"Bang!"
Silas jerked awake, the blinding light searing his eyes.
"I'm such an idiot! Who falls asleep in the middle of the final exam?!"
"I shouldn't have stayed up all night playing games with Jasper!"
"Wait, there's still time. At least I'm pretty good at biology."
As his vision cleared, Silas was faced with a "classic" biology classification question.
Spirit Beastology: The classification of the Fluffus cottonbud as belonging to the 'Pompom Family' is primarily based on?
A. Its spherical shape
B. Its emotional crystallization organ
C. Its omnivorous habits
D. Its lack of distinct characteristics
"...?"
What the hell kind of prank is this? Silas thought he was still dreaming.
When he opened his eyes again, the exact same scene made Silas wake up completely.
Same classroom.
Same classmates.
And there was the same Professor Viktor, who had never once cracked a smile.
"Stop looking around!"
Silas, now on the receiving end of Viktor's sharp gaze, reluctantly dropped his shock and stared down at his exam paper.
Written in his own stylish, fluid handwriting—one that he couldn't help but admire—was his name.
Silas was seated by the window. He sneaked a glance outside.
His deep brown hair, slightly wavy and catching the sunlight, gleamed with a honey-like sheen. A few rebellious strands always fell over his forehead. But it was his warm, deep hazel eyes that captured attention, with long, thick lashes and a gaze that carried a hint of confusion. His face, typical for a 17-year-old, had a smooth contour with a high nose bridge and naturally upturned lips, revealing a slight dimple when he smiled. He wore a loose beige hoodie and an old-fashioned mechanical watch on his left wrist, and his entire being exuded a warm and elegant aura, as comfortable as the afternoon sun in autumn.
Yep. That was definitely his face—the kind of face that makes people want to throw things at him out of sheer jealousy. Silas sighed in relief, feeling more at ease.
"Alright! Whether I've actually transmigrated to a parallel world or not, it looks like I need to seriously study this goddamn test paper right now!"
[Which of the following does NOT describe the effect of Aether on Earth's ecosystem?]
[Why do fire-type Spirit Beasts lose power in rainy weather?]
Looking at the page full of multiple-choice questions, Silas started to form a twisted grin.
"Survival Lesson One in Exams: How to pretend to be an expert in Spirit Beastology!"
Study questions, comprehend questions, answer questions!
"Since the Fluffus cottonbud's classification as a 'Pompom Family' creature showed up on the exam, knowing Viktor like I do, there's no way the answer is as simple as A."
Silas's keen eyes zeroed in on the corners of Viktor's lips, where he caught another warning glare.
"Plus, animal classification is based on physical traits, not habits. So the answer must be between B and D..."
"Pick B! Let's see the next question..."
After thoroughly studying the exam, Silas confidently finished his answers and placed his pen down.
[Ding! +1 Deduction Point.]
A sudden sound interrupted his thoughts.
Silas's confident grin froze. He touched his nose and pinched his thigh, eyes widening in fear as they dropped to...
An empty pocket. That wasn't the sound of his phone.
Only then did Silas allow himself to breathe again.
He knew better than to cheat on one of Viktor's exams. If Viktor caught him, it'd be a disaster.
But wait... it wasn't his phone... Could it be...?
As an experienced bookworm, Silas knows all too well about the various cheating systems!
The protagonists in web novels were always shouting, "I owe everything to my hard work!"
while telling their systems, "System, level me up!"
It was enough to make anyone envious.
"Wait... have I joined the ranks of the system-dependent heroes?"
A surge of joy hit Silas. He could barely sit still as he swiftly handed in his paper and left the classroom.
Reflecting on the voice he just heard, Silas focused, and in front of him, a glowing screen seemed to materialize.
The screen looked like an AR game interface.
On the left was a 3D, chibi version of himself, with brown hair and eyes—though it seemed only about one-tenth as handsome as the real thing.
The right side of the screen was blank, with grayish-white, as if something was locked behind a condition.
At the top right corner was a prominent line of text: Calculation Points: 1
Silas was still baffled.
"What's this screen for?"
"Based on experience, the Calculation Points on the right must be some kind of in-game currency. Maybe I can use them to upgrade my character."
With that in mind...
"System? Are you there? System?"
No reply. Looks like it's a low-IQ system. Silas mumbled.
"System! Level me up!" Silas tapped on the chibi version of himself.
Predictably, no response.
