[You have received the skill [I never give up!] through relentless tries of failure and an unyielding mind.]
Shen Liang, lying in his bed, was startled into full consciousness by the system's notification. He sat up abruptly, the digital text glowing in the dim room.
He was initially intrigued. A skill born not from a book or a reward, but from sheer stubbornness? He had never seen any data on it. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he was the first.
[Congratulations, you are the 10th person to receive the skill [I never give up!]. Reward: +2 STM]
"...I wasn't the first?" A humbling, yet strangely motivating, realization.
He tapped the window, seeking more information.
[I never give up!]
Description: When a man is unyielding, priceless gain is offered, for he is the embodiment of endurance.
Effect: Unknown.
Before he could ponder the cryptic description, a brilliant blue line arced across his vision, connecting two skill icons in his status.
[The skills [Crazy Bastard] and [I never give up!] have been combined!]
A cascade of notifications followed.
[You are the 7th person to achieve [Skill Combination]. Reward: +3 STR, +2 DEX]
[As a result of the combination, you have acquired [Crazy Persistent Lunatic]. You are the 3rd person to acquire this skill. Reward: +3 DEX]
[Your DEX has exceeded 20! Your skill mastery will now increase more efficiently.]
"What... is all this?" he whispered to the empty room, staring at his hands as if they belonged to someone else. The skills felt less like tools and more like facets of his very identity being recognized and reforged by the System.
...
"Listen up, cadets!" The voice of Vice-Grandmaster Ran Yun boomed through the academy's address system, cutting through the usual morning routine. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, the official announcement of the Guardian Selection results has been moved to today."
Every student froze, their attention locked on the nearest broadcast point. A sudden, unscheduled announcement like this could only mean one thing: a major political play was happening behind the curtains.
One by one, the scores were read. The atmosphere grew more tense with each name. Surprisingly, the expected front-runners were passed over. Not Ba Huong, who had the highest raw power score. Not Zhou Muhe, who had completed the trials with record speed.
The name that echoed across the campus was Shen Liang.
A stunned silence fell, followed by a torrent of hushed, frantic whispers. Shen Liang? A boy from an unknown family with no notable background... or so they all believed. The truth was, no one had ever managed to grasp even a single thread of his origins. His selection wasn't just a victory; it was a profound mystery that placed a target on his back larger than any other cadet's.