The two nodded, signaling they understood.
The bespectacled man cast a wary glance at them, his voice edged with caution.
“A word of advice: don’t try to outsmart us. You can’t. Just focus on completing the mandatory tasks, got it?” Â
“Got it,” they echoed in unison.
Su Luo stole a glance at Number Ten.
Her instincts whispered that he wasn’t merely “adequate,” as he’d claimed.
No, he was hiding his true strength, and that made him someone to watch closely.
In the notebook of her mind, she jotted a bold mark next to his name.
Five minutes passed in a blink, and the two veteran players led them into the park.
The scenery was unexpectedly lovely—willows and poplars swayed gently, while vibrant roses bloomed in clusters, their petals catching the light.
As they walked, Number Three, the bespectacled man’s companion, began explaining to the newcomers.
“Monsters spawn randomly across the map. Only the beginner’s map is this straightforward—no complex terrain, no endless hordes. Here, there are only a hundred monsters total. Other maps? Not so predictable.”
He paused, then continued, “If you get hurt, you can seek a healer for recovery, use an item, or wait five minutes for a single point of health to regenerate. Healers are rare, so beyond items, you’d better be cautious.” Su Luo nodded, absorbing the lesson.
A sudden flash of white light erupted nearby, and three creatures—small, wiry things resembling steel wool balls used for scrubbing dishes—materialized.
Each was no taller than Su Luo’s knee.
The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses and warned, “Monsters incoming. Stay sharp.”
Number Three, a mage, was the first to act, hurling a magic bolt at the creatures.
The bespectacled man charged forward, drawing their attention—likely a tank, Su Luo guessed.
Number Ten moved with startling speed, reaching the monsters in an instant and launching his attack.
Su Luo, meanwhile, lingered by the mage’s side, ready to heal when needed.
She felt a pang of frustration.
She could fight, but her mandatory task was to rack up healing points, forcing her to play the role of a support.
‘What a miscalculation,’ she thought, sighing inwardly.
The mage, eyes fixed on the battle, instructed her, “Keep an eye on the tank. Don’t let his health drop to yellow. Green health lets him draw monsters without fear.”
Su Luo nodded, taking the advice to heart.
Her basic healing skill restored up to 14 health points, but to maintain her “adequate” facade, she aimed for 10 per cast, rounded carefully to avoid suspicion.
She controlled her healing output with precision, determined not to reveal her true capabilities.
To her shock, she noticed the tiny monsters could deal 3 points of damage per hit.
Without her healing, five strikes would finish her off.
Her mind raced: if basic monsters hit this hard, what about elites or the boss?
A one-shot kill?
The thought was chilling.
‘No wonder this is a test.’
Lost in her calculations, she barely registered the mage’s shout: “Heal!”
Snapping back, she saw the tank’s health had slipped to yellow.
She quickly cast a heal, shooting an apologetic glance his way.
The tank, too focused to notice, pressed on.
The mage, however, fixed her with a stern look.
“Die here, and you’re dead for real. No second chances. Having a healer is a double-edged sword.”
He glanced at her before continuing, “It makes you feel safer, but that can lead to carelessness. If the healer slacks off, misjudgments can be fatal.”
Su Luo nodded, chastened, and forced herself to focus on the battlefield.
-3, -3, -5… Su Luo’s eyes widened.
The monsters had a critical hit chance, dealing 5 damage in one blow.
Their bizarre attack style—rolling at players like living scouring pads—almost made her laugh.
‘It’s like they think we’re too dirty and need a good scrub,’ she mused, half-convinced she’d cracked their secret.
Then she noticed Number Ten.
He was good.
He dodged the monsters’ attacks with uncanny agility, seizing every opening to strike.
She barely needed to heal him.
‘My instincts were right,’ she thought.
‘No way he’s just adequate.’
The four fell into a rhythm—healing, attacking, moving as a unit under the veterans’ command.
Soon, the three monsters were nearly defeated.
Following their plan, each took turns landing the final blows.
Number Three turned to Number Ten.
“Next time, you strike first.” Number Ten nodded.
The bespectacled man grinned.
