Gu Yue narrowed her eyes, grinning like a fox that had stolen a bite of meat.
Her scale would be placed beside Lin An tonight.
She would be able to sense his presence at all times and teleport to his side whenever she wanted.
Wasn't that just being inseparable?
"By the way—"
She stepped closer, her expression serious.
"You have to keep it on you at all times. Don't take it off even when you bathe."
"I carved an array into it. Not only will it automatically protect you in danger, it will also gather the energy of heaven and earth around the clock. It'll do wonders for your cultivation."
Lin An made no comment. He casually tucked the scale into his Soul Tool.
Then he turned and walked into the classroom.
The math teacher was already standing at the lectern.
A thick stack of exam papers sat before him. When he saw Lin An come in, he immediately smiled kindly and nodded.
He watched Lin An take his seat, cleared his throat, and picked up the chalk again.
"Class—don't underestimate math!"
He slapped the lectern hard, sending chalk dust fluttering down.
"In the future, you'll become Battle Armor Masters and mecha pilots. How can you manage without a solid theoretical foundation?"
The classroom was utterly silent.
A student in the first row was slumped over the desk, drool soaking one corner of his textbook.
Someone in the second row was drawing stick figures battling Soul Beasts on a sheet of paper.
By the window in the third row, a student had propped up his textbook and was secretly munching on a leftover Grade C Meal bun.
The math teacher took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.
"Yesterday afternoon, I sat in my office for three whole hours."
His voice was heavy with grief.
"Three hours, everyone. Not a single person... Not one person came to ask me a question!"
He surveyed the class, his gaze brimming with hope.
"Your attitude toward studying still needs—"
Before he could finish, someone shoved open the classroom's back door from outside.
The door slammed against the wall with a crash.
The impact jolted the sleeping student in the first row right out of his chair.
Wu Zhangkong stood in the doorway.
His white clothes were as pristine as snow, his face as cold as ice.
He gave the math teacher a chilly look.
"You're sick."
The math teacher pushed up his glasses and instinctively touched his forehead.
"I'm fine, though?"
He felt perfectly alert, his pulse was steady, his temperature normal, and his throat didn't hurt.
Wu Zhangkong turned to look at the class and added, without looking back, "You are now."
Beep—
The math teacher's communicator rang.
He glanced down. A notification had appeared on the screen.
[East Sea Academy Infirmary · Mandatory Health Check Notice]
"According to the Campus Health Screening System, your heart rate is showing abnormal fluctuations. We recommend that you proceed to the infirmary immediately for a comprehensive physical examination. This notice has also been forwarded to the Academic Affairs Office. Failure to complete the examination by the deadline will result in a deduction from this month's performance bonus."
The math teacher's lips began to quiver.
He looked at his communicator, then at Wu Zhangkong's icy face, then back at the students.
Then he smiled.
It was a smile more miserable than a sob.
"Fine... fine... I'm sick..."
Shaking, he gathered up his exam papers and put the chalk back in its groove. He looked as though his soul had been sucked right out of him.
"My class has been hijacked again... What kind of lousy school is this..."
His voice grew softer and softer, until it became a faint mutter.
"A bunch of brawling brutes... Nobody values theory classes... Nobody studies math... How are they going to find jobs after graduation? They can't even do arithmetic. Which company would hire them? They'll have no choice but to stand guard or deliver takeout..."
Clutching his papers, he shuffled toward the door, his back hunched.
"Everyone to the training field in one minute."
Wu Zhangkong delivered the order coldly.
"This class will be replaced with combat training. Everyone goes. Not a single person is excused."
His gaze swept over the class and finally settled on Lin An, lingering for a second.
He'd seen the kid arrive late with his own eyes.
If he dared be late to Wu Zhangkong's class...
Wu Zhangkong gave a cold snort, the corner of his mouth curling into a dangerous smile.
"That includes support-type Soul Masters."
With that, he turned and walked out of the classroom.
The classroom erupted in groans.
"Combat training again? Didn't we just have physical training yesterday?"
"It's so early. Are they trying to kill us..."
"I just wanted to take a nap during math class. They won't even let me do that..."
Complaints rose and fell, but no one dared stay seated.
Wu Zhangkong standing in the doorway with that cold face was more effective than any rulebook.
The students of Class Five dragged their feet as they filed outside.
Someone sneaked a glance in Lin An's direction and whispered, "Did you see Teacher Wu's look just now? The new guy's in for it."
"Yeah, a little welcome-to-the-class treatment. What did he expect, coming in with such a grand entrance?"
Gu Yue, however, looked delighted, the corners of her mouth lifted so high she couldn't force them down.
Math class? Even listening to that stuff for one more minute made her brain hurt.
Combat training was great. They'd be able to rest as soon as it was over, and with her abilities, she could take care of her opponent in just a few moves.
That would leave her plenty of time—
She sneaked a glance at Lin An and began planning where they could go on a date later.
Sunshine, the training field, sweat, and hormones. What a perfect atmosphere.
She felt as if she'd wasted all those years before. How had she not found the Dragon Queen sooner?
Lin An stood beside his seat, watching the math teacher shuffle away through the doorway, back hunched.
His mouth twitched.
At least I can proudly say that my gym teacher taught me math.
Then he turned and glanced at Gu Yue.
The silver-haired girl was lost in pink daydreams about where they could go on a date, her eyes sparkling and a sweet smile on her face.
Lin An expressionlessly opened his Soul Tool and started taking things out.
One book.
Two books.
Five books.
Ten books.
Before Gu Yue could wipe away her smile, a stack of books thick enough to serve as a weapon was shoved into her arms.
She instinctively looked down at the covers.
Forging Materials Science, Soul Guidance Engineering, Core Array Science, Soul Spirit Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Communication Science, Mental Connection Science, Energy Circuit Science.
The color drained from Gu Yue's face. Her head swam, as if someone had clubbed her over the back of the head.
"W-what is it, An'an?"
Her voice sounded weak. A sense of foreboding shot from the soles of her feet straight to the crown of her head.
"Memorize all of these."
Lin An's tone was as casual as if he were commenting on the nice weather. "These are just a small portion of the basics. Finish memorizing them in the next couple of days, and I'll give you the rest."
"Huh? Memorize all of these?"
Gu Yue's voice rose a whole octave, cracking at the end.
She grabbed the top book, Forging Materials Science, and opened it.
The table of contents alone had more than ten major chapters, with hundreds of material categories. The characteristics and parameters of each material filled page after page in dense print.
This was on an entirely different level from the child's play they taught at school.
No—even the so-called "core classified technical documents" she'd browsed through at the Spirit Pagoda hadn't been this systematic or in-depth.
"Didn't you come to the human world to learn technology? Learn from their strengths."
Lin An looked at her with suspicion, his brows drawing together.
Most of this material should have involved the Universal Group's core secrets and been at the world's leading edge.
A lot of it also incorporated scientific theories from his previous life. Gu Yue should have treasured it as if she'd found a priceless trove.
Why was she making that face?
Before you continue