"Alright, I guess that's not how it works," Silas said with a sigh, disappointed that the dream of using a system to enhance himself and become a hero had been swiftly crushed.
"Since this world has Spirit Beasts, maybe the system is related to them."
Silas recalled the system's prompt after he answered the biology exam.
"I just learned a little about Spirit Beastology from the 'Fundamentals of Spirit Beast Biology' exam, and the system rewarded me with a Calculation Point."
"Seems like my priority now is to learn more about Spirit Beasts... "
"And figure out what else is different in this parallel world! Why did I end up here, and why is it during the final exam?"
He slung his backpack over his shoulder.
"Dingling—"
The final exam was over, and the summer vacation for Bistemont Forest High School officially began.
Silas headed back home.
"Silas? Go wash your hands!" a familiar voice called out.
"Okay, Mom."
Seeing his parents unchanged made Silas's only lingering worry vanish.
He grabbed a glass of MooMoo milk and headed back to his room, sitting down and turning on his computer.
[The Origins of Spirit Beasts]
Silas typed in the enter key.
"180 years ago, Earth collided and fused with fragments from an unknown dimension. This expanded and reinforced the world's size, but the rules of the world fragments invaded, causing the magical substance 'Aether' to spread and multiply worldwide like a virus. Some plants and animals were transformed by the Aether, not only changing in form but also gaining the ability to harness Aether, gradually separating from original species and forming the 'Spirit Beasts.' At the same time, human technological civilization began to decline as the world strengthened and Aether suppressed technology."
"Soon, the ever-growing Spirit Beasts clashed with humans over the world's dominance, known as Civilized Jihad."
"Humans did not directly acquire magical abilities and suffered early defeats. However, Aether's spread didn't only affect biology—it resonated with the human mind, leading to the development of a special mental space known as 'Spirit Mastery Space.'"
"In the Spirit Mastery space, the powers of Spirit Beasts resonated strongly with human psychic power, forming a contract. This contract wasn't just a transfer of power—it was a symbiotic relationship. The Spirit Master gained the power of the Spirit Beast, and the Spirit Beast gained human nourishment and guidance, making it easier to evolve and reach higher life forms."
"From then on, humans and Spirit Beasts reconciled, and human civilization, in the form of Spirit Mastery, took the reins of the world..."
Silas sighed and drank his MooMoo milk in one go.
[Ding! +10 deduction Points.]
"This is unbelievable. A civilization maintained by a single contract?"
He happily accepted the points, then returned to the homepage and continued browsing the trending news.
[Explosive News: Leonardo May Have Contracted a New Spirit Beast! Airport Photos Show Him Holding a Mysterious Fluffy Cub.]
[Pacific Aether Storm Warning! Coastal Cities May Experience "Water Tornado" Phenomenon.]
[Hot! How to Choose Your First Spirit Beast Partner!]
"Marketing in any world is the same..."
Silas had been desensitized by all the overwhelming news. Expressionless, he opened the comment section.
@CuriousBystander001:
"Leonardo's new Spirit Beast must be at least a King-level potential Spirit Beast! Looks like he's about to blow the scene again!"
@NoTouchingSpiritBeasts:
"Why's the airport security so lax? How did they let this secret power get snapped?"
@LittleDragonInTheWaves:
"Location: Blue Coral Bay, tent set up! Looking for a chance encounter with a mermaid Spirit Beast, single and open to flirt!"
@SafetyFirst:
"Last year, someone said that and ended up in therapy with a sea snake Spirit Beast..."
@NotFallingForThatTailAgain:
"Don't pick a flying starter Spirit Beast. You think it'll fly you to victory in the skies, but it just thinks you're a climbing tool."
@SeniorIAm:
"Honestly, Little Wood kuco is no joke. I took it through first year and it swept the whole class. Now it's evolved and sweeps the entire grade. I give it massages every day to thank it."
While Silas scrolled through the Spirit Beast gossip to earn deduction points and sarcastically commented on the wild ideas in marketing, a new pop-up caught his eye:
@Elkwood City Official Account:
"[Reminder] All senior students will have their Psychic Power test tomorrow at 8 AM sharp. Please remember to bring your Student Card and Contract Intent Form. Don't be late!"
Silas's mouse slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a clatter.
"Wait, tomorrow morning is the Psychic Power test?!"
His expression changed in an instant. "I just came this world and already have to take a life-changing test?! The system's got no sense of humanitarianism!"