Shrek Academy's admissions site.
Xiao Chen had just come to his senses when he heard an argument break out up ahead.
"Once you've signed up, there are no refunds!"
"W-what? No refunds? You're clearly just scamming us..."
Listening to the commotion up ahead, which sounded oddly familiar, Xiao Chen quickly realized where he was.
He turned to look and, sure enough, not far ahead, a dilapidated sign hung above the broken gate at the village entrance. Five large characters were scrawled across it: Shrek Academy.
"Mubai, someone wants their registration fee back. Take care of it!"
Just then, the old man sitting behind the wooden table spoke in a flat voice, his eyes full of contempt.
As soon as he finished speaking, a golden-haired boy with sinister-looking eyes leaped down from a tree and released his three Spirit Rings—two yellow and one purple. The father and son who had wanted their tuition back fled in terror on the spot.
Xiao Chen stared in disbelief and muttered to himself, What the hell? How is this any different from banditry?
Under Dai Mubai's threat, the crowd waiting in line instantly shrank by a third.
As the crowd dispersed, Xiao Chen spotted the pink-clad rabbit girl near the front of the line.
There was no denying it: at this age, Xiao Wu was lively and charming, with a clear, lovely face and all the brightness and sweetness unique to a young girl. She really was adorable.
But to Xiao Chen, a man who had lived two lives, Xiao Wu was simply cute. He had absolutely no improper thoughts about her. If he had to admit to wanting anything, he was more interested in Xiao Wu's Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Ring.
Just then, Xiao Chen suddenly heard a "ding," and his consciousness entered a hazy, illusory space.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have encountered the Child of Fortune of this world. Binding to the Fantasy World Status Upgrade System..."
"Ding! System binding successful. This world has been detected as the bottom of the fantasy-world barrel. Generating system tasks..."
"Ding! Issuing ultimate task: Host, please raise the status of the Douluo World. Task failure: death!"
Looking at the system notifications popping up one after another, Xiao Chen wondered what kind of ridiculous system this was. It was bad enough to start by assigning him an ultimate task, but it didn't mention the reward at all. It sure was clear about the penalty for failure, though!
"System, can't we take this one step at a time? Even if you're going to issue tasks, shouldn't you start with a beginner task?"
"Shouldn't you follow the usual procedure and give me a beginner draw first, or at least a Novice Gift Pack?" Xiao Chen tried to reason with the system.
System: "Ding! Issuing beginner rewards... Rewarding Host with a Second Martial Soul; rewarding Host with a 100% success rate when absorbing Spirit Rings; rewarding Host with a 100% chance of obtaining a Spirit Ring when killing a Soul Beast!"
Xiao Chen was puzzled by these three beginner rewards. The first two seemed normal enough, but he couldn't make sense of the third.
As far as he remembered, any Soul Beast in the Douluo Continent that was at least ten years old would drop a Spirit Ring when killed.
Xiao Chen was confused, but didn't pay it much mind. In his view, the reward guaranteeing success when absorbing a Spirit Ring was even better than the Second Martial Soul.
In the Douluo World, a Soul Beast had to be killed by one's own hand before its Spirit Ring could be absorbed.
A 100% success rate when absorbing Spirit Rings meant he could absorb Spirit Rings dropped by Soul Beasts killed by someone else. No matter how old the Spirit Ring was, he wouldn't have to worry about his body or mind being unable to withstand it.
Xiao Chen was delighted, but the system's next words sent his heart plummeting.
System: "Ding! Beginner reward side effect: from now on, Host can only absorb Spirit Rings that are ten years old or younger. One extra second and you'll explode!"
"???"
Xiao Chen stared in disbelief. "System, fine, you won't give me Hundred Thousand Year or Million-Year Spirit Rings. But you actually limit me to Spirit Rings under ten years old? You might as well just kill me!"
Xiao Chen finally understood why the system had given him the seemingly useless reward of "a 100% chance of obtaining a Spirit Ring when killing a Soul Beast."
So that's what it was waiting for.
Xiao Chen was speechless. Everyone else's systems gave them all sorts of cheats, but this lousy system even gave its beginner pack a side effect.
System: "Host, don't be so resentful. You should know that there are no useless Spirit Rings, only Soul Masters who don't know how to develop their Soul Skills!"
"???"
Xiao Chen stared in disbelief again. That line sounded way too damn familiar.
"Shitty system, don't tell me you were turned into one by Gangzi!" Xiao Chen said warily.
System: "..."
"Host, please don't insult this system!"
Xiao Chen: "If you're not Gangzi, then are you that Ten-Year Lone Bamboo?"
System: "..."
"Host, stop guessing. You should deal with the trouble in front of you first!"
Xiao Chen's consciousness wavered, and he returned to the real world.
He looked up and immediately met Tang San's icy gaze.
Tang San stood beside Xiao Wu, his eyes as cold as ice as he glared at Xiao Chen. His whole body was tense, brimming with hostility, as though he could strike at any moment.
"Holy crap, that damn system set me up..."
Xiao Chen was near tears. He hadn't expected to offend Tang San right after transmigrating. Judging by Tang San's eyes, Xiao Chen knew he was already marked for death.
Dai Mubai, standing off to the side, looked at Xiao Chen with amusement. He had seen Xiao Chen staring at Xiao Wu just now and knew there would be a show.
"Kid, don't you know it's rude to stare at a girl like that?" Tang San said coldly.
At once, everyone around them turned to look, including Ning Rongrong at the front of the line and Zhu Zhuqing at the back.
"Sorry. I just thought this young lady looked lively and adorable, and I got a little distracted. Please forgive me if I offended you!" Xiao Chen apologized.
He didn't want to pick a fight with Tang San here. Tang San was already a Level 29 Soul Grandmaster, while Xiao Chen's Soul Power was only Level 19.
He had a system, but it was a real pain in the neck, and he hadn't even claimed his Novice Gift Pack yet. If he actually fought Tang San, Xiao Chen would definitely be the one to suffer.
"How boring," Dai Mubai muttered from the side. He'd thought Xiao Chen had some strength if he dared stare at Xiao Wu, but he hadn't expected him to back down so quickly.
Tang San was also a little surprised. When Xiao Wu had sensed someone staring at her, she had told him right away.
Tang San had glared at Xiao Chen warningly for quite a while, but Xiao Chen had kept his eyes on Xiao Wu the whole time.
That was why Tang San had gotten angry. He'd been ready to make a move, but hadn't expected Xiao Chen to apologize outright.
"Isn't it a little late to apologize now?" Tang San didn't intend to let Xiao Chen off that easily.
Xiao Chen hadn't expected Tang San to keep pressing him even after he'd apologized. He grumbled to himself, Tang San really is protective of his girl. I can't even look at her once? He's so hostile. Anyone who didn't know better would think I'd done something to Xiao Wu!
As soon as Xiao Chen finished grumbling, the system spoke up.
System: "Host, because you're an outsider, the Child of Fortune is hostile toward you. After all, the tasks you have to complete may affect the Child of Fortune's interests!"
"..."
Xiao Chen was at a loss for words. "Damn system. Are you saying I'll definitely end up on the opposite side of Tang San?"
System: "In theory, yes!"
Xiao Chen: "Holy crap! Then why are you limiting the age of my Spirit Rings? I'll be stuck with nothing but ten-year Spirit Rings. Forget whether I can beat Tang San—the moment I summon my Spirit Rings before a fight, I'll embarrass myself to death!"
System: "Didn't I tell you? There are no useless Spirit Rings, only..."
"Stop!" Xiao Chen cut the system off at once. He'd figured it out by now: this damn system was just here to screw him over.
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