Translator: CinderTL
Star City Academy.
Waking up early, Feng Qi received a call from Fang Zhiyou.
Fang Zhiyou informed him that he had completed the withdrawal procedures and was ready to report to Star City Academy at any time.
Upon hearing this, Feng Qi immediately replied that he could report today.
Fang Zhiyou didn't object, saying that his luggage was already packed and he would be there shortly.
After getting up and washing, Feng Qi went to the academy's main gate to wait.
An hour later, Fang Zhiyou arrived with his parents.
After explaining the situation to the gatekeeper and receiving confirmation from Bai Fusheng, Father Fang drove Feng Qi into Star City Academy.
The scenery along the way filled Father Fang and Mother Fang with emotion.
Star City Academy had been their dream in their youth, but also their regret.
That was why they had wanted Fang Zhiyou to attend Star City Academy, hoping he could fulfill their youthful aspirations.
Now, in a roundabout way, Fang Zhiyou had entered the academy.
Their dream was half realized.
The car slowly pulled up in front of the dormitory building. With Feng Qi's help, Fang Zhiyou completed the registration process and was assigned room 302, right next door to Feng Qi's room.
Father Fang and Mother Fang then began unpacking the large bags and boxes, helping Fang Zhiyou settle into his new room.
Once everything was organized, Feng Qi took Father Fang, Mother Fang, and Fang Zhiyou to the Academy Cafeteria for breakfast. During the meal, Father Fang and Mother Fang grew increasingly impressed with Star City Academy.
Before leaving, they repeatedly urged Fang Zhiyou to study hard and make a name for himself. Feng Qi had no doubt that if he had offered to stay and tutor Fang Zhiyou, Father Fang and Mother Fang would have chosen to remain there.
After Fang Zhiyou's parents departed, Feng Qi took him to Bai Fusheng to collect a key to the academy's computer lab. This would serve as Fang Zhiyou's workspace for developing the "Virtual Engine," and it even included a separate room that could be used as a rest area.
As for forming the Virtual Game Team, Feng Qi and Fang Zhiyou discussed the matter. During their conversation, Fang Zhiyou shared some good news: he had connected online with a group of gaming enthusiasts, including some with art skills, who were interested in collaborating on the realistic virtual game project.
This was undoubtedly good news for Feng Qi, saving him the trouble of recruiting artists from outside.
As for the issue of their lack of technical expertise, there was no need to worry.
Once the Future Virtual Engine was completed, they would have to start from scratch and explore the art content refined by the engine.
As long as they were willing to learn, their current skill level wouldn't be a problem.
Feng Qi simply handed over the task of assembling the team to Fang Zhiyou, instructing him to directly contact him for future artist arrangements. He would find a way to get them admitted to Star City Academy.
Facing Feng Qi's trust, Fang Zhiyou exuded confidence.
Having always grown up under parental pressure, he felt truly free for the first time and was eager to make a name for himself.
After arranging Fang Zhiyou, Feng Qi returned to his dorm.
While the plans for Fang Zhiyou's team were now on track, one crucial issue remained unresolved: future funding.
Aside from Fang Zhiyou, who wouldn't need a salary due to his equity stake, the other artists would undoubtedly require compensation. No one would work for free.
Moreover, there were the later expenses for advertising and traffic acquisition.
He also needed to pay for outsourced game music production and other expenses.
He realized there were many more places to spend money.
A few million was just a drop in the bucket, nowhere near enough. He needed to find other ways to solve his funding shortage.
His current plan was to take Liu Yue, Mu Qing, and the others to a Domain Field to gather resources when the time was right.
Domain Fields were fraught with danger, but the rewards were immense.
Ordinary battle groups could easily earn tens of millions on a single trip to a low-risk Domain Field.
For high-risk fields with abundant resources, making over a hundred million on a single trip was easy.
In this world, the highest earners were domain combat team warriors, even surpassing the income of research scientists at academies.
They lived on the edge, their lives constantly at risk.
And all the research resources used by the academies were brought back from the Domain Fields by these battle group warriors, who fought and bled for them.
Lost in thoughts of the future, time flew by.
He glanced at the clock and realized it was lunchtime. He immediately stood up and left his dorm room.
Academy Cafeteria
The Three Hungry Musketeers gathered in the north corner of the Academy Cafeteria.
Midway through their meal, Lin Ran kept glancing at Feng Qi, finally unable to contain his curiosity. "Brother Qi, I feel like you've gotten even more handsome."
"Really?" Feng Qi asked without looking up, continuing to eat heartily.
"Definitely! Your entire aura has clearly improved. Did you recently discover a special cultivation technique to enhance your appearance?" Lin Ran put down his chopsticks, speaking with certainty.
Feng Qi knew the answer to Lin Ran's question, of course.
After completing his Bloodline Advancement in the Dream Realm, he had noticed his appearance had improved, especially his skin, which was now fair with a rosy glow, appearing as delicate as a newborn's.
[What's so good about the Dead Softboy Form? The Battle Body Form is way cooler! Those dark red veins on the bones are so badass. If he activated his Blood Origin Form, he'd be even more awesome, radiating pure power. One punch to knock out every Dead Softboy!]
"Brother Qi, your looks are now on par with mine! You're seriously handsome!" Lin Ran affirmed again.
[Handsome my ass! Let him see your Battle Body Form, and he'll be crying in terror.]
Feng Qi: ...
