Among the scattered loot glittering on the cave floor, Wang Chen noticed something unusual.
It was a crimson gem shaped like a diamond. Its surface glowed faintly, as if a mysterious power pulsed deep inside it.
He picked it up and examined it carefully.
Goblin High Priest's Magic StoneCategory: Gem (Socket Item)Rank: BronzeAttributes: Spirit +100, Strength +80, Constitution +35Effect: When embedded into a magic staff, grants various powerful buffs and increases magical capacity. Buff effects are random.Skill: NoneDescription: A gem crafted with the life's work of the Goblin High Priest. Its power is extraordinary.
A rare socket item.
Wang Chen's eyes lit up with excitement.
Gems like this were extremely valuable. They could be crafted into magic staffs or embedded into weapons and armor. Because of their versatility, they were highly sought after on the market.
But Wang Chen had no intention of selling it.
He held the gem in his hand, deep in thought.
Where should he embed it?
After a moment of consideration, only one place seemed truly suitable.
His chest armor.
After storing the rest of the loot, Wang Chen placed the gem directly against the center of his chest plate.
The moment the gem made contact, a brilliant flash erupted.
The stone dissolved into streams of data that flowed into the mechanical armor.
His chest armor began to transform.
Metal plates shifted and mechanical components rearranged themselves. The red gem slowly reappeared at the center of his chest, now suspended within a circular mechanical structure.
It looked exactly like a miniature reactor.
Energy surged through Wang Chen's entire body.
A series of system notifications appeared.
Chest Armor Upgrade Successful.
Congratulations. You have obtained a Magic Core Reactor.
Congratulations. The Goblin High Priest's Magic Stone has been upgraded to Silver Rank. Your armor can now contain stronger energy.
Congratulations. Mechanical Overload duration increased from ten minutes to fifteen minutes.
Wang Chen's eyes shone with excitement.
"So embedding the gem into the chest armor actually created a magic core reactor."
Even the Mechanical Overload skill had been extended by five minutes.
That alone could completely change the outcome of a battle.
"This trip was definitely worth it."
Satisfied, Wang Chen deactivated his armor.
Just then, Lian Yunxi and Liu Ningning walked over.
Both girls looked at him with serious expressions.
"Thank you, Wang Chen," Lian Yunxi said sincerely. "If it wasn't for you today, we might not have survived."
Wang Chen waved his hand casually.
"It's nothing. We're classmates. Helping each other is normal."
Seeing how calm and indifferent he was, a faint look of admiration appeared in the girls' eyes.
Handsome. Powerful. Humble.
What girl wouldn't admire someone like that?
Not far away, Liu Qiang stared at Wang Chen with a face full of resentment.
"We agreed to be useless together," he muttered internally. "How did you secretly become so strong?"
Meanwhile, Wang Chen recalled all of his mechanical units.
The mechanical worker ants.The mechanical worker bees.And the twelve newly controlled enhanced goblins.
All of them disappeared into his mechanical storage space.
His strength had improved once again.
Soon after, the four of them exited the dungeon and returned to Luo Hai City.
On the way back, the conversation naturally turned toward their future goals.
Liu Ningning and Lian Yunxi both aimed for Imperial Capital University.
As A rank class holders, they had the qualifications to compete for admission.
Liu Qiang stayed silent.
In his heart, he felt his future would probably involve working at some nightclub as a ceremonial priest.
After the group separated, Liu Ningning suddenly spoke.
"Do you think Wang Chen has a chance to win the title of Ascending Dragon Student this year?"
Lian Yunxi froze.
"The Ascending Dragon Student?"
She looked shocked.
"Do you even know what that title means?"
"That's the number one student in the entire province."
"Our Luo Hai City has never produced an Ascending Dragon Student since it was founded."
"And besides, isn't the mayor placing all of his hopes on Ren Yinian this year?"
Liu Ningning brushed aside a strand of hair from her forehead and smiled softly.
"Let's go. I was just saying it casually."
She paused for a moment.
"But for some reason… I feel like he might actually do it."
Meanwhile, Wang Chen and Liu Qiang had already returned home.
As soon as they entered the house, Zhao Xue greeted them with a smile.
"You two brats came back together so quickly. Nothing happened, right?"
"Did either of you reach level two yet?"
She had already completely given up on Liu Qiang.
The minimum requirement for the college entrance exam was reaching level ten within ten days.
With Liu Qiang's class, that seemed impossible.
Liu Qiang suddenly grinned.
"Mom, guess what? Your son has already reached level ten."
"Just wait. Once I become a high level professional, I'll give you a good life."
He paused briefly.
"Well… I can't cure your illness myself."
"But I'll definitely hire a high level healer to treat you."
Zhao Xue rolled her eyes.
"You little brat. Not a single word out of your mouth is reliable."
"Even the rich young masters and young ladies can't reach level ten in a single day."
"And you?"
"Level ten?"
Before Liu Qiang could react, Zhao Xue grabbed a broom nearby.
Smack.
The broom landed squarely on his backside.
Liu Qiang jumped into the air with a miserable scream.
But Wang Chen stood quietly to the side, watching the scene with a thoughtful expression.
Because unlike Zhao Xue...
He knew one thing for certain.
Liu Qiang had not lied.
He really was level ten now.
And if people in Luo Hai City found out how he achieved it…
The entire city might descend into chaos.