Having experienced this once in his previous life, Huo Yuhao wasn't particularly interested in the tournament rules, which he already knew well. Instead, he found his attention drawn to Zhang Lexuan herself.
It might have been his imagination, but even though Zhang Lexuan's behavior hadn't changed over the past three months—she still attended classes as usual, occasionally offering him some advice or teasing him privately—he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something... subtly different about her.
"Alright, that's everything I needed to say. The remaining time in this class is yours. Everyone, write down your preferred roles, form your teams as I just explained, and then elect a captain to come up here and register."
At her words, Zhu Lu, seated in front of Huo Yuhao, instinctively turned around, her beautiful eyes looking at him expectantly.
"Want to team up?"
Having spent the past three months together, the two were no longer as distant as before, so Huo Yuhao naturally didn't hesitate. In fact, he had already intended to ask Zhu Lu to be his teammate.
After all, even though he was still the class monitor in this life, spending every day with Zhang Lexuan and two other stunning women had already made him the target of many jealous classmates. Maintaining good relations with the rest of his class was quite a challenge.
"Alright, then. Our team is all set, so I'll go ahead and submit it."
Taking Zhu Lu's paper for the agility role and Gu Yue Na's for the power role, Huo Yuhao added his own paper for the control role, then stood up. Before he even reached Zhang Lexuan, she smiled and lowered her voice.
"I thought your martial soul talent was impressive enough, but I didn't expect your skills with soul tools to be so remarkable too. Thanks to someone's help, every time I see Dean Xian on campus, I get pulled aside to hear his thanks. He's even planning to make a customized set of soul tools just for me, which honestly makes me feel a bit awkward."
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but chuckle. "Isn't that a good thing? Forget Dean Xian; I should be thanking you, Teacher Lexuan, for all those free meals I've been getting these past three months."
"Listen to yourself!"
At this, Zhang Lexuan couldn't hold back a laugh. "There's a rumor spreading in the cafeteria about a gluttonous freshman who eats as much as several people. They say the cafeteria's budget is suffering thanks to you. If you weren't cooking your own meals, I think the chefs might have quit by now!"
She glanced at Huo Yuhao's lean, defined figure, a hint of envy in her tone. "I don't know how you do it. You eat so much every day, yet you never gain weight. Even I'm a little jealous."
Huo Yuhao shrugged. "The price of extraordinary talent, I suppose."
In just three months, with the help of high-quality ingredients, his soul power had risen from level 26 to nearly level 28. By the break, he'd probably reach level 30 and could then obtain his third soul ring.
"Alright, enough of that."
Taking the registration papers from Huo Yuhao, Zhang Lexuan glanced them over and then asked softly, "So, your goal this time is to win?"
Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile. "I promised you, Teacher Lexuan. I wouldn't want to go back on my word."
She looked at him in silence, her expression softening before she finally spoke. "Be careful, alright?"
"Of course."
With the team registration complete, Zhang Lexuan announced an early dismissal.
After leaving the classroom, Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue Na didn't head straight back to the dorm. For them, preparing for this tournament didn't require taking a break.
"You go to the lab first; I'll head to the cafeteria and bring back some food for you," Huo Yuhao instructed.
Gu Yue Na gave a small nod, then added, "I want ice cream too."
"Sure, sure."
"And a hug."
"…"
Huo Yuhao's expression twitched slightly. Worried that she might make even stranger demands, he quickly turned and walked toward the cafeteria.
Three months earlier, after joining the Soul Tool Department, he and Gu Yue Na would come to study soul tools for a few hours each day after their regular classes. Of course, "study" was a bit of an exaggeration; he was actually the one teaching, while Gu Yue Na learned.
The head of the Soul Tool Department, Xian Lin'er, was only an eighth-level soul engineer. Her skills reached this level mainly due to her Title Douluo strength, which allowed her to amplify her soul tools' power. However, her knowledge of soul tools was still nowhere near Huo Yuhao's expertise. Even though Xian Lin'er initially intended to mentor him, she soon realized he was a genius progressing faster on his own.
Huo Yuhao even earned an independent lab and special privileges, including free meals, though he exchanged most of these benefits for rare metals instead. Xian Lin'er was happy to oblige, even raising his monthly allotment.
One of Huo Yuhao's biggest surprises, however, was Gu Yue Na's interest in soul tools. With her exceptionally high mental power, her learning pace was almost frightening. In just three months, she was already capable of crafting second-level soul tools with ease.
As Huo Yuhao made his way toward the cafeteria, a soft voice called out from behind him.
"Yuhao."
Stopping, Huo Yuhao turned and saw Jiang Nannan walking quickly towards him. He greeted her with a smile.
"Nannan, heading to the cafeteria too? You're early today."
"Something came up in class, so Xiao Ya and I are taking turns. I'm grabbing something to eat first," she explained. "By the way, isn't your freshman assessment starting soon?"
"Yep, tomorrow."
Jiang Nannan patted his shoulder encouragingly. "Good luck. I hear the new class is strong this year, especially that one from the Clear Sky Clan… Well, anyway, I'm sure you'll do fine."
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but smile at her comment. As they continued talking, his gaze drifted to her long legs hidden beneath her uniform pants. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke.
"Nannan, could you come to my dorm tonight? There's something I'd like to ask your help with."
Despite having been reincarnated, Huo Yuhao had never given up on his passion for soul tool research. Now that he was officially part of the Soul Tool Department and had access to quality materials, he was once again focusing on developing humanoid soul tool armor.
Though he and Xuan Ziwen had created the Ice God Battle Armor in his previous life, it was highly specialized, requiring the user to possess an ice-type martial soul and extraordinary mental power. Now, Huo Yuhao aimed to make a more versatile version that could protect the people he cared about.
For this, Jiang Nannan was the perfect test subject. As an agility-type soul master with a unique combat style, she prioritized speed and flexibility. If he could design a soul tool armor that enhanced her offense without restricting her movement, it would be a significant breakthrough.
(End of Chapter)