Chapter Thirty: Liu Chun's Invitation

In the public exchange room of the Student Forum at Yang City Third Middle School, Liu Zong, who had finally finished the first round of processing for Canglong, was flipping through the materials in his hands. Over the past three months, Liu Zong had come to realize his own shortcomings: though he had plenty of ideas and ability, he simply didn’t know how to put them into practice. This feeling made him rather uneasy. If not for the ongoing matters with Canglong, which he was reluctant to interrupt, he might have returned to study much sooner.

Today, as Liu Zong was absorbed in his papers, he suddenly sensed the light blocked. Looking up, he saw Liu Chun standing before him.

“Senior Liu, long time no see,” Liu Zong greeted, a smile breaking across his face at the sight of a familiar acquaintance.

Liu Chun stared at him. “Long time no see? You’re the one who vanished for a while. But tell me, what’s going on with you? These past few months, it seems you’ve become some sort of celebrity at school. So many people are looking for you.”

“Are there really that many?” Liu Zong asked, genuinely puzzled. “I’ve been busy dealing with the items I got from the last dungeon.”

“Of course there are. Not to mention before, just this month alone three waves of people have come looking for you,” Liu Chun said mysteriously, “and among them, a few young ladies as well.”

Liu Zong chuckled indifferently. “What does that have to do with me?”

Seeing that Liu Zong had no interest in the topic, Liu Chun didn’t press further and instead asked about his progress over the past months.

“I heard you sold all the resources you painstakingly gathered? Are you planning to switch paths?”

Liu Zong hesitated, then replied, “Do you remember that fatal mission last time? I took on a follow-up quest from the two-headed vulture Cain, still at the dungeon level, and received some excellent materials. My original plan for the territory is now obsolete; these past months I’ve been dealing with those materials.”

“No wonder,” Liu Chun nodded. “If I were you, I’d spend a few months handling the first steps before researching what I lack. What are your plans now?”

“Catch up on studies,” Liu Zong said seriously. “At the minimum, I need to review biology, mechanical structure, architecture, and basic structural theory. There’s a lot I hadn’t considered before—my foundations in these areas are quite weak.”

“That’s good. We still have time; Lv0 missions aren’t about rushing to upgrade, but about laying a solid foundation for the path you choose. Starting over isn’t rare, and the more gifted you are, the more likely you are to overturn your previous efforts and begin anew. But you can’t just keep studying forever—we’re meant to blend strength and magic, after all.”

At Liu Chun’s words, Liu Zong realized Liu Chun was here to ask something of him.

Their relationship was quite close, so Liu Zong didn’t bother with excuses. “Is your little team working on a new mission? Count me in.”

Liu Chun smiled, “I knew you wouldn’t let me down. Come, I’ll take you to meet someone.”

Liu Zong didn’t hesitate. He pointed his finger, and all the books and materials vanished; what he’d copied for himself turned into cards in his hand, while those belonging to the school library automatically flew back to their original shelves.

Just as Liu Zong stood up, another person entered the room. He looked up and saw a woman, about six feet tall, with an impressive figure. Her short hair was neat, and her crimson eyes were strikingly beautiful. Her features were sharp and well-defined; her mouth wasn’t large, but when she smiled, all her teeth were metallic. She wore five or six gear-shaped earrings on each ear.

After entering, she walked over to Liu Chun and spoke in a peculiar voice, “Chun, is this the friend you mentioned?”

Her voice was shrill, like a knife scraping a metal basin, yet unexpectedly rhythmic—if you closed your eyes, it sounded like a broken music box.

Liu Chun quickly introduced her. “Sister Lin, this is my friend Liu Zong, Student Level 42973, player ID DS-54370681-157, he—”

“No need for introductions, I’ve heard of him,” the woman interrupted, her crimson eyes shifting to Liu Zong. “Call me Xu Linlin, Student Level 42951, affinity for metallic mechanical strength and magic. I’m the strength leader for this mission. I wasn’t planning to come, but Chun kept saying you were strong, so I came to see what you’re made of.”

“This mission?” Liu Zong faced Xu Linlin calmly—he’d seen enough of the world, and after chatting freely with Li You, someone like Xu Linlin, not yet Lv1, didn’t seem daunting.

Hearing Liu Zong’s question, Liu Chun quickly explained, “This assignment came from Flame, it’s a family quest for her. It’s a large map, nearly post-apocalyptic, and we’ll need—”

Xu Linlin pulled Liu Chun aside. “Let me explain. Flame needs to establish a temporary base and support it for at least ninety days, completing a significant number of basic tasks daily, so we need more hands.”

Liu Zong thought carefully, then turned to Liu Chun. “The ‘Flame’ you mentioned—is she the youngest of the school’s rumored trio of dual magic-and-martial sisters? And she’s the second of the three?”

“Yes. Mist was supposed to join us, but she took another assignment on a different map and won’t be free for at least two months. Flame couldn’t wait, so she’s recruiting others,” Liu Chun explained.

“Senior Liu, I know you’re close to the trio, but why did they come to me?”

“Uh…”

Before Liu Chun could answer, Xu Linlin interjected, “That’s because we’re heading to a post-apocalyptic map, full of monsters with shadow attributes. We need at least two shadow attribute players. You know our team only wants talented dual magic-and-martial types. Besides Chun, you’re the only other shadow attribute dual type.”

“Well, that’s unexpectedly reasonable,” Liu Zong replied, a little speechless. If you’re recruiting, even if you can’t be overly polite, you shouldn’t just admit you have no other options and had to pick me. If they’d said this to someone less patient, it would have caused an argument. Liu Zong didn’t react badly, entirely because of Liu Chun.

And perhaps, because of the item Xu Linlin produced next.