C2 The Alliance System

Before him lay a pair of exquisite shoes and a glimpse of delicate, fair calves.

Was the newcomer a woman? What did she want?

Xiaofan couldn't help but wonder silently, too weak to even lift his head, only able to see the light blue muslin dress she wore.

"Miss, please don't get too close to him!" As Xiaofan pondered, a middle-aged man's voice followed, "People like him are unclean. We should leave quickly!"

Xiaofan's heart soured at the words. Anger welled up inside him, but he lacked the energy to even argue back.

Indeed, what standing did he have to challenge someone who clearly wasn't from an ordinary household? At that moment, he was nothing more than a beggar.

Yet, despite his frailty, his hands instinctively formed into weak fists.

"Uncle Chen, don't speak like that!" The girl's gentle voice chimed in, "Regardless, he is a citizen of Sylhasera. It's our failing that has left our people without homes. How can we then disdain them?"

Her voice was as melodious as a mountain stream, causing Xiaofan to be momentarily transfixed.

He had never heard such a beautiful voice before!

The girl before him must possess an extraordinary beauty!

But what did that matter to him? He was just a beggar with no future to speak of.

Moreover, Xiaofan was no fool. From the girl's earlier remarks, he deduced she was likely the City Lord's daughter.

"Miss, you are correct!" Uncle Chen quickly responded with shame, "I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me!"

The girl said nothing more but let out a soft sigh that tugged at the heartstrings.

Xiaofan strained to lift his head, eager to see the face of the girl before him.

"Eh?" She let out a surprised sound upon noticing him, then whispered, "There's still life in him..."

Xiaofan gave a wry smile. So she had thought he was dead!

Well, that made sense. If he hadn't inexplicably arrived in this land, the original beggar would indeed have been long gone.

Soon after, he heard the sound of someone fumbling around, and then a pair of exquisitely delicate hands appeared before him.

The young woman grasped his hand unabashedly and placed several coins into his palm, whispering, "Take this money. I hope it helps you find new hope in life."

Before he could savor the cool yet soothing touch, the girl had already stood up and departed.

Xiao Xiaofan mustered all his strength to lift his head, but by then, he could only catch a glimpse of a stunning figure walking away.

His eyes were fixed on her waist-length, azure hair, determined to etch this detail into his memory forever.

It wasn't until her silhouette had vanished from his view that Xiao Xiaofan snapped back to reality, her voice still echoing in his ears like a clear spring that refused to fade.

With a wry smile, he shook his head and looked down at his hand, where five gold coins lay peacefully, still retaining a hint of warmth.

Xiao Xiaofan was taken aback by the sight of the gold coins. Although he had expected the lord's daughter to be generous, he had never imagined it would amount to five gold coins!

From the memories of a young beggar, he knew that one hundred copper coins made one silver coin, and it took a hundred silver coins to make a single gold coin.

The five gold coins in his possession could sustain an ordinary family for an entire year!

No wonder she had expressed hope for him to find a reason to live again; with this sum, indeed, many things were possible!

Yet, as he pondered this, the bitterness in Xiao Xiaofan's smile deepened.

They say the greatest debts are those owed to a beautiful benefactor, and he found himself living that adage.

"Ding! Congratulations, Summoner, on acquiring your first pot of gold. The Alliance System is now unlocking!"

"Ding! The Alliance System has been successfully unlocked. You have been rewarded with a novice gift pack!"

"Ding! Congratulations, Summoner, on receiving the novice gift pack. Your reward is the legacy of the Holy Strength, Galen!"

"Ding! The Summoner has obtained the legacy of the Holy Strength, Galen, unlocking the Holy Body. Progress: 5%!"

"Ding! A novice mission has been issued: The First Blood!"

"In a world where power is supreme, only through relentless combat can one become a true hero! Within three days, defeat a creature slightly weaker than yourself to earn the Summoner's skill, Phantom Step!"

"The punishment for failure is obliteration!"

A cascade of voices erupted in Xiao Xiaofan's mind, rooting him to the spot. A warm surge then coursed through his body, healing his injuries at an astonishing rate. His frail frame bulked up, growing stronger with the flow's influence.

Once the transformation ceased, Xiao Xiaofan felt a newfound power coursing through him. His once gaunt physique now boasted muscles brimming with explosive strength. On his right hand, a symbol—a sword blade transitioning from deep red to orange—materialized.

He recognized it as the mark of an Apprentice Ten Stars from the beggar's memories he possessed. The emblem indicated his attribute was gold.

Xiao Xiaofan strove to steady himself, overwhelmed by the unexpected boon.

The Alliance System?

Could this be his ace in the hole? The divine power of Galen and the summoner skill Phantom Step were straight out of the Alliance game.

His ace was the Alliance!

After taking several deep breaths to settle his excitement, Xiao Xiaofan gripped a gold coin, his eyes gleaming with confidence. So what if he was a beggar now? With this system at his disposal, he was certain to reach the pinnacle of the world!

And for the girl who had shown him kindness, he now had the means to repay her.

Mentally invoking the system, an interface visible only to him materialized before his eyes. It was a model of simplicity, offering just three options: missions, skills, and items.

"Open the novice gift pack!"

The interface transformed, revealing an ornate box that quivered before slowly opening.

"Congratulations, Summoner, on acquiring the novice weapon: Longsword!"

"Congratulations, Summoner, on acquiring Small Blood Bottle x5!"

"Congratulations, Summoner, on acquiring Small Blue Bottle x5!"

Xiao Xiaofan's gaze swept over the five items, his lips curling into a delighted grin at their properties.

"Longsword, a novice weapon, amplifies the user's strength by 20%!"

"Small Blood Bottle, heals 20% of damage within five seconds upon use!"

"Small Blue Bottle, restores 20% of Battle Aura within five seconds upon use!"

Though unclear about the specifics of the 20% healing from the Small Blood Bottle, its attributes suggested it was anything but ordinary.

He then turned his attention to the skill tab. Currently, his sole skill was Galen's passive from the game: Holy Body.

In the game, it was a skill that automatically regenerated health if not damaged by heroes for a short time. But here, it had taken on a whole new form.

Holy Body, unsealing progress: 5%!

Function: Regenerate 5% of stamina and Battle Aura every five seconds, and increase strength by 50%!

These attributes are simply defying the heavens!

This is just the effect of unsealing 5%. If it were unsealed to 100%, wouldn't it mean regenerating 100% of stamina and Battle Aura every five seconds, and a 1000% increase in strength?

The mere thought is terrifying!

However, when he shifted his attention to the mission, he couldn't help but furrow his brow. Given his current power level, did it mean he had to defeat at least a nine-star Apprentice?

The reward was incredibly generous, offering a skill that was extremely powerful in the game: Phantom Quickstep. But the consequence of failure was annihilation!

Thankfully, there was no specific requirement to kill a person. Near Sylhasera, there was a forest teeming with magical beasts, providing him the opportunity to hunt one down.

"Hey! Isn't that Xiaofan?"

"That wealthy young lady just gave you a hefty sum, didn't she? Hand it over quickly if you don't want to meet your end!"