Chapter 185: Second-Transition Scroll.

Eternal Night Guild, Third Floor.

Zhou Huai sat on the edge of the bed.

He slowly raised his right hand.

An antique scroll flowing with golden radiance quietly hovered above his palm.

The material of the scroll was neither gold nor jade, feeling warm to the touch, yet it exuded an incomparably sharp and fierce aura.

This was the S-Class Second-Transition scroll rewarded by the System after Yasuo completed the class advancement challenge.

In the lower right corner of the scroll, a line of flamboyant small golden characters was also imprinted.

[Exclusive to Yasuo].

[Use before LV35].

Not a shred of joy from obtaining a supreme treasure could be seen on Zhou Huai's face.

His gaze was calm, but the depths of his eyes carried a hint of prudence.

Possessing this scroll did not mean Yasuo could immediately complete the class transition.

It was more like a key.

A key to unlock even higher-difficulty challenges.

Once used, the scroll would drag Yasuo into an exclusive class transition dungeon.

Only by passing the trials in the dungeon could one truly complete the promotion.

By then, Yasuo's professional grade would have the opportunity to leap from S-Class to SS-Class.

His strength would usher in a heaven-defying transformation.

High returns also meant high risks.

Zhou Huai had once specially consulted relevant information about second-transition scrolls.

On the official forum, countless Professionals used blood-and-tear lessons to summarize a success rate statistic.

For the most common C-Class second-transition scrolls, the success rate was about thirty percent.

Reaching B-Class, this number plummeted to twenty percent.

For A-Class, there was only a pitiful ten percent left.

As for the success rate of S-Class second-transition scrolls, there was no data at all.

Completely blank.

There were two reasons.

First, the quantity of S-Class second-transition scrolls was simply too rare.

Looking across the entire world, there were probably only a few to be found.

Second, S-Class Professionals already stood at the pinnacle of the pyramid, being existences looked up to by countless people.

No one would be foolish enough to gamble their life on that illusory possibility.

After all, the price of failing a second-transition was death.

Therefore, if Yasuo successfully completed the challenge this time,

he would become the first S-Class Professional in the history of this world to complete a second-transition.

This also explained why Gandalf and Moria, who were also SS-Class, did not trigger class advancement challenge quests.

Their starting point was too high.

The difficulty of the second-transition would probably reach an unimaginably terrifying level.

The System would not issue a mortal quest at the current stage.

The class advancement challenges of those two would very likely only open after level fifty or even level sixty.

Then the question arose.

Would Yasuo use this scroll?

The answer was affirmative.

The biggest advantage of a Clone was not fearing death.

Death was merely a twenty-four-hour cooldown time.

But the chance for an S-Class second-transition only came once.

Once failed, this scroll would completely disappear.

Yasuo would also forever lose the possibility of promoting to SS-Class.

Therefore, comprehensive preparations had to be made.

Since the scroll said it must be used before level thirty-five,

then he would initiate the challenge right when stuck at level thirty-four.

He would use this period to raise Yasuo's strength as much as possible.

If he could forge a few more legendary-grade equipment suited for Yasuo, that would be best.

Having figured this out, Zhou Huai put that golden scroll back into his storage space.

To be used in the future.

Now he had another more important matter to attend to.

Zhou Huai slowly closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, the scene before him was no longer that familiar bedroom.

His consciousness had already descended into Moria's body.

…

Eternal Night Guild, Basement.

In the air lingered a damp smell mixed with blood and rust.

A dim incandescent lamp hung in the very center of the ceiling, emitting a sizzling current sound, illuminating the entire space with flickering light.

On the cold stone walls, dried dark red bloodstains still remained.

This was no longer the room where Nakamura Shinichiro was interrogated.

Instead, it was a "VIP Room" specially prepared for Luo Ming.

At this moment, this Prodigy of the Tianyu Guild was limp like a dead dog on the damp, cold ground.

His two arms, which had once cast countless vicious curses, were twisted outward at a bizarre angle, their bones obviously shattered entirely.

Controlling Moria, Zhou Huai walked expressionlessly to the corner of the wall.

He picked up a bucket of ice water that had been prepared long ago and, without the slightest hesitation, fiercely splashed it onto Luo Ming's face.

"Splash—!"

The bone-chilling ice water instantly jolted Luo Ming awake from his unconsciousness.

He shuddered violently, his consciousness instantly becoming a bit clearer.

Immediately afterwards, a heart-piercing, bone-deep pain came from his arms, making him involuntarily gasp a breath of cold air.

"Hiss… It fucking hurts like hell…"

He laboriously rolled his eyeballs, sizing up the unfamiliar surroundings around him.

"Where the fuck… is this again?"

Finally, his gaze fell upon a chair not far away.

The slender, silver-haired man whose face was shrouded in shadows was quietly sitting upright there, a pair of silver eyes gazing at him without any emotion.

Seeing this face, the expression on Luo Ming's face did not show the slightest bit of panic.

He even grinned, revealing an ugly smile mixed with bloody foam.

"You fellow… actually didn't kill me."

"Is there some purpose?"

He gasped for breath and continued in a mocking tone,

"You wouldn't want to kidnap me, would you?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I don't have any money, though I do have a million or two in gambling debts owed outside."

Speaking of this, Luo Ming actually laughed out loud, "Hahaha."

That laughter was frantic and unbridled, echoing in the empty basement and appearing exceptionally jarring.

As he laughed, he triggered a violent fit of coughing, and more bloody foam surged out of his mouth.

He took a few deep breaths, managing to steady his breathing with difficulty, before raising his head again to look at Moria.

"So, if you want to kill me to avenge whatever parents or brothers you have, please hurry up and do it."

"If I could still have a couple of sips of wine before dying, that would be even better."

"I would certainly be endlessly grateful."

Zhou Huai calmly looked at his rogue-like appearance and slowly spoke.

His voice was cold, without a trace of ripples.

"Rest assured."

"Before I figure out some things, I won't let you die."

Hearing this, a trace of imperceptible sharpness flashed through Luo Ming's eyes.

He reluctantly moved his body, leaning his back against the cold wall, and forced himself to sit up.

"Oh?"

"Then you might as well tell me, what do you want to know?"

Zhou Huai fell silent for two seconds, seemingly organizing his words.

Afterwards, he cut straight to the point.

"Five years ago, the Zhou Family suffered an attack."

"Zhou Feng's wife died tragically, and his son was reduced to a hemiplegic cripple."

Moria's silver eyes locked firmly onto Luo Ming's face, not letting go of any tiny change in his expression.

"Did you participate in that attack?"

"Was the mastermind behind you the Sun Family?"

Hearing this question, Luo Ming was stunned for a moment.

Immediately afterward, the expression on his face became extremely peculiar.

That peculiarity was mixed with astonishment, absurdity, and an indescribable mockery.

In the end, all expressions turned into a burst of even more frenzied laughter.

"Haha… Hahahaha!"

"After all this time… you are actually doing this for this matter!"

He laughed so hard he rocked back and forth, his body trembling constantly due to the violent movements, which tugged at the wounds on his arms and made him bare his teeth in pain.

Yet he was still laughing.

After laughing for a long time, he finally stopped, raised that blood-stained face, and looked at Moria with the gaze of looking at an idiot.

"I think you must have found the wrong person."

"Because I didn't participate in this matter at all."