"Just kidding. Besides Sound of Wailing, you also have one skill draw — consider it my gift."
Consciousness slowly returned to his body.
A cold mechanical female voice sounded in his mind.
"Designated skill pools: [The Hunt · Warrior], [Destruction · Warrior], [Harmony · Priest]."
"Drawing skill..."
"[Destruction · Warrior], Bronze 3rd Rank skill, 『Charged Slash』: Charge up and then slash, dealing high damage. Damage increases with charge time, up to 3 seconds."
Hearing the noisy chatter around him, Lin Xiwu's teeth ached a little. A gift? This is just Aha casually stuffing a practical Path skill into me.
But this was a skill that could only be obtained at Destruction Bronze 3rd Rank — fairly powerful. It seemed the draw was based on the same Fate Soul rank. Bronze rank would draw any skill from Bronze 3rd, 6th, or 9th ranks.
Wait, what was my weapon again? Harmonic Top Hat?
What use is this charged attack to me!
Time passed bit by bit. The queue on the playground grew shorter. Most of the students had already been assigned to classes. They stood on two sides of the playground — one side for Cultural Class, the other for Combat Class.
Chen Mo stood guard beside Lin Xiwu, who was frozen in place. Teacher Yun Che moved his table aside with the rest of the line and instructed the surrounding students not to interrupt Lin Xiwu's communication with Path power, to prevent accidents.
"Fate Soul · White Wolf King."
"Path · Destruction."
The last student also completed his Fate Soul awakening.
It was a shy, chubby little guy named Ling Chen.
He stood there blankly for a moment, then raised his head. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he walked toward Lin Xiwu step by step.
With the awakening of his Fate Soul, his body rapidly changed. After just ten steps, he had transformed into a burly, bald-headed man with bulging muscles, his upper body bare.
Destroy humans, slaughter humans, hunt humans!
Bloodthirsty thoughts constantly echoed in his mind.
Ling Chen shook his head, trying to suppress the urges, but they kept surging back. The destructive desire of the newly stepped‑onto Path of Destruction only amplified these thoughts, tormenting him.
Then he saw the universally hated Path of Elation. He suddenly recalled the time when his family had nearly been killed by an Elation Pathwalker, drenched in blood. His thoughts erupted completely.
"I challenge you to a duel!"
Ling Chen panted heavily, just as he saw Lin Xiwu's body move slightly. "The loser…!"
He struggled to suppress the evil thoughts in his mind.
"The loser goes to Cultural Class! And stops harming others!"
That was the cruelest thing he could think of against Lin Xiwu.
"Uh… who is he?"
Lin Xiwu, just having come to, looked utterly confused. He turned to Chen Mo beside him.
"No idea. You're the only person I know in this school. If I don't know, who would I ask?"
"Besides, little fatty, if you want to bully someone, come at me. Why go after my bro?" Chen Mo stepped forward, raising his left hand in front of Lin Xiwu.
"Then I'll take you both on!" Ling Chen was about to charge, his fists clenched. He suppressed his raging thoughts again and looked toward the teacher not far away. "Teacher, is that allowed?"
"…"
Yun Che had seen many cases where students underwent drastic personality changes after awakening their Fate Soul and Path, even attacking others.
But this was the first time he had seen a Destruction Pathwalker so restrained.
This kid has incredible willpower.
He didn't quite know what to say for a moment and looked at Lin Xiwu.
"I'll try."
Lin Xiwu stepped past Chen Mo's arm. Somehow, a top hat had appeared on his head — dark blue, with a brim, intricate patterns on the crown, and blue ribbons fluttering in the wind.
"Uh… that's your weapon?"
Chen Mo looked at Lin Xiwu's top hat. Ten thousand alpacas stampeded through his heart.
No way, bro.
You're way too on‑board with this!
Truly the Path of Elation, you are!
You're wearing a hat and… and walking onto the arena?
"There's a platform in the middle of the playground. Go fight there. Also, class division is no joke — you can't make bets on it."
Yun Che shook his head. No wonder it's the Path of Elation — a hat as a weapon. Even if it were a musical instrument or something, with the extremely small chance of drawing a Harmony skill, he could go the Harmony Priest route. But a hat… what is that even?
On the platform, about the size of a basketball court, Lin Xiwu and Ling Chen stood ten meters apart, facing each other.
Crowds of students gathered around the edge of the platform.
