Chapter 3 – Changing Environment
Shi Feng frowned a little when he heard Luo Tiancheng's words.
Lin Yaoyue had left in quite a haste just now, and she had indeed forgotten to mention this important detail to him. Or, to put it in another way, she found it awkward to bring up this condition to Shi Feng, hence she left it to Luo Tiancheng, one of Shi Feng's “old buddies.”
The main reason why many students were willing to apply to the God's Domain Academy instead of taking the application tests of large Guilds and becoming their internal members was because of the Academy's instructors.
The God's Domain Academy wasn't paying a high price to hire expert players as instructors solely to teach the Academy's students. Instead, the Academy also depended on these expert players to support its students.
After all, newcomers to God's Domain would have nothing to their name. They also had nobody to rely on for help.
Meanwhile, the Academy's instructors were players who had mingled in God's Domain for many years. They were bound to have amassed a wealth of resources in the game, which would help make up for the God's Domain Academy's lack of resources in the game. With the support of expert players, newcomers to God's Domain could not only integrate with the game world quickly, but they also wouldn't have to worry about leveling up or upgrading their equipment.
Moreover, in the sixth year of God's Domain's operation, the game had introduced the Apprentice System. This system was also the basis for God's Domain to influence universities.
Through the Apprentice System, expert players could temporarily lower their levels to match that of the players they were helping. The system would even automatically adjust the level and statistics of players' weapons and equipment. This allowed expert players fighting at the frontlines to guide new players without having to create a new account. They could also raid Dungeons together with new players.
Initially, Shi Feng had planned to casually teach some techniques in the God's Domain Academy and nothing more. After all, he was someone who had become a Tier 6 God in his other life. The combat standard he could currently exert far exceeded the imagination of measly Tier 3 and Tier 4 experts. Let alone guiding new players, he could serve as an instructor for even Tier 4 players.
Unfortunately, his current self had absolutely nothing in God's Domain. Compared to the various large Guilds' upper echelons, he would have a much more difficult time persuading new students to come under his wing.
This would also explain why Lin Yaoyue had left so hastily. She must've found it awkward to bring up such a matter. As for the “We do not look at a person's academic qualifications or history; we only look at their current abilities” claim Lin Yaoyue made, it was nothing but drivel!
“Guild Leader Shi, you don't look too well,” Luo Tiancheng said, laughing when he saw Shi Feng frowning. “How about I share a few students with you? At least you won't look too bad when you have to leave the Academy.”
Unlike Shi Feng, Luo Tiancheng was still a member of Shadow. Meanwhile, through relying on Shadow's fame, he had recruited over 40 apprentices. In terms of apprentice count, he was among the top ten of junior instructors.
Luo Tiancheng had always looked down upon Shi Feng. This was because his technique standards were superior to Shi Feng, in his opinion. Luo Tiancheng was also confident he was not the slightest bit inferior to Shi Feng when it came to talent. The only advantage Shi Feng had was his early start in God's Domain. Yet, just because of this early start, he got to become Shadow's Guild Leader.
Meanwhile, the current situation was the best way for Luo Tiancheng to prove that he was superior and that Shi Feng was nothing without Shadow's support.
“It's just a few students. No need to trouble yourself over it, Instructor Luo,” Shi Feng calmly said as he looked at Luo Tiancheng. “No matter what, I am still Shadow's ex-Guild Leader. I used to instruct experts like you, so I can at least manage this much.”
After saying so, Shi Feng made his way to the testing area. He paid no heed to the grim expression Luo Tiancheng made.
Laugh all you want now! You are nothing without Shadow's support! Luo Tiancheng thought as he viciously glared at Shi Feng's departing figure. Let's see how I'll laugh at you the day you get kicked out of this place!
Meanwhile, over a dozen junior instructors were currently crowded outside the testing hall. These people were either Shadow's executives or frontline experts of third-rate Guilds.
When these junior instructors saw a new student exiting the testing hall, they promptly swarmed the student.
“Fellow student, I can see that you're very talented! You managed to reach the late stage of the Trial Tower's fourth floor! You are an extraordinary talent! I am an Elder of the Blood Spirit Guild. So long as you become my apprentice, I can guarantee you will get to use Dark-Gold Equipment up to Level 150!”
“Bah! Blood Spirit is nothing but a third-rate Guild. Young man, you should join our Wolf Whisper Guild! Wolf Whisper is a second-rate Guild! We are many times stronger than a measly third-rate Guild! Let alone Dark-Gold Equipment, I can get you even Epic Equipment up to Level 150! If you can reach the sixth floor's early stage, I'll even get a Level 150 Epic Weapon for you!”
In no time at all, over a dozen middle-aged uncles surrounded the young man looking to be around the age of 17 or 18. Every one of them fervently voiced their offers to recruit the boy.
