Gaode had anticipated that taking on sixteen elective courses at once would seem somewhat astounding. However, he went ahead and did it anyway.
For one, what this matter actually exposed wouldn’t attract anyone’s covetousness. If his Mage Level were increasing too rapidly—so fast that it defied logic and left no trace of how it was achieved—then he would have cause for concern. There would always be calculating individuals who might suspect he had acquired some rare treasure or secret cultivation technique, and they would resort to coercion or bribery to pry it out of him.
But all he was displaying was an absurdly strong "learning ability." That wasn’t a big deal. Things like learning capacity were naturally abstract and defied logic to begin with. Aside from envy or jealousy, others couldn’t do much about it.
Secondly, the explicit rule of Cyrus Academy was that "credits are king." It would be incredibly foolish to hide his capabilities and intentionally keep a low profile when he had the ability to earn more credits. Furthermore, establishing the persona of a "genius" would grant him conveniences in many areas. There were certainly a few drawbacks, but overall, the benefits far outweighed them.
Most importantly, even disregarding the pros and cons, Gaode would have done this anyway just based on his personality. In his past life, he had been a top-tier scholar from childhood all the way into adulthood.
However, the rapid uproar caused by taking sixteen courses at once exceeded Gaode’s expectations. Furthermore, the first person to confront him about it was someone he hadn’t anticipated.
"Don’t you already have eight unfinished courses on your plate? Why did you pick eight more? Are you out of your mind?
"No matter how talented you are, you can’t drain your energy like this. The losses will only outweigh the gains!"
As soon as Gaode arrived at the Rune Workshop, he faced this interrogation from Jose, who had been waiting for him. As the Head of the Rune Department, no matter how ostracized Jose O’Kenley was, he still had his sources of information.
"The workload for these courses hasn’t reached the point of draining my energy." Facing Jose, Gaode could only fabricate an excuse. "Among the first eight courses I picked, aside from your Rune Science, which gives me a bit of a challenge, the others are a breeze. They barely consume any of my energy.
"I only elected the eight new courses after attending classes for two months, familiarizing myself with the situation, and confirming that I still had spare capacity."
Gaode’s explanation was lengthy, but it effectively translated into a single sentence: "I am exceptionally gifted."
And as it happened, the person in the entire academy who understood Gaode’s talent best was Jose. He recalled Gaode’s aptitude in Rune Science and ultimately found himself unable to refute the claim of being "exceptionally gifted." If Gaode’s talent for his other courses was on par with his aptitude for Rune Science, then taking over a dozen courses truly wouldn’t put much pressure on him.
After all, Gaode’s current study volume in Rune Science was already more than a dozen times that of other Mage students at the same level.
"Then manage it yourself... Just don’t let it interfere with your studies in Rune Science. The knowledge from those other courses isn’t without value, but it falls short when compared to Rune Science," Jose advised helplessly.
He was actually very lenient with Gaode, rarely interfering with any of his ideas. Jose understood that with Gaode’s talent for Rune Science, setting too many rules or laying out a rigid path would only restrict his growth.
The news of him simultaneously taking sixteen courses was currently only circulating within a small circle and hadn’t yet reached the students’ ears. But that was only a matter of time.
Gaode didn’t care, though. If it drew attention, so be it. It was the perfect opportunity to let these students experience the oppressive dominance of a true top scholar.
Ice Seal Moon, 1st.
Of the eight new courses Gaode had elected, two began today: Magic Medicine in the morning, and Pharmacological Research in the afternoon. Both were subjects that deeply interested him.
Magic Medicine was a course that combined theory with practical application. Pharmacological Research, on the other hand, was primarily based on theoretical knowledge, which was exactly the type of course Gaode excelled at most. Under the "Flow" state granted by [Divine Guidance Skill+], even the most obscure theoretical concepts became simple, clear, and easy to understand.
In the afternoon, inside the Pharmacological Research classroom.
The spacious room was packed with over thirty students. Since Pharmacological Research was a mandatory branch of Magic Potion, and Magic Potion had always been the most popular among the Magic Skills, it was naturally unsurprising to see such a large turnout.
