Worldwide Class Change: Minimal Effort, Maximum Reward!-Chapter 119, Courting Death?!

A week passed in the Allheaven Expanse.

Time here did not flow in the same structured rhythm, yet the system’s internal clock remained consistent. Seven days since the announcement. Seven days since thousands of hunters stepped into this boundless field in search of subclass awakening.

In those seven days, the initial awe had faded.

What replaced it was something far more familiar.

Conflict.

—

On one of the lower-tier floating islands, far beneath the paths where thunder dragons roamed and astral rivers converged, a rainforest stretched across the terrain.

Dense. Humid. Alive.

Towering ancient trees rose toward the sky, their canopies weaving together to form a near-continuous ceiling of green. Vines hung like chains between branches. The air was thick with spiritual energy, but unlike the pure, flowing currents above, here it felt grounded, heavy, almost suffocating.

Water dripped steadily from leaf to leaf. The ground was uneven, layered with roots and damp soil. Every movement stirred the undergrowth, every step carried sound.

And in the center of that forest—

A fight had already ended.

"Cough... you... you said we would split it..."

The voice was weak, trembling.

A young hunter lay against the base of a massive tree, his chest caved in, armor shattered, blood soaking into the earth beneath him. His hand reached forward, fingers trembling as though trying to grasp something that was no longer there.

Standing over him was another hunter.

Uninjured.

Relaxed.

His weapon, a curved blade faintly humming with residual energy, rested loosely at his side.

"Split it?" the standing hunter repeated, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "You really believed that?"

The injured hunter’s eyes widened, anger and disbelief mixing in equal measure.

"We... we cleared that ruin together..."

"Together?" The man chuckled softly, tilting his head. "You followed behind me and picked up what I left. Don’t misunderstand the situation."

The blade lifted slightly.

A flicker of killing intent surfaced, cold and indifferent.

"In a place like this, the only thing that matters is who can take it."

The fallen hunter’s lips moved, as though he wanted to say something more.

He didn’t get the chance.

A single strike.

Clean.

Efficient.

Silence returned to the forest.

The man exhaled slowly, shaking the blade once to disperse the remaining blood before sheathing it. His movements were unhurried, almost casual, as though what had just occurred was nothing more than routine.

He crouched beside the corpse and began to search it.

"Let’s see... spatial ring... a few low-grade pills... hm."

His fingers paused as he retrieved a small pouch.

It shimmered faintly.

"Ah. Celestial jades."

He weighed it lightly in his hand, the faint clinking sound confirming its contents.

"Not bad," he muttered. "At least you weren’t completely useless."

He stood, securing the pouch within his own storage.

For a moment, he remained where he was, senses extending outward, scanning the surrounding forest.

No immediate threats.

No movement beyond the usual ambient life.

"Seems clear."

He turned.

And then—

Stopped.

There was someone there.

Not far. Perhaps thirty meters away, partially obscured by the thick roots of a massive tree.

A figure.

Standing still.

Watching.

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He had not sensed this person approaching.

That alone was enough to raise his guard.

But as his gaze settled more clearly on the figure, the tension eased... just a fraction.

Young.

That was the first impression.

The second—

Unremarkable.

No visible fluctuations of strong energy. No oppressive aura. No sign of accumulated killing intent. The kind of presence that, in this place, usually belonged to those who had yet to understand what kind of world they had stepped into.

"...Another one," the man murmured under his breath.

His grip relaxed.

Then, slowly, a smile formed.

Ah.

So that was how it was.

His thoughts began to move, slow and deliberate, like a predator assessing its next step.

A newcomer, perhaps.

Or someone who had been lucky enough to survive the first few days by avoiding real conflict.

He looked too clean.

Too composed.

Not the composure of strength, but the kind that came from ignorance. From not yet being forced into a corner where survival stripped everything else away.

The man’s gaze swept over Lin Yi once more, more thoroughly this time.

No visible injuries.

No signs of exhaustion.

Clothing intact.

Weapon... not even drawn.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

A faint amusement flickered in his eyes.

"In a place like this, there are always a few like you," he thought. "The ones who think they can stay out of trouble. The ones who believe caution alone is enough."

His smile deepened.

"They walk carefully. They observe. They avoid conflict whenever possible. They think that if they just last long enough, they’ll find their opportunity."

He shifted his stance slightly, casual, non-threatening on the surface.

"But what they don’t understand... is that this place doesn’t reward caution."

His gaze hardened, just slightly.

"It rewards those who take."

The image of the hunter he had just killed flashed briefly through his mind.

Naive.

Trusting.

Weak.

"All of you are the same," he continued inwardly, almost lazily. "You think strength is something you can reach eventually. That if you just hold on long enough, you’ll catch up."

A quiet scoff.

"By the time you realize the truth, you’re already dead."

His eyes lingered on Lin Yi’s face.

Still no reaction.

Still no movement.

Just calm.

The kind of calm that, to him, only reinforced his earlier judgment.

He took a step forward.

Slow.

Measured.

"Looks young," he thought. "Probably entered with the latest batch. Doesn’t even understand what Celestial Jades are really worth yet."

Another step.

"Should I let him go?"

The question surfaced briefly.

Then faded just as quickly.

"...No."

The answer was simple.

Direct.

This place had no rules.

No consequences.

Only opportunity.

"And besides..."

His lips curved slightly.

"...it would be a waste."

A week in this world had taught him one thing clearly.

Hesitation was loss.

Mercy was inefficiency.

If someone weaker stood in front of you, you took what they had. No questions. No delays.

That was how you climbed.

That was how you survived.

That was how you awakened.

His hand moved toward the hilt of his blade.

"Don’t blame me," he thought, almost idly. "Blame yourself for being weak."

And then—

He noticed something.

Lin Yi moved.

A step forward.

Subtle.

Controlled.

The man’s brows furrowed slightly.

"...Hm?"

There was no panic.

No hesitation.

No sign of someone realizing they were about to be killed.

Instead—

Lin Yi’s gaze met his directly.

Calm.

Steady.

And in that moment, something felt... off.

Before the thought could fully form—

Lin Yi disappeared.

No warning.

No buildup.

Just—

Gone.

The man’s pupils contracted.

Instinct screamed.

His body reacted before his mind could catch up, muscles tightening as he twisted to the side, forcing his center of gravity to shift—

A sharp force cut through the space where his neck had been a fraction of a second earlier.

Wind split.

Energy rippled.

He slid back several meters, boots digging into the damp earth, carving shallow grooves as he regained his balance.

His head snapped up.

Eyes locked onto Lin Yi.

Now closer.

Much closer.

The air between them still carried the remnants of that single movement.

Clean.

Precise.

Lethal.

For a brief moment, the forest was silent.

Then—

The man’s expression changed.

The earlier amusement vanished completely, replaced by something colder, sharper.

His hand tightened around his weapon.

"...You dare?"

His voice dropped, carrying a trace of disbelief mixed with rising anger.

A beat.

Then, more clearly—

"Courting death?!"