Chapter 2: Death of God

Qingcheng Affiliated High School, or more formally known as Qingcheng University Affiliated High School, was one of the top-ranked key high schools within the Outer Ring. Students who gained admission here could undoubtedly be considered outstanding.

"...And so, the administrative divisions of our Zhuxia region have been re-planned..."

The geography teacher continued his lecture, writing on the blackboard as he spoke.

Unlike in Xueheng's previous life, this planet, known as Earthstar, had nations that roughly corresponded to those on Earth, but many things were vastly different.

The most significant distinction was an event that occurred in the late 19th century, an incident that reverberated globally and was now referred to as the 'Death of God.'

It was due to this event that the Common Era, which counted years from the birth of Jesus, officially ended, giving way to a new calendar system called the 'New Era,' with the year following the Death of God serving as its first year. The period before the event became known as the 'Old Era' or 'Old Times.'

Now, it was the year 267 of the New Era.

Xueheng fiddled with his pen, appearing to be intently gazing at the teacher but, in reality, his mind was elsewhere as he barely listened to the lecture.

He opened his skill panel, and to his surprise, not a single academic-related skill was present.

As a student in an elite class at a top high school, his grades were exceptional. Based on the activation conditions of other skills, he surely met the basic requirements for at least a Level 1 academic skill.

However, his panel showed no signs of language, mathematics, physics, politics, or history skills.

'Perhaps...' Xueheng speculated, 'these subjects are considered "knowledge" and not truly "skills."'

He reasoned that the skills recognized by the panel ought to be those with tangible actions or abilities, whereas subjects like language and math were more akin to knowledge stored in one's brain and didn't qualify as skills.

'If that's the case, attending classes might be a waste of time...'

Xueheng twirled his pen thoughtfully, contemplating whether to feign illness and skip class to focus on skill training. Suddenly, he noticed that his "Charm" skill was gaining experience.

【Someone has developed a fondness for you, Charm experience +1】

【Someone has developed a fondness for you, Charm experience +1】

Unfazed, Xueheng discreetly glanced around and locked eyes with a bespectacled female classmate who had been secretly admiring him. Embarrassed, she quickly averted her gaze, adjusting her glasses as a feeble attempt at concealment, her cheeks tinged with a rosy hue.

Xueheng sighed inwardly.

The "Charm" skill was one he had activated just two days ago.

True to its name, it enhanced his allure and attractiveness to others.

Its effects included improving his overall charm and expression management skills, and as the skill level increased, even his physical appearance would undergo subtle enhancements, resulting in a more well-proportioned and aesthetically pleasing physique.

However, this was one skill he didn't need.

In this life, Xueheng could be described in six words: a natural-born soft rice king.

His very presence exuded an allure akin to an aphrodisiac.

Ironically, this skill that he had no use for was the one that leveled up the fastest.

One of the conditions for gaining experience in this skill was for someone to develop feelings of 'liking' or 'affection' towards him, and the more intense the emotion, the greater the experience gained.

Additionally, if he proactively engaged in actions that elicited positive responses from others, he would earn even more experience. For instance, during the physical fitness test at noon when he accepted a towel from a junior student, he gained a substantial 45 points.

This explained why, despite not deliberately training "Charm," he had already reached Level 2 in just two days.

Merely strolling down the street could net him a considerable amount of experience, hence the rapid leveling.

'If only the other skills were this easy...' Xueheng mused as he continued to twirl his pen idly.

...

The end-of-school bell rang at 5 p.m.

As Xueheng packed his belongings, he was about to call out to Li Ge to leave together when he noticed a middle-aged man with a slightly receding hairline standing at the classroom door, beckoning to him.

It was their homeroom teacher, Du Shiwen, who also taught Chinese language.

Xueheng exchanged a quick gesture with Li Ge, indicating for him to go on ahead, before slinging his bag over one shoulder and approaching the teacher. "Yes, Teacher Du? Did you need me for something?"

"Mhm." Du Shiwen nodded, giving Xueheng an appraising look, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

This student not only excelled academically—which was to be expected from an elite class student—but his physical appearance was truly exceptional.

Whenever there was a need to select a few students to represent the school, having Xueheng among them would bring great pride.

Little did he know that Xueheng also possessed outstanding athletic abilities.

"Xueheng, I heard from Teacher Chen that your long-distance running performance in the physical test was remarkable. With the school sports meet coming up next month, I was wondering if you'd be interested in participating and bringing glory to our elite class?" Du Shiwen asked, giving Xueheng's shoulder a friendly pat.

Xueheng's initial instinct was to decline, as he had no intention of competing, but suddenly, an idea occurred to him, and after a moment's thought, he nodded, "If Teacher insists, then I shall give it a try."

