Lionheart City houses three major class guilds:
Magic Guild
Melee Guild
Gunslinger Guild
Each of these is subdivided into smaller branches. Today, Jiang Qiao brought Zhao Mingwei to the Fighter Branch of the Melee Guild.
When Zhao approached the advancement NPC Chao Yuan, the old fighter gave a sigh.
"Your body is far too weak. Becoming a Qi Cultivator would be a mistake.But... I see another possibility within you."
Zhao glanced at Jiang Qiao with a raised eyebrow.Wasn't the script supposed to go, "I sense a rare genius, come accept my secret legacy!"?
After his respec, Zhao's Strength stat had dropped to 5—an absolute weakling in the Fighter Guild.
"You remind me of my younger self," Chao Yuan continued."Despite your frail physique, do you still wish to walk the path of Qi?"
No, I just want to become a Brawler... Zhao thought to himself.But under Jiang Qiao's urging, he still nodded.
What choice did a 5-Strength scrub have?
"There's no hesitation in your eyes… Very well.You possess an immense magical potential within. You may yet endure this power."
Chao Yuan suddenly stripped off his upper robe, revealing a torso covered in ancient scars and—on his back—a roaring lion tattoo, vivid as if alive.
Zhao could almost hear its roar.
"This is the Spirit Beast Tattoo, passed down from a forgotten ancient kingdom.Endure its trial, and you shall gain power rivaling that of a Qi Cultivator.But be warned—death is a very real possibility. Do you accept?"
The moment he finished speaking, a stream of system prompts appeared:
[Hidden Class Advancement Quest Triggered: Nian Qi Master (念气师)]
[Quest Details: Enter the Spirit Beast Illusion Realm solo and complete its trial. Limited to three attempts.]
[Requirements: Lv25, INT > 250, CHR ≥ 15]
"Limited attempts?" Zhao muttered.This was the first failable NPC quest he'd ever received.
The biggest advantage players had was being able to die freely—at worst, you lost a bit of EXP and gold.But three failed attempts meant… he might never unlock this hidden class again.
"Accept. It's a hidden dungeon—I have to try it."
Zhao and Jiang Qiao were both hardcore gamers—the kind who always played on max difficulty and wouldn't move on until they'd uncovered every secret.
Tougher content wasn't a burden—it was a thrill.
"With only 5 STR, can you even deal damage?" Jiang Qiao reminded him.
"Only one way to find out."
Zhao accepted the quest. Jiang Qiao watched him vanish, teleported into the advancement dungeon.
"Hailan, open a portal. I want to spectate."
Jiang Qiao had nothing better to do at the Fighter Guild, so why not see how deeply Zhao understood the game?
"Give me a sec… here it is."
Hailan waved her hand, opening a shimmering azure portal. Jiang Qiao entered in spectator (spirit) form.
On the other side: a space as vast and dark as the cosmos.
At the center stood a pure white arena platform.
Zhao was already in combat stance, waiting for enemies to spawn.
Suddenly, the stone floor cracked apart.A tower shot up from the arena's center, and the broken stone slabs floated randomly into the air, rearranged by invisible forces.
Jiang Qiao finally understood the dungeon's challenge:
"Wait… this is Jumping Trial?" he blinked at the floating tower.
The inside of the tower was solid—you could only climb it by leaping from one floating stone to another.
They weren't evenly placed. They moved unpredictably.
"He's smiling."Hailan noticed Zhao's expression—it was calm. Relaxed. Confident.
"Probably because this is part of his pro training."
Jiang Qiao spun lazily in the air.
For most people, this type of parkour trial would be brutal.But VR pro players often underwent physical training rivaling gymnasts.
Zhao, one of the best among them, launched himself into the air, his Fighter agility kicking in.
He landed on a floating stone slab—it sank slightly underfoot.
Using that rebound, he soared up to another, higher slab.
From there, he never stopped.
Every landing was a launchpad. In seconds, he was climbing higher and higher, his jumps forming a flawless rhythm—so smooth it was almost… beautiful.
The time limit was 5 minutes.As he neared the top, the stepping stones grew fewer and farther between.
With 10 meters left, he finally made a mistake.
A slab too small—his foot slipped.
He plummeted from a hundred meters up.[-3256]—his HP was wiped out.
He respawned immediately at the bottom and started his second attempt.
This time, he was more careful. No cockiness.Yet again, at the final ten meters, he hit a wall—no visible footholds in reach.
Just as the slab under him began to fall, Zhao spotted a stone floating far above.
He leapt, caught it with one hand, and pulled himself toward another foothold on the side.
Clinging to the tower wall, he climbed the rest of the way.
At the summit waited a creature of thunder and lightning—something between a dragon and a tiger.
Zhao braced himself.
Then he saw its Level 50 tag.In his mind, only one phrase appeared: "You gotta be kidding me."
But the beast didn't attack.
"Challenger," it spoke in a booming voice."You have passed my trial. You are worthy of my power."
[Nian Qi Master Advancement Complete. Accept new class?]
Zhao didn't hesitate.He clicked "Accept."
The beast dissolved into lightning and thunder, which surged into his body.
He felt it—a unique energy forming within, filling his limbs and chest.
Opening his character panel, he began inspecting his new skills and abilities.
(End of Chapter)