Ch. 273 - Skill Levels, Here They Come

"Theoretically speaking, it doesn't quite resemble something a senior high schooler would do..."

One professor, face utterly serious, then added, "And in practice, it's even more fucking unlike one..."

They had never seen a gaokao video like this — a single student flipping an entire alternate dimension on its head.

Professor Jiang Yun from the Combat Department spoke up. "I agree it doesn't seem plausible. Has anyone checked his background?"

Professor Wen Yang from the Cultural Academy's Materials Science program shook his head.

"We already ran him against the domestic wanted list. No matches."

"What about international criminals?"

"??"

Wen Yang's mouth twitched. "You can't be serious?"

He glanced back at the video, at Chen Shu's full-bandit getup, and added, "Though... I suppose it's not entirely impossible."

"Have someone verify it. We'll reconvene this afternoon to discuss."

To be absolutely certain, the six professors had him cross-checked against the international wanted list as well...

That afternoon.

The six reconvened. It had been confirmed — absolutely no issues. And yet, their eyes still held a trace of disbelief.

Jiang Yun spoke. "Everyone, how shall we score him? Let's hear it."

"His conduct was far too reckless. And he seemed to give zero thought to consequences!"

A white-haired professor spoke up. "Thank goodness this was the gaokao, with proctors on-site. If this were any ordinary situation, the casualties would've been unimaginable!"

"Huaxia Academy trains students, not criminals! I'll only give him a hundred and eighty points!"

By now, most of Chen Shu's subject scores were already in. His Academic Written Track had reached 400 — only three people in the entire country had gotten a perfect score, a truly dazzling result.

But his Potential Rating was D-rank, worth only 20 points. Add the bonus points from the Beast Taming Competition, and he was currently sitting at 440.

Admission to Huaxia Academy required 670. His Practical Combat would need at least 230 for him to qualify.

Clearly, this professor was rejecting Chen Shu's admission.

"Absolutely not!"

Jiang Yun's brow furrowed. He shot back immediately, "Professor Zhong Xingyun, your score is far too low!"

"Whether in combat experience or beast taming ability, his practical exam deserves full marks!"

"I agree with Professor Jiang!"

A middle-aged woman spoke up. "His beast taming rank is Black Iron. Per Huaxia Academy's regulations, that alone qualifies him for early admission."

"Giving him full marks for Practical Combat would not be excessive!"

"I'll give full marks as well!"

Professor Wen Yang from Materials Science said, "A student who dares to set his sights on a King-rank beast — that kind of fearless spirit alone earns full marks!"

The three of them had noticeably different attitudes compared to the morning, as if they'd come to some sort of agreement.

Wen Yang looked toward Professor Zhong Xingyun and smiled. "Since when has Huaxia Academy been afraid of recruiting troublemakers?"

"The founding mission of this institution was to cultivate true geniuses. Are we supposed to recruit a bunch of mediocrities and waste resources on them?"

Just then, Professor Lu Ming shook his head. "I disagree! One hundred eighty, at most!"

He and Zhong Xingyun were longtime friends and shared the same perspective — they worried Chen Shu would negatively affect the other students.

If Huaxia Academy poured massive resources into someone only to cultivate an international criminal, wouldn't that make us the laughingstock of the world?

Lu Ming rapped the table. "The three of you insist on giving full marks. Could it be that you're acting on instructions from Ye Qing?"

"Professor Lu, what exactly are you implying?!"

Jiang Yun's expression shifted. They were professors of Huaxia Academy, the nation's most authoritative educators. To be suspected of bias — the implications would be severe.

Zhong Xingyun smiled knowingly. "Ye Qing may have retired, but his influence certainly hasn't."

"Hmph! There's no need for baseless speculation!"

Wen Yang furrowed his brow. "If there are objections, we can have other professors score him. Or show the footage to the National Political Bureau and the Military Department!"

The three of them had all been Ye Qing's students once, and they had indeed received word from Old Ye around noon.

But their scoring was based on Chen Shu's actual performance. They feared no one's scrutiny.

Zhong Xingyun and Lu Ming fell silent. Conservatives like them were always in the minority.

Most professors, while they might not go as far as full marks, would certainly never score below 230.

"Professor Liu, what do you say?"

Zhong Xingyun turned to a burly middle-aged man, seeking his opinion.

This man had no ties to Ye Qing — he was a true neutral.

With the six votes now split three for full marks and two for one-eighty, the deciding vote rested on him.

Liu Feng rubbed his buzz cut and broke into a grin. "I like this kid's sneaky streak! Full marks from me!"

"..."

Zhong Xingyun's expression froze. That could be a reason?

Jiang Yun spoke up. "No matter what, Chen Shu must attend Huaxia Academy!"

