Even with Awakened Powers, You Still Have to Study

Li Xin suspected he had misheard.

Ever since awakening his ability, his first thought had been-drop out.

Later, his uncle had driven him back to school. He had barely endured two days before receiving confirmation, immediately taking leave, and coming back to "save the world."

From that moment on, he had felt that studying had nothing to do with him anymore.

The apocalypse was coming. Who would still bother studying?

Li Xin bristled on the spot. "Hey, Sheng An, get this straight-the apocalypse is coming! The apocalypse! The end of the world!"

What was there to study?

A lousy student couldn't stand hearing the word "study"!

Song Linwei frowned and scolded him. "Li Xin, watch your mouth! Show some respect. Haven't I taught you any manners? Call her Team Leader Sheng."

Li Xin curled his lip, clearly unconvinced.

Sheng An didn't care what he called her.

She simply looked at Li Xin and smiled faintly. "You thought awakening an ability meant you wouldn't have to study anymore?"

Li Xin didn't answer, but that was clearly what he thought.

Sheng An asked, "You think studying is useless, don't you?"

"Isn't it?" Disdain filled Li Xin's defiant face. "The stuff we learn isn't even useful in everyday life. Now that the apocalypse is coming, what good could it possibly do? Isn't that just a waste of time?"

Besides, once the apocalypse came, what schools would there even be?

Sheng An rubbed her chin and nodded. "Mm, you have a point."

As Li Xin grew increasingly smug, she smiled. "But that applies to other people. When the apocalypse comes, they can stop studying for a while. You can't."

"Why?!" Li Xin's eyes widened in disbelief.

Sheng An raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "Because you're a metal-type ability user."

Li Xin: "???"

Being a metal-type ability user meant he had to study?!

"The Research Institute has already issued your report. I'm sure you're aware that you can control metal and transform your body's elemental composition into metal, just like when you turned into that little golden man."

Sheng An pushed a thick stack of examination reports toward him and continued, "But because your knowledge is limited and you lack an understanding of the elements, you can currently only use existing metals directly or transform into the most basic metallic elements. That means the metals you transform into can't reach their full potential, leaving major gaps in your combat capabilities."

"In other words, you need to understand and master every metallic element as soon as possible." Sheng An looked deep into his eyes.

Li Xin was utterly confused, a little dazed, yet felt as though he understood something...

He muttered, "But I just transform."

He simply transformed. What did knowledge or understanding metallic elements have to do with it?

And why did he need to master metallic elements?

Hao Jingye couldn't listen anymore. Rolling his eyes, he said:

"Let me put it this way. Do you know why your metal form consists mainly of copper and gold, with a small amount of iron?"

Li Xin instinctively shook his head.

"Because those are the only common elements you know!" Hao Jingye spread his hands.

There was no such thing as simply transforming.

Every transformation was based on an understanding of matter.

The elements in his body allowed him to control all the metal around him. But if he wanted to turn his body into metal rather than use nearby metal to form armor, he needed to understand the elements!

Sheng An leaned forward and met his eyes. "Do you really not want to learn? Once you do, you'll be able to switch between different metallic states whenever you want, taking on different colors in different metal forms to suit different environments."

Li Xin's eyes lit up.

Holy shit, wouldn't that mean he could be not just Iron Man, but a chameleon too?!

Sheng An continued, "Besides that, you can use different metals in different battles based on their properties, sometimes as soft as clay, sometimes incredibly hard. You could even fly."

"Fly?" Li Xin was stunned.

It could even let him fly?

"Yes, fly. Some metals are extremely light. With the help of magnetic fields and your teammates, you can minimize the effects of gravity and fly."

Sheng An paused, then added softly, "Of course, you can also suddenly change your metallic composition when someone targets you. If you'd turned the metal in your body into tantalum or iridium when I attacked you with aqua regia yesterday, I wouldn't have been able to catch you."

Li Xin's eyes were already as bright as light bulbs.

Holding his breath, he asked eagerly, "Really?!"

"Really."

