Chapter 58 - 58 46 Transformation

58: Chapter 46: Transformation 58: Chapter 46: Transformation After handing in his paper, with a smile still on his face, Lu Ping’an walked straight towards the nearest exit under the watchful eyes of the crowd. His calm demeanor, despite being under the scrutiny of thousands of gazes, naturally attracted even more attention and speculation. It was predictable that he would receive special attention in the following rounds of exams, and even be closely monitored by second and third-tier Secret Keepers. “He must have some sort of trick. Is he in direct contact with high-level Scholars outside?” “It’s unlikely, right? It should be that his Abnormal Ability is special, like the kind that directly gives him the answers?” Most people suspected that he had some sort of communication or thought-related Abnormal Ability, which allowed him to complete the obviously advanced test paper in such a short time. To suspect that he carried a Secret Realm? That was impossible. The Secret Realms that Lu Ping’an had encountered so far were all specific areas or locations. Although they were also independent small worlds, they were like buildings constructed on land, still relying on the support of the land. “Only self-circulating Secret Realms that are independent of the world and God-level Secret Realms that can resist external erosion can move freely enough to save all people during the unstoppable Doomsday…” Even without Chris’s repeated emphasis, Lu Ping’an was becoming increasingly aware of the preciousness of the “Life Bank” Secret Realm. No wonder she always complained that Lu Ping’an had taken away her most important possession. A divine Secret Realm required a “god” as its core. Even people with the wildest imaginations could not possibly guess that Lu Ping’an would have a “portable Secret Realm.” Since they couldn’t guess the key, it didn’t matter if they speculated randomly. As for the attention and suspicious gazes he drew… Did it matter? Since he was aiming for the prize money, he would only be more audacious in the subsequent tests. Hiding his abilities now would only make him unhappy. “It’s better to go back and practice instead of sitting here for a few hours. Tsk, Xue En should be there already. I can’t keep him waiting too long.” Lu Ping’an’s departure and the successful exit of those who turned in their papers served as a signal. Once someone took the lead in submitting their papers early, the rest was easy. Of the tens of thousands of people, there was no shortage of chaotic characters. In the next five minutes, there was a peak in papers being turned in. There were those who scored an easy 150 points and passed, and there were those who scored five points and walked out nonchalantly. But for most, those who dared to hand in their papers now were Scholars with scores between 130 and 145. Or more outrageously, true academic prodigies. Those who directly challenged public execution were still in the minority… “Is it Li Dao’an?! He really came.” A man’s standing up attracted a lot of attention, and he walked straight towards the exit as well. “He is truly as confident as befitting a third-tier…” Searᴄh the novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, the observers’ comments came to an abrupt halt. […0 points. Examiner’s comment: Fortunately, you remembered to write your name, Li someone, so I won’t criticize you.] Well, this person was indeed quite confident, for he had handed in a blank paper. But he did indeed attract a lot of attention, as a wild third-tier professional choosing to enter Ancient City University was a benchmark to some extent. As a professional Secret Keeper who had been in the industry for several years and had a bit of fame, no one expected him to score well in the written exam. The changes brought about by the new policy were just a microcosm – the improved treatment and increased quotas naturally attracted more civilian forces. He, like some civilian practitioners, chose to enter Ancient City University at this time to obtain an identity and certificate. Next month, they would probably be working for the Special Service Team. However, for some candidates who were hoping to win the prize money, this seemed quite unfair. “Just admit it, you have no chance of winning against a real third-tier, even if it’s the weakest. Moreover, Li Dao’an is no ordinary third-tier.” In the rented training room, Xue En ruthlessly shattered Lu Ping’an’s dreams. The youngster sighed. As it was something he had expected, he didn’t feel too disappointed. “To be honest, even thinking about being on par with a third-tier is too much for me, I can’t even consider it. If it’s just about prize money and overall rankings, he might not be your opponent…” Xue En’s expression was subtle. He knew Li Dao’an, and he knew that person was unlikely to pass the written exam and was also unlikely to cheat. But Xue En noticed a more serious problem with Lu Ping’an himself. “Lu Ping’an, actually, your current opponent is not anyone else, but yourself.” Brother Xue En was very sincere. In fact, he also had high expectations for the young man in front of him and was eager to see how far he could go. “You probably don’t know, but among all the candidates, you are an extremely extraordinary existence. I’m not just talking about your three professions and abnormal abilities… well, just these are already exaggerated enough.” Xue En looked at Lu Ping’an’s