บท 23: First Lesson
Note: Long chapter because it's christmas tomorrow and I don't update on Sundays. Also uploaded 1 hour earlier than scheduled cause im boutta start playing games so dont wanna keep you waiting.
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While they were talking, Gloxinia was about to sign his name when a sudden system notification appeared in front of him.
[Sudden Mission has been created from the situation.
Mission: Class Zero? Not Needed!
Objective: Refuse to join Class Zero and leave Eastsea Academy! This small place cannot contain you!
Reward: Gloxinia's Clothes. (Wardrobe of all of Gloxinia's Clothing throughout the Anime and the Games.]
'Choosing to leave Class Zero and Eastsea Academy?' As Gloxinia considered all the outcomes possible from leaving Eastsea Academy and what he could do once he left, he decided that it just wasn't worth it. There were more benefits to stay in Eastsea Academy than leaving it.
For example, he would get access to the Spirit Ascension Platform for free by staying in Eastsea Acaademy and joining Class Zero.
Not only that, he would also get a connection to join Shrek Academy later in the future.
Thus, with his decision made, Gloxinia signed his name on the contract and handed it to Yu Zhen.
"Alright then. You have all signed the contract so from now on, you are the elites of the academy. Although our Eastsea Academy isn't ranked too highly on this continent, we are still the sole intermediate Soul Master academy in this major city. With all of our resources poured into you, I dare say that not even the legendary Shrek Academy could match us."
After hearing the president's confident words, the three students suddenly felt a bit better about signing the contract. Standing off in the distance, Wu Zhangkong's mouth twitched slightly when he heard those words.
After class zero was established in Eastsea Academy, what Gloxinia found the most shocking was just how differently the academy treated them when compared with their treatment of the normal students. The classroom changed to a much more open one while their dorm rooms had also been upgraded. They no longer shared a room with four people, but rather, they each had their own room now that were situated beside one another. Moreover, their rooms were the same as the ones given to ordinary teachers. In other words, they were enjoying the treatment a teacher would receive.
Xie Xie signed the contract without the slightest hesitation when he heard that Tang Wulin and Gu Yue had signed it. Including the teacher in charge, class zero comprised of five people in total.
Wu Zhangkong was also given new living quarters alongside the dorms of his students. His previous dorm had now been replaced with a suite.
The academy gave them one day to get themselves organized before class zero would officially begin classes the following day.
Naturally, even if classes were to begin now, not all of them would be able to attend. After all, two of them had suffered serious fractures and could only attend theory classes for now.
Class zero's classroom seemed a bit spacious and empty. Although it wasn't any different than the ordinary classrooms, it seemed very large with only four students in it.
Gloxinia sat on one side while Tang Wulin's trio sat on the other. The four of them were like two separate rivers.
Gloxinia rested his legs on top of a chair, his expression playful, looking like his usual self.
Wu Zhangkong entered the classroom with a stern expression and walked to the center. He swept his gaze across the four students.
"From henceforth, your curriculum will undergo a change."
His words drew the attention of the four students. Even if Gloxinia knew his strength from the novel, he still had a bit of admiration for him after seeing it in person. The difference between them was still too vast.
Wu Zhangkong said, "Due to the current conditions of your bodies, we will put off cultivation for a while. Instead, we will begin with theory classes. Today we'll start with mechas."
Mecha?
When they heard this word, all four students looked at each other in confusion.
Xie Xie's expression brightened a bit as he couldn't help but ask, "Teacher Wu, aren't mechas a topic for the advanced division? We're still in the first grade! Isn't this just too early?"
Typically, the intermediate division would only cover foundational knowledge, and they wouldn't cover mechas until they entered the advanced division. After graduating from the advanced division, they would enter an advanced academy based on their area of study, walking one step at a time towards their goal. Anyone who could graduate from an advanced academy would definitely be an elite of society.
