Starting Unlimited Evolution from Grinding

Chapter 277: Eve's "Wild Thoughts"

Early in the morning, Lin Mo got up and went to the academy's library.

Most of the academy's skill scrolls were stored here, while some particularly precious ones were kept by the Academy Head.

However, Lin Mo didn't need those precious Epic Level skill scrolls.

For him, even common-grade skills could one day become epic; he just needed to practice them...

However, the library wasn't a place where you could spend credits freely just because you had them.

To prevent malicious borrowing of large numbers of scrolls and to minimize the loss of skill scrolls as much as possible, according to academy regulations, each student could borrow a maximum of three skill scrolls at the same time, with a borrowing period of 7 to 180 days per scroll.

There were no restrictions on what profession or type of scroll you could borrow, as long as you had the credits.

Lin Mo thought for a moment and finally decided to borrow one skill scroll for the Knight profession and two for the Priest profession.

The reason for choosing two Priest profession scrolls was mainly because Lin Mo's current number of Priest profession skills was insufficient.

Based on past experience, profession advancement had requirements for the number of skills in that profession, which was why Lin Mo's Priest level was stuck at Level 10 and hadn't continued to increase alongside his Mage level.But when his Knight profession level caught up and he wanted to unlock the hidden profession [Paladin], he would need to find a way to meet the skill quantity requirement.

Even with these two additions, it still wouldn't be enough, but his Knight profession was still quite a ways from Level 11, so there was no need to rush. He could take it slowly.

Entering the library, even though it was still early morning, many students were already here. Skills were the core of this world and the primary method of becoming stronger, so when students earned credits, their first thought was to come to the library to spend them.

The library was divided into several sections by profession. Lin Mo first went to the Knight profession section.

There were many familiar basic skills here. Naturally, the most fundamental skills for the Knight profession, such as [Fortitude], [Shield Bash], and [Taunt], were indispensable.

There were also some rarer skills with less universal applicability, which generally wouldn't be the first choice for students of the Knight Academy.

But Lin Mo was quite fond of these types of skills.

For example, one skill called [Endurance].

This was a functional skill. According to the library's brief description, it was a skill that, once used, could reduce stamina consumption and lessen the impact of collisions.

As an excellent-grade skill, it didn't have the powerful functionality of [Taunt] or the decent power of [Great Shield Charge]. For newcomers with few skills and not much strength, it was a somewhat awkward skill.

But for Lin Mo, the functionality of this skill was very useful, at least more useful than learning an ordinary Knight profession skill.

The only drawback was that it had to be remembered and used before combat, which was slightly troublesome for Lin Mo with his numerous skills.

However, skills could level up and evolve. After this skill evolved to a higher grade, it might become a permanent passive skill like the former [Fortitude] skill did.

By then, the functionality of this skill would likely be greatly enhanced.

When the number of skills is low, the improvement from active skills is the most direct and obvious. One more active skill equates to one more method, which can often play a key role.

But when the number of active skills reaches a certain point, continuing to increase their number, especially the number of less powerful active skills, provides very limited improvement to one's combat power.

Because no matter the situation, one's existing skills can handle it. In such cases, developing passive skills becomes a better choice.

Compared to active skills, passive skills have the advantage of taking effect without needing to be activated, which is crucial in complex adventures and battles.

For example, with the former [Fortitude], Lin Mo always had to remember to use that skill when an enemy was about to make frontal contact, which would divert a certain amount of his attention. That was just one skill. If there were more skills, like adding [Swiftness], [Light's Inspiration], [Strength Increase], and others, it would be easy to experience cognitive overload.

But ever since the [Fortitude] skill upgraded and became the Epic Level [Unyielding Body], Lin Mo had saved a lot of mental effort.

So, even though practicing this type of skill was somewhat difficult for him, Lin Mo still wanted to increase their number as much as possible.

After all, training these skills into passive skills was truly powerful and worry-free.

After choosing the Knight profession skill, it was time for the Priest profession skills.

Compared to other professions, the area occupied by Priest profession skill scrolls was much smaller, which was quite normal. After all, to some extent, Priests were essentially light-element Mages. Before the Church proposed the concept of the Priest profession, they had always been a special branch of Mages.

The number of Priest Professionals was very scarce, as one not only needed to have mana talent but also had to resonate with light-element mana.

This relatively niche profession naturally had fewer skills compared to popular professions.

However, the strength of Priest profession skills was still quite high.

For example, the skills Lin Mo currently possessed, like [Strength Increase] and [Shield Against Demons], were each heavyweight skills with extremely powerful effects.

The Priest profession skills stored in the academy were naturally more comprehensive than those in local churches.

Lin Mo browsed for a while and finally selected two skills.

Both were of the same type as [Strength Increase]: [Agility Increase] and [Constitution Increase].

This way, the whole set of increase-type skills would be complete.

