograph.
When Lin Ran took it down, two young, childish faces came into view.
"Xiao Feng!"
Lin Ran and Lin Feng are one year apart in age!
Around Lin Feng's 15th birthday, a group of mysterious individuals suddenly broke in and took Lin Feng away. All of them were class-changers, and Lin Ran was completely unable to resist. And just like that, Lin Feng completely disappeared from his life!
The night before that, Lin Ran remembered that Lin Feng was acting strangely, constantly muttering, "Brother, I must visit Tiangang Academy if I get a chance!"
To this day, Lin Ran still didn't understand why, which was why he wanted to enter Tiangang Academy to find answers. However, to enter the academy, he had to pass the college entrance exam, so Yunze College was Lin Ran's current goal!
Tomorrow's exam would be crucial to whether he could enter the college, so he had to prepare!
Lin Ran took out the skill scroll he had obtained from the forest treasure chest.
Now that he had reached level 5, he could use the skill scroll to gain new skills.
[Use Level 1 Skill Scroll]
A soft blue light emanated from Lin Ran!
Soul Devourer (Level 1): Ignores Defense, Unstoppable. The Hand of the Undead drains the enemy's vitality, dealing 1.5 times your Spirit value in damage to a single enemy!
It's an attack skill!
Lin Ran was delighted. He was a mage, but he only had one control skill, which always made him feel uneasy!
Now, with the addition of an attack skill, he felt a little more confident!
Wait! 1.5 times!
Although his other attributes were average, his Spirit value was absolutely outstanding, far exceeding his peers. Add the Undead Core, and that's 9 times his Spirit value in damage!
Currently, his Spirit value was 25 points, so 6 times that would be 225! Even a level 6 Boar King couldn't withstand a second hit!
Lin Ran noticed another amazing effect of this skill: it ignored Defense and was unstoppable!
Unstoppable by any Defense or any defensive skill. Isn't this True Damage?
If he encountered a monster with amazing defense, True Damage would be a truly powerful weapon.
Summon the remaining 20 undead, placing them in the summoning space and ready for action!
Everything is ready!
Lin Ran was looking forward to tomorrow's assessment!