They had just started their first of six years in the intermediate division, yet they were already learning about mechas? Wasn't this just jumping ahead of themselves?
Wu Zhangkong responded naturally, "The topics in this mecha class will not be taught in detail, so the course load won't be too much. Among you, who wants to become a Mecha Master in the future?"
The four of them went silent in unison. Mecha Masters were already synonymous with powerful experts in the views of the vast majority.
Wu Zhangkong continued, "With this being the case, you all better pay attention in class." He shot a glance at Xie Xie as he finished speaking, causing him to tremble from head to toe. Xie Xie no longer dared to utter a single doubtful word.
"Modern day mechas have undergone ten thousand years of development while soul devices have went through several thousand more years of development, becoming more and more widespread. Technology has always been researched for one main reason: war. Soul devices are no exception. It was only after soul devices filled the battlefield that they began to be used by civilians."
"The Soul Guide Masters of the time never would have imagined that soul guided devices, or soul devices for short, could be used to empower a Soul Master by such a large margin. It was only after they discovered this that they began researching mechas."
"Soul Masters have been the most essential profession within the last several tens of thousands of years. Soul Masters were not only rare, but the majority of them were also weak. But with the advent of soul devices, this paradigm had shifted. Low rank Soul Masters could now become much more powerful by relying on their soul power and soul devices. Afterward, soul mechas began to appear, allowing Soul Masters to become even stronger."
"Soul mechas are operated by using soul power from soul power batteries, thus allowing its user to display strength far surpassing their own. The first soul mechas were developed in a larger form, the factor being that the larger they were, the larger the soul power battery they could install as well as the number of weapons it could be equipped with."
"As technology progressed, mechas became operable by ordinary people with sufficiently strong bodies. From then on, soul mechas became the main weapon of the modern army."
"In the history of mecha development, there have been periods where the form was small, medium, and large and now they have taken the form you are all familiar with. This is the basic outline of mecha development. This was a process of trial and error and its resulting improvements. It involved the perfection of soul circuits, various innovations, and the advancement of technology by leaps and bounds. Mechas have only grown increasingly more important in wars ever since their creation."
Gloxinia listened to his explanation earnestly, as even if he already knew some stuff from reading the novel, he had in all honesty skipped a lot of the info dumps in the original novel so he didn't know all the details even if he used the Head Key to look into his own memories again.
"But these are not the mechas I want to talk to you about." Wu Zhangkong paused right there, letting astonishment wash over the four students.
Not these mechas?
Wu Zhangkong indifferently said, "Didn't you all think that as technology developed, ordinary people could control soul devices better and better? Then let me tell you, that's only what ordinary people think. In the tens of thousands of years of history the Douluo Continent has witnessed, one fact has never changed: Soul Masters are the most powerful existence!
"With the aid of soul devices, an ordinary person might be able to match up to a Soul Grandmaster, and with a mecha, they could even possibly contend with a five ring Soul King. Mechas truly do offer tremendous power to its user, but even so, it cannot give an ordinary person the fighting power of an eight ring Soul Douluo or a nine ring Title Douluo. At the very least, it is impossible at this point in time."
Xie Xie said, "Then what if they use a super-weapon? There are some super-weapons that ordinary people can use."
Wu Zhangkong nodded. "What you speak of is a possibility. But let me ask you in return, what if both sides possess super-weapons then? Who will have more power? Let me tell you first though, currently, the strongest super-weapon cannot defeat the strongest person."
Wu Zhangkong spoke without the slightest hesitation, causing the four students to sit down subconsciously in shock.
After a short pause, Wu Zhangkong continued speaking. "With humanity's trend in weapon technology advancement, perhaps such a weapon will appear in the future. But at the moment, there exists no such weapon."
"Teacher Wu, this powerful person you spoke of, are they a Mecha Master or a Soul Master?" Tang Wulin asked.
Wu Zhangkong said, "To be exact, they are both.
