Chapter 46: Offense (Extra Chapter, Asking for Monthly Tickets)
“Long Blade Messenger”
“Attribute Bonus: Vital Energy and Blood +5, Spirit +2, Dexterity +5”
“Sharpness (White Trait): When the weapon is a long blade, damage dealt +1.”
“Bloodthirsty Nature (Blue Trait): When using a blade-type token, there is a 15% chance to inflict 3 bleeding damage per second on the enemy. This bleeding damage can stack with other bleeding damage.”
/
“Wandering Messenger”
“Attribute Bonus: Vital Energy and Blood +3, Spirit +3, Dexterity +6”
“Insight (White Trait): Perfect dodge judgment time extended by 2 frames.”
“Kiss of the Viper (Blue Trait): Attacks after perfect dodge ignore 50% of defense.”
/
“Woodland Messenger”
“Attribute Bonus: Vital Energy and Blood +4, Spirit +4, Dexterity +4”
“Woodland Kin (Blue Trait): While in Mansu Woodland, your Comprehension temporarily +50.”
“Mansu’s Blessing (Gold Trait): When settling treasure chests in Mansu Woodland, you get one additional selection opportunity.”
After a whole afternoon of idle grinding and live combat training, Jiang Ten’s Basic Footwork rose to level 7, combined with level 5 Basic Fist Technique and level 8 Basic Blade Technique, the accumulated experience finally reached level 10 to trigger the class change.
Yan Qing originally thought the three optional classes would simply be extensions of blade, fist, or foot techniques, but unexpectedly, one class was out of his predictions—the Woodland Messenger.
He speculated that only players who had entered Mansu Woodland and initiated the class change within the three-day event window would trigger this class option.
The strengths and weaknesses of Woodland Messenger were very clear—it entirely served the Mansu Woodland dungeon.
Once the Mansu Woodland event ended, this class would become utterly useless.
And it seemed that Mansu Woodland was a once-a-year event.
If class change was like visiting different buffet restaurants, then Jiang Ten becoming a Woodland Messenger meant she could feast for just two days, and would be left starving all the way until level 20.
A class with such extreme disadvantages naturally offered equally extreme benefits.
Comprehension +50—though this only appeared as a simple 50% experience boost in numbers, in the gameplay of The Messenger, this value had a significant hidden impact.
Comprehending Martial Techniques and Creating Martial Techniques.
These two features sounded high-end, but apart from top-tier players during game launches, most ordinary players would never use them.
This wasn’t because ordinary players couldn’t access such advanced features—it’s because they had better options.
Directly purchasing advanced martial techniques.
If you can buy it, why bother trying to comprehend it?
Only when a new version was freshly launched and high-tier players were exploring new content without martial technique drops would the game system allow them to directly comprehend a martial technique that perfectly suited them based on their Comprehension, commonly used tokens, and combat style.
Comprehension directly affected the success rate.
Although it was called comprehension, it was essentially a pity system for unlucky players.
If others could get a drop after one dungeon run while you did ten runs without any success, the system would pity you and grant you one.
As the version progressed and more technique manuals dropped, especially ones top-tier players couldn’t use themselves, they would naturally flow into the market.
The second and third wave of players catching up wouldn’t need to suffer through comprehension like the pioneers.
They could just buy them directly.
But in this world, the situation had changed.
Martial technique manuals had become strategic resources.
They were consumed internally within organizations and hardly circulated externally.
Because of this, Yan Qing faced a problem he hadn’t anticipated—his alternate characters hit a bottleneck.
Leveling bottlenecks weren’t unheard of in the game, but that typically happened after the fourth class change.
Yet his highest-level alt, Ye Si, hit a bottleneck now.
He had only comprehended one advanced blade technique.
Without two advanced techniques, he lacked the experience needed to reach level 20.
As long as he didn’t gain a second advanced technique, “Ye Si” would remain stuck at level 18.
As for when he might comprehend that second advanced technique...
He had started the game with 0 Comprehension!
That’s why the “+50 Comprehension inside Mansu Woodland” trait of Woodland Messenger carried enormous significance in this world.
If Jiang Ten could comprehend two or three advanced techniques within the next two days, then she would inevitably break through the level 20 threshold and surpass Ye Si to become his strongest alt!
To break through the level 20 threshold…
The more Yan Qing thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
This level, which took only a minute at best or half an hour at worst in the game, had become a serious strategic hurdle in this world.
But the greatest value of the Woodland Messenger class was undoubtedly the golden trait “Mansu’s Blessing,” which allowed players an extra selection opportunity during the settlement phase of the Mansu Woodland event.
Even though Yan Qing knew nothing about the settlement rewards of Mansu Woodland, this single trait was enough for him to understand that the rewards of this limited-time, once-a-year dungeon must be quite significant.
Woodland Messenger had no place in any build under normal circumstances, but in this world, at this specific moment when Yan Qing had no alt above level 20, it was indisputably the optimal choice.
“Congratulations to the player for changing class to ‘Woodland Messenger.’”
“You gained Vital Energy and Blood +4, Spirit +4, Dexterity +4!”
“You unlocked Spirit Meter. Current Spirit Meter: 0/20.”
At this moment, Jiang Ten and Qian Gongyu were both resting after their sparring.
The energy burst from Jiang Ten’s class change was so striking that Qian Gongyu, who was right beside her, naturally noticed it immediately.
“Class change?”
“Mm.”
