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**Beijing, Dragon Empire Alliance, Year 2045**
Lin Feng woke to the blare of his dorm's alarm, a screeching mix of sirens and what sounded like a dying cat. He groaned, swatting the holographic clock, which flickered out with a petulant *beep*. Xiaohuo, his Flame-Tailed Drakeling, was curled on his pillow, snoring tiny puffs of smoke that smelled suspiciously like burnt socks.
"Rise and shine, you lazy lizard," Lin muttered, nudging the dragon. Xiaohuo cracked one eye, flashing a toothy scowl.
"Touch me again, human, and I'll roast your breakfast," Xiaohuo hissed, stretching his wings. His scales gleamed brighter since devouring the **Lesser Dragon Core** last night, boosting his EXP gain by 10%.
Lin grinned, unfazed. After yesterday's chaos—awakening his **Dragon Sovereign's Celestial Mandate**, trolling Li Hao, and leveling up to Level 2—he was riding high. His **[Mysterious Sovereign System]** had dropped a new quest last night, and it was time to shine:
**[Quest: Impress Instructor Zhang in Today's Training. Reward: 300 System Points, Access to F-Rank Dungeon Pass. Penalty: Xiaohuo Steals Your Snacks.]**
"No one's touching my spicy chips," Lin declared, grabbing his gear. His leather vest and dagger were still pathetic, but with Xiaohuo's new skill **[Ember Shot Lv. 1]** and his own **[Dragon Roar Lv. 1]**, he felt like a noob with a legendary starter Pokémon. His **Immortal-Rank Talent**, disguised as SSS-Rank, was a secret trump card, and he planned to milk it.
As he scarfed down Fatty Wang's leftover [Spirit Broth] (+3 Agility), Lin checked his stats:
**[Status: Lin Feng, Level 2]**
- **Stats**: Strength 12, Agility 14, Intelligence 16, Vitality 11, Luck 9
- **Skills**: [Dragon Bond Lv. 1], [Dragon Claw Strike Lv. 1], [Celestial Evasion Lv. 1], [Dragon Roar Lv. 1]
- **Pet**: Xiaohuo (Flame-Tailed Drakeling, Level 2, Evolves at Level 10)
- **System Points**: 450
"Time to flex," Lin said, slinging Xiaohuo onto his shoulder. The drakeling burped a spark, singeing Lin's collar. "Oi, watch the merch!"
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**Training Grounds: The Gauntlet**
The school's training grounds were packed, students buzzing with nervous energy. Today's session was a **Survival Gauntlet**, a simulated battlefield designed to weed out weaklings before the **Global College Entrance Trials**. Instructor Zhang, a scarred Combat-Class hunter with a buzzcut and a permanent scowl, stood on a platform, his **Thunderstrike Halberd** crackling with mana.
"Listen up, rookies!" Zhang barked. "The gauntlet's a 500-meter obstacle course with F-Rank monsters—Gloom Rats, Ironfang Wolves, and a D-Rank **Venomspike Boar** at the end. Clear it in under 10 minutes, or you're cleaning the beast pens!"
Students groaned. Fatty Wang, clutching a glowing spatula, whispered to Lin, "A D-Rank boar? That's a mini-boss! My [Spirit Chef] class can't tank that!"
Lin patted his shoulder. "Chill, Fatty. Stick with me, and I'll get you through. Your noodles are too good to waste on pig food."
Across the field, Li Hao and his cronies—Chen Wei the **Ironclad Knight** and Zhao Min the **Shadow Assassin**—shot Lin venomous glares. Li Hao's singed hair was hidden under a cap, but his bruised ego was on full display. "Trash Tamer," he mouthed, flames flickering in his palm.
Lin winked. "Love the hat, Hair Gel. Covers the bald spot nicely."
Li Hao's face twitched, but Zhang's shout cut him off. "Form teams of three! Move!"
Students scrambled, but Lin's SSS-Rank status made him a pariah. No one wanted to risk outshining him or getting caught in Li Hao's crossfire. Fatty Wang raised a hand, but a skinny girl with glasses and a **Support-Class** aura beat him to it. "I'll join," she said, voice steady despite her nervous fidgeting.
"Name's **Su Mei**," she added, pushing up her glasses. "I'm a **Mana Weaver**, C-Rank. I can buff your skills with [Mana Thread Lv. 1]."
