Entrance Exam!?

"You're saying we should team up?" Li Shuangmu asked with a smile.

"That's right. That's the idea. There's strength in numbers." Wang Ning pushed up his glasses. "So, if possible, it's always better to stick together. Whatever happens in the future, we'll have each other's backs."

"Mm, I agree. What about you?" Li Shuangmu asked.

"I'm in," Wei Ming said.

Yin Kuang added, "Count me in, too."

"Then our temporary team is formed. Wei Ming, tell us about your special skill. We may not be ready to bare our hearts to each other, but at the very least, we need to cooperate in good faith."

Wei Ming scratched his head. "Actually... I guess it's not that embarrassing. Just don't laugh, okay?"

"We won't, we won't."

"It's... it's called 'Thick-Skinned.' It reduces ordinary damage by 20% and reflects damage equal to 10% of the damage I take back at the attacker."

"Well..."

"Didn't you say you wouldn't laugh?"

Wang Ning's mouth twitched a few times. "I'm not laughing. When did I laugh? I just meant you're a natural tank."

"...Screw you!"

The four of them weren't the only ones murmuring among themselves. The other students were also talking in little groups. Some were delighted, others dismayed. Those with high attributes and good skills were grinning from ear to ear, while the rest wore gloomy expressions. A few, of course, looked perfectly calm, giving nothing away.

Those two rivals had started bickering again. "Zhang Yaozong, just you wait! Let me get the chance, and I'll use 'Savage Charge' to knock you flying!"

"Du Fang, don't get too cocky. You think I trained in Wing Chun for nothing? Against my Inch Punch, it's anyone's guess who'll come out alive!"

When it looked like the two might actually start fighting, Xiong Ba, the Teaching Assistant standing below the podium, finally stepped in. "Quiet! You two, sit down! If you want to fight, don't worry—you'll get your chance soon. You might not even be able to avoid it! Now, rookies, get back to your own seats. Right now!"

After seeing how brutal and cold-blooded he was, no one dared defy him.

"All right. You've learned about your attributes. Now we're moving straight on to the next item: the Entrance Exam." Ji Wen said, "Don't make me think you're stupid. If you think failing the 'Entrance Exam' will get you out of this 'university,' you're far too naive. To be honest, the 'Entrance Exam' is just the 'Headmaster's' handout to a bunch of rookies like you. You can earn your first bit of money there, and it will be crucial to your future. That's all I have to say."

Those who had been letting their imaginations run wild at the words "Entrance Exam" immediately froze.

Xiong Ba curled his lip and thought, I was just as full of imagination back then. Poor fools... Then he said, "A reminder: if you're carrying anything valuable, like gold, silver, jewelry, or currency, you can exchange it for 'Study Points.' And if you happen to have Republic currency infused with Celestial Purple Aura, congratulations—you'll be in for a handsome payout."

"Um... senior, what can you do with Study Points?" a girl asked timidly, her voice coy. As she spoke, she pushed out her ample chest and batted her big eyes.

Otaku glanced at her and clicked his tongue. "Big breasts, no brains. That's my assessment of you as a seasoned otaku. And don't think you can flaunt your looks in front of me. I've been with women prettier than you, including plenty of girls straight out of stories, so you'd better watch yourself. Besides, I'm not interested in anyone who's not a virgin. Didn't you read the description on the attribute screen? It says they're 'equivalent to currency.' You know what currency is? Money! Don't you have any? Just sell yourself to someone and you'll have some."

The buxom girl's face turned livid, and she lowered her head until it was nearly buried in the desk drawer.

Ji Wen frowned. "Can't you behave yourself?"

"Hmph! I hate sluts like that..." Hatred gleamed in Otaku's eyes.

Xiong Ba shook his head, ignoring Otaku. "I can use my Teaching Assistant privileges to open the exchange menu for you. It'll show all the items that cost up to 200 Study Points." As he spoke, he waved a hand, and a glowing screen appeared above every desk. "The 'university' automatically filters the items you can afford, rookies. A tip: it's best to choose the items the 'university' recommends."

