The first lesson after the class officers were chosen.
Wu Changkong barely flipped through a few pages before tossing the thick textbook on Battle Armor principles aside. "We've more or less finished learning about Battle Armor."
"Today we're doing something different."
Wait, really?
They were already done with that?
The students kept their surprise respectfully contained and closed their textbooks, which had only been handed out a few days ago.
"Today we're talking about Battle Armor Masters!" Wu Changkong's icy gaze swept across the room, and the students all lowered their heads in response, not daring to meet his eyes.
Fortunately, Wu Changkong didn't call on anyone to answer questions.
He began explaining the subject.
Wu Changkong tapped the podium lightly, and a Spirit Guidance projector traced the rough outline of a suit of Battle Armor in the air, its lines sharp and full of power.
"Battle Armor is a soul master's second life. It is the ultimate extension of a soul master's strength."
His voice remained cold as he went on at length.
When the lesson ended, Wu Changkong checked the time.
He took a final sip of water and concluded, "So, starting today and continuing until graduation, all of you have one task."
"Become a Battle Armor Master."
The moment those words left his mouth, the classroom erupted.
The students could no longer hold their earlier composure, eyes going wide one after another.
"We just enrolled, and we're already starting on Battle Armor?"
"Isn't that a bit much?"
"My secondary profession is only level one, I don't even know where to start."
The buzz of discussion filled the room, and the air itself seemed to grow restless.
Wu Changkong set down his cup and swept his icy gaze across the room once more, and every voice fell silent instantly.
He didn't bother explaining further.
"Making Battle Armor requires four professions: design, forging, crafting, and repair. None can be missing."
"Next, we'll form groups."
"Groups will be assigned based on overall secondary profession levels. Right now, the profession with the fewest students in this class is forging, with only eight people."
"So groups will be capped at eight, and each one must include all four professions."
Wu Changkong picked the textbook up off the ground, dusted it off, and turned to leave, tossing back one last line: "Arthur, as class president, you're in charge of this. Bring me the list when it's done."
The moment Wu Changkong's figure vanished from the classroom doorway, every student's eyes lit up and turned toward Arthur.
"class president, I don't need anything else, just let me be in your group."
"class president, you know me, my secondary profession is terrible, please, take me with you."
"Me too!"
A level-six Blacksmith. Everyone knew what that meant. Every single one of them wanted to latch onto Arthur.
Since he'd fought so hard to claim this position, Arthur intended to see it through properly.
Looking at the crowd of students all but chirping for attention like hungry chicks, he felt a small pang of exasperation. How was he supposed to keep this fair for everyone?
By the time he came back to himself, Arthur was already surrounded on all sides, requests coming at him from every direction.
He raised a hand helplessly to quiet them, and the noise dropped by more than half at once.
"Don't rush," he said, clearing his throat and raising his voice.
"Grouping needs to be balanced. Being in my group doesn't automatically solve everything."
"Right now, the four class officers will start by collecting everyone's secondary profession and level, then report it to me."
Tang Wulin, Wu Sidou, Luo Guixing, and Zheng Yiran, the four officers elected earlier, sprang into action.
They immediately split up to gather information from everyone.
Tang Wulin, notebook and pen in hand, wore a gentle smile as he patiently asked each classmate about their secondary profession and level.
Wu Sidou was brisk and efficient, speaking quickly and recording information at remarkable speed.
Luo Guixing and Zheng Yiran carefully double-checked the information to make sure nothing was missed.
Quietly, Na'er, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan had already made their way to Arthur's side.
Na'er grabbed Arthur's arm and shook it. "Arthur, you know me. We've been a team since we were kids."
Xu Xiaoyan, blushing, clutched her own secondary profession certification and added in a small voice, "Could... could you take me too?"
Gu Yue simply stood off to the side with her arms crossed, saying nothing, needing to say nothing.
Arthur looked down at Na'er hanging off his arm, then glanced at Gu Yue's confident expression and Xu Xiaoyan's nervous one, and laughed helplessly. "What are you all worried about? Class Zero is obviously staying together... wait."
A thought struck Arthur. "Actually, I have an idea."
Once the information from the four class officers had been compiled and a rough grouping worked out, Arthur walked up to the podium.
He set the list down.
"Eight groups. All assigned." His gaze swept the room, his voice steady and firm.
The students slowed their breathing.
Everyone tensed up. Whether they'd get to latch onto him came down to this grouping.
"But!"
Arthur's voice rose sharply.
He picked up the list and, under everyone's baffled stares, tore it neatly in half and tossed it aside.
"I have a better idea."
"We're not splitting into groups."
What was happening?
Dead silence fell over the room, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The students stared wide-eyed at Arthur casually discarding the torn scraps of the list on the podium, their minds blank.
Not splitting into groups? Then what about the task Instructor Wu had assigned? How would they fill out the eight-group framework? Every face in the room was a picture of confusion.
"Why bother splitting into groups?"
"Anyone who didn't know better would think we couldn't afford it!"
Arthur planted both hands on the podium, his sacred cyan eyes sweeping the room, his words blunt but rousing. "Why split into groups? Form little cliques? No need."
His voice rang out, firm and forceful. "From today on, this whole class is one giant group! No boundaries between teams, only different roles!"
"Everyone with forging as their secondary profession, form the core forging team. I'll lead it."
"Everyone with design as their secondary profession, report to Gu Yue. She'll consolidate all the Battle Armor design plans."
"Everyone with crafting or repair, you'll be organized separately under Luo Guixing and Wu Sidou!"
The moment those words landed, the classroom exploded into an uproar!
"The whole class, one team?"
"You can even do that?"
"Why am I suddenly getting fired up?"
Arthur pulled out his level-six Blacksmith badge and slammed it down hard on the podium.
"I guarantee it: every single person in this class will have their own suit of Battle Armor and graduate without a hitch."
"I don't care whether your soul power level can handle it by then."
"Either way, we're aiming for one set of Battle Armor per person within two years!"
A collective gasp!
The whole class fell still.
"One set of Battle Armor per person within two years!"
No one knew who shouted it first, but the words instantly set the whole classroom ablaze.
Students shot up from their seats, the confusion and unease in their eyes replaced entirely by fervor, applause and cheering nearly tearing the roof off.
"class president's the best!"
"That's what a level-six Blacksmith looks like, you've earned it!"
"I'm following the class president from now on!"
Someone suddenly cut in: "Whose gets made first?"
But the question did nothing to dampen everyone's enthusiasm.
"Who else's would it be? The class president's, obviously! Nobody else comes close!"
Loyalty! Absolute loyalty!
Arthur shook his head, laughing. "The order's simple. You get rewarded for your work. It's not based on soul power level, it's based on secondary profession level. One part at a time."
"Whoever has the higher secondary profession level goes first."
"Don't worry about me, I'll just take whatever's left."
Truth was, Arthur already had his own set. He just didn't feel like saying so and ruining the mood.
Watching his students burning with excitement, Arthur nodded in satisfaction. These were his soldiers for the future.