Chapter 2: Talent?

At dawn, as the first light filtered in, sleepy-eyed players logged in with diligence, determined to be early birds—yet none wished to be birds with empty stomachs. Thus, they missed a perfect drama unfolding before their eyes.

The players nearby had just arrived. One of them asked, “Hey beauty, do I look handsome with this style and haircut?” The others, just waking up, scoffed at such a question. Some had just finished an exam, others were preparing for a retake. Those who hadn’t passed couldn’t see their scores, and even the ones who had just passed didn’t know the reason behind their results. They assumed it was just another overconfident male player inviting the pretty girl to join his party. The girl, though cute and striking, seemed unlikely to respond to such a clichéd pickup line. Everyone waited to see how she would react, but when they saw the black-clad female warrior’s look of disdain, it was clear nothing would come of it. Players pressed for time glanced over and quickly teleported away; those preparing for another attempt had no mood for drama and left as well.

Those who remained were either from battle squads stationed specifically to recruit top scorers—the so-called “caged birds”—or others hoping to connect with these squads, though at this moment, none found the current crowd appealing.

Yet the female player’s unpredictable actions left the spectators puzzled. She suddenly pulled the male player away in a rush, almost as if they were lovers… The players present were unexpectedly fed a generous helping of ‘romantic breakfast’, and it was deliciously satisfying. Those who had passed their retake exams hurriedly asked the others, puzzled by the outcome. Some tried their luck with the beauty, but the result was predictably disappointing.

On the western edge of the main city, in a nearby artificial grove, two players conversed animatedly. Hua Tian, witnessing the scene, wondered if she had finally chanced upon true love—was she about to break free from singlehood?

“Brother, you actually scored full marks? I’m so envious!” Looking around and seeing no other players, she quickly praised him. If she’d done so in front of others, she might have been swept away by those squads—who would believe she was backed by a powerful group? She had her own motives, being a Berserker Shield.

“Full marks? They say it’s 200, but I only have 100. That’s not high at all,” Hua Tian replied, shaking her head humbly, refusing to boast. She couldn’t believe she’d scored full marks.

The girl was amazed. Seeing his full marks, she endured his modesty. He had previously acted tough, now he was humble—did he have any shame? Still, she suppressed her annoyance and explained, “You said 200 points—that’s the intermediate exam. The beginner’s full score is 100.”

Hua Tian nodded, indicating he understood, and tried to say more… but as she looked up, she caught the girl’s scornful expression. Clearly, her hopes of escaping singlehood were dashed. Disheartened, she headed toward the teleportation portal to explore the broader world.

The warrior girl noticed his movement and hurriedly grabbed his hand. “Where are you going? Aren’t you going to claim your reward?”

Hua Tian paused, heart pounding at the gesture. Still confused, he asked, “Reward? What reward?”

“Wait, you’re a newbie, aren’t you?”

“Yes, today’s my first time playing.”

“No way! First time, and you got full marks? My sister said full marks is tough to get.” She suspected another attempt at flirting, but his confusion seemed genuine, making her doubt her own judgment. She pouted, feeling troubled.

“Is it really that hard? I just grabbed my shield and charged through.”

“Charged? Even as a Berserker Shield, your defense shouldn’t be that strong at the start. No, in every exam, your defense, power, and speed are minimal. Any damage means instant failure. If a zombie touches you, it’s over.”

She spoke with conviction, recalling the times she’d been bitten during exams, her painful growth story. Then came his response.

“They didn’t touch me. I just knocked them all away. They never got close.”

She was stunned: How could a Berserker Shield be so strong? Had she known, she wouldn’t have played a warrior—smashing zombies sounded much more fun! Her face blank, she said, “Go to the Hall of Rewards. There you’ll find skills and techniques. If you don’t claim them before logging out or teleporting elsewhere, they’ll be gone. Many players missed out and lost efficiency in killing monsters. Also, you… aren’t really handsome, just a bit flabby…”

Hua Tian imagined a flock of crows cawing above his head. Why had she dragged him away so urgently? Still, he replied politely, “Thank you for the compliment.”

Afterward, Hua Tian openly followed the disappointed yet comical beauty through twists and turns to the Hall of Rewards. He wasn’t trying to stick with her, but genuinely didn’t know the way. She seemed to, so he followed.

Newcomers who hadn’t passed the (beginner) exam could still enter the main city. However, all items obtained couldn’t be used, learned, crafted, leveled up, or participate in any events (other than the Cute Sprite activity). Items could be stored, used after passing the exam, or sold to other players for gold—each attempt at the beginner exam cost one gold coin for two tries.

Upon arrival, Hua Tian claimed the Master-level Fist Technique, Earthshaking Skill, and Devouring Divine Fist. The girl received the passive skill “Escape”. She stared at the name, twitching—whoever named it was a real talent.

“Friend, what’s your name?”

“Mad Slaughter…”

Following the Cute Sprite’s guidance, he curiously found the Hall of Learning via teleportation. Inside, only two sub-halls awaited: one for observing and one for trying skills. He learned the two skills and techniques, watching the action sequences repeatedly until he nearly fell asleep. When it came to practicing the skills, he struggled, returning to the observation hall to watch step by step. By evening, he’d barely mastered them. Checking the real-world time, he logged out, exercised until exhaustion, and awaited the dawn of another day.

