Worldwide Class Change: Minimal Effort, Maximum Reward!

"This J45 team... are monsters!"

The voice rang sharply through the monitoring hall, unable to hide the shock within it. Screens of light hovered in midair, each displaying different teams progressing through the Dragon God Tower, yet one panel—just one—had drawn nearly every gaze.

"Eight floors... in mere minutes? This is no longer speed, this is domination!"

"And that boy—Lin Yi—he hasn’t even changed his stance! Every floor... a single strike! One sword qi and everything is wiped clean!"

"How is that possible? Even S-Rank talents require time to clear waves—no matter how strong they are, there is always consumption, always delay!"

The murmurs layered over each other, rising like a tide that refused to settle. Several principals leaned forward in their seats, their earlier composure completely shattered as they stared intently at the projection showing Lin Yi’s team.

Principal Zhou stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm, yet the faint curve at the corner of his lips betrayed him.

"Yes," he said slowly, his voice steady but carrying a quiet weight, "this child... is not something you can measure with common sense."

A sharp laugh echoed from the side.

"Hah! An E-Rank Laborer, and you speak of him as if he were some heavenly prodigy? Zhou, have you truly grown so desperate for recognition that you place your hopes on such a thing?"

Another principal leaned back, folding his arms.

"My student from Red Lotus City—Han Yue—has already reached the eighteenth floor. S-Rank Godslaying Archer. His arrows are formed from condensed celestial energy itself. Every shot kills. Every second advances. That is true talent."

"Indeed," another added, nodding. "A proper S-Rank genius. Not some... E rank."

Principal Zhou did not argue. He simply looked up at the screen again.

Because on that screen—

Lin Yi’s team had already stepped into the twentieth floor.

.....

Inside the tower—

Host: Lin Yi

Class: Laborer

Rank: E

Level: 42

EXP: 89,000 / 175,000

[Attributes]

Strength: 152

Agility: 102

Constitution: 125

Spirit: 51

Free Attribute Points: 50

[Class Skills]

Titan Grip – Enhances grip strength and weapon stability, allowing the user to control heavier weapons and amplify close combat force.

[Acquired Skills]

Phantom Void Step – A spatial movement technique that allows the user to momentarily distort space and perform instantaneous step transitions.

Eternal Spirit Core – A passive spiritual cultivation skill that continuously regenerates spiritual energy over time while stabilizing the user’s inner energy circulation.

[Equipment]

Celestial Lord Blade

Quality: Mythical

Attack Power: 405

Grand Defense Ring

Quality: Legendary

Physical Defense: +311

Magical Defense: +302

[Inventory]

Celestial Emperor Note

Froststeel Hunter Dagger

Windstep Hunter Boots

High Energy Core ×2

Beginner Energy Potion ×3

Academy Survival Kit

Empty Slots: 38

.....

Lin Yi checked his system panel briefly as they ascended and indeed there was no addition to his experiences. The monsters looked real, felt real, and struck with real force, but they were nothing more than projections of the Level 100 Dragon God that slept at the summit. Killing them earned points. Nothing more. He closed the panel and kept moving.

They were already on floor twenty. According to what was visible through the tower’s ambient notification system, the nearest competing team was still on floor fourteen. That team belonged to Han Yue, the S-Rank Godslaying Archer from Red Lotus City, and by all accounts he was the most legitimate threat in the examination. Unlike Chen Feng, whose S-Rank talent had been built through rigorous combat discipline, Han Yue’s class came with something more immediate. A passive ability that allowed him to generate Mythical-grade golden arrows, each one capable of one-shotting most monsters at his current tier. It had allowed him to grind to Level 34, far beyond what most students his age could claim. A genuine prodigy by any reasonable standard. But the difference between him and Lin Yi came down to a single, fundamental gap. Han Yue’s Mythical arrows could kill one monster per second. Lin Yi’s Celestial Lord Blade released a sword qi that could kill a hundred within range simultaneously. Han Yue was extraordinary. Lin Yi operated on a different scale entirely. With a fraction of the effort, he had already surpassed him.

The air on the twentieth floor was heavier than anything they had experienced before. The moment their feet touched the ground, an invisible pressure descended, thick and suffocating, pressing against their lungs, their bones, their very thoughts.

Wang Hao’s smile disappeared instantly. "...This... feels wrong."

