Chapter 353 - 353 233 Double Up

Words : 2126 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

353: Chapter 233: Double Up 353: Chapter 233: Double Up Six newbies…six students, one chose a giant war-hammer, one chose a long knife (similar to the Guan Knife), one chose a spear, and another chose a war-halberd. The other two were a bit smarter, choosing battle-axes, which was Lu Ping’an’s weapon of choice. This way, not only could they get more dividends, but it would be more convenient for Lu Ping’an to offer advice. As for the war scythe? There were no elementary textbooks for it, so it was considered an unpopular weapon. Their talent abilities couldn’t be said to be completely useless, but they were basically not very useful…except for Mei Yuge and one other girl. Lu Ping’an also rarely enjoyed himself and learned what it meant to have “garbage abilities”. “Ximeier, your ability allows you to create colored paint and apply it to objects? It seems like it belongs to the Protection system?” “…In theory, it belongs to the Protection system, but because of the unstable nature of the ‘paint,’ there are no binding/protection marks, so it lacks even the most basic protective function.” “So, your ability…” “It might be useful when painting outdoors and running out of crayons.” Ximeier said with a self-mocking tone, “A ‘Protection system’ ability without any protective power, that’s quite a perfect match.” Lu Ping’an stroked his chin, as he also realized that this ability could have some changes when combined with the Painter profession…But the Painter profession required starting from 2-tier, and even from the very time-consuming Scholar position. To move up, one would need to improve their foundation in art while checking if they had artistic talent. Even after all that, it’s not certain that the ability will fit well…It’s quite subtle. Maybe there really are no “garbage” abilities, only those that cannot be developed under current conditions. “…At least, it’s stronger than my ability.” Mei Yuge was a bit envious of Ximeier, as in her opinion, her ability might as well not exist. “Hehe, without your ability, I wouldn’t have come to find you nor would there have been any of the events afterward.” Lu Ping’an revealed part of the reason for the first time, causing a shift in the atmosphere among them. There was indeed a reason why he chose Mei Yuge, other than pure coincidence, it was because of her ability. “…Is the Rain Calling ability very useful? Why did our class advisor say it’s almost useless in the early stage…” “Rule-level abilities are rare, and that weak of a rule-level is even rarer. I’m afraid before you reach 2-tier, your ability will basically have no combat capability.” Mei Yuge’s ability was “Rain Calling.” Using “song,” she could summon rain to fall. However, unlike other artificial rainfalls, this was a “rule-level” rain calling. This meant that as long as she paid the price, she could create as much rain as she could muster. But at this stage…even after singing her heart out for ten minutes, not a single drop of rain would fall. After Lu Ping’an buffed her to her best state, she tried again. After singing at full power for several tens of minutes, a small flower pot-sized cloud appeared in the sky, which dripped two drops of water and then disappeared. “Can’t even meet the basic conditions for using the ability?” To be honest, when the information from the “dividends” arrived, Lu Ping’an was somewhat disappointed. He had invested in it, and after she had awakened with 300% strength, she only got this ability? And what would be the point even if it did successfully rain? “It’s not that simple. Rain holds a special place in the supernatural field. Water is the source of life, and rain is the purest form of natural water, rootless water. This means it has a high affinity with most abilities, especially those in the Life system…This will be a very useful Tool Man.” The big cat held a different opinion. In her view, though the ability was useless as a standalone, when combined with “Gardener” and certain other professions as supplementary abilities, she would be an extremely useful Tool Man. “Purification Rain, Contaminated Rain, Plague Rain, Reanimation Rain…a very useful plug-in Tool Man.” The big cat was very optimistic about this talent ability. Rule system abilities are generally weak at the beginning but become very powerful when they grow. But first, it needs to be nurtured… “…Forget it, it’s too much trouble. There are no farmers that care about weeds in their fields. The wild plants in the yard may have value, but if they can’t produce any, they’re just weeds. No matter how rare or good the species, if it has no value in the wrong place, it’s still just a weed.” Lu Ping’an considered it for a while then decided not to care too much about it. This was something he did on a whim. Although he didn’t know why the other party seemed to resist him partially, it didn’t really matter whether he had one more or one less Tool Man, let alone one that could only be cashed out several years later. In the blink of an eye, Lu Ping’an didn’t take it seriously anymore. This was just a little garden planted on a whim. Anything he could harvest would be a bonus, and he didn’t need to demand too much. “…Besides your battle-profession, you can cultivate your personal hobbies. If you start building your foundation now, you won’t be at such a disadvantage when you officially start your profession.” Lu Ping’an’s suggestion wasn’t just about cultivating his newbies. A battle-profession is the threshold for survival. Apart from anomalies like Guan Xinxian, everyone else would need to obtain this “entry ticket” before they could pursue their desired professional paths. Lu Ping’an’s 2-tier Gardener (Court Gardener) required a certain level of skill (Drawing Skills Lv 4). This was considered a quasi-professional level in the ordinary world. Advancing to the third-tier “Court Gardener” position required a 2-tier “art-related profession” as a foundation. Sculptor, Painter, Musician, Singer, Chess Player, all would qualify. However, they all started at 2-tier, and those who could be employed successfully as 2-tier professionals were true old stagers who could make a living purely on their professional skills and