In truth, he wasn't entirely satisfied with the changes to his human form either.
His complexion, once healthy, had transformed into this unfamiliar state, making him feel quite uncomfortable.
But there was nothing he could do. The defining characteristic of the human body form was that all attribute points were allocated to mental strength, leaving the physical body extremely fragile.
The Battle Body Form was completely different.
All attribute points were invested in physical strength, even at the expense of the flesh.
After acquiring the "Steel Bones" ability, his bone density surpassed that of steel, significantly enhancing his close-combat prowess.
Yet, he yearned for a more balanced form—one with evenly distributed attributes.
Ignoring Lin Ran's compliments on his appearance, he lowered his head and continued eating.
Lin Ran seemed deeply concerned about his change in appearance, while Mu Qing, seated across from him, remained completely unfazed. During their meal, her eyes were focused solely on the food.
Whenever she tasted something delicious, a blissful, ecstatic expression would spread across her face, fully immersed in the joy of eating.
Feng Qi found that dining with Mu Qing always improved his appetite.
He mused that if she had been a food streamer before the Cataclysm, she would have likely amassed a huge following with her impressive eating skills.
After finishing lunch and bidding farewell to the still-hungry Mu Qing, he and Lin Ran headed straight to the library.
With no afternoon classes, Feng Qi decided to spend the time studying at the library with Lin Ran.
At the same time, he resolved to stop obstructing Lin Ran's study of cultivation arts.
After all, even without Old Wang and Lin Ran, the Lord of the Mist would still find new hosts.
Lin Ran was visibly surprised by Feng Qi's change of attitude. He had even taken the initiative to fetch a basic textbook on cultivation technique research for him.
Sitting in the reading room, Lin Ran kept glancing at Feng Qi, finally unable to contain his curiosity.
"Brother Qi, have you been possessed or something? Yesterday you wouldn't let me study cultivation arts, but today you've completely changed."
Thinking about Feng Qi's recent change in appearance, Lin Ran grew even more puzzled.
Feng Qi looked up at Lin Ran, who was studying him with a suspicious expression. His face remained impassive as he replied, "I definitely haven't been possessed. But you should be careful. Cultivation Technique Research is an extremely risky path. There's a real chance of being possessed."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I'm not going to explain. Even if I did, you wouldn't listen. Even if you listened, you wouldn't believe me. And even if you believed me, you wouldn't change your ways."
"Brother Qi, why have you become such a cryptic riddle-master like Liu Yue?" Lin Ran asked, completely baffled.
"Read your book and study," Feng Qi replied without lifting his head.
At that moment, he thought of Lin Ran, possessed by the Lord of the Mist. He had purple hair and purple eyes, and his entire being exuded an eerie aura.
The possessed Lin Ran had clearly lost his consciousness.
Except for his physical form and name, his inner self had become entirely the Lord of the Mist.
Recalling Lin Ran's suspicion that he had been body possessed, a sudden spark of inspiration ignited in his mind. He set down his book and looked at Lin Ran.
"A'Ran, I have a question for you."
Lin Ran, engrossed in studying cultivation arts, looked up curiously. "What is it?"
"Could you develop a special art magic that would allow your consciousness to counter-possess its host if it were ever possessed by an external force?"
"Forgive my ignorance, but I don't understand."
"For example, if your consciousness were possessed by an external force, and your consciousness was no match for the possessing entity, the only outcome would be its complete annihilation. But if your consciousness could counter-possess, it could stealthily infiltrate the possessing consciousness in an undetectable manner, gradually absorbing its power to strengthen itself. Eventually, it could devour the possessing consciousness and reclaim your body."
Lin Ran: ...
"Brother Qi, have you really been body possessed? Do you need such a special art magic?"
"Just assume I've been body possessed. Is there a way to resolve this?" Feng Qi asked immediately.
Just now, he had thought of a way to counter the Lord of the Mist.
The plan was for Lin Ran to develop a cultivation technique that would preserve a seed of his consciousness before it was completely devoured. This seed would then parasitize the Lord of the Mist, absorbing its power to grow stronger.
If this method succeeded, Feng Qi would snap his fingers when he arrived in the year 1500.
That snap would summon Lin Ran, who was parasitizing the Lord of the Mist's consciousness, allowing him to reclaim his body.
With the Lord of the Mist's power, Lin Ran would become a formidable ally in Feng Qi's future Dream Realm.
[Narrator's Note: Launcher Feng Qi, Suction Cup, Little Black Demon's War-Immune Armor, plus a mount from the Lord of the Mist... If this plan truly succeeds, my son will become incredibly powerful! Hahaha!]
Feng Qi: ...
Ignoring the Narrator's sarcastic comment, he looked at Lin Ran, waiting for his answer.
"I haven't studied that kind of thing, and I don't want to waste my energy on it. It seems completely useless."
"Do you trust me?"
"I do."
"Then try researching an art magic to counter consciousness parasitism."
"Can't I skip it?"
"You research, and I'll teach you cultivation arts knowledge."
"Alright!"
Lin Ran's face lit up with a smile when he heard Feng Qi's offer to teach him cultivation arts knowledge.
Looking at Lin Ran, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
He had planted a seed for the future. Whether it would sprout depended on Lin Ran's own efforts.
With this thought, a smile spread across his face.
If fate allows, we'll meet again in the future. Perhaps you'll even become my colleague.
(End of the Chapter)