S+ Difficulty! (2-in-1)

"Warning: If you continue to use the identity of Dio Skellboom, your entry point will be affected, and the generated main quests will also change."

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiaowen immediately said, "Check my current Plane Fame and reputation with various factions in the Aaron Plane World."

Spirit Realm Rules Message:

"Your current reputation level in the Aaron Plane World is 109 points (D-Tier)."

"Your reputation with the Northern Frontier Imperial Army is hostile."

Your reputation with the Northern Frontier Resistance Army is now Friendly.

Bai Xiaowen narrowed his eyes. "Such a big Transformation in just one year? Your reputation within the Resistance Army was once at the 'Revered' level, but now it's plummeted to the 'Friendly' level... Of course, a year has passed in Earth time, but time flows even faster in the Aaron Plane World, so it might have been more than a year... assuming no Awakened Ones have set foot in the Aaron World in the past year."

Li Shuyi asked, "Has your popularity also declined?"

"Hmm, it dropped from 150 points to 109 points, not too much of a drop," Bai Xiaowen was still pondering the Transformation in the Aaron World. "Regarding the sharp decline in power and prestige, another possibility is that the Northern Frontier Resistance Army has developed extremely rapidly and has already become a major faction capable of directly confronting the Imperial Army."

The stronger the faction, the slower the reputation gain. And the high reputation level gained when the faction is weak will also decrease as the faction becomes stronger and time goes by, unless Bai Xiaowen stays in the Aaron Plane World to carry out missions and grind the Resistance Army reputation.

The same situation exists in the Three Kingdoms Plane World. When Liu the Imperial Uncle's faction is weak, both Liu Bei's personal Affection Level and the faction's reputation rise rapidly.

However, by the late Three Kingdoms period, after the tripartite balance of power had been established, if Bai Xiaowen were to rejoin the fray, the Imperial Uncle might only have a vague impression of him, and his reputation within the faction would plummet.

Bai Xiaowen then checked the Affection Level of the Spirit Realm Aaron Plane World towards "Dio Skellboom".

"Highlord Glandis of the Northern Frontier's Affection Level level towards you is hatred."

"The Lionheart Empire's Royal Knights Order Goliya, has a cold level of Affection Level for you."

"The Northern Frontier Resistance Army leader, Lord Usok of Spiked Helm City, has a neutral level of Affection Level towards you."

"Kevin, the chief mage of Spiked Helm City, has a neutral level of Affection Level towards you."

"The city guard commander of Elu City, Ralph, has a 'familiar' level of Affection Level towards you."

"..."

A series of Affection Level level notifications appeared.

Bai Xiaowen stroked his chin and shared these tips with Li Shuyi.

"Xiao Wen, in your first awakened world, just how many big shots did you offend?" Li Shuyi asked, clicking her tongue, her tone tinged with admiration...

Bai Xiaowen smiled somewhat awkwardly.

Li Shuyi: "Can this identity still be used? If we continue to use it, won't we get hacked to death?"

Bai Xiaowen nodded. "It's still usable, at least it's better than starting over as a free citizen..."

Seeing the hint of suspicion in Li Shuyi's eyes, Bai Xiaowen quickly explained, "Think about it, even though these powerful figures either hate me, or have only a neutral or indifferent Affection Level towards me, they've all at least activated Affection Level with me, right? This proves that they remember Dio Skellboom's identity."

"It might not be a good impression, considering you've been gone for a long time..."

"OK, OK..." Bai Xiaowen waved his hand and said, "A normal Affection Level is better than being a complete stranger. At least we don't have to spend time getting close to them and gaining their trust again. The mainstream values in this world are based on self-interest, so even if there's a bad impression, we can still cooperate. For us, time is money."

After a pause, Bai Xiaowen said, "More importantly, inheriting our original identity should allow us to enter through the Northern Frontier. After all, the rule notification does mention that 'inheriting an identity will affect the entry region.'"

"Alright then..." Li Shuyi nodded in agreement.

Bai Xiaowen then chose to inherit Dio Skellboom's entry point identity.

Li Shuyi, as Bai Xiaowen's teammate and as Dio Skellboom's sister, Aaron Plane, still under the name Charlotte Skellboom.

After the choice ended, a soft light enveloped the two of them once again, and a slight feeling of weightlessness came over them.

After the light faded, the scene before them settled again: a low, drafty shack. A gust of cold wind, carrying snow and ice, swept over them, instantly invigorating Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi.

"Clang, clang..."

The continuous clanging of metal and shouts pierced my ears:

"Charge! Kill all these traitors!"

"For Usok!"