Lin grinned. "Welcome aboard, Specs. I'm Lin, this is Xiaohuo, and that's Fatty, our noodle god."
Fatty blushed, offering Su Mei a glowing dumpling. "Uh, +2 Vitality?"
Su Mei took it, surprised. "Thanks. Let's not die."
Zhang blew a whistle, and the gauntlet began. Teams charged into a holographic maze of jagged rocks, spiked pits, and misty forests. Lin's team sprinted, Xiaohuo flapping ahead to scout. The [System] pinged: **[Bonus Objective: Clear Gauntlet in Top 3. Reward: 100 Extra System Points.]**
"Top 3? Challenge accepted," Lin muttered.
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**The Gauntlet: Chaos Unleashed**
The first obstacle was a swarm of **Gloom Rats**, fist-sized rodents with glowing red eyes. They poured from cracks in the rocks, squeaking viciously. Lin activated [Dragon Bond Lv. 1], syncing with Xiaohuo's senses. "Light 'em up, buddy!"
Xiaohuo unleashed [Ember Shot Lv. 1], firing glowing pellets that exploded into sparks, frying a dozen rats. Su Mei waved her hands, casting [Mana Thread Lv. 1], a shimmering web that boosted Lin's Agility by 5%. Lin dove in, [Dragon Claw Strike Lv. 1] slashing through rats like a glowing blender. Fatty, surprisingly nimble, whacked stragglers with his spatula, shouting, "[Spicy Toss Lv. 1]!"—hurling burning sauce that stunned the rats.
"Fatty, you're a menace!" Lin laughed, dodging a rat's leap with [Celestial Evasion Lv. 1]. The trio cleared the swarm, earning 30 EXP each and a **Rat Tail Bundle**.
**[EXP +30. Level 2: 80/200 EXP]**.
Next was a rope bridge over a spiked pit, guarded by three **Ironfang Wolves**. Li Hao's team, just ahead, was torching their wolves with [Flame Wave Lv. 2]. Li Hao smirked, "Keep up, Trash Tamer!"
Lin ignored him, whispering to his team. "Su Mei, buff Xiaohuo. Fatty, distract. I'll flank."
Su Mei's [Mana Thread] wrapped Xiaohuo, boosting his attack speed. Fatty threw [Spicy Toss], the sauce's stench making a wolf sneeze. Lin circled, using [Dragon Roar Lv. 1]. A sonic blast stunned the wolves, their ears flattening. Xiaohuo dive-bombed, [Ember Shot] blasting one wolf's face, while Lin's [Dragon Claw Strike] gutted another. The third wolf lunged, but Fatty's spatula—now glowing with [Iron Pan Strike Lv. 1]—clonked its skull.
The crowd outside the sim cheered, watching via holographic screens. "Did the chef just KO a wolf?!" "That SSS-Rank's insane!"
**[EXP +60. Level 2: 140/200 EXP. Loot: Wolf Pelt x2, Mana Shard]**.
The bridge swayed as they crossed, spikes gleaming below. Su Mei tripped, but Lin caught her arm, grinning. "No falling, Specs. I need your buffs."
She blushed, adjusting her glasses. "Tch, focus."
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**Boss Fight: Venomspike Boar**
The final stretch was a rocky arena where the **Venomspike Boar** waited, a D-Rank beast the size of a car, its quills dripping green poison. Its stats flashed on the sim's display: **Level 5, 500 HP, Weak to Fire**. Li Hao's team was already fighting it, Chen Wei tanking hits while Zhao Min darted with [Shadow Stab Lv. 2]. Li Hao's [Fireball Lv. 3] scorched the boar, but it barely flinched, charging with [Poison Rush Lv. 1].
Lin's team arrived as Li Hao's group faltered, Chen Wei's armor cracked. "Now's our chance," Lin said. "Su Mei, buff Xiaohuo's fire. Fatty, sauce it up. I'll draw aggro."
Su Mei's [Mana Thread] supercharged Xiaohuo's [Ember Shot], turning the pellets into flaming darts. Fatty hurled [Spicy Toss], the sauce splashing the boar's eyes, making it roar in pain (-10% Accuracy). Lin sprinted forward, taunting, "Hey, Porkchop, over here!"