"The mechas you commonly see range from five to eight meters in height and have some peculiar differences depending on what type of mecha they are. These are the modern medium-sized mechas I spoke of. From their research, Soul Guide Masters came to the conclusion that a combination of bulk and flexibility along with a balance of offensive and defensive capabilities were the most suitable for the army. But these are just the standardized mechas for the army. Or it might be better to say, these are mechas for ordinary people. White and yellow mechas are of the same category, but that isn't your goal. With your talents, you absolutely cannot develop in that direction. Instead, you must develop towards battle armor!"
Battle armor?
This was the first time the four of them heard these words. Well, the four of them except Gloxinia, but he had to play along for now.
Wu Zhangkong continued dully, "The truly powerful would not allow their body to become even larger. The reason mechas exist is amplification of power, not to become larger. Purple mechas and onwards are all small in size, to the point where they are almost like armor! Due to this, they are called battle armor!"
"Only Soul Masters with battle armor can truly be called powerful experts. They are experts who can perfectly combine their martial soul and mecha together, resulting in formidable combat power."
Battle armor! This new idea completely captured the attentions of these youngsters.
After all, armor-like mechas were considered the peak.
"As everyone knows, apart from Mecha Masters who operate the mechas, there are also mecha craftsmen who are absolutely crucial to the mechas themselves. There are three kinds of mecha craftsmen: mecha designers, mecha makers, and mecha mechanics. The main purpose of today's lecture on mechas is to impart the knowledge necessary for you all to make an informed decision on your future secondary occupation. I suggest that all of you choose one occupation from these three as your secondary occupation as it will help you in your path to becoming stronger."
Gu Yue asked in astonishment, "Teacher Wu, shouldn't we concentrate all of our energy on cultivating? At most we should just learn how to operate a mecha, right? Why do we need to take on a second job?"
Wu Zhangkong said, "If you want a powerful battle armor then you must have one that is suitable for you. Thus, powerful Battle Armor Masters will definitely be extremely familiar with their battle armors. They will either design, make, or fix it themselves. Only in this way can you gradually familiarize yourself with every detail of the armor. If you don't take on a second job, you will never be able to have the most fitting battle armor made for yourselves and never ascend to a god position."
"With the establishment of class zero, we only have one goal for you: that is to push you towards a god altar! This is a long and arduous process that you may have to dedicate your entire lives to. What I first want to do is minimize any time you may waste through inappropriate methods and then elucidate the path you must walk."
"As for what occupation you choose, don't worry about it. You all still have plenty of time to think over your choices . But at the latest, you must pick one by the third grade. Even with your talents, your path will be similar to an ordinary person's, and the sooner you begin, the better. This is the reason why within three years, you must give me an answer."
"Naturally, the three occupations I have given you are only the ones that I think are the best. They aren't your only choices, and there are still some occupations related to mechas that are open to you. In fact, there is even someone among you who has chosen already."
As he spoke, his gaze landed on Tang Wulin.
A secondary occupation? Tang Wulin immediately realized that Teacher Wu was speaking about his work as a blacksmith.
"Wulin had chosen to be a blacksmith at an exceptionally young age. I believe he is most likely extremely gifted in this field. Blacksmithing is one of the jobs I also want you all to consider. That is because from a purple battle armor onward, the creation process becomes inseparable from forging. Regardless of what job you choose, you will not be lacking in cultivation resources if you can reach five stars or more."
Tang Wulin wasn't interesting in mecha design, making, or maintenance at all since he had already embarked on the path of a blacksmith and couldn't bear to change his profession.
The remaining three students were silent. Clearly, choosing a secondary occupation was no simple matter. They were still young and weren't completely sure what they liked, but fortunately, they still had two more years to think it over. That was plenty of time to come to a decision.
Wu Zhangkong dully said, "Good then. That ends today's lesson on mechas. There are only two main points for you to remember. First, truly powerful mechas are called battle armors and all mechas of the purple grade and above are battle armors. Second, you must choose a mecha-related occupation by the third grade."
