Gifted Academy: The Perfect Student - Chapter 81 Chess Tournament Special Exam - Part 1

10 years ago, after “the Gate” that connected the real world with the monster world opened, some of the ordinary, everyday people received the power to hunt monsters within the Gate. They are known as “Hunters”. However, not all Hunters are powerful. My name is Sung Jin-Woo, an E-rank Hunter. I’m someone who has to risk his life in the lowliest of dungeons, the “World’s Weakest”. Having no skills whatsoever to display, I barely earned the required money by fighting in low-leveled dungeons… at least until I found a hidden dungeon with the hardest difficulty within the D-rank dungeons! In the end, as I was accepting death, I suddenly received a strange power, a quest log that only I could see, a secret to leveling up that only I know about! If I trained in accordance with my quests and hunted monsters, my level would rise. Changing from the weakest Hunter to the strongest S-rank Hunter!

In a realm where power is determined by affinities—elemental forces that shape magic, combat, and survival—Ethan is an anomaly. While most people are born with a single affinity, Ethan stands apart, wielding a vast range of abilities granted by a mysterious Ancestral-line System. This unique system taps into the untapped potential of his vampire and dwarven bloodline, unlocking ancestral powers far beyond the norm.At just 18 years old, Ethan's journey begins when he accidentally awakens this system, discovering that he is the heir to a forgotten lineage that blends the strength, resilience, and mysticism of both vampire and dwarven ancestors, a perfect hybrid of both. Though he must awaken and evolve to harness their power. However, the more power he gains, the more he learns about the dark secrets of his lineage—secrets that others would kill to possess.Unlike everyone else, Ethan's affinities are not innate; they are granted by the system based on his bloodline’s ancient heritage. As he levels up, he acquires abilities that no one in the current era has ever seen: the Psychic powers of telekinesis and telepathy from ancient vampire lords, the earth-shaping skills of dwarf warriors, and a host of hidden abilities that challenge the world’s very understanding of magic.But power comes with a price. Ethan quickly finds himself targeted by powerful factions and hidden enemies who fear what his bloodline could mean for the balance of the world. Ancient forces tied to his ancestry awaken, each with their own agenda—some seeing him as a threat to be eliminated, others as a tool to be used.Accompanied by a diverse group of companions, each with their own affinities and secrets, Ethan embarks on a perilous journey. Together, they traverse beast-filled forests, ancient ruins, worlds and perilous dungeons, all while facing foes who seek to exploit or destroy Ethan’s unique powers. Along the way, bonds are forged, fates are entwined, and the line between friend and foe blurs as Ethan learns that his destiny is far greater than he ever imagined.But with every new ability comes a deeper question: What is the true purpose of the Ancestral-line System? As he battles monstrous creatures, rival affinity users, and ancient curses, Ethan must confront the reality that his bloodline holds the key to either the salvation or the destruction of their world or something else entirely.In a world governed by affinities, Ethan’s unmatched power sets him on a path that could change everything—or lead to his downfall.Will he master the secrets of his ancestry and forge his own fate, or will the weight of his heritage drag him into the depths of a history best left forgotten?

The first-ever virtual reality game, New World. {The time has come.} {Synchronization starts.} That marked the beginning of the catastrophe. As the game became reality, the Earth began to crumble. However, there was hope. All-Master Jeong-hoon, who had survived until the very end, was just one step away from finishing the game. “Gah!” But ended up being betrayed by his comrades. “Should I say, from the moment you said you wanted to end this game?” The reason for their betrayal was simple, if the game ended, their power would disappear. The moment they thought it was all over. [An unknown mysterious force is protecting you.][An unknown mysterious force is sending you back to the past.][Warning! The system attempts to intervene… failed.][Warning! Warning! The system attempts to intervene… failed.][Warning! Warning! Warning! The system attempts to intervene… failed.][An unknown mysterious force dissipates.] Thanks to that unknown force, he returned to the past.

Qin Huai crossed into the mysterious fantasy world where demons were rampant and heroes were rising. He had no background or cultivation qualifications until the day he became a medicine store apprentice and started to cultivate with his fellow apprentices.

He found that the experience orbs actually fell out of his master and brothers.

He learned to grind medicine with his brothers.

“Ding! ‘Medicine Art’ Experience+3!”

His Master and brothers practiced martial arts.

“Ding! You picked up an ‘Essence of Qi Cultivation (White)’, ‘Qi Cultivation’ experience +3!”

He killed the bandits in the mountains and picked up their cultivation.

“Ding! ‘Astringent Breath Technique’ experience +13!”

His master said that the technique was not good at attacking, had a cultivation limit, and could only prolong life.

But when Qin Huai picked up the experience until the Astringent Breath Technique was 50 times stronger, his body took a tremendous change. A gentle push of his hand was like a wave. He could now both attack and defend.

People said that when two kinds of cultivation methods clashed, continuing to cultivate would lead to the death of the cultivator.

However, when Qin Huai picked up experience and directly skipped the cultivation process, he found there were no side effects at all!

When Qin Huai practiced more and more cultivation methods, he suddenly found that those methods interacted with each other in his body and became stronger skills.

…

Qin Huai, who could pick up experience, began to wander among the major powers.

He saw flesh growing from white bones and the dead revived.

He saw demons cooking 10,000 people and exuding extremely evil energy.

He saw the Buddha statue chanting in the temple. Sanskrit sounded like a mantra.

Qin Huai silently picked up experience in order to settle down in the chaotic world.