A Teammate Short? Bring in a Flute-Playing Brute Support!

Shrek Academy, Freshman Teaching Building.

With the freshman assessment approaching, the entire first-year class had grown tense. Students gathered in groups of two or three, searching for suitable teammates.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong sat by a flower bed, both looking troubled.

"What are we supposed to do?" Wang Dong kicked at a pebble by his feet. "All the strong ones in our class already formed teams. The ones left are all useless. We're aiming for the championship, so we can't just pull in anyone to make up the numbers, can we?"

"How about... asking Teacher Zhou to recommend someone?" Huo Yuhao suggested.

"Forget it. That perverted old hag would definitely stick us with some weirdo." Wang Dong curled his lip.

Just when the two were at a loss, a timid voice came from behind them.

"Um... excuse me, do you still need someone?"

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong turned around.

A petite, sweet-looking short-haired girl stood there. She wore a dark green school uniform and looked soft and delicate, like an exquisite porcelain doll.

"I'd like to join your team," the girl said, gathering her courage.

Wang Dong looked her up and down, his brows furrowing slightly. "You? Little girl, we're aiming for the championship. The freshman assessment isn't a game. It'll be dangerous."

At that, the girl raised her brows, and her timid air instantly vanished.

"Who are you calling little girl? My name is Xiao Xiao. I'm level twenty-two in soul power, a Grand Soul Master!"

As she spoke, two yellow hundred-year soul rings rose beneath Xiao Xiao's feet.

Then, a massive pitch-black cauldron appeared out of thin air and crashed to the ground with a boom, making the earth tremble.

"Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron, specialized in attack and defense."

Before Wang Dong could even finish being surprised, Xiao Xiao flipped her wrist, and a jade-green flute appeared in her hand.

"Nine-Phoenix Ceremonial Flute, specialized in control and support."

"Twin martial souls?!"

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong cried out at the same time.

Wang Dong's eyes lit up, and his earlier disdain was long gone. "Great! You're in! I didn't expect our class to be hiding such a treasure!"

Xiao Xiao put away her martial souls and gave a slightly haughty snort. "Am I qualified now?"

"More than qualified!" Wang Dong grabbed Xiao Xiao's hand. "Come on! To celebrate the team's formation, this young master will take you somewhere good!"

"Where? The cafeteria?" Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up.

"Who wants to eat at the cafeteria?" Wang Dong gave a mysterious smile. "I'm taking you to special training! A secret base that can help us win the championship!"

Half an hour later, Origin Internet Cafe.

Xiao Xiao stood before a glass building that looked highly technological, her mouth slightly open and her face full of astonishment.

"Th-this is... where? How can there be a place like this in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"Quit staring and get inside." Wang Dong pushed open the door like he knew the place by heart. "Boss! Three stations! We're bringing a newbie into the game today!"

Lu Yuan sat behind the counter. Hearing the call, he raised his head.

"Well, if it isn't our little pay-to-win young master." Lu Yuan greeted him with a smile, his gaze falling on Xiao Xiao. "And this is... a new teammate?"

"That's right! Her name is Xiao Xiao, a twin martial soul genius!" Wang Dong introduced her proudly. "Boss, hurry and recommend a weapon for her. One of her martial souls is a cauldron and the other is a flute. She can smash people and provide support."

"A cauldron and a flute?"

Lu Yuan raised a brow.

Why did that combination sound so familiar?

Smashing things... playing music... support...

An image of a weapon immediately appeared in Lu Yuan's mind.

"Got it."

Lu Yuan snapped his fingers. "Little girl, since you like listening to music while fighting, I've got a divine weapon custom-made for you."

Lu Yuan led the three of them to the gaming stations and helped Xiao Xiao register an account.

"Then for you, our new player, I recommend the weapon—[Hunting Horn]."

The screen lit up.

Xiao Xiao put on the helmet and entered the character creation interface.

When that enormous, wild-looking weapon appeared before her, Xiao Xiao was dumbfounded.

It was a heavy blunt weapon over two meters long, with a huge drum-like bulge at its tip. It looked twice as big as she was!

"Boss... are you sure this is a musical instrument?" Xiao Xiao asked weakly. "It looks more like something used to tear down houses..."

