Level Zero Academia

Even while dormant, the Elemental Bubble instinctively secretes Bubble Technique around itself as it breathes, expanding and contracting to protect itself.

When foreign objects approach, these bubbles actively move to meet them, exploding with a "pop."

"Ouch, that hurts!"

Under Bailing's instruction, Reilo reached out to be hit by a defensive bubble and cried out in pain.

His skin was a little bruised, as if he'd been hit with willow branches.

"Hehehe, fun, right? Our goal for the next few days is to study the mechanism of its bubble secretion, thereby completing your first Evolution's Profound Meaning academic construct, Bubble Technique!"

Having played enough with the bubbles, Bailing giggled and placed it on the lab bench.

"Phew!"

Reilo blew on his swollen, painful index finger, standing behind Bailing.

"Junior disciple, for scholars who study Evolution's Profound Meaning, this world's vast and complex biosphere, evolved over billions of years, is the greatest gift it offers us! Dissecting biological specimens, analyzing their physiological mysteries through their mechanisms and tissues, and then simulating and replicating them with Energy Magnetic Field to master the unique abilities of the dissected specimens – this is the meaning of our existence as scholars of <Evolution's Profound Meaning!"

Reilo exclaimed in surprise, "Then can we also master the powers of those magical beasts?"

Shaking her head, Bailing quickly explained, "Like all academics, the higher the evolutionary level of the dissected creature, the more complex its internal tissues become. Our Energy Magnetic Field also needs to be of a corresponding level to perform the relevant simulations."

She paused and gave an example, "For instance, this Elemental Bubble we are studying now, as a zero-level elemental creature, its bodily functions are very simple. Its Bubble Technique is a zero-level basic academic."

Bailing used special glue to affix the unconscious Elemental Bubble to the specimen tray on the lab bench.

"However, simply simulating a specimen's innate abilities with Energy Magnetic Field is merely the pursuit of ordinary scholars. As excellent scholars, we not only simply simulate the specimen's abilities but also transform them through our acquired wisdom to achieve transcendence!"

Reilo listened, his eyes shining.

So this was the learning philosophy of scholars who studied Evolution's Profound Meaning!

As she spoke, under Reilo's gaze, Bailing brought over a peculiar experimental observation instrument.

Needless to say, this instrument was an advanced experimental tool only available to Instructor Gubo.

"What is this?"

Reilo looked at the instrument from all sides with curiosity.

Bailing skillfully adjusted the instrument and explained, "This is a microscope commonly used by advanced scholars to observe the complex structures of high-level biological specimens. You can think of it as a super magnifying glass; the higher the magnification, the more precious the microscope. With its assistance, we can understand the biological specimen's structure in more detail. Once we understand the principle of the specimen's structural abilities, simulating with Energy Magnetic Field will naturally follow!"

Reilo put down the magnifying glass he was holding and, under Bailing's guidance, looked into the microscope's eyepiece.

"Wow!"

Reilo exclaimed involuntarily.

Unlike the cells and tissues of flesh-and-blood creatures, the bodies of elemental creatures were composed of strands of energy, as if countless one-dimensional threads wove together to form a two-dimensional plane, and then countless two-dimensional planes curved, intersected, and overlapped to form a three-dimensional structure.

What Reilo needed to observe was a part of this complex energy structure that constituted the Elemental Bubble's secretion of Bubble Technique.

"So this is the microscopic world Senior Brother Shatuo was talking about!"

In the microscope's field of view, Reilo couldn't help but sigh.

Bailing smiled smugly.

"This Elemental Bubble is just a zero-level creature with a very simple physiological structure. With the help of this microscope, as long as you are careful, Junior disciple, you will succeed very quickly!"

A week later.

The process of mastering the first zero-level basic academic was unexpectedly smooth.

Feeling the subtle changes in his Energy Magnetic Field, Reilo had already woven and solidified a portion of the Elemental Bubble's mechanism. As Reilo opened his palm, this solidified Energy Magnetic Field in the form of the Elemental Bubble's mechanism began to operate, and instantly, a bubble the size of a baby's fist appeared.

