Chapter Sixty-Three: Being a Good Student

“Hmph, who would believe that—”
Cairo, his face flushed, stubbornly started to retort, but before he could finish, his voice cut off abruptly. He stared in astonishment at Wang Luo—or more precisely, at the blue water arrow floating before Wang Luo.

“Second-level magic: Water Arrow!”
Abigay swallowed hard, his large ears quivering with excitement as he exclaimed in awe. Priel, standing nearby, also looked surprised, but Cairo’s expression was by far the most remarkable.

“Hmph, what’s so great about being a second-level mage? Fine, you’re the boss for now. But you’d better watch out; one day, I’ll surpass you and become the leader of this dormitory!”
With his proud demeanor, Cairo spoke with defiance, but his tone clearly revealed he had already accepted Wang Luo as the boss.

“Boss!”
“Boss!”
Hearing Priel and Abigay call out, Wang Luo withdrew his gaze from watching Cairo head inside. He hadn’t expected the arrogant Cairo to admit defeat so easily and straightforwardly. In his heart, Wang Luo’s opinion of Cairo improved.

As he chatted with Priel and Abigay, Wang Luo learned more about the two of them. What surprised him most was that Abigay possessed the bloodline of the Piggy Clan from the Beastkin.

Long ago, the beastmen lived in the frigid north, suffering from hunger and cold, leading half-bestial lives, constantly warring with humans for food, with countless casualties. Yet, their strong reproductive capabilities allowed them to survive tenaciously.

It was not until countless millennia ago that a half-dragon named Gaius appeared. With his formidable strength and half-dragon bloodline, he subdued the entire beastkin within three years, becoming their king.

Once Gaius became king, he ordered an end to the war with humans. He traded resources like ores and magic crystals for food with humans, helped the beastkin cultivate arable land, taught them agriculture, and promoted animal husbandry and other such measures.

Thus, after years of racial warfare, peace finally came. Over time, as trade with humans became frequent, the beastkin, unable to resist humanity’s powerful assimilative ability, were quietly absorbed and conquered.

As generations passed and intermarriage became common, human and beastkin bloodlines mingled so thoroughly that, after countless years, pure beastkin blood was almost impossible to find. Even in the beastkin stronghold—now the capital of the Beastman Empire, one of the five great empires—there were no pure beastkin left, only half-beastmen with some beastkin traits and residual blood.

Half-beastmen not only possessed human intelligence, but also the formidable constitutions of beastkin. They often displayed extraordinary talent for cultivation, which was one reason for the intermingling of bloodlines. Of course, not all half-beastmen were exceptionally gifted. Some were mediocre in both intellect and strength; otherwise, the continent of Tianxuan would have long since belonged to the half-beastmen.

After returning to his room, Wang Luo continued his cultivation, striving to restore his strength as quickly as possible. Time slipped by as he trained, and before he realized it, it was already the next day.

As the first rays of morning sunlight entered his room, Wang Luo woke on time. After washing up, he stepped outside and saw Abigay practicing swordsmanship, while Priel and Cairo were practicing magic nearby.

“Boss, you really are diligent. You trained all night and skipped dinner yesterday—no wonder you’re stronger than us!”
Seeing Wang Luo, Priel fired one last Wind Blade, hitting the distant target with precision, then spoke breathlessly. Cairo, standing beside him, merely snorted dismissively.

“It’s nothing. Class is about to start—go wash up, eat, and get ready,” Wang Luo replied with a smile. Priel and the other two glanced at the magic clock: it was already 7:15. They hurried back to their rooms.

“…Every person has a magic domain in their mind, but only those with high affinity for magic elements are suited for magical cultivation. It also requires strong spiritual power, since casting magic relies on it as support…”

“…Chanting is not the only way to cast spells. One can also use hand seals or inscribe magic arrays, but chanting is the simplest and fastest, and less likely to be interrupted. The other methods have many flaws and are gradually being phased out…”

“…A person’s affinity for magic elements determines their talent for cultivating battle qi. Training in battle qi involves refining magic elements and storing them in one’s battle domain. Battle qi strengthens the body, while battle techniques allow warriors to harness it for maximum effect…”

“…Whether cultivating magic or battle qi, the essence is the same: refining the ubiquitous magic elements of heaven and earth for one’s own use. Magic and battle techniques are simply tools for unleashing their greatest offensive potential…”

“…That’s all for today’s lesson. Class will resume promptly at 2:30 this afternoon!”

At the old mage’s words from the lectern, the drowsy students below instantly perked up. As soon as the old mage left the classroom, the students came to life.

“Boss, I’m starving. Let’s go eat together!”
Hearing Priel’s call, Wang Luo nodded his agreement, and the four of them headed to the dining hall. Along the way, Priel and Abigay chattered nonstop, Cairo chimed in now and then with his usual pride, and Wang Luo reflected on the old mage’s lesson.

The content was all basic knowledge. Judging by the students’ discussions between classes, Wang Luo realized that almost everyone had already received this foundational education, which explained their lack of enthusiasm during lectures.

But for Wang Luo, these basics were exactly what he needed most. He listened intently, not missing a single word, comparing everything to what he already knew, and many previously confusing points suddenly became clear.

The old mage noticed Wang Luo’s outstanding focus. After all, only a handful of students paid close attention, and only Wang Luo seemed to grasp the material so quickly.

In the afternoon, Priel and Cairo originally planned to skip class, but seeing Wang Luo and Abigay heading there, Priel decided to follow, and Cairo eventually did as well.

Upon entering, they discovered that nearly half the class was missing, and more students slipped out during the lesson. In the end, even Priel and the others left, but Wang Luo stayed, listening intently.

“If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me anytime. I live right over there.”
As class ended, Wang Luo was still pondering a problem at his desk when the old mage’s voice sounded in his ear. Wang Luo was startled, then smiled and nodded, though inwardly he was shocked—he hadn’t sensed the mage’s approach at all.

Blue Dragon in a Strange Land, Chapter Sixty-Three: Be a Good Student—End of update!