Chapter 34: Two Weeks to Go
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Buzz!!
Within the pitch-black fissure in his mind, mist churned.
Four clusters of green light intertwined and circled one another, gradually merging into one.
A brand-new card with a cold, smooth texture appeared in Wang Xi’s hand.
“Bloodstained Knight (Skill Card)”
“Quality: One-Star Dark Green (Upgradeable)”
“Experience: 8/300”
“A young nobleman has mastered more advanced battlefield techniques, possessing formidable overall combat strength. Clad in armor and charging on horseback, he becomes a bloodthirsty and brutal force of slaughter, striking terror into the hearts of his enemies.”
“Upon use, you will master the various combat abilities of a knight, including crossbowmanship, horsemanship, and hand-to-hand combat. You will be particularly skilled at armor-breaking, decapitation, parrying, and counterattacking with a sword.”
“So it rose from green to dark green, and even inherited part of the Elite Soldier’s experience bar…”
Wang Xi was rather surprised.
He remembered that Elite Soldier had originally possessed nearly thirty points of experience. After synthesis, it seemed to have been divided and diluted, leaving only eight points.
It was less, but at least it was better than being reset to zero.
And the boost this new card provided him was certain to be far stronger.
After all, this card had undergone two syntheses, effectively merging seven skill cards together.
“Right, there are also the two white cards I just drew.”
Wang Xi suddenly remembered them.
He took out Lockpicking Mastery and Hearty Appetite and attempted to synthesize them with Bloodstained Knight.
The result was rejection.
This time, Chaos gave him a clear prompt—
“Quality mismatch.”
Wang Xi immediately understood.
The synthesis function had numerous restrictions. Not only did the card types have to match, but their qualities had to match as well.
In short, white cards could only be synthesized with white cards, and green cards only with green cards. They could not be mixed together.
“Guess champions can’t play with bronze-rankers.”
Wang Xi shook his head.
But he soon realized that the metaphor was not quite appropriate. After all, some people who bullied low-level players used alternate accounts.
Buzz!
Wang Xi activated Bloodstained Knight, making its effects permanently reside within him.
In an instant, he felt himself grow stronger once again!
Out of habit, he reached for his waist. The leather-wrapped sword hilt was nowhere to be found; his fingers touched only the hollow above his hip.
Only then did Wang Xi remember that he was currently in the Main World.
Still, he had a powerful intuition.
If he drew his sword, he was confident he could take on all three Ironfinger Knights alone, relying purely on close-quarters combat. If he also incorporated Sugarcoat and Water Arrow magic, he could easily kill them and claim victory in a short time.
“The feeling of growing stronger really is wonderful—ah!”
Wang Xi inhaled deeply, a smile spreading across his face.
About twenty minutes later, at around one-thirty in the afternoon, the food delivery arrived.
The nurse from earlier had brought it up for him.
“Thank you.” Wang Xi accepted it with a smile. “Would you like to eat something with me? I ordered some papaya milk too, beautiful.”
“Absolutely not!”
The nurse nearly suffocated.
She hurriedly refused, turned around, and left.
As she walked, she took out her phone and warned the other nurses in her work group to be careful of the creep in this ward.
Wang Xi saw her off with a smile, then opened the delivery bags and began eating. He had money now and refused to mistreat himself: four dishes, a soup, three boxes of rice, and two bottles of papaya milk.
The fruit his coworkers had brought him was not yet finished, so he took a fragrant pear to have for dessert.
He ate while scrolling through his phone.
There were hundreds of unread messages in the Cleaning Department Second Team group chat, and he scrolled upward.
Yu Zihan: “Everyone, I passed the assessment!”
The message had been sent an hour ago.
It came with a photograph of Yu Zihan standing on a staircase, drenched in sweat but smiling brightly for the camera.
He appeared to have just emerged from the building behind him.
Gao Fen: “Congratulations!”
Lei Wen: “That’s fantastic news! Hahaha!”
