NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Chapter 7: The Gambler
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The instructor wasn't kidding—Jiang Kai felt like his entire body was on fire, indistinguishable from real life.
He glanced at the time on his wristband. The protection period was about to end, but his job change wasn't complete yet.
"Damn it! Other people finish their job changes in two or three minutes. What's going on with mine? Did it succeed or not? There's no reaction at all." Jiang Kai scanned his surroundings, bracing himself against the ground to stand up.
"There are at least three kinds of monsters in the trial zone that can sense heat. Right now, I'm basically a walking target."
With that thought, Jiang Kai looked around and stumbled deeper into the jungle.
The wristband displayed 1:22 PM. The protection period was over.
Only then did Jiang Kai truly feel the terror of the trial zone.
The dense forest around him rustled ominously, and the once-pleasant birdsong now grated on his nerves.
Images of the deadly creatures he'd seen on the info boards flashed through his mind. Any one of them could end his life in a fraction of a second.
He felt like prey being hunted, aimless and desperate, fleeing from countless hunters.
In his panicked haste, branches tore through his last remaining pair of pants, and his feet throbbed in pain.
Even among veterans of the Newcomer Trial, only one in ten made it through alive. The forest's dangers were self-evident.
What's worse, Jiang Kai's body was in turmoil, burning up with heat—making it even easier for heat-sensitive beasts to track him.
The failed job change wasn't just useless; it had thrown him into an even greater crisis.
As he ran, Jiang Kai kept checking his status. Fifteen minutes had passed, and the job change still wasn't complete.
After covering some distance, Jiang Kai realized something was off. He abruptly stopped.
"This job change is way too abnormal… I can't keep running blindly. I have no idea where these beasts are. Running aimlessly will only get me killed faster."
Amid the extreme panic, Jiang Kai struggled to calm himself down.
At that moment, he thought of his older brother—and his brother's final letter.
If there's still hope, then death isn't so terrifying... Right now, his job change was his hope'
Suddenly, Jiang Kai slapped himself hard across the face.
"Jiang Kai, you idiot! You swore to do whatever it takes to pass this trial. Look at you now, all pathetic and panicked."
"If you don't want your brother's death to be in vain, if you don't want Yingzi to keep getting bullied, then pull yourself together."
The slap finally brought him back to his senses.
He carefully observed his surroundings, confirming there were no immediate threats, then checked his condition.
The intense heat coursing through his body felt like his internal organs were being scorched—it was unbearable, but clearly a side effect of the job change process. There was nothing he could do about it.
His pants were in tatters, and his body was streaked with blood.
"The heat is accelerating my metabolism, leaving behind more scent and blood. For beasts with sharp senses of smell, I might as well be ringing a dinner bell."
Jiang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly. "I need to find a place to wait this out until the job change finishes."
Just then, a faint rustling came from the forest behind him.
Jiang Kai whipped around to look. His heart nearly stopped.
Behind a cluster of plants, a pair of amber eyes stared directly at him.
When he had scanned his surroundings earlier, he hadn't noticed it at all.
"Ghost Star Venomspike Boar?"
This beast could grow up to 1.5 meters long, with a muscular build and dark green bristle-like fur, allowing it to blend perfectly into the foliage.
Its bristles were laced with paralyzing venom, and the Venomspike Boar could launch them up to 20 meters. Once struck, the paralysis would spread rapidly, rendering its prey immobile within 300 meters—making it easy pickings.
On instinct, Jiang Kai bolted, sprinting forward at full speed.
The moment he moved, the Venomspike Boar abandoned its cover and charged after him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The sound of spikes cutting through the air came from behind. Most were deflected by the trees, but a few made it through, hurtling toward Jiang Kai.
He twisted and dodged desperately.
Before he could react, the boar launched another volley of over 20 spikes.
Jiang Kai, as nimble as he was, was still just an ordinary human in poor condition.
With a sharp thud, one of the spikes struck his left rear thigh.
"Damn it!" Jiang Kai shouted.
The moment the spike hit, a numbing sensation spread through the area, rapidly creeping down his leg.
The Venomspike Boar slowed its pursuit, seemingly confident that its prey wouldn't get far. Soon, Jiang Kai would be its meal.
Jiang Kai kept running, despite his left leg going numb. The paralysis had started spreading to his other leg, reducing his frantic escape to a clumsy limp.
"Damn it, is this how it ends? The trial's just started." Jiang Kai gritted his teeth, his face contorted with effort as he pushed himself forward.
Brushing aside some branches, he found himself at the edge of a cliff.
Below, a roaring river churned violently, its waters shallow and filled with jagged rocks.
The Venomspike Boar emerged from the forest, its amber eyes locked onto its prey, who had collapsed on the ground.
Jiang Kai looked at the river below, then back at the advancing boar.
Jump, and face a slim chance of survival. Stay, and face certain death.
Truth be told, Jiang Kai hated gambling. Yet, lately, his life had been one gamble after another.
Betting on that slim chance.
Using every ounce of strength, he twisted his body and rolled off the cliff.
Whether he lived or died, he was placing it all on this gamble.
As Jiang Kai fell, a familiar system voice rang in his ears.
A gentle, elegant female voice declared:
[Congratulations! You've completed the Destiny Job Change. Your attributes align perfectly with the "Gambler" profession. You have successfully transitioned into an honorable "Gambler."]
[Upon job change, your initial attributes are doubled. Additionally, you gain the following exclusive class abilities:]
[Exclusive Talent: "Double Down." All system rewards and penalties are doubled, with a 1% chance to trigger "Super Double Down," multiplying effects tenfold.]
["Double Down" activated. Base attribute increase adjusted. Talent count adjusted.]
[Your attributes are now quadrupled. You've gained a second random talent.]
[Second Talent: "Critical Hit." A 1% chance to deal double critical damage.]
["Super Double Down" triggered. Talent attributes adjusted.]
["Super Critical Hit." A 0.1% chance to deal 200x critical damage.]
[Congratulations again on completing your job change. May you master your profession and reach transcendence. Enjoy your journey.]
The voice faded as Jiang Kai plunged into the icy river below…
The riverbed was shallow. Jiang Kai's body slammed into a rock.
The impact was so intense he thought he'd die right then and there.
Strangely, despite the brutal collision, Jiang Kai remained fully conscious.
His legs, numbed by the venom, spared him from further pain.
Surfacing, he felt stronger than ever. The burning sensation in his body had vanished, replaced with boundless energy.
He swam to the riverbank with just his arms and crawled ashore.
Ignoring his soaked state, Jiang Kai immediately checked his wristband.
His basic stats had changed:
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Player: Jiang Kai]
[Profession: Gambler]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 4]
[Constitution: 8]
[Agility: 12]
[Spirit: 12]
[Talent 1: "Double Down" – All rewards and penalties are doubled, with a 1% chance to trigger "Super Double Down" (10x effects).]
[Talent 2: "Super Critical Hit" – A 0.1% chance to deal 200x critical damage.]
Seeing the clear confirmation of his profession and talents, Jiang Kai's eyes widened in disbelief.
'Did I really complete my job change mid-fall?'
'A Gambler?'
Jiang Kai was sure this profession had never appeared in Huaxia—or anywhere else. It was brand new.
More shocking was the second talent.
"0.1% chance for 200x critical damage… Holy crap… Do I laugh or cry at this absurd talent?"
Land a critical hit once in a thousand tries? And when it hits, it's 200x damage?
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