Xiong Ba might have been brutal, but compared to the other two Teaching Assistants, he was quite conscientious.

"There are four main categories of items for exchange: equipment, bloodlines, legendary items, and support. Equipment means exchanging for melee weapons and firearms. Bloodlines let you exchange for all kinds of extraordinary abilities, like Spider-Man Lineage or Werewolf Lineage, and can make major changes to your body. You can forget about that category for now—you can't afford it. Legendary items are things and abilities from legends, such as cultivation techniques, if you have the money. Support includes items like medicine, bullets, and materials. A lot of things are expensive. Even with your 80% discount, think carefully before you exchange."

"Now, you have ten minutes to get ready." Xiong Ba leaned against the lectern and watched the students in the classroom at his leisure.

"Hey, classmate, do you have any money? Could you lend me 5,000 yuan?"

"Lend it to you? I don't even have enough for myself. Ah, I'm so glad I didn't listen to my dad and put all my money in the bank. I'd be screwed now..." After saying that, he tapped the air with a smug look. "I want an AK-47!"

The next moment, a glow appeared above his desk. The light gathered and formed the shape of an AK-47. When it faded, a brand-new AK-47 sat on the desk.

"Oh my god! That's amazing! Is that... could it be a toy?"

"Rat-tat-tat!" The AK-47 spat a burst of flame, its bullets punching straight into the ceiling.

"Ah! It... it's real!" The man first looked horrified. Then his eyes blazed with excitement. He picked up the AK-47, barely able to contain himself. "It's... it's really real... This... a gun! Hahaha, I finally have a gun!"

"Idiot! Quiet!" Xiong Ba barked.

"Huh?! Oh..." The guy suddenly jumped to his feet and shouted, "I... I've got a gun! You think I'm still afraid of you? Huh? Hahaha, I've been sick of you people for ages. No one's ever dared yell at me, not since I was a kid. Who do you think you are? Now that I've got a gun, I'm not afraid of anyone!"

By then, a few others had followed his example and exchanged for AK-47s, Desert Eagles, M16s, M4s, and other rifles. They, too, stood up arrogantly, raising their guns.

Clearly, having guns in their hands had emboldened them all at once. They no longer paid any attention to the three Teaching Assistants. So what if they were strong? They had guns. No matter how strong someone was, one shot would bring them down! They might not have the nerve to actually shoot someone dead, but with guns in hand, they could at least vent their frustration with the three Teaching Assistants.

How could people who'd been spoiled all their lives put up with being yelled at and insulted by three Teaching Assistants?

The three Teaching Assistants glanced at one another.

"I can't understand why we ran into so many idiots," Ji Wen said.

Otaku added, "I finally get it. They're all idiots."

Xiong Ba patted his head in frustration. "I really want to twist their necks, crack their skulls open, and see what's going through their heads."

"But come to think of it," Otaku said with a laugh, "I was just like this last year. Hahaha, rookies are rookies. Remember what happened to me afterward?"

"Of course I remember," Xiong Ba said. "During the 'Entrance Exam,' in the Starship Troopers scenario, Senior Chong Ming, who was the Teaching Assistant back then, threw you into a bug tunnel, where the Brain Bug sucked out your brain. Your brain was permanently damaged that time, so the 'Headmaster' took twenty years off your life. I wonder if you've managed to get them back."

Otaku seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world. He doubled over laughing, tears running down his face. "That's right, that's right. I'd forgotten until you reminded me. It felt absolutely amazing. That fat Brain Bug was right in front of me. Its straw-like mouthpart punched right through my skull, then sucked out my brain like it was drinking Coca-Cola. I could even feel my head getting lighter. It was such a wonderful feeling. Hahaha."

He laughed like a madman. His laughter echoed through the empty classroom, the only sound in it.

