Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Ranking Competition_1
Military Martial Arts Academy, Administrative Departnt.
Wang Zhan was locked in a staring contest with the staff mber from the Academic Credits Managent Office.
Between them, on the table, lay Wang Zhan’s backpack. Its zipper was open, revealing a bag full of beast cores spread out before them.
"One level 3 beast core, ten level 2 beast cores, and over thirty level 1 beast cores, and you’re telling
I can only exchange them for 6,000 academic credits?" Wang Zhan couldn’t believe his ears.
"Calm down, student." The staff mber, slightly intimidated by Wang Zhan’s intensity, took a small step back but quickly stood firm. "The conversion rates for academic credits are fixed: 100 points for a level 1 beast core, 300 for level 2, and 500 for level 3. The prices are clearly posted."
"A level 3 beast is equivalent to a human level 4 Martial Artist, and it’s only worth 500 academic credits?" Wang Zhan’s voice suddenly rose. "So I, a level 2 Martial Artist, with strength equivalent to a level 1 beast, am only worth 100 points?"
"Well, I’ve never heard a student compare themselves to a beast before, but yes, that’s correct."
"You... never mind." Wang Zhan shook his head helplessly. There was no point arguing about this.
The staff mber quickly processed the exchange and handed Wang Zhan’s Academic Credits Card back to him.
"Student Wang, you still owe the academy 4,000 academic credits."
"What about my mission reward?"
"Your mission was assigned by a ntor, and ntor Duan Kun didn’t specify any reward for it," the staff mber responded truthfully.
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhan was montarily speechless.
"Alright, I get it." Rolling his eyes, Wang Zhan handed over the already packed equipnt box.
"This is the soldier-level equipnt the academy lent . I’m returning it as well."
After settling these trivial matters, Wang Zhan received a communication from Duan Kun and went to his office.
"Teacher Sun told
about your accomplishnts. You’re even more outstanding than I imagined." Duan Kun gestured for Wang Zhan to sit down and then said, "For the ti being, just stay put and focus at the academy. You seem to have lost so weight. Have you reached the physical limit for a level 2 Martial Artist?"
"Yes." Wang Zhan was inwardly shocked by Duan Kun’s insight. A re glance was enough for him to discern my current state.
After the fight with the man in black, Wang Zhan’s three main attributes had all reached 400 points, the limit for a level 2 Martial Artist. Only upon breaking through to level 3 Martial Artist would this cap increase to 550 points.
"Go back and focus on your cultivation, but don’t neglect your coursework," Duan Kun advised. He knew Wang Zhan had his own way of doing things and didn’t want to restrict him too much.
As long as his cultivation progressed without issues, Duan Kun was happy to let Wang Zhan proceed at his own pace.
Wang Zhan agreed and then returned to his dormitory.
For the next few days, Wang Zhan dutifully followed a routine, just like the other students.
He attended classes during the day and cultivated the Essence Concentrating Skill alone in his dormitory at night, or went to an empty training ground to practice his martial arts.
Academy life was typically uneventful yet fulfilling. Although Wang Zhan occasionally missed the thrill of constant battle and improvent in the Wilderness Area, he resolved to wait until he broke through to level 3 Martial Artist before venturing out again.
「In the classroom.」
This was an ideology class. The teacher on the dais was passionately recounting the long history of enmity between humanity and the beasts, as well as the current predicant humans faced.
Below, many students were moved by the tales of heroism, their eyes red-rimd, teeth gritted, looking as if they wanted to tear the beasts apart with their bare hands.
Wang Zhan, however, was slumped in a corner, listlessly observing the chubby boy next to him.
More specifically, at the ga console in the chubby boy’s hands.
When ’GA OVER’ flashed on the screen, Wang Zhan couldn’t help but chuckle.
"PFFT... Sorry, I couldn’t help it." Sensing the chubby boy’s resentful glare, Wang Zhan quickly waved his hands in apology.
"Is it funny? Do you have any idea how hard this ga is?" the chubby boy retorted indignantly, thrusting the ga console at Wang Zhan. "You try it! Let’s see how good you are."
"Alright, I’ll give it a shot," Wang Zhan replied nonchalantly.
The chubby boy was playing a role-playing ga focused on boss battles. However, the boss’s chanics were sowhat excessive; its skills were instant kills with very fast casting tis, often leaving no room to react.
That was how the chubby boy had failed.
However, for soone like Wang Zhan, whose reflexes were honed to perfection, this kind of ga was re child’s play.
About half an hour later, Wang Zhan beat the ga and handed the console back to the chubby boy.
Seeing the chubby boy’s utterly defeated expression, his face scrunched up as he struggled for words, Wang Zhan adopted an innocent look.
"Seems pretty simple to ."
"Stupid ga! I’m done with it!" The chubby boy muttered, stuffing the console away.
Then, he turned to Wang Zhan, a broad smile spreading across his chubby face. "Brother Zhan, you’re not only a cultivation genius but also incredible at gas! This little brother is full of admiration!"
The chubby boy’s abrupt change in deanor left Wang Zhan montarily stunned.
"What’s your na?"
"I’m Cheng Shu," the chubby boy chuckled. "Brother Zhan, you’re practically the top figure in the Military Martial Arts Academy’s first year now. Why are you still attending classes in person?"