“Such well-behaved newbies are rare. And… pretty skilled, too. Those evaluation scores? Probably nonsense. You know what I mean.” Â
He leaned in, his tone serious.
“But your talent skills? Keep those hidden. Even the weakest ones can work miracles. Stay sharp, and I might share some advice near the end.”
They pressed on through the park, hunting more monsters.
Along the way, the bespectacled man shared tidbits of knowledge.
“The first month is the newbie phase. The system groups players with similar evaluation scores and talent skills for easier teaming.”
Su Luo frowned.
As someone with a “perfect” evaluation, why was she paired with someone supposedly “inadequate”?
Had Fatty lied to her? Â
The bespectacled man continued, “Excellent-rated players are rare. If there’s a gap, they might get grouped with inadequates.”
Su Luo nodded, her doubts eased.
“Oh, right! You probably don’t know the evaluation tiers yet.” The two newcomers nodded.
“There’s Inadequate, Adequate, Good, and Excellent—60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% respectively.”
Su Luo’s heart skipped.
Everything aligned with her expectations, except… no mention of a “perfect” tier.
She had achieved it, which meant perfect ratings were vanishingly rare. Â
Though surprised, she kept her expression neutral and asked, “Why no 100% efficiency?”
The bespectacled man chuckled.
“No idea. Maybe casting magic always burns some energy.”
Su Luo nodded, masking her racing thoughts.
Number Ten’s peach-blossom eyes narrowed, glinting with a dangerous, alluring charm.
Unnoticed by others, he flashed a lazy, teasing smile.
“Or maybe nobody knows there’s a tier above Excellent?” Â
His voice, smooth and playful, was the first full sentence Su Luo had heard from him.
It was captivating—if you ignored the words themselves.
The bespectacled man laughed, thinking it a joke.
“Right, right! Maybe there’s a secret tier, hiding among us, striking when least expected. Sounds like a novel plot!” Â
The mage rolled his eyes, ignoring his teammate’s antics.
He knew the guy got carried away once he warmed up to people.
Su Luo’s lips curved in a polite smile, but her gaze locked onto Number Ten.
‘He’s testing me,’ she realized.
‘He’s perfect-tier, too.’Â Â
Before she could dwell on it, a metallic rustling drew their attention.
Three more steel wool balls appeared.
The group snapped into battle mode, and Su Luo exhaled in relief.
Number Ten’s piercing stare had been too intense—she wasn’t ready to expose herself yet.
Unbeknownst to her, Number Ten had already clocked her tier from her reaction.
He was now weighing whether to team up with this Number Six.
Her performance would decide.
The fight began like the last, but mid-battle, another trio of steel wool balls spawned.
Now facing six, the tank and mage abandoned restraint. Â
They unleashed their third-tier skills.
The tank’s health bar thickened, and he drew all the monsters to him.
Suddenly, massive vines erupted from the ground, ensnaring the six creatures.
The assassin—Number Ten—and the mage hammered them with attacks.
Two seconds later, the vines vanished, and the monsters retaliated.
Su Luo’s healing was potent, but the onslaught was relentless.
The tank’s health dipped to yellow again. Â
Then, a red bottle appeared in the tank’s hand.
He uncorked it, downed the contents, and a “+10” flashed above his head, restoring 10 health points.
‘That’s the item they mentioned,’ Su Luo noted, wondering how to get one.
With the item’s boost, she regained control.
But then, a steel wool ball barreled toward her and the mage.
Su Luo didn’t flinch.
From her observations, these creatures were chaotic, rolling aimlessly at whoever was closest.
If she got hit by something this predictable, her years surviving as an orphan would’ve been for nothing.
As the steel wool ball neared, she leaped, delivering a swift kick that sent it tumbling back to the tank.
Crisis averted. Â
No cheers, no applause.
Su Luo glanced at the others, only to catch Number Ten laughing openly, his beauty almost otherworldly.
“What, playing soccer now?” Â
Su Luo’s face darkened.
‘So much for calling him captivating.’
This guy was just an overgrown kid.
The mage, looking bemused, muttered, “Impressive.” Â
Su Luo waved it off, exasperated.
What could she say?
Her carefully crafted (or not) delicate-healer persona had just crumbled.
She was gutted.