In the afternoon, the four of them met their mentor on the school's playground.
"So, it's him," Situ Bo whispered and then, fearing that Lin Ke might not understand, he explained, "His name is Qin Fei, a very good mentor from the Second High School, specializing in skill configuration."
Lin Ke briefly observed Qin Fei.
This man, somewhere between young and middle-aged, had a very ordinary appearance but was very affable, giving off a spirited vibe.
"From now on, we are all classmates in Class Three," Qin Fei said, "I'm Qin Fei, and I'm delighted to be your mentor."
After some introductions and pleasantries, Qin Fei proceeded to explain his background.
"I'm thirty-four years old this year. I served in the Third Army in Yunzhou for seven years before retiring due to injuries and coming to Yuecheng to become a mentor for the preparatory class. This is my fifth year here."
"I specialize in using swords as my weapon, and my cultivation level is at the Third Tier, Level Seven. In the coming year, I will guide you all diligently and help you improve your strength, aiming to reach the Second Tier, Level One by the time of the provincial examination."
The Second Tier, Level One, is the minimum requirement for the county's top examination, and only thirty percent of students manage to achieve it each year.
Lin Ke had done some basic research on the emblem users at the Second High School when he enrolled. To become a mentor, one had to be at least at the Third Tier. These teachers might not have high levels or impressive emblem ranks, but they all had their strengths.
"I've already reviewed your profiles and have a preliminary understanding of your emblem ranks and attributes. However, today we won't just discuss that. I want to start by asking each of you about your dreams."
Qin Fei first looked at Situ Bo.
After some thought, Situ Bo said, "I hope to become a strong individual and surpass the Situ family in Yunzhou."
"That's a noble aspiration," Qin Fei praised, giving a thumbs-up. "The Situ family in Yunzhou has Rank Eight experts level 80+, but I believe that as long as you have a dream, anything is possible."
Then, he turned to Lin Ke.
Lin Ke's dream used to be to live comfortably and happily for the rest of his life, but after awakening his emblem, he did have some other thoughts.
After some contemplation, he said, "I hope to take control of my own destiny, especially when facing Yao beasts. I want to have the strength to fight for myself and my loved ones, to protect the people I cherish."
Qin Fei nodded, and then Shi Mengyao and Tang Yuhan shared their dreams.
Shi Mengyao's dream was somewhat unexpected.
"I hope to explore every alternate space in the future and witness various strange worlds."
No one had expected that the seemingly cold and aloof Shi Mengyao would have such an ambition, akin to wanting to explore the vast world.
Tang Yuhan's dream, on the other hand, was a bit surprising after much hesitation.
"My dream is to go into battle and hunt down Yao beasts, instead of staying in the rear like my mother, just healing the soldiers."
This girl's thoughts were somewhat unexpected, with the heart of a warrior in a priest's body, so to speak.
"What about the teacher? What's your dream?" Situ Bo asked.
Qin Fei smiled and said, "My dream is quite simple. I hope that every class I teach will succeed, and that way, I'll have achieved my goal."
After this exchange, they got to know each other a little better.
As for their courses, Qin Fei said, "After awakening your emblems, you will enter a period of rapid growth. With most people, through practicing the 'Emblem Restoration Technique,' you can meet the conditions to inscribe your first emblem mark within a month or two. So, in the coming month, I will help you select your first emblem. If you have any ideas, feel free to let me know; I will respect your choices."
"As a school benefit, everyone's first emblem mark is free, but it can only be a Tier 4 one. High-grade emblems such as Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 are not included in the free benefit. However, your elders at home may have taught you that it's best to use a Tier 4 emblem mark for your first inscription. Failing to inscribe a higher-grade emblem mark could not only be disappointing but could also cause significant harm to your body."
Unlike pure civilians like Lin Ke, Situ Bo came from a prominent family lineage, and there were reports that the Shi Mengyao family had a strong background too. They had a fairly comprehensive system for nurturing family descendants when it came to emblem development.
"Teacher, my first emblem mark has no attribute restrictions, but I'd like to choose a Tier 4 'Psychokinesis' emblem with the Illusion attribute. My family has already prepared the auxiliary materials for me; I just need the magic core of a magical beast and the Illusion attribute 'Thought Bead,'" Shi Mengyao said first.
Qin Fei nodded in agreement, "Psychokinesis is an excellent introductory emblem mark. It grants the emblem user the ability to use the 'Psychokinesis Control' skill. As for the Thought Bead from a magical beast of the Illusion attribute, although it's quite precious, luckily, the school has information on the alternate plane where this magical beast is distributed."
Situ Bo added, "My first emblem doesn't have any attribute restrictions. The family's recommendation for me is to choose an emblem mark in the Wind or Fire attribute to further enhance my attack skills."
The Situ family had a complete set of cultivation methods, so when it came to Situ Bo's choice, Qin Fei simply discussed it with him, not offering too much advice.
However, things were a bit different for Tang Yuhan and Lin Ke.
Tang Yuhan hesitated and said, "Teacher, can you give me some advice? I really want to go into battle in the future, but my emblem's innate skill is purely supportive, and my first emblem slot is without an attribute."
After some thought, Qin Fei asked, "Can you specify what your exact goal is when you say 'going into battle'? Do you want to personally kill enemies, or do you want to assist others in hunting magical beasts?"
"Both are fine, as long as it doesn't involve me staying in the logistics. I want to contribute more," Tang Yuhan replied.
"In that case, I'll give you two options," Qin Fei said, raising two fingers. "First, for an emblem mark without an attribute, try to inscribe emblems that enhance your attack skills, like Fire, Lightning, or Void attributes. This can compensate for the lack of attack power in the Water attribute emblem. The downside is that it can lead to a mix of attributes, and it won't provide the most powerful overall combat capability. Second, take a pure supportive route. The Water attribute emblem mark has some skills that can increase mental damage, while you can inscribe other emblems mark to enhance your attack, defense, and speed. Ultimately, you'll become a purely supportive character."
"You can think about these two options and don't need to rush to give me an answer."
Finally, it was Lin Ke's turn, and he was very candid, saying, "Teacher, I have no understanding of emblems and their research. I'll have to rely on your help. Moreover, I've never even had any experience with weapons before."
"It seems that Lin Ke will be our class's biggest challenge, but that's alright; I'll help you," Qin Fei said with a smile.
...
After class that day, Qin Fei had a one-on-one discussion with Lin Ke.
"Let's put the emblems aside for now. Lin Ke, what kind of weapon do you like?"
Lin Ke replied, "I'm not quite sure at the moment, but from what I've heard from everyone, the better the weapon can harness the full power of the emblem, the better, right?"
"That's correct in a way, but it should also be something you personally enjoy," Qin Fei explained. "It's like in our real battles against magical beasts. Even though firearms cause very little damage to them, if we encounter an emblem user who likes firearms, we'll custom-make elemental guns for them. Even if the emblem user leans toward melee combat, it's hard to achieve maximum effectiveness if they don't like it themselves."
"I've been interested in martial arts novels since I was a child. Teacher, you mentioned that you specialize in swordsmanship, right? Can I learn from you and give it a try?" Lin Ke asked curiously.
"Of course, that's no problem. Since you have a relatively higher affinity with the Lightning attribute in your emblem slots, using a sword as your weapon is an excellent choice," Qin Fei explained. "I'll organize some introductory swordsmanship skills for you, and this month, we'll focus on building a strong foundation and see how your progress goes."
"Thank you, Teacher!"
"If you're interested in swordsmanship, I already have a basic concept for your first emblem and skill configuration. However, there's no rush; we'll practice first before deciding."