Chapter 21: Loyalty Worthy of a Divine Skill

[Simulation Ended.]

[Evaluation: You were born into humble circumstances, yet through your own efforts and financial acumen, you transcended your social class and were admitted to a professional university.]

[Even after receiving gifts from your previous timeline, you remained trapped in your life as a pathetic clown of the underclass.]

[Your final death revealed that the source of the world’s chaos is not these financial institutions, but the laws and order that maintain the operation of the extraordinary world.]

[Based on your evaluation, you may retain two of the following rewards.]

[①: Experience points from level 6 to level 11.]
[②: Beast Blood Set.]
[③: Skills: Double Slash, Blink Strike.]
[④: Red Heart Team Inscription System.]
[⑤: Substantial combat experience.]
[⑥: Extremely keen survival instincts.]

Lin Xia’s expression remained unchanged as he ignored the simulation’s assessment.

The first simulation branded him an ant and a wretch. The second labeled him a clown of the underclass. Well, in a sense, this was a step up in the hierarchy of life. After all, to be a clown, one must at least be a person, right?

"Retain options one and two!"

Lin Xia made his choice with a thought. His professional level was a must-keep. In this maddening, plague-ridden world, only the power in his own hands could support his journey forward. As for the other options, it was a matter of value. The Beast Blood Set was a level 10 elite-tier set, far exceeding the value of skill cards or inscription systems. As for combat experience and survival instincts? Without a high professional level, they were useless. No matter how skilled a commoner is, an extraordinary being could crush them with a single blow.

*Hummmm...*

An intangible fluctuation emerged from thin air, followed by a familiar, strengthening sensation surging through his body. He had been unaccustomed to receiving these gifts the first time, but human adaptability is remarkable; he grew used to it almost immediately this second time. Even though the power boost from a first-rank professional advancement was more intense and violent, it was easier to accept. As everyone knows, the first time is often clumsy and unfamiliar. Once you master the process, the second time is far more comfortable.

[Name: Lin Xia.]
[Level: 11.]
[Profession: Bronze Warrior.]
[Equipment: Five-piece Beast Blood Set (Beast Blood Greatsword, Beast Blood Helmet, Beast Blood Armor, Beast Blood Belt, Beast Blood Boots).]
[Passive Skill: Bronze Battle Qi.]
[Active Skills: None.]
[Talent: Loyalty.]
[Life Tier: First Rank.]

Lin Xia looked at his attribute panel and switched to the simulator interface.

[Simulation Status: Cooling down.]
[Unseal Cost: 220 Destiny Points.]

Lin Xia frowned at the cost. "It seems my previous guess was correct; the cost to start a simulation is tied to one's professional level. Last time it was 60; this time it is 220."

"There must be other factors involved. Is it the number of simulations? Or the impact of my life tier?" He paused, thinking, "Or perhaps... all of them?"

"With so few simulations, I can't be sure yet. But that’s fine. I’ll figure it out eventually."

He didn't mind the doubling cost. Even if Destiny Points were hard to come by and he couldn't simulate frequently, there was no need for anxiety. He still received one free chance every month, which served as a safety net. Two simulations had already brought him earth-shattering changes; he believed that as the number of simulations increased, his strength would grow exponentially.

Since the acquisition of Destiny Points was linked to everything around him, why not set a small goal: to topple this damned federal law?

Through this simulation, he had gathered much useful information. Financial conglomerates plundered the wealth of low-level professionals through lending institutions, while military-backed battle groups held the status and means to crush these financiers. In other words, as long as the barrel of your gun is hard enough, any agreement is just bullshit!

[Destiny Points: 87.16.]
[You accepted the gift and altered the fate of being assassinated by the Jiang City Law Enforcement Team's 12th Squad. Destiny Points +80.]

Lin Xia glanced at his points and stood up, heading toward the Instance Hall. Looking back at the simulation, his talent might seem useless on the surface, but for a leader, the ability to discern loyalty alone was a divine skill!

Lin Xue, Wang Meng, Deng Qi, and Xiahou Chuan—the four comrades who had pledged their loyalty to him—had proven the value of their fidelity through their actions. Since he had accepted the gifts, he would naturally not treat his brothers poorly. Most importantly, to build his own foundation, he needed a core team that was completely loyal to him. Pooling the resources of an entire faction would generate wealth far faster than acting alone.

The gold-farming speed of the Red Heart Team proved his theory. And looking ahead, facing the siege of debt-collection agencies and various teams, if the Red Heart Team were a large-scale organization overseeing a dozen sub-teams, would these debt collectors dare to ambush him over a bounty for a level 25 item? They’d be terrified!

In this light, the Red Heart Team could serve as the prototype for a combat group. Only a group built by his own hands could be truly trusted. As for joining other groups? That was merely an expedient measure. Could one really expect the beneficiaries within those groups to voluntarily relinquish their own interests?

...

Meanwhile, in the Jiang City Instance Hall, Lin Xue looked at the Scavenger employment agreement in her hand, along with the more than twenty accompanying documents titled "Voluntary Waiver of Wage Earnings" and "Voluntary Waiver of Employment Security Fund," her expression complex.

Her talent was poor; she had only awakened a Bronze-tier talent—a support-type talent that few wanted in the early stages. She had come to the Instance Hall hoping for a stroke of luck to find high-paying work to cover the interest on her "Gratitude Loan." Most importantly, the university entrance exam was in three months. Through the web, she had seen the carefree lives of college students: the beautiful environment, the comfortable atmosphere, the kind mentors... and most of all, the romantic, moonlit lives they led in their spare time, which she yearned for deeply.

But now, she felt she wouldn't be that lucky. Fortune did not favor low-level professionals from poor backgrounds who had to take out loans just to awaken their talents. Having been deceived many times, how could she not see the predatory tactics of the Scavenger Alliance? Yet, with no other suitable work, she had no choice but to gamble here.

*Clatter!*

Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the Instance Hall. A powerful professional in luxurious equipment entered, walking directly toward her. The faint purple aura rippling from his gear told everyone present that this was an exceptionally expensive elite-tier set. Anyone capable of wearing such gear was either wealthy or powerful. Such a big shot belonged to a completely different world than her.

But the world often develops in ways no one expects. The powerful professional wove through the crowd, ignoring the gazes of others and brushing aside the fawning staff, only to stop abruptly just as he was about to pass her.

The next moment, a gentle voice reached Lin Xue’s ears:

"Hello, are you interested in joining my team?"