Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Star Martial Arts Campus of Suzhou No.1 Middle School was just a wall apart from the main campus area of Suzhou No.1 Middle School.
As one might expect, the Star Martial Arts Campus was where students who had awakened their Star Martial Warrior talent studied. The origin of Star Martial Warriors has mystified humans for thousands of years; tracing it back, one might have to go as far as the Mythical Era.
Humans appeared around seven million years ago, while Homo sapiens erged approximately three hundred thousand years ago. The existence of Star Martial Warriors seed to have accompanied human evolution from the very beginning.
So historians believe that the ergence of Star Martial Warriors is related to the opening of Different Dinsional Space, but biologists think that Star Martial Warriors are a product of human evolution. The gene of a Star Martial Warrior hides within human DNA, making it possible for any person to awaken it and beco a Star Martial Warrior.
Star Martial Warriors are just a part of the complex machinery that is human civilization, special individuals evolved to ensure the continued existence of humanity.
From the legends of the Mythical Era to the histories of feudal dynasties and into more recent tis, Star Martial Warriors have never been separated from the mainstream of human civilization.
In the past, awakening as a Star Martial Warrior was entirely up to destiny. But since the invention of the Soul Resonance Instrunt two hundred years ago, humans have been able to use Soul Resonance Stimulation to ensure that every individual who might awaken the talent of a Star Martial Warrior would do so successfully.
The best age for undergoing Soul Resonance is between fourteen and fifteen. Therefore, every middle school student in Jade Country undergoes uniform Soul Resonance Stimulation right before graduating from junior high. Those who awaken as Star Martial Warriors are admitted into the Star Martial Arts Campus, and those without the talent continue their studies at the main campus.
Even with the aid of the Soul Resonance Instrunt, the number of people who awaken as Star Martial Warriors remains scarce. Indeed, it’s rare to find even one among a hundred students.
Individuals with strong Star Martial Warrior talent generally do not wait until the Soul Resonance ritual to awaken. They usually awaken during puberty. For instance, the Ice and Snow Queen of the Star Martial Arts Campus awakened at the age of nine in her second grade.
Theoretically, Wang Lan should have awakened his Star Martial Warrior talent at the age of eight, but his talent was a bit special: he awakened a system.
Every self-aware Star Martial Warrior has a natural ability. Wang Lan’s natural ability was likely the Destiny System—and a very childish and idiotic one at that.
I’ve stuck by that assessnt for years, Wang Lan thought. Damn it, an awakening is an awakening, so what’s with this ’assessnt’? I’ve heard of others being assessed, but who assesses themselves? You’re my Star Martial Talent, like my own hands. What’s the point of slapping my own face with you?
Because of this, despite having awakened his Star Martial Warrior talent, Wang Lan had been forced to hide it for eight long years. He even failed the Soul Resonance awakening ceremony in junior high and was determined to have no Star Martial Warrior talent.
But I know my own situation, he thought. I simply hadn’t completed the system activation task yet.
"Lunchti!—"
Ah, the teenage boy’s particular obsession with food. At that age, no matter how much one eats, it never seems enough to last until the next al; the last half-hour is definitely endured in hunger.
With the ringing of the bell, all sixty-two students in the class whooshed out of the classroom. Wang Lan put down his phone, having just ordered takeout.
He had promised to treat the whole class to milk tea, and a man’s word is his bond.
"Xinyu, let’s go, ti to eat," invited a sweet-looking girl, hugging Jiang Xinyu’s shoulder in the Year Two, Class One classroom at the Star Martial Arts Campus.
"No thanks, not hungry."
"Why? You scored 450, a great achievent! Second in the whole city, you’ve totally outclassed all the other second-year high school students. Why are you in a bad mood?"
"Despite thrashing all the second-year students in the city, she received a ruthless whipping from that man. Sigh, the Ice-Snow Queen has been dizzy with honor since childhood, winning awards until her hands grew weary—a well-known perfect genius. But over the past seven years, that man has whipped her over eight hundred tis. He seems to have beco Xinyu’s persistent shadow. After entering senior high, we in the Star Martial Class will no longer take unified exams with the ordinary classes. This was Xinyu’s last chance to challenge the academic god. But reality is cruel; there’s a ten-point gap... Once you’re above four hundred points, each additional mark is incredibly hard to achieve... Tsk tsk tsk..."
This tone was quite cheeky, sorely tempting soone to slap it right off the speaker’s face. But those who knew them understood it was just banter between close friends.
Xu Xiangwen, Gong Feiyu, and Jiang Xinyu were not only classmates but also best friends. Only amongst themselves could they jest like this. Anyone else? Co on, let’s have a spar on the battle stage.
"Xu Xiangwen, it’s fine to have a sharp tongue, but at a ti like this? Aren’t you asking to be killed?" a sunny boy reminded him with a smile from behind.
"What does it matter if I’m killed? Wang Lan should be the one to die! He’s harbored thoughts of both loving and killing our Xinyu for so many years, never once giving ground. That guy’s intentions aren’t pure. He ans to suppress Xinyu forever. If it were , I couldn’t stand it. Xinyu, why don’t we go finish him off?"
"Cough, cough, cough..." The girl who had invited Jiang Xinyu to eat ran out of the classroom in a panic. Their way of talking was too frightening.
BANG! Jiang Xinyu suddenly slamd the desk forcefully, then rose and strode out of the room.
"Xinyu, where are you going?"
"To the neighboring campus!"
Xu Xiangwen turned in bewildernt. "What’s Xinyu going to the neighboring campus for?"