"That's what you call vision," Lu Yuan said patiently. "Who says instruments can only be blown? In Monster Hunter, if you want to be a good support, you have to smash the monster's head in so it can't attack your teammates. That's called physical therapy!"

"And this horn can play battle songs too. It boosts attack, boosts defense, blocks roars... as long as you play it well, your teammates will be practically invincible."

Xiao Xiao nodded, only half understanding.

"Alright, then I'll give it a try."

[Game Launch: Monster Hunter: World]

Xiao Xiao looked at the heavy bone Hunting Horn in her hands and gave it an experimental swing.

Whoosh—!

A heavy gust roared through the air.

"So heavy! But... it feels so good to use!"

Xiao Xiao was a Three Lives Soul-Suppressing Cauldron soul master and was used to controlling heavy objects. Though the Hunting Horn was heavy, it gave her an indescribable sense of familiarity.

"There's a Kulu-Ya-Ku ahead! Xiao Xiao, try playing a buff from the back first!" Wang Dong said, holding his Insect Glaive as he pointed at the foolish bird clutching a rock ahead.

"Okay!"

Following the tutorial in her mind, Xiao Xiao pressed the attack button.

"Thunk!"

She swung the horn and smashed it hard through the air, producing a dull thud.

[Note: White]

"Thunk! Thunk!"

Two more swings followed.

[Notes: White, Red, Red]

[Melody Activated: Attack Up (S)!]

"Perform!"

Xiao Xiao suddenly swung the horn behind her and struck a bold pose.

Woooo—!

An impassioned battle song rang out.

A red glow instantly enveloped Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

"Holy shit! My attack really went up!" Wang Dong looked at his status panel and shouted in delight. "This buff is amazing! Xiao Xiao, keep playing! Don't stop!"

"Hehe, this is fun!" Xiao Xiao became excited as well.

But just then, the Kulu-Ya-Ku was drawn by the sound of the horn. It tossed aside its rock and charged over with a shriek.

"Careful! It's charging at you!" Huo Yuhao shouted, raising his light bowgun.

Facing the rushing monster, Xiao Xiao did not panic in the slightest. Perhaps because swinging the horn had felt so good just now, the violence in her heart seemed to have been awakened.

She watched the charging Kulu-Ya-Ku and instinctively treated it like her cauldron.

"You want to interrupt my performance? Get down!"

Xiao Xiao shouted. Rather than retreating, she charged straight at the Kulu-Ya-Ku.

She swung that massive Hunting Horn, using the momentum of her charge to deliver a—

Earthshaker!

"THUNK!!!"

A bone-rattling dull impact rang out.

The Hunting Horn smashed viciously into the Kulu-Ya-Ku's forehead.

The Kulu-Ya-Ku, which had been charging so aggressively just moments ago, rolled its eyes from the blow. Before it could even cry out, it blacked out and collapsed to the ground, twitching.

[Monster Status: Stunned!]

Wang Dong, who had been about to rush in and save her, froze in midair and nearly fell off his Insect Glaive.

Huo Yuhao, who had been preparing to provide covering fire, forgot to pull the trigger on his bowgun.

The two stared dumbfounded at that tiny figure. She stood beside the enormous bird's head, completely absorbed in playing the tune of "Self-Improvement."

This was support? She was fiercer than an assault-type soul master!

"Hoo..."

The song ended.

Xiao Xiao wiped the sweat from her forehead, then turned toward the two stunned boys and gave them a sweet, harmless smile.

"Wow, this instrument is so useful! It's loud, and it hurts when you smash people with it!"

"Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao, get in there! It's stunned, so let's beat it up while we can!"

Wang Dong swallowed and looked at the Kulu-Ya-Ku foaming at the mouth on the ground, then at the horn in Xiao Xiao's hands, with several bird feathers stuck to it.

He suddenly felt that he must never provoke this "support" in the future.

"C-charge! For the championship!"

Behind the counter.

Lu Yuan watched the violent little girl on the screen chase after monsters and smash them with her horn, then nodded in satisfaction.

"As expected, every support player has the heart of a damage dealer."

"Shrek's freshman assessment arena is probably about to gain a band that will strike terror into everyone's hearts."