Lu Sheng’s spiel was so similar to what he had said before.
But at this moment, every word was like a heavy hammer, pounding hard on He Wanying’s heart that was on the verge of collapse, stirring up surging waves.
Spend her whole life as a masseur?
In front of countless clients, play all kinds of roles, force a smile, and offer services with her body…
How was that any different from being everyone’s servant?!
Yet if she became a maid who served only Lu Sheng…
She could trade that for a second class of S-rank or higher!!!
Once she became an S-rank class holder, her ability to make money would far surpass what she earned now as a masseur, and by then she might be able to earn enough to completely cure her mother’s illness.
Her mother’s pale, pain-twisted face as she lay bedridden surfaced vividly before her eyes.
She recalled her younger sister’s dependent gaze and her father’s cold expulsion…
As she remembered these scenes, at this moment the desire in He Wanying’s heart to become stronger exploded from the depths of her being.
“I agree!”
She jerked her head in a fierce nod, like a drowning person who had seen the only sliver of hope.
『Contract signed! Success!』
『Congratulations, you have obtained your first servant… He Wanying!』
『Current number of servants: 1/3!』
As the prompt appeared before his eyes, a vast flood of memories belonging to He Wanying instantly surged into his mind.
There was the warmth of childhood, the pain of the family’s downfall, the despair of being driven out, the longing for her mother and younger sister, and the hardship of working part-time jobs…
It was as if he had watched a movie, viewing the entirety of He Wanying’s life experience from a third-person perspective.
Lu Sheng was slightly stunned; he had not expected his 『Master』 class to have this kind of effect…
However, after he finished reading through He Wanying’s main memories, his expression gradually turned strange.
A gambling father, a sick mother, a younger sister still in school… her life really was as miserable as it could possibly be.
If I don’t help her, who will?!
The instant that thought formed in Lu Sheng’s mind, a pillar of golden light far purer and more dazzling than before suddenly burst forth from within He Wanying without the slightest warning!
Lu Sheng looked toward her and saw that at this moment He Wanying’s gaze was empty, as if she had entered some mystical state.
The second awakening had begun!
“Am I… about to awaken my second class?!”
Right now her whole body felt warm, and it had been the same sensation when she first awakened.
Dazzling golden light instantly filled the entire massage room; the brilliance was such that it was like liquid gold surging and flowing, and the walls, ceiling, floor… everything was dyed a pure gold!
If not for the massage room’s strong light-blocking effect, Lu Sheng had no doubt that this golden radiance would have shot straight into the sky and been enough to illuminate half of Lanjiang City.
The light lasted for over a minute before it gradually faded, and then it flared up again.
White, green, blue, purple, yellow, pink…
It was as if a palette had been overturned, with the colors of the light cycling at a shocking speed, and every change of color represented the class rank climbing higher and higher!
When the pink light stabilized, He Wanying felt as if even her soul was trembling!
S-rank!
She had really reached it!
Tears of wild joy almost burst from her eyes!
However, the changes still did not stop!
The pink light shattered, and an even more brilliant, even purer golden radiance that seemed capable of piercing the soul surged straight upward in a blazing column!
SS-rank!
“Ugh…” At this moment He Wanying also woke from that previous mystical state, and the instant her consciousness returned to her body, when she saw the blazing golden light around her as bright as the sun, her tears could no longer be restrained and rolled down like broken strings of pearls.
SS-rank!
She, He Wanying, a so-called E-rank piece of trash who had been kicked out of her home by her own father, had actually obtained an SS-rank class!
Even though the second awakening was already drawing to a close, He Wanying still found it hard to believe; her beautiful eyes were wide open, not daring to blink for fear that if she closed them and opened them again she would discover that all of this had been an illusion.
All of this originated from that man lying on the massage bed with a roguish glint in his eyes… her future Master, Lu Sheng!
“An SS-rank class, huh? Looks like your luck isn’t bad!”
Lu Sheng raised his eyebrows, his tone carrying a hint of satisfaction; He Wanying’s aptitude was indeed not bad.
It was not a waste at all to give her one of his servant slots!
“Lu… no, Master!”
He Wanying wiped away her tears, and the look she turned toward Lu Sheng was filled with the gratitude of one who had survived a disaster and an almost devout dependence.
At this moment, things like the status of being a servant or a lifetime of serving him had all become insignificant in her heart and even… something she accepted willingly and sweetly!
After personally experiencing Lu Sheng’s ability, she was more aware than anyone that once the existence of this power was leaked, it would be enough to drive the entire Blue Star insane!
Countless powerhouses would swarm over, all just to obtain a chance to become his servant!
“You’re thanking me already?” A mysterious curve suddenly tugged at the corner of Lu Sheng’s mouth, and the gleam of flowing data flickered in his eyes and vanished. “You’re happy far too soon.”
The smile on He Wanying’s face instantly froze and turned into confusion.
“Master?”
Lu Sheng’s gaze seemed to pass right through her and land on some interface in the air that only he could see.