Shi Feng also took a look at the troubled teenager in sportswear.
Reaching the late stage of the Trial Tower's fourth floor at the boy's age without any prior guidance showed that the boy had good talent. According to the God's Domain Academy's talent ranking system of A, B, C, and D, the boy would be given a ranking of B. He wasn't that far off from reaching the middle stage of the Trial Tower's fifth floor, which was also the standard of ordinary experts in God's Domain.
If a first-rate Guild provided enough training and resources for the boy, he could become a Refinement Realm expert in the future. After all, a player's physical and technique development would be at their fastest before the age of 25. After one crossed this age, the speed of their improvement would rapidly fall off.
Meanwhile, so long as the boy could become a Refinement Realm expert, he could become a mainstay of a first-rate Guild. If he received sufficient resources, it was highly possible he could become a Tier 4 player in the future. So, it was no wonder why so many junior instructors were fighting for the boy.
However, Shi Feng did not bother joining in on the fun. Instead, he made his way straight to the testing hall's entrance. Then, he sat down on one of the prepared seats, held up his quantum watch, and projected a holographic white sheet in front of him.
Afterward, Shi Feng wrote a few words on the white sheet, the words he wrote shocking many of the waiting students in the hall. Even the junior instructors outside the testing hall were dumbfounded when they saw Shi Feng's words.
On-the-spot guidance. I will help you improve your Trial Tower performance by one stage. Each guidance costs 100,000 Credits. I will only teach each person once. First come, first served.
“Did that instructor go crazy for money?”
“One hundred thousand Credits? I can live four years without working with that money!”
“But it's not a bad deal if he can help improve my result by one stage. The test results affect the leveling resources the Academy gives us, after all. If I can reach the Trial Tower's late stage, I'll get a B-rank evaluation.”
Many of the new students present were slightly tempted by Shi Feng's advertisement. This was especially true for students who had reached the fourth floor's middle stage. After all, this was the dividing line between B-rank and C-rank students. Meanwhile, not only would B-rank students get a 30% discount for using the Academy's resources, but they would also receive 12 bottles of rank Nutrient Fluid each year.
In the outside world, a bottle of rank Nutrient Fluid was sold for 10,000 Credits. It was not something ordinary people could afford to drink. Even middle-income families could only afford to feed their children B- and C-rank Nutrient Fluids, which cost 1,000 Credits and 400 Credits respectively.
Meanwhile, 12 bottles of rank Nutrient Fluid was equivalent to 120,000 Credits!
Not to mention, there was also a 30% discount for school resources. This meant that B-rank students could purchase rank Nutrient Fluids for only 7,000 Credits per bottle. If Shi Feng's claim was true, then this was a worthwhile transaction.
In no time, a lovely girl with her hair tied into pigtails approached Shi Feng with curious eyes. Then, she asked, “Instructor, is what you say true?”
Meanwhile, along with this female student's appearance, many other students and instructors turned to look in Shi Feng's direction.
This was because this female student was Wu Lingling, one of the most talented students among this class of freshmen. She was also the younger sister of Wu Xiaoxiao, the God's Domain Academy's strongest talent.
Even though Wu Lingling was only 16 this year, the God's Domain Academy had gone out of its way to send her a direct invitation. Currently, she had already reached the early stage of the Trial Tower's fifth floor, and her performance was not much inferior to Wu Xiaoxiao's past performance.
However, before Shi Feng could speak up, Luo Tiancheng, who had enough of Shi Feng's arrogance, suddenly walked over and said, “Miss Wu Lingling, don't fall for this person's trickery. He is nothing but a junior instructor who had come to work here for the first day. He was also only a Tier 3 player at his peak.
“His claim of improving your performance by one stage in one teaching session is something not even Tier 4 experts dare make. You should know yourself how difficult it is to improve your result in the Trial Tower. That is something that requires continuous effort over a long period.
“He will be getting kicked out of the Academy soon because he doesn't have enough apprentices under him. He's just trying to make a quick buck off of you before leaving.”
Upon hearing Luo Tiancheng's words, many of the new students present nodded in agreement.
They had to train hard every day and study the battle videos of experts to reach their current standard. Meanwhile, a person's combat standard became increasingly harder to improve the further they progressed. It wasn't something that could be accomplished within a day.
Not to mention, Shi Feng was nothing but a Tier 3 player. How could he possibly accomplish something that not even Tier 4 players could?
In the blink of an eye, the students initially interested in Shi Feng's offer gave up on their thoughts.
Seeing this, Luo Tiancheng looked toward Shi Feng and revealed a delighted smile.
However, just as Wu Lingling was about to give up and leave, Shi Feng calmly smiled and said, “Right, I forgot to write a sentence here. If you don't make any improvements, I won't charge you anything!”