"I'm speechless. How could you have the heart to turn down Ling Yue when she asked you?"
Not long after Lu Yuan walked out of the academic building, someone caught up with him.
"Are you even human?"
Cheng Peng looked at Lu Yuan with an expression of utter disbelief.
Lu Yuan rolled his eyes. "You're human. If I'd known, I would have let you go. Oh, I almost forgot... your grades are so bad, your answers are worthless. Ling Yue would ask anyone *but* you to compare answers."
Lu Yuan deliberately put on an expression of 'deep regret', which made Cheng Peng scream in frustration.
If it had been a week ago, Cheng Peng would have certainly taunted him with phrases like, "If you've got the guts, let's see you at the Origin Martial Arts Hall!"
But now, he couldn't muster any tough words.
All he could manage to spit out was, "Damn, so being handsome really is all that, huh."
"Indeed, being handsome is a big deal."
Lu Yuan casually agreed, then paused for a moment.
He stopped in front of the large glass wall at the entrance of the school cafeteria.
Under the direct sunlight, the glass wall reflected Lu Yuan's current appearance.
He had grown a lot taller.
From under 1.75 meters, he was now 1.78 meters tall, two centimeters taller than Cheng Peng.
His face was handsome, his figure tall and lean. His physique was no longer thin and weak, instead becoming well-proportioned and athletic.
The muscle lines on his arms were distinct and fluid, and his hair was cut short—the very image of a sunny, handsome young man.
In just over half a month, Lu Yuan had changed tremendously. And not just physically.
"Let's go."
Lu Yuan beckoned to Cheng Peng and headed into the cafeteria.
"What for?"
"What else would one do in the cafeteria? Eat, of course."
Five minutes later, Lu Yuan sat down at a table in the cafeteria with a tray piled high with food.
Cheng Peng, with him, had a plate with barely half that amount.
"Every time I eat with you, one word comes to mind..."
"Which word?"
Cheng Peng yelled, "Glutton, of course!"
Lu Yuan ignored him and started to eat big mouthfuls by himself.
The food in the school cafeteria naturally couldn't compare to home-cooked meals in terms of taste.
However, since the final two exams had ended that morning and it was lunchtime, Lu Yuan didn't want to go home and trouble his mom to cook an extra lunch, so he decided to eat in the cafeteria if he could.
While eating, Lu Yuan brought up his attribute panel.
[Name: Lu Yuan]
[Age: 17]
[Strength: 9]
[Agility: 8]
[Constitution: 10]
[Intelligence: 10]
...
[Profession: Fighter Lv.3 (345/400)]
[Basic Professional Skills: Initial Body Forging Lv.4 (34/800)
Basic Fist Skill Lv.3 (383/400)
Basic Leg Skill Lv.3 (319/400)
Basic Step Skill Lv.3 (392/400)
Basic Capture Lv.2 (23/200)]
[Attribute Points: 2]
[Skill Points: 2]
In just over half a month, Lu Yuan's 'Fighter' profession had made tremendous progress.
Not only had he broken through to Lv. 3, but he was also just a few dozen Experience Points away from Lv. 4.
The three basic martial techniques taught at Origin Martial Arts Hall had all reached Lv. 3, not far from Lv. 4.
He had also acquired Basic Capture.
This was learned from Cheng Peng.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a systematic skill, only Lv. 2, and rather difficult to level up.
Of the four basic attributes, both strength and constitution had increased by 1 point.
The former was due to natural bodily growth from over half a month of strength training.
The latter was an unexpected bonus after Initial Body Forging broke through to Lv. 4.
Lu Yuan hadn't spent the attribute points and skill points gained from leveling up his 'Fighter' and 'Student' professions. Even so, as of a week ago, he could already easily defeat Cheng Peng in sparring practice—the same Cheng Peng who had once thoroughly trounced him.
Going from being thrashed to thrashing others. This transformation took less than two weeks.
No wonder Cheng Peng now reflexively called him a 'freak' or 'monster'.
