Class Change to Shield Guard

[The system seized your mind, refining it in an instant!]

[Refinement results: Wealth +999, Luck +999!]

Cloud Sea City.

The Job Transfer Hall was packed with people.

The atmosphere was thick with anxiety; the once-boisterous crowd now watched the center in silence.

A high platform stood there.

A massive formation array hovered in the air, countless runes connecting into a stream of dazzling, brilliant light.

The job transfer ceremony—a special day that determined everyone's fate and future.

Chen Ming stood on the high platform, feeling the myriad complex gazes around him, his eyes as calm as an ancient well.

"Don't be too nervous, just relax your body."

The dean in charge of the awakening looked at Chen Ming with encouraging eyes.

She naturally held high hopes for this student, whose mental potential value had shattered all historical records.

As the ceremony commenced, the runes in the formation began to flicker.

The dean's eyes grew brighter as the light rose...

But the very next second.

The formation's operation came to an abrupt halt, the light stopping instantly.

"This..."

The dean froze. Having presided over the ceremony for so many years, this was the first time she had ever seen an array stop halfway through.

She hurriedly checked the instrument, which had already displayed Chen Ming's awakening information.

However, upon seeing it clearly, the dean fell silent for a moment...

After a long while, she looked up at Chen Ming with a sympathetic gaze and spoke slowly:

"Chen Ming, awakened C-rank class, Shield Guard!"

As her voice fell, the hall sank into an eerie silence.

A C-rank class...

It wasn't trash, but it certainly wasn't 'good' either.

For an ordinary person, it would be considered decent luck.

After all, at least it wasn't a life-profession below D-rank.

But this was Chen Ming, whose mental potential had broken the historical record of Cloud Sea No. 1 High School!

Everyone had assumed he would be one of this year's S-rank job changers.

Whispers gradually began to rise from the crowd.

"No way, Chen Ming was our school's genius seed, and he only got a C-rank..."

"Tsk, and a Shield Guard with only a single attribute bonus at that; it's not even as good as a B-rank Knight with both offense and defense."

"It seems that even with high potential, it doesn't guarantee the awakening of a high-level class."

On the platform.

The dean wanted to say something but stopped, eventually only offering comfort:

"Student Chen, awakening a class is only the first step. There will be opportunities later, don't put too much pressure on yourself."

That was what she said.

But the dean herself knew how slim those chances were.

For a job changer, nothing is more important than 'skills'.

And the first skill is tied directly to the class rank.

This meant that Chen Ming's C-rank Shield Guard class could only awaken a C-rank skill for now.

Future leveling and resource acquisition would not be easy.

Not to mention obtaining rare resources to awaken high-level skills.

Chen Ming nodded, saying nothing more.

He simply walked off the platform calmly and returned to his class.

Dozens of gazes turned toward him—some mocking, some disdainful, some pitying...

But no one said a word.

"C-rank class, Shield Guard..."

Chen Ming looked at his own status panel, lost in thought.

Having transmigrated three years ago, he had long since gained a clear understanding of this world.

Exotic beasts run rampant, occupying nearly seventy percent of the living territory on Blue Star.

Every Blue Star citizen who reaches the age of eighteen can awaken their own class through a job transfer ceremony.

A professional's level is the sole symbol of status!

Of course, the job transfer does not rely entirely on luck.

Various potential values have a significant impact, the most important of which is mental potential.

And Chen Ming's mental potential value is as high as 19%!

What kind of concept is that?

Let's put it this way: the previous record holder for eighteen-year-olds in Cloud Sea City was 12%.

That is why his awakening of a common class caused such a stir.

However, Chen Ming did not show any frustration or decadence regarding this.

His gaze shifted to the bottom of his personal panel.

A line of striking text was flashing--

[Charging progress: 99.99%!]

Almost there.

Watching the final bit of progress about to vanish, even Chen Ming could not help but feel his heart begin to race with excitement.

"Brother Chen, are you alright?"

A familiar voice drifted over.

A boy with a buzz cut stepped forward and patted Chen Ming on the shoulder.

"Brother Chen, don't be discouraged. With your mental potential, you'll definitely have a chance to awaken new skills after leveling up later."

The boy's name is Sun Yang, and he is Chen Ming's best friend.

"Let's team up; I'll take you to level up."

Sun Yang patted his chest, speaking with confidence.

He awakened a B-rank class, Shadow-Hiding Blade.

It belongs to the assassin type of class.

Chen Ming waved his hand, his expression calm as he said:

"Don't worry, I'm fine. As for teaming up... we'll see."

He needs to see what ability he will obtain once the charging is complete.

Battles against exotic beasts are no child's play; every single one is a fight for survival.

And teaming up is undoubtedly the best way to increase one's survival rate.

Before reaching a certain level, professionals usually team up in pairs to ensure both safety and leveling efficiency.

Only then do they move on to team combat to challenge dungeons.

Compared to the mist-shrouded wilderness, large dungeons not only have known information about exotic beasts but also offer much richer rewards.

Some rare resources can only be obtained in dungeons.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the crowd.

Chen Ming turned his head to look.

He saw the formation on the high platform swirling with extreme radiance, nearly illuminating the entire ceiling of the hall.

Endless points of light poured down like a curtain of rain, landing on a tall figure standing on the high platform.

"Qin Zhixue..."

The director in charge of the awakening stared at the information on the instrument, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Awakened--SS-rank class, Holy Radiance Angel!"

As the words fell.

After a brief, deathly silence, the entire hall erupted into an uproar in an instant.

"H-how many ranks?"

"Double S?!"

"The entire Jiangnan Province hasn't seen an SS-rank in ten years."

"I thought an S-rank was the limit for this year, and now another SS-rank!"

"She truly is a genius who broke records in every category except for mental potential."

"You're wrong. Compared to previous years, Qin Zhixue's mental potential also broke records; it's just that Chen Ming set an absurd record this year."

"Good heavens, a Holy Radiance Angel! The ultimate all-rounder with maxed-out offense and defense, plus team buffs. If I could team up with Qin Zhixue, I'd be willing to be her lackey for the rest of my life!"

"Hiss... come to think of it, isn't Qin Zhixue already on the same team as Chen Ming?"

Someone in the crowd suddenly chimed in.

Many eyes turned toward Chen Ming in the back, their expressions unreadable.

"I heard it was for the city-level potential competition; the school had a few students with high potential form temporary teams."

"What's the point of a team formed before the class transfer? An SS-rank and a C-rank—you don't need a brain to know they can't possibly stay together."

"Even if you say that, their personal profiles still show them as a team."

"Just wait. I bet the first thing Qin Zhixue does after her class transfer is quit. If she doesn't, I'll eat my hat!"

"..."

At the back of the crowd.

Hearing the chatter around him, Chen Ming finally remembered.

The school had used the competition as an excuse to make him form a team...

In reality, they just wanted the high-potential geniuses to interact and learn from one another.

One was an all-around genius who had broken nearly every record, and the other was a specialist genius with off-the-charts mental potential.

Come to think of it, he and Qin Zhixue had interacted for a while because of that.

Though not much.

He pulled up his personal panel.

Under the team section, it clearly displayed: [Morning Light Squad]—Leader!

And as for the members.

Including Qin Zhixue, there were three in total.