As for skills like [Mana Increase] that would be like stepping on your own foot, they naturally didn't exist. The same went for [Spirit Increase].

Lin Mo took the three selected skill scrolls to the library counter.

The person handling the matter was a part-time student with a pair of very spirited dead-fish eyes, but his work attitude was quite serious: "Reminding you again of the library rules... The borrowing time limit is 7 to 180 days. Exceeding the time limit requires additional credit payment. Also, if a skill scroll is lost, compensation must be made according to its original value."

After saying this, he directly stamped the rental document. After watching Lin Mo sign the document and leave a magical imprint, he waved his hand: "Alright, you can take the scrolls."

Lin Mo felt the other person seemed like an overworked laborer who had pulled a dozen hours of overtime, speaking with a tone full of exhaustion, with heavy dark circles under his eyes.

All three scrolls were green excellent-grade skills. The borrowing price for each scroll was 30 credits, totaling 90 credits. Lin Mo still had 41 credits left.

The minimum borrowing period was 7 days, meaning even if he learned them now, he couldn't return them immediately. So, Lin Mo took these scrolls back to Flora's dormitory first to regroup with everyone.

As expected, Finnie had habitually overslept, but Sherfilia wouldn't indulge her and directly pulled her out of bed.

Ellie was still her usual energetic self. The adorable little wolf girl was full of vigor. Seeing Lin Mo return, she trotted over to him, looking up with an expectant face.

Only after Lin Mo ruffled her hair with his hand did she half-close her eyes in satisfaction, showing an expression of enjoyment.

Lin Mo glanced at the tail wagging like a helicopter and reluctantly put aside the thought of reaching out to play with it.

It was getting late; they should hurry up and set off.

Arriving at the school gate, they found Eve and the others were already there, including Milun from Flora's class, as well as students from the Warrior and Knight Academies.

By the way, the cat-eared girl Lena naturally wasn't with them; she still had classes. The courses she attended were different from Lin Mo and the others, not combat-oriented but life profession courses. These professions emphasized knowledge and experience more; if some knowledge wasn't studied seriously, even the strongest talent could mess things up.

So naturally, she had much more to learn than Lin Mo and Ellie. Moreover, Lena wasn't a combatant and wouldn't participate in adventures, so it was better for her to stay at the academy and attend a few more classes.

"Eve!"

From a distance, Ellie waved at them, then ran over in a few steps and took Eve's hand.

She happened to be assigned to Eve's class, and during these past few days, Eve had often stood up for her, helping her navigate the awkwardness of her Orc identity. Ellie had always been a child with clear-cut emotions; she was naturally very grateful to those who helped her and had grown much closer to Eve.

Eve was somewhat flustered by Ellie's enthusiasm, unsure how to respond. Her gaze subconsciously turned to Lin Mo behind Ellie. Their eyes met, and for some reason, Eve, as if feeling guilty, quickly looked away.

"Let's go, to the Association to pick up a task."

After saying that, she turned around and walked ahead with her head down.

Lin Mo looked at her elegant back and smiled slightly.

Just like in Fargard City, the Royal Capital's Adventurers' Association also had more than one location. There was a branch of the Adventurers' Association not far from the academy. Needless to say, this branch was specifically established for the convenience of students.

The task Lin Mo had accepted last time was also submitted and rewarded here a few days ago.

Students of the Royal National Academy were an important component of the Royal Capital's Adventurers' Association membership.

Especially elite students like Eve; the Association placed considerable importance on them. After all, possessing such powerful strength even before graduation meant their future prospects were undoubtedly vast. If such individuals could be retained by the Association for continued cooperation, given time, when they became top-tier Powerful Experts, the Association would naturally share in the glory.

Therefore, when Eve's group entered the Association, specialized personnel immediately approached and handed over several task sheets: "Miss Eve, these are the task lists recently compiled by the Association, very suitable for student adventurer teams like yours."

It could be like this?

Lin Mo was instantly shocked.

Remember, last time, without help from other adventurers, even with the task list provided by professionals from the Lion Adventuring Company, he had spent a long time selecting a suitable task.

Now, they weren't even providing a task list; they just directly handed over several task sheets.

Lin Mo also leaned over to take a look. These tasks were undoubtedly of quite high quality: moderate difficulty, generous rewards, and without those troublesome types, mostly straightforward.

This treatment... envy, envy...

Eve noticed his gaze, paused for a moment, then a faint smile curved at the corner of her mouth.

She didn't expect him to have moments of envy towards others.

This made Lin Mo seem a bit more real in Eve's eyes, no longer so "ethereal," like a character from an epic biography.

"How about we try this task?"

A male student from the Warrior Academy suggested from the side.

Lin Mo looked at the task he pointed to. It was a relatively complex large-scale regional task.

