Su Hao's excitement swelled for a moment, then quickly deflated.
The moment he saw the sky-high prices listed under many items in the mall, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him.
His swelling couldn't even hold.
"Improved Charge" was, after all, just a basic technique, only good for earning a little pocket change.
In the mall, countless improved techniques were already on sale.
Even just for Charge, there were dozens of variations.
The only difference was the direction of the improvement.
The training method he provided was comprehensive—that was its strength.
But for other Spirit Masters to be stunned at a glance and desperate to buy it? That...
Only in dreams.
"With just the residual income from Improved Charge, I should have enough to cover my expenses until the college entrance exam."
The money came too easily.
For a split second, Su Hao even considered it.
Should he improve a few more techniques and upload them to the Alliance Mall?
He thought it over, then gave up.
Money was vulgar.
He had zero interest in money!
Intelligence points were his true love!
"Well, if I happen to need to improve a particular technique, then... no point not selling it."
...
November 4th, Monday.
Su Hao: Apprentice Spirit Master.
Intelligence Points: 163
Soul Power: 10.14 (7.51 + 2.13)
Bound Spirits: Silkworm (Uninitiated, Spirit Power 93); Little Fire Crow (Uninitiated, Spirit Power 26)
Unlocked Training: Omitted;
Unlocked Techniques: Feather Needle (Little Fire Crow, not learned), Fireball (Little Fire Crow, not learned), Flame Claw (Little Fire Crow, not learned)...
At that moment,
It was morning reading time.
In the classroom, some students were silently reciting texts, others were discussing spirits, some were focused on their breakfast, and a few were hanging upside down on the wall, exercising...
Spirits gathered in small groups, trying to play a little longer before the Marionette appeared.
Silkworm and Little Fire Crow weren't there.
Su Hao hadn't brought them to the classroom.
He had already applied for them to train on their own, except for certain important classes.
Thanks to the "Spirit Cultivator" aura effect, several teachers had agreed.
Now,
By the window seat,
Su Hao was scribbling furiously on a piece of white paper.
Beside him, a big pancake face craned its neck.
On a nearby desk, a charcoal fire turtle also stretched its neck.
Su Hao was writing a training plan for the charcoal fire turtle.
A complete training plan.
Not the casual advice Su Hao usually gave his classmates.
As a close buddy, Su Hao naturally wouldn't refuse Liu Ren's request.
It wasn't troublesome.
And it didn't cost money.
Was he, Su Hao, the kind of person who lacked money?
"One hundred thousand yuan!"
Liu Ren said, "My dad gave me this money. He said you have to take it, or you'd be looking down on me... my dad."
Su Hao: "???"
Liu Ren grinned and said, "My dad told me all about it. The dozen or so consultations you did at the Spirit Cultivation House all got good reviews, and your fee has gone from three thousand to five thousand.
"Now, asking you to put together a complete training plan, my dad said one hundred thousand is a fair price. Besides..."
Liu Ren lowered his voice, "If you design it for free, what happens when other classmates come asking?
"Anyway, the more detailed you write it, the more worth it this money is."
Without another word, he transferred one hundred thousand yuan.
Su Hao had initially refused.
He was already a big shot who could earn fifty or sixty thousand in a single day.
But the money Liu Ren gave was just...
"Don't worry, I've always respected your dad."
Su Hao thought it over and could only make the plan as detailed... as possible.
To try and be worthy of the one hundred thousand consultation fee.
After writing a few hundred characters, Su Hao rubbed his slightly sore hand and asked Liu Ren:
"You've been spending money all along. You must have consulted Spirit Cultivators before, right?"
"I have, but with all the money I've dumped in, my turtle lord is still far behind your silkworm god. That says it all, doesn't it?"
Su Hao thought that was true.
His excellence was obvious to everyone.
But he still said, "I'm familiar with Silkworm because I observe its changes often, so I can make the best training plan. But for the charcoal fire turtle, I don't have that ability."
"Relax, relax~"
Liu Ren waved his hand, "You're clearly excellent but overly modest—that's just showing off."
Su Hao spent nearly an hour writing out the complete training plan.
For one hundred thousand yuan, he had to let his hands suffer.
He said, "Big Face Liu, buy these things tomorrow. I need to experiment and observe before making the final adjustments."
By the time Su Hao finished writing, Monday's homeroom class was already over.
Soon, the bell rang. For the second period, Old Chen walked into the classroom again.
But strangely, the Marionette, which usually kept the rookie spirits in check during class, was nowhere to be seen.
Old Chen tapped the blackboard, and the classroom quickly fell silent.
The rookie spirits, worried it might be a trap, also put on a well-behaved act.
"Classmates, this week's lessons are very important. Whether you have a cold or fever and want to take leave, I hope you can all try to be here."
Old Chen paused, then continued, "As everyone knows, spirits possess extraordinary power, and even though we Spirit Masters are enhanced through feedback, our physiques are still far from matching theirs.
"So, in battle, besides being a commander or an observer, what else can we Spirit Masters do?
"This classmate, you answer."
The student in the front row, A, stood up involuntarily, a bit nervous and hesitant, and said:
"We, we can also provide buffs to the spirits, using, using our soul power."
"That's right. Good, please sit down."
Old Chen said, "During the spirit feedback process, the most significant improvement for us humans is soul power.
"Let me ask, after binding your spirits, who here has tested their soul power?"
The money-spending monster Liu weakly raised his hand.
"Liu Ren, when did you test it, and what was your spirit's power at the time?"
"Two months ago, a month and a half ago, a month ago, half a month ago, and a week ago—I tested it all those times." Liu Ren said.
Old Chen: "..."
"Tell me the result from a week ago."
"My soul power was 6.12 at the time, and my spirit's power was around 65 points."
Old Chen nodded and gestured for Liu Ren to sit down.
"Before binding spirits, most of us have soul power just over 1.0. A rare few with high talent might have 2 to 3 points. But after binding, as the spirit improves and we receive feedback, our soul power can increase rapidly.
"However, during the binding, the portion of soul power occupied by the spirit also grows accordingly.
"Take a Spirit Master with soul power of 1.0 before binding as an example. They'd need their soul power to grow to over 9 points before they can bind a second spirit... roughly when the initial spirit reaches its pre-initiation limit.
"But even if you can't bind a new spirit, soul power is still our own strength.
"Through the contract link with the spirit, we Spirit Masters can use this power.
"Like this..."
Old Chen focused.
He extended his hand, fingers spread forward, and said softly:
"Spirit Art: Summon!"
The next moment,
Su Hao noticed,
Above Old Chen's middle finger, a bright light like a pointer appeared.
Then, at a thirty-degree angle to the right, a second pointer-like light appeared.
At that moment,
In front of Old Chen's palm,
The space seemed to twist, and a familiar Marionette suddenly leaped out.
"This is the power of the Spirit Art. When you reach the official Spirit Master level, you'll also learn some survival abilities.
"For example, 'Spirit Art: Guard,' 'Spirit Art: Damage Transfer,' and so on.
"Right now, your soul power is still weak, but you can still learn a few basic Spirit Arts."