Chapter Thirteen: The Support Department Monthly Exam

Oh no! She was actually right!

Ye Mingqiu’s already pale complexion worsened as he began searching online for basic information and reviews regarding the "Spirit-Refining X6."

Since he had originally purchased it based on a recommendation guide from Tang Ruobing, he hadn't paid much attention to it before buying. He had used the school’s official channel, which offered discounted pricing and strictly controlled, reliable quality, so he had felt secure in his purchase.

That left only one possibility: there was something inherently wrong with the Spirit-Refining X6 itself!

Other single-attribute enhancement agents typically required 60,000 to 70,000 credits to increase an attribute by one point. The Spirit-Refining X6, however, doubled that cost-effectiveness; it only took 33,000 credits to gain one point of Spirit, with frighteningly high efficiency. The drawback was its severe side effects, which was precisely why Ye Mingqiu had been drawn to it at first glance.

Could there be some hidden side effect that wasn't clearly stated?

Ye Mingqiu felt anxious.

The result was... it really didn't have any other side effects!

This was normal, of course. If there were hidden side effects not disclosed, the school would never have allowed it to be listed; after all, safety was the top priority for any medicinal agent.

However, the agony experienced during its use was far greater than imagined, causing most people to give up before completing a full course. Thus, the average attribute increase was three points, not because the drug was capped at three, but because that was all people could endure.

Good grief...

No wonder the effects of the Sith-Dragon on the second day were worse than the first, while the Spirit-Refining X6 grew even more potent, boosting my Spirit by a full 0.6 points on the second day. So, this thing gets stronger in stages! Will I even survive the third night?

*Hiss...* I think I can make it. If the average increase is three, that means enduring up to three is the norm. My willpower should be enough...

Wait!

If the theory classes had covered the Spirit-Refining X6, then most students should know what it entails. Therefore, those who actually use it must be students who are strapped for cash but possess incredible willpower! After all, it is incredibly cost-effective; it saves a whole hundred thousand credits for the same attribute gains! A godsend for the poor!

Where exactly is this stuff produced?

Let me look closer!

***

The Spirit-Refining X6 is produced by Titan Pharmaceuticals. Titan has always been known for high potency and low prices; everything they produce is heavy-duty. Aside from the Spirit-boosting "Spirit-Refining" series, they also have the "Titan" series for strength and the "Hydra" series for constitution.

More importantly, Titan Pharmaceuticals is a research-oriented enterprise. Selling these agents is merely a way to generate profit; their primary goal is to develop agents capable of boosting attributes for Awakened individuals.

Boosting attributes for ordinary people versus boosting stats for the Awakened are two different concepts. Awakened individuals, who have undergone the career baptism of the Spirit Realm trials, possess superior base stats, resistance to anomalies, and significantly higher immunity to various drugs. Thus, ordinary agents generally have no noticeable effect on them.

Even so, scientists at the cutting edge of technology continue to strive, hoping to create agents suitable for the Awakened. The Spirit-Refining, Titan, and Hydra series were all byproducts of this research. After all, research requires funding.

These potent drugs have indeed significantly helped those ordinary people who lack wealth but possess iron-willed determination, allowing them to achieve greater attribute gains for less money. It is precisely because of this that the achievements of Titan Pharmaceuticals are included in textbooks for students to study extensively.

"Come to think of it, since Titan Pharmaceuticals produces cheap and potent drugs, why don't I check their official store to see if they have any cheap, potent energy supplements? My panel stats need a lot of energy, too," Ye Mingqiu thought to himself.

He clicked on the Titan Pharmaceuticals store, but couldn't find any energy supplements. After a brief moment of confusion, he quickly understood.

Increasing base attributes and replenishing energy are two different concepts, and the difficulty naturally differs. Back at the school infirmary, the 50,000-credit supplements he had seen provided about 10–15 points of constitution-based vitality, with gentle and controllable effects. Replenishing energy didn't require changing one's physiology like increasing base attributes did, so there was naturally no need for Titan Pharmaceuticals to research it.

Sigh, what a pity!

...

Three days later, Ye Mingqiu, his face as white as a corpse, walked unsteadily down the path. Chen Ran silently supported his brother while taking a sip of a freshly bought energy stimulant, thinking to himself: *I don't envy him at all now.*

"How are you feeling? We have the monthly exam today. In your current mental state... can you even take it? Why not just ask for leave? You’re in the College Entrance Exam Preparatory Team anyway, so it shouldn't be an issue," Chen Ran said with concern.

"No! Absolutely not!"

Ye Mingqiu suddenly perked up. His bloodshot eyes widened, his face contorted.

Five days. He had taken the Spirit-Refining X6 for five consecutive days to boost his Spirit, finished a course of Sith-Dragon, and even took four injections of Lu Bo-Long. He had boosted his stats significantly, all so he could improve himself as much as possible before the monthly exam and pull off a grand performance that would stun everyone.

Now that the exam was imminent, for Chen Ran to suggest he give up and rest—that was ridiculous!

"But... you can barely walk straight in your current state. I’m really worried."

"There’s nothing to worry about. You don't have to do anything for the monthly exam attribute test; you just have to touch the test stone and let your stats show. If nothing else, I can just stay in the infirmary for two days afterward," Ye Mingqiu said firmly.

"Alright then."

...

In Class 9, Grade 12, a water-blue stone sat at the front of the room—the Attribute Test Stone. Touching it would display the user's base attributes. It couldn't test the stats of Awakened individuals; it was a tool designed specifically for ordinary people.

Whenever the Attribute Test Stone was placed at the front of the class, the students' hearts would tighten. Their base attribute rankings would, to some extent, determine the resources they would receive the following month. If their ranking dropped, their resources would decrease.

Aside from a few slackers or those saving up for expensive attribute-boosting drugs, most ordinary students cared deeply about their rankings.

*Click.*

The classroom door opened. Chen Ran helped Ye Mingqiu walk in, and numerous gazes converged on him, carrying various expressions.

"Five days... what a madman," Xia Qingxue sighed.

As the top student in the support track and the only one who had successfully passed the Spirit Realm trial, she had originally resented Ye Mingqiu for using connections to get ahead, and she had even planned to give him a hard time.

But when she saw that this guy had actually used the Spirit-Refining series to boost his stats, her mindset had shifted slightly—from disgust to respect. And that respect had only grown as time passed.

The Spirit-Refining X6—that stuff was basically unusable for normal people. Only madmen used it.

I wonder how much this guy has improved...