96, the Genius Zhou Sining

After adding each other on WeChat, Zhou Sining returned to his assigned spot as required.

While the other students were still gathering, he opened the system panel to take a look.

[Zhou Sining]

[Life Points: 3 (self)/1515 (Demon Beasts)]

[Fire Element Beginner Level 3][Innate Fire Element Devouring Seed]

[Demon-Slaying]

[Level: 3 (36/500)]

[Current Lottery Draws: 5 (requires 150 Life Points)]

[Random Spirit Seed Fragment. Requires 45 Life Points]

[Remnant Soul, 25% chance of Spirit Essence. Requires 100 Life Points]

[Common-Level Stardust Magic Tool, increases cultivation speed by 25%. Requires 128 Life Points]

[Half-Spirit-Level Stardust Magic Tool, increases cultivation speed by 35%. Requires 218 Life Points]

[Spirit-Level Stardust Magic Tool, increases cultivation speed by 45%. Requires 338 Life Points]

[Star Scar, guides Star Map Drawing. Requires 25 Life Points]

[Star Chart Book for a specified element, allows the use of Intermediate Magic by supplying Magic Energy. Requires 125 Life Points]

[Soul Vessel, can store one Servant-level Spirit Essence. Requires 588 Life Points] (Only 2 exchanges available)

[Fire Element Spirit Seed, one random Fire Element Spirit Seed. Requires 588 Life Points] (Only 2 exchanges available)

[1 Life Point (personal). Requires 10,000 Life Points] (Only 1 exchange available)

With his level up, the once pitifully sparse selection of goods had expanded dramatically.

Besides daily necessities and the Magic Equipment he had seen before, plenty of magical tools and materials had appeared.

The Stardust Magic Tool, Soul Vessel, Spirit Seed, and especially those Life Points were all things he needed right now.

He certainly hadn't forgotten that he had only two years and nine months left to live.

If he couldn't extend his life, wasn't he finished?!

Fortunately, the Level Three System Shop already offered Life Points that could extend his life. The exchange rate was a staggering 10,000 to one, but this was his life on the line!

He would just have to work harder at killing Undead.

If there was one thing the Ancient Capital never lacked, it was Undead!

For now, though, strengthening himself came first. The stronger he got, the more Undead he could kill.

After some thought, Zhou Sining decided to buy a Spirit-Level Stardust Magic Tool for 338, a random Fire Element Spirit Seed for 588, and a Soul Vessel for 588.

That would leave him with just one Life Point from everything he had earned tonight.

The Stardust Magic Tool and Spirit Seed would directly help his cultivation.

As for the Soul Vessel, Zhou Sining intended to use it to store Spirit Essences.

The Demon Beasts he killed might not drop Spirit Essences, but that didn't mean the ones other people killed wouldn't.

Failing that, he could sell the thing for a tidy profit.

[Warning: Items obtained from the Demon-Slaying Shop may not be traded with any living being.]

(Money exchange limit: 1,000 per day. Money may only circulate in the market. If exchanged for real-world currency, the maximum exchange rate is 1:1.)

[Purchased items may be gifted to others, but you may not actively request compensation, and any compensation received may not exceed the item's value.]

(Item values are estimated according to current international market averages.)

Zhou Sining's mouth fell open.

"Fuck!"

"Shit!"

One moment, he had been dreaming of a shortcut straight to the top. The next, an invisible hand had slapped him across the face!

He should have known better. How could a system that took lives be so kindhearted?

It was after his life, and he had expected it to have a conscience!

What a joke!

So much for becoming a hero, huh?

Fine. You win!

The group of forty-nine had finished assembling, so Zhou Sining couldn't keep cursing.

Their shift lasted two hours. If they finished their assigned tasks quickly, they would have time to cast a few spells, kill some Undead, and rack up points.

They returned their equipment one by one while Wang Yan and another supervising teacher tallied their Undead kills on the spot.

"Wang Zihan, three kills, six points."

"Zhou Li, five kills, ten points."

