3: Chapter 3: Being a kept man is fine as it comes occasionally.

"This is my skill."

Qin Lan replied,

"Whatever is said here will not be known by others."

"Does Special Envoy Qin have any important instructions?" Lin Mo frowned.

"Do you two know what the Kings Selection is?"

The two shook their heads in unison.

Qin Lan's expression was solemn.

"Although the Alliance has temporarily blocked the news here, this information definitely won't be kept secret for long."

"Class levels are usually tied to talent levels, but it's different for a Mythical Grade talent."

"King-tier classes do not appear alongside Mythical Grade talents; they are even rarer and more powerful!"

"If the two appear simultaneously, we call it the Kings Selection."

"Its power holds an immense attraction for many people."

"Especially for some Noble Families and super-consortiums."

"The last time this level of talent and class appeared together on one person was the Dragon King five hundred years ago..."

Seeing Lin Mo and Su Xiaoli listening quietly, Qin Lan continued:

"In short... they will try every possible means to seize the power within Su Xiaoli."

"You mean Xiao Li will be in danger?"

Qin Lan said in a heavy voice:

"No, both of you will be in danger."

"The people of The Consortium possess monstrous power, and those from the Noble Families are completely unbridled; their people are entirely different from the Alliance."

"Once you come into contact with them later, you will naturally understand what I mean."

"In short, Lin Mo, it's best if you leave here with Xiao Li; the Core City will provide you with complete protection."

"You won't need to do anything, and you'll have no worries about food or clothing."

Lin Mo: "..."

So I have no choice but to eat this 'soft rice'?

"Sorry, I can't go." Lin Mo shook his head.

Based on the current situation, if he went to the Core City, he would likely lose even his personal freedom.

"I'm afraid that's not up to you!" Qin Lan's expression turned cold.

A frigid aura erupted violently with Qin Lan as the center.

The mana tide of a Rank 5 Mage was like an invisible mountain, instantly crushing down upon the bluestone pavement of the Awakening Square.

*Crack—*

The surrounding air became viscous, as if they had fallen into the deep sea.

This was the absolute crushing weight of power, a one-sided suppression of a low-level professional by a high-level one.

"I am not negotiating with you."

Qin Lan's ice-blue mage robes billowed without wind, her clear voice as cold as ice,

"Staying here, you will only become Su Xiaoli's weakness."

"Coming with me is your only option for survival."

She raised her hand, deep blue binding runes dancing at her fingertips.

Clearly, if Lin Mo continued to refuse, she intended to take him by force.

"Don't you dare touch him!"

Su Xiaoli spread her arms, firmly blocking Lin Mo like a little tiger protecting its cub.

At some point, her eyes had been veiled by a layer of dark-gold light.

Her powerful energy caused spiderweb-like cracks to appear on the ground beneath her feet.

"Xiao Li, do you have any idea what you're doing?"

Qin Lan's brows furrowed, a flash of shock appearing in the depths of her eyes.

"I only know that you're trying to bully Lin Mo!"

Su Xiaoli stared intently at Qin Lan, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white,

"I don't care about some ancient family or the Alliance! At worst... we'll just go to the wilderness and become refugees!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Qin Lan's breath hitched.

She took a deep breath, crushed the binding runes at her fingertips, and forcibly suppressed her anger.

"Su Xiaoli, don't act on impulse!"

Qin Lan's voice softened slightly,

"You have no idea how cruel the world outside is. The Noble Families view human life as mere grass; they will use any means necessary against you!"

"He doesn't need to protect me, I'll protect him!"

Su Xiaoli refused to back down an inch.

"You can't even protect yourself, how can you protect him?"

Qin Lan's gaze pierced over Su Xiaoli's shoulder, stabbing toward Lin Mo.

"Lin Mo, if you're a man, stand up and face this yourself."

"To let both of you fall into extreme danger for the sake of some ridiculous pride is not what a man should do!"

Su Xiaoli wanted to say more, but she was interrupted by Lin Mo.

Lin Mo gently patted Su Xiaoli's shoulder, his palm sliding over to cover the young girl's clenched fist.

"It's fine, I'll talk to Special Envoy Qin."

Lin Mo pulled Su Xiaoli back behind him and stepped forward to face Qin Lan directly.

"Special Envoy Qin."

Lin Mo's tone was calm, as if he wasn't the one who had just been targeted by the pressure of a Rank 5 powerhouse,

"Article 32 of the Alliance Code states that even for the highest-level protection orders, the wishes of the individual must be respected."

"Unless the target is confirmed to have lost the capacity for autonomous behavior."

"I am a mentally sound adult citizen. Forcing me away like this isn't quite legal, is it?"

Qin Lan sneered:

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

"In the face of major events, the law can likewise make concessions."

"As a weakling, you must have the self-awareness of a weakling."

"As Su Xiaoli's emotional pillar, you shouldn't make such a foolish judgment."

"Then, what if I can prove that I am not a weakling?"

A composed curve curled at the corner of Lin Mo's mouth.

Qin Lan looked as if she had heard the world's biggest joke.

"Prove it? With what?"

She stopped pretending and mocked him coldly,

"With your pathetic basic growth?"

"Or your Blocking Talent, which will take forever to level up just to block a few dozen more points of damage?"

"Tomorrow is Shimmering City's annual City Siege Hunt."

Lin Mo didn't follow her lead to argue; instead, he threw out a completely different topic.

As soon as he said this, Qin Lan was stunned.

The City Siege Hunt was a large-scale clearing operation held by Shimmering City to eliminate the increasing number of low-level monsters in the buffer zone.

At the same time, it was the first practical combat assessment for all newly awakened high school seniors.

Even with high-level professionals escorting them, the annual casualty rate remained high.

"The City Siege Hunt?"

Qin Lan narrowed her eyes slightly, re-evaluating the youth before her,

"You plan to participate?"

"Not just participate."

Lin Mo's voice was clear,

"If I can independently hunt monsters in this hunt, take first place, and earn the qualification to enter Tianfu University in the Core City..."

"Would you, Special Envoy, allow the Alliance to withdraw the mandatory protection and give me the right to act freely?"

"First place?"

Qin Lan really couldn't hold it back anymore; it turned out that when a person is truly speechless, they really do laugh.

"At least a hundred thousand people are participating in Shimmering City's assessment this year. Forget first place, you couldn't even make the top thousand."

"If you can actually take first place and earn the qualification for Tianfu University through your own ability..."

"Forget the right to act freely, I'll grant you anything you ask for!"

"But I advise you to stop daydreaming."

"I'm just asking one thing: do you accept this bet?" Lin Mo did not back down.

Qin Lan fell silent for a moment.

Forcing the two away would cause immense psychological resistance, which went against the Alliance's original intention of nurturing Mythical-level geniuses.

Since he insisted on humiliating himself, she could afford to wait a few days.

Letting this kid suffer a bit in the wild and witness true carnage would show him how naive his ideas were.

When he recognized reality under the claws of monsters, she would step in to save him.

At that point, with his pride shattered, he would naturally crawl to the Core City and be a well-behaved 'soft rice man' who didn't cause trouble.

"Fine, I accept."

A sharp glint flashed in Qin Lan's eyes,

"As long as you can take a top 10 spot in points during the City Siege Hunt by your own strength, without relying on anyone else's power..."

"I will take responsibility and revoke the restrictions on your personal freedom."

"Not only that, you can make one additional request of me."

"But if you lose..."

Qin Lan paused,

"Go to the Core City's protected zone obediently, and from now on, be responsible for Xiao Li's logistics!"

"It's a deal."

Lin Mo smiled slightly, crisp and direct.