Chapter 43: Super Abundant Rewards-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.)

"Congratulations, Lin Han," Mayor Nan Tian said gently, looking at the young man standing at the head of the line. In order to reassure the citizens of Huiyue City, this was the first and only time the mayor personally attended the entrance examination awards ceremony to present prizes to the students. Every previous time, it had been the Minister of Education's responsibility, but this time the mayor insisted on being present himself, making it a unique exception.

Lin Han was well aware of these protocols and smiled, replying, "It's all thanks to the government's excellent education. I owe everything I have now to the government's dedicated support. Without such strong faculty and resources, we could not have achieved what we have today."

Hearing Lin Han's words, the mayor felt a surge of joy in his heart. This was exactly the response he had hoped for. In these times of crisis in Huiyue City, only by instilling faith in the government could stability be maintained and internal strife avoided.

"Good child," Nan Tian said warmly. "The government will never let you down!"

Lin Han responded, "We always believe in the government!"

After exchanging a few more words, the mayor produced the final prize.

"Lin Han, in recognition of your outstanding performance, the government is granting you a special reward."

"This is a villa. We hope that with this, you will be even more motivated in the future and contribute to the development of Huiyue City."

This announcement stunned everyone present.

A villa!

Previously, the top prize had only been a skill book and a bit of cash. Now, the reward began with an entire villa!

The one who felt the most bitter was Yuan Si; the championship should have been his, and these generous rewards should have belonged to him. Yet this monstrous rival had utterly defeated him.

Lin Han had heard from Wang Qiang that the rewards this time would be substantial, but he hadn’t expected to receive a villa right away! Although he was no longer short of money—a villa was scarcely more than the price of selling two pieces of equipment—this was a perfectly legitimate way to obtain it, free from suspicion.

His family's circumstances were not the best. With this villa, they could sell their old house and move everyone into a spacious new home.

The mayor handed over the address and keys to the villa, smiling as journalists took a few photographs, and then moved on to the next reward.

The second prize was much more routine—a skill book, like every year.

The third prize, however, was a qualification to enter a gold-level dungeon!

Entering such dungeons was a privilege reserved for the wealthy and influential. The monsters inside were formidable, but the rewards were equally rich, making them highly sought after by ordinary people.

After Lin Han received all the prizes, the mayor awarded the rest of the contestants. The second place received only one hundred thousand Star Dragon coins, a stark contrast to the first prize. By the time the top eight were reached, the reward dropped to only a few thousand coins.

It was clear: comparing oneself to others could be deadly.

Once all the prizes had been distributed, the mayor departed amidst the crowd’s admiration, as the next phase—the selection by the universities—was about to begin. Mayor Nan Tian had many responsibilities, and his appearance here was only a formality.

At that moment, several people at the selection table stood up.

"Hello, everyone. I am Yun Si from Qingyun Academy."

"Hello, I am Li Changge from Shenmeng Academy."

"Hello, I am Wang Lichang from Liyun Academy."

"Hello, I am Sanqian from Jiuyun Academy."

"Hello, I am Qu Fengyun from Changqi Academy."

When the five examiners stood, the students all rose as well. These were significant figures from each academy. Even the weakest among them was at least level fifty, true paragons among their peers.

Any one of these five would be honored anywhere, and now they represented the five great academies of the imperial capital.

The five academies never accepted the weak. Even if no one qualified in a year, they would rather have none than lower their standards. This principle had been the cornerstone of their legacy for a century.

Once admitted to one of these five academies, one would never lack employment opportunities in the future. Even in government departments, regardless of position, outstanding graduates would always have a place. Of course, this referred to those who actually graduated. Some managed to enter the academy but failed to graduate, and such people would never be acknowledged as academy alumni.

Qu Fengyun, the elderly man with yellow hair and the most senior among them, spoke, "This year, Huiyue City has many outstanding candidates. In the end, thirty-eight students have been nominated."

"The final results will be revealed in a few days."

Thirty-eight nominations meant that thirty-eight students were guaranteed entry into one of the five academies.

Everyone began to discuss; although there weren’t many primary combat professions this year, the number of admissions was high—an all-time record for Huiyue City.

Yun Si stood and asked, "Is Liu Yun Yun here?"

Hearing the examiner speak, everyone realized the selection had begun.

Liu Yun Yun suddenly became the focus of the entire hall.

Sitting quietly in the corner, Liu Yun Yun had never expected to make it into the five academies. She hadn’t even survived the first round as a support class healer.

Overwhelmed, she stood and replied, "I’m here!"

Yun Si nodded with satisfaction. "Your healer profession seems special, or perhaps you possess unique talent. Among all the healers I’ve met, you are the most gifted."

"Qingyun Academy is an all-female institution—the so-called women’s college. Are you interested in joining?"

Liu Yun Yun was so excited she could barely speak. She hurriedly replied, "I would love to."

This was one of the five great academies—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Yun Si smiled, "Good. I hope you’ll report on time. Further information will be sent to you."

Li Changge then spoke, "Are Du Li and Zhong Sanqian here?"

At his words, Du Li and Zhong Sanqian quickly stood.

"We’re here!"

"Your partnership has qualified you for admission to the five academies. That means you must join the same academy and continue to collaborate in a team."

"Shenmeng Academy officially invites you to join."

"Wait..." Yun Si interjected, "Qingyun Academy also formally invites you."

"Liyun Academy also formally invites you."