"Zhang Weiming, two kills, four points."

"Zhou Tianxiang, seventeen kills, thirty-four points."

That double-digit kill count stood head and shoulders above the rest, drawing everyone's attention at once.

Most of the thirty students before him had killed only two or three. Five was already considered quite good.

Now someone had turned up with seventeen. Even Zhou Sining looked up curiously.

"Damn, Tianxiang. Tonight's MVP is yours again."

"Yeah! Don't tell me you've reached Beginner Level 3?"

"Of course he has! Unless he's got some secret weapon!"

Not far ahead, several students surrounded a boy. He listened to them with a calm smile on his face.

"I got lucky. I broke through to Level Three a couple of days ago," Zhou Tianxiang said, looking completely unfazed.

The crowd erupted again!

"Whoa, I knew it!"

"You've only just started your final year and you're already Level Three. You might even make a run at Intermediate Level!"

"Obviously! With Tianxiang's Innate Talent and family background, he'll definitely break through before the college entrance exam."

"An Intermediate Mage! You'd have your pick of academies across the country. That's insane!"

Zhou Tianxiang said modestly, "I'm still a long way from Intermediate Level. Even the seniors who went to the Wild Goose Pagoda in previous years couldn't say for certain they'd break through."

"Enough. Quiet down. I haven't finished reading," Wang Yan interrupted.

"Next, Mao Youzhi, three kills, six points."

"Xue Jie, three kills, six points."

Among the remaining students, hardly any had killed more than five Undead.

It made sense. Even with Ancient Capital No. 3 High School's excellent resources, most of these students had only recently entered their final year and reached Beginner Level 2.

Without a Spirit Seed or special Innate Talent, even a Light Element mage could kill two Servant Level Undead with a single spell at best. Their destructive power was nowhere near what people imagined.

Taking Magic Energy consumption into account, and considering they had squeezed these kills in during their shift, their results were already respectable.

"Last one."

Wang Yan paused. He stared at the records, astonishment written across his face.

Then he checked the Wisdom Counter. After confirming the result, he spoke slowly.

"Zhou Sining, ninety-six kills, one hundred and ninety-two points."

The moment Wang Yan finished speaking, the entire crowd fell silent.

How many?

Ninety-six?

A Beginner Mage had found time during a two-hour shift to cast a few spells and kill ninety-six Undead?

Ninety-six!

A beginner!

What kind of joke was that?!

Had the teacher counting the kills gone blind and missed a decimal point?!

"Sir, did you read that right?" someone asked.

"Yes. There's nothing wrong with the Wisdom Counter. The records can't be mistaken."

Now the crowd really couldn't keep quiet.

"Ninety-six? Nine point six, maybe. I'd even believe ten."

"Are you kidding me? Ninety-six? I could cast Radiant Light at a horde for two hours and still not kill ninety-six! Neither could my dad!"

"Come on. You'd run out of Magic Energy in three minutes."

"Screw you."

"Zhou Sining? Never heard of him. Is he in our class?"

"Who is Zhou Sining?"

"Whoa, Tianxiang, someone's stolen your MVP."

"Get lost."

"Damn, ninety-six kills. How much of a genius would you have to be? Even an Intermediate Fire Mage would be pushing it to kill thirty or so with one Fierce Fist: Heaven-Shaking Blast."

"Not even that many. Heaven-Shaking Blast only covers about twenty meters when it explodes, and its power drops sharply farther out. At most, it'd wipe out those weak lower-level Undead."

Everyone began speculating about who this "Zhou Sining" was and how he could wield such incredible power.

Even the teacher tallying the scores questioned the records because the number was so absurd.

"Mr. Wang Yan, something's not right here, is it?"

"It is. No one's tampered with the Wisdom Counter. And look." Wang Yan showed him the saved footage. "See that color? That's no ordinary fire."

The teacher's expression changed. "You mean...!"

"If I'm right, that's definitely a Spirit Seed. Only a Spirit Seed could give a Beginner Mage power so far beyond his level."