The other coworkers offered their congratulations as well.
A long tower of festive reaction images quickly piled up.
Zhu Yuhe: “You passed the Amateur Hero assessment? What rank certificate did you get?”
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Yu Zihan: “I didn’t perform well on the physical test. I barely passed at Rank Five.”
Zhu Yuhe: “You call that not performing well…”
Zhu Yuhe: “You’re showing off so hard. (Picking nose)”
Yu Zihan: “Who’s showing off? Seriously…”
Luo Xiaoliang: “That’s amazing, brother! Lei and I only have Rank Three certificates. You’re now the highest-ranked hero in our team!”
Yu Zihan: “Correction: Amateur Hero.”
Lei Wen: “Definitely worth celebrating! Let’s go out for a good meal tonight.”
Zhu Yuhe: “Is Yu Zihan paying? If there’s free food, I’m suddenly wide awake. Hehe.”
Yu Zihan: “Fine, I’ll pay.”
“…”
Wang Xi chewed his food as he silently read through the chat. Only then did he remember that today was the day of the Amateur Hero assessment.
It seemed that his coworker Yu Zihan, who had been pursuing his dream all this time, had successfully taken his first step—and had even leaped straight to Rank Five.
From now on, he would not only earn a higher salary but also enjoy preferential treatment in other areas.
According to what Team Leader Lei Wen had said, the leader of Cleaning Department Team Five was in poor health and would soon be stepping down. When that happened, Yu Zihan had a strong chance of taking over the position.
That immediately aroused everyone’s envy.
Zhu Yuhe @Wang Xi: “Handsome guy, good thing you didn’t take the assessment, or you’d be the one treating us today, hahaha… Just kidding, don’t be mad. There’s another assessment at the end of the year. When the time comes, go straight for Rank Nine! Keep charging!”
Lei Wen: “It really is a shame about you, Xiao Wang.”
The coworkers offered him words of consolation one after another.
Even Yu Zihan, the guest of honor today, added:
“Sister Zhu said you’re incredibly skilled, brother. You must have some powerful cards backing you up. If you’d taken the assessment, your rank would definitely have been higher than mine.”
Looking at the chat, Wang Xi could not help smiling.
When he recalled the workplace of his previous life, there had been endless buck-passing, faction-building, and murky office politics—like a dark forest.
The workplace of this era was entirely different. The benefits and compensation were excellent, and coworkers got along far more harmoniously. After all, in a dangerous profession like that of a scavenger, everyone was more like comrades-in-arms than ordinary colleagues.
Of course, that excluded a certain deadbeat fatty.
Wang Xi picked up food with one hand while typing a reply with the other, telling them it was nothing and congratulating Yu Zihan.
After finishing his meal, he used his phone to look up this year’s Professional Hero assessment. He discovered that the exact date had already been announced:
June 15, 2045.
Two weeks left…
Wang Xi muttered inwardly.
…
…
The Wild Boar Snores of Black Rye Forest Inn.
In a second-floor room, a black-haired young man sat on the edge of the bed in a daze. He blinked, and the detached look in his eyes regained its liveliness.
Wang Xi had spent two days preparing for the assessment in his hospital room in the Main World. Bored to death, he had finally waited for the cooldown to end and descended without delay.
Another fourteen days wasted…
Wang Xi sighed inwardly.
And I have no idea what the projection did during that time.
At that moment, Chaos suddenly sent him a notification.
Wang Xi froze, then felt a trace of surprise.
“Projection Review.”
Perhaps because he had gained Legendary Status, Chaos had acquired this new function.
Its format was rather similar to Seclusion Preview. It displayed events in a rapid succession of images, like a revolving lantern, but the content showed what the projection had done while under management.
After reviewing it, Wang Xi quickly learned what the projection had done over the past fourteen days.
Aside from eating and sleeping as usual, it had spent most of its time wandering around nearby, occasionally giving a few silver coins—and a box of matches—to poor people begging by the roadside.
