Chapter 61: Crafting Equipment, Setting Traps!-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, I recognized your voice the moment I heard it. I didn't expect you to come to Misty Cloud City too—what a coincidence," Lin Han greeted warmly as he stepped outside, though he was using Wang Qiang's identity.

"Wang Qiang, what are you doing here!" Gao Chong was somewhat surprised; he hadn’t expected to run into an old classmate in a place like this. He never really disliked Wang Qiang—after all, Wang Qiang’s performance was never that outstanding.

He simply disliked those who stole his spotlight.

Lin Han smiled and replied, "I'm here for my second awakening quest. The draw happened to send me to the Iron Forest, so I came to Misty Cloud City. But enough about me—what brings you here?"

"Well, what a coincidence. I'm also here for the Iron Forest quest," Gao Chong answered, a hint of surprise in his voice. "But mine isn’t an awakening quest. My family is having some equipment forged for me. Since I joined the academy, they hired a blacksmith to craft something that suits my abilities."

"But we're short one material—the Heart of the Guardian. That’s why I came."

Listening to Gao Chong, Lin Han quickly figured out his plan. If that’s the case...

"Don't tell me we're in the same group!" Lin Han feigned surprise.

"I'm scheduled for the group mission the day after tomorrow. What about you?" Gao Chong asked.

"Same here!"

"That's great! With the two of us working together, how could we possibly fail to get the Heart of the Guardian?" Gao Chong said enthusiastically. He had witnessed Wang Qiang's card master abilities—he was no slouch.

Having Wang Qiang in the team was certainly beyond his expectations.

Lin Han mused, "But there's only one Heart of the Guardian..."

Gao Chong shrugged, "So what? I get the Heart of the Guardian, and you have a hidden quest, right? When the time comes, just tell me what you need for your hidden quest, and we’ll each get what we want."

"As for the others—what do they have to do with us?"

"As long as we both complete our quests, that's all that matters."

Lin Han nodded in agreement, "Exactly, you’re right. The others have nothing to do with us. If they have anyone to blame, it’s just bad luck for running into us. After all, we know each other."

Gao Chong grinned, "Right, who else would we take advantage of if not them?"

...

The two spent the entire day eating, drinking, and making merry together. Lin Han got a taste of the life of a wealthy young master; after all, to play this role, he had to do things only the rich could afford.

As night fell, Lin Han went to Gao Chong’s room, where they prepared to share a few drinks.

"Wang Qiang, how’s your tolerance? Don't tell me you’ll be out after just one glass," Gao Chong said boisterously, hauling several crates of alcohol from behind him.

Lin Han chuckled, "I can't compare to you, but I should manage."

With that, the two started drinking. Thanks to his self-healing abilities, Lin Han could evaporate alcohol from his system with a forbidden spell, while he encouraged Gao Chong to drink bottle after bottle.

By the next morning, Lin Han stretched lazily, glancing at the thoroughly drunk Gao Chong.

"Gao Chong, don’t blame me for being ruthless. You’ve practically delivered yourself for this mission. Now I can borrow your identity for a while."

"Just sleep here. By the time you wake up, the mission should be underway. If you have anyone to blame, blame yourself for being too trusting."

As he spoke, Lin Han’s face transformed into Gao Chong’s. He left the hotel, took a teleportation portal, and arrived at the outskirts of Iron Forest.

According to the mission details, the assembly point was around here.

Clearly, Lin Han was the first to arrive. There were still three hours before the mission began, so he was in no rush.

Before long, the first person arrived on site.

"Young man, are you here for the Iron Forest team mission?" The newcomer was a man with the look of an uncle, who greeted Lin Han with enthusiastic familiarity.

"Yes, sir. My name is Gao Chong—you can just call me Chongzi," Lin Han replied humbly.

"Alright, I’ll call you Brother Chong. Calling you Little Bug sounds too much like an old eunuch," Wang Qian laughed heartily. "I’m Wang Qian. Call me Brother Wang or Qian if you like. You’re about the age for awakening. Rest assured, your brother here is a level thirty knight—I've got your back!"

"Thank you, Brother Wang," Lin Han replied, introducing himself. "I’m a level twelve rogue now. If there’s anything I can help with, just let me know—I’m here to gain some experience."

"As for the Heart of the Guardian, you all can fight over it. I’m just here for the experience."

Lin Han was startled—there was a level thirty knight here, a main combat class and a popular one at that, ranking quite high on the charts.

It seemed he wasn’t the only one preparing for a fourth awakening. He only hoped no absolute monsters would come for the awakening mission. If someone was here for a saint-level awakening, there would be no hope of competing.

"You've got potential, kid," Wang Qian praised, clapping Lin Han on the back. "To have this kind of strength at your age, you’re destined for greatness."

"Thank you for the compliment, Brother Wang," Lin Han replied. "I just finished the academy entrance exams and have already been accepted into one of the Five Academies. I’m just waiting for the semester to start."

"Impressive, the Five Academies!" Wang Qian’s eyes widened; after all, the Five Academies were truly prestigious schools. Once admitted, the future was bright indeed.

"Just a stroke of luck."

"Luck or not, it’s still impressive. Gao Chong, I didn’t expect to run into you here," a familiar voice interrupted Lin Han’s thoughts. He turned to see a face he knew all too well.

"The Referee!"

Yes, it was the very referee who had overseen him through the entire entrance exam.

"Surprised you remember me. If it wasn’t for me, you’d have been finished back then," the referee said coolly.

He had no particular feelings about Gao Chong—neither fondness nor dislike, just indifference.

"Tch."

Lin Han said nothing more.

"Hello, my name is Gao Gen," the referee introduced himself. It was the first time Lin Han learned his name.

"Brother Chong, do you have a grudge with this guy?" Wang Qian sidled up to Lin Han and whispered.

Lin Han replied, "Not really—he was just the referee for my exam."

"Good, if he had a grudge with you, I’d teach him a lesson for you," Wang Qian joked.

"No need, Brother Wang."

As they chatted, another figure approached, stopping beside them and introducing herself, "Hello everyone, my name is Du Wanting. Pleased to meet you."