Li Xin leaned forward too, facing Sheng An, and swallowed. "You're really willing to teach me how to transform and fly?"

That was flying!

The greatest dream of countless boys obsessed with fantasy powers and martial arts stories!

Besides, being caught so effortlessly by this woman last time had left him somewhat traumatized.

If he changed the way this woman said, wouldn't that make him... invincible?

Invincible!

What a beautiful word.

Li Xin's eyes shone so brightly they practically glowed.

Sheng An smiled, her voice full of temptation:

"Of course. Although you're only a contract worker, during your contract, the country will create a tailored study plan to help you improve yourself and make better use of your Metal Superpower. You'll also become someone future Metal Superpower users can learn from."

Li Xin was so excited that his heart pounded.

He even thought that if this woman had told him all this earlier, he might have started considering joining the government long ago!

"I'll study! I'll do it!" Li Xin's voice was resolute.

Sheng An nodded in satisfaction.

Then she took several sheets of paper from Hao Jingye and laid them out in front of Li Xin, one by one.

"You need to focus on three subjects: mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Mathematics is the foundation, helping you learn the other two subjects better. Physics will help you put your ability to use, and chemistry, needless to say, will help you understand it. These are the books you're tentatively assigned to study."

Li Xin glanced over them and saw densely packed book titles.

Just one look was enough to give him a headache.

He... he had to study this much?

Only then did Li Xin begin to look dumbstruck.

"Oh, right. A lot of this material is something you'd only encounter in college, graduate school, or even after earning a doctorate. But that's fine. You'll have a professional team of teachers who'll give you intensive lessons on the relevant material and go straight to the essentials."

Sheng An laid out another sheet covered in names. "These are all professors and leading academic authorities in the relevant fields. From now on, they'll all be your teachers, designing lesson plans specifically for you."

Li Xin: "..."

Dazed once more, he stared blankly at the sheets of paper.

Before he could make sense of them, Sheng An took out another sheet, placed it on top, and smiled faintly-

"This is your current schedule. Classes in the morning, examinations at noon, training in the afternoon, and more classes at night. Your teaching team will adjust the next day's lessons and lesson plans based on your examination reports and training results that day.

"And you will become the template for future metal-type ability users."

Li Xin: "..."

He looked at the schedule. Only the first three days had been planned: wake up at six in the morning, go to bed at midnight. Aside from meals, his total break time during the day would be no more than half an hour.

Even a dog would cry at a schedule like that!

Sheng An said, "Since we're establishing a progression template for metal-type ability users, your time is very tight, so the courses have to move quickly. But don't worry. All dozen or so of them are veteran experts. They're highly capable and excellent teachers, and they all have ways to keep you focused in class."

Li Xin: "..."

He blinked, looking dazed.

Many to one?

Multiple teachers for one student?

He wouldn't even be able to hide among the other students and zone out or sleep in class anymore?

Sheng An continued, "Oh, right. Your grandfather and grandmother will also be among your teachers. One specializes in mathematics, the other in chemistry-a perfect fit. Your uncle can also work part-time as one of your physics teachers."

Li Xin: "..."

So his grandparents' job was to teach him?

Sheng An said, "Over a dozen expert teachers will be teaching you alone. Of course, if you're dissatisfied, we can even assign you a hundred-person teaching team, all focused exclusively on you."

Li Xin: "..."

A fucking hundred-person teaching team!

He didn't want that!!

Sheng An added, "Your parents will also work at the camp. They'll be able to monitor your physical and mental health, as well as your academic progress."

Li Xin: "..."

The terrifying image of his parents hovering over him as he studied had already appeared in his mind.

Sheng An said, "The apocalypse is coming, so you won't get to attend your final year of high school. But you'll work no less hard than you would there. Give it your best, young man. You can do it. I believe in you."

At those words, Li Xin's vision went black, and he toppled backward.

Sheng An said expressionlessly, "Quick, get the doctors over here to revive him. No need to send him to the hospital-that would waste time. His classes start in half an hour."

Li Xin: "..."

This time, Li Xin really fainted.