On the contrary, for those of low level, these pills weren't actually as vital.

  This was precisely why Gu Pingchuan and his two colleagues were far more shaken by the Body Forging Pill than Ying Feng or Zhong Lingyun. They understood a fundamental truth: the higher one's level, the more monumental the difficulty of improvement becomes.

  The stronger the expert, the more they cherish even the slightest gain. At Gu Pingchuan's level, every fraction of an increase in base stats translates into a massive surge in total power. This is because their base attributes are already high, and their mastery of Battle Qi and Mana is even higher.

  When both the base and the multiplier are top-tier, the resulting power change is nothing short of terrifying.

  A heavy silence lingered in the Dean's office for a long time. Finally, it was broken by a long, deep sigh.

  "It seems I have truly underestimated the world," Gu Pingchuan said with a sudden, hearty laugh. He was remarkably composed, showing no trace of greed. For many other powerhouses, knowing such a pill existed would have spelled disaster for the seller.

  "Dean Gu, I believe it's time we stepped outside the gates of Brilliant Academy for a look," Wu Zuozhou suggested.

  "Indeed," Meng Xiangyu added eagerly. "We should inspect this shop. If it meets our standards, it would be an excellent location for the academy's off-campus curriculum."

  Truth be told, Meng Xiangyu had his own motives. If the pill was sold there, he might even encounter another one during the visit.

  "Instructor Zhong, you heard us. I'll have to trouble you to lead the way," Gu Pingchuan said. He was not a man of rigid tradition; he genuinely wanted to meet the person bold enough to sell such pills.

  "Of course, Dean Gu. Shall we leave now?"

  "Let's depart immediately."

  Ever since the Combat Simulation Room was upgraded, Kael’s late-night gaming sessions had decreased. He found that once you experience Online Co-op Mode, the single-player mode starts to feel a bit stale.

  However, since Shier had to manage the shop during the day and needed her rest at night, Kael shifted his gaming habits to the daylight hours. As the Store Manager, he exercised his exclusive privilege to reserve a booth for himself—and since he was the boss, no one dared to complain.

  Today, Kael was sitting in his leather chair, logged into the Arena's online mode. He had created a room with a specific title:

  [Room Name: Need two noob supports.]

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "Boss, your taste in room names is really something else," Blood Wolf remarked as he walked into the Simulation Room. Having spent so much time here, the regulars were well-acquainted with Kael’s "unique" sense of humor.

  "What else should I call you?" Kael leaned back into the plush leather sofa, casting a look of mock disdain at Blood Wolf.

  Blood Wolf choked on his words, then gave a wry smile. "Fine, 'noob' it is. I'm joining."

  He then turned to his squad members. "Two of you, get in here and learn something from the Boss. The rest of you, open your own rooms."

  Even though Blood Wolf’s combat skills had improved significantly through the simulations, he knew he was still miles behind Kael. It was a combination of training volume and raw talent—as the Store Manager, Kael definitely had an "unfair" advantage.

  "Hah! You scrubs are riding the Boss's coattails again?"

  Tiger Hunt walked in through the side door just in time to hear the exchange. Having hung around the shop so much, the mercenaries had started picking up Kael's slang. Words like "noob" and "riding coattails" had become part of their daily vocabulary.

  "Pah! In the pursuit of learning, can you really call it 'riding coattails'?" Blood Wolf scoffed. He figured that learning even one percent of the Boss’s technique was better than fumbling through ten solo matches. Self-study was nothing compared to a master’s guidance.

  "Heh, you actually have a point there," Tiger Hunt admitted. "Move one of your guys out, I’m joining too."

  Tiger Hunt logged in and saw the room name. "Boss, I'll take a DPS slot. The other two can be the noob supports."

  The remaining Blood Wolf squad member looked at Tiger Hunt, speechless. The Boss was the strongest, and Blood Wolf and Tiger Hunt were about equal. As a rank-and-file member, he really was just a "support" in this company...

  "Who knows? Let's just get in there," Blood Wolf said, not wanting to argue. He’d let his performance speak for itself.

  "What's the hold-up? If you're not ready, I'm kicking you," Kael said impatiently, rapping his knuckles on the table.

  "Ready, ready!" the three replied in unison.

  [Environment Simulation: Desert] [Players: 3] [Random Opponents: Guardian Knight, Archer, Berserker] [Battle Start!]

  Their consciousness sank into the crystal balls. When their vision cleared, they were surrounded by endless yellow sand. Golden dunes rolled toward the horizon like a sea.

  Not far away stood three "ordinary" looking opponents.

  The Guardian Knight stood at the front, his shield raised, creating an impenetrable defense. An Archer peeked out from behind the shield occasionally, quickly ducking back into cover. A Berserker stood to the side, dragging a massive blade nearly as tall as a man, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  "Choose your weapons. Blood Wolf, you're on front-line defense," Kael commanded. He selected a Naginata, holding the long shaft with both hands across his chest.

  Blood Wolf quickly chose a sword and shield combo and took his position.

  "Tiger Hunt, help Blood Wolf with the off-tanking. Watch out for the Archer’s arrows and the Knight’s shield-bash counters," Kael continued.

  Then, without another word, he charged toward the Berserker, Naginata in hand.

  In the desert, there was no natural cover. The system-generated team used the Guardian Knight as a living fortress, so the Archer was safe. The only target currently exposed was the Berserker.

  "Boss, what about me?" the third squad member shouted, realizing he hadn't been given a task.

  "A 'noob support' just needs to lie down and get carried," Tiger Hunt answered for Kael, swinging a massive battle-axe he had just summoned. "Watch closely, learn well, and stay quiet."

  "Uh..."

  The squad member was stunned. People always said Tiger Hunt was blunt and straightforward, but today he realized that "straightforward" meant "stabbing you in the heart with the truth."

  "Watch the arrows!" Kael shouted, his Naginata already clashing with the Berserker’s greatsword.