"Didn’t you just urge her to take care of Wang Lan? She’s headed there now. Wang Lan likes to stand on the rooftop and catch the breeze. Xinyu sneaks up behind Wang Lan, a gentle push... SPLAT! Utterly destroyed. Flawless!"
"Damn, are you ntally disturbed? You don’t think Xinyu will really go after Wang Lan, do you?"
"Definitely. Who else does she know at the neighboring campus besides Wang Lan? But... I guess she might have sothing to say to him, like..."
Xu Xiangwen’s eyes suddenly sparkled. "The more miserable the bullying, the deeper the love; the more the trampling, the harder it is to forget. I’ve always felt that Xinyu’s feelings for Wang Lan aren’t as simple as before, heh heh heh... Shall we go together?"
"Absolutely."
"Destiny System activation complete. System starting up! Trial mission accomplished: Great Perseverance. Reward: 100 initial skill points!"
Atop the school building’s rooftop, Wang Lan looked down at the joyful and relaxed students strolling around the campus and smiled knowingly.
Normally, this relaxed atmosphere would be absolutely impossible. Jiang Province’s education system is notoriously brutal, and the pressure on high school students is a terrifying mory that those who have experienced it would not wish to revisit.
Today was the day students returned to school after the end-of-term exams. After the campus-wide cleaning in the afternoon, sumr vacation would officially start. Free from the pressure of studies, with exam results already set in stone, the campus was filled with laughter and chatter during the lunch break.
Having waited eight years, Wang Lan couldn’t wait to dive into the newly activated system.
Upon opening the system, the character attribute interface ca into view.
Na: Wang Lan.
Character Level: Starlight Realm Level 1.
Below were the character’s various data attributes. Most figures were between eight and nine, except for strength, which stood out at twelve.
At the very bottom was the experience bar, currently empty. In the bottom right corner was the skill point count, showing a value of one hundred. As the system had hinted, these were the initial skill points received upon system activation.
Having read countless web novels, Wang Lan imdiately deduced that these skill points were likely to be a crucial item in the future, possibly fundantal to his standing and survival.
Following the character attributes page was the list of skills, which was of utmost concern to Wang Lan. For many years, never doubting that he would beco a Star Martial Warrior, he had spent significant effort on grappling, physical fitness, and combat training since he was young.
Even if Wang Lan hadn’t awakened as a Star Martial Warrior, his combat ability would still likely be at the peak among ordinary people. He could easily take down a dozen unard opponents.
The skill page was divided into Star Martial Skills and Basic Skills, each category further split into active and passive skills. Wang Lan’s face darkened at the sight of the Star Martial Skills section.
The active skill column was empty, but the passive skill column held one passive skill: Self Healing, Black Iron LV1 (0/1).
Focusing his spiritual power on Self Healing, the skill description popped up: "Rapidly recover from physical injuries."
Is this skill any good? It seems ordinary, but it’s extrely practical. In gas, it’s a Healing Skill. But this isn’t what I wanted. I’d be fine as a Mage, warrior, or assassin, but I really don’t want to be a tank! Besides, looking back through history, who ever made it big by going the heavily armored tank route? Best case, they’re called ’iron dummies’; worst case, ’iron-shelled turtles.’ And your initial skill often dictates your future path.
Why does it feel like my future is still bleak even after getting the system?
Having just awakened the system, it was normal to have no Star Martial Skill unless one ca from a Star Martial family with bloodline-inherited Star Martial Skills. Most people needed to learn Star Martial Skills.
Wang Lan imdiately shifted his attention to the Basic Skills page. While playing gas, basic skills might be overlooked, but this wasn’t a ga world; the importance of Basic Skills was no less than that of Star Martial Skills.
A saying circulated in the world of Star Martial Warriors: Star Martial Skills determine a Star Martial Warrior’s upper limit, while Basic Skills determine their lower limit. Even without Star Martial Skills, cultivating Basic Skills alone could make one a powerful Star Martial Warrior.
Extre as this saying might be, it held so truth.
Using Star Martial Skills required consuming Star Power, which was like mana for Star Martial Warriors. Unless absolutely necessary, it was best to conserve mana. With proficient Basic Skills, one could still defeat an enemy with a single move.
Hand-to-Hand Combat, Black Iron LV8 (0/1)
Close Combat Sword Skill, Black Iron LV3 (0/1)
movent technique, Bronze LV1 (0/10)
Inch Strength Fist, Bronze LV3 (0/10)
Among the Basic Skills, two had reached Bronze level. The numbers in parentheses should be the required skill points. Seeing this, Wang Lan now confird the purpose of the skill points. He also understood that whether he would feast or go hungry in the future mainly depended on how he could acquire more skill points.
Advancing a Bronze level skill by one level would require ten skill points. By extension, improving a skill to Silver level would likely require a hundred points, and going from level one to ten would an a thousand points. For a Gold level skill, it could be ten thousand...
Wow, this feels like an endless pit!
Inch Strength Fist: Active skill. A single punch unleashes triple the fist’s power.
These impressive numbers and skills were the results of Wang Lan’s seven years of cultivation. Moreover, his progress had been slow in the earlier years due to his lack of physical developnt; only in the last two years had his training rapidly improved.
A faint fragrance wafted to his nose, pulling Wang Lan from his contemplative state.
Unknowingly, a slender and graceful girl had appeared beside him.
"You really are here..." Her words were filled with a sense of long separation.
Since Jiang Xinyu had started attending the Star Martial Arts Campus, this was the first ti in two years that Wang Lan had seen her up close. The once naive child he rembered had unknowingly grown up.
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