The boar charged, quills flying. Lin used [Celestial Evasion], weaving through the barrage, then unleashed [Dragon Roar]. The sonic wave staggered the boar, giving Xiaohuo an opening. The drakeling soared, unloading [Ember Shot Lv. 1], each hit exploding into flames. The boar's HP dropped to 300.
Li Hao, recovering, snarled, "This is my kill!" He fired [Flame Wave], but Lin "accidentally" bumped him, making the spell veer into a rock. "Oops," Lin said, grinning. "Aim better, Hair Gel."
The crowd roared with laughter. Instructor Zhang, watching, raised an eyebrow. "Cheeky brat."
Lin grabbed Xiaohuo, tossing him like a flaming javelin. "Go, ultimate move!" Xiaohuo, mid-air, spun, combining [Ember Shot] and [Drake Slash] into a blazing claw strike that ripped the boar's flank. Lin followed with [Dragon Claw Strike], glowing slashes carving its hide. Su Mei's buffs and Fatty's sauce kept the boar disoriented, and within minutes, its HP hit zero. The beast collapsed, dissolving into loot: **Boar Tusk**, **Venom Quill**, and 100 EXP.
**[EXP +100. Level Up! Lin Feng, Level 3]**
- **Stats**: Strength 14, Agility 16, Intelligence 16, Vitality 12, Luck 10
- **Xiaohuo Level Up! Level 3, Skill Upgrade: Ember Shot Lv. 2 [+20% Damage]**
- **[Quest Completed: Impress Instructor Zhang. Reward: 300 System Points, F-Rank Dungeon Pass]**
- **[Bonus Objective: Top 3 Cleared. Reward: 100 System Points]**
Lin's team finished in second place, behind a trio of A-Rank prodigies but ahead of Li Hao's squad, who limped in fourth. The crowd cheered, chanting "Dragon Tamer!" Li Hao stormed off, muttering curses.
Instructor Zhang approached, tossing Lin a metallic card—the **F-Rank Dungeon Pass**. "Not bad, kid. You've got guts, but your teamwork's sloppy. Fix it before the trials."
Lin saluted, grinning. "Yes, sir! Sloppy's my brand."
Zhang snorted, hiding a smirk. "Get out of here."
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**Post-Gauntlet Shenanigans**
In the cafeteria, Lin's team celebrated with Fatty's [Spirit Dumplings] (+5 Strength). Su Mei, loosening up, admitted, "I thought you'd be a cocky jerk, SSS-Rank. You're… weirdly fun."
"Fun's my middle name," Lin said, tossing Xiaohuo a dumpling. The drakeling caught it mid-air, burping flames. "Also, call me Feng. 'SSS-Rank' is too many syllables."
Fatty laughed, but his eyes flicked to a group of students staring. "Feng, you're famous now. Half the school's talking about your dragon-tossing. The other half wants Li Hao's head."
Lin shrugged, checking his points: **850 System Points**. He opened the [System Shop], a holographic menu of items:
- **Iron Dagger** (200 Points): +5 Strength
- **Mana Ring** (500 Points): +10% Skill Regen
- **Dragon Treat** (300 Points): +20% Pet Loyalty
"Tempting, but I'm saving for something big," Lin muttered. The [System] teased: **[Wise choice, Host. Spend like a pauper, win like a god.]**
That night, Lin studied the **F-Rank Dungeon Pass**, which granted access to a real dungeon outside Beijing's walls. Unlike sims, real dungeons had real loot—and real death. The **Global College Entrance Trials** required clearing an E-Rank dungeon solo, so this was his ticket to practice.
As he planned, the [System] dropped a bombshell: **[New Quest: Clear an F-Rank Dungeon. Reward: 500 System Points, Random Dragon Skill Shard, Mystery Egg. Deadline: 1 week. Penalty: Xiaohuo Burns Your Dorm.]**
Lin stared at Xiaohuo, who was "innocently" charring a sock. "Another egg? You're not getting a sibling yet, you pyro."
Xiaohuo smirked. "Better not. I'm the star."
Lin laughed, but his mind raced. Li Hao's grudge, the trials, and the [System]'s secrets were piling up. His **Immortal-Rank Talent** was a ticking clock—how long could he hide it? And what was the **Dragon Sovereign** meant to conquer?
As he drifted off, Xiaohuo curled beside him, muttering, "Don't screw this up, human. I need snacks."
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