A few moments earlier, somewhere in the outer zone, Feng Cheng — (Health: 4%), team leader and top 3 student of Class 5 — was pinned to a tree by energy arrows.
— AHHH-!! You attacked us from behind after seeing that we were exhausted from our PVP victory! shouted Feng Cheng.
— You're nothing but cowards!!
— Cowards? I'd say strategic, replied Zhao Qiang. — In this dungeon, there are the strong and the weak. The strong devour the weak. But the strong also devour each other. So why waste my energy on the weak when I can simply set traps for them?
He added an evil smile to his lips.
Enraged by their actions, Feng Cheng tried to retaliate:
— Zhao Qiang… you…
But he was interrupted by Liu Ming.
— If I were you, I wouldn't do that.
— In your current state, you can't defeat us, added Wang Peng.
Zhao Qiang continued:
— We're giving you a chance to use your Return Scroll. Don't say we're cruel.
— Give up, or you'll just die.
— You should prioritize your life. Who knows, you might have a chance to join a guild or even become a professor, hehe.
Feng Cheng gritted his teeth. He knew he had no choice. Everyone fought to gain better resources for when they would join guilds or universities later. To pass the exam, all that mattered was performing well: on Blue Star, an extra hand is always better than nothing. The competition simply revealed students' potential, allowing them to receive better rewards. Even if he missed an opportunity to gain more, at least he could survive the exam. It was always better than dying now.
[Ding! Player Feng Cheng has forfeited the game. Zhao Qiang receives all points from Feng Cheng and his team: +2,000!]
— Very well! Now use your Return Scroll, Zhao Qiang threatened.
Feng Cheng said nothing more. He didn't know whether to be grateful or angry. After all, they could have simply killed him and taken his points.
Once Feng Cheng was teleported out of the dungeon, Wang Peng asked Zhao Qiang:
— What do we do now, Big Brother Zhao? Wait for Xu Ran?
— Wait for Xu Ran? Of course not. We're heading to the inner zone, Zhao Qiang replied, moving deeper into the forest with his two followers.
— You didn't want to eliminate him from the competition? We're just leaving him like that? asked Wang Peng.
— Haha, don't worry. Xu Ran will come to the inner zone, that's for sure. In the meantime, we'll switch to PVE to level up.
— Understood, Big Brother.
They moved toward the inner zone. Meanwhile, near Xu Ran:
— Alright, Leng Su, come with me, he said, sending her an invitation.
[Xu Ran has sent you a team invitation. Accept? — Yes / No]
— …Alright, she replied, accepting the invitation. [Yes]
Xu Ran returned to her side.
— Right now, the weakest should have already been eliminated. Those who didn't want to participate in the competition have quit, and the unlucky… only the strongest remain. They will move into the inner zone to either level up or prepare their territory for the upcoming battle.
He paused and placed his hand on Leng Su's shoulder.
— But we're not going to follow the same plan.
— You have another plan? asked Leng Su.
— Yes, Xu Ran replied. — Now, there will be almost no one left in the inner zone. So… we're going to clean the inner zone.
— …You mean you want me to attract the monsters from the outer zone? asked Leng Su.
— Yes, he replied. — Even if the monsters in the inner zone give more experience, we need to fight stronger monsters while keeping an eye on the other teams.
— But with you being able to attract monsters, debuff them, and buff allies, we can take advantage of that to safely clear the outer zone and level up.
— Alright. I'll start with this spot, replied Leng Su.
She stepped forward and unleashed her energy. An immaterial luminous point appeared above her head as her energy spread, forming a 20-meter radius field around her.
Immediately, all monsters entering her energy's range saw a full sphere appear above their heads — cracked with irregular rotation (Debuff) and floating arrows (Aggro). The arrows pointed in Leng Su's direction.
Suddenly, the monsters, as if drawn by something irresistible, moved toward her.
Above Xu Ran, a smooth, fully-rotating sphere appeared (Buff).
'Oh? A smooth sphere? She buffed me?' Xu Ran thought to himself.
Suddenly, he heard the system's voice:
[… Uh?]
Startled, he asked:
— System? What is it?
[You have undergone…]
— Undergone?
[You have received a buff that increases your combat will: +Confidence, +Stability, +Precision.]
— Ah, yes, you're right. That's the effect of Leng Su's buff. But… why do I feel like that's not what you meant? What are you hiding from me?
[There is no mistake… the system said everything.]
— If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. Why lie?
[The system does not lie. It's just that the host is "terribly" too weak to access this information.]
— "Terribly"?
— Anyway, this isn't the time. The monsters are already here.
Xu Ran got into position. A large number of monsters surrounded them.
— Their sphere is cracked. That means she debuffed them (combat will reduced: +Doubt, +Agitation, +Disorganization), Xu Ran thought.
— Alright. Don't worry, Leng Su. I can handle them, and I'll protect you, Xu Ran said to her.
'They're many, but weak and debuffed. This will be even easier.'
End.
Author's Notes:
Leng Su's Skills — Resonance Sphere System (Immaterial)
Core Principle:
Leng Su: a luminous point above her head, center of her energy.
All targets entering her energy see a full, floating, immaterial sphere appear above them.
The sphere is visible in the air like an energy projection, physically inaccessible.
Its shape, rotation, and the arrows it contains indicate the type of active effect.
Skill Visuals:
Effect / Skill
Immaterial Sign
Immediate Reading
Aggro Control
Immaterial sphere with floating arrows pointing at Leng Su
Target is attracted to her
Instinctive Fear
Immaterial sphere with arrows pointing opposite
Target moves back / flees
Ally Buff
Smooth full sphere, regular rotation
Ally is stabilized / confident / precise
Enemy Debuff
Cracked full sphere, irregular rotation
Enemy is disorganized / disturbed / attack power reduced