Gains, and "Tang Monk Meat"

"I swear, the more I look at them, the more I can't stand them. They're a bunch of pieces of trash, worse than trash!"

The Teaching Assistant Trio walked side by side along the empty corridor, its dim light tinged with red.

The Otaku on the far left suddenly said, "Just look at them. Xiong Ba, you just told them to stick together. Stick together! Hmph, was what they just did supposed to count as sticking together? What a joke. If you ask me, it won't be long before Class 04 of Season 12 gets wiped out."

Xiong Ba replied indifferently, "What does that have to do with us? Once this week is over, we might not even get another chance to meet them. Maybe we'll die, or maybe they will. Who knows? And stop holding a grudge over them ruining the senior students' 'assessment.' You're only making yourself miserable by letting it fester."

Ji Wen chimed in, "Xiong Ba's right. Otaku, just let it go. Didn't Senior Chong Ming say he'd give us two chances? Besides, about what the seniors said last time... we should make good preparations over the next few days... Sigh!"

The Otaku let out a heavy breath, as if he really had managed to put the matter behind him. He gave a bitter smile. "Originally, all we had to do was take a joint exam with another class... I never expected... Is this damned 'university' really trying to kill us? Now I understand why there are so many 'ultimate rewards'..."

"Don't worry," Xiong Ba said. "We still have the third-year seniors, don't we? And based on past experience, the Headmaster won't assign a mission that's certain death. It's up to us to find a way to survive in the cracks. Besides, I believe Senior Chong Ming and the others won't really abandon us. After all, we're on their side..."

"Hey, Xiong Ba, who do you think is stronger, Senior Chong Ming or... 'that person'?" the Otaku suddenly asked. "I've heard some rumors. Apparently, Senior Chong Ming and 'that person' used to be close friends. It seems it was because of Senior Kong Ming that..."

Smack!

Ji Wen slapped the Otaku hard on the shoulder, then darted a furtive look around and hissed, "Are you trying to get yourself killed, talking about the seniors behind their backs? If you want to die, I won't stop you. Go ahead and get it over with, but don't drag us down with you!" Then she gritted her teeth and whispered, "That person... is not someone we can talk about!"

Xiong Ba nodded solemnly. "Ji Wen's right. Otaku, rein in that gossiping habit of yours before you get us all killed... Let's just focus on ourselves!"

The Otaku muttered a few times. "All right, all right. I won't say another word. I'm sorry. Come on, let's go eat. Seeing another Zombie has completely ruined my appetite. The Headmaster really spoils these rookies... Fine, don't look at me like that. I won't complain, okay? I'm in a bad mood today, so dinner's on me! Just thinking about the elf girl's cooking is making my mouth water. Let's drink till we drop..."

As they chatted, their backs disappeared around the stairwell corner.

Inside the classroom of Class 04 of Season 12.

As the Teaching Assistant Trio left the classroom, all thirty students let out a collective sigh of relief.

Then the once-silent classroom erupted into an uproar.

Some cried, some laughed, some cursed, and others sat in silence, lost in thought. Everyone was doing something different.

Only then did Wei Ming drag a chair over and sit down beside Yin Kuang and Li Shuangmu. "What's going on with you two? Weren't you getting along fine before? Why did you start fighting the moment you met? You didn't hold back, either. Couldn't you sit down and talk things out?"

Yin Kuang shot Li Shuangmu a cold glance. "I have nothing to say to him! Wei Ming, stay out of this. I can't explain it to you. Just watch your own back..."

After speaking, Yin Kuang seemed unwilling to say more. He touched the watch on his wrist, then opened his Information Interface and began to read.

Only now did Yin Kuang finally have a chance to see what changes the G-Virus had brought about in him...

"I was about to say the same thing."

Li Shuangmu replied coldly. He touched the ring on his hand, apparently bringing up his status panel, and studied it carefully. As he read, his expression grew serious...

Wei Ming looked from Yin Kuang to Li Shuangmu and let out a heavy sigh. Then he asked Wang Ning, "Wang Ning, what happened back there? Why are they acting like sworn enemies?"