qualities. Similar examples could be found everywhere in the world of professionals. By the time you get your first-tier battle-profession and start pursuing your professional goals from scratch, it’ll be too slow. “I’m currently lacking in Magic Potion, chefs, painters, and craftsmen for my team. If you’re pursuing these four professions, I can provide a certain level of help. Of course, you need to sign a long-term cooperation contract, and the choice is mutual. If the progress is not satisfactory, I’ll suspend the contract when necessary. If someone maliciously scams resources, I’ll demand my initial investment back.” The girls in front of him hesitated. Considering their life stages, a Battle-profession is transitory while a main profession is their life pursuit and future livelihood, not so easy to determine. “…Think it over; don’t be impulsive. My help is very limited. I’m just a student…uh, a freshman like you guys. I just want to give you an extra option.” In this way, Lu Ping’an planted the seeds of his team and patiently waited for the harvest one day… Even if he lost everything, it wouldn’t matter. This investment is nothing to him, just like claiming a piece of land on a whim. If someone refuses or cannot keep up? They can just leave. Are there not enough people with two legs? He can just change employers. Perhaps, as these girls grow on their own, spending their own money and resources, the cost may be even lower. Of course, cultivating your own team is always more convenient, and the resources invested will naturally pay off. Lu Ping’an is short of people, but he doesn’t lack people, at least not now. No one owes anyone anything. We can cooperate, and if not, just bless each other, and everyone goes their own way. These little girls perform well (working hard) which makes Lu Ping’an spend more effort and patiently share some of his plans and intentions with them. Some understood, while some were still a bit confused. “…At present, our cooperation is a win-win situation. I gain martial arts experience, and you quickly enter the first-tier. And if you think the rewards I offer are good and I’m a generous boss while I am satisfied with your hard work and talent, there will be opportunities for further cooperation. But the premise is to become a complete professional, and training to achieve each other’s goals is the first step…” Lu Ping’an was very straightforward, and his honesty made Mei Yuge, who had been suspicious all along, feel something was off. Maybe she had been wrong about him, as he didn’t seem to have done anything wrong… “Mei Yuge, after the first round of buffs for the six of you, you had the lowest profits. You’ve been warned once. After three warnings, the buff will be suspended for three turns, and if there are more warnings… well, you know.” Lu Ping’an calmly pointed out her mistake, without anger or resentment. The girl lowered her head and silently nodded in silence. After interacting with him for several days, she realized that she might have made some mistakes. She was particularly scared by the expressionless way he had crushed someone’s arm… especially for an ordinary female high school graduate. But as these days passed, even though it was a short time, she had experienced the life-and-death test of Awakening, witnessed numerous dangerous cases in the preparatory class, and learned more about the other world filled with strange rituals and evil acts for various purposes. All of a sudden, she felt that her initial reaction might have been exaggerated. It is like someone living in a peaceful area going to a place with daily gunfights would find someone casually carrying a gun in their car to be very abnormal, even seeing them as dangerous… But in reality, it is just part of their daily lives. What’s the big deal about emotionlessly crushing a criminal’s wrist? When you apprehend dozens of armed criminals every day, it just becomes a routine operation. “Special Service Team, huh…” As her enrollment progressed, Mei Yuge’s “intelligence level” was unlocked. She also tried to gather information on Lu Ping’an and his background, gaining a better understanding of the shadowy world beneath the surface, and began to doubt her previous judgement. Now, when Lu Ping’an bluntly asked her, “Do you still want to continue or not? If not, I’ll find someone else,” she finally wavered completely. With a heavy nod, she showed a look of remorse. After showing an example with her, Lu Ping’an nodded in satisfaction, glanced around, and pulled out another dozen books. “Cookbook? A Complete Guide to Local Cooking Skills?” “…Is this a self-study material for the chef class?” Chefs are a 2-tier profession, but apart from the Scholar profession, they also need cooking skills… something Lu Ping’an can’t do. Early training classes are necessary, and Lu Ping’an is also enrolled and learning. However, his progress is quite satisfactory… he lacks patience, and often chases “creative cooking.” The lack of basic skills leads to every one of his “innovations” ending up in tragedy. He knows he needs basic skills and a lot of practice. “If martial arts can be honed by multiple ‘basic tools’, there’s no reason cooking can’t.” So, after the disastrous “chef class,” he brought a pile of materials. “Balance work and rest, don’t overdo it and hurt yourself. When you’re tired from practicing martial arts, you can cook some food and have some snacks to relax. Of course, it’s best to follow the textbook, otherwise it might turn into a disaster…” Lu Ping’an looked at the sky helplessly, thinking about how he was kicked out of the kitchen during class. “So, this counts towards the Dividends…” The girls hesitated a bit. “Yes, and furthermore…” Lu Ping’an casually pulled out another dozen books and videos. “If you don’t want to cook, I have here a basic drawing course. If you want to go down the Painter route later, you can kill two birds with one stone and lay a good foundation in advance.” “By the way, other skills are also fine. You can practice first, and based on your feedback, I’ll evaluate the usefulness. The more functions, the better…” At that moment, even the street lamp wanted to ask Lu Ping’an when he would go to bed.

Chapter 353 - 353 233 Double Up

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