Skills with no cooldown? I become the Undead Scourge! - Chapter 16

“Serve my country?”

Lu Ran had initially intended to sit down to talk, but Qin Wuyao didn’t mind and took a seat on his hard wooden bed instead.

The bed was small to begin with, and if Lu Ran sat down as well, he’d have to press right up against her. Given how late it was, that would’ve been awkward.

So he simply leaned against the windowsill.

“That’s right—join the Heavenly Path Alliance and serve your country!” Qin Wuyao added.

Lu Ran curled his lip. “Joining the Heavenly Path Alliance is every Awakened’s dream. Whether it’s clearing dungeons or fighting in national wars, it’s all in service to the country. Of course, I’d be willing. But right now, I’m just an ordinary Necromancer. I’m not qualified yet.”

Qin Wuyao rolled her eyes at his words.

“If you aren’t qualified, then none of those so-called ‘hidden-class’ Awakened in the Alliance are either!”

Lu Ran didn’t deny it—Qin Wuyao had seen his abilities firsthand.

He was just being modest.

After all, Lu Ran wasn’t stupid. The combination of his skills and the enhancements from his system was enough to overpower any class in the world!

But he still didn’t understand why Qin Wuyao had come to see him.

So he asked, “So, you came here just to tell me this? Whether I can join or not isn’t really up to us, is it?”

Qin Wuyao grinned. “Come to my house. My father, Qin Lie, is a High Commissioner of the Heavenly Path Alliance’s local branch. Right now, Xu Jie—Uncle Xu from the Central Heavenly Path Alliance—is also there. All you need to do is show them what you can do. I’m sure you’ll get the treatment you deserve. This will be much faster than leveling up on your own, and you’ll gain access to resources most people can only dream of!”

Lu Ran stared at her for a long moment.

Honestly, it was tempting.

There was a time when Lu Ran had dreamed of joining the Heavenly Path Alliance. And now, he knew that with his current abilities, getting in would be a breeze!

But that was under the assumption that his class and skills were normal.

Right now, Lu Ran’s power relied entirely on his system, and his abilities were downright broken.

He understood the principle of “tall trees catch the wind.”

That’s why he wasn’t willing to recklessly showcase his strength—or at least, not until he had grown strong enough to protect himself.

Qin Wuyao seemed to see right through his hesitation.

“First of all, with your abilities, the Heavenly Path Alliance would definitely arrange better accommodations for you. You wouldn’t have to live here anymore.”

Lu Ran frowned.

“I don’t think this place is that bad. I grew up here.”

Sure, now that he had money, he would move—he wasn’t the type to suffer for no reason—but he didn’t resent this place either.

Qin Wuyao quickly waved her hands. “That’s not what I meant. The Liang family tried to kill you. They failed this time, but do you really think they won’t try again? Sure, with your abilities… you might not be afraid, but being constantly targeted for assassination isn’t exactly ideal, right?”

At that, Lu Ran froze.

He hadn’t really considered that yet.

The Liang family’s reason for wanting him dead was absurd, but he could sort of understand it. That so-called “mysterious equipment” they were after? He didn’t even have it!

The Liang family seemed to believe that Lu Ran’s rapid leveling was due to some kind of unclassified legendary gear, and they wanted to kill him to take it.

This time, they failed—but there would be a next time!

And Lu Ran wasn’t truly invincible. For his damage-redirection skill to work, he needed summons present.

Without them? Any high-level assassin could easily one-shot him without a sound!

Seeing Lu Ran fall silent, Qin Wuyao pressed her advantage.

“Besides, on a larger scale… the national war is in a month. You know that, right?”

Lu Ran nodded.

He was aware of the date.

Qin Wuyao immediately continued, “Right now, China’s global standing isn’t great. I heard Uncle Xu talking about it earlier today.”

She then repeated the conversation between Xu Jie and Qin Lie for Lu Ran.

By the time she finished, Lu Ran’s brow was deeply furrowed.

Most ordinary Awakened had no access to this kind of geopolitical situation—only major organizations like the Heavenly Path Alliance and the Full-Time Awakened Union were privy to it.

But just by looking at the rankings, it was clear that China’s performance in recent years had been lackluster.

This wasn’t just about national pride. The national war rankings determined the resource rewards granted by the System to each country.

And that had a direct impact on national strength!

Higher rankings meant more resources, which meant a stronger nation, which led to better performance in the next war—a virtuous cycle.

But for a superpower like China, a drop in rankings was a vicious cycle.

“The Yankees cleared the highest-level team dungeon, Black Dragon Mountain, just yesterday.”

“Even though it was only on normal difficulty, the Black Dragon equipment bonuses will definitely give them an edge in the national war.”

“And then there’s that tiny island nation, Sakura. Because of their unique class, the Onmyoji, and their powerful Shikigami, they’ve been performing well.”

“Last year’s national war already saw our ranking fall below theirs.”

“If we underperform again this year, China’s future will only get worse.”

“…”

Hearing this, Lu Ran felt a surge of anger.

Other countries were one thing, but for Sakura—those damn islanders—to be stepping on China’s head? That was something he couldn’t tolerate.

“So what you’re saying is… you want me to participate in this year’s national war?” Lu Ran asked.

“Exactly!” Qin Wuyao nodded eagerly. “Once you’ve grown stronger, your individual impact on the war would be insane. And it’s not just that—you could even lead Heavenly Path Alliance members to clear Black Dragon Mountain and surpass the Yankees!”

Who would’ve thought a girl like her would be so concerned with these matters?

She had already connected Lu Ran’s abilities to serving the country in such a concrete way.

No wonder she had come to see him so late at night.

“Alright. I’ll talk to your father and this Uncle Xu. If they’re willing to take me, I won’t refuse serving my country,” Lu Ran said after a moment of thought.

“That’s great! Come on, pack your things—we’re going to my place!” Qin Wuyao’s face lit up with excitement.

“Huh?” Lu Ran was taken aback. “Wait, we’re going now?”

“Of course!” Qin Wuyao said, as if it were obvious. “It’s still early. You’re not going to sleep already, are you? What are you, an old man? Come on, let’s go! My family’s chefs will make you something delicious!”

Unable to refuse, and with nothing of value in his bare-bones home anyway, Lu Ran followed Qin Wuyao out.

The Qin family estate was located in the wealthy district, not far from Central Plaza.

It was massive—a sprawling complex with seven courtyards, patrolled by security, all of whom were Berserkers!

Qin Wuyao led Lu Ran straight to the main hall’s reception room.

Qin Lie and Xu Jie were drinking, their conversation about the current state of affairs punctuated by sighs.

As members of the Heavenly Path Alliance, they wanted to contribute to their country’s strength.

But individual power had little impact on the global stage, and solving these issues wasn’t something that could be done overnight.

Black Dragon Mountain wasn’t something they could just clear on a whim, either.

“Damn it, this is giving me a headache! Forget it—let’s just drink!” Qin Lie cursed before raising his glass.

Then, he suddenly noticed Qin Wuyao and Lu Ran entering.

“Yao’er, why aren’t you asleep yet? And who’s this?” Qin Lie asked curiously.

This was the first time Qin Wuyao had ever brought a classmate home.

And it was a male classmate.

And it was late at night!

“Dad, this is Lu Ran,” Qin Wuyao introduced him casually.