Wang Ning shook his head helplessly. "It's complicated. I can't explain it. But I think it's between the two of them, so we outsiders should stay out of it. Otherwise, we'll end up offending both sides. You should worry about yourself instead. You died as soon as you went in, so you barely earned any Study Points from this Entrance Exam. We can't give you too many, either. We need them ourselves."

Wei Ming's expression darkened. "What else can I do? I'll just have to trade for some cheap, practical things first. Next time, I'll figure out a way to earn more Study Points. I won't make that kind of stupid mistake again. I was such an idiot back there, trying to act noble for no reason."

Wang Ning smiled but didn't answer. He opened his own status panel and began to read, his expression just as serious.

However, as everyone busied themselves with their own affairs, a dazzling white pillar of light suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the classroom, completely enveloping a male student. The brilliant, intense light blocked everyone's view, leaving them unable to see what was happening inside.

"Whoa!"

The sudden development immediately drew everyone's attention.

"What's happening?"

"No idea. A pillar of light just appeared out of nowhere!"

"I know! He must have traded for something..."

"Man, I'm so jealous. If only I hadn't died back then..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone started talking at once, their eyes fixed on the pillar of light with envy and jealousy. They were all curious about what powerful ability or bloodline he had traded for.

A full five minutes passed before the light began to fade and thin, gradually revealing the male student inside. At last, the pillar dispersed like smoke.

"Hahaha! Hahahaha! This is amazing! Am I dreaming?" the male student shouted, laughing as if he'd just won a fifty-million-dollar jackpot. "I feel like I'm bursting with strength. This feeling is incredible! Hahaha! This is so damn cool! Woohoo!"

"Hey, man, what did you trade for?" someone nearby asked curiously.

"Why should I tell you?" The male student lifted his chin and puffed out his chest. "Trade for it yourself if you can! Why are you asking so many questions? What's that supposed to mean?" He looked so smug that it was as if he thought he was better than everyone else.

The other man froze for a moment. "Screw you! Think you're so great? Try acting like that in front of the Teaching Assistants! Damn it, acting tough in front of me doesn't mean shit!"

Clearly, he wasn't the patient type, either.

The student who had traded for an ability immediately flushed red. He slammed a hand on the desk and cursed, "You little bastard! Say that again, I dare you! I'll kill you!"

"Come on, then! I'm right here. Go ahead and try!" The other man raised his head, puffed out his chest, and pointed at it.

"You asked for this!"

The male student gave a cruel, snickering laugh. Suddenly, he thrust out a hand, his fingers forming the shape of a "six" in sign language. A sparkling strand shot from his wrist, and everyone saw a huge spiderweb engulf the other man, wrapping him up tightly like a dumpling. The next moment, the male student flung him away, sending him crashing hard into the blackboard!

This wasn't the Jelly Wall. The man who had been thrown hit the blackboard with full force, then fell to the floor, crying out in pain. The impact left him feeling as if every bone in his body had been shattered.

"Spider-Man?!"

When everyone saw the male student shoot out a web, they cried out in shock. The envy and jealousy in their gazes grew, mingled with fear.

Wasn't Peter Parker from the Spider-Man movies the one who could shoot webs from his hands?

A brief introduction was as follows:

Bloodline: Spider-Man.

Level: First-year, Pass.

Price: 500 Study Points, 1 F-level Evaluation Point.

Upgrade: First-year, Good; 1,000 Study Points, 2 F-level Evaluation Points.

Skills: Life +10, Energy +5. Strength +3, Agility +4, Dexterity +4, Defense +3, Perception +5. Primary Spider Sense, Primary Tough Web-Shooting, Primary Wall-Crawling.

The male student who had traded for the Spider-Man bloodline laughed triumphantly. "You dare mess with me? Hmph! You're just asking to die. Everyone, my name is Tang Zhaotian. You can call me Brother Tian from now on. Since we're all in the same class, we're classmates and schoolmates. If any of you run into trouble, I definitely won't stand by and do nothing. The Teaching Assistant just said it, too—we're all in the same class, so we should stick together. As for you..."

