Chapter 43: Subject Selection

Subject selection at the university for nourishment of young talents was extremely free, however, there was still a basic framework that one needed to follow.

A student needed to choose 6 subjects/ semester with each subject having 2 classes/ week + Team exercise on Sundays.

A class was roughly 2 hours long and there were two classes scheduled per day, between 9-11 and 2-4.

Except for these hours, one was free to train and do self-study throughout the day with extremely approachable professors, assistant professors and world class facilities.

Subject selection itself was divided into a wide pool of choices, however, it could be broadly categorized as -

1)Mandatory/Core Subjects

2)Non Combative Subjects

3)Elective Subjects

Mandatory subjects were the two classes which all students needed to take, which were the only subjects everyone was forced to take together without exception.

Mandatory subjects included -

1)The power dynamics and history of the tower.

2)Practical survival inside the tower.

With the latter taken by the mad principal Liam himself.

These two were the most important subjects for a climber's survival and were taught to all students without exception.

However, the choice in the non-combative subjects and electives was much more free.

Non-combative subjects offered choices amongst topics such as:-

1) Battlefield strategies and leadership

2) Craftsmanship and Economy

3) Monsters and their Weakness

4) Racial Evolution and Bloodlines

25) Gods and Religion

There were a total of 25 choices of different topics to study from that ranged from issues such as economics, to religion, politics, strategy, craftsmanship and many more.

Finally, there were the elective subjects that one chose to progress in the specific path they desired.

Choices like:-

1)Practical Combat

2)Mage Combat

3)Swordsmanship

4)Blacksmithing

5)Support Magic

6)Scouting and Tracking

33)Curses and Runic Inscription

A total of 33 choices were available under elective subjects and students were free to choose the class they wished which they felt best suited their future.

Erin explained to Rocky as best as he could about all these choices from what he picked up from the orientation, as Rocky fell into deep contemplation about what subjects to choose.

Both Buhara and Erin had chosen the classes 'Monsters and their Weaknesses' and 'Battlefield Strategy and Leadership' as their non-combative subjects, as just like Rocky, they too came from a planet where monster tides originating from the tower were a big threat.

Since Rocky too saw the value in understanding these principles, with Earth suffering from the same issue, he chose the same two subjects for his non-combative choices, with his only regret being that he could not choose 'Gods and Religion', which he swore to learn supplementarily.

For Elective subjects, the choice was easier as he went for 'Practical Combat' and 'Swordsmanship' as his two choices, since he expected to fight and to fight with swords in the future.

Buhara had gone with 'Mage Combat' and 'Spellcraft' for his choices whereas Erin had chosen 'Support Magic' with 'Curses and Runic Inscription' as his.

As things stood, the three room-mates were scheduled to take four classes together, as well as the team-exercises on Sunday, meaning that their lives would be pretty much joined to the hip from here onwards.

******************

( The next day )

Day three inside the university marked the first day of the academic activities officially beginning, with Rocky's first class being the elective subject 'Practical Combat'.

As an Earthling, Rocky did not have much knowledge about fighting and combat, as unlike many other races, the young ones on Earth were not taught how to fight, putting Rocky at a slight disadvantage when joining the class compared to his peers.

The class was taken by Professor Mave, a martial arts expert who had climbed up to floor 59 within the tower, being just one step away from achieving lesser godhood.

He was a well renowned expert throughout the tower and was regarded as one of the best instructors in the academy.

A staggering total of 430 students had decided to enroll for his class, which was held at the university training grounds on every Monday and Thursday.

Almost as soon as Rocky reached the training grounds for the lecture, he became the center of gossip for all those around him, however, a hovering ghost over the training grounds deterred anyone from approaching him.

To his surprise, Sophia had also chosen practical combat as her elective and was present for the first lecture as her arrival caused an even bigger stir than his did, since she was the second one to arrive.

'Both champions in the same class? This will be fun'

Was the general sentiment of everyone present, as comparisons between the two started to be made from the very first day.

Just like him, who sat alone without anyone daring to enter within a two meter radius, she sat alone too, as the two of them felt like drops of oil in water which repelled everyone away from themselves.

For a moment after she entered, their eyes met, reminding Rocky of the tears he saw in them just a day ago, prompting him to smile slightly, however, both him and Sophia looked away almost instantly after making eye contact as they did not wish to be seen keeping an eye on the other.

"Alright children, I'm Professor Mave, this is my assistant Mr Lobo, and we will be conducting this class for this semester" said a ripped and muscular man, sharp at 9 am as he garnered everyone's attention with his loud authoritative voice.

"Before starting the first lecture, let me make something very clear for all..." he said as he scanned the crowd and made sure everyone soaked in his words.

"I don't care what the other teachers demand from you, but the four hours a week allotted to me are by no means enough.

Every morning sharp at 5am, I expect you all to be here doing conditioning training from 5 am to 7 am alongside me as we beat your unworked bodies into combat shape" he said, as without even taking the first class, he began talking about taking extra classes, much to the dismay of the general crowd.

"My assessment of you will be based on a continuous evaluation pattern, with each morning session, each lecture being evaluated towards your final grade" he said as he made it clear from day one that doing one's best in every training session was an absolute must.

