Fate Reignites: My Rampage in a World Where Time Stops

The bright moon hung high, and the glow of the floodlights sketched out two silhouettes wielding swords on the empty training field. Accompanied by the incessant clanging of metal on metal, one of the figures was quickly defeated.

"Twenty-four rounds," Ji Huai's sword-wielding hand slowly dropped as his long sword disassembled into metallic rings and returned to his wrist, "tonight's highest record."

Hissing in pain, Qin Chuan grimaced as he rubbed his shoulder, feeling a flicker of joy when he heard those words.

After successfully parrying Ji Huai's onslaught for ten rounds, it seemed that the speed of his sword skill improvement had increased. Each time, he was able to ward off a few more of Ji Huai's rounds, giving him a sense that he was making progress every day.

However, the joy in Qin Chuan's heart disappeared in the next instant.

"Once you can parry thirty of my rounds, I will no longer just use the long sword as my weapon and will not limit myself to basic sword movements when fighting you."

Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan felt his entire body starting to ache.

"Two more days, and it's the final practical exam," Ji Huai looked at Qin Chuan and suddenly spoke, "The rules have been slightly modified."

Hm?

Qin Chuan couldn't help but glance at Ji Huai.

A few days ago, Ji Huai had already revealed the rules of the practical exam to him.

Now, with the practical exam around the corner, they were changing the rules?

"We added a Third Rank Demon Beast to the exam area," Ji Huai stated succinctly the change in the practical exam, "I will follow that Third Rank Demon Beast the entire time, and if no one kills it by the halfway point of the exam, I will be the one to kill it."

"All examinees will get real-time location updates of this Third Rank Demon Beast."

Qin Chuan fell silent.

No one in Changxing City but him could deal with a Third Rank Demon Beast.

So, the reason for this Demon Beast's appearance was easy to guess.

Was it specially prepared for him?

"Team Leader Lan's message is, you may not need to display your strength, but you must have the opportunity to do so," Ji Huai spoke calmly, "We respect your decision and at the same time, we provide you with a stage."

"Your identity information is classified. If you choose to show your strength, we will use all possible means to ensure your identity is not leaked."

"Thank you," Qin Chuan said softly.

Whether he chose to kill the Third Rank Demon Beast or not, in the end, the beast would be taken care of properly. Its presence was simply to provide him with a suitable target should he wish to demonstrate his power during the exam.

Until today, aside from their cooperation against Erik's Dragon Halberd, the Special Affairs Group had never mentioned "Luo" or his Contracted Spiritual Beast's promotion to Elite Rank in his presence. An unspoken understanding was maintained, keeping a relative sense of distance.

Even when showing consideration for Qin Chuan in the exam, the Special Affairs Group had not overstepped the distance between them, which increased the favor Qin Chuan felt towards them.

Thinking about the outcome of taking action in the practical exam, Qin Chuan fell into contemplation.

Undoubtedly, if he could kill the Third Rank Demon Beast and reveal considerable strength, he could easily secure an S ranking, not only ensuring his admission but also gaining additional resources from Yan University.

However, revealing his strength would mean his dream identity would also be exposed.

Looking at Ji Huai beside him, a thought crossed Qin Chuan's mind.

He wanted to hear the other's opinion.

"Teacher Ji, do you think I should make a move?"

"I will not outright tell you whether you should or shouldn't; I don't like influencing others' decisions," Ji Huai spoke calmly, then paused, "But before you make a decision, you might want to think clearly about two questions."

"First, do you believe you can keep hiding forever? If not, how long before you think you'll be exposed? If you are exposed earlier, will there be any loss to you?"

"Secondly, if there's a loss due to being exposed earlier, can the benefits of an S rank compensate for the loss of being exposed prematurely, or even bring you greater benefits?"

"Think these two questions through, and you will naturally find your answer."

Qin Chuan was plunged once more into contemplation.

The words of Ji Huai, like the clearing of clouds to reveal the sun, brought clarity to his somewhat disordered thoughts.

His dream identity could not stay hidden forever. If the Special Affairs Group hadn't classified his real identity and past as confidential, he would have already been discovered by those with ulterior motives.

Do not underestimate the speed and breadth of information dissemination in the internet age, nor the wisdom of others.

For the moment, it was alright. Although he and Yue Li were the first to advance to Elite Level players, other players' Contracted Spiritual Beasts were gradually advancing to the Elite Rank as well, thus diverting the world's attention.

But after a while, once his Contracted Spiritual Beasts were promoted to Hall Rank and other players were still struggling to break through, he would inevitably become a target.

Forget classified; even if his identity was made top-secret, with the traces he had inadvertently left in the past, a lot could be inferred.

Moreover, he was destined not to possess such formidable power and never use it.

The next time the Sun Needle showcased the Third Talent, per the agreement, he would help the Dragon Halberd find special resources, but the time after next, he would be targeting Hall Crystals.

Water Flower, Ice Cream, and his yet to be revealed third Contracted Spiritual Beast would all gradually advance to Hall Rank.

Therefore, in two or three weeks, it would be difficult for him to hide.

The purpose of hiding one's identity was ultimately for greater security.

If he could no longer keep it a secret, he needed to gain as much power as possible in the limited time available.

From this perspective, being exposed prematurely was not in Qin Chuan's best interest.

But he indeed needed the benefits that came with an S ranking.

With the Sun Needle, Qin Chuan would not lack the key resources needed for advancement.

But resources were not limited to just key materials.

After this promotion, his and Yue Li's Experience Gems combined could only max out one Spiritual Beast's level due to the swift acquisition of key resources, leaving them struggling to catch up with basic resources.

This time, since his hunt for a Gold Talent harmonized with the Special Affairs Group's plans, he had gained ten thousand Experience Gems, meeting the upgrade requirements. But what about the next time?

After becoming a Hall Level player, how would he rapidly max out the experience of three Hall Rank Spiritual Beasts?

Without maximizing them, he wouldn't be able to determine the next stage of advancement requirements, and refreshing the Sun Needle's Third Talent could result in awkward situations where he temporarily had nowhere to use it, slowing his strength progression.

This difficult problem many players would never encounter was already before him.

Furthermore, besides Experience Gems, the resource allocation included many other items useful to him, like Spiritual Beast snacks, various unpublicized methods of achievement acquisition, intelligence on different regions, Cultivation Methods, and more.

No one can forever be a lone wolf. Even if there is no wolf pack to submit to, there must at least be collaborators.

Considering this, Qin Chuan had a bold idea flash through his mind.

If this idea could be successfully executed, not only could he reduce the risk of prematurely exposing his identity, but he could also smoothly secure an S ranking from Yan University.

However, this would require a bit of cooperation from the Special Affairs Group.

"Teacher Ji, I have an idea…"