His voice was quieter now, stripped of its usual humor, his hand tightening instinctively around his weapon hilt even though some part of him already understood it wouldn’t make a difference.

Su Qinghan’s expression hardened as her frostblade appeared in her hand, cold energy curling faintly around its edge. "This isn’t like the previous floors," she said slowly. "The density of spiritual pressure... it’s on a completely different level."

Lin Yi said nothing. But his eyes had already locked forward.

At the center of the floor stood a figure. Humanoid. Tall. Armored. It held a massive greatsword planted into the ground before it, both hands resting on the hilt, its head slightly lowered as if dormant. Then its eyes opened, as a deep crimson glow ignited within the helmet.

[Dragonborn Executioner]

Threat Level: 20 (Boss)

Health: 12,500 / 12,500

Physical Attack: 420 – 560

Physical Defense: 380 – 450

Magic Resistance: 300 – 360

[A humanoid construct forged from the will of the Dragon God. It wields immense physical strength and possesses high resistance to both physical and magical damage. Its attacks are slow but devastating, capable of crushing unprepared hunters in a single strike. Weaknesses are minimal, but prolonged engagements may expose slight delays between its attack cycles.]

Wang Hao took a step back. "...No." The word came out instinctively. "No, no, no... this is wrong. This is completely wrong." His breathing quickened as his eyes moved between the monster and the numbers and back again.

"Level 20 boss? Twelve thousand health? Attack power over five hundred? Brother Lin, this thing isn’t something we’re supposed to fight!" His voice rose slightly despite his effort to stay composed. "I’m level 7! Level 7! I barely survived floor ten if I had to fight myself, and now this, this is something that could kill me in one hit!"

He swallowed hard and stepped back again. "...And it won’t give experience. There’s no gain. No benefit." His thoughts raced faster and faster, spiraling toward a single conclusion.

This isn’t worth it. There’s nothing to gain here. I’ve already reached floor twenty. Two hundred points. That’s enough to pass, enough to stand above most students. If I die here, everything is gone.

He clenched his fists. "I should leave." The words came out quieter now, more grounded. "That’s the smart decision. Strategic withdrawal. There’s no shame in it. This isn’t fear, it’s judgment. Proper judgment." He nodded slightly to himself. "I’ll exit here. Two hundred points is already a strong result. I don’t need to risk my life for something meaningless."

He turned his head toward Lin Yi. "Brother Lin... I think I’ll—"

"Go."

Wang Hao blinked. "...What?"

Lin Yi didn’t look at him. "Leave if you want," he said flatly. "No one is forcing you to stay."

A brief pause.

"But if you stay..." His hand moved and the Celestial Lord Blade appeared in his grip, its golden runes flickering faintly in the heavy air. "...then don’t think this is where you fall."

Wang Hao froze. Something in those words, something in that quiet certainty, made his chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with fear.

Su Qinghan glanced at Lin Yi, then at the boss, her grip firming on her blade.

Level 20 boss. Even with my Frostblade advantage I wouldn’t last more than a few exchanges. This is beyond my level. Beyond anything I’ve faced.* She exhaled slowly. But her gaze shifted back to Lin Yi. *He hasn’t moved. Not even a step back. Since entering this tower he hasn’t hesitated once. Not against a hundred monsters. Not against ten elites. Not even now.

Her lips pressed together.

Then I won’t step back either.

The Dragonborn Executioner moved. Slowly, it lifted its greatsword from the ground, the sheer weight of the weapon cracking the stone beneath it as the blade rose into the air. Then it stepped forward.

BOOM.

The entire floor trembled. Wang Hao’s face went pale. "...It’s coming."

Lin Yi stepped forward. The distance between them closed steadily. The Executioner raised its blade higher, then brought it down. A single massive strike. The air itself split as the sword descended, carrying a crushing force that distorted everything in its path.

Wang Hao’s pupils shrank. "If that hits—!"

CLANG!!!

The sound exploded across the floor. The massive blade stopped. Midway. Blocked. Lin Yi stood beneath it with one hand gripping the Celestial Lord Blade, holding back the full weight of the Executioner’s strike. The ground beneath his feet fractured outward in a web of cracks and dust rose around him.

But his stance did not move. Not even an inch. His eyes remained calm, locked onto the boss before him. And for the first time since the fight began, the Dragonborn Executioner paused. As if something within its constructed awareness had registered what stood before it.

********

A/N: Thanks for all the gifts and support, I appreciate all of them.