『Detected that servant-related awakening rewards linked to you are being distributed…』
『Data Ascension (Data God) skill triggered!』
『Would you like to raise the reward by one tier?』
Under He Wanying’s utterly puzzled gaze, Lu Sheng spoke softly.
“Increase it!”
“Wha…” Only a single syllable of He Wanying’s question left her lips.
In the next instant, a sudden change erupted!
The originally stable and resplendent SS-rank golden light on her body suddenly began to fluctuate violently, and the other colors of light that had just faded reappeared, finally forming a seven-colored halo that slowly rotated as it encircled her.
“This is…”
He Wanying was completely shaken by this phenomenon that surpassed her understanding, and her mind went utterly blank.
Immediately after, new and even more shocking information exploded open within her field of vision.
『Congratulations! Second awakening successful!』
『You have obtained the second class… Eternal Winter Swordmaster!』
『Name: He Wanying』
『Class: Eternal Winter Swordmaster (SSS)』
『Level: LV1』
『Class Skills: Eternal Permafrost Sword Domain, Extreme Frost Heartpulse, Eternal Winter Unerring Sword, Throne of the Freezing Winter』
『Eternal Permafrost Sword Domain (SSS): Centered on the Eternal Winter Swordmaster, you unfold an absolute domain with a radius of 30 × LV (level)! All enemies within the domain have their movement and attack speed forcibly reduced by 40%, and they suffer erosion from Eternal Winter, losing 1% of their maximum HP per second (effect halved on elites/BOSSes)! Everywhere covered by the domain becomes the territory of your sword!』
『Eternal Winter Unerring Sword (SSS): Once your sword intent locks on, that is fate! When the sword is drawn it cannot miss, cannot be dodged, and cannot be blocked! With each hit, you plant 1 layer of “Frost Mark” deep within the target. When 5 layers of Frost Mark stack and detonate, “Eternal Winter Freeze” is triggered! The target falls into absolute icebound status for 2 seconds (ignores resistances) and suffers true damage equal to (Strength × 3 + 5% of the target’s maximum HP)!』
『Extreme Frost Heartpulse (SS): When your life is in danger (below 50%), Extreme Frost Heartpulse automatically activates! You gain an “Everfrost Shield” equal to 80% of your maximum HP! The shield lasts for 10 seconds, during which each second it releases an Extreme Frost Explosion around you that deals area damage equal to (Strength × 0.5) and adds 1 layer of “Frost Mark” to all enemies hit! Protection and destruction are two sides of the same coin!』
『Throne of the Freezing Winter (SSS): An SSS-rank exclusive throne skill! You summon a crystalline throne that symbolizes the authority of Eternal Winter! In the area with a radius of 100 × LV around where the throne descends, you and your allies are immune to all control effects, and you receive a coronation from the throne that increases your critical strike rate by 50%! Seated upon the throne, you are the sword queen of the Freezing Winter!』
『Note: This class came into being because of the Master (Lu Sheng) and belongs to the servant (He Wanying). If the master-servant Contract is dissolved, this class will vanish along with it!』
“SSSSSS…”
He Wanying’s lips opened and closed soundlessly as her brain completely crashed, and the extreme shock left her unable to utter even a single complete syllable!
SSS-rank!
A legend among legends!
In the history of Blue Star, such existences were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and each one was a supreme giant capable of suppressing an era and leaving a name for eternity!
Yet she, He Wanying, an E-rank masseur who not long ago had been humiliating herself by changing into a maid outfit on this very massage bed and stepping on people’s backs with her feet, had actually, after signing a Contract with Lu Sheng, risen to the heavens in a single step and become an SSS-rank class holder!
“Mom, Little Guo, I can keep getting stronger now… I can earn money to support you from now on!”
The suffocating emotions in He Wanying’s heart were swept away, and the immense joy instantly crushed all her negative feelings, making her weep tears of happiness.
“Alright, rein in your strength; if you don’t start holding back, are you planning to turn this place into an ice sculpture exhibit?” Lu Sheng’s amused reminder drifted over.
Only then did He Wanying abruptly come to her senses and look around.
At some unknown point the entire massage room had been covered by a thick layer of frost that radiated bone-chilling cold; the tables, chairs, walls, and equipment were all hung with sparkling icicles, white mist filled the air, and even the room temperature had plummeted to the point where one’s breath could freeze!
And this was only the unconscious effect produced by her just having awakened.
He Wanying had a faint intuition that if the strength within her were ever fully unleashed, it would be enough to turn this bustling street into an ice age in an instant, and this was only the power of Level 1!
This was the strength of an SSS-rank class… terrifying to this extent!
After calming the joy in her heart, He Wanying looked gratefully at Lu Sheng, and there was still a trace of some indescribable other emotion in her eyes.
He Wanying had always had a naturally cool and aloof temperament and had long been the dream goddess of most of the boys at Lanjiang No. 3 High School, and now that she had awakened an SSS-rank class, the chill about her was even stronger, exuding an icy aura that kept people thousands of miles away.
Yet when she looked at Lu Sheng, a faint warm smile flashed across her otherwise cold face.
“Master!”
“In this life, I wish to be the sword in your hand and cut down all the enemies in the world for you!”