Chapter 31: He Cheated—Despair!-Mass Job Change: My Skills Are All Forbidden Spells with a Ten Thousand Times Boost(By the banks of the Ruoshui River, the wine cups drift along the gentle current.)

Gao Chong lay face-down on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face etched with utter despair.

Why? Why could a mere Priest defeat me, a second-tier Rogue? How could such terrifying power possibly belong to a Priest?

Not only Gao Chong, but everyone else fell into a brief silence. Even the referee, who had been poised to intervene, was left dumbstruck by the scene, unable to regain his composure.

How could a Priest possibly achieve such a feat?

Stubbornly, Gao Chong struggled to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “Lin Han, you must have used some kind of drug! Referee, he’s definitely cheating!”

Lin Han sneered at his words. “Gao Chong, do you think everyone is as base as you? Why would I need to use drugs to deal with you? You really think too highly of yourself.”

“You’re just a Priest, a support class. How could you possibly have such explosive strength?” Gao Chong shouted at the referee, unable to comprehend: “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and investigate him!”

“He’s broken the competition rules!”

Suddenly, a stern voice thundered from above, filling the entire trial arena. The elderly man with yellow hair declared, “No need for an investigation. Lin Han did not use any drugs—he’s simply very strong.”

With that, the crowd, which had been harboring doubts, immediately quieted down. This was a renowned professor from a top university; his words carried the weight of the entire academic world, and there would be no reason for him to lie on behalf of a single student.

“Impossible! You must be mistaken!” Gao Chong could not accept this. He, a proud second-tier Shadow Rogue, had actually been defeated by a Priest?

Was he destined to be trampled beneath Lin Han’s feet for his entire life?

With a crazed roar, Gao Chong summoned the last remnants of his strength, attempting to end Lin Han with one final strike. But to Lin Han, this desperate attack was as futile as an insect trying to stop a chariot.

Just as Lin Han clenched his fist for a finishing blow, the referee suddenly appeared between them. With one hand, he grabbed Gao Chong by the collar and flung him aside; with the other, he caught Lin Han’s punch.

What immense strength!

The referee frowned slightly. He, too, was a main combat class, a third-tier at level twenty-eight. Even so, his arm went numb from blocking that punch.

It was hard to believe such power could come from a support class.

Lin Han had already held back, doing his best to restrain his strength. Had he attacked with full force, the referee might not have survived.

Gao Chong scrambled up from the side and shouted at the referee, “What are you doing?!”

The referee shot him a cold glance. “You’re no match for him. Had I not intervened, you’d most likely be dead now.”

He was not lying. After feeling the force of that blow, he knew Gao Chong in his current condition could never have survived it. Even if he had, he would have been crippled for life.

And none of this could be blamed on Lin Han—he had already urged his opponent to surrender, but Gao Chong had insisted on risking everything.

All responsibility lay with Gao Chong alone.

Though he was unwilling, Gao Chong could do nothing more to Lin Han. He was led away by the others, defeated.

“This match goes to Lin Han,” the referee declared. “Lin Han, please step down and wait.”

Lin Han returned to the sidelines, where Wang Qiang greeted him with a broad smile. “Not bad! I bet plenty of people will want to cozy up to you now. This performance is sure to get you into a top university—what a brilliant moment!”

“It was nothing,” Lin Han replied with a faint smile.

With the first match concluded, the rest of the competition was divided into several groups, each a four-person free-for-all. This sped up the process; after all, the prestigious academies were only interested in the very best, with no need for drawn-out procedures.

“Anyone interested in recruiting Lin Han?” a middle-aged woman asked with a genial smile.

Her academy accepted only female students, so they were the first to bow out. No matter how strong Lin Han was, they had no interest.

A young man remarked, “The boy’s chosen a difficult path. His current strength might be due to pre-awakening training combined with some special skills, which is understandable. But his class is still Priest; even if he’s made a second advancement, luck probably played a significant role. If he focuses solely on increasing his own power, he’ll eventually hit a wall. Our academy doesn’t need a student like that.”

An elderly man with white hair agreed. “Indeed. One’s class is what matters most. If you lack in that area, what use is raw strength? Can you ever be stronger than a true Warrior? The further you progress, the less you can rely on training alone to surpass others.”

“Besides,” he continued, “the Priest class requires an increasing amount of Calamity Essence as they advance. Even if we admitted him, our academy couldn’t provide enough resources for his development. Would we really send our own faculty into the Calamity Zones to gather it for him?”

They exchanged knowing smiles, each voicing the consensus of their respective academies.

...

“Lin Han, it’s my turn now. I’m off!” Unnoticed, most of the students had already completed their trials, and now it was Wang Qiang’s turn.

“Be careful. If you can’t win, surrender—it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Lin Han said with a smile.

“Get lost,” Wang Qiang replied with mock annoyance. “I’m going to fight to the end and then beat you!”

Lin Han said nothing, but as he watched Wang Qiang walk toward the combat area, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

“Wang Qiang, first-tier, level ten, Card Master.”

“Zhang Siwen, first-tier, level six, Assassin.”

“Xu Jiamei, first-tier, level three, Hypnotist.”

“Liu Yunyun, first-tier, level ten, Healer.”

Once all four competitors had announced themselves, the referee declared the match open.

“Should we take out the strongest first, then settle things among ourselves?” Zhang Siwen asked in a sinister tone, casting his gaze at Wang Qiang.

As a level ten Card Master—a main combat class—Wang Qiang was naturally seen as the greatest threat.

Before Wang Qiang could retort, Liu Yunyun chimed in, “Nice calculation! You want us to eliminate Wang Qiang together, then as a support class, I wouldn’t pose a threat to you, and Xu Jiamei, at just level three, couldn’t threaten you either. Zhang Siwen, your behavior doesn’t quite match your name, does it? Not so ‘cultured’ after all.”

“Damn it,” Zhang Siwen muttered, annoyed that his scheme had been exposed. “But if I’m eliminated early, which of you could possibly deal with Wang Qiang?”