I Won't Keep Losing Forever!

He took out the Fine Grade longsword Jiang Shuyue had given him earlier from the Storage Space in his panel.

"Here, take it back."

He held the sword out to her.

Jiang Shuyue raised her head. Her red, swollen eyes looked at him, then at the sword, but she did not take it.

"What do you mean?"

Her voice was slightly hoarse.

"Do you think my things aren't good enough for you anymore?"

"You're impressive now. You have Rare Grade equipment, so you look down on my stuff now, is that it?"

Her words were barbed.

Yang Yu frowned.

"That's not what I mean."

He said calmly, "I have a better weapon now. Keeping this sword with me would just be a waste."

"You should take it back. Sell it, give it to someone else—anything would be better than letting it gather dust with me."

"And I'm truly grateful to you. Without this sword, clearing the Dungeon would probably have taken me a lot more effort. If you ever run into a Dungeon or a Class Change quest you can't get through, come find me. I'll help you."

He meant every word.

He truly was grateful to Jiang Shuyue.

But to Jiang Shuyue, it carried a different meaning.

Showing off.

Blatant showing off.

Not only was he showing off—he was rubbing it in her face.

Look at the only chance you had in this life to surpass me! You wasted it yourself.

If you hadn't supported me, you would definitely have been the one to break the record!

"I don't need your pity!"

Jiang Shuyue abruptly shoved his hand away. The longsword fell to the ground with a clang.

"Yang Yu, just you wait! I said I would surpass you!"

"I lost today, but I won't keep losing forever!"

"We'll see!"

With that, she ran away without looking back.

Yang Yu looked at the sword on the ground, then at her retreating figure, and shook his head helplessly.

That woman's competitive streak was so strong it was practically pathological.

He bent down, picked up the longsword, and returned it to the Profession Panel's Storage Space.

Forget it. He would find another chance to return it to her later.

He had more important things to do now.

Level up.

Not just to become stronger.

But also to catch up to that woman.

Though she was only three years older than him, she had taken great care of Yang Yu when he was young in this world.

Now that he had awakened a heaven-defying talent like Two Hundredfold Effort, he finally had the ability to protect her.

He was going to the Imperial Capital, to her side.

It was not merely to follow in her footsteps, but so that one day, he could stand in front of her and shield her from wind and rain.

But the university she attended was Imperial Capital University.

Getting in would not be easy.

Imperial Capital University stood at the pinnacle of Dragon Kingdom's professional education system.

To obtain that ticket in, the most basic requirement was reaching Level 30.

Those four words weighed like a massive mountain on the hearts of every ambitious senior-year student.

Level 30 meant completing the first class change and becoming a Bronze Professioner.

Yang Yu could not waste another moment.

The competition to get into that university could no longer be described as fierce. It was downright brutal.

Countless children of wealthy families had their clans spend enormous sums to hire high-level battle teams to escort them through monster farming like nannies.

These professionals force-grown in greenhouses had terrible combat skills and relied entirely on levels and equipment, yet they were precisely the ones with astonishingly high odds of getting into top universities.

In this era, resources were practically equivalent to one's future.

And Yang Yu had nothing.

His only assets were himself and his secret talent, Two Hundredfold Effort.

So he had to seize every minute, every second.

Just as he was about to plan out his future leveling route, the Personal Terminal on his wrist began to vibrate. A familiar name flashed across the screen.

Yang Yan.

It was a call from his sister.

Yang Yu took a deep breath and answered.

A mature female voice, slightly lazy yet filled with pressure, came from the terminal as though she were right beside his ear.

"Xiao Yu, the Awakening Ceremony is over, right? How did it go? What godly profession did you awaken? Tell your sister and make me happy too."

Yang Yan's tone was full of anticipation.

Yang Yu swallowed, his voice a little dry. "Sis... Warrior."

"Warrior? Warriors are great! Warriors are fierce! What rank?"

"D-rank..." Yang Yu practically squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.

The other end of the call instantly fell into deathly silence.

Even the faint hiss of electrical static seemed to vanish.

Yang Yu could practically imagine the stunned expression on the face of his sister, who was usually breathtakingly beautiful and carried herself with overwhelming presence.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

"D-rank is D-rank. What's there to be afraid of? It's no big deal!"

Yang Yan's voice regained its composure, but it now carried a madness that made Yang Yu's scalp tingle.

"Listen, Xiao Yu. There's a procedure in the Imperial Capital Black Market called Dragon Blood Modification. It can directly refine a professional's bodily potential and forcibly raise your warrior potential all the way to A-rank! Don't worry about money or connections. Your sister has already arranged everything!"

Yang Yu's face immediately turned pale, and fine beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.

Dragon Blood Modification?

He knew about that procedure. Although it could greatly increase one's attributes, it would cause certain dragon-like features to appear on the body.

Some people grew scales. Some even grew Dragon Horns.

And there was an even more fatal flaw: like dragons, they could not stand going a day without doing the things they loved to do.

He absolutely did not want to become an animal that thought with its lower half!

"Sis! No! No!" Yang Yu's voice cracked as he shouted anxiously, "I don't need that! I can rely on myself!"

"Rely on yourself?"

Yang Yan's tone abruptly rose, tinged with furious disappointment. "Xiao Yu, you're my little brother! How can my brother, Yang Yan's brother, be D-rank? Do you know what being a D-rank Professioner means? It means you might be stuck at Level 30 for the rest of your life! It means you won't even get close to a university's doors! It means people will trample you underfoot, and you'll never be able to rise again!"

"Sis, I really can..."

"What can you do!"

Yang Yan cut him off harshly. "I watched you grow up. Do you think I don't know your personality? You're stubborn and always get hung up on things! I'm telling you, this is non-negotiable! I'll be back next weekend, and I'll take you to see the doctor!"

"I said no!" Yang Yu's temper flared as well. He shot to his feet and growled, "Yang Yan! Can't you trust me just once? Just once! If I say I can get into Imperial Capital University, then I definitely can! I don't need your crooked methods!"

The other end of the call fell silent again.

After a long while, Yang Yan's voice finally drifted over, carrying a trace of compromise.

"...Fine. I won't force you."

"But one month. The National Examination is one month from now. If you haven't reached Level 25 by then, you have to listen to me."

"That's my bottom line."

"And make sure you wear the terminal I gave you at all times!"

Without giving Yang Yu any chance to argue, she hung up with a snap.

Yang Yu held the Personal Terminal, his palm drenched in sweat.

He slumped back into his chair, but warmth welled up in his heart.

That was his sister: a complete lunatic with her aggression dialed all the way up.

Her concern was always so domineering, so... terrifying.

And he had not even managed to tell her the good news he had prepared...

So he had to succeed.

Otherwise, that terrifying woman really would tie him up and drag him off for that procedure.

Just then, someone approached from the distance.

It was a school teacher, personally delivering his reward in an exquisite metal case.

After thanking the teacher, he opened the case without hesitation. Inside lay a piece of black metal armor that radiated a heavy, imposing aura, along with a cash card worth one hundred thousand yuan.

Black Iron Bulwark

Type: Rare Grade Armor

Required Level: None

Defense: +150

Constitution: +20

Special Effect: Tenacity. Reduces physical damage received by 10%.

Good stuff!

Yang Yu's eyes lit up.

One hundred and fifty Defense, twenty Constitution, and a damage reduction effect!

These attributes were enough to crush Fine Grade equipment of the same level on the market. Rare Grade equipment really was worthy of its name.

He immediately put on the armor, and instantly felt an overwhelming sense of security.