Chapter 114: The Freshmen and the Upperclassmen

"Now, let us have the freshmen introduce themselves. Let our seniors see what you are capable of; perhaps there will be opportunities for collaboration in the future!"

Lu Dongrui looked at the freshmen below with a smile, while the other teaching assistants and senior students watched with keen interest.

The freshmen looked at each other, and a young man stepped forward, saying loudly:

"Chen Shuang, Breaker Knight."
"Zhang Xuan, Arcanist!"
"Cai Guangqi, low-tier hero class, Holy Knight."
"Luo Lingfeng, high-tier hero class, Void Stalker!"

As soon as he spoke, he immediately drew the attention of many, even Chu Cheng looked over with curiosity.

"Wei Lengyue, Frost Sorceress."
"Chu Cheng, Weapon Master."
"Dong Mushan, high-tier hero class, Sword Saint."

Another high-tier class attracted everyone’s notice, while Chu Cheng’s report of being a Weapon Master seemed entirely unremarkable in the crowd.

The Weapon Master was a low-tier hero class; its attribute bonuses and combat style shared significant similarities with Chu Cheng’s current abilities, making it a convenient cover. He didn't do this to act arrogant later or out of a deliberate desire to be low-key; he simply wanted to quietly improve his strength during the early stages without being marked as a competitor. Once his equipment and skill levels were sufficiently upgraded, there would be no need for modesty.

The twenty-three freshmen finished their introductions; some were naturally reserved and brief, while others were extroverted and quite flamboyant. Among so many people, there were only two high-tier hero classes and four mid-tier hero classes; the rest were all low-tier.

Chu Cheng’s low-key introduction went largely unnoticed, except by Senior Fang Xi, who sent him a private message: "Our university doesn't reward being too low-key. If the assistants and mentors don't notice you, you'll miss out on many opportunities."

He replied: "I just don't want to be disturbed for the time being."
"Handle it as you see fit."

After all the freshmen finished, Chief Assistant Lu Dongrui smiled and said: "The freshmen have now introduced themselves. Seniors, please take care of them in the future."

"Furthermore," he shifted his tone, becoming extremely serious, "after consultation with the assistant group, it has been decided that the freshman assessment for this year will take place in one year. The mentors will provide a legendary-grade piece of equipment as a prize for the first-place student. We hope you will seize this opportunity."

When this was announced, everyone’s spirits lifted, and their faces showed anticipation.

"Additionally, based on your performance and comprehensive strength over this year, we will select three people from among you in one year to participate in the internal university faction tournament alongside the elites under other mentors of the Void Tower."

"The top ten in the tournament will not only receive prioritized training from the university but also gain the opportunity for the 'Star Ascension Trial.'"

At this, Chu Cheng’s eyes lit up, and his classmates looked even more intense, eyeing each other as if looking at rivals. The Star Ascension Trial—the handbook had mentioned it. It was an extremely rigorous trial, but success rewarded one with 50 points to all attributes—a truly staggering gain.

"Take note: the only restriction for this freshman assessment is that you are not allowed to consume extra dungeon points. Within this year, you are permitted to spend only the initial 100 points; exceeding this will lead to immediate disqualification."

"Also, competition between freshmen is allowed, but you must rely on your own abilities and means, including borrowing the power of indigenous inhabitants within the dungeons. Senior students are not permitted to participate in the competition between freshmen. You may use external items, but you are not allowed to use items above the Transcendent tier."

"All university dungeons are under surveillance. Once such behavior is discovered, besides disqualification, severe penalties will be imposed depending on the consequences."

Assistant Lu Dongrui spoke at length about this for nearly half an hour. The core message was that competition was allowed, but it had to be won through one's own capabilities, not by seeking help from seniors.

After Lu Dongrui, the other assistants took turns speaking, mainly introducing their respective areas of responsibility. Once they had finished, Mentor Yun Dingge finally stood up to announce the official start of the semester, then dismissed the meeting.

As always, he was a man of few words.

With that, the semester had officially begun. The group dispersed, some forming small teams, others leaving alone. Chu Cheng’s gaze subconsciously fell upon the stunning senior he had noticed earlier, and he was surprised to see her leaving entirely by herself, with no one around her.

He only withdrew his gaze when her figure disappeared. Just as he prepared to leave, he heard Senior Fang Xi’s voice in his ear: "Is she pretty? Her name is Fang Ziling."

"Uh!" He turned to see Senior Fang Xi standing behind him, and he felt slightly awkward. "She’s not as pretty as you, Senior!"

"Hmph, no need to be embarrassed; she is indeed prettier than me." She paused. "However, I advise you to give up on that idea. Do you know who her boyfriend is?"

Chu Cheng said with a serious expression, "Senior, I think we can skip this topic. I was really just observing the seniors and happened to look..."

"Her boyfriend is Zhao Wuji, the number one disciple among the current students of the Astral Tower."

Chu Cheng sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Are you wondering how such a beautiful girl from our faction ended up with someone from another?"

"Listen carefully," Senior Fang Xi said earnestly. "No more jokes, but you should know about this. Zhao Wuji possesses a legendary-grade hero class and is in the top three among all current students at Star University. His strength crushes an entire generation across the sixteen factions of the Astral Tower. He was the top student of his year."

"That strong?"

"What did you expect? Without sufficient strength, who would dare to avoid approaching her just because of a word from him?" Fang Xi rolled her eyes at him and waved her hand. "Come with me, I’ll introduce you to my teammates. I’ll bring you along for your first dungeon run later."

"Uh, that won't be necessary, will it? I’ll just be careful in the beginning."

"University dungeons are different from middle school ones. It’s safer to have someone with you."

"Uh, thank you, Senior."

"No need for formalities. After all, you were the one I brought in."

He followed Fang Xi to the entrance, where three men and one woman were waiting. Fang Xi brought him over and said to them, "This is Chu Cheng, a special recruit for this year's freshmen."

He hurriedly greeted them: "Hello, seniors, I am Chu Cheng."

The three men and one woman examined Chu Cheng with scrutinizing gazes. From their positioning and body language, it was clear that the leader was the handsome mage in the center.

The burly man on the right stood with his arms crossed, revealing thick muscles. He looked Chu Cheng up and down and said, "Kid, for Fang Xi’s sake, I’ll give you a chance. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Temple of Darkness. You'll level up once or twice and update two or three pieces of red-tier equipment in no time."

"???"

Chu Cheng felt a flicker of annoyance. The tone was patronizing, as if he were being given charity. He didn't like it; it made it seem as though he were begging them. However, his face remained neutral. He caught a glimpse of Fang Xi’s face, which looked both surprised and displeased. He bowed politely to the burly man:

"Thank you, Senior, and thank you for your kind offer, Senior Fang Xi. The Temple of Darkness is too difficult for me right now. I think I should start by training in places with slightly lower difficulty, and once I’ve adapted, I’ll come to trouble you again."

His words were a polite rejection. The burly man simply waved his hand dismissively: "If you don't want to, then forget it."

Chu Cheng bowed once more and quickly turned to leave, faintly hearing an argument between Senior Fang Xi and the others behind him.