Chapter Twelve: Advancement

“The side effect of training a specialty, nothing more.”

Ye Mingqiu sighed.

He certainly didn’t want others to know that he had been beaten up by a mage wielding a staff, that he was utterly defeated in close combat by a sorcerer. That was truly humiliating… even though he was a support class.

“A specialty? What specialty are you training?”

Chen Ran asked curiously.

“Polearms.”

“Hm?”

Chen Ran was deeply skeptical. He couldn’t understand how training in polearms could leave someone in such a state. Moreover, Ye Mingqiu’s condition was strange—there wasn’t a single visible wound on his body, yet he felt as though he was riddled with cuts and bruises.

What on earth was going on?

Specialty, polearms, training, weakness…

Wait! He seemed to have just come out of Tang Ruobing’s exclusive training room!

Tang Ruobing, polearm training, riddled with wounds, extremely weak body… Could it be…

“Did… you get beaten up during training?”

Chen Ran probed cautiously, unwilling to be too explicit, leaving some things understood but unspoken.

“Yeah.”

Ye Mingqiu answered casually. Having just endured a beating, he wasn’t thinking much, only wanting to find a place to rest and process the day’s experiences.

Tang Ruobing, just you wait. One day I’ll chase you down with a staff, pounding your head until it’s covered with bumps, crying and begging for mercy. Just you wait! Ahhh!

Chen Ran sighed silently, thinking: Nowadays, the rich really do live extravagantly.

...

At night, Ye Mingqiu returned home and injected himself with Xislong once more. The familiar pain surged again, but he was gradually getting used to it, no longer as unbearable as the first time.

Lying on his bed, gritting his teeth, he finally swallowed the Spirit Renewal X6—a mental supplement he had spent a hundred thousand yuan on. It would be a waste not to use it.

But…

If he took it, he probably wouldn’t sleep well that night. Then training and needle injections the next day would be even harder to endure. Exercising a specialty while using technology was indeed a bit inappropriate. He decided to talk with Tang Ruobing first, at least wait until he finished using the Spirit Renewal X6, Xislong, and Lv Bolong before continuing training.

After finishing the drugs, when he soaked in the Fountain of Life, he would try to unlock a new talent. If successful, it would be a major improvement, and he would definitely be able to acquire a stronger profession.

The next day, Ye Mingqiu arrived at school, his mental state worse than the day before. Spirit Renewal X6 was truly a torment; although it boosted mental attributes, he never wanted to use it again. The process was painful, and the toxins within were significant. Its only advantage was the extremely high conversion rate—money converted to attributes very efficiently.

So, he slumped in his seat, looking as if he might faint at any moment.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

Suddenly, someone tapped on his desk.

Ye Mingqiu wearily lifted his head and looked at the girl in front of him, asking tiredly, “Ah, who are you?”

“Xia Qingxue.”

“Oh.”

“We’re both on the college entrance exam prep team!”

“Mm.”

Ye Mingqiu replied listlessly, resting his head back on the desk as if he were dying. “I took Spirit Renewal X6 for two days and had four injections of Xislong. Don’t bother me—I feel like I’m about to die.”

“Spirit Renewal X6? And a combo injection?”

Xia Qingxue’s delicate body trembled, disbelief flashing in her eyes. At the same time, long-buried memories surged back violently, old pains crashing over her like a tidal wave.

In the next moment, her gaze toward Ye Mingqiu softened with sympathy. “I thought Tang Ruobing was ruthless, but it turns out you’re the real champion. Sorry for doubting your strength before. Goodbye.”

“?”

Ye Mingqiu slowly typed a question mark. He realized that Spirit Renewal X6 was more potent than he had imagined. If that was the case, would its side effects worsen day by day? Would he suffer unbearably later on?

He gritted his teeth and checked his basic attributes.

Temporary Panel

Life: 26

Psionic Energy: 33

Basic Attributes: [Strength: 2.3, Agility: 2.3, Constitution: 2.6, Spirit: 6.6, Total: 13.8]

Talents: Psionic Energy – Fulfillment (C), Psionic Energy – Breaking Limits (B), Psionic Energy – Enchantment (B)+

Agility increased by 0.4, Spirit increased by 1.1—both boosts exceeded the listed instructions. This was because he had previously been purely natural, and using technology on a natural body for the first time naturally yielded more significant improvements.

Especially Spirit Renewal X6, in just two days it raised his Spirit by 1.1, averaging 0.55 per day. Using it continuously for seven days might grant nearly 4 points in Spirit—far surpassing the merchant’s claim of 3 points. The conversion rate from money was terrifying.

One hundred thousand yuan for four Spirit points—aside from the agonizing process, it had no other drawbacks.

Xislong was even stronger. The merchant described it as increasing Agility by 0.5. He had only taken four injections but had already gained 0.4. Taking all nine injections might boost 0.8 or even 0.9—nearly doubling the effect.

Of course, Ye Mingqiu personally believed that the initial injections had amplified effects, with diminishing returns later. The final increase likely wouldn’t be that high but should still be around 0.6 to 0.7. Overall, the efficiency was about 30%, which was very good.

If he wasn’t mistaken, 30% was probably the average extra effect from first-time technology use. If all supplements had such boosts, finishing all the supplements he bought could give him about 18 points in total attributes, a very high figure.

However, once attributes were raised, his body’s drug tolerance would max out, making further improvements difficult. Normally, it would take several more months of endurance to raise attributes to 20 points to qualify for the Spirit Realm trial.

This was normal.

Fortunately, the college entrance exam prep team had prepared a chance for him to soak in the Fountain of Life. As long as he cleared the toxins, he could spend some more supplements to reach 20 points in all attributes and enter the Spirit Realm trial.

Before officially passing the trial, ordinary people had psionic locks. With these shackles, total attributes could not exceed 20 points; any excess attributes and power would simply vanish, serving no purpose—even if one later became a psionic user.

Therefore, most people, once approaching 20 in their four foundational attributes, would gradually use supplements to reach 20, rather than overdosing near the limit to enter the trial with inflated stats.

Ye Mingqiu: Not going this afternoon. The side effects of the supplements are too strong; I can barely bear it.

Kiriame: What did you take?

Ye Mingqiu: Spirit Renewal X6. Your guide said it had the highest money-to-attribute conversion rate. The boost is real, but the headaches get worse every day.

Kiriame: !

Ye Mingqiu: What’s up?

Kiriame: Didn’t you take protective measures? Just drank it before bed?

Ye Mingqiu: Isn’t that how you use it? The instructions say so.

Kiriame: Hardcore. I only dared to drink it while soaking in the Fountain of Life to offset side effects. You actually toughened it out for two days straight.

Ye Mingqiu: Ah! Why didn’t you make that clear in your guide?!

Kiriame: Haha, is that common sense? What was your theoretical class score? Failed?