As Mad Slaughter teleported away, the girl watched the bustling street, noting his absence. “Hey! You…”

Frustrated, she vented her anger in the game world, bouncing up and down, huffing, “What are you looking at…”

Feeling defeated, she returned to the real world, to her private room, using the phone function on her watch.

“Hello, Second Miss?”

“A male Berserker Shield named Mad Slaughter—find out how he got a perfect beginner score. I want his combat video.”

“Yes, Miss, I’ll find it now… Wait, perfect score? Really, Second Miss?”

“That’s right, perfect score, 100 points—I saw it with my own eyes. Hurry up!”

“Oh, okay, I’ll go now… Wait, thank goodness, Second Miss, you finally passed your exam, so, just asking… what was your score?”

“Get lost…~.~```⊙﹏⊙”

“Yes, Miss!”

…

That day, the entire Han Corporation was searching for his information.

Currently, the corporation’s highest player score was 99 in the beginner exam, with an intermediate score of 171. Their rival had a beginner score of 99 and an intermediate score of 181. The rival team had two intermediate rewards, theirs only one—the imbalance was embarrassing and frustrating.

Now, the emergence of a perfect beginner score made them suspect his reward would be impressive. Killing ten zombies continuously was worth 99 points; they’d assumed 99 was the maximum.

Afternoon, real world.

The results for the second “Professional Zombie” tournament were released.

Led by Han Qianyun, the Han Crown squad took third place again. This time, however, there were two third-place winners…

In the score settlement hall, players waited for the rankings. The other third-place team, Hanyu Squad, was led by captain Zi Hanyu, who approached Han Qianyun.

“Qianyun…look, our teams tied for third this time—what a coincidence! How about…”

“Go away, and stop calling me Qianyun.” She was puzzled at first—why was this fool seeking her out? Hearing him use her intimate nickname, she replied coldly. Afterward, not wanting to see him, she directed her teammates into the spaceship, heading toward the Water City.

At 1.7 meters, skinny and almost skeletal, Zi Hanyu watched her leave. Her proud crimson feather dress accentuated her cold demeanor, her perfect figure and devastating beauty, red hair… He glanced at her departing figure and muttered, “What’s so special? You were third last time, third again this time. I was fifth last time. You’ll always be the eternal third—hmph…”

All the squads went to the rewards hall, except for the top three, who were exempt. But Hanyu Squad, now, was anything but modest.

In the hall, Zi Hanyu sought out the fourth-place Blood Sea Squad, led by Liu Tao.

“Ha ha, isn’t this…”

“Get lost. If you keep talking, I’ll bash your head in and use it as an urn!” The tall, 1.85-meter Liu Tao shoved him against the wall, a finger pressed to his forehead, immobilizing him, then left after collecting his reward.

Zi Hanyu, breathing heavily, resumed his composure, stared coldly, and vented his frustration on his teammates, “What are you staring at? Get back to training, especially you—you died once. Next time anyone dies, expect a twenty percent pay cut!”

The other squad captains, having watched the spectacle, snickered at his bravado. No one wanted to catch his shameless behavior, lest it infect their own teams.

Turning away, Zi Hanyu noticed their mocking glances. He couldn’t resist courting disaster.

“Hey, isn’t that Captain Li Tian and Captain Qin Qing? Why are you laughing? You didn’t rank well, so you laugh at me? Can you make the top three?”

Zi Hanyu, with his carefree attitude, launched three soul-piercing questions, ending with a look that said, “You’re no better than me, yet you mock me.”

“Zi Hanyu, you only snatched points from Blood Sea Squad! Your team even lost a member, didn’t it?” Li Tian smirked knowingly, aware of the truth—his score was inflated.

“Ha! The tournament never said you couldn’t steal points! Even if my teammates died, my score is still higher than yours, ha ha!” Zi Hanyu enjoyed the tales of his supposed bravery or shamelessness, his specialty being thick-skinned. But his timid teammates quickly dragged him away, fleeing back to their island.

“Li Tian, what should we do…” Qin Qing, tall and elegant in a fiery red dress, her snow-white hair and noble demeanor, gently tugged his sleeve.

“Don’t worry, Qing. Next tournament, we’ll team up with Liu Tao and eliminate Zi Hanyu’s squad first—let’s see if he’s so arrogant then!” The taller man replied angrily.

Far to the west, sunset clouds painted the sky crimson, and beneath, two figures walked hand in hand, appearing from afar as a perfect, celestial couple.

…

Meanwhile, Han Qianyun finished her squad’s affairs and logged out, returning home. In the cool, exquisite moonlight, her silhouette was reflected in a decorative screen—thoughtful, graceful, ethereal. She sat on her luxurious sofa, gazing at the sky, lost in thought.

“Where should I find a Berserker Shield… My squad’s defense is too low. Her defense is decent, but tanking damage isn’t her main role, nor does she want it.”

She recalled her sister’s latest exam—her resolve to stick with the warrior class, even if she failed again. Hmm, perhaps she should ask about her exam experience.

If her score was good, maybe she’d let her join. There were six months until the third professional tournament anyway. And she could finally rid herself of that annoying warrior—at least her ears would be spared!