Class had started, but Alex wasn't paying any attention to it. He wasn't a person who listened in class or actively participated.
He believed in the idea that all subjects could be learned and passed just before the exam day by cramming the whole night.
He had finished college like this too. So, without realizing it, he developed a habit of sleeping or gaming during classes on Earth.
That's why, unknowingly, Alex had started to play with his smartwatch.
At the same time, Alex was thinking of a way to awaken himself. The method of artificial awakening had been partially discovered by Damien and an old scientist in the TOC.
TOC had described that when Damien was roaming around the slums before he joined the Ashcroft family, he met an old scientist who he helped with his daily needs.
That was when Damien learned about science and became an apprentice of the old man.
They became mentor and disciple, and after gaining enough knowledge and practice, Damien started participating in the old man's experiments as an assistant.
With each experiment, Damien became more knowledgeable and improved his analytical thinking abilities. Because of these experiences, he ranked first in the theoretical part of the academy entrance exam.
One of the research areas of the old scientist was artificial awakening. He had been working on this peculiar subject for almost a decade but was stuck and couldn't achieve a breakthrough.
That was when Damien came into the picture. After seeing the old scientist obsessed with a particular subject, he too started studying the same subject, hoping to help the old scientist and provide different perspectives.
After the old man heard Damien's ideas and his inquiries about some of the processes in the experiment, he experienced enlightenment and created a prototype drug.
Then, he wrote the white paper for it and sent it to the World Science and Technology Association (WSTA).
When the people from WSTA received his paper and began testing his hypothesis, every person on the team thought that if this paper were proven right, it could change the whole world because the percentage of people who awakened was very low in the population.
At the end of the practical experiment phase, they began conducting experiments using laboratory animals. However, the results of the experiments were not as expected. None of the subjects in the experiment had survived; every single one of them died during the awakening process.
The WSTA test team invited the old scientist, and together they reviewed the paper again, focusing on the theoretical aspect, in order to find a mistake. However, all they could find was that the paper was logically and theoretically correct, and there were no issues with the end product. It should have worked.
Afterwards, they conducted another practical experiment, during which they closely examined all of the test subjects to identify a common reaction and the reason behind the failure.
They discovered that during the awakening process, certain brain waves indicating pain exceeded the threshold of tolerance for each test subject.
This indicated that the process of artificially awakening was extremely painful. Consequently, prior to completing the awakening, all subjects experienced brain death.
After identifying the cause of the failure, the WSTA team and the old scientist worked together to find a solution without compromising the effectiveness of the drug.
They attempted to incorporate various potent and high ranking venomous ingredients and medications to alleviate the pain, as well as experimenting with formula alterations, but none of their efforts proved successful.
Ultimately, they were unable to achieve the desired outcome, leading to the conclusion that the paper and research were deemed impossible and left untouched on the shelf at the WSTA.
In TOC, it was mentioned that if the research team made slight modifications to the formula and acquired knowledge about the venom of the F-rank monster Blisswhisper and its venom, Serenity's Lull, this research would not be deemed a complete failure.
TOC stated that by incorporating the venom of this harmless and weak creature prior to administering the drug, they could minimize the pain experienced during the awakening process to a level comparable to that of tooth extraction.
Furthermore, the TOC acknowledged that even with this solution, they would be unable to awaken every individual on the planet; their efforts would be limited to those individuals who displayed potential and were unable to awaken naturally.
Therefore, even if they were aware of the venom, in accordance with the research paper's objective, it could only be regarded as a partial success.
Alex was thinking about this while still using his smartwatch and searching for the ingredients of the drug from the World Trade Center Association (WTCA) and placing an order for the ingredients he found.
Alex didn't care about prices because original Alex's biological parents had been sending allowances to his account every month.
As he observed the balance in his account, which used to belong to the original Alex, he realized he was wealthy and could afford some indulgence.
'Thankfully, the TOC mentioned the ingredients and drug preparation process,' Alex thought. Just as he was about to order the last ingredient, he heard a voice addressing him.
"Alex Hart, could you please tell us what the difference is between a tier rank and a skill rank?" the professor asked, wearing an angry expression.
Alex suddenly realized that he had become the center of attention in the class and wondered, 'Is he angry because I'm not paying attention to his lecture?'
"A tier rank is a measure of skill efficiency and mana consumption rate. A higher tier rank signifies a lower mana consumption rate and increased skill efficiency, while a lower tier rank implies the opposite," Alex replied.
Alex paused to observe the professor's reaction and, upon realizing that he still appeared angry, he decided to continue.
"On the other hand, a skill rank is used to assess various aspects of a skill, including its maximum damage, area of effect, and other overall characteristics. It serves as a means of classification," Alex explained.
Even if Alex didn't listen to the professor, he still knew the general knowledge about the world through the TOC.
Alex looked around and didn't catch any impression from other students that indicated he had answered wrongly, but the professor's face still didn't change, so Alex felt puzzled.
"Get out of my class," the professor yelled, pointing to the door.
Alex couldn't believe what was happening. Even though he wasn't listening to the lesson, he answered the question correctly. So why the hell was he being thrown out of class?
Alex stood frozen for a moment and thought, 'It's humiliating to be treated like this.'
On the professor's second warning, Alex simply walked out of the classroom, carrying the gaze of the entire class.