"A Path of Elation guy. I wonder how he fights."
"What's the use? Elation is all about deadweight teammates who grief. Honestly, it's a waste of his looks. If I looked that handsome, I could awaken any random thing and find a girlfriend the next day."
"But he could go to Cultural Class. As long as he doesn't fight or cultivate his Fate Soul rank, he can still find a girlfriend."
"Good point. Hey girl, want to be my girlfriend? I'm Liu Zibo, The Hunt Warrior — boundless prospects."
"Heh, ptooey! I'm Erudition Hunter, sister!"
"Oh, excuse me. Too high class for me."
Yun Che walked to the center of the platform, gave a signal, and then stepped back.
Ling Chen had felt like he was about to burst the whole way here. The destructive thoughts in his mind grew stronger and stronger. If he didn't release this pressure, he suspected he wouldn't survive the night — he'd die of suffocation.
Lin Xiwu took one step forward with his right foot, his left foot back. He took off his hat, lowered the brim to his chest, and gave a slight bow.
"Showtime."
"ROAR!"
Ling Chen stomped and charged, eyes bloodshot, right fist clenched, closing in.
Smack!
Lin Xiwu snapped his fingers, spun while holding his hat, and dodged Ling Chen's fist.
Now he held the hat low with his right hand, and extended his left hand forward in an inviting gesture.
"The mood is set."
『Noisy Lantern Parade』
Activate!
"The show begins!"
A golden five‑pointed star ring appeared beneath his feet. Spotlights came from nowhere, and rhythmic music began to play.
Lin Xiwu tossed the Harmonic Top Hat, caught it as he jumped, landed in a spin, and began to dance — swaying, stepping, executing three or four difficult breakdance moves in a row, like a dancer performing on stage.
He finished his final move, rose gracefully, and put the hat back on his head. He pinched the brim with his left thumb and index finger, lowering it — concealing the startup of a Charged Slash — while extending his right hand behind him in a finishing pose.
And coincidentally, the direction his right hand extended toward was exactly behind him, where Ling Chen stood.
After I activated 『Noisy Lantern Parade』, I saw a white Toughness bar above Ling Chen's head. If I break it, I can trigger Super Break Damage. I have to try.
The students around the platform were dumbfounded.
This… this isn't right?
Why is he dancing?
Where did the music come from?
Where did the lights come from?
This… this is the Path of Elation? How terrifying!
No, bro!
On the platform, Ling Chen's already red face turned even redder — steam practically rising from his head.
We're in a duel!
I don't care that you're dancing — but why are you pointing at me at the end? What, you want me to dance too? I've been chubby since I was little, I've never been good at moving around! And you're inviting me to dance?!
ROOOAR — !
With a wolf howl, Ling Chen lunged at Lin Xiwu like a ferocious wolf. Mid‑lunge, he saw Lin Xiwu turn around — tears at the corners of his eyes.
Whoosh!
The Harmonic Top Hat, charged for a full three seconds, flew from Lin Xiwu's hand, arced through the air, and sailed lightly toward Ling Chen's charging path!
"Crying won't help you!"
Ling Chen threw a punch, determined to shatter this ridiculous hat. As for whether shattering a Fate Soul weapon would affect its owner — he had no time to care about that!
BAM!
A loud crash.
Ling Chen's charging body flew backward, landing three meters away with a thud. He lay flat on the ground, eyes rolled back, his right foot twitching slightly.
The scene looked exactly like a ghost‑riding teenager hit by a speeding car and left for dead.
The entire crowd was stunned.
One‑… one‑shot?
Just one blow?!
The Harmonic Top Hat tumbled upward and floated back into Lin Xiwu's hand.
Two streams of hot tears flowed down his cheeks. His face was full of sorrow.
In his heart, he cursed Aha's entire family.
Why didn't you tell me earlier that Sound of Wailing is bound to Charged Slash?!
"Maybe we're too prejudiced against Elation followers," someone murmured quietly, seeing Lin Xiwu crying on the platform.
"But a strong Fate Soul doesn't mean the Path isn't a grief. Later we have to do team missions — would you team up with him?"
"No, no way. I don't have any particular prejudice against Elation followers, but teaming up? No thanks."
"Have you considered that those tears might be Sound of Lament?"
"Are you stupid? Sound of Lament is fake crying. That's obviously real crying. He couldn't possibly be Bronze 3rd Rank already, could he?"
"Makes sense."