Eager to earn points, Wen Jing immediately studied it carefully, only to back out regretfully a short while later.
Compared with the other missions posted at the activity center, registering explorations could practically be called a student benefit.
The other missions either requested specific materials, required Awakeners who met certain criteria to explore as a team, or called for Awakeners with particular abilities to assist in experimental research... in short, none were within her current capabilities.
Just then, a new notification popped up on her terminal:
"Your reserved elective [Secret Technique: Energy Amplification Method] begins in thirty minutes. Please report to Secret Technique Classroom 10 in Teaching Building 17."
Wen Jing's eyes lit up. She rose from her chair, picked up the nutrient solution on the table, and headed out.
"Glug, glug..."
She finished the nutrient solution in a few gulps on the way and tossed the empty bottle, which traced an arc and landed precisely in a trash can beside the road.
She had only tried nutrient solution, a specialty of this interstellar world, for the first time after arriving at the academy. Its taste was mild, neither good nor bad, but it was convenient and cheap.
However, only the Awakened could drink it. If non-Awakened drank too much, their digestive systems would atrophy and degenerate until they could no longer eat normal food. Only the Awakened had the recovery abilities and strong physiques to withstand such potent stuff.
As such, Ochre Soil Academy had no cafeteria, though it did have various restaurants selling food that was not premade, all of them expensive establishments.
Traveling the low-carbon way all along, Wen Jing arrived at her classroom.
Rather than a classroom, it was more like a large training ground. The walls and floor were all made of a special alloy that looked sturdy at a glance.
A large apparatus also stood in the center of the training ground.
There were still five minutes until class began, but nearly fifty or sixty people were already in the classroom, including not just first-years, but second- and even third-years.
"She actually came..."
Someone present soon recognized Wen Jing. It was one of the conglomerate heirs in her class.
Only poor people had to work hard to earn points for electives. As long as these heirs were willing to pay a premium, getting the points for electives was no trouble.
In fact, even those from ordinary backgrounds could exchange credits for points to attend classes, provided they signed with a corporation or spent time earning credits.
The Awakened were a group who earned money quickly and spent it just as quickly.
"Isn't she from a population factory? How does she already have points to buy a course?"
"Did she sign with someone? I heard she cleared the first floor of the Trial Tower yesterday and got a D rating. Some corporation might have signed her."
"Impossible. If she'd signed a contract, there's no way I wouldn't have heard."
"What's the point of signing an F-rank? She can only jump around for a little while. Give it some time, and you won't hear that name anymore."
Conglomerate heirs would try to recruit talented commoners, but Wen Jing's potential was too low. No one had high hopes for her future.
Besides, the conglomerate heirs at Ochre Soil Academy were E-rank at best, without particularly high standing in their families. Signing her might also offend ■■■ and the family behind him. It was not worth the cost.
Students from other years overheard their conversation, and quite a few also looked toward Wen Jing.
"She's Wen Jing?"
"She looks pretty ordinary..."
Just then, a tall woman walked into the classroom.
The various buzzing conversations in the classroom instantly fell silent.
It was not because she was the only person present not wearing a school uniform, but because she carried the unmistakable aura of a powerhouse.
The woman stepped onto the platform, swept her gaze around, and said:
"I'm Louisa, your instructor for this course."
The instructor wore a simple tank top and trousers, with an intricate, distinctive pattern shaved into her cropped hair. Combined with her wild features, it gave her an unusual charm.
"Since some freshmen are attending for the first time, I'll explain my classroom rules."
"First, do as you're told."
"Second, don't ask pointless questions unrelated to the course."
"All right, class begins."
Having finished her extremely brief classroom rules, Louisa went straight into the lesson.
"The Energy Amplification Method is a secret technique that only works on yourself. It increases the efficiency with which energy strengthens your body. In other words, it lets one unit of energy produce the amplification effect of several units..."
Wen Jing listened with complete concentration, as did everyone else present.
There was no attendance requirement for electives. The total number of class hours was clearly stated at purchase, and students had to book each class in advance, giving them flexibility and freedom with their time. If they booked a class and failed to show up, they were only wasting their own points.
If they failed the final assessment for a purchased elective, they would receive no academic credits. They could either abandon it altogether or spend more points to buy the course again and retake it.
This was the first course Wen Jing had selected from the many electives after challenging the Trial Tower. It had cost her ten points.
Its "value for money" seemed extremely high: mastering it would earn her a full fifty academic credits.
