"I am your monster class teacher, Mo'er, and you can call me 'Old Blind Eyes.'"
The old man's tone returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
"I'm here to talk about the threats you will face in the future, threats you might already be encountering, be vigilant!"
He shouted again, startling everyone.
Kashan quickly took out the textbook, but Mo'er pointed at it with a finger, which Kashan noticed was also a prosthetic:
"We don't need this stuff. I talk, you listen, take good notes."
The students hastily closed their books and took out their notepads and charcoal pencils, watching him with gleaming eyes, somewhat excited by this unique teacher.
"Monsters, our enemies, the embodiment of Dark Law, the universe's icy whispers, the ultimate destination of all chaos and deadly silence."
"Everything we learn, strive for, and practice, whether we become combatants in the future or not, ultimately, we face them."
"I could talk about them and how to deal with them for countless days and nights, but now, I'll only talk about the most important—how we classify monsters and identify them."
"The core of all monsters is their Dark Soul, which is the foundation of their existence. When the Dark Soul is destroyed, everything about them returns to the Void, back to the source of the world. Those of you who have killed a monster would know that their bodies disintegrate after death, turning into countless black dust particles and disappearing, leaving nothing behind."
A spark flashed in Rod's eyes. So that was it; he had never thought about the reason and assumed it was natural.
"So, be vigilant! If the body hasn't disintegrated, the monster is not dead!"
Mo'er shouted loudly once more, then his tone went back to normal.
"Now, based on the strength of their souls, we divide monsters into six levels. First, the Grey Level, which is the dust of the battlefield, posing no fatal threat. Its trait is that it has no traits. When we use Spiritual Vision on their souls, we find that their soul's waveform is very serene, like a straight line. But, they can still harm us at times. Be vigilant!"
The students instinctively shrank their necks, but Mo'er did not shout; he simply stated the facts calmly.
"Then comes the Ungraded, which refers to monsters that are not yet fully formed. They possess weak souls. Most of the monsters you will encounter on the battlefield are of this level, like Wandering Souls and Living Corpses. Their souls have waveforms, like the breasts of an adolescent girl."
A burst of laughter erupted in the classroom, with several female students blushing, but Kashan reacted not at all, accurately writing down every word in her notebook.
Mo'er nodded to their team leader:
"Yes, there's nothing to be ashamed of. This is the most accurate description. You'll understand later that survival may entail all manner of things, even eating excrement."
The students' faces turned pale, sensing their joyful academy days slowly drifting away as the grim world began to unveil itself.
Only Kashan looked unfazed, raising her hand to ask, "Teacher Mo'er, how is eating shit useful?"
Mo'er smiled peculiarly, his face wrinkling as he grinned.
"Don't underestimate excrement; it's the filth of our bodies, a type of biological toxin. When we eat a lot of it, it poisons us. This poison is mild but has strong biological properties and can sometimes help prevent us from losing our minds and becoming Living Corpses."
A girl with red hair covered her mouth and rushed out of the classroom.
Most students looked queasy, even Rod felt a bit nauseous.
Mo'er said coldly, "I hope you can understand, even if it destroys your appetite and dreams, it's better than losing your lives."
He considerately had Kashan bring the red-haired girl back; her face was sallow and she was still heaving intermittently.
"Third Level, Mature Level, means fully formed monsters in the Black Fog. This is the most dangerous level. It encompasses the most types of monsters, the most unpredictable abilities, and causes the most devastation. Their soul waveforms are complex, but mostly oscillate back and forth like springs. If you encounter them, call for support immediately."
"Fourth Level, Fierce Level, Fifth Level, Strong Level, you only need to know that their soul waveforms are exceedingly strong and clear. If you see them, just run, do nothing else."
"These are just broad categories, there are more detailed distinctions, which you'll learn later. Now, I'll teach you how to use Spiritual Vision...."
Kashan suddenly raised her hand, "Teacher Mo'er, you missed a level?"
Mo'er's lone eye swept over her, his cloudy eyeball staring at her, revealing a mouth of jagged, yellow teeth: "Sixth Level, King Level, you don't need to know its soul waveform. When it appears before you, you are already dead. All the forces of the Royal City would be mobilized to confront its coming—it's a moving disaster, a horrific Doomsday, a devastating calamity."
The classroom fell silent for a moment, the students chilled by Mo'er's description, the air temperature seemingly dropping a few degrees.
Mo'er's smile turned ice cold:
"So, knowing too much isn't good. Many scholars ultimately went mad and committed suicide. I certainly hope you can be a bit stronger, but strength is the pillar of the heart. Each step you climb reveals corresponding truths. This is what the New King advocates; I agree with it, but it seems a bit overdone. The academy has become a greenhouse, and our future warriors are like flowers in a greenhouse. It's regrettable that many students snap mentally after leaving the academy, some go mad, some join the Doomsday Sect."
It felt like midwinter had descended in the classroom, every student feeling an icy chill to their bones, even Kashan's face turned horribly pale.
Only Rod was somewhat better off.
He had guessed this situation; this was the phenomenon expected in a Doomsday environment. He'd initially wondered at the optimistic and cheerful atmosphere inside the Royal City; it seemed that it was likely due to the New King's policies and laws.
"This King is no simple matter." Rod thought, noticing Mo'er's appreciative gaze at him.
"Good job, it seems we have a real warrior here, lad. I'll give you full marks; I hope you won't disappoint me."