expression, which became even more subtle. Many ordinary third-year students did not have this level of hardware. “You need to recognize the situation. You are very strong, stronger than 99% of the candidates. Therefore, a strongman should have the confidence of a strongman, and the inevitable winning method of a strongman…” The more compliments, the more damaging the “truth” prepared to follow. “…I’ve noticed that you tend to favor sneak attacks and tricks. You seem to lack self-confidence, the self-confidence that a strongman should have to face any situation.” If it were merely a mental problem, Xue En would not have troubled Lu Ping’an at this time, as it could not be solved in a short time. “You already have many treasures, too many, but they are fragmented. You merely use them mechanically instead of merging them all together. Your unpredictable style, if spoken kindly, adapts to changes, and if spoken bluntly, it’s just random chaos. Can you be sure that every ingenious idea will achieve miraculous effects?” “What you lack is a conventional fighting style. Integration, integration! You have so many skills in your three professions; can’t you piece them together to form a battle strategy? Don’t be greedy for more; first, make full use of what you already have.” “One ability combined with another ability, if well matched, can yield not just 2 times the effect, but 3, 5, or even 10 times. You need to think about your possibilities, and not mechanically use your abilities like a troop-calling general. If others have anticipated it beforehand, one unit of ability will only have half the effect.” Xue En didn’t say it so directly, but he saw the “lack of self-confidence” deep in Lu Ping’an’s heart. Therefore, Lu Ping’an liked surprise attacks and constantly sought more abilities. In this “During the Exam,” where he should be conserving and nurturing energy, he was still seeking a last-minute solution. It is not a psychological problem, but a necessary path for a “regular person” to become a “soldier.” Confidence needs past experiences to accumulate. To have the confidence of a strongman, Lu Ping’an needs more encouragement from victories, more battlefield experience, and more bargaining chips. “Yes, use your flexible mind to think about all the things you have now and which ones can give surprises to your opponents in actual combat.” Lu Ping’an needs to integrate and reorganize what he has learned and grasped, summing up his own combat rhythm and methods, instead of waiting for others to make a move and then “adapting to changes.” “It is indeed a very wise choice for you to pursue the profession of soldier. War Memory will help you and activate your war potential. I will also help you. I have some tips for soldiers’ experience….” Lu Ping’an was incredibly grateful for asking Xue En, this “old soldier” for help. This senior first-tier, who had been stuck in the low-level for many years and was the unlucky mercenary who had trained countless newcomers. Even if Big Cat, Xia Qin, and the others combined, they wouldn’t understand a newcomer, nor a first-tier, like Xue En. With his help, Lu Ping’an began to integrate and adjust his abilities. “In the case where everyone is low-level, there are actually not many people with abnormal abilities. Due to the high cost and weak effect of abnormal abilities, conventional fighting styles like swordsmanship remain the main force. You should be prepared to face those.” “Compared to your peers, your greatest advantage is not your three professions… It’s your initially mutated and evolved physique, which is the hardware that crushes them. Feel free to compete with them in close combat and brute force; those little ones will definitely cry.” “Weapons, if you can use a weapon, never fight empty-handed. Open up your imagination; a soldier can use everything as a weapon! We have All Weapon Specialization! Don’t let your ‘common sense’ limit your potential.” “Yes, that’s right, use your hardware and abnormal abilities together. You are a strongman, so you should take the initiative and control the battle, forcing them to constantly clash with you directly. The ones who die will definitely be those little ones.” “I told you to open up your imagination, but this move is too sinister, really too sinister. Those who fall for it might suffer lifelong psychological scars… But, I like it! That’s how it should be! Come on, let’s come up with something more interesting. Do you have any new plants?” For the next two days, all of Lu Ping’an’s time outside of the examinations was spent practicing with Xue En. Under Xue En’s guidance and practice sessions, Lu Ping’an gradually combined all his abilities and found his own combat style. Reality is not a game. It only makes sense if the strength shown on the panel is transformed into actual combat power. And Lu Ping’an’s conversion efficiency was, well, somewhat outrageous… “…Honestly, I kind of regret teaching you. You progressed too quickly, way too quickly. Even now, if I am not careful, you might play tricks on me. Remember, don’t actually hurt someone in public; it would be very troublesome.” At the last lesson, Xue En was somewhat wistful and terrified. At this moment, he had a tired face, his body still wrapped in medical bandages, and blood seeping from his wounds. Lu Ping’an opened his mouth, but in the end, he did not say anything. “Thank you, senior brother.” “Heh, get the first place, and then thank me.”