“Such a dull fellow…”
Wang Xi shook his head and sighed.
He glanced at the base of the wall beside the bed. The bag of silver coins that had once been bulging was now nearly empty. The wooden basket of matches beside it was empty as well.
Wang Xi guessed that the projection’s operating principles were largely based on his own personality and previous actions, with an overall tendency toward caution.
It belonged to the type that would rather do nothing than make a mistake.
If only I could issue commands to the managed projection…
The instant this thought arose, Chaos in his mind reacted once more and immediately displayed another prompt—
“Projection Commands.”
Wang Xi was stunned, then could not help smiling.
Oh, come on, Chaos, you really are…
So! Thoughtful!
After gaining a general understanding of the function, Wang Xi was thoroughly satisfied. Before returning to the Main World next time, he could give the projection instructions and have it continuously carry out certain tasks.
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Continuously carry out tasks…
At this thought, Wang Xi’s eyes suddenly lit up.
Wonderful. It was a power-leveling service!
Yes, he intended to have the projection train his cards for him.
…
…
Wang Xi tidied himself up briefly, then stood and prepared to go downstairs.
Knock, knock!
It seemed to him that he heard a drumbeat pounding in his ears.
Then a cold, twisting pain came from his heart.
“Hiss…”
Wang Xi staggered and clutched his chest. His entire face twisted as he drew in sharp breaths against the pain.
The Iceheart Curse was truly flaring up this time!
He realized what was happening and muttered inwardly.
Wang Xi braced himself against the edge of the bed and panted heavily. Though it was the height of summer, cold white vapor streamed from his mouth.
The symptoms lasted for quite some time.
Only after the palpitations and pain gradually receded did he stand upright again and wipe away his cold sweat.
Gritting his teeth, Wang Xi strode out.
After leaving the inn, he was about to follow the method shown in Seclusion Preview and seek out the Adventurers’ Guild to investigate the situation.
Unexpectedly, a familiar voice called out to him.
“Sir.”
Wang Xi turned his head and saw the white-dressed girl who had sold him matches before, Lillian, leaning against a wall. Her head was bowed, and her slightly disheveled blond hair spilled over her shoulders.
“Are you calling me?”
Wang Xi walked over and asked.
Lillian did not raise her head. In her cool, even voice, she murmured:
“Why did you give those people the matches?”
Wang Xi thought for a moment and understood what she meant.
The managed projection had clearly been giving alms to beggars nearby every day, handing them boxes of matches at the same time—and the girl must have seen it.
“I was worried they might be afraid of the dark too.”
Wang Xi casually made up an excuse.
Lillian slowly lifted her head and looked at him strangely, but said nothing.
After a while, she asked softly:
“Are you still buying matches today?”
Wang Xi glanced at the wooden basket by her feet. Through the half-open lid, he could see that not a single box of matches had been sold.
“I am.” He took out twenty silver coins and handed them over. “But I have something to take care of now, so I may not be back until later. Just give the matches to the inn’s maid when you’re done.”
Lillian said nothing.
She took the handful of coins and counted them carefully, then handed ten back.
Wang Xi was puzzled.
“You gave me five extra silver coins last time, and you did it again this time,” Lillian said softly.
“These are yours.”
“You counted it all correctly after you got home?”
Wang Xi was somewhat surprised. Was this girl not bad at mathematics after all, merely a little slow?
“Yes.” Lillian nodded, looking as though it were only natural. Then, after a brief hesitation, she added, “Sophia and Beth helped a little.”
Wang Xi could not help laughing.
He seemed to see a warm scene: three sisters lighting candles and counting silver coins on a table, arguing lightly over whether the amount was too much or too little.
“Go home soon.”
Wang Xi gave her the gentle admonition with a smile, then turned and left.
Lillian lowered her eyes and stared at her toes. In a soft voice, she said:
“My name is Lillian, sir. What’s yours?”
Wang Xi vaguely heard her. He paused, then turned back with a smile.
“Guy.”