Bai Xiaowen pried open a tattered wooden plank of the shed and quickly glanced outside.

"There's fighting outside. Judging from the insignia, it should be between the Imperial Army and the Usok Resistance Army. That means our entry point is still in the Northern Frontier of the Lionheart Empire. This is good, and it aligns with my purpose in inheriting this identity."

If the target region were changed to the heart of the Lionheart Empire, or even the territory of the High Elves, it would be completely unfamiliar territory, certainly not as good as the familiar Northern Frontier.

A notification message regarding the Spirit Realm Rules has arrived:

"[Main Quest: The Hero Returns] is now available."

"[Mission Objective: Kill a prominent figure in the Northern Frontier and deliver the kill certificate to the leader of the opposing faction.]"

"[Task Difficulty: A+.]"

"[Task deadline: 15 days.]"

"[Task Reward: Unknown.]"

"Note: The target you kill must have a reputation B-Tier in the Aaron Plane World, a template level of at least Leader Tier, and a level of at least 7."

The last point made Li Shuyi purse her lips:

"Does the Spirit Realm also have a system for recognizing figures? How do we determine if someone has a B-Tier reputation in the Aaron Plane Fame?"

"Let's draw an analogy..." Bai Xiaowen said, "On Earth, the main players of top Professional League teams generally have B-Tier of fame. If we translate that to the Aaron Plane World ... the top generals of the two major powers could probably meet the target. After all, this is only an A+ mission; it won't be too difficult."

"Is this mission really only A+ difficulty? If I'm the only Elite Class, how am I supposed to kill the Boss Tier? I'd be so frustrated!" Li Shuyi said.

"This mission was specifically generated for our team," Bai Xiaowen said. "If there were only one lone Elite Class, the requirements for killing famous figures would definitely be lowered to the Elite Template, and the level would probably be reduced as well."

During their conversation, a notification from the Spirit Realm Rules arrived again:

"Your Spirit Realm Ticket contains the special affix: Challenge."

You have been given an Elite Tier challenge mission.

"[Elite Tier Side Quest: The Monastery's Secret] is now available."

"[Mission Objective: Enter the Grand Mausoleum of North County Monastery and investigate the Sealing secrets.]"

"[Task Difficulty: S+.]"

"[Mission Deadline: None (equivalent to your remaining time in the Aaron Plane World).]"

"[Task Reward: Unknown.]"

"It's an S+ level Elite Tier mission!" Li Shuyi exclaimed in surprise. "This Monastery is full of hidden dangers."

"I feel... it's probably related to my exclusive equipment Black Soul Stone. The Black Soul Stone was stolen from North County Monastery, which led to a group of Frenzy nuns chasing after it, and eventually even alarmed the Emperor of the Lionheart Empire, who dispatched the Grand Master of the Royal Knights Order... All signs indicate that the Black Soul Stone is anything but simple, and it's because of it that this Elite Tier side quest was triggered."

Should we answer?

"Of course we'll accept," Bai Xiaowen smiled. "It's just an Elite Tier mission of S+ difficulty, at most equivalent to A-Tier Hero Quest ...it's not beyond our capabilities."

"Yes, we've accomplished much more difficult missions before, and now we're even stronger." Li Shuyi nodded emphatically.

The two quickly accepted the task, and then Li Shuyi asked, "There's still a fight outside, what should we do?"

"The main quest doesn't restrict which faction we join, but as the successor to Dio Skellboom, I've made too many enemies in the Imperial Army. I'll stick to the old path and Usok the Ursoc Resistance Army."

After Bai Xiaowen finished speaking, he kicked open the wooden door of the dilapidated shed, and he and Li Shuyi rushed outside.

"Who goes there?" A hammer-wielding man clad in full chainmail, having just knocked an enemy to the ground, looked up and saw Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi, and immediately shouted.

The chest armor plate of this chainmail hammer-wielder bears the mark of a standing lion.

Bai Xiaowen recognized the Imperial Army insignia and immediately chuckled, "One of our own."

With a bang, the chainmail hammer-wielder was struck between the eyebrows. Vital Strike, Critical Hit, critical damage amplification, Piercing, and Killing Thirst were all triggered at the same time. The hammer-wielder's skull was blown off, and blood mixed with brains splattered all over the ground as he fell backward.

This shot also officially announced Bai Xiaowen's return as a member of the Usok Resistance Army. All the Imperial Army soldiers present regarded him and Li Shuyi as enemies!

"The Northern Frontier Transformation so much in just one year! These Spirit Realm figures are leveling up even faster than me..." Bai Xiaowen remarked with a sigh.