Tang Zhaotian pointed at the man sprawled on the floor after being thrown. "Hmph. I don't want to hold a grudge over this. We can call it a case of becoming friends through a fight. By the way, what's your name?"

"I... Brother Tian," the man said, clearly cowed. "My name is Lai... Lai Xiaolong..."

"Get up. Remember to speak politely from now on, got it?" Tang Zhaotian walked over and helped him up, acting like an elder disciplining a junior.

Lai Xiaolong could only nod timidly. He was furious and unwilling to accept it, but what could he do?

Most of the others looked at Tang Zhaotian, the "Spider-Man," with envy. They watched him until he was practically glowing with satisfaction. The proud look on his face and the way he seemed to be holding back laughter, as though he desperately wanted to burst out laughing, were enough to make anyone squirm.

Of course, a few people paid him no mind and kept doing their own thing.

Among them were Yin Kuang, Li Shuangmu, Wang Ning, and Zeng Fei, as well as a tall girl whom the girls around her called "Big Sister." There was also Zhang Yaozong and Du Fang, a pair of rivals who were arguing and bickering, looking ready to start fighting again at any moment. For one reason or another, there were always some people who remained immersed in their own worlds.

At that moment, Yin Kuang was staring wide-eyed at his status panel.

It was roughly as follows:

Name: Yin Kuang

Lifespan: 34 years

Life: 15 + 20 = 35 points

Energy: 11 + 10 = 21 points

Intelligence: 7 + 1 = 8

Strength: 3 + 7 = 10

Agility: 5 + 7 = 12

Dexterity: 5 + 7 = 12

Defense: 2 + 7 = 9

Perception: 6 + 7 = 13

Charm: 4 + 10 = 14

The added values were the result of the G-Virus enhancement. Aside from Intelligence, which had increased by only 1 point, Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Defense, and Perception had each increased by 7 points. Life had increased by 20 points, and Energy by 10. Charm had gone up by a full 10 points! Yin Kuang wondered if he'd become more handsome after getting smaller, which was why his Charm had increased.

Also, in the middle of the octagonal, umbrella-shaped Information Interface, the holographic image of "Little Yin Kuang" now had the following information:

Character Enhancement--

Bloodline Enhancement: "G-Mutation Enhancement." (A name Yin Kuang had come up with himself.)

Bloodline Level: First-year, Pass.

Enhancement Description: The injection of Semi-finished G-Virus resulted in one of countless unpredictable mutations. This is one such mutation, a new and unknown bloodline enhancement. The enhanced individual must explore its capabilities independently.

Bloodline Effects: First-year G-Mutation Enhancement. Increases Life by 20 points, Energy by 10 points, Intelligence by 1 point, Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Defense, and Perception by 7 points each, and Charm by 10 points.

Awakened Bloodline Skill: Your eyes possess an unusually acute sense of vision. Using this ability consumes Energy.

Awakened Bloodline Skill: G-Body Alienation Form. This form doubles your Life, Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Defense, and Perception. Energy is continuously consumed. Once your Energy is depleted, you will revert to your original form and enter a weakened state.

Bloodline Evaluation: The G-Virus is a wondrous substance. It has completely transformed your body, giving you immense evolutionary potential... So, child, be grateful for the blessings of Heaven. May your good fortune last.

Strong Recommendation: Using your own genes as a template to cultivate a completed G-Virus and inject it into your body may perfect your G-Mutation Enhancement!!

Additional Tip: This is a new bloodline enhancement and cannot be upgraded through trading. The enhanced individual must figure out how to raise its level independently.

Besides these, he had 770 Study Points (100 + 150 + 200 + 500 + 100 - 100 - 180 = 770), 4 Comprehensive Evaluation Points, and 1 F-level Evaluation Point. It wasn't much, but if he spent carefully, it should be enough.

After reading all that, Yin Kuang felt that despite all the twists and turns during the Entrance Exam, he had actually come out ahead.

He had lost the T-Virus, but gained the G-Virus. Even if it was only the Semi-finished G-Virus, it had still made him a lot stronger!

