[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-just-became-a-mage-and-my-skills-got-self-aware-":3,"chapter-just-became-a-mage-and-my-skills-got-self-aware--just-became-a-mage-and-my-skills-got-self-aware--chapter-259":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Just Became a Mage, and My Skills Got Self-Aware? What the Hell?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2356869,4610,"Chapter 259: The Burden?","just-became-a-mage-and-my-skills-got-self-aware--chapter-259",259,"\u003Cp>The conference room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So quiet you could hear a pin drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a single person spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around the rosewood table, the nineteen prodigies of the Dragon Order Class all lowered their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces were filled with complexity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disappointment, bitterness, and a deep sense of helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone seated here had been painstakingly selected from among China’s 1.4 billion people as top-tier prodigies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the Top Graduates who dominated their respective cities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were accustomed to being above all others, accustomed to being looked up to by their peers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before coming to Beijing University, they had dreams higher than the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had even imagined themselves slaughtering enemies on the Ten Thousand Nations Battlefield, bringing glory to their nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after meeting Lin Mo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, they thought he was insanely strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They thought it was unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They thought he was a non-human monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they repeatedly entered dungeons and kept breaking records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They slowly grew accustomed to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accustomed to Lin Mo carrying them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accustomed to following behind their class leader, watching him obliterate everything in his path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even subconsciously,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they felt it wasn’t so bad to be a passive accessory who didn’t need to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a demon king standing in front,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>even if the sky fell, they wouldn’t fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>facing the combined siege of the Seven Nations Alliance,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>this was a true life-or-death contest between national prodigies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hundreds of top prodigies, equal or even superior in rank to them, were surrounding them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would happen? No one could say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one wanted to be the one dragging Lin Mo down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the head of the table,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guhe slowly scanned every person present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that for these prodigies raised in unshakable pride, accepting they were a burden, admitting they didn’t deserve to fight, was an excruciating thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guhe looked toward Lin Mo, who had been sitting quietly in the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lin Mo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Mo snapped out of it, blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it, Principal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guhe looked at him, his tone serious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s your opinion? Do you think they should go in with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lin Mo yawned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shrugged, utterly indifferent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine either way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they want to go, they can go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not, they can just rest at school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s there to agonize over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Lin Mo’s answer,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>everyone in the conference room froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Mo waved his hand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just the Seven Nations Alliance? So what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to Lin Mo,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>whether Han Mengyao and the others entered or not made zero difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had confidence in his own strength, and in the power of the little ones inside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it were seventy nations allied, what would it matter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as they met,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>under absolute firepower, every demon and ghost would be reduced to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before absolute firepower, all demons and monsters are reduced to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Ten Thousand Nations Battlefield was vast; being alone did feel a bit lonely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having some companions around, shouting “Class Leader is awesome,” wasn’t so bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not bad to have companions beside you shouting, “Squad Leader, awesome!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fireball” didn’t think so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Fireball”’s tone was overflowing with supreme arrogance and disdain.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Pfft, why bring them along? Kings are destined to be alone.”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Earth Shield” weakly rebutted.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“But big brother… if we don’t take them, who’s gonna shout ‘awesome’ for you and the Master?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【“Fireball” exploded: “Get lost! Does my power need them to cheer?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【『Fireball Spell』Furious: “Get lost! Does my power need their cheers?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>screech—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shrill sound of chair legs scraping the floor rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Class Leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Mengyao stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She kept her head slightly lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not going.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Mo looked at her, raising an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Decided?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Mengyao looked at Lin Mo and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Class Leader, ever since I met you, I’ve… I’ve been trying desperately to catch up to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m an SSS-rank Lord of Frost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I always thought my ice affinity was the best among my generation in all of China.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I always thought my Ice affinity was unmatched among my peers across the entire Dragon Nation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Until I saw your ice skills,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I realized how ridiculous I was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Mengyao bit her lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Every time in the dungeon, I pushed myself to the limit to output damage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Back in the dorm at night, I replayed every battle in my mind, thinking about how to time my skill releases better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve… tried so hard, so hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve… tried so, so hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your growth rate is still so fast I can’t even see your shadow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the dungeon, even when I pour everything into output, I still can’t match your leftovers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Mengyao gave a bitter laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This time, our opponents aren’t mindless monsters—they’re real humans, prodigies from other nations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our opponents this time aren’t mindless demons, but true humans — other nations’ prodigies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I really want to fight beside you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to stand on the Ten Thousand Nations Battlefield and bring glory to China.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I really want to stand on the Ten Thousand Nations Battlefield and bring glory to Longguo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I, Han Mengyao, have my own pride—I don’t want to be a burden.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, she fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Mengyao sat back down in her chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned her head away, refusing to look at anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Mo sat in his seat, watching Han Mengyao’s stubborn profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed and scratched his head in helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, he didn’t care about any of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A burden?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What burden?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just over a hundred people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they were targeted, even if they were surrounded,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>logically, it shouldn’t have come to the point of dragging everyone down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Mo thought for a moment, then let it go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Put yourself in their shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppose you were them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Top prodigies, the center of attention in your own city,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>with more pride than anyone else,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>wouldn’t you find it unbearable to exist only as a passive spectator shouting “666”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even outside, people would point and whisper,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>saying: “Look, those people from Dragon Order Class—they only survived because Lin Mo carried them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such words—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>for proud prodigies, were more painful than death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better not go at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Than become a despised appendage.\u003C\u002Fp>",1041,"2026-06-21T04:41:50.524Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","12a0aba25f8afe3c9d5586044441b084bb77a9eb763376e326a7f63271333d1e","just-became-a-mage-and-my-skills-got-self-aware--chapter-260","just-became-a-mage-and-my-skills-got-self-aware--chapter-258",374,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjust-became-a-mage-and-my-skills-got-self-aware--cover.jpg"]