“Then… should we stop sparring?” Qian Gongyu’s smile held both flattery and relief, like a tired little puppy, “You’ve already changed class anyway—”
“Even after changing class, one should continue to improve. Sparring is always more effective than solo training. Now that I’ve changed class, we can spar using tokens. Young Miss, don’t you want to improve?”
“…I do.”
At that moment, noise erupted outside.
Many people had gathered at the camp entrance, seemingly to welcome an important guest.
That afternoon, over a dozen noble carriages had already arrived at the camp—some had originally planned to come but were delayed on the road, while others had rushed over after receiving the news.
The distinction was easy to tell.
The former were mostly pampered, weak noble heirs with a strong scent of makeup, while the latter were often middle-aged men carrying weapons.
Plenty of people had tried to speak with Jiang Ten and Qian Gongyu, but after returning from Mansu Woodland, Jie Yuanshao and Shang Xinlei immediately rearranged the camp’s carriage layout.
They placed two double-decker carriages of noble grade—one on each side of the inconspicuous carriage belonging to the Qian Family—surrounding it in the middle, and stationed numerous guards outside.
With such a clear stance, no one dared to approach the Qian Family bypassing the two great families.
Thanks to this, the Qian Family enjoyed a peaceful afternoon.
But monopolizing benefits never lasted long.
A servant approached.
Though the guards of the Jie and Shang Families stepped forward to block him, after a brief exchange, they stepped aside and allowed him to approach the Qian Family carriage.
“Master Qian Gongyu, Guard Jiang Ten—tonight’s banquet is about to begin. The noble families cordially invite you both to attend.”
“Thank you, but we already have plans,” Qian Gongyu quickly replied. “We’ll be dining with Fourth Miss of the Shang Family tonight.”
“We’ll be going.”
Everyone turned their heads to see Shang Xinlei emerging from the carriage.
Though she had accepted the invitation, there wasn’t a trace of a smile on her face.
She waved her hand like shooing a fly: “Go tell Qun Yushu—we’ll be there.”
Once the servant left, Qian Gongyu belatedly asked, “Qun Yushu? Could it be…”
“A fake-smiling cripple, an ugly wretch that ruins anyone’s appetite,” Shang Xinlei said crossly. “But unfortunately, he’s the figurehead of the Qun Family’s generation. We have to show him some respect.”
“And it’s not just Qun Yushu. Elder Chen Linchuan of the Chen Family is here too, along with other miscellaneous noble families… Even the Jie and Shang Families can’t keep them out forever.”
“The Qun and Chen Families!”
Qian Gongyu had no self-awareness about being one of the ‘miscellaneous’ ones, and excitedly said, “This camp has gathered four of the seven great noble families!”
“The Seven Great Noble Families?”
“The Three Purple-Ribbon Clans and the Four Vermilion-Gate Lineages. The Qun Family is one of the Purple-Ribbon noble families, just like the Jie Family with its ancient roots. The Chen Family is like the Shang Family—Vermilion-Gate aristocrats who have guarded the Guangling Garrison for generations.”
As she spoke, Qian Gongyu suddenly seemed to realize something, her legs trembling and her voice quivering.
“These are families that could crush the Qian Family with a mere flick of a finger…”
“Xinlei, can we not go to the banquet!?” Qian Gongyu stammered in pleading. “People like us don’t belong at such gatherings…”
“Oh my, how brave you are,” Shang Xinlei clapped. “Agreeing to go and then ditching them—insulting key figures of two noble houses in front of all the other families. Even I wouldn’t dare pull that.”
“Ah? Th-then what do we do!?” Qian Gongyu panicked like an ant on a hot pan, clinging to Shang Xinlei’s arm like a koala. “Xinlei, save me!”
“Relax, relax,” Shang Xinlei patted her head. “With me here, they won’t touch you. And don’t forget—Jie Yuanshao and Jie Zilong are on our side too. The Qun and Chen Families must be respected, but the Shang and Jie Families aren’t easy to push around either. Go change clothes—we’ll go together.”
Qian Gongyu nodded repeatedly and turned to call out to Jiang Ten, who was still practicing blade techniques in the clearing: “Jiang Ten, stop training—it’s time to change clothes!”
Jiang Ten stopped swinging her blade and slowly turned around.
At that moment, the sun was about to set.
Two-thirds of the sky had already turned night-blue, consuming the remaining third of fiery red.
Jiang Ten stood on the boundary of light and darkness, with only half her face lit by the setting sun.
Beautiful, cold.
Even though they had fought side by side, even though they had endured hardships together, neither Qian Gongyu nor Shang Xinlei could see any warmth or familiarity in her eyes.
“I’m not going. I have food. I don’t need to attend the banquet.”
Qian Gongyu opened her mouth and stammered, “But… but the ones who invited us were the Qun and Chen Families… they’re noble families. We can’t afford to offend them. Even Xinlei…”
Under Jiang Ten’s gaze, Qian Gongyu’s voice grew quieter and quieter, until it was barely audible.
“I’m not stopping you two from going. I’m just not going.”
“I know you can’t afford to offend them. Shang Xinlei can’t either.”
“But why do you think…”
Nightfall completely swallowed the last remnants of twilight.
Darkness descended over the land, and bonfires lit up across the camp.
Jiang Ten stood bathed in the night, her eyes glowing like a panther’s in the jungle.
The White Iron Straight Blade in her grip shimmered with a chilling gleam.
She had just become a first-stage Messenger.
Yan Qing was the real powerhouse.
Yet somehow… Shang Xinlei found herself unable to look her in the eye.
“I can’t afford to offend them?”