And being stronger meant he had a better chance of surviving!

The only regret was that his "special skill," Mystic Protection, had been taken away by the Headmaster for no reason. It wouldn't be returned until five exam scenarios later. What was that all about? Yin Kuang couldn't really tell whether having Mystic Protection made any difference, but having it taken away for no reason still infuriated him!

At that moment, Yin Kuang didn't know how powerful Wang Ning had become after obtaining the T-Virus. But at the very least, he was confident he could protect himself. As long as he used his head, Yin Kuang was sure he could settle the score with Wang Ning!

The one thing that troubled Yin Kuang was that his lifespan was still stuck at 34 years?! He really wanted to ask the Teaching Assistants what the standard for "lifespan" was. Why did some people live long lives, while he had such a short one?!

As he thought it over, a thought suddenly occurred to him: If lifespan can be reduced, can it also be increased?

The more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed! Yin Kuang immediately called out to the Headmaster in his mind and asked. The next moment, the Headmaster's androgynous voice rang in his ear.

Prompt: Your permissions are insufficient. You cannot access the answer.

Prompt: You can look for it in the Exchange Interface.

"The Exchange Interface?"

Yin Kuang's thoughts shifted, and a screen rose from the desktop.

The same four categories appeared on the "Exchange Menu": Equipment, Bloodlines, Legends, and Support.

Yin Kuang thought for a moment, then opened "Legends." He ignored the "cultivation methods," "magic scrolls," and "divine weapons." With his brains, he knew without even thinking that he couldn't afford them. Besides, he couldn't use them anyway. Why torment himself by looking?

He went straight to "Elixirs and Curiosities," searching for anything with the word "lifespan" in its description and skipping everything else.

"Name: Water of Life."

"Rating: Rare."

"Effect: 1 year of lifespan per drop. (One of its effects.)"

"Price: 1,000 Study Points + 1 F-level Evaluation Point per drop."

"Evaluation: This is a gift from the Tree of Life to the elves."

"Name: God-Bestowed Holy Water."

"Rating: Rare."

"Effect: 10 years of lifespan per bottle. (One of its effects.)"

"Price: 10,000 Study Points + 1 B-level Evaluation Point per bottle."

"Evaluation: This bottle of water contains the Father's profound love and the Lord's holy light."

"Name: Nine-Turn Nine-Orifice Creation Pill."

"Rating: Rare."

"Effect: 20 years of lifespan per pill. (One of its effects.)"

"Price: 20,000 Study Points + 1 S-level Evaluation Point per pill."

"Evaluation: The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Victorious Fighting Buddha, once tasted this pill. It was said to taste like apples."

The further he read, the darker Yin Kuang's expression grew. He nearly flipped the table. "This... What the hell? Who can afford these things?! Headmaster, if you want me dead, just say so! Can't you make it quick?!"

Just as Yin Kuang was about to flip the table, his eyes suddenly lit up—but the next moment, he really did lift the table and slam it to the ground. "Damn you! You piece of shit Headmaster!!"

Then he stormed out of the classroom, leaving everyone staring at him in stunned silence.

What had he seen?!

"Name: Tang Monk Meat."

"Rating: One of a kind."

"Effect: Eternal, immortal, ageless life per piece. (Unique effect.)"

"Price: If you want it, it's yours."

"Evaluation: Do you know why the Tang Monk had to endure the Eighty-One Tribulations on his pilgrimage to fetch the scriptures? Because his meat is simply delicious—and apparently, it can make you beautiful."

"Warning: The Tang Monk was the reincarnation of Golden Cicada, the first disciple under Tathagata Buddha. His body carries immeasurable merit and Buddhist power. If you eat his meat, you will indeed gain an immortal, undying body, but the immeasurable merit within the Tang Monk will turn into boundless negative karma and act upon you. You will lose everything you possess. For the endless years to come, you will suffer endless calamities. Use with caution, use with caution!"

Imagine having hope suddenly fall into your lap, with the item even offered "for free," only to fall into the depths of despair the next moment... Tell me,

How could Yin Kuang not be furious enough to flip the table?!