"If all of you believe Battle Armor Masters are merely that, then you are all gravely mistaken." Shen Yi said.
"Battle Armor Masters are completely different from Mecha pilots," Shen Yi firmly stated.
"A Mecha pilot puts clothes on their person, but a Battle Armor Master puts clothes on their martial soul because at their core, they are still soul masters. This is the fundamental difference between the two. Let me emphasize this. One-word battle armor masters are simply the beginning. Only at two words, when you're one with your armor and it becomes an extension of your body and martial soul, are you truly considered a Battle Armor Master."
'Then just call that the one word Battle Armor instead of two word Battle Armor.'
"It is for this reason that you must fuse your battle armor with your martial soul first. They must resonate with each other, attract each other until they become whole."
"There are four levels of Battle Armor: one-word, two-word, three-word, and four-word Battle Armor."
"Four levels may not seem like much, but the gap between each one is immeasurably deep. If you want to become a Battle Armor Master, you must pick a secondary profession relating to building the armor. At the moment, the most efficient professions are Mecha Maker and Mecha Designer. Mecha makers carve circuits into their Battle Armor, easing the fusion of Battle Armor and martial soul. Designers create battle armor that perfectly complements their martial soul as you know yourself better than anyone. I suggest you all choose one of these two. Of course, you're all free to choose to become a Blacksmith or a Mecha Mechanic instead. Blacksmithing is both demanding and strenuous, and forging armor is much more difficult. However, it is the most appropriate profession for creating powerful battle armors."
"Not one person can reach the peak of all four professions, so choose wisely. Don't forget that you also need others to help you finish creating your armor, so consider how to best earn contribution points in order to commission them. If their work is good, I suggest befriending them and helping each other out. Personal relationships is a part of one's strength too."
"The strength your Battle Armor can exert depends on your compatibility with it. Perfect unity can boost your power by twenty soul ranks."
"The requirement to become a one-word battle armor master is five soul rings and the third rank in your second profession. Not only that, the metal must be thousand refined, the design drafted by a grandmaster designer, and the armor assembled by a grandmaster maker. Its compatibility rate must be at least sixty percent, and at least nine pieces of armor are needed for it to be considered battle armor."
'Now I am firmly regretting my choice of not learning a secondary profession.'
'I wasn't a designer. Then it's between mecha maker and blacksmith.'
Blacksmithing was something I haven't tried before. I should at least try it, maybe I am a one in a thousand genius.
Let's try both and then I will choose the easier one later. Because no matter how better an occupation is once Shrek gets destroyed, only my personal strength could help me.'
*Few days later*
Fan Lin was enjoying his life in Shrek. He had already moved to the working students dormitory and become a working student for it. The situation of the dormitory didn't matter to him that much. He spent most of his night training outside in the forest. Most of the time he fell asleep there after training. None of the working students had seen him in the past days. They may not even know that he lived in the dormitory.
The food in the cafeteria was far better than both the Shining Moon Academy and The Eastsea Academy. The cafeteria made many Vegetarian dishes for him at a slightly higher cost as well. His appetite was higher than others but since he paid for the food, the chef was more than happy to serve him.
The contribution points, he exchanged them from the students at a rate of 100 alliance coins to 1 contribution points in the various associations. Now he had more than three million contribution points in his students account and this was just a spare.
'Money has become dirt to me😞.'
The boundless training area was the place that he used the most. Training there was far faster for him than train anywhere else. Due to his evolved Blue Silver Energy Grass and his first Spirit Soul ability, his speed was way faster then before. He was able to increase one whole level in just 7 days.
He had become level 27 Soul Grandmaster. He just needed to increase his food amounts to increase his energy generation capacity. If the situation continued then he would able reach level 30 in less than a month.
That's how broken the first spirit rings ability had become, but even then, the faults still remains, he would die if he didn't channel the excess energy in his body and his Spirit skill was still an active one. He needed to activate it whenever he needed to and he could not deactivate it before the energy gained from the food has been fully absorbed by him leaving little to no extra energy behind.
Because in the case that he stopped his first Spirit Soul ability when he still hasn't gotten rid of the energy, the energy, with no control with burst in him.
All in all, his death rate has increased.
During these days, the class representative was chosen. It was still the same as the novel.
Although all seven representative positions were occupied, there were only four representatives: Class president and forging representative Tang Wulin, vice-president and designer representative Gu Yue, vice-president and mechanic representative Wu Siduo, and lastly, maker representative Luo Guixing
He directly withdrew from the competition. There was not much to gain. He didn't lack wealth and he didn't have time to waste on babysitting kids.
I am learning Mecha Designing by the way. It was the most easiest among the secondary profession and was just like making traps, at least for now. It wasn't the designing that I thought it was. It was actually just drawing.
And now I just need information on the workings of this Academy so that I can safely leave it when the destruction happens. Can't let any stupid protagonist development act to ruin my life you.
Plus I read that all the teachers and the Current Head of the school died in it.
Hmmm😑.
They were the peak strength of the academy and they died.
So I fixed an appointment with an information broker to get information on the workings of the Shrek Academy and Shrek city.
Life in Shrek is good for now as my Soul Abilities are helping me in everything but till when.
If you are weak, Information is power.
If you are strong, Information is a tool.
I lie in an area between them, neither weak nor strong.
*On the appointment day or the next day*
I went to the bar to meet the broker. It was a rustic bar just outside the academy. I heard it's a good bar since many people visited it but there are none.
Fan Lin looked at the empty Bar with not a single customer in it. He peered at the pathway outside and noticed that the people seem to be avoiding this place.
'Suspicious'
"Prepare to leak everything if I don't contact you in an hour."