Lu Yuan's only slight regret was that after all this time, the Core Skill for the 'Fighter' profession he had been anticipating still hadn't unlocked.
Lu Yuan analyzed that the problem likely lay with the Basic Capture he had 'cribbed' from Cheng Peng.
The prerequisite skill is still one level short, so the unlock conditions haven't been met.
Lu Yuan grabbed a braised chicken leg from his tray, took a fierce bite, and made a decision. Forget it, I'm not waiting anymore. I can't enroll in another class to learn Catching Skill like Cheng Peng did. Tonight, I'll use some skill points to get Basic Capture to Lv. 3 and see if the profession's Core Skill appears...
Just as he was mulling this over, Cheng Peng, beside him, casually asked.
"Lu Yuan, where do you think you'll rank in this exam?"
Lu Yuan pondered and replied, "Barring any surprises, top five in our grade should be no problem."
After his 'Student' profession reached Lv. 4, Lu Yuan's mastery of the eight core subjects was already very high.
His answer was actually modest. Answering questions in his Lv. 2 'Absolute Focus' state, Lu Yuan estimated he had a shot at ranking first in the grade.
"Top five in the grade, huh..."
This time, Cheng Peng didn't contradict him but instead said with a complex expression, "I didn't think you'd be confident enough to rank in the top five now. To think, just a few months ago, we brothers were both struggling at the bottom of the class."
"That was you. At my worst, I was never dead last."
"Damn it! ... Say, Lu Yuan, do you have some secret study method? Mind sharing it?"
"'The secret is...' Lu Yuan had barely begun when Cheng Peng frantically pulled on his arm, gesturing for him to look in a certain direction.
Lu Yuan followed Cheng Peng's gaze.
He saw a few girls walking into the cafeteria hand in hand.
His gaze swept over the group, and he understood why Cheng Peng had gestured.
The girl Ling Yue, who had approached Lu Yuan outside the exam hall to compare answers, was indeed among them.
Ling Yue was the recognized belle of Class Three, Year Two. She had excellent grades and was very pretty, making her quite well-known throughout the school.
She frequently received love letters from boys in other classes.
Cheng Peng was, naturally, one of Ling Yue's admirers. However, he had the desire but lacked the courage; he only dared to secretly drool over Ling Yue's departing figure. If he actually had to approach her... even just borrowing a pen could make him blush.
"Boring."
Lu Yuan noticed the girls also glancing over at him, so he looked away and commented indifferently.
"If Ling Yue confessed to you, would you accept?"
Cheng Peng glanced at him.
"I wouldn't."
Lu Yuan answered without hesitation.
"Damn, putting on airs again."
Cheng Peng's face was full of contempt.
Lu Yuan didn't bother explaining to him.
Romance? He barely had enough time for studying and martial arts training; how could he consider romance? Unless romance could help him unlock the 'Sea King' profession, granting him multiple profession panels to farm attribute and skill points... only then would he even consider it.
......
After the monthly exams, it was customary at Fourth High to have a three-day break.
Counting today, it was, strictly speaking, only two and a half days.
After lunch, Lu Yuan asked Cheng Peng if he was going to the Origin Martial Arts Hall.
Cheng Peng didn't want to go, saying he had plans with others to play games at the internet café in the afternoon.
Lu Yuan didn't force him.
Ever since he first defeated Cheng Peng in a real spar a week ago, the Experience Points he gained from practicing with Cheng Peng had greatly diminished.
He was only getting one or two points each time, which made him lose much of his interest in sparring with Cheng Peng anymore.
Is it because I've become stronger that Cheng Peng is now judged by the system as just a low-level mob I can swat away effortlessly? When I add these two attribute and skill points, will I even get a single experience point from fighting him again?
Walking down the tree-lined avenue towards the school gate, Lu Yuan mused: It's time to consider finding a new 'experience farm' for a training partner. Should I reveal some of my strength to Lin Zhiquin and then take the opportunity to apply for a class promotion? Or should I directly take the assessment to become a formal disciple?