Could such good luck be real?
Rod felt a thrill of joy inside. In the selection for the 'Goldenworth Star,' a teacher's score accounted for one-fourth of the total. This suddenly improved his impression of the old man.
The atmosphere in the classroom lightened somewhat, and Kashan secretly pinched his thigh, her tone admiring yet slightly resentful.
"Why don't you show such courage usually?"
Wayne also felt quite envious and asked softly, "Was it the Internal Affairs Court that took you to see the world last time?"
Thump!
The sound of Mo'er's prosthetic limb hitting the floor echoed, and the whispers in the classroom immediately ceased.
"So, I, old blind Mo'er, wholeheartedly approve of this real combat class arrangement. Although you don't need to leave the Academy, the situation is so dire that no one can guarantee what you might encounter. Therefore, be vigilant!"
He suddenly shouted, startling all the students again, this time quite severely; the one with green hair even fell to the ground in fright.
"Now, I will teach you how to use Spiritual Vision."
Mo'er limped back to the podium, holding up one finger in front of his eye.
"Spiritual Vision is our secondary sight, which allows us to see the flow of spirit and energy. It is a crucial ability for us, and I hope none of us are Stone Wood Cores."
"Like me, hold your index finger in front of your eyes, focus your attention on the brow, take three deep breaths, and on the last one, don't exhale. Hold it, and let your sight linger behind your index finger — slowly move your finger, but keep your gaze always behind it, repeat these actions until you feel something throbbing at your brow."
Following the teacher's instructions, the students moved their fingers in front of their noses repeatedly until they could no longer hold their breath.
If they exhaled, they had to let it all out and start over.
For a time, the classroom was filled with sounds of inhalation and exhalation.
Perhaps because it was quite similar to the Eye of the Soul, Rod succeeded on his first try. When Spiritual Vision was activated, the world was drenched in colorful lights—the shiny ribbons flowed in the air, every person turned into a luminous, human-shaped cloud, and sparkling pathways like nerves ran through them, particularly bright around their foreheads.
The effect was similar to the Eye of the Soul.
What if he activated the Eye of the Soul while using Spiritual Vision?
With a thought, Rod's Spiritual Energy flashed three times at his brow, and the Eye of the Soul activated instantly.
In that instant, it was as if the world had been split open.
The view darkened, the chaotic light pollution became clear, and the boundaries distinct, the scattered orbs of light floated in the air like fish swimming in water, stirring up fine ripples.
Looking closely, such ripples could be seen in every luminescent spot, the world seemed to be submerged in some unknown substance. Rod clearly saw the trajectories of energy movement, saw the waveforms of Spiritual Energy.
Was this what Mo'er meant by Soul Waveforms?
However, Rod did not see the waveform described by the other students.
Each student's waveform was complex and unique; Kashan's resembled a grand wind organ, Wayne's looked like an ax, and green-haired Zales's was somewhat like ice cream, though darker in color, more akin to a pile of poop.
Among all, Kashan's waveform was the most prominent, followed by students who had awakened their Spiritual Energy. Those who hadn't awakened their Spiritual Energy were fainter.
This must be an indication of the strength of the soul.
Rod turned his gaze towards Mo'er and, surprisingly, found his waveform faint and very smooth, stretching like a low trombone, but his brow was glowing; probably it indicated he was still observing them using Spiritual Vision.
Uncertain how to inquire, Rod hesitated, but Kashan, ever the good student, opportunistically asked.
"Mo'er teacher, why can't we see the waveforms you mentioned among the students?"
Mo'er turned his head, and Rod clearly saw a huge eye open on his forehead, a blood-red pupil staring right at Kashan.
"It appears we indeed have an exceptional seedling among us, your talent is high, Kashan of Mibor."
Mo'er's voice was tinged with satisfaction, and the blood-red eye also closed along. Rod was somewhat puzzled, whether this was normal or some sort of ability.
"What I just mentioned applies only to monsters. Human souls and monster souls are not the same; monsters lack rationality. Their soul waveforms solely follow their strength and soul characteristics, undisturbed by emotions, whereas many factors determine the waveforms of humans, and the soul's strength is just one factor we use to categorize ourselves, not the only one."
This topic instantly piqued the students' interest, and Kashan, as expected, asked, "Mo'er teacher, how are we categorized in levels?"
Mo'er showed a kind smile, but the wrinkles and the dark sockets of his blind eyes made the smile appear somewhat sinister.
"This information is harmless; it's good to inform you all in advance."
"Once you successfully graduate from Jinworth Academy, you transition from reserve combatants to official combatants, that is, Ninth Level Combatants."
"Afterward, each combat assessment you undergo raises you by one level. The assessment includes: Spiritual Power, which is your soul strength."
"The most important indicator of Spiritual Power is the Spiritual Power Level, the essential rank of energy. Each advancement in Spiritual Power Level triples your Spiritual Power Strength."
Mo'er looked at the students.
"Question, how much stronger is Third Level Spiritual Power compared to First Level?"
Zales with green hair shot up his hand; he had been terrified earlier and was already determined to return to inherit his family's business after graduating.
Let the dangerous endeavors be left to the brave, he thought.
In terms of arithmetic, he considered himself the strongest in the group, perhaps even in the entire department.
No sooner had Mo'er teacher looked towards him than he swiftly stood up and loudly answered:
"Six times!"