Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Damn Luck! (2/5)_1 As a series of names were announced, everyone’s levels were generally between Level 8 and Level 10, with most of them being three-star professionals. Among the 500 people, the number of five-star professionals did not exceed four, and four-star professionals did not exceed ten. A majority of these four-star and five-star professionals were from aristocratic families. The vast majority of the remainder were three-star and two-star professionals; in fact, there were even more three-star than two-star professionals. The total number of two-star professionals who squeezed into the top 500 was just over a hundred. Those who made it into the provincial top 500 were certainly not mediocre; even two-star professionals among them had to possess exceptional strength, luck, or wealth. Chen Mo, for instance, was considered to be someone favored by luck. Many people already knew from the previous day that he was ranked number one in the county, and his current Level wasn’t low compared to the rest of the province. Today, the moment he arrived, he was tested and found to be Level 11, naturally vaulting him above everyone else. However, this didn’t mean everyone regarded him more highly. The news about him unexpectedly gaining Experience from a red-named individual had already circulated. After all, two days prior, both the Principal and Inspector Ling Yu had reported Chen Mo as Level 10. On that day, he was the undisputed top new student in the province. For a two-star professional to reach such a Level naturally caught the attention of various schools. When they learned he had gained Experience by leeching off the kill of a red-named individual, many simply said he was lucky. Consequently, no one paid much attention to his Level anymore. It was the same today, even though he had reached Level 11. Many of those present who were Level 10 had intentionally capped their Levels. They wanted to pass a more difficult Realm Breakthrough Assessment and obtain a better challenger title, so they had to hold back temporarily; it wasn’t because they lacked the time to gain enough experience points. They simply chose not to grind, instead using the saved time to prepare for the upcoming general examination and the Realm Breakthrough Assessment challenge. In their view, leveling up past Level 5 too early was disadvantageous because there wasn’t much top-tier equipment available before Level 10, especially key soulbound equipment, which were mostly rewards from Level 10 quests. Spending energy to obtain Level 5 soulbound equipment, only to have to get Level 10 soulbound equipment again, was tedious. They also needed to reach Level 10 before the general examination to increase their chances of earning bonus points. With limited good equipment available and tight schedules, most people opted for a moderate challenge for their Level 5 Realm Breakthrough Assessment and moved on. After all, the high-difficulty Realm Breakthrough Assessments were considered almost impossible for ordinary individuals. Even with thorough preparation, passing wasn’t guaranteed, so there was no need to waste time on it. However, at Level 10, many good soulbound item sets became available, and one’s Skill repertoire expanded. If played well, there was a chance to tackle a high-difficulty Realm Breakthrough Assessment. For those confident in their strength, it was entirely necessary to cap their Level temporarily and give it their best shot. That was why most people were currently capped at this stage. After viewing the Level rankings, the crowd, which had just quieted down, began to murmur again. "The person in first place is actually a two-star professional." "And a Skeleton Mage at that! How did he manage to level up so fast?" "I bet this guy isn’t too bright. He’s probably just thinking about showing off in the general examination, completely disregarding everything else, and shot straight to Level 11." "True. Besides, a Skeleton Mage is mediocre at best. What could he possibly achieve even if he capped his Level and dragged things out?" "It’s true that Skeleton Mages aren’t very strong during early advancements, but I’ve heard they become quite formidable at later advancements. It’s just that compared to many other professions that also see huge improvements at later advancements, they don’t particularly stand out or seem amazing." "Hearing you say that, I get it now. No wonder he didn’t even bother to cap at Level 10. He probably wants to reach later advancements sooner to change his prospects." "If he really thinks that way, he’s incredibly foolish. Without building a solid foundation in the early stages, how will he pass high-star rebirth missions? If his first-transition doesn’t grant him many stars, he’ll still be a nobody." "I don’t really care if his profession is strong or not. I’m just purely curious: how did he level up so fast? Does anyone have any information?" "Exactly, I’m curious too. If he were a five-star professional, I wouldn’t be surprised. But he’s a two-star, so I find it hard to understand. Could it be he has high-star friends power-leveling him?" "What are you talking about? I’ve heard of him. The only reason he reached such a high Level is because he completely lucked out and leeched Experience from the kill of a red-named individual. It happened two days ago..." That person immediately recounted the story he had heard. Although most teachers knew about Chen Mo, many students did not. Consequently, quite a few curiously asked those around them. Upon hearing that he had gained Experience Points as a reward from leeching off the kill of a red-named individual, they immediately concluded that this Chen Mo had just stepped in dog-shit luck—purely someone who got ahead by chance—and they stopped paying him any mind. While many were focused on the first Chen Mo’s Level, the other Chen Mo, the slightly chubby one from the great aristocratic family, was paying attention to his own name on the list. He couldn’t help but remark with some surprise, "Interesting. There’s actually someone else with the same name, and he’s ranked up here near the top with me. This makes our shared name even more dazzling." "That guy is nothing like you. He got to that Level purely by stumbling into dog-shit luck. You, on the other hand, advanced through your own strength," a male student beside the aristocratic Chen Mo remarked disdainfully. To this, the aristocratic Chen Mo merely pursed his lips, offering no comment. At this moment, the broadcast sounded again: "The Level ranking is merely to let you know roughly how powerful your competitors are, so you can prepare accordingly. "Although our Academy Alliance has regulations prohibiting the malicious harming of examinees during the examination—and anyone reported and verified to have done so will have their college entrance eligibility revoked—such incidents still occur frequently every year! "Therefore, for your own safety, if any of you feel your strength is insufficient and wish to withdraw from the general examination, you may declare so now. We will give everyone five minutes to consider." Although the released rankings clearly showed disparities in strength among the participants, not a single person chose to withdraw. Anyone who had come today had naturally already considered the consequences. Moreover, their teachers had repeatedly and earnestly instructed them to stick close to the main group. That way, those with malicious intentions wouldn’t dare to make a move. After all, being reported could mean being barred from the college entrance examination. Not only that, but they would also be "invited" to the Enforcement Bureau for a "chat," and whether they would ever come out again was highly uncertain. Therefore, no one should dare to attempt such things publicly. The five minutes passed quickly, and not a single person stepped forward. The broadcast sounded once again: "Very well. Next, we will distribute numbered tokens to everyone. According to the assigned numbers, you will proceed to the corresponding Replica Hall." Soon, staff members approached, carrying a pile of numbered tokens. "Please come forward according to your rank to collect your numbered token." Hearing this, Chen Mo stepped forward. At that moment, a line of text appeared after Chen Mo’s name on the large screen: [Five-star Difficulty Replica: Five Spirits Gathering — No. 1!] The staff member, seeing this, handed Chen Mo a numbered token adorned with five stars around its border and a large "1" inscribed in the center. "No way!" "He should have priority selection rights, shouldn’t he?" "Don’t tell me he chose this himself?!" Seeing this, many people looked surprised. A two-star professional had actually chosen such a replica—one where a horde of powerful individuals would be fiercely vying for rewards, and an extremely dangerous one at that.