Du Shiwen beamed, "Alright then, I'll sign you up. Do you want to run the 800-meter or the 1500-meter race?"

Xueheng asked, "Teacher, how many running events are there in total?"

"For pure running, there's the 50-meter dash, 100-meter sprint... 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1500-meter races. There's also a relay race." Du Shiwen counted off the events on his fingers.

Xueheng thought for a moment and said, "Can I participate in all of them?"

Du Shiwen was taken aback, "You want to dominate every event? That's ambitious."

"Hmm... I could, but several events are held on the same day. Are you sure you can handle the physical demands?" Du Shiwen asked, his face creasing with concern.

Xueheng nodded, "Don't worry, Teacher. I think I can manage."

Even if he couldn't right now, he definitely would be able to by next month.

Xueheng glanced at the "Running" and "Fitness" skills on his panel.

"Good, then I'll trust you." Du Shiwen patted his shoulder again. "I'll go and sign you up now. If you really do win first place in all events, it'll reflect well on me too."

With that, Du Shiwen turned and walked away with a spring in his step.

After he left, Li Ge, who had been waiting nearby, approached Xueheng and asked, "What did Old Du want?"

Xueheng hoisted his bag and walked alongside Li Ge toward the school building exit, replying, "He wants me to participate in the long-distance running events for the school sports meet next month."

"And you agreed?" Li Ge asked.

Xueheng nodded.

"Something's off, very off." Li Ge fell into deep thought.

As classmates and close friends for many years, Li Ge knew Xueheng inside out.

Xueheng naturally attracted attention, and having no shortage of it, he usually avoided the spotlight. He hadn't participated in any avoidable events throughout their three years of high school.

Li Ge couldn't fathom why Xueheng would suddenly want to join the school sports meet, and he could already envision the adoring hearts in the eyes of their junior female classmates as Xueheng sprinted to victory.

He didn't doubt Xueheng's ability to win; the performance Xueheng had displayed during the physical fitness test at noon was unmatched by anyone in the school.

"Not just long-distance running, I plan to participate in all running-related events," Xueheng added.

Li Ge's steps faltered, "You audacious scoundrel! Do you intend to monopolize the affections of all our junior female classmates? You're asking for death!"

Xueheng playfully smacked him on the head, "Don't be ridiculous. Since when did you, a man with a girlfriend, start worrying about the distribution of attention from junior girls?"

"That's not it," Li Ge protested, "As the former student council president, I have a responsibility to consider the well-being of our classmates..."

The two friends continued walking toward the school gate, chatting and laughing along the way.

"What about you? Are you still planning to take the Star University entrance exam?" Xueheng asked.

Li Ge shook his head, "It's a slim chance. It's ridiculously difficult for someone from the Outer Ring to get into a university in the Inner Ring. I tried practicing with past exam papers, and I'm quite a bit off the admission line. I wonder if these Inner Ring universities really intend to enroll students from the Outer Ring, or if it's just a carrot on a stick."

Star University, or Star City University, was the public university of Star City.

There were nine 'Metropolitan Areas' within the Zhuxia Region, and the cities within each area were further categorized into 'Inner Ring', 'Outer Ring', and 'Fringe'.

Both Star City and Qingcheng belonged to the 'Fifth Metropolitan Area', but Qingcheng was an Outer Ring city while Star City was an Inner Ring city.

The Inner Ring cities were highly developed, and even a well-off Outer Ring city like Qingcheng would be considered a 'backwater' in comparison.

For an Outer Ringer to gain admission to Star University would be a true case of leaping from a commoner to nobility.

Xueheng patted Li Ge's shoulder, "Don't give up."

"What about you? What are your plans?" Li Ge asked in return.

"We still have one more semester until graduation. Are you planning to continue directly to Qingcheng University or take the entrance exam with me?"

Xueheng shook his head, "I haven't decided yet."

His overall grades were slightly lower than Li Ge's, and if Li Ge didn't have much hope of getting into an Inner Ring university, then Xueheng's chances were even slimmer.

Even if he did get in, the exorbitant tuition fees for Outer Ring students would be a heavy burden. These fees were essentially a 'relocation fee' for Outer Ring students to become Inner Ring residents, often causing financial ruin for a moderately wealthy family.

Nevertheless, countless people still vied for this opportunity, as it represented a true elevation in social class.

"Maybe... I'll take up martial arts," Li Ge said.

Xueheng furrowed his brows, not entirely supportive of the idea, "Martial arts? Do you want to become a martial artist? That path is challenging and dangerous, and with no foundation, you'd be setting yourself up for failure."

"Not necessarily," Li Ge said, "Maybe I'm a one-in-a-million genius."

Xueheng glanced at his skill panel and murmured, "Perhaps..."

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end