Judging from the fluctuations in Psionic Particles, the Imperial Army chainmail hammerman that Bai Xiaowen just killed was at least level 7 of the Standard Template. A year ago, the Imperial Army chainmail hammerman that Bai Xiaowen killed was only level 2 or 3 of the Standard Template.

Of course, this is also related to the development of the "world storyline" in the Aaron Plane. The more intense and frequent the wars in those regions, the faster the Spirit Realm characters level up. Some well-known Spirit Realm characters, after some special events, level up as quickly as if they had a cheat code.

This can be seen in the information collected by Bai Xiaowen about the Three Kingdoms Plane World. Regardless of Liu Bei's level before becoming Hanzhong, he will immediately rise to level 7 after becoming king (if his original level was higher than level 7, it will remain the same). After becoming emperor, he will immediately reach level 10!

Of course, the historical events of becoming Hanzhong or Emperor would only be triggered if certain conditions were met. If he had no territory or troops, Liu Bei would never have had the idea of becoming king or emperor.

During the year Bai Xiaowen left, many battles obviously took place in the Northern Frontier, so it's normal for the Spirit Realm character to grow in this way—especially since the time spent in the Aaron Plane may not have been just one year.

Under the scan of his Divine Might, Bai Xiaowen quickly obtained general information about the battlefield.

This was a small-scale battle. Excluding the miscellaneous auxiliary troops (below the Standard Template), there were about a hundred regular soldiers on both sides. The Imperial Army had the advantage in strength and had already surrounded more than a dozen Usok Resistance Army soldiers.

During his Divine Might scan, Bai Xiaowen located the leader of the Usok Resistance Army. He whispered to Li Shuyi, "Come with me, let's meet up with the Resistance Army commander first."

Two Imperial Army, accompanied by five or six auxiliary soldiers, blocked the way. Bai Xiaowen raised his hand and summoned Butcher, Skeleton Champion, and Rageclaw.

The three summoned creatures strode forward, Butcher unleashed a powerful Savage Strike, sending one of the Imperial Army soldiers flying, his chest caved in! A series of Rageclaw, combined with a charged slash from the Skeleton Champion, killed the second Imperial Army soldier.

"Level 7 Battle Specialty... it really feels different." Bai Xiaowen had already changed into the title of "Ultimate Academic Ace" when he entered. At this moment, his Combat Specialty and Swordsmanship Specialty had both reached the level of 7. He could also control summoned creatures in battle with a smooth and effortless ease.

Bai Xiaowen sensed that the level 7 Advanced Specialty should involve a kind of "combat rhythm", which is completely different from the level 6 special skill.

He has the title of the Ultimate Academic Ace, and one of the hidden benefits is that he can experience the differences of level 7 special skills in advance, and the growth rate of his skill proficiency will receive an additional hidden boost.

Li Shuyi smiled. She had already reached level 7 in One-Handed Swordsmanship, so of course she knew what that feeling was like.

At this moment, combined with Li Shuyi's combat skill level of 6, her footwork became even more rhythmic. She moved through the crowd like a butterfly flitting among flowers, each Imperial Army auxiliary soldier taking a blow to the throat and falling backward.

Bai Xiaowen summoned four more Skeleton Sword-and-Shield Soldier to protect his and Li Shuyi's flanks. The squad, like a sharp arrow, plunged straight into the enemy ranks, pushing all the way to the front of the Usok Resistance Army formation.

"By the great Ishtar, you are also brothers of the Usok Resistance Army! Great, we are saved!"

A middle-aged man in a black robe shouted excitedly, a dagger clutched in his hand—judging from the way he held it, the dagger was probably more of a comfort to him than a practical weapon.

"That's right, I'm a member of the Resistance Army, my name is..."

Before Bai Xiaowen could speak, a slightly familiar voice suddenly rang out from the side:

"Dio! Brother Dio, is that you?"

Bai Xiaowen suddenly turned his head and saw a Dazhuang and muscular man covered in heavy black armor, holding a large shield in one hand and a hammer in the other.

The man looked familiar. Bai Xiaowen searched his memory and quickly recalled him. He exclaimed in surprise, "You are... Loga!"

That's right, this is one of the duo Bai Xiaowen encountered in Elu City, the shield warrior Loka! Back then, Loka was just a level 3 ordinary template, but now, judging from the fluctuations of psionic particles, he has completed the template advancement and his strength has made a qualitative breakthrough.

Congratulations to LPL for becoming the strongest region! Thanks to RNG, thanks to RW, and thanks to EDG and IG for their group stage victories!