"Wow! I succeeded!"

Bailing seemed even happier than Reilo. The moment the bubble appeared in Reilo's palm, she cheered, danced, and jumped for joy.

"Junior disciple, tomorrow you'll go to the academic affairs office with the Elemental Bubble specimen and the Bubble Technique thesis to get Elite Rank points. Get your name on the first season's Elite Rank!"

Hearing about Elite Rank points, Reilo's face was also filled with anticipation.

"Senior sister, how many elite points will I get for contributing this Elemental Bubble and Bubble Technique thesis?"

Bailing tilted her head and thought.

"If it were a second or third-year student, the Bubble Technique would probably be rated as garbage. As for the Elemental Bubble, it might get you two or three points. But now, you've just enrolled. Even for this kind of regular basic academic thesis, the academy will give you a few points as encouragement, so don't worry!"

"So little?"

Reilo couldn't help but think of Hell and Megana, whose points had both reached over a hundred, which seemed incredible.

As if sensing what Reilo was thinking, Bailing said as if it were common, "The academy's system allows for the exchange of academy points through the buying and selling of specimens, which is equivalent to using gold coins to buy academy services. Look on the bright side; this also adds another source for the academy's experimental research."

Although she said that, Reilo hoped that Hell and Megana's points were obtained through buying and selling specimens with gold coins. This would make Reilo feel a little more balanced. However, when he thought of their instructor personally praising the two in front of him, it was equivalent to denying they had taken shortcuts.

Feeling a slight disappointment, Reilo released another Bubble Technique.

Jiahei, who was sleeping on the windowsill, was woken up by the sound. He glanced over and muttered, "Your Energy Magnetic Field is weak right now; be careful of energy backlash."

"Ah!"

Bailing snapped back to reality and quickly said, "Right, Junior disciple, you must pay close attention to your Energy Magnetic Field status from now on! According to the law of conservation, achieving any goal will inevitably come at a price! As scholars, our academic power is not like that of Fighters, which is built through continuous effort and training. For scholars, perhaps by completing some academic work during a burst of inspiration, our strength will instantly multiply, but we will also pay a price, and Energy Magnetic Field backlash is one of them. The more talented and stronger a scholar is, the more susceptible they are to energy backlash!"

Reilo already understood the horror of energy backlash; Merlin's first husband had died naturally from it.

Because the human body's Energy Magnetic Field was naturally rejected by this world for unknown reasons, energy backlash would result in a temporary loss of energy sensitivity at best, or complete annihilation by the world's rejection at worst—reduced to dust!

As for the reason the human Energy Magnetic Field was rejected by this world?

If the imagery in the Star Core Necklace was real, Reilo guessed it was likely due to some special rules of this world. Humans were "invaders from another world," thus rejected by the world, requiring intermediary partners to neutralize this rejection.

It was also easy to understand why exceptionally talented scholars were more prone to energy backlash.

Because talented scholars often created incredibly powerful academic theories that consumed a large amount of their Energy Magnetic Field, making them more susceptible to backlash than ordinary scholars.

"Then how can it be avoided?"

Seeing Reilo's cautious demeanor, Bailing smiled and said, "The old man said the best way to avoid it is to not fight. We are scholars; we should rely on our wisdom to fight, not like those Fighters, achieving some kind of breakthrough. Even if forced to fight, always leave a sliver of restraint. Wearing a few extra Energy Storage Rings is definitely the right move."

Reilo quickly jotted it down.

Beside him, Bailing's eyes gradually filled with longing.

"Speaking of which, the most captivating part of scholars exploring truth and laws is the burst of inspiration."

Bailing murmured, "Once inspiration strikes, scholars often experience a rapid, astonishing increase in strength in a very short time, easily surpassing peers of the same level, even crushing them. This kind of explosive power increase is the eternal pursuit of all scholars."