This was extremely easy for them to remember. After all, the information they learned in this class was both simple and interesting to them.
Gloxinia said, "Teacher Wu, when can we see an actual battle armor?" Ever since transmigating into this world he had been wanting to see how a battle armor actually looked like.
Wu Zhangkong gave him a look and said, "I'll let you see a battle armor after you finish the first part of your combat training. Whoever finishes first will have the opportunity to see it first. As of now, none of you have the qualifications to see."
'Combat training? Combat training between Soul Masters?'
Without giving a chance for them to ask another question, Wu Zhangkong continued, "From now on, your curriculum will place an emphasis on combat practice. Right here. Tang Wulin, move the desks to the side and clear a space in the center."
'Right here? But isn't the power of Soul Masters destructive?'
A sense of doubt arose within the hearts of the four students, but even so, they followed Wu Zhangkong's instructions.
"Gloxinia, come over here." Wu Zhangkong nodded toward Gloxinia.
"Yes." Gloxinia quickly walked over.
"How do you feel about your battle yesterday?" Wu Zhangkong coldly asked.
Gloxinia considered it for a moment before speaking. "I was too shortsighted. We're all students after all, so we shouldn't harm each other. We should have been careful to not overdo it."
Wu Zhangkong waved his hand in dismissal. "I'm not asking you about those things. I'm asking about how you felt during the battle. How did you feel the aura of the battle felt?"
Gloxinia answered, "It felt a bit disordered I guess."
Wu Zhangkong icily corrected, "Disordered? How was that disordered? It was simply a total mess."
Wu Zhangkong gazed into Tang Wulin's large eyes. "To be honest, I am very disappointed. I trained you three for three months, and you had excellent coordination skills. Yet, when the battle actually started, you gave up your advantages. Xie Xie's broken legs are simply a result of this."
Xie Xie's expression stiffened. He never expected Teacher Wu would assess him in this way.
Wu Zhangkong turned to look at Xie Xie. "Did you actually believe that you were powerful now that you've broken through to become a Soul Grandmaster? And that you could now just blindly charge at your opponents with your strength? Do you even remember the concept of a team?"
He turned back to Tang Wulin right after. "And you. I let you be the team captain because of your calm temperament, yet you actually failed to stop him or coordinate with the team. That was your responsibility. Your use of power was also a mess. You didn't truly use your martial soul at all and just charged through with brute force. What were you thinking!?"
Faced with Wu Zhangkong's criticism, Tang Wulin was completely speechless. How could he explain to Wu Zhangkong about his sudden increase in strength and how his Bluesilver Grass mutated due to the Golden Dragon King's soul, leading to the current situation where he wasn't even completely sure of his current abilities?
Wu Zhangkong finally turned to Gu Yue. "I told you to act as the team's glue yet with your battle tendencies, you created even more issues in coordinating with the team."
'Tendencies?' Tang Wulin couldn't understand what Wu Zhangkong meant with this word at all. On the other hand, Xie Xie displayed a queer expression.
Now that he thought about it, it really was as Wu Zhangkong said. From beginning to end, Gu Yue had been at Tang Wulin's side. When she exploded, it had also been due to Tang Wulin receiving an injury. But with regard to Xie Xie, she didn't seem to care at all even though she should have been supporting him with her long ranged attacking abilities.
Wu Zhangkong's few words of criticism were enough to burst a blood vessel.
Then, Wu Zhangkong's gaze swept over to Gloxinia. "The problem on your side is obvious too. You got too lost in the battle and went too far. Though I will praise you for your ingenious ways of beating your enemy.
'Teacher Wu was actually praising Gloxinia?' is what went through the minds of Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, and Xie Xie at that moment.
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Words: 3253
Author's Note: Longest chapter in this story by far.
Thank you all for so many collections and powerstones!
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