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Lin Hao jolted awake to the blaring alarm of his [System], his heart racing like he'd chugged a triple espresso before an exam. The dorm room was dark, save for the eerie glow of the *Crimson Fang Core* in his *Reinforced Apron*'s hidden pocket, burning hot against his chest. His phone buzzed with Su Yan's voice screaming through a voice message: "Spatula Boy, get out here NOW! Wraith swarm in the dorm sector!"
[Sassy, what's happening?!] Lin Hao thought, scrambling out of bed and grabbing his trusty wok. The window rattled, and outside, dozens of red eyes glowed in the darkness—*Shadow Wraith Swarm*, Level 8 monsters, swirling like a storm of angry ghosts. His Level 7 stats felt like a paper shield against a hurricane.
[Emergency Alert: Level 8 Monster Breach in Dorm Sector! Shadow Wraith Swarm detected. Squad Firestorm summoned to respond. Tip: Your Thread of Fate (Level 2) and Cook the World in a Pot (Level 2) are your best bets. Also, that Crimson Fang Core's reacting to the wraiths. Suspicious, no?]
Lin Hao's stomach dropped. "Suspicious? You think?!" He glanced at the core, its pulsing light syncing with the wraiths' eerie glow. The *Hidden Quest: Uncover the Secret of New Shanghai's Monster Surge* flashed in his mind, but he had no time to play detective. The dorm hallway echoed with screams and the sound of claws scraping metal.
He sprinted outside, wok in hand, to find Squad Firestorm already in action. Su Yan's fireballs lit up the night, incinerating wraiths with bursts of flame. Wang Lei's shield blocked a swarm's claws, glowing from Lin Hao's earlier *Thread of Fate* buff. Zhou Mei's arrows zipped through the air, piercing wraiths, while Liu Tao flickered in and out of the shadows, his daggers leaving trails of dark energy. The dorm sector was chaos—students fleeing, holographs blaring warnings, and wraiths pouring from a glowing rift in the ground.
"Spatula Boy!" Su Yan shouted, her fiery aura making Lin Hao sweat from ten meters away. "Do something, or we're all ghost food!"
Lin Hao's mind raced. "Sassy, there's too many! I can't cook a whole swarm!"
[Sure you can. Your Immortal-rank talent, Infinite Craft, lets you scale your skills. Combine Thread of Fate and Cook the World for a crowd-control combo. Also, use that Glimmering Spice Jar from the last wraith.]
Lin Hao dodged a wraith's claw, diving behind a shattered dorm wall. He activated *Thread of Fate (Level 2)*, golden threads spinning from his fingers. Instead of binding, he wove the threads into a massive net, stretching across the courtyard. "Hold them back!" he yelled, flinging the net over the swarm. The threads glowed, slowing a dozen wraiths as they thrashed against the bindings.
[Debuff applied: Wraith Swarm movement speed reduced by 30% for 20 seconds!]
The squad seized the moment. Su Yan's *Blaze Inferno* roasted a cluster of wraiths, Wang Lei's shield bashed another, Zhou Mei's arrows pincushioned three, and Liu Tao's daggers carved through two more. But the rift kept spitting out wraiths, and the squad's HP was dropping—Su Yan at 70%, Wang Lei at 60%.
Lin Hao activated *Cook the World in a Pot (Level 2)*, his wok expanding to 12 meters. He tossed in the *Glimmering Spice Jar*, a *Dragonfire Pepper*, and a *Crimson Vine* from the dungeon trial. "Time for a swarm-sized feast!" he shouted, channeling *Seasoning Slash (Level 2)* to add a fiery kick. The wok erupted in a massive cloud of purple-red mist, forming *Spectral Swarm Sizzling Stew*—a glowing broth that smelled like a haunted Sichuan hotpot.
The stew surged, blanketing the courtyard in a 12-meter radius. Wraiths caught in the mist screamed, their shadowy forms dissolving as the broth dealt 500 HP damage to each and applied a *Spectral Burn* debuff, draining 60 HP per second. The squad's wounds healed, their HP recovering by 30%, and the aroma boosted their stamina, making Su Yan's fireballs glow brighter.
[Damage dealt: 500 HP to Wraith Swarm (x12)! Squad HP restored by 30%. Debuff applied: Spectral Burn – Wraiths take 60 HP per second for 12 seconds.]
The crowd of students, now watching from a safe distance, cheered. "He's cooking the swarm!" one yelled, posting to X with #SpatulaHeroCooksGhosts. Lin Hao's phone buzzed with notifications, but he was too busy swinging his wok like a club, smacking a stray wraith that got too close.
[Critical Hit! Damage dealt: 200 HP! Wraith defeated!]
The rift flickered, its energy weakening as the wraiths dwindled. Su Yan blasted the final wraith with a fireball, and Wang Lei slammed his shield into the rift, sealing it with a burst of light. The courtyard fell silent, save for the lingering scent of Lin Hao's stew and the crowd's cheers.
[Monster Breach Cleared! 600 EXP gained! Level Up! Lin Hao is now Level 8! Skill Upgraded: Seasoning Slash (Level 3) – Damage increased to 150-300, debuff duration increased by 7 seconds.]
Lin Hao panted, leaning on his wok. "Sassy, did we just save the dorm?"
[Yep. You're a hero again. Also, trending globally. Check X—there's a meme of you wielding a wok like a warhammer.]
Su Yan marched over, her robe singed but her smirk intact. "Not bad, Spatula Boy. That stew was insane. You're officially our secret weapon." Wang Lei grunted in approval, Zhou Mei gave a playful salute, and Liu Tao—miraculously—nodded twice.
Lin Hao grinned, then froze as the *Crimson Fang Core* in his apron pocket pulsed hotter, syncing with a faint hum from the sealed rift. "Sassy, this core's acting weird again."
[Abyssal Energy detected. That Hidden Quest is calling—sneak into the principal's office soon, or you'll miss your chance. But first, squad debrief. Su Yan's got that 'we need to talk' look.]
The squad gathered near the dorm entrance, surrounded by students snapping photos. Su Yan crossed her arms. "That was a Level 8 breach, and we handled it like pros. But these monster surges are getting worse. Spatula Boy, your buffs and cooking saved our butts. Keep it up, and we might just dominate the Global College Combat Exams."
Lin Hao's ears perked up. "When are those exams, anyway?"
Su Yan raised an eyebrow. "Three months from now, mid-September 2045. Every high schooler in the seven nations competes for a spot in the top academies. Fail, and you're stuck fighting monsters in the wastelands. Win, and you're set for life—or at least until the next apocalypse."
Lin Hao's stomach churned. "Three months? That's worse than my old exam deadlines!"
Zhou Mei laughed. "Better start practicing, Spatula Boy. Those exams make this wraith swarm look like a picnic."
As the squad dispersed, Lin Hao headed to his dorm, the *Crimson Fang Core* still pulsing. The rift's hum lingered in his mind, and he couldn't shake the image of the cloaked figure from the training grounds. Something big was brewing, and his wok might not be enough to handle it.
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CLIFFHANGER
Back in his dorm, Lin Hao examined the *Crimson Fang Core*, its glow casting eerie shadows. His [System] pinged. [Hidden Quest Update: The Crimson Fang Core's Abyssal Energy matches traces in the principal's office. Sneak in within 24 hours for answers. Warning: Fangfang's got a nose for intruders.] As he hid the core in his apron, a knock on his door made him jump. Su Yan's voice called out: "Spatula Boy, open up! We've got a problem—someone saw you with that glowing core, and they're not friendly." A shadow moved outside his window, and the air grew cold.