"The Huaxia Dragon Abyss[1] grows increasingly unstable. Relying on the old man alone... one pillar cannot hold up a collapsing sky! We must nurture successors!"

Liu Feng added, "I'm betting on this kid."

Hearing this, everyone's expressions shifted. No one had expected Liu Feng to bestow such high praise.

In the end, after further discussion among the six, Chen Shu's Practical Combat score was set at 245.

Not quite full marks, but more than enough to secure his admission to Huaxia Academy.

...

Time quickly rolled around to June 22nd.

"Chen Pi, I've put together a skill list that might suit your Elemental Beast."

Chen Shu was in the middle of gaming when a message from Shen Wushuang came through.

It included various elemental-type skills — some control, some burst — all with excellent compatibility with the Husky.

Chen Shu looked at the list of over ten skills. He shook his head.

"Teacher, are there any pricier ones? The prestige factor[2] has to be higher, otherwise I'm taking a huge loss here."

In the bandit's mind, if he couldn't make the government bleed, then he was the one getting bled.

"You damned brat — do you want a suitable skill or an expensive skill?!"

"I want one that's expensive AND suitable! All the skills you listed, I could buy for a hundred million. Hell, if I sourced them on the Beast Taming Website, it probably wouldn't even take six months."

Chen Shu typed, "Aren't there any out-of-print[3] ones?"

"Out of print?"

Shen Wushuang's eyes went wide. You want your skills to be limited edition too?

Then something stirred in his mind, and a skill came to him.

"Speaking of out of print, there is one skill that comes to mind."

"What skill?"

"The Flame Blast Beetle Lord's talent skill[4] — [Sustained Assault]."

"Sustained Assault: Each time you release a skill, the damage of your next skill increases by 1%. Stacks! Duration: three minutes!"

Chen Shu's expression froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He'd found exactly the skill he wanted.

"Flame Blast Beetles only inhabit the [Demon Fire Forest]. After a great battle years ago, their population plummeted. A lord's skill from them is bound to be incredibly rare."

Shen Wushuang typed, "This should have the prestige you're looking for."

Chen Shu: "Holy crap, Teacher Shen, why didn't you say so earlier?! This is exactly what I want!"

"But I wouldn't recommend this skill."

Shen Wushuang immediately explained, "Each skill you release only adds 1% damage. Do you really think battles last that long?"

"And does your Elemental Beast even have that many skills to stack it with?"

"Unless your skill levels can be stacked extraordinarily high, you'd be far better off just picking a straightforward damage skill like a sensible person!"

Chen Shu was about to type a reply when options appeared before his eyes once more.

[Option 1: Learn the skill "Sustained Assault." Completion reward: "Sustained Assault" +1]

[Option 2: Learn the skill "Thunder Unleash." Completion reward: "Thunder Unleash" +1]

[Option 3: Learn the skill "Frost Strike." Completion reward: "Frost Strike" +1]

Chen Shu cracked a grin. Skill levels, here they come!

[1] 华夏龙渊 (Huáxià Lóng Yuān): The "Huaxia Dragon Abyss" is the world's most dangerous Alternate Dimension — the only one in China confirmed to contain King-tier Beast Sovereigns. Its name evokes classical grandeur: 龙渊 was also the name of a legendary sword forged by master Ou Yezi during the Spring and Autumn period. Guarded for centuries by the legendary "Old Master" from a fortress city at its entrance, the Abyss's fall would mean the end of human civilization. The professors invoke its growing instability as the ultimate argument for admitting Chen Shu: the nation needs inheritors, not conformists.

[2] 含金量 (hán jīn liàng): Literally "gold content," a ubiquitous Chinese metaphor for the prestige value, legitimacy, or real worth of anything — from academic degrees to championship titles. For Chen Shu, it's an obsession: everything must be measured by its "gold content," especially when someone else is footing the bill. If the government is giving him a free custom skill slot, he demands the most expensive, prestigious, and rare option possible — otherwise, in his bandit calculus, he's the one getting robbed.

[3] 绝版 (jué bǎn): Literally "out of print" — originally a publishing term for discontinued books, now extended to any limited-edition or no-longer-produced item. In Chinese consumer culture, 绝版 status signals scarcity-driven value. Chen Shu applies this collector's logic to combat skills with pure bandit reasoning: if it's discontinued, it's worth more, and if the government is paying, he wants maximum value extraction. He treats government-funded skill slots the way a sneakerhead treats limited drops.

[4] 天赋技 (tiānfù jì): "Talent skill" or "innate skill" — a skill native to a specific beast species or lord variant, as opposed to skills learned through skill books. A lord's talent skill is often unique to that creature type and cannot be obtained through normal means, making it especially rare. The Flame Blast Beetle Lord's Sustained Assault is such a skill.