The only sound in the empty classroom was the scrape of his chair echoing. The corner seat by the window was his usual fortress.
He had confirmed the final exam schedule in the class group chat last night.
The academic subjects were scheduled for January 9th, with the Martial Dao techniques and physical rank tests on January 10th.
The greatest obstacle standing between him and his goal of placing in the top ten was the final point of experience needed for [Technique: Blade Arts · Advanced (Greater Achievement 99/100)].
It was an invisible, intangible, yet incredibly solid bottleneck. Breaking through it would mean stepping into the Great Perfection Realm, putting him just one step away from the pinnacle of blade arts.
His greatest asset and hope still lay in leveling up his [Scholar] class.
As a Lv. 2 Scholar, he had gained Lv. 2 [Absolute Focus], which boosted his comprehension by 20%.
This was already an invaluable asset. But it wasn't enough. Far from it.
'A Lv. 3 Scholar! That would mean Lv. 3 [Absolute Focus], and my comprehension boost would reach a terrifying 30%.'
When that happened, his ability to analyze, comprehend, and master his blade arts would take a quantum leap. Only then would his chances of breaking this final bottleneck to the Great Perfection Realm be maximized.
'The Scholar class is the cornerstone of my Martial Dao path. I have to level it up, and fast! Nothing is more important!'
'Six hours of grinding XP every day, rain or shine! This is my battlefield, my race against time, my grapple with fate.'
He flipped open *High-Energy Mathematics Foundation Theory* and dove into its ocean of complex and esoteric formulas.
Ten minutes later.
[You have studied diligently for ten minutes. Scholar Experience +1]
[Class: Scholar Lv. 2 (8→9/200)]
A cold notification popped up, but it was a blazing testament to the solid progress he was making toward his goal.
"Morning, Grind King." A familiar, boisterous voice called from the doorway. Wei Wu pushed the door open, right on time.
"Morning!" Li Wen replied, looking up from his book.
Wei Wu seemed a little different today, his face filled with unconcealed curiosity. He bounded over to Li Wen's desk in a few quick strides, his small eyes fixed on Li Wen as he lowered his voice to a whisper:
"Li Wen, I heard... your blade technique is almost at the Great Perfection Realm? For real?"
Li Wen set his book down. He met his friend's gaze calmly and nodded without hesitation. "It's true."
At this point, there was no need to hide it. He'd already chosen to display his transformed blade technique in front of everyone, so he wasn't afraid of the gossip.
This was tied to his application for the Starlight Class and his chances of winning the crucial Most Improved award at the end of the term.
Besides, a breakthrough from Greater Achievement to Great Perfection wasn't exactly earth-shattering, not when there were so many dark horses among the seniors every year.
The massive external threats facing human civilization meant the Galaxy Alliance was happy to see more geniuses emerge, not suppress them.
"It's really true! Holy shit!" Even though he had steeled himself for it, Wei Wu was so excited his voice cracked, and his small eyes went wide.
"Don't tell me you actually... 'Awakened,' did you? You know, the legendary kind—where years of hard work suddenly pay off in an explosion of potential?!"
Wei Wu's face flushed with excitement, as if this amazing thing had happened to him. He started describing the possibilities with relish:
"If you really Awakened, man, that's huge! A total meteoric rise! The Fire Hall! The Virtual Company! All the big factions will catch wind and scramble to sign you! You might even land an S-rank contract right out of the gate! You'd be set for life—on top of the world, marrying some gorgeous heiress..."
"Ahem..." Li Wen had to interrupt his increasingly excited deskmate's grand fantasy. "It's not that dramatic." 'Even so,' Li Wen thought, 'a faint ripple of excitement stirred within him.'
'Getting signed early by one of those top-tier factions with their massive resources? He'd definitely thought about it.'
Within the human Galaxy Alliance, four colossal powers stood at the top:
The [Fire Hall], responsible for cultivating top-tier talent;
The [Virtual Company], controlling the virtual world and information networks;
The [Galaxy Bank], controlling all economic lifelines;
And the [Mercenary Alliance], spearheading external exploration, Mercenary operations, and the acquisition of rare resources.
They were behemoths that transcended nations, collectively ensuring humanity's survival and progress against the threat of Demon Beasts.
Rumor had it that the true geniuses scouted by these giants were signed early, receiving generous resources and access to elite training systems as an "investment."
Even the lowest-tier contract was easily worth over a million Huaxia Coins. As for the higher S-rank... rumor was it involved astronomical sums capable of launching an ordinary person straight into the stratosphere.
'If I could get signed early by any one of them... The Starlight Class? That would just be a launchpad! Resources? They'd be endless!'
The thought made his heart pound, in spite of his usual composure. But he quickly reined himself in.
'With the little talent I've shown so far? It might be outstanding at Bluestone Third Middle School, but compared to the rest of Bluestone County, or the massive pool of seniors in all of Hua Country... I probably couldn't even touch the lowest D-rank contract.'
In all of Bluestone County's current graduating class, only those few prodigies from First Middle School who had reached the Unity Realm had been signed by the major factions.
And from what he'd heard, the best any of them got was a B-rank contract; most only received C or D-rank.
The contract rank was a direct reflection of a faction's assessment of a person's future potential. The higher the rank, the more highly they were regarded.
'As for me, Li Wen... I still have a long, long way to go.'
Brought back to earth by Li Wen's rational analysis, Wei Wu finally cooled down from his fevered fantasies. Still buzzing with excitement, he clicked his tongue and sank back into his seat.
But the awe and vicarious excitement of seeing his friend on the verge of skyrocketing to success stayed with him, making it hard to focus for the rest of the morning.
Time flew by as if on fast-forward.
RING RING RING— The bell signaling the end of morning classes rang right on time.
[Class: Scholar Lv. 2 (9→44/200)]
'Six hours of hard study for 36 experience points,' Li Wen calculated. 'The rate is consistent. At this pace, in five more days—by January 6th—I'll have the 200 points I need. The Scholar class will hit Lv. 3!'
'January 6th. That leaves three days before the academic finals on the 9th.'
'And four days before the Martial Dao test on the 10th.'
'In other words, the 30% comprehension boost from becoming a Lv. 3 Scholar will be my sharpest weapon for breaking through to the Great Perfection Realm, and maybe even for making a start on top-tier blade arts.'
'Time... it's tight, but I should have enough.' He expertly and swiftly stacked the books spread across his desk, tucking them back into his desk drawer.
Li Wen stood up. As he stretched, his joints gave a faint pop, releasing the stiffness from sitting for so long.
He felt the ache in his muscles, took a deep breath, and strode out of the classroom.
Outside in the hallway, the rare warmth of the midday winter sun spilled down, illuminating his back as he headed for the cafeteria. His posture was even more resolute than it had been that morning.