[Explore the Silent Forest: Area 37]

Task Number: C43349

Type: Exploration/Material Collection

Client: Noren Trading Company

Reward: 7000 Gold + High-price purchase of excess materials (30% above market standard price)

Task Description:

Go to Area 37 of the Silent Forest, collect materials: 20 Blood Orchid Grass, 20 Blue Glow Flowers, 40 Blue Moon Cherries, 1 Purple Moon Cherry (optional task), and kill at least 3 sub-adult Frostwing Tigers or 1 adult Frostwing Tiger, the territory's lord monster, and collect their materials.

Note 2: Sub-adult Frostwing Tigers are generally Level 7-10, adult Frostwing Tigers are generally Level 11-13. Please be careful!

The difficulty of such large-scale regional tasks was relatively high. Even among C-rank tasks, this was considered quite challenging. Especially since the main magical creature in Area 37, the "Frostwing Tiger," was very powerful. In the past, their team would never have considered such a task.

In fact, when handing over the task sheets, the other party had placed this task at the very bottom, meaning it was a very challenging task, not recommended for them to accept now, but rather as a "goal."

But now, after their team had added Lin Mo, a super combatant, and several other capable members, the adventuring team's strength had qualitatively improved.

With their current team strength, challenging a C-rank task was certainly possible!

The credits obtainable from completing such a C-rank task were quite substantial. For example, this current task, barring accidents, if completed, would likely give each of them around 80 credits, possibly even reaching 90 or 100 depending on the specific task difficulty!

Such a substantial amount of credits would undoubtedly help them improve their strength once more before the Hunting Competition arrived, increasing their chances of achieving good results in the Hunting Competition.

Simply put, it was like a last-minute cramming session, a final push before the "exam."

Eve hesitated. In the past, she would likely have refused.

Although she wanted to quickly improve her strength through training and prove herself in the Hunting Competition, she was also aware of the responsibility she bore as the leader of this adventuring team.

Even though it was due to conspiracies or low-probability events, the fact remained that the previous two tasks had both encountered unexpected incidents.

If not for Lin Mo, they might have already met with misfortune...

Logically, this time they should choose more prudent tasks.

80 credits would also provide significant help for her.

So, should they accept it?

For a moment, she couldn't make a decision, so she looked at everyone.

"I think we can!"

Several Warrior Academy students expressed agreement.

The more cautious Assassin student remained silent, seemingly still weighing the pros and cons. The Knight thought it was a bit risky, the Ranger expressed approval, and then Milun...

Contrary to her usually relatively cautious personality, she nodded without hesitation: "I think we can give it a try."

After witnessing that scene in class, she had gained a very deep understanding of Lin Mo's strength.

"Frostwing Tiger"? In front of Lin Mo, it was just a larger speed bump!

They were essentially doing a task with a mentor along; it was like using cheats. What was there to fear?

After the Association staff entered the information into the Association's system, Eve held the task sheet and looked at Lin Mo again.

Due to her excellent talent and powerful strength, in past training and adventures, she had always been the core combatant and backbone of the team. While earning the admiration and respect of her classmates, this also meant bearing great pressure.

But this time, that suffocating pressure seemed to have suddenly disappeared.

This feeling of emptying her mind and being able to rely on others... seemed quite nice too?

Eve felt disdain and contempt for that young master Satt of the Morin Family. That scumbag had top-tier background and resources in the kingdom but still couldn't catch up to her.

Eve respected and admired Teacher Flora. She revered her and envied her but wanted even more to catch up to her and surpass her!

Because that was a height she seemed able to reach. For example, now she was already Level 10, the same level Flora was when she participated in the Hunting Competition.

Although she might not achieve as high a score, she originally had a great chance of winning the championship...

But Lin Mo's appearance had made her feel a deep sense of powerlessness.

Just as others had once looked up to her, she now looked up to him, as if one was in the sky and the other on the ground, with an insurmountable chasm between them.

So, after clearly recognizing this and facing the gap, that past pathological sense of competition and pride seemed to deflate all at once.

Why did she want so badly to prove herself?

It was because she had been doubted...

Too many people said she was just lucky, entered a Secret Realm, obtained opportunities others couldn't get, and that anyone else could have achieved the same.

But now, through her efforts, such voices had diminished considerably.

She seemed to need to seriously reconsider—

Was she really that afraid of being doubted?

It seemed not. Her heart wasn't actually that fragile, nor did she care that much about others' opinions.

Essentially, she was just someone who wanted to improve.

Those idle gossip and rumors were just an "excuse" she found for herself, a reason to constantly motivate herself to become stronger.

Eve should be someone with a strong heart, brave and pure!

Just like him...

Lin Mo seemed to sense something and turned his head, his gaze meeting Eve's again.

Somehow, it felt completely different from the last time their eyes met...

Eve's eyes held a complex emotion he couldn't quite decipher.

It made Lin Mo feel like a kite, floating into the air yet having its "neck" restrained.

The pressure suddenly mounted...

What on earth was this girl thinking about wildly?