"Everyone, I will be your instructor for the Pharmacological Research course going forward," a middle-aged Mage with a square face and a long beard introduced himself from the podium, his tone mild and even.
However, Gaode had no mind to pay attention to that. Ever since stepping into the classroom, he had felt a prickling sensation on his back, as if someone in the room was staring daggers at him. He searched for the source of this feeling for a long time before finally locating it.
It was a very dark, thin, and short young man sitting in the corner. Gaode didn’t know him, but for some unknown reason, this person kept fixating on him.
Seizing an opportunity when the short student cast another glance his way, Gaode turned his head and met his gaze directly. Normally, the other party would feel guilty and look away in this situation. Unexpectedly, the short student didn’t flinch at all, staring straight back at Gaode.
In the other boy’s eyes, Gaode saw a heavy intent that resembled provocation. Yet, it wasn’t quite that extreme. Perhaps "declaring war" was a more fitting description?
He wondered who this guy was.
Gaode furrowed his brows slightly. Unable to figure it out, he eventually pulled his attention back. Listening to the lecture was more important.
The "Flow" state of his [Divine Guidance Skill+] indeed granted him a cheat-like learning speed, but the prerequisite was that he actually paid attention in class and firmly grasped the foundational knowledge. If he didn’t listen to anything and kept his mind empty, what good would having active thoughts do?
Two hours later, the Pharmacological Research class concluded.
Gaode stood up to leave, but to his surprise, the short youth wasn’t finished. The boy actually rose and blocked Gaode’s path. This action immediately drew the attention of the other students in the classroom. It seemed everyone was paying quite a bit of attention to this short youth.
"Gaode," the short youth said, standing squarely in front of him.
"And you are?" Gaode frowned.
"Stop pretending. There’s no way you don’t know me," the short student said, craning his neck high.
Gaode wondered who on earth this person was. Helpless, he asked, "Are you famous?"
The short student fell silent for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to respond. Admitting he was famous felt a bit shameful, but denying it didn’t feel right either. After some thought, he ultimately chose to state his name. "My name is Yulan."
That sounded a bit familiar. Hearing the name, Gaode thought carefully and finally remembered who this person was. It was that fourteen-year-old First-Ring Mage genius.
"What do you want with me?" Gaode asked earnestly.
He didn’t care how much of a genius Yulan was. Moreover, no matter how much of a genius he was, he shouldn’t stop people from leaving after class!
"My mentor originally told me to spend as much time and energy as possible on studying Magic." Yulan’s mentor was the Head of the Magic Department, so such advice wasn’t surprising.
"So, I was initially planning to focus purely on studying Magic for my first year," Yulan continued. "I didn’t particularly care about getting first place in freshman credits.
"I’m already a First-Ring Mage. I don’t need the Spirit Ascension Water, so there was no harm in letting you guys have it. I considered it me taking the high road.
"But..." Yulan paused, then suddenly snapped, "I heard from Shadi that you claimed you were going to surpass me in credits on your own merit.
"If you’re going to put it that way, then I don’t plan on yielding anymore.
"The first place for freshman credits can only be something I give to you. It’s impossible for you to snatch it from my hands," Yulan emphasized each word heavily. "If you take it back now, I can still give you a chance."
Was this an excess of pride? Gaode felt helpless. He had encountered people with this kind of personality in his past life: those with poor backgrounds but excellent grades, making them simultaneously arrogant and insecure. Precisely because their "grades" were the only thing they could show off, they placed exceptional importance on the vanity surrounding them.
"Oh, I see," Gaode nodded and responded. "First place in credits depends on our respective abilities. There’s no need to yield," he said earnestly.
Compared to Yulan’s overbearing aggression, Gaode appeared exceedingly calm. With this contrast, it was immediately clear who held the higher ground.
Yulan obviously realized this as well, and the spectator-like gazes of the other students caused the highly self-regardant boy’s face to flush bright red.
"I heard from my mentor that in order to surpass me in credits, you took on sixteen elective courses at once..." Out of shame and indignation, Yulan gritted his teeth and continued, "But you don’t get credits just for attending academy courses; you have to pass the exams!
"There’s absolutely no way you can finish learning sixteen courses!
"Trying to beat me in credits is even more impossible!"