"Let's go in and change together. What are you so shy about?"
Wang Dong stammered, "Y-you go first."
"Hey! You're all grown up, and you're still so shy!"
Cao Yu stopped teasing him and returned to his room, changing his clothes in just a few minutes.
His physical fitness was actually excellent, and he hadn't sweated much even after finishing the run.
But to have a good time with those girls, Cao Yu could only change into a fresh set of clothes.
When out and about, one had to pay a little attention to appearances.
If you stank all over, never mind chatting with girls-they would keep far away the moment they saw you.
After changing, Cao Yu and Wang Dong arrived at the classroom, where everyone was already sitting neatly in their seats.
Zhou Yi's earlier "mass layoff" had left several seats empty in the classroom. Yet the seats around Cao Yu's were completely full, and the girls were smiling as they looked him over.
But when Zhou Yi entered the classroom, everyone's face filled with gloom, without the slightest trace of joy. It was clear just how large a shadow Teacher Zhou's strictness had cast over them.
For Cao Yu, however, it was nothing much, nowhere near what high school had been like in his previous life.
Back then, one of his female homeroom teachers had seemed to be going through menopause. Not only was she strict, but her temper was unpredictable, and she scolded students every day. Being at school had been like living in a prison cell.
Compared to her, Zhou Yi was just a tiny bit better. Although she was strict, at least she didn't scold them as fiercely as that female homeroom teacher from his previous life.
Still, Cao Yu didn't have much of a favorable impression of her either. He much preferred looking at his female deskmate.
Zhou Yu looked at the ninety-odd students below the podium and nodded. "We'll begin class now. Your performance in the test just now was mostly satisfactory. The vast majority of you completed the simple assessment of running."
After speaking, she turned and wrote two large words on the blackboard: attack and defense.
"You should all recognize the two words I've written on the blackboard: attack and defense. In this first lesson today, I'll explain the ways of attack and defense for Soul Masters."
"Since ancient times, we Soul Masters have been divided into many systems according to the different abilities of our Martial Souls: the power attack system, agility attack system, support system, food system..."
"..."
The longer he listened, the more bored he became. Cao Yu grew drowsy, barely forcing himself to stay awake.
But after glancing to his right, he immediately stopped feeling sleepy. His eyes shone with golden light, and he perked up despite himself.
It must be really comfortable to rest on those, right? Cao Yu thought to himself.
I really want to help this deskmate of mine shoulder some of her burden. Oh, right, I haven't even asked her name yet.
Cao Yu took out a sheet of paper, wrote a line on it, then quietly pushed it over to her.
His deskmate had been listening attentively when she saw Brother Yu slide a sheet of paper in front of her.
On it was written, "By the way, I still don't know your name."
She picked up her pen and wrote, "Oh! I forgot to tell you, Brother Yu. My name is Luo Yan."
Then she slid the paper back.
Smiling, Luo Yan turned her head again and gazed at him without blinking.
When he saw the amusement in his eyes, Cao Yu picked up his pen and began writing. A few more lines appeared on the paper, and before long, it slid back in front of her.
The paper read, "Classmate Luo Yan, you have such a great figure!"
Looking at the words on the paper, Luo Yan couldn't help pressing her little pink lips together. Her face instantly flushed scarlet, her expression full of disbelief.
Her little toes, clad in white stockings and hidden inside her shoes, couldn't help curling.
Then, blushing, she wrote back, "Really?"
Luo Yan slid the paper over again.
Cao Yu turned to glance at her and found Luo Yan watching him with a flushed face. Their eyes met, and she hurriedly turned away, pretending to listen to the lesson.
"Really!"
Luo Yan looked at the words on the paper, her face growing even redder this time.
After a while, Luo Yan pushed the paper back again, her little face flushed.
On it was written, "Then, Brother Yu... what kind of girl do you like?"
Cao Yu glanced at it. This was a death-trap question.
So he replied, "I like girls with good figures who are gentle and considerate."
Luo Yan read the words on the paper with her face flushed. A good figure? Gentle? Considerate?
Wasn't he describing me?
Luo Yan slumped over the desk, her whole chin sinking deep into the heavy... fullness in front of her chest... making Cao Yu sneak a few more looks.
"Sit down."
The voice was loud. Cao Yu hurriedly raised his head, and Luo Yan, whose thoughts had been running wild, was startled too. She hastily stuffed the paper under the desk.
At that moment, Teacher Zhou Yi continued from the podium.
"If this were more than four thousand years ago, before the Sun Moon Continent collided with our Douluo Continent, Wang Dong's answer would have been correct. But today, his answer is outrageously wrong."
"Cao Yu, you tell me why."
Huh?
Why did she call on me?
Cao Yu stood up from his seat, looking utterly bewildered. Everyone around him watched expectantly, as though he could give the correct answer.
But he really didn't know. He hadn't even heard the question, so how was he supposed to answer?
Likewise, up at the podium, Zhou Qi kept studying Cao Yu. What sort of answer would a noble's son give her?
Let me think~
Cao Yu began frantically squeezing out every scrap of knowledge he had accumulated about this world, finally coming up with one possibility.
"Teacher, is it this?"
"Although current Soul Tools don't have an advantage in individual combat, particularly at the level of high-ranking Soul Masters, that's mainly because ranged Soul Tools are large and cumbersome."
"But in group melees, they can greatly reduce our side's losses."
"Take the Milk Bottle Soul Tools and Heavenly Thunder Cannon I have, for example."
Cao Yu took a large pile of Milk Bottle Soul Tools and a Level 7 Soul Tool, the Heavenly Thunder Cannon, out of his Storage Soul Tool.
He propped the Heavenly Thunder Cannon on his shoulder like a rocket launcher. Since it was a system product, its weight was just within what he could bear.
"With these Milk Bottle Soul Tools, it's like having a convenient, portable power source. When enough are stockpiled, they can continuously recharge Soul Tools."
"That way, even low-ranking Soul Masters can unleash terrifying combat power. One shot... a whole bunch of little kids. They could unleash unstoppable power in war."
As he spoke, he pressed the Milk Bottle Soul Tool's activation button and inserted it into the Heavenly Thunder Cannon's socket. A continuous stream of Soul Power then poured into it.
Before long, terrifying energy began building at the Heavenly Thunder Cannon's muzzle. The pressure of the Soul Power emanating from within made even Zhou Yi feel afraid, let alone the new students.
At that moment, Zhou Yi inexplicably saw a shadow of Fan Yu's disciple, He Caitou, in him. Both liked carrying things like this around.
Sensing something was wrong, Cao Yu hurriedly pulled the Milk Bottle out. If he failed to control this properly, probably not a single person in the building would be able to escape, would they?
Downstairs, the old man reclining comfortably in a chair and basking in the sun glanced up, then closed his eyes again.
"I almost caused a disaster."
Cao Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand.
If I'd known, I wouldn't have shown... off. To hell with teaching by word and example. I actually fell for that nonsense.
Seeing the energy gradually subside, everyone hurriedly let out a sigh of relief. Cao Yu feigned composure and continued.
"Of course, Soul Tools will definitely develop toward Humanoid Soul Tools in the future-in other words, Battle Armor. Only then can their convenience be optimized to a greater extent, and they may even provide Soul Masters with unexpected attribute boosts."
At the podium, Zhou Qi's expression relaxed. "All right, Cao Yu. Your teacher knows you're rich. Hurry up and put those things away."
(End of chapter)