At the same time, however, the average pass rate for its final assessment was only 23%.
That meant... an extremely high retake rate!
Many of the second- and third-year students in the classroom were currently retaking it.
Those with strong aptitude might only need to retake it once or twice, while those with average aptitude might need four or five attempts.
So once the cost of retakes was included, this course was not cheap at all.
However, that was true for other people.
Louisa had all the students form a circle around her.
"Now, I'll teach you a breathing method. Follow my instructions. Breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in..."
The students present had undergone all kinds of training since childhood, before awakening, and their control over their bodies had improved after awakening. They soon achieved the correct rhythm, their breathing in sync.
"Remember the frequency of this breathing method, and transfer it to the way you channel your energy."
Many freshmen attending for the first time immediately lost their breathing rhythm. How is this even more ridiculous than advanced math, where you lose track of everything just picking up a pen? Breathing and channeling energy are completely different concepts. How are we supposed to transfer one to the other?!
Sitting in the center with her eyes closed, Louisa did not even twitch an eyelid. She merely said coldly, "Any idiots who can't grasp it should keep up the breathing method for now. Train it into your instincts."
The hardest part of this course tested comprehension.
Apart from those retaking it, many students simply chose to give up after studying it for a semester.
After all, although the course awarded plenty of academic credits, it could only improve physical combat skills in close quarters. It was not as though there were no other secret techniques or combat techniques they could learn to grow stronger if they failed to master this one.
After a while, Louisa stood up.
"Those who've gotten a feel for it can test their amplification on the testing apparatus over there."
She took some of the students retaking the course over to the apparatus, leaving the others where they were to continue trying to grasp it.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Wen Jing sat cross-legged on the floor, earnestly experimenting and trying to understand how to control the flow.
She had skipped straight past the stage Louisa had described as "maintaining the breathing method until it becomes instinct."
For the Proficiency Panel, any level attained was attained forever. Once she reached a level, she would never regress and would always remain at her peak. Thus, the moment she learned the breathing method, she had effectively made it instinctive.
The difficult part came afterward.
For the Awakened, using energy to strengthen their bodies was instinctive, like holding a hose and directing water to different places. They only needed to choose a direction and decide when to turn the water on or off.
This secret technique, however, required the water flow to vibrate at the frequency of the breathing method while flowing toward a designated location. The difficulty increased geometrically.
The quantity of energy, the direction of its flow... Wen Jing immersed herself in all kinds of experiments.
At one particular moment, inspiration struck, a faint, subtle insight flashing through her mind.
The energy she was manipulating gave an extremely slight vibration.
Perhaps others studying this secret technique had experienced similar moments during their practice, but for them, those moments were fleeting.
Wen Jing, however, was different.
[Secret Technique: Energy Amplification Method-Proficiency: 20%]
"Amplification strength, 130%. Not bad. You've grasped the basics. Next, you need to bring the frequency closer to the breathing method and increase the amplitude."
Beside the testing apparatus, Louisa nodded to a student who had just finished testing.
At her words, the student excitedly clenched his fists and exhaled.
My third retake, and I've finally grasped the basics!
The other students retaking the course beside him looked on enviously. For this course, that rate of progress was not slow.
One student hesitated, then gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "Instructor, I'd like to test."
Louisa nodded. Under her gaze, the student nervously inserted his hand into the apparatus.
A moment later, the machine lit up red.
The student's expression instantly froze, as though his parents had died.
"You still haven't learned it. Looks like you need to 'experience' it yourself." Louisa raised her fist and slowly threw a punch at him. "I'm using one-tenth of your energy. Watch closely-"
Clearly having expected this, the student nervously raised both arms and channeled his energy to block.
"Bam!"
With a heavy thud, he flew into a wall more than ten meters away.
The sight made everyone's scalp prickle. Those who had been hesitating about stepping up immediately decided to try next time. There were only a little over ten minutes left until class ended anyway.
Just then, a figure stepped forward.
"Hmm?"
Everyone's gaze instantly fell on that figure.
Not only did someone still dare to step forward at a time like this, but that person had come from the freshmen's area!
Seeing Wen Jing approach from the freshmen's side, Louisa raised an eyebrow with a hint of interest and warned, "Only come up if you're confident. Otherwise, you'll end up on the wall."
Wen Jing simply nodded and walked to the apparatus without hesitation.
"Strike the testing apparatus with your palm," Louisa instructed.
Wen Jing inserted her hand into the apparatus. It felt as though she were reaching into quicksand.