"What kind of question is that? If I don’t co myself, should I send a substitute?" Wang Zhan paused, then asked, "And what do you an, ’top figure’?"
Cheng Shu looked surprised. "You don’t know? Didn’t you take down Xu Junyuan from the second year?"
"’Take down’? It was a spar. Can friendly competition between classmates be called ’taking soone down’?" Wang Zhan corrected.
He and Xu Junyuan didn’t have any real conflict. In fact, at the end of their match, Xu Junyuan had even shown concern for his safety and warned him.
Ultimately, it was just a matter of youthful pride. Since Wang Zhan had won, there was no need to disparage Xu Junyuan further.
"A spar, right, a spar," Cheng Shu nodded quickly. "After that, Xu Junyuan was looked down upon by so in Year 2. In a fit of anger, he successively challenged and defeated several experts ranked above him."
"Is that so? I rember Xu Junyuan was ranked ninth among the Year 2 students, wasn’t he?" Wang Zhan recalled.
"He’s sixth now." Cheng Shu’s face filled with admiration as he spoke. "I was there watching. I originally thought Xu Junyuan was just too weak, but now it’s clear that you, Brother Zhan, are just too formidable. Truly a formidable person!"
"Don’t praise
too much, or I’ll get arrogant," Wang Zhan said, feigning coyness for a mont before asking curiously, "What’s this about rankings? Do we Year 1 students have them too?"
"Huh? Brother Zhan, you don’t even know about this?" Cheng Shu was astonished. "The academy’s ranking competition is in a week! It’s held for every grade level."
"Nobody told ," Wang Zhan replied, equally surprised. How co I don’t know anything?
Just then, the teacher on the dais concluded the lecture and also brought up the ranking competition.
"All of you must prepare thoroughly for the ranking competition in a week. This is the most important event each sester, as your final rank will determine the level of resources the academy invests in your developnt," the teacher stated concisely. "Each grade has roughly one thousand students, and every hundred ranks constitute a different tier of support. You’d all best strive to do well."
With that, the teacher dismissed the class and left the classroom.
Wang Zhan took the initiative to exchange contact information with Cheng Shu, who looked utterly flattered as he left.
According to Cheng Shu, Brother Zhan was aloof and didn’t bother with anyone in Year 1. He was the first person Brother Zhan had spoken to, sothing he could brag about for ages.
To this, Wang Zhan’s only reply was a single word: "Scram."
After class, Wang Zhan returned to his dormitory and started browsing the academy’s online forum, searching for information about the ranking competition.
He didn’t even need to search. The mont he opened the forum’s hopage, he saw a dedicated section for the ranking competition.
Clicking on it, he found most posts were discussions debating the relative strengths of various prominent figures within the academy.
The students generally knew who the powerhouses in their respective grades were, but opinions varied wildly. Since posts were anonymous, everyone was having a grand ti arguing back and forth on the forum.
However, when it ca to the top rank in Year 1, every single person ntioned Wang Zhan’s na.
"Wang Zhan thrashed Xu Junyuan right at the start of the term. That guy is a total anomaly in Year 1!"
"I suggest Wang Zhan go fight the upperclassn."
"I suggest Wang Zhan go fight the graduates!"
"I suggest Wang Zhan just graduate already and go earn rit on the battlefield!"
The suggestions grew increasingly outlandish, making even Wang Zhan feel a bit embarrassed as he read them.
I didn’t realize I was so popular among the Year 1 students, Wang Zhan thought, secretly pleased. He then posted a reply: "I suggest Wang Zhan make imnse contributions on the battlefield, then co back and beco the dean."
After scrolling through posts praising him for a while, Wang Zhan found so informative threads and quickly got a clear understanding of the ranking competition.
Simply put, the academy organized this event to selectively nurture talented students.
It was held approximately two months after the start of each sester, giving students ample ti to prepare.
Besides the rankings that most students cared about, the top ten participants in the ranking competition also received substantial academic credit rewards.
The reward for first place in Year 1 is only 3,000 academic credits plus a choice of one cultivation technique manual? That’s a bit of a ’chicken rib’ reward, Wang Zhan mused, pursing his lips.
Indeed, 3,000 academic credits was a significant amount. Wang Zhan was an anomaly; other Year 1 students hadn’t even been to the Wilderness Area yet, so they had no way to earn academic credits.
Even adding a cultivation technique manual of one’s choice, which is worth at least 10,000 points, the reward is substantial. But the key thing is, I don’t need it, Wang Zhan thought, feeling a bit frustrated.
After so thought, Wang Zhan called Duan Kun.
"ntor, can the first-place reward for the ranking competition be exchanged directly for academic credits?" Wang Zhan asked.
"Exchange for academic credits? You don’t want the soldier-level suit and would rather have academic credits?" Duan Kun sounded incredulous.
Wang Zhan was stunned.
"Isn’t it 3,000 academic credits plus a choice of one cultivation technique manual? Where did a soldier-level suit co from?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you!" Duan Kun slapped his forehead. "Don’t bother with the Year 1 ranking competition. I’ve signed you up for the Year 2 competition. You’ll be fighting the older students."
"Old Duan! How could you forget to tell
sothing like that?" Wang Zhan’s expression darkened considerably.
"COUGH, COUGH. I have sothing urgent to attend to. I’ll hang up now."
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