Douluo: Infinite Lottery System

The explosion ceased, the black lotus vanished, and Zhao Wuji stumbled out of the aftermath, his expression extremely unpleasant. But beyond that, his appearance now was almost comical.

The skin on the left side of his face was burnt red, while the right side was an icy blue, frostbitten hue. The two halves were sharply delineated, contrasting vividly without blending into each other.

As the host of this bizarre condition, Zhao Wuji was in no small amount of discomfort. The alternating sensations of fire and ice—searing heat and freezing cold—were far from pleasant.

There was no need for comparison; anyone could see that Zhao Wuji's injuries this time were far worse than the ones he had sustained in his previous battle with Tang San.

"Vice Dean Zhao, are you all right?" Xiao Tianyang took two cautious steps forward, his voice laced with concern. "How about we call it a day? After all, the incense stick has burned out."

Zhao Wuji: "..."

This kid is insufferable! Zhao Wuji silently added another layer to his mental label of Xiao Tianyang. Still, he had to admit: forcing a Soul Sage like him into such a miserable state as a Soul Grandmaster was no small feat. What's more, Xiao Tianyang had even pushed him to use his sixth soul skill. In the end, he couldn't complain about losing.

Yet, a lingering sense of having been played with gnawed at him, making it impossible to shake off his frustration.

Xiao Tianyang cautiously added, "You're the famous Motionless Bright King of the Soul master world. Even the Spirit Hall hesitated to provoke you back in the day. Someone as capable as you wouldn't hold a grudge against a mere kid like me, right?"

'This kid sure knows how to sweet-talk.' After being flattered like that, Zhao Wuji couldn't help but feel a little better, his irritation softening.

"Fine, you've all passed today's test," Zhao Wuji said with a wave of his hand. He turned his gaze toward Oscar and snapped, "Xiao Ao, stop lurking over there and come help! Do you think it's fun just standing around watching the show?"

Exhausted, hungry, and battered, Zhao Wuji didn't mind admitting that even a little healing would be better than nothing at this point.

Just as Zhao Wuji finished speaking, a series of notifications echoed in Xiao Tianyang's mind:

Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the main quest: [Shrek Academy]!

Reward: Random Character Bond Card!

Congratulations to the host, Xiao Tianyang, for obtaining a follower 'King Arthur—Artoria Pendragon!'

The follower will join the host shortly in a natural manner.

Congratulations to the host for completing the side quest: [Challenge]!

Reward: Level 2 Lottery Ticket x1!

Xiao Tianyang stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected the Character Bond Card to have such an outcome. But what shocked him even more was the thought of King Arthur being summoned into this world.

"Brother Tianyang, what are you spacing out for?" Tang San nudged Xiao Tianyang lightly and whispered, "Vice Dean Zhao is calling you."

"Oh!" Snapping out of his thoughts, Xiao Tianyang quickly addressed Zhao Wuji. "Vice Dean Zhao, are you all right?"

Zhao Wuji's face twitched. "Xiao Ao's sausage may be helpful, but it's barely a drop in the bucket for me. Don't you have some healing ability? Hurry up and help!"

With an embarrassed laugh, Xiao Tianyang activated his first soul skill, sending nine green flames simultaneously into Zhao Wuji's body.

Zhao Wuji's eyes fluttered shut as a muffled groan escaped his throat—not from pain, but from the overwhelming sensation of relief. His entire body felt rejuvenated, as though he had been given new life.

Now Zhao Wuji understood why those younger soul masters, who should have required a full night's rest to recover from fainting, were always back on their feet so quickly. This kind of treatment could even work on a Soul Sage like him; it was no wonder the kids bounced back with such ease.

If Tang San's victory over him was due to clever tactics and an abundance of tricks, then Xiao Tianyang was a monster in the truest sense—unreasonably strong, beyond all expectations.

Before long, Zhao Wuji opened his eyes. While his injuries weren't entirely healed, he was now in much better shape.

"Dai Mubai, take them to the dormitory. As for you…" Zhao Wuji cast a sharp glance at Xiao Tianyang and then at the damaged surroundings. "Fill in those holes before you leave!"

Xiao Tianyang became speechless, "You don't have to be so petty, do you?"

Before he could retort, a voice called out from behind him.

"Wuji, there's a new student here!"

Zhao Wuji, who had been ready to leave, turned back. "Li Yusong, hasn't the registration period already ended?"

"It has, but this student is... unique."

The speaker was Li Yusong, who had been overseeing the registration at the village entrance. Following closely behind him was a young girl.

Xiao Tianyang glanced over his shoulder—and his eyes lit up instantly.

It wasn't Li Yusong who caught his attention but the girl beside him.

She stood about 1.7 meters tall, her figure perfectly proportioned and pleasing to the eye. Her long, golden hair was elegantly tied with a blue ribbon, her green eyes sparkling like gemstones. Her delicate features were flawless, and her fair, soft skin could rival Ning Rongrong's.

She wore a white blouse paired with a light blue, knee-length skirt, accented by a blue ribbon tied into a bow at her neck. The entire ensemble gave her a fresh, graceful appearance.

But what truly confirmed her identity for Xiao Tianyang was the unmistakable ahoge—a strand of hair defiantly sticking up atop her head.

Artoria Pendragon.

However, this Artoria was far more mature than the Saber he had seen in comics. She was no longer a petite, girlish figure but was developing into a dignified, elegant woman.

As Xiao Tianyang marveled at her, Artoria's gaze locked onto him. She stepped forward, ignoring everyone else—including Zhao Wuji and Li Yusong—as though Xiao Tianyang was the only one who existed in her world.

"Tianyang, long time no see."

Her voice was like a gentle spring breeze, her smile warm and comforting. The softness in her eyes was filled with familiarity and trust, as though Xiao Tianyang was the most important person to her.

"Long time no see," Xiao Tianyang replied, playing along despite being caught off guard. He wasn't sure what memories the system had implanted in her, but he had experience dealing with such situations.

With a polite smile, he extended his hand. "We'll be classmates from now on. Please take care of me."

Unexpectedly, Artoria didn't shake his hand. Instead, she stepped closer and embraced him!

'Isn't this a bit too forward?' Caught off guard, Xiao Tianyang froze.

Should he accept this openly or respond passively? Ultimately, he decided that being passive was the safer option for at least now.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder. The system had summoned her as his follower, not his partner, so why was Artoria being so proactive? Her personality seemed consistent with her depiction in the comics—gentle, virtuous, dignified, and brave. Could she have instinctively known he was her type from the moment she appeared?

He couldn't wrap his head around it.

What Xiao Tianyang didn't realize was that the system had designed its characters to meet two core criteria. First, they would have believable identities within the Douluo Continent, complete with fitting memories. Second, they would possess unwavering loyalty to the host.

As for why Artoria seemed so drawn to him, it was a combination of her implanted memories and Xiao Tianyang's enhanced charisma, bolstered by the system's upgrades.

With such charm, it wasn't just system-arranged characters like Artoria who were drawn to him—Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were also growing increasingly fond of him. The difference was that Artoria was bold enough to act on it.

...

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