Yulan Calendar, March 1, 9992.
It had been nearly a month since Ernst Institute began classes, and the five of us in Dormitory 1987 had gradually adjusted to the rhythm here. We each attended classes in the morning, cultivated on our own in the afternoon, went to the dining hall together in the evening, and chatted in the courtyard at night. For someone like me, who'd worked 996 hours in my previous life, it was practically a life in paradise.
There was just one problem: Linley worked far too hard.
"Did Fourth Brother go to the back mountain again?" I asked, looking at Linley's empty bed when I got up that morning.
"He left before dawn." Reynolds yawned. "Is that guy even human? He sleeps so little every day."
I just smiled without saying anything.
Linley's diligence had been there in the original story. He trained every morning, attended classes in the morning, went to the back mountain to practice magic and sculpt in the afternoon, and meditated at night. An ordinary person would have collapsed under that kind of routine, but he had kept it up for more than a decade.
"Get up, get up!" Yale's voice rang out from the courtyard. "I asked around about today's Fire Element class. The teacher's a beauty!"
Reynolds' eyes lit up, and he sprang out of bed.
George took his time getting dressed, then glanced at me. "Third Brother, aren't you excited?"
"I'm a Fire Element mage, so of course I'm going," I said. "But why are you guys, from the Wind and Water Elements, tagging along?"
"Do I need a reason to join in the fun?" Yale replied confidently.
Ten minutes later, the five of us set off for the classroom in high spirits.
Ernst Institute's course schedule was very flexible. You could attend if you wanted to, and skip class if you didn't. But the first-year Fire Element classroom was unusually lively today—not just because of the rumored beautiful teacher, but also because Dixie, the legendary number-one genius, was said to be sitting in.
By the time we arrived, most of the classroom was already full. Yale and Reynolds grabbed seats by the back windows, and George sat beside them. Linley chose an empty seat near the front, and I sat next to him.
"Nervous?" I asked Linley.
He shook his head. "I'm just here to listen."
I smiled. That was just how Linley was. He seemed indifferent to everything, but became completely focused when he was cultivating.
At eight sharp, a silver-haired woman walked into the classroom.
The room fell silent at once.
Seven golden stripes were embroidered on the cuffs of her magic robe—she was a Level Seven Mage!
"Hello, everyone. My name is Alison, and I'll be teaching your Fire Element classes this year." Her voice was cool and clear. "For today's first lesson, I'd like to get a sense of your abilities. Would anyone like to come up and demonstrate?"
The classroom was dead silent.
We'd only been here a month, and hardly anyone could cast a complete first-level spell. Who would dare embarrass themselves in front of a Level Seven Mage?
"I will."
I stood up.
Linley turned to look at me, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
I walked to the front of the classroom, stopped, and took a deep breath.
The Fallen Heart Flame inside me stirred slightly, and warmth flowed from my heart to my right hand. I raised my hand and quietly recited the incantation for a first-level Fire Element spell: Fireball.
A fist-sized flame gathered in my palm.
A normal fireball should have been orange-red, but mine was a little pale, its edges almost transparent. Teacher Alison stared at the flame, frowning slightly.
"Interesting," she said softly. "Go on."
I tossed the fireball at the test target in the corner of the classroom. It exploded with a bang, sending flames flying in every direction. The target's magic sensor flashed a number: Temperature: 870 degrees.
A chorus of gasps swept through the classroom.
A first-level fireball usually reached around 500 degrees. Mine was nearly twice as hot.
"Your fireball is hotter than normal." Alison looked at me, a flicker of interest in her eyes.
I answered honestly, "Maybe I'm talented."
Alison nodded and didn't ask anything else.
But I knew perfectly well that it was the Fallen Heart Flame. Ever since that Heavenly Flame had fused with my body, the flames from every Fire Element spell I cast had been more than thirty percent hotter than normal.
After class, the five of us went to the dining hall. Reynolds chattered nonstop along the way. "Third Brother, you were incredible! 870 degrees! I thought those Fire Element guys' faces were going to turn green!"
"Let's keep a low profile." I pressed a hand downward.
"Keep a low profile? No way!" Yale slapped the table. "Dormitory 1987 made a name for itself today! Fourth Brother's a dual-element supergenius, and Third Brother's a Fire Element supergenius who's ridiculously powerful. I'll be walking with a swagger from now on!"
George shook his head with a smile. "That's enough, Second Brother."
"Don't call me Second Brother. It's 'Big Brother Two'!"
The five of us burst out laughing.
That evening, I went alone to the back mountain.
Ernst Institute covered a vast area, and the back mountain stretched for dozens of miles. I stopped in a clearing among the trees, sat cross-legged, and began to meditate.
The Fallen Heart Flame lay dormant inside me, like a docile young beast. I could sense it beating slowly. With each beat, a thread of warmth flowed through my limbs and body.
That was the Fallen Heart Flame's most incredible ability: automatic cultivation.
I didn't need to guide it deliberately or sit in meditation. It generated heart flames inside me around the clock, tempering my Dou Qi—or, in this world, what it tempered was my magic power.
I closed my eyes and entered a meditative state. In the middle dantian in my chest, my fiery red magic power was slowly increasing at a visible rate. This speed... was nearly twice what it had been when I first transmigrated.
No wonder they call it a cultivation cheat.
At this rate, I might not need ten years to become a Level Six Mage. And if I paired it with the rewards from the Sign-in System, five years—or even three—might be enough.
"Hmm?"
I suddenly sensed movement not far away.
I opened my eyes. Linley was emerging from the trees, with Bebe perched on his shoulder.
"Fourth Brother?" I asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Cultivating." Linley walked over and sat down beside me. "It's quiet here."
I nodded and said nothing more.
Linley sat cross-legged and quickly entered a meditative state. Bebe jumped down from his shoulder and settled on a nearby rock, staring at me with a pair of glossy black eyes.
"What are you looking at, little guy?" I smiled at him.
Bebe tilted his head and ignored me.
I didn't mind. I continued cultivating.
Night fell, and moonlight filtered through the leaves. In the clearing, two people cultivated on their own while a little Shadow Mouse dozed nearby, occasionally letting out a squeak.
Late that night, I returned to the dormitory alone. Yale and Reynolds were already asleep, while a faint light shone from George's bed. He was probably reading.
[Ding—trust has been established between the host and the original protagonist.] [Hidden condition triggered. Sign in?]
The system's voice suddenly rang out.
I froze for a moment, then silently said in my mind: Sign in.
[Sign-in successful.] [Reward received: Heart Flame Resonance—briefly stirs the flames of emotion within another person, intensifying their emotional fluctuations. It works well on those with weaker spiritual force than yours and less effectively on those with stronger spiritual force.]
Me: "..."
What was this? A watered-down version of the Fallen Heart Flame's "combat mind attack"?
Thinking it over, this ability could indeed be useful in a fight. The stronger an enemy's emotional fluctuations, the more likely they were to make a mistake. But in everyday life...
"Third Brother, what are you smiling about?" George's voice came from beside me.
"Nothing." I stopped smiling. "Go to sleep."
"Okay."
The dormitory fell quiet.
Before you continue