Cloud Sea

Sea City No. 1 High School, Class 3 Grade 3.

"Students, to create skills within the Cloud Sea, you must not only align with system data but also match the innate characteristics the system assigns you, otherwise, the creation will fail."

On the podium, the female teacher wearing black-rimmed glasses spoke with a stern tone, "According to national statistics, the failure rate for skill creation among our country's novice Players is as high as 88%. And among the remaining 12%, the vast majority only manage to create useless, chicken-rib skills with no practical combat value."

She pushed up her glasses, her voice suddenly turning heavy:

"Death in the Cloud Sea means death in the Real World, so remember this! When you enter the Cloud Sea for the first time, absolutely do not attempt to create skills on your own. Once you fail, the best case is a severe lag in your development, and the worst case is death."

"Since the Black Fog invasion began, the pioneers of our Dragon Nation have made countless sacrifices to finally succeed in creating tens of thousands of skills within the Cloud Sea and have organized them into complete, subsequent Skill Chains."

"What you need to do is memorize these Skill Chains firmly. After entering the Cloud Sea, choose the Skill Chain that best suits you based on the characteristic data the system gives you."

"Therefore, the more Skill Chains you know, the more choices you will have when the time comes."

After speaking, her gaze swept across the classroom.

"Now, I will conduct a spot check on your memorization of the Skill Chains."

The classroom fell into a dead silence, and all the students lowered their heads involuntarily.

The teacher's gaze finally settled on a boy in the back row who was staring out the window.

The boy had neat, short hair and handsome features.

"Fanzi, recite the Skill Chain for Vertical and Horizontal Three Blades."

The boy named Fanzi didn't seem to hear her, still staring blankly out the window.

"Fanzi, the teacher is calling on you." Under the desk, the Little Fatty sitting next to him hurriedly poked him with his elbow, whispering anxiously.

"Huh?" Fanzi snapped back to reality and stood up, his clear eyes filled with confusion. A burst of suppressed laughter erupted in the classroom.

On the podium, the teacher looked as if she were disappointed that he hadn't lived up to her expectations.

"You are about to enter the Cloud Sea. The choice of a Skill Chain not only concerns your future but also the future of our Dragon Nation. If you don't work hard now, and you can't create skills after entering the Cloud Sea later, how will you be able to face those revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed themselves?"

Fanzi felt his face flush at these words.

He understood the logic, but learning wasn't something you could just do by understanding the logic; you had to actually know how to learn.

And as for him, not only did he not know how to learn, he didn't even understand this world!

Three days ago, Fanzi was still a corporate slave on Earth. While walking home along the river, he happened to see a child fall into the water.

He jumped in to save the child without a second thought. He succeeded in saving the person, but he ended up drowning in the river.

When he woke up again, he had arrived on this planet called Blue Star.

The technological level of Blue Star was similar to Earth's. However, ten years ago, unknown Black Fog suddenly appeared all over the world.

This Black Fog continuously devoured the land and cities of Blue Star, and those who were swallowed also disappeared into the fog.

The Black Fog spread at an extremely rapid speed, eroding half of Blue Star's land in just two years, and many small countries had already been completely consumed.

Every nation had tried every possible method, but they could not stop the spread of the Black Fog.

Just as everyone was falling into despair, the first Player emerged from the Black Fog.

According to this Player, the moment he was enveloped by the Black Fog, he entered a game world called the Cloud Sea and became a Player.

In the Cloud Sea, Players could create character skills, weapons, equipment, and more based on their own imagination, but these things had to meet the system's requirements to be successfully created.

In addition, there were all kinds of Fierce Beasts and mutated plants in the game, and killing these creatures would grant Core Power.

Core Power was the most important energy in the Cloud Sea; Players needed it to level up, to create skills, weapons, and equipment, and even to temporarily leave the game and return to the Real World.

"Alright, sit down, and make sure to pay attention to the lecture."

The teacher's words interrupted Fanzi's train of thought, and her gaze shifted to the girl in the very center of the front row.

The girl was wearing a school uniform, her hair tied in a high ponytail, with fair skin, stunning looks, and a cold, aloof temperament.

"Chen Xuewei, you answer the Skill Chain for Vertical and Horizontal Three Blades."

The girl stood up, her slightly soft voice ringing out.

"Vertical and Horizontal Three Blades is the third link of the Yellow Rank blade technique Fatal Strike. The first link is Basic Blade Technique, the second is Single Blade Thrust, the third is Vertical and Horizontal Three Blades, the fourth is Bloodthirst, and the fifth is Fatal Strike. Upon entering the Cloud Sea for the first time, having Power greater than 3 and Stamina greater than 4 allows for the successful creation of the first link, with no specific characteristic requirements."

"Sit down, student Chen Xuewei answered very well." The teacher nodded with satisfaction, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"Students, you have seven days left before you enter the Cloud Sea. I will remind you once again that the direct choice of a Skill Chain concerns your future..."

"Ring-a-ling~"

As the school bell rang, Fanzi's torture finally came to an end.

Although he had inherited the original owner's memories when he transmigrated, the stuff regarding his studies was truly too novel! He hadn't had the time to sort through it yet.

"Fanzi, have you decided which Skill Chain to choose?"

The Little Fatty next to him suddenly leaned in, draping his arm over his shoulder.

Fanzi shook his head.

Right now, let alone choosing, he hadn't even figured out the concept of a Skill Chain yet.

Looking at the Little Fatty gazing at him with hopeful eyes, Fanzi suddenly realized something.

"Have you decided which Skill Chain you're going to choose?"

"Hehe," Little Fatty chuckled smugly, lowering his voice and acting mysterious:

"My dad is planning to spend five million to buy me a Mystic Rank Skill Chain. The deposit was paid just yesterday, and I'll be able to get the complete Skill Chain tomorrow night."

"Oh, that's way too strong!" Xiao Fan gave a thumbs-up in response.

Skill Chains are divided into Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow ranks based on their strength. The Skill Chains provided by the school are all the lowest Yellow Rank. To learn more powerful Skill Chains, you have to compete not only in talent but also in the quality of your birth.

After all, the higher the rank of the Skill Chain, the rarer it is, and the higher the requirements for a Player's attributes and traits.

Little Fatty's family is well-off, so spending five million to buy a Mystic Rank Skill Chain is a massive investment.

"Haha, it's nothing, it's nothing. Once I become powerful in the Cloud Sea, I'll look after you." Little Fatty patted his chest as if he were already a high-level Player.

"Then I'll thank you in advance."

After parting ways with Little Fatty, Xiao Fan continued walking toward home.

His current home is in an old residential complex in Sea City. The original owner's parents died in the Cloud Sea when he was eight, and his father's younger brother adopted him.

Uncle Xiao Yi has a pair of fraternal twins, and with Aunt and him, a family of five lives in a house of less than ninety square meters.

Xiao Fan walked to his front door and was just about to open it when he heard Uncle's voice from inside, causing him to stop his movements.