I called my bookkeeper and ordered.
I would generally not do this but considering where I am, being cautious is good.
I went inside and into the only room where a person sat. He looked like a middle aged man in his fifties.
"Hi Sir, are you the one who will provide me my intel?" I asked the man on full alert.
"Fan Lin, 13 years old, Blue Silver grass martial soul, level 27 Soul Grandmaster, possess a mutated second soul ring and massacred 61 cities' triads, death count 120,045. Current location: Shrek Academy, is a working student and lives in their dorm."
'I knew it.'
"Nice to meet you kid. I want you to work for me?" Said the man as if it was already decided.
I was a little terrified, except the thing that I was terrified of wasn't the man, it was a sudden reminiscent of someone that shook him to his bones.l I tried my best to not show it on my face.
'He knows about me. Where did the problem occurred? I thought it would at least take half an year. It hasn't even been a month'
"I refuse" Fan Lin replied.
His reply stunned the old man.
"Do you even know who you are refusing to?"
"I don't care." Fan Lin replied calmly.
"You dare. Do you think that I will allow you to get out of this room alive?" Replied the man indifferently.
"You will" he said to the old man.
"Oh. How?" The man was amused.
" If I could not get out of here alive and well today. Then in just an hour, my men will expose all the files on corruption, nepotism and every other dark things that I have collected in the past 7 years. Whether it's Spirit Pagoda, Shrek Academy, Tang sect or the federal government, all had done many dirty things, things which even the evil sects would praise them for . Even if they appeared as white as a blank paper to the outside world, they all have things that they want to hide."
"I don't know who you are and I don't care. But will you be able to bear the pressure from the public after things get out? There are many people who are good, righteous; there are also people who wants to get attention; and finally there are people who want to appear as good and righteous in front of the masses, like the Eagle faction's and the federal military, you know."
" What would happen if you guys got their attention? They all would slowly tear you apart and use your death for their purposes. You guys will be destroyed to increase their fame and all you know."
"The world never lacked madmen nor does it lack stupid ones. The moment everything's out, even your people will kill you to salvage things as much as they can."
"So will you be able to survive that ? If you can then I dare you to kill me." I replied trying to appear as calm as I can.
" Who are you kidding kid? You are just bluffing." The man sneered at me.
"I planned the massacre of hundreds of thousands of people. I amassed their wealth. What do you think I did with that money?"
"Did you really not think that I would not prepare any back doors for me. If just spending a few Billions can guarantee my life then why wouldn't I spend it? Money won't carry to my next life."
"I prepared it as a leverage in case I am threatened and as my final revenge in case I am killed. So even if I am killed by you today, you will be joining me shortly after Sir. I will make sure to wait for you."
Fan Lin replied with a smile on his face. A smile so fake that even an amateur could tell, inside his mind, a bloodbath was happening.
The man frowned and became silent for a few seconds.
I looked at him and decided to leave. Waiting anymore could lead to him finding any loopholes in my words.
The man didn't react to my departure.
I slowly got out of the room and my back was drenched, if not for the fact that the school uniform was highly water absorbent, I would have already been exposed.
After getting to a distance, I spend up and rushed for the Academy.
I had become careless since I came to Shrek since it is safe but If it was really safe then it wouldn't have been destroyed in the first place.
Should I create better poisons just in case?
No. Never.
*" Get out of the way*"
I have a way to become strong and if I would have been cautious in my actions then I would not have been found out.
Let's not leave the academy till I at least have a better leverage against the strong.
But no matter how many leverages I have, once I met an unreasonable person, I would definitely die.
Stupid me.
*Get out of the way!*"
Should have prepared a bit more instead of cultivating.
A sudden wind caressed Fan Lin as he was thinking about what things he could do to safeguard his life and interests.
He never liked listening to others, not until he wanted to.
*"Get out, forget it. Gu Yue, you change the course of the tornado."*
The wind caressing him became stronger with leaves and dust getting on his clothes.
"What the-"
I exclaimed as my attention went towards the mini tornado that contained leaves and dust that was just a few centimetres away from me.
I waved my hands while using my second Spirit Soul ability - Crystallokinesis to create two walls and clap the tornado in them.
"I really need to start learning how to pay attention to my surroundings."
This past few years of being alone has either given me ADHD or my mind doesn't give any importance to everything else except me and my prey.
'Whatever'
Fan Lin looked at the Gu Yue who was looking at his direction with complain in her eyes.
"Why haven't you been listening to us when we for the past three times?"
Xie Xie said to Fan Lin while running towards him.
Fan Lin looked towards him and then then the few people behind him.
'Not today. I already have a bad mood. So definitely not today.'
I turned back and went out of their sights.
Xie Xie looked at the running back of Fan Lin and whispered," Did he got scared of Gu Yue? Why did he ran away?"
Xie Xie knew that he was strong but not enough to make others change their way from just a single glance.
So either it could be the Class President Tang Wulin, or the Winner of the competition that happened to decide the Class President, Gu Yue.
He returned to his friends told them about the student he just saw running.
"He was fast on his feet though. But I still don't understand why did he run after he saw you?"
Xie Xie exclaimed while looking at Gu Yue.
"Who cares."
Gu Yue cooly answered and ignored Xie Xie.
....
Character Intel.
Wu Sidou
Another side character that helps the Protagonists in the earlier half. Has no other purpose than that.
Bookkeeper.
A secret information broker that keeps all the information that Fan Lin had acquired from all his killings.
A really trustworthy person to Fan Lin and a cannon fodder preparator.
Would die but never betray Fan Lin, not because of him but due to her own nature.