"At the end of the year, as all of you must already be aware, will be the university games, where students from the top10 universities shall compete for the pride of their institutions.

This class has 8 reserved spots for that tournament and only the 8 best amongst you will get them, so work hard to be chosen.

That being said, the two minutes I spent talking are two horrible minutes wasted, so let's waste no more time and start training" He said as instantly as he stopped his speech, his assistant Lobo began to scream " STUDENTS, GET INTO LINES OF THREE, WE START SPRINTING NOW!"

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/// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the PS target yesterday! Good Job everyone!

The goal for this week is the same as last ///

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Chapter 44: Salvaging Reputation

After sprinting daily for 90 days, Rocky's cardiovascular capacity had improved significantly compared to an average human, allowing him to be able to keep up with the pace that Professor Mave set for the pack by leading from front.

He gave no instructions about how long one was supposed to run for, as he kept taking laps of the giant training ground again and again, with assistant Mave weeding out the people that fell too far behind the pack, noting down their names and adding the time it took for them to fall-out beside it.

For about the first six laps, which was roughly about 1.2 kilometers, everyone more or less maintained the jogging pace that professor Mave set, but it was after him increasing the pacing from the seventh lap to a stride that people began to fall out of the pack.

Lap 7 about 10% dropped out at once.

Lap 8 about 10% more dropped out with many others audibly gasping for air, as by Lap 12 about 50% of the candidates were weeded out, leaving only 200 or so left running.

Rocky was more or less fine even after twelve laps, feeling only slightly winded while Sophia, who was running in front of him, seemed like she had not even broken a sweat.

After Lap12, professor Mave reduced his pace to a slow jog, as he allowed the remaining participants to get some wind back in their lungs, before resuming his original pace for 6 more laps, turning into 6 more laps of fast strides thereafter.

After his second round of running, the 200 remaining students dropped down to 130, and it was at this point that the second cool-down lap came with professor Mave jogging slowly.

At this point, Rocky started feeling slightly light headed as while he could feel his strength returning because of the slow lap, he knew that the coming rounds were bound to be hell and just as he anticipated, once the slow lap was over, the principal went into an all-out sprint, prompting everyone to run at their full speeds.

Elves, Goblins, Vampires and Beastmen race members remarkably gapped the masses, following closely behind the professor as they were able to match his pace through significant effort.

Their racial advantage around higher inherent agility was on full display as they did not struggle as much as orcs, trolls, humans, dwarves and the other races.

Sophia, with her demi-human bloodline also managed to keep-up, while Rocky was purely ego-running at this point as he knew he was way out of his depth, running at an unsustainable speed that his body could not support.

Students began dropping like flies in this round, eliminated for being too slow or stumbling as they lost their balance, eating the training ground dirt in the process.

130 candidates dropped to just 20 within two laps, as Rocky felt his head-spinning and his muscles not being under full control at this point.

"WE HAVE OUR TOP 20" Assistant Mave shouted at some point, as the professor began slowing down his pace a little, saving Rocky from the humiliation of dropping out, just before he would have called it quits.

*HUFFFF*

*HUFFFFFFFFFF*

Gasping in an ugly fashion, Rocky stumbled to his knees as he felt every vein in his body pulsating from the effort, as he seemed to be the only person amongst the top20 who was reduced to such a sorry state, as the other 19 remained standing and appeared to be only slightly out of breath.

"You okay? You looked completely washed" said Sophia to Rocky as she offered him a hand to stand up, as unlike him, she looked completely fine with not a single sweat molecule appearing on her forehead.

'Oh fuck you…' thought Rocky internally, however, he did not say it, as suppressing the shortness of breath that he felt, he stood up without taking her hand, as he put on a brave face.

"I'm fine, thanks" he said, walking away from Sophia, as he left her extended hand hanging.

'OOOOO'.

Cheers could be heard from the spectators who had been weeded out early, as Rocky and Sophia remained to be the focal points of everyone's attention even in this training.

Thankfully, Rocky managed to make it to top20 through sheer effort, as if he did not, the new gossip headlines of the university would have been about how the Champion of Gemini was weaker compared to the Champion of Poseidon, as Rocky was saved today only by his system training and the body strengthening potions that he drank.

"Alright, seeing as you 20 are the cream of the crop in this batch in terms of cardiovascular endurance, you 20 will have a friendly spar today for me to determine the general level of your class.

The class will still go on for 90 minutes more, whoever amongst you 20 wishes to earn some bragging rights on the very first day, come forward and challenge an opponent of your choosing" Professor Mave said, as a female Elf immediately stepped forward and issued the first challenge.

"Professor, I wish to issue the first challenge if that's okay-" she said, as professor Mave nodded, giving her the right to choose first.

Rocky flinched when she began scanning the crowd, praying that she did not choose him as her opponent as he did not wish to embarrass himself on day one of university life.

Having no experience in combat, he was sure that he would be beaten black and blue in combat, which was why he wished to avoid it if possible.

And fortunately, he was not the first opponent to be chosen, as the female elf chose a female vampire to fight against.

Sighing, Rocky took a seat where assistant Lobo guided him to sit, enjoying the ensuing duel alongside the rowdy practical combat crowd, however, the fear of being called out in subsequent fights still persisted in his head.

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