The three Teaching Assistants talked among themselves as if no one else were there, paying no attention to the students whose faces had gone pale and lips trembled. The students who'd found the courage to challenge the Teaching Assistants now had guns in their hands, yet one by one, they sat back down.

"They're a bunch of lunatics!"

Even if what they'd said wasn't true, no one dared act up with a gun anymore. Faced with a bunch of lunatics, they were truly frightened.

"You have five minutes left to prepare," Xiong Ba reminded them.

Yin Kuang immediately pulled himself together and gritted his teeth. At last, he exchanged 15,000 yuan in Republic currency for 150 Study Points. But when he saw the screen full of items, his mind went blank. He had no idea what to exchange for. There was a "recommended" section on the screen, but as an ordinary person, he instinctively felt uneasy about touching the guns and knives listed there.

Wang Ning and Li Shuangmu had already finished exchanging their items. They came over, and Wang Ning asked, "Why aren't you exchanging anything? Are you short on money? I have some left. I can lend you some."

Yin Kuang thanked him, then said, "I don't know what to exchange for."

"Doesn't it have recommendations?" Li Shuangmu asked.

Yin Kuang gave a bitter smile. "Even if you gave them to me, I wouldn't know how to use them."

Li Shuangmu shook his head. "There's not much time left. Exchange for something first, whatever it is. Judging from what they said, something dangerous is probably about to happen. How about this: exchange for a Type 54 pistol with a silencer, for 25 points. Then get ten magazines for 20 points. Next, an Alloy Steel Blade for 10 points, a Swiss Army Knife for 5, and a hiking backpack for 10. A complete set of special forces gear, including a tactical vest and a tactical flashlight, will cost 20 points altogether. Hemostatic medicine, antibiotics, and the like should cost about 10 points. After the discount, it should add up to about 80 Study Points."

"All right." Yin Kuang didn't know any better, so he followed Li Shuangmu's instructions and exchanged for each item in turn. When he saw the neat pile of things on the desk, he couldn't help exclaiming, "What kind of crazy place is this?"

"A pretty amazing place," Wang Ning said with a smile. "By the way, do you have any points left? If you do, you'd better exchange for some bullets that can hurt spirits. I have a feeling they'll come in handy."

Yin Kuang had 70 points left, but he didn't want to spend them all. He didn't know much about this stuff, but he knew that saving money was the same as making money, so he said, "No. I only brought 9,000 yuan to pay tuition, and I've used it all."

"Mm." Wang Ning and Li Shuangmu could tell he wasn't well-off.

Yin Kuang asked curiously, "You two seem to know quite a lot."

Wang Ning chuckled. "Nothing much. I've just taken a few wilderness survival classes." Li Shuangmu said, "Same here. My family elders were strict with me, and the more I was exposed to, the more I learned." As he spoke, he stroked the silver Desert Eagle in his hand. Even Yin Kuang, who knew nothing about guns, could tell what it was: a Desert Eagle, a powerful firearm with heavy recoil.

"All right, time's up!"

The three Teaching Assistants stood up. Ji Wen said, "Now we'll divide into groups. You can choose for yourselves which of the three of us to follow. A word of advice: don't let your likes and dislikes sway your choice. Your lives depend on it."

"I'm a second-year with Water-Element Ability Enhancement. If you follow me, I can teach you a few things about abilities. I also know a thing or two about using firearms," Ji Wen said.

"I'm a second-year with Werewolf Lineage. I know more about bloodlines," Xiong Ba said.

Otaku produced a slender, pitch-black wand. "I'm a second-year with Dark Mage Enhancement." He twirled the wand in his hand, black energy curling around it.

Ji Wen continued, "Choosing one of us doesn't determine what you'll enhance in the future. Your enhancement path is entirely up to you. All right, that's enough theory. Now for the practical lesson. When I say, 'Class,' you say, 'Hello, Teaching Assistant.'"

"Class!"

"Hello, Teaching Assistant!"

The Entrance Exam was about to begin...