By the campfire in the Foggy Camp.
A petite girl was clutching her novice wooden staff tightly, head bowed, saying nothing.
She wore an oversized robe that clearly didn't fit, and above her head floated a slightly adorable ID: "Bing Xin".
At this moment, her eyes were red, but she stubbornly bit her lip to keep the tears from falling.
Standing opposite her was a burly Shield Warrior with a fleshy face, ID "Iron Shield", who was spitting as he berated her:
"I've been playing online games for over a decade, and I've never seen a Priest build like yours! All in Intelligence? Do you think you're a Mage? Just now, fighting that elite monster, if I hadn't chugged potions quickly, I would have died! How many heals can you cast with that little mana?"
The surrounding players chimed in one after another:
"Yeah, how is a Priest supposed to regenerate mana without putting points into Spirit? That's common sense."
"She looks pretty smart, why is she such a gaming noob?"
"This character is a waste; just delete it and start over."
Bing Xin couldn't help but look up and retort softly: "That's not true... I've looked at the data panel. Intelligence increases not only spell power but also healing output. As long as the monster kill speed is increased by 30%, my mana is perfectly sufficient. Just now, if you had listened to me and focused fire on that weak point..."
"Still talking back!" Iron Shield waved his hand impatiently. "Get lost, don't hold up our party recruitment. We want a proper healer, not a 'violent' cripple like you."
With that, he kicked Bing Xin out of the party directly.
[System Prompt: You have been removed from the party.]
Bing Xin looked at the system prompt, feeling so aggrieved she wanted to cry.
In reality, she was a genius hacker with an IQ of 160, recruited into a national laboratory at the age of 15. But in the game, her data analysis skills, which she took such pride in, were treated as a joke.
"Could it be... that I really calculated it wrong?"
She looked at her attribute panel, feeling somewhat lost.
[ID: Bing Xin]
[Class: Apprentice Priest]
[Level: 8]
[Intelligence: 45 (Full build)]
[Spirit: 5]
Because she put all points into Intelligence, her maximum mana was high, but her mana regeneration speed was extremely slow. And because she lacked the defensive bonus from the Spirit attribute, she was as fragile as paper.
Just as she was preparing to log off and delete her character, a calm voice sounded from behind her.
"Your formula is correct."
Bing Xin whipped her head around.
She saw a man wearing tattered robes, carrying a strange, cloth-wrapped sword on his back, standing in the shadows. He wore goggles on his face, obscuring his expression, but the bright red ID "Yi" was frightening.
"Red... Red name?" The surrounding players backed away in fear.
Ye Yi ignored the strange looks from those around him and walked straight to Bing Xin.
"A full-Intelligence Priest sacrifices sustainability in exchange for burst healing and damage. Theoretically, as long as the battle ends before your mana runs out, your efficiency is at its highest."
Bing Xin's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had found a kindred spirit: "Yes! That's it! As long as the DPS is high enough, there's no need for sustained healing!"
"However," Ye Yi changed the subject, "the prerequisite is that you must have a teammate who can keep up with your rhythm and stand their ground through the storms."
He extended a hand, extending an invitation to Bing Xin.
"That idiot Shield Warrior couldn't handle your tactics, but I can."
"Want to party up? No class restrictions, only data matters."
Bing Xin was stunned.
She looked at the mysterious Red Name Mage before her. Her intuition told her that this person was dangerous, but he possessed a confidence that made her feel at ease—it was the aura of a kindred spirit.
"I... I'm very mana-intensive," Bing Xin whispered a reminder. "And I don't have Resurrection."
"I have potions," Ye Yi said concisely.
"I also steal monster aggro..."
"You can't take it from me."
Ye Yi's hand remained suspended in mid-air.
Bing Xin gritted her teeth, extended her small hand, which had turned pale from gripping the staff for too long, and took Ye Yi's hand.
[System Prompt: Player "Bing Xin" has joined your party.]
[Leader: Yi (Lv.15)]
[Member: Bing Xin (Lv.8)]
Seeing the terrifying "Lv.15" of Ye Yi in the party list, Bing Xin was so shocked she almost jumped.
"Fifteen... Level 15?! The one at the top of the leaderboard?"
Although she was a gaming noob, she knew that most people were only level 5. This Red Name weirdo was actually level 15?
"Shh."
Ye Yi held a finger to his lips, then coldly glanced at the Shield Warrior "Iron Shield", who was still grumbling.
"Who was it that said she was a waste just now?"
Ye Yi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling, murderous intent.
Iron Shield saw Ye Yi's massive 500 Crime Value and his legs went weak, but relying on the fact that they were in the camp (a safe zone), he braced himself and said: "What? So what if you're a Red Name? Her build is trash, can't people say that?"
"Trash?"
Ye Yi's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mocking arc.
"Then how about we make a bet. The two of us will clear the 'Gloomy Forest' dungeon nearby. If our clear time is slower than your party's, I'll delete my character."
The whole area fell into dead silence.
Gloomy Forest was a level 12 dungeon; the recommended setup was a standard 5-man party. Two people? And a Red Name Mage leading a "useless" Priest?
"You said it yourself!" Iron Shield laughed. "Everyone heard that! The big shot is going to show off by carrying a girl!"
Ye Yi ignored his mockery and turned to the still-dazed Bing Xin:
"Keep up. Let me show you what a real data-driven Priest is."
The two walked one after the other into the dungeon entrance deep within the fog.
Behind them, countless players watched their backs as if they were looking at madmen.
"Two-manning a dungeon? That's not how you go about committing suicide."
"Waiting to watch the Red Name big shot fail."
"What a pity for that girl, she's going to lose levels again."
No one knew that at this moment, the core duo of the future "Scourge Legion", which would eventually strike fear into the hearts of the entire Apocalypse world, was officially born.