Chapter 19

After finally absorbing all those memories, Suye's expression shifted slightly. He hurriedly opened his Magic Book, with no time to look at the new Magic Letter, instead checking the course catalogs for last year and this year! Suye stared at the schedule, his face stiff, his gaze vacant.

At that moment, Suye even felt that all the effort he had put into surviving Lawrence's clutches might have been a mistake.

Suye stared at the course catalog and began to count.

First: Greek Language.

Second: Roman Language.

Third: Egyptian Language.

Fourth: Persian Language.

Fifth: Norse Language.

Sixth: Geography.

Seventh: Climatology.

Eighth: Botany.

Ninth: Zoology.

Tenth: World History.

Eleventh: Greek History.

Twelfth: Religious Studies.

Thirteenth: Navigation.

Fourteenth: Oceanography.

Fifteenth: Marine Biology.

Sixteenth: Mathematics.

Seventeenth: Geometry.

Eighteenth: Music Class.

Nineteenth: Art Class.

Twentieth: Epic Poetry Class.

Twenty-first: Weaponry.

Twenty-second: Military Formation.

Twenty-third: Running Class.

Twenty-fourth: Driving Class.

Elective courses: Drama, Sculpture, Harp, Speech, Egyptian History, Persian History, Roman History, Norse History, Discus Class, Wrestling Class, Grappling Class, Boxing Class, Armed Running, Javelin Class, Long Jump—fifteen courses in total.

These were just last year's courses. This year, not only would he continue studying them, but new courses had also been added.

Suye, his mind a mess of mush, continued counting.

Twenty-fifth: Dragon Clan Language.

Twenty-sixth: Giant Language.

Twenty-seventh: Dwarf Language.

Twenty-eighth: Devil Language.

Twenty-ninth: Elemental Language.

Thirtieth: Underworld Language.

Thirty-first: Magic Geometry.

Thirty-second: Magic Mathematics.

Thirty-third: Potion Making.

Thirty-fourth: Puppetry.

Thirty-fifth: Magic Array Study.

Thirty-sixth: Magic Artifact Study.

Thirty-seventh: Spell Study.

Thirty-eighth: Magical Beast Study.

Thirty-ninth: Elemental Study.

Fortieth: Prophecy.

Forty-first: Illusion Study.

Forty-second: Mind Study.

Forty-third: Witchcraft History.

Forty-fourth: Magic History.

Forty-fifth: Meditation Study.

Forty-sixth: Magic Combat Study.

Forty-seventh: Astrology.

Forty-eighth: Gemology.

Forty-ninth: Fighting Study.

Fiftieth: War Technique Study.

Fifty-first: Alchemy Knowledge.

Fifty-second: Sacrifice Study.

Fifty-third: Basic Magic Study.

Fifty-fourth: Talent Study.

Fifty-fifth: Wilderness Survival Class.

After Su Ye finished counting the long list of courses on the syllabus, his mind was on the verge of collapse.

His head buzzed incessantly, threatening to explode.

He had thought the education on Blue Star was terrifying enough, but compared to Plato Academy, which required studying fifty-five major courses in a single year, it was practically infant and toddler early education.

This was only the second year. Who knew how many more courses would be added next year? Would it eventually be a hundred courses a year?

Who could endure that!

At this moment, one sentence kept echoing in Su Ye's mind.

Auntie, I don't want to work hard anymore.

Su Ye felt his worldview had been utterly shattered. He had fought tooth and nail to survive, and this was his reward? Plato Hell? Teachers of Plato Academy, please, just act like human beings!

Before this, Su Ye had thought the previous Su Ye was too much of an academic trash. But now, looking at it, if he had come to study here at age fifteen on Blue Star, he might not have turned out any better.

Su Ye groggily recalled the composition of this class.

One part consisted of those who passed talent tests, either with warrior or mage talents. Plato Academy not only waived their tuition but also provided various living subsidies.

Another part were descendants of powerful mages or warriors.

Another part came through the strong backgrounds of their families or relatives.

Hote was recommended by the military, a rare exception.

The last remaining group were people like Su Ye, whose families had paid a large sum of money to get in.

Students like Su Ye were at the very bottom of Plato Academy's chain of contempt.

Yet, most students who paid their way into Plato Academy had been planned out by their parents since childhood, learning all kinds of knowledge, and their future achievements were not low.

Su Ye was not like that.

Since childhood, Su Ye had spent every day running off to Lion Harbor to play, all the way until he was fifteen.

His childhood was very happy.

His youth was very tragic.

"I must be dreaming. This dream is too terrifying. Wake up quickly..."

Su Ye closed his eyes and chanted silently for a long time. When he opened them, Teacher Niedern was on the podium, rambling on in Egyptian that Su Ye couldn't understand at all.

Su Ye couldn't believe he was this miserable. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the course list in the Magic Book again, counting the courses one by one.

"Fifty-five."

A nightmare of a number.

Su Ye suddenly had a bad feeling. He tried his best to recall the learning content from last year.

In the end, he found that his brain had almost no memory of any knowledge, only two feelings.

One was being too tired.

The other was being too difficult.

"What did you do last year!" Su Ye roared at himself in his heart. He really wanted to drag out that Athenian youth from his dream and give him a good beating.

Su Ye's heart was filled with grief and indignation. Normal people either had a bumpy road that eventually smoothed out, or they overcame difficulties and gained something. But him? It was just one bump after another, with no end in sight! Su Ye really wanted to go back to yesterday, see Lawrence again, lie down on the ground, close his eyes, and say, "No money to give, only my life to take! Have mercy, just do it!"

After sleepwalking for a long time, Su Ye slowly regained his senses.

He lowered his head, looking at his thumb and index finger pressed together, but he just couldn't double-tap.

"Still need to cultivate. The habit I've nurtured for years, scared off by fifty-five courses."

After a long while, Su Ye once again asked himself the question he had asked Lakin countless times over the years.

"At this very moment, what should I do most?"

"Study?"

"Pick another one!" Su Ye roared in his heart.

Suye suffered an unprecedented setback, vaguely feeling as though a ball of flame was lodged in his chest.

Suye suddenly closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply. He abandoned thought, abandoned random musings, abandoned judgment, carefully focusing on the discomfort in his chest, on every subtle detail of his body.

Only feeling the body.

Slowly, Suye's breathing grew steadier and steadier.

Before long, Suye reopened his eyes, his gaze clear.

"At this moment, what should I do?"

"Mm... I understand."

Suye opened the Magic Book, set it to a mode visible only to himself, and began to write and draw.

It took a full half of the class period before Suye let out a long sigh.

"Though most of the knowledge I learned in the past is useless, those transferable skills still work."

Suye had completely sorted everything out. His eyes were not only clearer but also held a faint new glimmer.

"With direction and goals set, identity confirmed, after examining from top to bottom, I need to start climbing from bottom to top."

Suye opened the course schedule again. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, then instantly returned to normal.

"To pass, I have to thoroughly understand the Plato Academy exam rules."

Suye began flipping through the exam instructions. After reading, he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the inhuman teachers of Plato Academy also understood that it was unrealistic for a student to master all knowledge, so they had set up different modes for passing.