In the decades-long history of the Era of Myth, any Professional who performed like Fang Zhou, as long as they did not die prematurely, became a pioneer and mentor in their Profession. Not to mention donning the Legendary Crown, they could at the very least achieve the status of a Glory Champion.
What was even more valuable was that this type of pioneer could greatly enhance the development potential and Combat Ability of a particular Profession, providing an immense boost to the overall foundation of the human race.
Among the freshmen of this year's Sea City Military Academy, Fang Zhou was the first student to show such talent.
Thinking of this, Su Tiankuo glanced at Lu Hu with a smirk and said, "It seems Instructor Lu indeed has a discerning eye. I have to admit, that kid Fang Zhou is qualified to be our Sea City Military Academy's seed."
Lu Hu scratched the back of his head and laughed good-naturedly. "If he's not the seed, then who is? Principal, I also wanted to ask you, when will Major Xinyan be back?
"Today, Fang Zhou mentioned that after developing the [Skeleton Flying Spear] and [Skeleton Shield] Skills, he feels his foundation is severely lacking and he's in desperate need of a great mentor's guidance.
"Even Ye Fan has a dedicated research group, so I don't think it's excessive to arrange one for Fang Zhou as well."
Uncharacteristically, Su Tiankuo didn't reject him outright. Instead, he stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "The Demon Hunter research group is directly funded by the Human Alliance; it doesn't use our academy's resources. If Fang Zhou wants the same treatment, he'll have to show even greater potential. We'll discuss everything after Xinyan returns from the Mythical Battlefield."
Hearing this gave Lu Hu some peace of mind. Since the principal hadn't rejected him outright, it meant the matter would most likely succeed.
He smiled and said, "When Xinyan sees two new Undead Mage Skills in the Human Alliance Skill Library, she will certainly jump for joy. With Xinyan and Fang Zhou joining forces, the Undead Mage Profession might truly forge a new legend."
「」
Meanwhile, Fang Zhou, who was gradually gaining the attention of the military academy's higher-ups, was lying in bed, happily organizing the day's gains.
He had a total of 210 contribution points and needed to plan carefully how to make the most of them. First, the [Weapon Specialization], [Block], and [Battle Cry] Skills for the Skeleton Clone are must-learns. That's 30 contribution points. Second, while [Skeleton Flying Spear] is already quite powerful, it's merely a prototype and can be enhanced further. The Undead Mage's Apprentice-level Skill Library has several Skills worth referencing. In my estimation, the Skeleton Flying Spear could absorb the corrosive ability from [Touch of Corrosion] to add an additional Corrosive Poison Damage attribute. [Death Missile] is purely Death Energy Damage, which is completely covered by the Skeleton Flying Spear's damage type, so it holds no research value. As for [Weakening Beam], it has no direct damage effect and is a slow-type Control Skill. While its effect isn't strong, it can at least give me ideas for developing Skeleton Series Control Skills. That will require another 20 contribution points. Third, I need to reference more Control Skills from other Magic Professionals.
His search in the Human Alliance Skill Library showed that Apprentice-level Mage Control Skills weren't abundant. The more practical ones included [Vine Entangle], [Mire Skill], [Earth Wall Technique], and [Spider Web Skill].
I'll exchange for these four skills first to use as Skill Materials. That will be another 40 contribution points.
Additionally, Ye Fan's [Fallen Heaven Strike] today made Fang Zhou quite envious.
If I could master such a powerful Displacement Skill, my tactical system would undoubtedly become more complete. However, as Instructor Lu said, it's not good to spread myself too thin, so there's no rush for now.
Lastly, there was the equipment exchange that Lu Hu had mentioned. Magic Professional equipment was generally classified into weapons, headgear, armor, shoes, accessories, and Marvels. Each category also had different types. For instance, weapons included Magic Staffs, Crystal Balls, and Magic Books, while accessories included necklaces and rings.
However, equipment accessible to Apprentice-level Professionals was generally Gray Inferior quality, mass-produced items that weren't very powerful.
Fang Zhou opened his personal terminal, browsing the equipment exchange interface. With his Junior Sergeant F-level clearance, he could only exchange for some Gray Inferior equipment. Each piece was priced at 10 contribution points, the same as an Apprentice Skill Book.
He carefully read the descriptions of these pieces of equipment and searched online for guides on Undead Mage equipment, quickly forming a plan.
Good steel must be used on the cutting edge; money shouldn't be spent frivolously. I don't plan to buy a full set of equipment at once. Instead, I'll first purchase a few items beneficial for Cultivation.
[Apprentice Mage Hat] (Gray Inferior): A mass-produced, standard-issue mage hat that slightly increases maximum Spiritual Power.
[Apprentice Necklace] (Gray Inferior): A mass-produced, standard-issue necklace that slightly increases Spiritual Power recovery speed.
[Apprentice Ring] x2 (Gray Inferior): A mass-produced, standard-issue ring that slightly reduces Skill Cooldown Time.
With this "Cultivation Four-Piece Set" recommended by the guide, Fang Zhou's Cultivation speed and Skill Proficiency enhancement rate would increase by at least ten percent.
Although it cost 40 contribution points, the cumulative benefits provided by this equipment over time would be a considerable return.
After completing his shopping spree, Fang Zhou turned to his attribute panel. He had accumulated another 10 Soul Power, enough to quickly master the basics of an Apprentice-level Skill. After some consideration, he decisively chose [Weapon Specialization] for his Skeleton Clone.
Thanks to the recent days of killing and devouring, the Skeleton Clone was nearing the threshold of the Apprentice upper tier.
In my estimation, the Skeletons in this region will soon be unable to provide my Skeleton Clone with any more Skeleton Essence.
To explore the depths of the Burial Wilderness more securely, the Skeleton Clone needed to not only increase its level and Four-dimensional Attributes but also master more Combat Skills.
With 10 contribution points deducted, Fang Zhou quickly received a [Weapon Specialization] Skill Book through his personal terminal. This was a Passive Skill for a Combat Professional. The learner could choose a type of weapon as their specialization, thereby gaining stronger damage bonuses with it. For instance, after Ye Fan chose the Blade Bow as his specialized weapon, his technique and proficiency with the unusual weapon saw an immediate qualitative leap.
As skill projections played on his personal terminal, Fang Zhou soon received a prompt.
"Detected learnable Skill Material. Estimated cost of 10 Soul Power to master the basics. Begin learning?"
*Start learning!*
As his Soul Power dropped to zero, the Soul Fire within his Skeleton Clone's skull began to leap wildly. A massive trove of memories flooded into its mind. Experiences with dozens of weapons—blades, spears, staffs, axes, swords, and halberds—churned within its memory.
It quickly chose the Long Spear as its specialization.
Thus, in the Skeleton Clone's perception, it was as if it had been using the Skeleton Long Spear for decades. It mastered techniques like thrusting, stabbing, sweeping, poking, and blocking in an instant.