Worldwide Class Change: Minimal Effort, Maximum Reward!-Chapter 12, Reaching Level 10, The Most Dangerous Blades Were The Ones No One Noticed At First

Chapter 12: Chapter 12, Reaching Level 10, The Most Dangerous Blades Were The Ones No One Noticed At First

The forest remained silent long after the Stoneback Bear collapsed.

Its enormous body lay sprawled across the ground like a fallen boulder, the thick fur along its back still twitching slightly from the final moments of death. Frost spread slowly across the deep wound beneath its jaw, pale mist drifting into the air.

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Even the wind seemed to hesitate.

Zhang Wei stood several meters away, his sword still in his hand, but the experienced hunter had completely stopped moving. His eyes were fixed on the enormous corpse of the monster.

Then his gaze shifted slowly.

Toward Lin Yi.

The young man stood beside the fallen beast with a calm expression, the froststeel dagger resting loosely in his hand. His breathing wasn’t heavy. His posture wasn’t strained.

He looked... completely fine.

As if killing a level six monster had required nothing more than a simple motion of the wrist.

Behind him, Wang Hao was the first to react.

"...Brother Lin."

His voice sounded strange.

Lin Yi glanced over his shoulder.

"Yes?"

Wang Hao pointed weakly at the bear.

"That thing... just died."

Lin Yi nodded.

"That tends to happen when something gets stabbed in the throat."

Wang Hao blinked.

"That’s not the point!"

A few other students finally snapped out of their shock as well.

"Did you see that?!"

"He killed it in one strike!"

"That was a Stoneback Bear!"

"I thought only a full party could take one down!"

Voices filled the clearing as the students stared at Lin Yi with disbelief written across their faces.

Even those who had previously ignored the E-rank Laborer were now looking at him like they had just discovered something impossible.

Zhang Wei slowly walked forward.

His boots crunched against the dirt as he approached the corpse.

He crouched beside the bear and carefully inspected the wound.

The dagger had pierced perfectly through the soft spot beneath the creature’s jaw, directly into the throat.

One clean strike.

Precise.

Deadly.

Zhang Wei placed his hand on the monster’s thick hide and pressed lightly.

Cold frost energy still lingered within the wound.

He looked up again.

His gaze locked onto Lin Yi.

"You aimed for the weak point."

Lin Yi nodded slightly.

"Seemed like the best place."

Zhang Wei stood up slowly.

Most beginners would panic when facing a monster like that.

But this boy had done the opposite.

He waited.

Observed.

And then struck at exactly the right moment.

Zhang Wei exhaled quietly.

"You kept your head when everyone else panicked."

His tone had changed.

There was no longer any trace of casual dismissal.

Instead, there was something else.

Respect.

Behind them, Wang Hao finally walked forward and stared down at the bear’s massive body.

"Brother Lin..."

He rubbed his face with both hands.

"I’m starting to feel like I don’t know you anymore."

Lin Yi laughed softly.

"I’m still the same person."

Wang Hao pointed at the corpse.

"No, the same person doesn’t casually stab a Stoneback Bear to death!"

Lin Yi shrugged.

"Maybe the bear underestimated me."

Wang Hao opened his mouth again.

Then closed it.

Because strangely enough... that explanation felt believable.

Su Qinghan walked over next.

The weapon in her hand had already faded back to her system inventory.

She stopped a few steps away from Lin Yi and studied him quietly.

Her calm eyes seemed unusually sharp.

"You moved at the exact moment it attacked," she said.

Lin Yi nodded.

"That was the opening."

Su Qinghan’s gaze lingered on the dagger.

"That weapon is unusual."

Lin Yi lifted it slightly.

"It’s decent."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Su Qinghan turned her attention toward the fallen monster.

"We should extract the materials," she said.

Zhang Wei nodded immediately.

"Yes."

He then stretched his arm over the corpse

"Stoneback Bears are valuable."

He gestured toward the armored plates along the creature’s back.

"These plates can be forged into defensive equipment. Even a single piece is worth quite a bit."

The students’ attention quickly shifted from shock to excitement.

Monster materials meant money.

Even beginners understood that.

Then, Inside Lin Yi’s mind, the system interface flickered again.

....

Level: 10

....

The experience from the Stoneback Bear had pushed him several levels higher in a single jump.

His attributes had increased once again.

Strength.

Constitution.

Agility.

Everything felt slightly sharper than before.

Lin Yi flexed his fingers lightly.

The Titan’s Grip passive ability had proven far more useful than he expected.

Without that burst of strength, penetrating the bear’s hide would have been much harder.

He glanced toward the others who were working around the corpse.

Zhang Wei was guiding them while cutting away the stone plates along the monster’s back.

"This piece is good quality," the hunter said.

"Careful with the blade. Don’t damage the edges."

A few minutes passed as they carefully harvested the materials.

Eventually Zhang Wei stood up again.

He wiped the blood from his knife and looked at the group.

"Alright."

He pointed toward the deeper forest.

"We’ve gone far enough today."

Several students immediately looked relieved.

After witnessing the Stoneback Bear, their excitement had been replaced by a much clearer understanding of how dangerous the wilderness really was.

Zhang Wei continued.

"We’ll head back to the city."

No one objected.

The group gathered their things and began walking back along the forest path.

Wang Hao quietly walked beside Lin Yi again.

For a long moment, he didn’t say anything.

Then he sighed.

"Brother Lin."

"Yes?"

Wang Hao shook his head slowly.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I’m glad we’re friends."

Lin Yi laughed.

"That sounds suspicious."

Wang Hao grinned.

"If monsters start chasing us in the future..."

He pointed at Lin Yi confidently.

"I’ll just stand behind you."

Lin Yi rolled his eyes.

"Very reliable strategy."

Ahead of them, Zhang Wei glanced back once more.

His gaze settled briefly on Lin Yi.

A faint smile appeared on the hunter’s face.

Sometimes...

The most dangerous blades were the ones no one noticed at first.