Chapter 15: The Unpredictability of Life

Without any hesitation, you rejected the subtle hints from the school leaders and the director of instruction. In front of numerous school officials, you openly declared the deep bond you share with your mentor, Wang Guang. Since the very first day you arrived at the school, he regarded you as his own kin, guiding you with great care.

How could you possibly fail to repay such kindness? Even now, despite the unfortunate circumstances befalling your mentor, you would never consider turning to someone else.

This brilliant display left the school leaders and the director speechless. How could they comprehend that the man who called you his kin had repeatedly tried to demote your file? That this “deep affection” involved frequent personal insults? Such a twisted relationship was truly astonishing.

Nevertheless, your choice fully complied with school regulations. After several attempts to persuade you, the director and the leaders, seeing your unwavering resolve, reluctantly let the matter drop. Meanwhile, students under Wang Guang who came from influential families were quietly reassigned to other mentors.

Without a mentor’s guidance, these students faced more than just difficulty; they couldn’t even pass their graduation thesis defense. Failing the thesis meant that whether they aimed for prestigious academic advancement or sought employment with financial or military conglomerates, it would become a daunting challenge.

As for any hardship imposed by mentors? Those privileged students, supported by their powerful families rather than humble origins, never faced such difficulties. After all, to enter a second-tier vocational university, one must possess either exceptional talent, an influential family background, or extraordinary luck—one of these three at least. Of course, those who cheat are an exception.

On June 1st, in the 126th year of the Extraordinary Era, you received a notice from the Academic Affairs Office to collect the experimental stipend assigned to your mentor, Wang Guang.

As a school mentor, Wang Guang was entitled to three free dungeon entries each week. Since his research focused on the embedding of inscriptions into equipment, he was permitted to claim ten basic inscriptions and three intermediate inscriptions monthly for study.

Most importantly, Wang Guang had rented a large piece of equipment forging apparatus at the school, with one year and six months remaining on the lease. This machine could forge equipment up to an astonishing level 15. With the right blueprints and sufficient materials, it could continuously produce equipment.

Yet, when you arrived at the forging laboratory, you found the director of instruction assigning his own students to use this apparatus. Upon seeing you, his face darkened, and he ordered you to leave immediately. This was a highly restricted area, and you had no right to enter.

Unyielding, you produced the school regulations and insisted that if a mentor was absent for a long period, their important disciples could inherit the mentor’s leased equipment and secret training rooms. The director sneered, pointing to the phrase “important disciple,” and asked if you were Wang Guang’s key protégé.

Your expression remained calm. Currently, you were the only disciple under Wang Guang’s name. If not you, then who? Their actions infringed upon Wang Guang’s rights. If they did not leave, you threatened to report everything you had witnessed to the principal’s office and the education bureau.

The director’s face changed. Although he and the leadership of the Warrior Academy had divided the benefits from Wang Guang’s laboratory, such matters had to remain unofficial. Even if everyone saw it, as long as no one complained, there was no problem. But once someone did, it would become a serious issue.

Seeing that intimidation failed, the director pulled you aside, ready to sway you with offers. Of Wang Guang’s three rights, the three monthly dungeon entries and inscription allowances would be given to you, while the forging apparatus would be assigned to him.

Two for you, one for him. How did that sound?

You extended your right hand, signaling that it was outrageous to try to fool you with what was rightfully yours. The director’s aura suddenly surged, a powerful soul force pressing down on you. Though it pained you, you felt no fear.

“If you dare, try to kill me!”

A year at the university had taught you that in Cloud City’s second university, school regulations reigned supreme. Especially under the monitoring of the intelligence network, even the director had to punish students according to the rules.

Failing twice to intimidate you, the director switched tactics to a softer approach. Ultimately, after your stirring performance and even shedding tears when speaking of mentor Wang Guang, you secured a second raise.

You signed a lease agreement for the equipment. As Wang Guang’s sole disciple, you rented the apparatus to the director for twenty million. To show his favor, the director agreed to sponsor you with one intermediate divine blessing crystal each month.

Once you completed your first career transition, the basic divine blessing crystals would no longer grant any experience to professionals. To level up further, they would need to absorb refined intermediate crystals. However, the market only sold basic crystals. Intermediate ones were typically exchanged through barter, organizational merits, points, or tokens.

In short, intermediate divine blessing crystals were far more valuable than basic ones.

You never expected that despite all the oppression and humiliation Wang Guang had inflicted on you, you would now enjoy such benefits thanks to him.

Truly, life is full of surprises.

But seeing how quickly the director agreed, you suspected he aimed to secure the precious intermediate crystals to keep you in line, then find an opportunity to eliminate you. After all, you were only level eight and still some distance from your first career transition.

Lin Xia: “?”

Big brother, if you know they intend to get rid of you, why agree to this?

Though intermediate crystals were precious, over time, the gains would far exceed a few of them. Besides, with so much debt, the debt collectors would come knocking after graduation anyway. Why fear a few more bites?

Suddenly, a will transcending time and space descended upon you. You scoffed at this notion.

Narrow-minded!

Small-souled!

A defeatist mentality is unacceptable!

In this world, extraordinary resources were completely monopolized by the upper echelons, making them as scarce as they were. Now that you finally had a chance, how could you not seize it fully?

If you don’t squeeze every penny, how else can you quickly strengthen yourself and the Loyal Heart Squad?

As for the intermediate crystals you couldn’t use right away?

Simple!

The old director wanted you to act as a temporary warehouse, planning to reclaim them later—but how could you let that happen?

Since intermediate divine blessing crystals were so precious, why not trade them for a batch of basic crystals?

Intermediate crystals were strategic resources, rare and unavailable on the market—but what did that matter to you?

The more the director emphasized their rarity, the more you wanted to sell them off as quickly as possible!