Chapter 43
After recounting their experiences in the dungeon, Xiao Wu let out a long sigh.
"Lin Bai, your dungeon was way too difficult. If Zhuqing and I went in, we probably wouldn't even get past the soldiers guarding a small town. By the way, what profession did you get? And how did you bring out a dragon?"
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Ying Tian, who had just restrained his dragon power. The shimmering scales covering his body glimmered with a noble luster, their beauty accentuated by his mature, fifty-year-old charm.
Lin Bai hesitated for a moment before answering, "It's called Dragon Knight. It's a profession where you partner with a dragon as your mount. This is Ying Tian — my future partner. You can call him Xiao Tian."
Hearing Xiao Wu's words earlier, Lin Bai began to notice something odd. It seemed like Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing only obtained one profession each, while he had received two — though he hadn't revealed his other one, Mentalist. At first, he thought it might be a first-clearance reward from the dungeon, but now it seemed… different. He decided it was safer to keep the Mentalist profession to himself for now, until he figured out how things worked outside.
Just then, Ying Tian flew over to Lin Bai and let out a clear, high-pitched cry that echoed through the dark cave.
"Hello, Xiaotian! I'm Xiao Wu," she greeted cheerfully, looking at the dragon with wide, curious eyes.
Zhu Zhuqing also greeted the dragon softly before turning to share her gains.
"After clearing the dungeon, I was given three profession options: one focused on hiding, one on assassination, and one on stealing. I wasn't interested in assassination or thievery, so I chose Shadow Master. It's said to be a dual-discipline assassin profession — a mix of martial and magical skills."
She met Lin Bai's eyes with a determined, fiery gaze.
"Good choice," Lin Bai nodded, approvingly. "The important thing is picking what suits you best. Your speed was already your biggest strength. Choosing an assassin-type class can sharpen that even more."
He then turned to Xiao Wu.
"What about you?"
"Hmph, don't even bring it up," she grumbled, clearly displeased. "I feel like I was being targeted. All three of my options were weird. I'm a strong-attack type martial soul, but they kept giving me speed-related professions. In the end, I picked Judoka. Doesn't that sound so weak?"
Clearly, she hadn't yet realized what the dungeon professions actually represented. She was mostly reacting based on the name alone, unhappy with something that didn't sound flashy enough for her.
Lin Bai smiled and gently reassured her.
"Don't get too caught up in the name. You both cleared the same dungeon, so the strength of your professions shouldn't be far apart. The difference is how you use it. Otherwise, what would be the point of distinguishing talents?"
As they spoke, a soft light appeared ahead in the darkness. A two-meter-tall circular light gate had lit up, and beyond it was the familiar palace of the Lord of Notting City. Half a day had passed since they'd disappeared, and Gawain and Sun Wu were waiting anxiously for them.
The moment Gawain saw the three figures emerge from the cave, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Miss, thank goodness you're alright."
Sun Wu, standing beside him, also relaxed. His gaze lingered on the light door behind them, his expression thoughtful.
"It's time to go back," Zhu Zhuqing said, letting out a long breath. She wasn't looking forward to dealing with the annoying, trivial matters waiting for her outside — like those stiff, formal dances in shackles. But she didn't intend to run from them either. She glanced toward Lin Bai, silently signaling him with her eyes.
"Yeah, let's go," Lin Bai agreed softly. "And remember — don't tell anyone else about your talent levels or profession information."
He wasn't yet sure how many dungeons existed in the outside world or what other variables might be in play. But one thing he was certain of — professions and talent ranks should be treated as private as martial soul skills.
"We know," Xiao Wu nodded quickly. Then, she spotted someone in the distance and pointed.
"Lin Bai, look — even the dean's here!"
Behind Gawain stood the dean of Notting College, speaking with a stern-looking middle-aged man dressed in lordly attire. Lin Bai recognized him immediately — the Lord of Notting City.
The three of them stepped through the light door and left the dungeon.
As Lin Bai glanced back, he noticed that the exit hadn't closed. It remained suspended in the air like it was quietly waiting for the next challenger. His expression stayed calm, but inwardly, he confirmed something — if Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing could enter, then naturally, others could too.
"Dean, what brings you here?" Lin Bai asked as they approached.
The dean was familiar with Lin Bai. Thanks to his exceptional talent, Lin Bai was one of the few students the dean always kept an eye on, even when Lin Bai frequently skipped classes.
"A student disappeared in public. Of course I had to come handle it myself," the dean explained, though his tone sounded more concerned than reproachful. He then gestured toward the middle-aged man beside him.
"This is City Lord Xiao. When he heard you were missing, he immediately dispatched guards to search the area."
City Lord Xiao gave a polite nod. He recognized Lin Bai as one of the few promising students from Notting College. His own son, Xiao Chenyu, had once mentioned Lin Bai's name. However, because his resources were limited, he hadn't made any effort to draw Lin Bai into his circle.
"Chenyu told me about you. You're quite talented, aren't you?" The city lord smiled faintly. "Now, tell us — what exactly happened while you were missing?"
"It's like this," Lin Bai began calmly. "We entered a cave called a Dungeon. We underwent trials and obtained something called a profession. My profession is Dragon Knight, and this is my dragon."
As if on cue, Ying Tian flew through the light gate. His radiant, multicolored scales shimmered brilliantly in the setting sun, and the crowd immediately gasped in awe.
"Is that a dragon?!"
"So beautiful!"
Ying Tian landed beside Lin Bai. Though he could shrink and conceal himself, Lin Bai had no intention of hiding him. He didn't want to wrong his partner just to please others.
City Lord Xiao's expression turned serious.
"Lin Bai — I'll be blunt. A soul beast is a natural enemy of the soul master. Their animal instincts are impossible to fully suppress. Are you sure it won't harm others?"
Lin Bai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Even if there was a soul beast beside him, what was there to fear? Much less Ying Tian.
"City Lord Xiao," Lin Bai replied, his voice calm but firm. "Xiaotian isn't a soul beast. Can't you tell? There's no soul power fluctuation from him. And the Dragon Knight profession requires a symbiosis contract. Ying Tian and I are bound to each other for life. He won't harm anyone without cause."
Sensing Lin Bai's displeasure, Ying Tian let out an indignant roar and released a burst of dragon might. The pressure struck City Lord Xiao directly. His chest tightened, his heart skipped a beat, and his vision swam. He instantly lost all strength.
"Xiaotian — stop. Don't hurt anyone."
At Lin Bai's voice, Ying Tian obediently withdrew his aura and nuzzled against Lin Bai's palm. His young dragon horns were smooth and warm to the touch.
"Huff… huff…" City Lord Xiao staggered back two steps, nearly collapsing. Those nearby, even though they weren't directly targeted, still felt as if they had just escaped from drowning — greedily gulping down air.
What terrifying dragon might!
That was the thought running through everyone's minds.
And just now, they noticed something even more shocking — when Ying Tian unleashed his might, there was no soul power fluctuation. This truly wasn't a soul beast.
Did this mean… if one cleared the dungeon, they could obtain such a dragon too?
Everyone's gaze shifted toward the still-open light gate, their eyes filled with flickering desire.
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